Advance in Multi-omics Research Strategies on Cholesterol Metabolism in Psoriasis

The skin is a complex and dynamic organ where homeostasis is maintained through the intricate interplay between the immune system and metabolism, particularly cholesterol metabolism. Various factors such as cytokines, inflammatory mediators, cholesterol metabolites, and metabolic enzymes play crucial roles in facilitating these interactions. Dysregulation of this delicate balance contributes to the pathogenic pathways of inflammatory skin conditions, notably psoriasis. In this article, we provide an overview of omics biomarkers associated with psoriasis in relation to cholesterol metabolism. We explore multi-omics approaches that reveal the communication between immunometabolism and psoriatic inflammation. Additionally, we summarize the use of multi-omics strategies to uncover the complexities of multifactorial and heterogeneous inflammatory diseases. Finally, we highlight potential future perspectives related to targeted drug therapies and research areas that can advance precise medicine. This review aims to serve as a valuable resource for those investigating the role of cholesterol metabolism in psoriasis.

Androgen Receptor/AP-1 Activates UGT2B15 Transcription to Promote Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Invasion

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an aggressive epithelial malignancy with poor prognosis. Interestingly, ESCC is strongly characterized by a male-predominant propensity. Our previous study showed that androgen receptor (AR) orchestrated a transcriptional repression program to promote ESCC growth, but it remains unclear whether AR can also activate oncogenic signaling during ESCC progression. In this study, by analyzing our previous AR cistromes and androgen-regulated transcriptomes, we identified uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase family 2 member B15 (UGT2B15) as a bona fide target gene of AR. Mechanistically, AP-1 cofactors played important and collaborative roles in AR-mediated UGT2B15 upregulation. Functional studies have revealed that UGT2B15 promoted invasiveness in vitro and lymph node metastasis in vivo. UGT2B15 was partially responsible for the AR-induced invasive phenotype in ESCC cells. Importantly, simultaneous blocking of AP-1 and AR resulted in stronger inhibition of cell invasiveness compared to inhibiting AP-1 or AR alone. In conclusion, our study reveals the molecular mechanisms underlying the AR-driven ESCC invasion and suggests that the AR/AP1/UGT2B15 transcriptional axis can be potentially targeted in suppressing metastasis in male ESCC patients.

The MAPS-CRAFITY score: a novel efficacy predictive tool for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma treated with targeted therapy plus immunotherapy

BACKGROUND

Body composition parameters (BCPs) are associated with mortality in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our purpose was to develop a practical scoring model by BCP and the CRAFITY score to predict the overall survival (OS) and tumor response of patients with HCC who received targeted therapy plus immunotherapy.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 265 patients with HCC who received targeted therapy plus immunotherapy at 2 centers in China from August 2018 to February 2022. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were applied to analyze clinical factors and BCP. A scoring model based on independent risk factors was developed to predict OS and tumor response. Moreover, the model's prediction was further validated by an external cohort.

RESULTS

A total of 150 patients (55.5 ± 10.8 years) and 115 patients (55.0 ± 8.9 years) treated with lenvatinib or bevacizumab biosimilar plus anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) antibody were included in training and validation cohorts, respectively. In the training cohort, independent predictive factors for OS included macrovascular invasion (p = 0.016), Child‒Pugh class (A vs. B, p = 0.001; A vs. C, p < 0.001), sarcopenia (p = 0.034), and the CRAFITY score (p = 0.011). Based on independent risk factors (MAcrovascular invasion, Child‒Pugh class, Sarcopenia, and the CRAFITY score) identified by multivariate analysis, a novel efficacy predictive tool named the MAPS-CRAFITY score was developed to predict OS. In all the training and validation cohorts, the OS differed significantly across the three groups based on the MAPS-CRAFITY score (< 2.1, 2.1-2.3, ≥ 2.4; p < 0.001). Moreover, the C-index of the MAPS-CRAFITY score was 0.720 and 0.761 in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. In both the validation and training cohorts, the MAPS-CRAFITY score was predictive of tumor response and disease control (p < 0.001). The AUCs of the MAPS-CRAFITY score for predicting disease control were 0.752 in the training cohort and 0.836 in the validation cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

The MAPS-CRAFITY score based on sarcopenia and the CRAFITY score is a reliable and practical tool for predicting the efficacy of targeted therapy plus immunotherapy in patients with unresectable HCC, and may help hepatologists and oncologists in clinical decision-making.

Impaired immunosuppressive effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes on T cells in aplastic anemia

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have verified the dysfunction of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for immunoregulation in acquired aplastic anemia (AA) patients. Exosomes derived from MSCs can partially substitute MSCs acting as immune regulator. Dysfunction of exosomes (Exos) derived from AA-MSC (AA-Exos) may play a key role in immunologic dissonance.

METHOD

In this study, CD3 + T cells were collected and cocultured with AA-Exos and exosomes derived from HD-MSC (HD-Exos). The proliferation, differentiation and activation of CD3 + T cells were detected to compare the immunosuppressive effects between AA-Exos and HD-Exos. An immune-mediated murine model of AA was structured to compare the therapeutic effect of AA-Exos and HD-Exos. Furthermore, total RNA including miRNA from exosomes we purified and total RNA of CD3 + T cells were extracted for RNA-seq in order to construct the miRNA-mRNA network for interactions and functional analysis.

RESULTS

AA-Exos had impaired inhibition effects on CD3 + T cells in terms of cell proliferation, activation and differentiation compared with exosomes from HD-Exos. HD-Exos showed a more effective rescue of AA mice compared to AA-Exos. Importantly, we found some differentially expressed miRNA involved in immune response, such as miR-199, miR-128 and miR-486. The Gene Ontology analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed involvement of various cellular processes, such as lymphocyte chemotaxis, lymphocyte migration and response to interferon-gamma. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis illustrated upregulation of critical pathways associated with T cell function after coculturing with AA-Exos compared with HD-Exos, such as graft-versus-host disease, Th17 cell differentiation and JAK-STAT signaling pathway. A miRNA-mRNA network was established to visualize the interaction between them.

CONCLUSION

In summary, AA-Exos had impaired immunosuppressive effect on T cells, less ability to rescue AA mice and differently expressed miRNA profile, which might partly account for the pathogenesis of AA as well as provide a new target of AA treatment.

Multi-Omics Research Strategies for Psoriasis and Atopic Dermatitis

Psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (AD) are multifactorial and heterogeneous inflammatory skin diseases, while years of research have yielded no cure, and the costs associated with caring for people suffering from psoriasis and AD are a huge burden on society. Integrating several omics datasets will enable coordinate-based simultaneous analysis of hundreds of genes, RNAs, chromatins, proteins, and metabolites in particular cells, revealing networks of links between various molecular levels. In this review, we discuss the latest developments in the fields of genomes, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics and discuss how they were used to identify biomarkers and understand the main pathogenic mechanisms underlying these diseases. Finally, we outline strategies for achieving multi-omics integration and how integrative omics and systems biology can advance our knowledge of, and ability to treat, psoriasis and AD.