Glycogen synthesis and beyond, a comprehensive review of GSK3 as a key regulator of metabolic pathways and a therapeutic target for treating metabolic diseases

Glycogen synthase kinase‐3 (GSK3) is a highly evolutionarily conserved serine/threonine protein kinase first identified as an enzyme that regulates glycogen synthase (GS) in response to insulin stimulation, which involves GSK3 regulation of glucose metabolism and energy homeostasis. Both isoforms of GSK3, GSK3α, and GSK3β, have been implicated in many biological and pathophysiological processes. The various functions of GSK3 are indicated by its widespread distribution in multiple cell types and tissues. The studies of GSK3 activity using animal models and the observed effects of GSK3‐specific inhibitors provide more insights into the roles of GSK3 in regulating energy metabolism and homeostasis. The cross‐talk between GSK3 and some important energy regulators and sensors and the regulation of GSK3 in mitochondrial activity and component function further highlight the molecular mechanisms in which GSK3 is involved to regulate the metabolic activity, beyond its classical regulatory effect on GS. In this review, we summarize the specific roles of GSK3 in energy metabolism regulation in tissues that are tightly associated with energy metabolism and the functions of GSK3 in the development of metabolic disorders. We also address the impacts of GSK3 on the regulation of mitochondrial function, activity and associated metabolic regulation. The application of GSK3 inhibitors in clinical tests will be highlighted too. Interactions between GSK3 and important energy regulators and GSK3‐mediated responses to different stresses that are related to metabolism are described to provide a brief overview of previously less‐appreciated biological functions of GSK3 in energy metabolism and associated diseases through its regulation of GS and other functions.

PPARα and Sirt1 mediate erythropoietin action in increasing metabolic activity and browning of white adipocytes to protect against obesity and metabolic disorders

Erythropoietin (EPO) has shown beneficial effects in the regulation of obesity and metabolic syndrome; however, the detailed mechanism is still largely unknown. Here, we created mice with adipocyte-specific deletion of EPO receptor. These mice exhibited obesity and decreased glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, especially when fed a high-fat diet. Moreover, EPO increased oxidative metabolism, fatty acid oxidation, and key metabolic genes in adipocytes and in white adipose tissue from diet-induced obese wild-type mice. Increased metabolic activity by EPO is associated with induction of brown fat-like features in white adipocytes, as demonstrated by increases in brown fat gene expression, mitochondrial content, and uncoupled respiration. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)α was found to mediate EPO activity because a PPARα antagonist impaired EPO-mediated induction of brown fat-like gene expression and uncoupled respiration. PPARα also cooperates with Sirt1 activated by EPO through modulating the NAD+ level to regulate metabolic activity. PPARα targets, including PPARγ coactivator 1α, uncoupling protein 1, and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1α, were increased by EPO but impaired by Sirt1 knockdown. Sirt1 knockdown also attenuated adipose response to EPO. Collectively, EPO, as a novel regulator of adipose energy homeostasis via these metabolism coregulators, provides a potential therapeutic strategy to protect against obesity and metabolic disorders.

Active chromatin hub of the mouse alpha-globin locus forms in a transcription factory of clustered housekeeping genes

RNA polymerases can be shared by a particular group of genes in a transcription "factory" in nuclei, where transcription may be coordinated in concert with the distribution of coexpressed genes in higher-eukaryote genomes. Moreover, gene expression can be modulated by regulatory elements working over a long distance. Here, we compared the conformation of a 130-kb chromatin region containing the mouse alpha-globin cluster and their flanking housekeeping genes in 14.5-day-postcoitum fetal liver and brain cells. The analysis of chromatin conformation showed that the active alpha1 and alpha2 globin genes and upstream regulatory elements are in close spatial proximity, indicating that looping may function in the transcriptional regulation of the mouse alpha-globin cluster. In fetal liver cells, the active alpha1 and alpha2 genes, but not the inactive zeta gene, colocalize with neighboring housekeeping genes C16orf33, C16orf8, MPG, and C16orf35. This is in sharp contrast with the mouse alpha-globin genes in nonexpressing cells, which are separated from the congregated housekeeping genes. A comparison of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) occupancies showed that active alpha1 and alpha2 gene promoters have a much higher RNA Pol II enrichment in liver than in brain. The RNA Pol II occupancy at the zeta gene promoter, which is specifically repressed during development, is much lower than that at the alpha1 and alpha2 promoters. Thus, the mouse alpha-globin gene cluster may be regulated through moving in or out active globin gene promoters and regulatory elements of a preexisting transcription factory in the nucleus, which is maintained by the flanking clustered housekeeping genes, to activate or inactivate alpha-globin gene expression.

Transcriptional regulation of BRCA1 expression by a metabolic switch

Though the linkages between germline mutations of BRCA1 and hereditary breast cancer are well known, recent evidence suggests that altered BRCA1 transcription may also contribute to sporadic forms of breast cancer. Here we show that BRCA1 expression is controlled by a dynamic equilibrium between transcriptional coactivators and co-repressors that govern histone acetylation and DNA accessibility at the BRCA1 promoter. Eviction of the transcriptional co-repressor and metabolic sensor, C terminal-binding protein (CtBP), has a central role in this regulation. Loss of CtBP from the BRCA1 promoter through estrogen induction, depletion by RNA interference or increased NAD+/NADH ratio leads to HDAC1 dismissal, elevated histone acetylation and increased BRCA1 transcription. The active control of chromatin marks, DNA accessibility and gene expression at the BRCA1 promoter by this 'metabolic switch' provides an important molecular link between caloric intake and tumor suppressor expression in mammary cells.

Erythropoietin, a novel versatile player regulating energy metabolism beyond the erythroid system

Erythropoietin (EPO), the required cytokine for promoting the proliferation and differentiation of erythroid cells to stimulate erythropoiesis, has been reported to act as a pleiotropic cytokine beyond hematopoietic system. The various activities of EPO are determined by the widespread distribution of its cell surface EPO receptor (EpoR) in multiple tissues including endothelial, neural, myoblasts, adipocytes and other cell types. EPO activity has been linked to angiogenesis, neuroprotection, cardioprotection, stress protection, anti-inflammation and especially the energy metabolism regulation that is recently revealed. The investigations of EPO activity in animals and the expression analysis of EpoR provide more insights on the potential of EPO in regulating energy metabolism and homeostasis. The findings of crosstalk between EPO and some important energy sensors and the regulation of EPO in the cellular respiration and mitochondrial function further provide molecular mechanisms for EPO activity in metabolic activity regulation. In this review, we will summarize the roles of EPO in energy metabolism regulation and the activity of EPO in tissues that are tightly associated with energy metabolism. We will also discuss the effects of EPO in regulating oxidative metabolism and mitochondrial function, the interactions between EPO and important energy regulation factors, and the protective role of EPO from stresses that are related to metabolism, providing a brief overview of previously less appreciated EPO biological function in energy metabolism and homeostasis.

Cisplatin prevents breast cancer metastasis through blocking early EMT and retards cancer growth together with paclitaxel

Cancer growth is usually accompanied by metastasis which kills most cancer patients. Here we aim to study the effect of cisplatin at different doses on breast cancer growth and metastasis.

Methods: We used cisplatin to treat breast cancer cells, then detected the migration of cells and the changes of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers by migration assay, Western blot, and immunofluorescent staining. Next, we analyzed the changes of RNA expression of genes by RNA-seq and confirmed the binding of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) to cytoskeleton related genes by ChIP-seq. Thereafter, we combined cisplatin and paclitaxel in a neoadjuvant setting to treat xenograft mouse models. Furthermore, we analyzed the association of disease prognosis with cytoskeletal genes and ATF3 by clinical data analysis.

Results: When administered at a higher dose (6 mg/kg), cisplatin inhibits both cancer growth and metastasis, yet with strong side effects, whereas a lower dose (2 mg/kg) cisplatin blocks cancer metastasis without obvious killing effects. Cisplatin inhibits cancer metastasis through blocking early steps of EMT. It antagonizes transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signaling through suppressing transcription of many genes involved in cytoskeleton reorganization and filopodia formation which occur early in EMT and are responsible for cancer metastasis. Mechanistically, TGFβ and fibronectin-1 (FN1) constitute a positive reciprocal regulation loop that is critical for activating TGFβ/SMAD3 signaling, which is repressed by cisplatin induced expression of ATF3. Furthermore, neoadjuvant administration of cisplatin at 2 mg/kg in conjunction with paclitaxel inhibits cancer growth and blocks metastasis without causing obvious side effects by inhibiting colonization of cancer cells in the target organs.

Conclusion: Thus, cisplatin prevents breast cancer metastasis through blocking early EMT, and the combination of cisplatin and paclitaxel represents a promising therapy for killing breast cancer and blocking tumor metastasis.

Targeting B7-H3 via chimeric antigen receptor T cells and bispecific killer cell engagers augments antitumor response of cytotoxic lymphocytes

BACKGROUND

B7-H3, an immune-checkpoint molecule and a transmembrane protein, is overexpressed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), making it an attractive therapeutic target. Here, we aimed to systematically evaluate the value of B7-H3 as a target in NSCLC via T cells expressing B7-H3-specific chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) and bispecific killer cell engager (BiKE)-redirected natural killer (NK) cells.

METHODS

We generated B7-H3 CAR and B7-H3/CD16 BiKE derived from an anti-B7-H3 antibody omburtamab that has been shown to preferentially bind tumor tissues and has been safely used in humans in early-phase clinical trials. Antitumor efficacy and induced-immune response of CAR and BiKE were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The effects of B7-H3 on aerobic glycolysis in NSCLC cells were further investigated.

RESULTS

B7-H3 CAR-T cells effectively inhibited NSCLC tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo. B7-H3 redirection promoted highly specific T-cell infiltration into tumors. Additionally, NK cell activity could be specially triggered by B7-H3/CD16 BiKE through direct CD16 signaling, resulting in significant increase in NK cell activation and target cell death. BiKE improved antitumor efficacy mediated by NK cells in vitro and in vivo, regardless of the cell surface target antigen density on tumor tissues. Furthermore, we found that anti-B7-H3 blockade might alter tumor glucose metabolism via the reactive oxygen species-mediated pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

Together, our results suggest that B7-H3 may serve as a target for NSCLC therapy and support the further development of two therapeutic agents in the preclinical and clinical studies.

CtBP promotes metastasis of breast cancer through repressing cholesterol and activating TGF-β signaling

Metastasis is the process through which the primary cancer cells spread beyond the primary tumor and disseminate to other organs. Most cancer patients die of metastatic disease. EMT is proposed to be the initial event associated with cancer metastasis and how it occurred is still a mystery. CtBP is known as a co-repressor abundantly expressed in many types of cancer and regulates genes involved in cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis. We found that CtBP regulates intracellular cholesterol homeostasis in breast cancer cells by forming a complex with ZEB1 and transcriptionally repressing SREBF2 expression. Importantly, CtBP repression of intracellular cholesterol abundance leads to increased EMT and cell migration. The reason is that cholesterol negatively regulates the stability of TGF-β receptors on the cell membrane. Interestingly, TGF-β is also capable of reducing intracellular cholesterol relying on the increased recruitment of ZEB1 and CtBP complex to SREBF2 promoter. Thus, we propose a feedback loop formed by CtBP, cholesterol, and TGF-β signaling pathway, through which TGF-β triggers the cascade that mobilizes the cancer cells for metastasis. Consistently, the intravenous injection of breast cancer cells with ectopically CtBP expression show increased lung metastasis depending on the reduction of intracellular cholesterol. Finally, we analyzed the public breast cancer datasets and found that CtBP expression negatively correlates with SREBF2 and HMGCR expressions. High expression of CtBP and low expression of SREBF2 and HMGCR significantly correlates with high EMT of the primary tumors.

Physicochemical profiling: overview of the screens

Physicochemical screens are increasingly used in drug discovery to provide an early understanding of key properties that affect ADME. They also insure that discovery experiments are planned and interpreted correctly. Key physicochemical properties discussed are: integrity, pKa, lipophilicity, solubility and permeability. Various groups might implement literature methods or develop their own. Commercial instruments are also available for these properties to allow groups to rapidly provide data for their organizations.:

Immunogenomic Analyses of Advanced Serous Ovarian Cancer Reveal Immune Score is a Strong Prognostic Factor and an Indicator of Chemosensitivity

Purpose: Ovarian cancer is one of the first human cancers for which in situ immune response was reported to be important for the clinical outcome. To elucidate the mechanistic relationship between immune repertoire and cancer genotype in ovarian cancer, the development of a well-defined immune score for ovarian cancer is required.Experimental Design: From a collection of 2,203 patient samples of advanced ovarian cancer from public available resources, we evaluated the prognostic values for a compendium of immune marker genes and proposed an immune score. The relationships between immune score, tumor-infiltrating immune cells, cancer genotypes, and their impact on patient outcome were characterized.Results: Loss of chemokine and IFNγ pathway genes is frequent in ovarian cancer and is significantly associated with low immune score and poor outcome. Chemotherapy can increase the immune score of tumors by inducing the expression of IFNγ inducible chemokines. High immune score is significantly associated with BRCA1/2 mutation status and the response to chemotherapy. Multivariate analysis revealed that immune score is a strong predictor of patient survival and the response to immunotherapy.Conclusions: Our results reveal the drivers of the immune repertoire of advanced ovarian cancer and demonstrate the importance of immune score as an independent prognostic signature and a potent indicator of intratumoral immune status. Clin Cancer Res; 24(15); 3560-71. ©2018 AACR.

Molecular link between glucose and glutamine consumption in cancer cells mediated by CtBP and SIRT4

Glucose and Glutamine are two essential ingredients for cell growth. However, it remains open for investigation whether there is a general mechanism that coordinates the consumption of glucose and glutamine in cancer cells. Glutamine is mainly metabolized through the glutaminolysis pathway and our previous report indicated that CtBP increases GDH activity and promotes glutaminolysis through repressing the expression of SIRT4, a well-known mitochondrion-located factor that inhibits glutaminolysis pathway. CtBP is known to be a sensor of intracellular metabolic status; we thus hypothesized that a consensus CtBP-SIRT4-GDH axis may mediate the crosstalk between glycolysis and glutaminolysis. Herein, supporting this hypothesis, we observed the coordinated consumption of glucose and glutamine across different cell lines. This coordination was found to be related to CtBP repression activity on SIRT4 expression under high level of glucose but not low glucose level. Low level of glucose supply was found to decrease GDH activity via blocking CtBP dimerization. Mechanically, low glucose also abolished CtBP binding to SIRT4 promoter and the repression of SIRT4 expression. Consistently, the CtBP dimerization inhibitor MTOB mimicked low glucose effects on SIRT4 expression, and GDH activity suggest that CtBP requires high glucose supply to act as a suppressor of SIRT4 gene. In conclusion, we propose that a general molecular pathway composed by CtBP-SIRT4-GDH coordinating the metabolism of glucose and glutamine in cancer cells.

BRCA1 and estrogen/estrogen receptor in breast cancer: where they interact?

BRCA1 mainly acts as a tumor suppressor and BRCA1 mutation correlates with increased cancer risk. Although it is well recognized that BRCA1 related tumorigenesis is mainly caused by the increased DNA damage and decreased genome stability, it is not clear that why BRCA1 related patients have higher risk for cancer development mainly in estrogen responsive tissues such as breast and ovary. Recent studies suggested that BRCA1 and E-ER (estrogen and estrogen receptor) signaling synergistically regulate the mammary epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation. In this current presentation, we reviewed the correlation between mammary gland epithelial cell transformation and the status of BRCA1 and ER. Then the mechanisms of BRCA1 and E-ER interaction at both gene transcription level and protein-protein interaction level are discussed. Furthermore, the tumorigenic mechanisms are discussed by focusing on the synergistic effect of BRCA1 and E-ER on cell metabolism, ROS management, and antioxidant activity in mammary gland epithelial cells. Also, the possibility of cell de-differentiation promoted by coordinated effect between BRCA1 mutation and E-ER signal is explored. Together, the currently available evidences suggest that BRCA1 mutation and E-ER signal together, contribute to breast tumorigenesis by providing the metabolic support for cancer cell growth and even may directly be involved in promoting the de-differentiation of cancer-prone epithelial cells.

NFκB up-regulation of glucose transporter 3 is essential for hyperactive mammalian target of rapamycin-induced aerobic glycolysis and tumor growth

Accumulating evidence indicates that mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) exerts a crucial role in aerobic glycolysis and tumorigenesis, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely obscure. Results from Tsc1- or Tsc2-null mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and human cancer cell lines consistently indicate that the expression of glucose transporter 3 (Glut3) is dramatically up-regulated by mTOR. The rapamycin-sensitive mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1), but not the rapamycin-insensitive mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2), was involved in the regulation of Glut3 expression. Moreover, mTORC1 enhances Glut3 expression through the activation of the IKK/NFκB pathway. Depletion of Glut3 led to the suppression of aerobic glycolysis, the inhibition of cell proliferation and colony formation, and the attenuation of the tumorigenic potential of the cells with aberrantly hyper-activated mTORC1 signaling in nude mice. We conclude that Glut3 is a downstream target of mTORC1, and it is critical for oncogenic mTORC1-mediated aerobic glycolysis and tumorigenesis. Hence Glut3 may be a potential target for therapy against cancers caused by the aberrantly activated mTORC1 signaling.

Epigenetic targeting drugs potentiate chemotherapeutic effects in solid tumor therapy

Epigenetic therapy is a novel tumor therapeutic method and refers to the targeting of the aberrant epigenetic modifications presumably at cancer-related genes by chemicals which are epigenetic targeting drugs (ETDs). Not like in treating hematopoietic cancer, the clinical trials investigating the potential use of ETDs in the solid tumor is not encouraging. Instead, the curative effects of ETD delivered together with DNA targeting chemo drugs (DTDs) are quite promising according to our meta-analysis. To investigate the synergistic mechanism of ETD and DTD drug combination, the therapeutic effect was studied using both cell lines and mouse engrafted tumors. Mechanically we show that HDAC inhibitors and DNMT inhibitors are capable of increasing the chromatin accessibility to cisplatin (CP) and doxorubicin (Dox) through chromatin decompaction globally. Consequently, the combination of ETD and DTD enhances the DTD induced DNA damage and cell death. Engrafted tumors in SCID mice also show increased sensitivity to irradiation (IR) or CP when the tumors were pretreated by ETDs. Given the limited therapeutic effect of ETD alone, these results strongly suggest that the combination of DTD, including irradiation, and ETD treatment is a very promising choice in clinical solid tumor therapy.

The dual lives of bidirectional promoters

The sequencing of the human genome led to many insights into gene organization and structure. One interesting observation was the high frequency of bidirectional promoters characterized by two protein encoding genes whose promoters are arranged in a divergent or "head-to-head" configuration with less than 2000 base pairs of intervening sequence. Computational estimates published by various groups indicate that nearly 10% of the coding gene promoters are arranged in such a manner and the extent of this bias is a unique feature of mammalian genomes. Moreover, as a class, head-to-head promoters appear to be enriched in specific categories of gene function. Here we review the structure, composition, genomic properties and functional classifications of genes controlled by bidirectional promoters and explore the biological implication of these features. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Chromatin in time and space.

Do all leaf photosynthesis parameters of rice acclimate to elevated CO2 , elevated temperature, and their combination, in FACE environments?

Leaf photosynthesis of crops acclimates to elevated CO₂ and temperature, but studies quantifying responses of leaf photosynthetic parameters to combined CO₂ and temperature increases under field conditions are scarce. We measured leaf photosynthesis of rice cultivars Changyou 5 and Nanjing 9108 grown in two free-air CO₂ enrichment (FACE) systems, respectively, installed in paddy fields. Each FACE system had four combinations of two levels of CO₂ (ambient and enriched) and two levels of canopy temperature (no warming and warmed by 1.0-2.0°C). Parameters of the C₃ photosynthesis model of Farquhar, von Caemmerer and Berry (the FvCB model), and of a stomatal conductance (g_s ) model were estimated for the four conditions. Most photosynthetic parameters acclimated to elevated CO₂ , elevated temperature, and their combination. The combination of elevated CO₂ and temperature changed the functional relationships between biochemical parameters and leaf nitrogen content for Changyou 5. The g_s model significantly underestimated g_s under the combination of elevated CO₂ and temperature by 19% for Changyou 5 and by 10% for Nanjing 9108 if no acclimation was assumed. However, our further analysis applying the coupled g_s -FvCB model to an independent, previously published FACE experiment showed that including such an acclimation response of g_s hardly improved prediction of leaf photosynthesis under the four combinations of CO₂ and temperature. Therefore, the typical procedure that crop models using the FvCB and g_s models are parameterized from plants grown under current ambient conditions may not result in critical errors in projecting productivity of paddy rice under future global change.

CD44+/CD24- breast cancer cells isolated from MCF-7 cultures exhibit enhanced angiogenic properties

BACKGROUND

Recent studies suggest that the relationship between cancer stem cells (CSCs) and the vascular niche may be bidirectional; the niche can support the growth and renewal of CSCs, and CSCs may contribute to the maintenance of the niche. There is little knowledge concerning the role of breast cancer stem cells in promoting tumor angiogenesis.

AIM

For human breast cancers, CSCs have been shown to be associated with a CD44+/CD24- phenotype. We investigated the potential activities of CD44+/CD24- breast cancer stem cells in promoting tumor angiogenesis.

METHODS

The expression of pro-angiogenic genes was determined by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Endothelial cell migration assays were employed to evaluate effects of conditioned media from CD44+/CD24- on human umbilical vein endothelial cells. A chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay was used to study the potential of CD44+/CD24- cells to promote angiogenesis.

RESULTS

In our study, CD44+/CD24- cells expressed elevated levels of pro-angiogenic factors compared with CD44+/CD24+ cells. CD44+/CD24- cell-conditioned media significantly increased endothelial cell migration. Breast cancer cell lines enriched with CD44+/CD24- cells were more pro-angiogenic in the CAM assay than those lacking a CD44+/CD24- subpopulation. CD44+/CD24- cells sorted from MCF-7 cell lines were more pro-angiogenic in a CAM assay than CD44+/CD24+ cells. Furthermore, the VEGF concentration was significantly higher in CD44+/CD24- cell-conditioned media than in CD44+/CD24+ cell-conditioned media. The pro-angiogenic effect of CD44+/CD24- cells on endothelial cells was abolished by bevacizumab.

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrate that CD44+/CD24- breast cancer stem cells have substantial pro-angiogenic potential and activity. This provides new insights to explore in the development of targeted therapies.

A novel agent exerts antitumor activity in breast cancer cells by targeting mitochondrial complex II

The mitochondrial respiratory chain, including mitochondrial complex II, has emerged as a potential target for cancer therapy. In the present study, a novel conjugate of danshensu (DSS) and tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), DT-010, was synthesized. Our results showed that DT-010 is more potent than its parental compounds separately or in combination, in inhibiting the proliferation of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells by inducing cytotoxicity and promoting cell cycle arrest. It also inhibited the growth of 4T1 breast cancer cells in vivo. DT-010 suppressed the fundamental parameters of mitochondrial function in MCF-7 cells, including basal respiration, ATP turnover, maximal respiration. Treatment with DT-010 in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells resulted in the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and decreased ATP production. DT-010 also promoted ROS generation, while treatment with ROS scavenger, NAC (N-acetyl-L-cysteine), reversed DT-010-induced cytotoxicity. Further study showed that DT-010 suppressed succinate-induced mitochondrial respiration and impaired mitochondrial complex II enzyme activity indicating that DT-010 may inhibit mitochondrial complex II. Overall, our results suggested that the antitumor activity of DT-010 is associated with inhibition of mitochondrial complex II, which triggers ROS generation and mitochondrial dysfunction in breast cancer cells.

Characterization and comparative evaluation of a structurally unique PAI-1 inhibitor exhibiting oral in-vivo efficacy

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is the major physiological inhibitor of both tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA). Elevated levels of PAI-1 are associated with thrombosis and vascular disease, suggesting that high plasma PAI-1 may promote a hypercoagulable state by disrupting the natural balance between fibrinolysis and coagulation. In this study, we identify WAY-140312 as a structurally novel small molecule inactivator of PAI-1, compare its inhibitory activity with other previously identified small molecule inhibitors, and investigate the mechanism of inactivation of PAI-1 in the presence of both tPA and uPA. In an immunofunctional assay, WAY-140312 inhibited PAI-1 with an estimated inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) of 11.7 micro m, which was the lowest value obtained of the four different PAI-1 inactivators tested. Surface activity profiling indicated that the critical micelle concentration for WAY-140312 was 95.8 micro m, and that each inhibitor exhibited unique physical chemical properties. Using a sensitive direct activity assay, the IC(50) for WAY-140312 was similar when either tPA or uPA was used as the target protease. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated that WAY-140312 near the IC(50) inhibited the complex formation between either tPA or uPA and PAI-1. After oral administration, WAY-140312 exhibited 29% bioavailability with a plasma half-life of approximately 1 h. In an in-vivo model of vascular injury, a 10 mg kg(-1) oral dose of WAY-140312 was associated with improvement in arterial blood flow and reduction in venous thrombosis. Thus, WAY-140312 represents a structurally novel small molecule inhibitor of PAI-1, and is the first such molecule to exhibit efficacy in animal models of vascular disease following oral administration.

Inhibiting Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 Reverses Obesity-Induced White Adipose Tissue Inflammation by Regulating Apoptosis Inhibitor of Macrophage/CD5L-Mediated Macrophage Migration

Objective- Obesity-induced inflammation in white adipose tissue, characterized by increased macrophage infiltration and associated with macrophage population shift from anti-inflammatory M2 to proinflammatory M1 macrophages, largely contributes to obesity-induced insulin resistance and influences type 2 diabetes mellitus pathogenesis. GSK3 (glycogen synthase kinase 3), a serine/threonine kinase, has been reported to participate in various cellular processes. We sought to examine the potential mechanism by which GSK3, a serine/threonine kinase implicated in various cellular processes, modulates obesity-induced visceral adipose tissue (VAT) inflammation. Approach and Results- Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a high-fat diet for 10 weeks while being treated with vehicle control or GSK3 inhibitors SB216763 or CHIR99021. RNA-sequencing results using VAT demonstrated that GSK3 inhibitor treatment reversed obesity-specific expression of genes associated with inflammation. Consistently, GSK3 inhibition reduced obesity-induced VAT inflammation as characterized by decreased proinflammatory M1 macrophages but increased anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages in the VAT and reduced circulatory inflammatory monocytes. These anti-inflammatory effects of GSK3 inhibition were found to be driven, at least in part, by inhibiting production of apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage in macrophages via inactivating STAT3 to reduce free fatty acid and chemokine level produced from VAT to suppress the migration/chemotaxis of macrophages and monocytes. Conclusions- Our findings suggest that GSK3 may act as an important regulator of obesity-induced inflammation and characterize the novel role of GSK3 in shifting macrophage polarization and reinforce its therapeutic potential for obesity-induced inflammation and its associated diabetes mellitus.

Integrated Analysis Reveals Tubal- and Ovarian-Originated Serous Ovarian Cancer and Predicts Differential Therapeutic Responses

Purpose: The relative importance of fallopian tube (FT) compared with ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) in the genesis of serous type of ovarian cancer (SOC) is still unsettled. Here, we followed an integrated approach to study the tissue origin of SOC, as well as its association with clinical outcome and response to therapeutic drugs.Experimental Design: A collection of transcriptome data of 80 FTs, 89 OSEs, and 2,668 SOCs was systematically analyzed to determine the characteristic of FT-like and OSE-like tumors. A molecular signature was developed for identifying tissue origin of SOC and then was used to reevaluate the prognostic genes and therapeutic biomarkers of SOC of different tissue origins. IHC staining of tissue array and functional experiments on a panel of ovarian cancer cell lines were used to further validate the key findings.Results: The expression patterns of tissue-specific genes, prognostic genes, and molecular markers all support a dualistic tissue origin of SOC, from either FT or OSE. A molecular signature was established to identify the tissue identity of SOCs. Surprisingly, the signature showed a strong association with overall survival (OSE-like vs. FT-like, HR = 4.16; 95% CI, 2.67-6.48; P < 10^-9). The pharmacogenomic approach revealed AXL to be a therapeutic target of the aggressive OSE-derived SOC.Conclusions: SOC has two subtypes originated from either FT or OSE, which show different clinical and pathologic features. Clin Cancer Res; 23(23); 7400-11. ©2017 AACR.

Selections of appropriate regimen of high-dose chemotherapy combined with adoptive cellular therapy with dendritic and cytokine-induced killer cells improved progression-free and overall survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer: reargument of such contentious therapeutic preferences

BACKGROUND

We hypothesized that combination of dendritic cell (DC) with autologous cytokine-induced killer (CIK) immunotherapy in setting of high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) would be effective for selected metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Our previous work showed thiotepa could eradicate breast cancer stem cells. From 2004 to 2009, 79 patients received standard dose chemotherapy (SDC) of 75 mg/m(2) docetaxel and 75 mg/m(2) thiotepa versus 87 patients of HDC + DC/CIK: 120 mg/m(2) docetaxel to mobilize peripheral CD34(+) progenitor cells, a sequence of HDC (120 mg/m(2) docetaxel, plus 175 mg/m(2) thiotepa) + DC/CIK, with or without 400 mg/m(2) carboplatin depending upon bone marrow function. The endpoints were response rates (RR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Compared with SDC, PFS and OS were improved in HDC + DC/CIK (median PFS 10.2 vs. 3.7 months, P < 0.001; median OS 33.1 vs. 15.2 months, P < 0.001). Patients of pre-menopausal, HDC as first-line treatment after metastasis, or with visceral metastasis showed prolonged PFS and OS. SDC group also achieved the similar response as previous reports.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated the novel combination of HDC with DC/CIK to be an effective choice for the selected MBC population, in which choosing appropriate chemo regimens played important roles, and also specific HDC regimen plus DC/CIK immunotherapy showed the clinical benefits compared with chemotherapy alone.

Inter-MAR association contributes to transcriptionally active looping events in human beta-globin gene cluster

Matrix attachment regions (MARs) are important in chromatin organization and gene regulation. Although it is known that there are a number of MAR elements in the β-globin gene cluster, it is unclear that how these MAR elements are involved in regulating β-globin genes expression. Here, we report the identification of a new MAR element at the LCR(locus control region) of human β-globin gene cluster and the detection of the inter-MAR association within the β-globin gene cluster. Also, we demonstrate that SATB1, a protein factor that has been implicated in the formation of network like higher order chromatin structures at some gene loci, takes part in β-globin specific inter-MAR association through binding the specific MARs. Knocking down of SATB1 obviously reduces the binding of SATB1 to the MARs and diminishes the frequency of the inter-MAR association. As a result, the ACH establishment and the α-like globin genes and β-like globin genes expressions are affected either. In summary, our results suggest that SATB1 is a regulatory factor of hemoglobin genes, especially the early differentiation genes at least through affecting the higher order chromatin structure.