Impact of targeting transforming growth factor β-2 with antisense OT-101 on the cytokine and chemokine profile in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer

Background

Overexpression of the cytokine – transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGF-β2) – has been implicated in the malignant progression of pancreatic cancer (PAC). OT-101 (trabedersen) is an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide designed to target the human TGF-β2 mRNA. In a Phase I/II study, OT-101 treatment with subsequent chemotherapy was characterized by outstanding overall survival (OS) in patients with PAC.

Objective

This study sought to identify 1) co-regulated sets of cyto-/chemokines; 2) potential mechanisms that link TGF-β receptor type 2 receptor inhibition that may result in the induction of a cytokine storm; and 3) predictive biomarkers for OS outcome in OT-101-treated patients with PAC.

Materials and methods

Plasma levels of 31 cyto-/chemokines were tracked over three cycles of OT-101 therapy (140 mg/m²/day) in 12 PAC patients. Samples were acquired before onset of OT-101 therapy and at eight selected time points during therapy. A mixed ANCOVA model was developed for 19 cyto-/chemokines with median expression >1 following OT-101 therapy. Regression and hierarchical clustering analyses were performed to identify correlated expressions in each patient across cyto-/chemokines or in each cyto-/chemokine across patients. Plasma cyto-/chemokine levels were compared with OS with and without subsequent chemotherapy.

Results

Three highly correlated subsets of cyto-/chemokines (Cluster 1: EGF, MIP-1α, MIP-1β; Cluster 2: FGF-2, MIG, IP-10, IL-15, IFN-α, IL-12; and Cluster 3: HGF, IL-6, IL-8) were identified following OT-101 therapy. Suppression of TGF-β signaling by OT-101 led to upregulation of IL-8, IL-15, IP-10, and HGF. Protein–protein interaction networks constructed using STRING10 algorithm identified a relationship between IL-8, IL-15, and TGF-β receptor type 2 inhibition. The mixed analysis of covariance model that examined the levels of 19 cyto-/chemokines with OS as the covariate at each of the time points resulted in IL-8 and IL-15 exhibiting a significant association with OS during Cycle 1 of therapy. In the whole-blood culture model, the cytokines with the most pronounced increase after OT-101 treatment were IL-1β, IL-8, and MCP-1.

Conclusion

No consistent responses in cyto-/chemokine levels were observed due to OT-101 treatment. Levels of IL-8 and IL-15 during Cycle 1 were positively associated with OS across 12 patients with PAC and served as potential biomarkers for treatment outcome following OT-101 therapy.

TGF-β2-induced NEAT1 regulates lens epithelial cell proliferation, migration and EMT by the miR-26a-5p/FANCE axis

AIM

To explore the regulatory mechanism of nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) in the pathogenesis of posterior capsule opacification (PCO).

METHODS

Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was executed to analyze NEAT1 and microRNA (miR)-26a-5p expression in transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGF-β2)-disposed lens epithelial cells (LECs). The proliferation, cell cycle progression, apoptosis, and migration of TGF-β2-disposed LECs were evaluated. The relationship between NEAT1 or fanconi anemia (FA) complementation group E (FANCE) and miR-26a-5p was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

TGF-β2 induced NEAT1 expression in LECs. NEAT1 inhibition accelerated apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, decreased proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and migration of TGF-β2-disposed LECs. NEAT1 sponged miR-26a-5p to further regulate FANCE expression. Rescue experiments presented that miR-26a-5p downregulation overturned NEAT1 silencing-mediated impacts on TGF-β2-disposed LEC biological behaviors. Additionally, FANCE overexpression reversed miR-26a-5p mimic-mediated impacts on TGF-β2-disposed LEC biological behaviors.

CONCLUSION

TGF-β2-induced NEAT1 facilitates LEC proliferation, migration, and EMT by upregulating FANCE via sequestering miR-26a-5p.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related serum markers ET-1, IL-8 and TGF-β2 are elevated in a Finnish wet age-related macular degeneration cohort

PURPOSE

It has been hypothesized that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) may occur in the retinal pigment epithelium of advanced stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Various serum and plasma growth factors and inflammatory mediators have been linked to AMD. We were interested in finding out whether systemic levels of EMT-associated markers were altered in the serum of wet AMD patients. Serum biomarkers associated with the various pathological processes of AMD may present an avenue towards identifying and characterizing the birth mechanisms of wet AMD, its progression and severity, paving the way towards the application of precision medicine.

METHODS

We chose to measure the serum levels of known biomarkers of EMT - EGF (epidermal growth factor), ET-1 (endothelin 1), IL-8 (interleukin 8), TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 (transforming growth factor-beta 1 and 2) and VEGF-A (vascular endothelial growth factor A) - using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. We measured them from 71 Finnish wet AMD patients who were receiving intravitreal anti-VEGF-A injection treatments, as well as 64 age-adjusted controls.

RESULTS

We found significantly elevated levels of ET-1, IL-8 and TGF-β2 in the serums of wet AMD patients.

CONCLUSIONS

ET-1, IL-8 and TGF-β2 appear to be useful serum biomarkers in understanding active wet AMD. However, we cannot conclude that local retinal EMT-processes could be observed from the corresponding systemic serum biomarkers in patients undergoing anti-VEGF-A treatments.

The Research Progress in Transforming Growth Factor-β2

Transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGF-β2), an important member of the TGF-β family, is a secreted protein that is involved in many biological processes, such as cell growth, proliferation, migration, and differentiation. TGF-β2 had been thought to be functionally identical to TGF-β1; however, an increasing number of recent studies uncovered the distinctive features of TGF-β2 in terms of its expression, activation, and biological functions. Mice deficient in TGF-β2 showed remarkable developmental abnormalities in multiple organs, especially the cardiovascular system. Dysregulation of TGF-β2 signalling was associated with tumorigenesis, eye diseases, cardiovascular diseases, immune disorders, as well as motor system diseases. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the research progress in TGF-β2 to support further research on TGF-β2.

Effects of transforming growth factor-β2 on myocilin expression and secretion in human primary cultured trabecular meshwork cells

High intraocular pressure (IOP) is a risk factor for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). The trabecular meshwork (TM), a reticular tissue in the outflow passage of the aqueous humor (AH), is a major contributor to intraocular outflow resistance. High levels of myocilin (MYOC), which is expressed in the TM, are associated with high IOP. Furthermore, transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2) concentrations in human AH are significantly elevated in POAG patients. This study was designed to investigate the effects of TGF-β2 on MYOC expression and secretion in human primary cultured TM cells. Primary cultured human TM cells were treated with 0 (control group), 1, 10, and 100 ng/mL TGF-β2 for 12, 24, or 48 h. MYOC mRNA and protein expressions in TM cells and protein secretion in conditioned media were analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR, Western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), respectively. TM cells treated with 1, 10, and, 100 ng/mL TGF-β2 for 48 h showed higher MYOC mRNA and protein expressions than those in the control group (0 ng/mL TGF-β2) (all P < 0.05). Treatment with TGF-β2 for 48 h also induced MYOC secretion in conditioned media in a dose-dependent manner (0 ng/mL: 7.107±1.163 pg/ml; 1 ng/mL: 7.879±1.894 pg/ml; 10 ng/mL: 8.063±1.181 pg/ml; 100 ng/mL: 8.902±0.699 pg/ml; all P < 0.05). In Conclusion, TGF-β2 induced MYOC expression and secretion in human primary cultured TM cells. Further investigations are required to confirm the involvement of these two factors in POAG pathogenesis.