A tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) refers to an organized infiltration of immune cells that is linked to a positive prognosis and improved response to immunotherapy. However, methods that promote TLS formation are limited and challenging to implement in clinical settings. In this study, we aimed to promote the formation and maturation of TLSs in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) by combining low-dose radiotherapy (LDRT) with immunotherapy.
Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancy globally. Increasing evidences indicate that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a pivotal role in various cancers.Methods: Differential circRNAs were determined by edgeR package. The expression of circ_0062682, miR-940 and PHGDH were analyzed by qRT-PCR. We used in vitro proliferation assays and in vivo xenograft model to evaluate the tumorigenic features of CRC cells. Abundance of serine were measured by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry assay.Findings: Increased expression of circ_0062682 in CRC notably correlated with a poorly prognosis and advanced tumor stage. Functional experiments showed that circ_0062682 knockdown reduced CRC growth both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we revealed that circ_0062682 could sponge miR-940 and identified that PHGDH, a key oxidoreductase involving in serine biosynthesis, as a novel target of miR-940. The expression of PHGDH was downregulated in circ_0062682–depleted or miR-940 overexpressing CRC cells at both mRNA and protein levels.Interpretation: Circ_0062682 promotes serine metabolism and tumor growth in CRC by regulating the miR-940/PHGDH axis, suggesting circ_0062682 as a potential novel therapeutic target for CRC.Funding: This study was partially supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81972220 and 82002964), Medical Key Professionals Program of Jiangsu Province (ZDRCB2016017), Wuxi Medical Innovation Team (CXTP003), and Medical Leading Talents of Wuxi Taihu Lake Talent Plan.Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.Ethics Approval Statement: Our study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University.
Radiotherapy (RT) represents one of the major treatment methods for cancers. However, many studies have observed that in descendant surviving tumor cells, sublethal irradiation can promote metastatic ability, which is closely related to the tumor microenvironment. We therefore investigated the functions and mechanisms of sublethal irradiated liver nonparenchymal cells (NPCs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, primary rat NPCs and McA-RH7777 hepatoma cells were irradiated with 6 Gy X-ray. Conditioned media (CM) from nonirradiated (SnonR), irradiated (SR), or irradiated plus radiosensitizer celecoxib-treated (S[R + D]) NPCs were collected and added to sublethal irradiated McA-RH7777 cells. We showed that CM from sublethal irradiated NPCs significantly promoted the migration and invasion ability of sublethal irradiated McA-RH7777 cells, which was reversed by celecoxib. The differentially expressed genes in differently treated McA-RH7777 cells were enriched mostly in the AMP-activated protein kinase/mammalian target of rapamycin (AMPK/mTOR) signaling pathway. SR increased the migration and invasion ability of HCC cells by inhibiting AMPK/mTOR signaling, which was enhanced by the AMPK inhibitor compound C and blocked by the AMPK activator GSK-621. Analyses of HCC tissues after neoadjuvant radiotherapy confirmed the effects of radiation on the AMPK/mTOR pathway. Cytokine antibody arrays and further functional investigations showed that matrix metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) partly mediates the promotion effects of SR on the migration and invasion ability of HCC cells by regulating AMPK/mTOR signaling. In summary, our data indicate that MMP-8 secreted by irradiated NPCs enhanced the migration and invasion of HCC by regulating AMPK/mTOR signaling, revealing a novel mechanism mediating sublethal irradiation-induced HCC metastasis at the level of the tumor microenvironment.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies globally. Increasing evidence indicates that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a pivotal role in various cancers. The present study focused on exploring the role of a functionally unknown circRNA, hsa_circ_0062682 (circ_0062682), in CRC. By online analyses and experimental validations, we showed that circ_0062682 expression was aberrantly increased in CRC tissues compared with paired normal tissues. Increased expression of circ_0062682 in CRC notably correlated with a poor prognosis and advanced tumor stage. Functional experiments showed that circ_0062682 knockdown reduced CRC growth both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we revealed that circ_0062682 could sponge miR-940 and identified D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), a key oxidoreductase involved in serine biosynthesis, as a novel target of miR-940. Silencing miR-940 expression could mimic the inhibitory effect of circ_0062682 knockdown on CRC proliferation. The expression of PHGDH was downregulated in circ_0062682-depleted or miR-940 overexpressing CRC cells at both the mRNA and protein levels. Circ_0062682 knockdown suppressed CRC growth by decreasing PHGDH expression and serine production via miR-940. Taken together, these data demonstrate, for the first time, that circ_0062682 promotes serine metabolism and tumor growth in CRC by regulating the miR-940/PHGDH axis, suggesting circ_0062682 as a potential novel therapeutic target for CRC.
Regenerative therapies based on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) show promise in treating a wide range of disorders. However, the replicative senescence of MSCs during in vitro expansion poses a challenge to obtaining a substantial quantity of high-quality MSCs. In this investigation, a piezoelectric β-poly(vinylidene fluoride) film-based culture plate (β-CP) was developed with an antisenescence effect on cultured human umbilical cord-derived MSCs. Compared to traditional tissue culture plates (TCPs) and α-poly(vinylidene fluoride) film-based culture plates, the senescence markers of p21, p53, interleukin-6 and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-7, stemness markers of OCT4 and NANOG, and telomere length of MSCs cultured on β-CPs were significantly improved. Additionally, MSCs at passage 18 cultured on β-CPs showed significantly better multipotency and pro-angiogenic capacities in vitro, and higher wound healing abilities in a mouse model. Mechanistically, β-CPs rejuvenated senescent MSCs by improving mitochondrial functions and mitigating oxidative and glycoxidative stresses. Overall, this study presents β-CPs as a promising approach for efficient and straightforward antisenescence expansion of MSCs while preserving their stemness, thereby holding great potential for large-scale production of MSCs for clinical application in cell therapies.
Type 2 alveolar epithelial cell (AEC2) senescence is crucial to the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis (PF). The nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD
Proadrenomedullin NH2-Terminal 20 peptide (PAMP) is synthesized from the same preproadrenomedullin gene of adrenomedullin (AM). Unlike AM, little is known about PAMP. We developed transgenic rats by constructing a PAMP transgene incorporating the potent chicken β-actin promoter and then microinjected into fertilized eggs from superovulated Wistar rats. Potential transgenic founders were screened by PCR of genomic DNA from rat tail tips. Significant increase of human PAMP levels was confirmed in both plasma and tissues by ELISA method. PAMP-transgenic (Tg) or wild (W) rats were fed a high salt diet (8% NaCl) but with free access to drinking water for 5 weeks after unilateral nephrectomy. Rats were sacrificed and plasma and tissue were sampled at the end of 5 week. Rat heart tissue was either evaluated by immunohistochemistry or by real-time quantitative PCR methods for gene quantification. Heart rate did not significantly differ in two groups. However, systolic blood pressure, weekly measured by tail-cuff method, was attenuated in Tg rats compared with wild ones (p<0.05). Meanwhile, the cardiac hypertrophy in wild rat was significantly ameliorated in the Tg rat with heart weight (mg) to body weight (g) ratio of 3.5±0.1 to 2.99±0.11 (p<0.05). The cardiac fibrosis observed in wild rat was significantly attenuated by 50% in Tg rat (p<0.05). Further evaluation of the local renin-angiotensin system (RAS) related genes in the left ventricle by real-time PCR method showed that ACE gene transcription in Tg rat was downregulated to 60% of wild rat (p<0.05). Renin gene expression, however, was about 2.5-fold upregulated in Tg rat (p<0.05), reflecting the subsequently reduced angiotensin II production in the heart. This is also consistent with previous report that renin gene transcription is negatively regulated by angiotensin II. In contrast to local renin changes in heart, plasma renin activity was not significantly different in the two groups, though both were inhibited by salt loading. In conclussion, PAMP possesses hypotensive and anti-hypertrophy effect in this model implicating its clinical application of hypertension and organ damage.
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