Brain Tumor Cells Research Articles

Targeted glioblastoma therapy by integrating brain-targeting peptides and corn-derived cancer cell-penetrating proteins into nanoparticles to cross blood-brain tumor barriers

Targeted brain tumor therapy by nanoparticles (NPs) remains a daunting challenge due to the difficulty for NPs to go through the blood-brain barriers (BBB) and blood-brain tumor barriers (BBTB). In addition, Dactolisib (Dac) is an effective dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor for cancer treatment. It was the first PI3K inhibitor to enter clinical trials but exhibited toxicity to normal tissues if not delivered to tumor sites by a tumor-targeting carrier. To explore Dac for glioblastoma (GBM) therapy while avoiding its toxicity, we developed a new brain tumor-targeting drug delivery system self-assembled from zein, a cell membrane-penetrating amphiphilic protein originally present in corn. Specifically, the amphiphilicity of zein drove it to self-assemble into NPs that encapsulated Dac with high efficiency. RVG29, a 29-mer brain-targeting peptide, was chemically conjugated to zein constituting the NPs, forming Dac-encapsulated NPs (zein-RVG-Dac_NPs). In vitro assays were conducted to verify the capability of the NPs in penetrating BBB/BBTB, targeting GBM cancer cells and killing them. ELISA was employed to assess the expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) on the cancer cells to understand the mechanism of cancer cell membrane penetration by the NPs. The NPs were intravenously injected into orthotopic GBM mice models to demonstrate the brain tumor targeting as well as the effective GBM therapy due to the targeted delivery of Dac to brain tumors. The treated tumors were immunohistochemically analyzed to verify the tumor destruction. To confirm the biosafety of the NPs in treating GBM, we also histopathologically evaluated the major normal organs and chemically analyzed the blood biomarkers. We found that a combination of zein and RVG29 facilitated the zein-RVG-Dac_NPs to cross the BBB/BBTB and became uptaken by the GBM cells through the nAChR-mediated pathways, enabling the NPs to cross BBB/BBTB and deliver Dac selectively to GBM cells. Hence, administration of the NPs through tail veins significantly increased the accumulation of Dac in the orthotopic brain tumor of mice and effectively inhibited tumor growth. Neither toxicity nor adverse effects in the major organs were found due to the excellent biocompatibility of zein and the targeted delivery of Dac into brain tumor cells. Hence, integrating a cell-penetrating natural protein (zein) and a brain-targeting peptide (RVG29) can form NPs that can effectively penetrate BBB/BBTB and then enter brain tumor cells to release Dac, leading to highly effective targeted brain cancer therapy. Such NPs can be extended to the development of therapeutics for treating different brain diseases due to their unique combination of biocompatibility and brain-targeting capability.

Antibacterial and Cytotoxic Silica-Polycaprolactone-Chlorogenic Acid Hybrids by Sol-Gel Route.

Organic-inorganic hybrid materials were synthesized by a sol-gel route, using silicon alkoxide together with low molecular weight polycaprolactone and caffetannic acid. The synthesized hybrids were characterized by scanning Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and their surface morphology was acquired by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The hybrids were investigated for their antiradical capacity using the DPPH and ABTS tests, while the Kirby-Bauer test was used to evaluate their effects on the growth of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis. Furthermore, a biologically active hydroxyapatite layer has been observed to form on the surface of intelligently synthesized materials. The MTT direct test showed that the hybrid materials are biocompatible with NIH-3T3 fibroblast cells, while they were cytotoxic towards colon, prostate, and brain tumor cell lines. These results shed new light on the suitability of the synthesized hybrids in the medical field, thus affording knowledge on the features of the bioactive silica-polycaprolactone-chlorogenic acid hybrids.

Abstract 5105: TIMP1 mediates astrocyte-dependent local immunosuppression in brain metastasis

Abstract Brain metastasis is an unmet clinical need, affecting between 10-30% of cancer patients with 200000 to 400000 newly diagnosis per annum in the US. Recently, several clinical trials have reported benefits using immunotherapy to treat brain metastasis. However, variability of the responses is broad and high benefit is found mainly in asymptomatic brain metastasis, while the benefit is dramatically reduced in the clinically relevant stage. Thus, it is currently unknown how to effectively target symptomatic brain metastases with immunotherapy. We previously reported a clinically relevant protumoral program driven by STAT3 activation in a subpopulation of reactive astrocytes in these advanced stages of the disease. Our current study further exploited the heterogeneity within the metastasis-associated microenvironment as a resource to identify novel therapeutic vulnerabilities to improve the benefits of immunotherapies based on immune checkpoint blocking antibodies (ICB) in symptomatic brain metastasis. Our results demonstrate that reactive astrocytes are strong immunomodulatory cells in brain tumors. We have identified the molecular profile of disease-associated glial cells and defined its connection to modulatory activities on specific lymphocyte populations in experimental brain metastasis as well as human-derived samples. scRNASeq and high content multiplex immunofluorescence allowed us to report a novel local immunomodulatory axis dependent on TIMP1 (astrocytes)/CD63 (CD8 T cells), which is present in brain metastasis patients with high immunoscore and would imply an additional immunosuppressive signal for potential ICB responders in brain metastasis. Genetic and pharmacologic approaches targeting this STAT3-dependent local immunomodulatory axis have allowed us to define the rationale to combine immune checkpoint blockade with a STAT3 inhibitor, which we previously used in patients. We proved that such combined immunotherapy boost the systemic activation of T cells while also preventing the local blockade. Additionally, our comprehensive strategy includes the possibility to stratify patients that are best qualified to benefit from this therapy by measuring TIMP1 in liquid biopsies from CSF. Even more, our data using Patient Derived Organotypic Cultures (PDOC) from fresh brain metastasis neurosurgeries confirms that our therapeutic strategy might benefit brain metastases generated from any primary source. In conclusion, we describe an immunosuppressive mechanism in the brain microenvironment that could explain the lack of response to ICB in patients with advanced brain metastasis. Our finding provides the rationale to implement complementary approaches targeting local immunosuppression to increase the benefit of immunotherapy in symptomatic brain metastasis. Citation Format: Neibla Priego, Pedro García-Gómez, Ana de Pablos-Aragoneses, María Perea-García, Laura Álvaro-Espinosa, Carolina Hernández-Oliver, Elena Martínez-Saez, Ángel Pérez-Núñez, Aurelio Hernández-Laín, Rebeca Sanz-Pamplona, Marc Schmitz, Stephen J. Crocker, Diego Serrano, Asís Palazón, RENACER Red Nacional de Metástasis Cerebral, Manuel Valiente. TIMP1 mediates astrocyte-dependent local immunosuppression in brain metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 5105.

Abstract 2510: Pentraxin-3 associated up-regulation of genes involved in motility, angiogenesis, and inflammation in glioblastoma

Abstract Glioblastoma, a malignant brain cancer, is highly invasive and resistant to multimodal treatment partly due to distorted vasculature and exacerbated inflammation in its tumor microenvironment. The glycoprotein pentraxin-3 (PTX3), a modulator of inflammation, is correlated with the severity of some cancers. However, the mechanism responsible for the oncogenic role of PTX3 in GBM malignancy remains unclear. Our previous study examined the role of PTX3 in GBM growth, angiogenesis, and invasion using in vitro glioblastoma cells and in vivo/pre-clinical GBM models, proteomic profiling, molecular and biochemical approaches. Over-expression of PTX3 in U87 brain tumor cells correlated with cell cycle progression, increased migratory potential, and survival under hypoxic conditions. PTX3 over-expression increased blood vessel forming ability of endothelial cells. Importantly, PTX3 over-expression increased tumor growth, micro-vessel density, and invasion in brains of an orthotopic mouse model. To understand the molecular mechanisms associated with PTX3 mediated tumor aggressiveness, we further examined the effects of PTX3 on mRNA levels of genes involved in motility/invasion, angiogenesis, and inflammation using pathway specific gene arrays. PTX3 over expression was associated with the 5-fold upregulation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α, which in turn transactivates several genes essential for tumor growth and survival. Indeed, higher PTX3 expression led to increased mRNA levels of genes involved in motility, angiogenesis, and inflammation. The upregulated motility associated genes included ARHGEF7, RAC1, and PAK, a protein kinase involved in intracellular signaling pathways downstream of integrins. Inflammatory genes that were increased in expression included IL-1beta, CCL3, CCL5, and CXCL5 that amplifies a proinflammatory cytokine response via a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-NF-kappa B pathway. The upregulated pro-angiogenic genes included interleukin-8 (IL-8), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), expression of which correlates with GBM malignancy. Interestingly PTX3 decreased the levels of thrombospondin-1 that inhibits angiogenesis. Thus, PTX3 appears to trigger multiple signaling pathways that enhance the aggressive behavior of tumor cells. Taken together, our study indicates that targeted therapy such as blocking PTX3 may reduce the aggressiveness of glioblastomas through regulation of multiple molecular pathways. Citation Format: Umadevi V. Wesley, Ian Sutton, Dylan E. Nelson, Paul A. Clark, Robert J. Dempsey. Pentraxin-3 associated up-regulation of genes involved in motility, angiogenesis, and inflammation in glioblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 2510.

Abstract SY23-02: Mechanistic insights of brain tumor relapse

Abstract Pediatric brain tumors are the number one cause of cancer-related death in children, with medulloblastoma (MB) being the most common type. Genomic-based classification has enabled the stratification of MB into four distinct molecular subgroups: WNT, Sonic Hedgehog, Group 3, and Group 4. Such classification allows a better understanding of these malignancies, which has resulted in a significant improvement in the stratification of clinical trials. Despite substantial progress made in the field, still, 30% of children with MB will relapse. Recurrent disease in MB is commonly metastatic and virtually none of these patients will live beyond the 1-year hallmark. These sobering statistics underscore the largely unmet need for brain tumor therapies aimed at treating or preventing the emergence of relapsed disease. In this session, we will review recent advances in the identification of treatment-resistant pools of brain tumor cells, giving special emphasis to the signaling mechanisms that allow these cell populations to evade therapeutics and expand. Citation Format: Jezabel Rodriguez-Blanco. Mechanistic insights of brain tumor relapse. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr SY23-02.

Abstract 2882: Characteristic immunomodulatory role of myeloid galectin-9 in the brain tumor microenvironment

Abstract Galectin-9 is a member of galectin family with carbohydrate-recognition domains that specifically bind to β-galactoside. Increasing reports have suggested that galectin-9 can bind and interact with immune-modulatory molecules including TIM-3 in several pathophysiological conditions, especially in T cells. However, to date, little is known about the galectin-9 in myeloid cells under tumor microenvironment. In this study, we explored the expressional characteristics and roles of galectin-9 in the brain tumor microenvironment using an intracranial mouse brain tumor model and in vitro system. We found that expression level of galectin-9 was markedly elevated in ipsilateral hemisphere compared to contralateral hemisphere of intracranial brain tumor model. FACS analyses showed that galectin-9 expression was higher in CD45highCD11bhigh macrophages and CD45midCD11bhigh microglia as well as lymphocytes from ipsilateral region than those from contralateral region. In addition, galectin-9 levels were increased after exposure to GL26 brain tumor cells in in vitro co-culture system using primary microglia. Interestingly, phagocytic activity, a key function of myeloid cells, was significantly reduced in galecin-9+ microglia compared to galecin-9- microglia when co-cultured with GL26-GFP cells. Furthermore, SIRPα levels were higher in galectin-9+ microglia than galecin-9- microglia. Similar results were observed in macrophages. Collectively, these findings suggest that galectin-9 may be an important modulatory molecule in myeloid cells under brain tumor microenvironment. Citation Format: Chanju Lee, Dahee Yu, Eun Jung Park. Characteristic immunomodulatory role of myeloid galectin-9 in the brain tumor microenvironment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 2882.

Abstract 6133: Growth response and migration of brain cancer cell lines to treatment with agents targeting different members of the HER family, CDKs and other signalling pathways

Abstract Glioblastoma (GB) is one of the most frequent primary brain tumors in adults with an extremely poor prognosis and a very high demand for novel therapies. Poor prognosis has been linked to its complex biology, tumor heterogeneity and an increased activation of signaling pathways through various growth factor receptors signaling pathway. In particular, aberrant expression and activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression has been found to be common in patients with GBM. However, no EGFR inhibitor has yet been approved for the treatment of patients with brain tumor and there is currently no comprehensive study of all members of the HER family in the progression brain tumors. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of all members of the HER family (EGFR, HER2 HER3 and HER4), other growth factor receptors (e.g., C-MET) and downstream cell signaling pathways in the growth of a panel of human brain cancer cell lines (HBCCLs) and response to therapeutic interventions. Using Sulforhodamine B colorimetric assay, the growth response of four HBCCLs to treatment with 18 agents targeting different members of the HER family and other growth receptors (e.g. C-met/ALK 7, PDGFRs, FGFRs, C-kit), cyclin dependent kinases inhibitors (e.g. CDKs 1/2/5/9, CDK4/6) and downstream signaling molecules (e.g. STAT3, Src, Abl) was examined. We determined the expression level of all members of the HER family in brain cancer cells by flow cytometry and Western blot and the effect of these agents on migration of brain cancer cells were determined using Incucyte. Of the targeted agents examined, the CDK 1/2/5/9 inhibitor dinaciclib was the most potent and inhibited growth for all four HBCCLs with an IC50 below 10nM. Of the HER inhibitors, neratinib and afatinib were more effective than erlotinib and lapatinib and inhibiting the growth of all HBCCLs at IC50 values below 700nM and 1.9 µM, respectively. Treatment with Src/Abl/c-kit inhibitor dasatinib, STAT3 inhibitor static, Abl/PDGFRα/VEGFR2/FGFR1 inhibitor Ponatinib and the TRK/ROS/ALK inhibitor entrecitinb also inhibited the growth of HBCCLs with IC50 value ranging from 0.06 - 2.96 µM, 1 - 3.8µM, 0.19- 0.42 μM and 2.85- 3.47μM, respectively. Interestingly, these agents were more effective in inhibiting growth of HBCCLs when proliferating at a slower rate. In addition to inhibiting the proliferation of HBCCLs, treatment with neratinib, dinaciclib, dasatanib, static and trametinib inhibited the migration of brain tumor cells. Finally, treatment with neratinib in combination with Palbociclib, AZD4547, trametinib and miransertib inhibited the growth of HBCCLs synergistically. Taken together, our results support further investigation on the therapeutic potential of irreversible pan HER in combination with the CDK inhibitor dinaciclib and other targeted agents in brain cancer. Citation Format: Ermira Mulliqi, Said A. Khelwatty, Anna L. Morgan, Keyoumars Ashkan, Helmout Modjtahedi. Growth response and migration of brain cancer cell lines to treatment with agents targeting different members of the HER family, CDKs and other signalling pathways. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 6133.

Distinct gene expression patterns of SOX2 and SOX2OT variants in different types of brain tumours

Numerous investigations have been recently published on the dysregulated expression of long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in various cancer types, emphasizing that abnormal lncRNA expression is a major contributor to tumourigenesis. A broad spectrum of lncRNAs is expressed in the central nervous system, where these RNAs seem to play key roles in brain development and function. In addition to expressing SOX2, a master regulator of pluripotency that lies within its third intron, lncRNA SOX2OT has a proposed role in regulating neural development. Based on our previous studies, alternative splicing of SOX2OT generates two alternatively spliced variants (SOX2OT-S1 and SOX2OT-S2). The present study investigated the expression patterns of SOX2OT variants and SOX2 in three principal types of brain tumours (gliomas, meningiomas and pituitary adenomas) and in four brain tumour cell lines (U87-MG, 1321N1, A172 and DAOY). Total RNAwas extracted from 34 human brain tumour specimens, and the expression profile of target genes was measured using a real-time reverse transcription PCR approach. Our data revealed distinct expression patterns for SOX2OT variants and SOX2 in the brain tumour samples, indicating their potential involvement in brain tumourigenesis. Moreover, our results highlighted the potential usefulness of SOX2OT-S1, SOX2OT-S2, and SOX2 in molecular diagnosis and brain tumour classification.

Spatial landscape of the tumor immune microenvironment

Two recent studies published in Nature by Karimi et al. and Sorin et al. applied multiplexed imaging mass cytometry (IMC) to characterize the single-cell tumor immune landscapes covering millions of cells in brain tumors and lung adenocarcinomas (LUAD). They identified specific cell subtypes and cell–cell interactions that correlate with distinct clinical outcomes, thus providing valuable insights into tumor biology and prognostic prediction based on spatial architecture.

Co-delivery of paclitaxel and etoposide prodrug by human serum albumin and PLGA nanoparticles: synergistic cytotoxicity in brain tumour cells

The aims of this study were to develop co-delivery systems of paclitaxel (PTX) and etoposide prodrug (4’-O-benzyloxycarbonyl-etoposide, ETP-cbz) based on non-cross-linked human serum albumin (HSA) and poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles and to evaluate the synergistic potential of these drugs in vitro. The nanoformulations were prepared by the high-pressure homogenisation technique and characterised using DLS, TEM, SEM, AFM, HPLC, CZE, in-vitro release, and cytotoxicity in human and murine glioma cells. All nanoparticles had 90-150 nm in size and negative ζ-potentials. The Neuro2A cells were the most sensitive to both HSA- and PLGA-based co-delivery systems (IC50 0.024 µM and 0.053 µM, respectively). The drugs’ synergistic effect (combination index < 0.9) was observed in the GL261 cells for both types of co-delivery formulations and in the Neuro2A cells for the HSA-based system. These nanodelivery systems may be useful to improve combination chemotherapy for brain tumour treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the non-cross-linked HSA-based co-delivery nanosuspension which was prepared using nab™ technology.

A whole‐genome scan for Artemisinin cytotoxicity reveals a novel therapy for human brain tumors

The natural compound Artemisinin is the most widely used antimalarial drug worldwide. Based on its cytotoxicity, it is also used for anticancer therapy. Artemisinin and its derivates are endoperoxides that damage proteins in eukaryotic cells; their definite mechanism of action and host cell targets, however, have remained largely elusive. Using yeast and haploid stem cell screening, we demonstrate that a single cellular pathway, namely porphyrin (heme) biosynthesis, is required for the cytotoxicity of Artemisinins. Genetic or pharmacological modulation of porphyrin production is sufficient to alter its cytotoxicity in eukaryotic cells. Using multiple model systems of human brain tumor development, such as cerebral glioblastoma organoids, and patient‐derived tumor spheroids, we sensitize cancer cells to dihydroartemisinin using the clinically approved porphyrin enhancer and surgical fluorescence marker 5‐aminolevulinic acid, 5‐ALA. A combination treatment of Artemisinins and 5‐ALA markedly and specifically killed brain tumor cells in all model systems tested, including orthotopic patient‐derived xenografts in vivo. These data uncover the critical molecular pathway for Artemisinin cytotoxicity and a sensitization strategy to treat different brain tumors, including drug‐resistant human glioblastomas.

Modeling interaction of Glioma cells and CAR T-cells considering multiple CAR T-cells bindings

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell based immunotherapy has shown its potential in treating blood cancers, and its application to solid tumors is currently being extensively investigated. For glioma brain tumors, various CAR T-cell targets include IL13Rα2, EGFRvIII, HER2, EphA2, GD2, B7-H3, and chlorotoxin. In this work, we are interested in developing a mathematical model of IL13Rα2 targeting CAR T-cells for treating glioma. We focus on extending the work of Kuznetsov et al. (1994) by considering binding of multiple CAR T-cells to a single glioma cell, and the dynamics of these multi-cellular conjugates. Our model more accurately describes experimentally observed CAR T-cell killing assay data than the models which do not consider multi-cellular conjugates. Moreover, we derive conditions in the CAR T-cell expansion rate that determines treatment success or failure. Finally, we show that our model captures distinct CAR T-cell killing dynamics from low to high antigen receptor densities in patient-derived brain tumor cells.

Natural killer cell therapy potentially enhances the antitumor effects of bevacizumab plus irinotecan in a glioblastoma mouse model.

Various combination treatments have been considered to attain the effective therapy threshold by combining independent antitumor mechanisms against the heterogeneous characteristics of tumor cells in malignant brain tumors. In this study, the natural killer (NK) cells associated with bevacizumab (Bev) plus irinotecan (Iri) against glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) were investigated. For the experimental design, NK cells were expanded and activated by K562 cells expressing the OX40 ligand and membrane-bound IL-18 and IL-21. The effects of Bev and Iri on the proliferation and NK ligand expression of GBM cells were evaluated through MTT assay and flow cytometry. The cytotoxic effects of NK cells against Bev plus Iri-treated GBM cells were also predicted via the LDH assay in vitro. The therapeutic effect of different injected NK cell routes and numbers combined with the different doses of Bev and Iri was confirmed according to tumor size and survival in the subcutaneous (s.c) and intracranial (i.c) U87 xenograft NOD/SCID IL-12Rγnull mouse model. The presence of injected-NK cells in tumors was detected using flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry ex vivo. As a result, Iri was found to affect the proliferation and NK ligand expression of GBM cells, while Bev did not cause differences in these cellular processes. However, the administration of Bev modulated Iri efficacy in the i.c U87 mouse model. NK cells significantly enhanced the cytotoxic effects against Bev plus Iri-treated GBM cells in vitro. Although the intravenous (IV) injection of NK cells in combination with Bev plus Iri significantly reduced the tumor volume in the s.c U87 mouse model, only the direct intratumorally (IT) injection of NK cells in combination with Bev plus Iri elicited delayed tumor growth in the i.c U87 mouse model. Tumor-infiltrating NK cells were detected after IV injection of NK cells in both s.c and i.c U87 mouse models. In conclusion, the potential therapeutic effect of NK cells combined with Bev plus Iri against GBM cells was limited in this study. Accordingly, further research is required to improve the accessibility and strength of NK cell function in this combination treatment.

Genomic study and lipidomic bioassay of Leeuwenhoekiella parthenopeia: A novel rare biosphere marine bacterium that inhibits tumor cell viability.

The fraction of low-abundance microbiota in the marine environment is a promising target for discovering new bioactive molecules with pharmaceutical applications. Phenomena in the ocean such as diel vertical migration (DVM) and seasonal dynamic events influence the pattern of diversity of marine bacteria, conditioning the probability of isolation of uncultured bacteria. In this study, we report a new marine bacterium belonging to the rare biosphere, Leeuwenhoekiella parthenopeia sp. nov. Mr9T, which was isolated employing seasonal and diel sampling approaches. Its complete characterization, ecology, biosynthetic gene profiling of the whole genus Leeuwenhoekiella, and bioactivity of its extract on human cells are reported. The phylogenomic and microbial diversity studies demonstrated that this bacterium is a new and rare species, barely representing 0.0029% of the bacterial community in Mediterranean Sea metagenomes. The biosynthetic profiling of species of the genus Leeuwenhoekiella showed nine functionally related gene cluster families (GCF), none were associated with pathways responsible to produce known compounds or registered patents, therefore revealing its potential to synthesize novel bioactive compounds. In vitro screenings of L. parthenopeia Mr9T showed that the total lipid content (lipidome) of the cell membrane reduces the prostatic and brain tumor cell viability with a lower effect on normal cells. The lipidome consisted of sulfobacin A, WB 3559A, WB 3559B, docosenamide, topostin B-567, and unknown compounds. Therefore, the bioactivity could be attributed to any of these individual compounds or due to their synergistic effect. Beyond the rarity and biosynthetic potential of this bacterium, the importance and novelty of this study is the employment of sampling strategies based on ecological factors to reach the hidden microbiota, as well as the use of bacterial membrane constituents as potential novel therapeutics. Our findings open new perspectives on cultivation and the relationship between bacterial biological membrane components and their bioactivity in eukaryotic cells, encouraging similar studies in other members of the rare biosphere.

Deciphering the Role of microRNA Mediated Regulation of Coronin 1C in Glioblastoma Development and Metastasis.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly heterogenic and malignant brain tumour with a median survival of 15 months. The initial identification of primary glioblastomas is often challenging. Coronin 1C (CORO1C) is a key player in actin rearrangement and cofilin dynamics, as well as enhancing the processes of neurite overgrowth and migration of brain tumour cells. Different bioinformatic databases were accessed to measure CORO1C expression at the mRNA and protein level in normal and malignant brains. CORO1C expression was observed in brain regions which have retained high synaptic plasticity and myelination properties. CORO1C was also expressed mainly within the hippocampus formation, including the Cornu Ammonis (CA) fields: CA1-CA4. Higher expression was also noticed in paediatric GBM in comparison to their adult counterparts. Pediatric cell populations were observed to have an increased log2 expression of CORO1C. Furthermore, 62 miRNAs were found to target the CORO1C gene. Of these, hsa-miR-34a-5p, hsa-miR-512-3p, hsa-miR-136-5p, hsa-miR-206, hsa-miR-128-3p, and hsa-miR-21-5p have shown to act as tumour suppressors or oncomiRs in different neoplasms, including GBM. The elevated expression of CORO1C in high grade metastatic brain malignancies, including GBM, suggests that this protein could have a clinical utility as a biomarker linked to an unfavorable outcome.

Understanding radiation response and cell cycle variation in brain tumour cells using Raman spectroscopy.

Radiation therapy is currently utilised in the treatment of approximately 50% of cancer patients. A move towards patient tailored radiation therapy would help to improve the treatment outcome for patients as the inter-patient and intra-patient heterogeneity of cancer leads to large differences in treatment responses. In radiation therapy, a typical treatment outcome is cell cycle arrest which leads to cell cycle synchronisation. As treatment is typically given over multiple fractions it is important to understand how variation in the cell cycle can affect treatment response. Raman spectroscopy has previously been assessed as a method for monitoring radiation response in cancer cells and has shown promise in detecting the subtle biochemical changes following radiation exposure. This study evaluated Raman spectroscopy as a potential tool for monitoring cellular response to radiation in synchronised versus unsynchronised UVW human glioma cells in vitro. Specifically, it was hypothesised that the UVW cells would demonstrate a greater radiation resistance if the cell cycle phase of the cells was synchronised to the G1/S boundary prior to radiation exposure. Here we evaluated whether Raman spectroscopy, combined with cell cycle analysis and DNA damage and repair analysis (γ-H2AX assay), could discriminate the subtle cellular changes associated with radiation response. Raman spectroscopy combined with principal component analysis (PCA) was able to show the changes in radiation response over 24 hours following radiation exposure. Spectral changes were assigned to variations in protein, specifically changes in protein signals from amides as well as changes in lipid expression. A different response was observed between cells synchronised in the cell cycle and unsynchronised cells. After 24 hours following irradiation, the unsynchronised cells showed greater spectral changes compared to the synchronised cells demonstrating that the cell cycle plays an important role in the radiation resistance or sensitivity of the UVW cells, and that radiation resistance could be induced by controlling the cell cycle. One of the main aims of cancer treatment is to stop the proliferation of cells by controlling or halting progression through the cell cycle, thereby highlighting the importance of controlling the cell cycle when studying the effects of cancer treatments such as radiation therapy. Raman spectroscopy has been shown to be a useful tool for evaluating the changes in radiation response when the cell cycle phase is controlled and therefore highlighting its potential for assessing radiation response and resistance.

Brain tumor detection using CNN, AlexNet &amp;amp; GoogLeNet ensembling learning approaches

&lt;abstract&gt; &lt;p&gt;The detection of neurological disorders and diseases is aided by automatically identifying brain tumors from brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images. A brain tumor is a potentially fatal disease that affects humans. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are the most common and widely used deep learning techniques for brain tumor analysis and classification. In this study, we proposed a deep CNN model for automatically detecting brain tumor cells in MRI brain images. First, we preprocess the 2D brain image MRI image to generate convolutional features. The CNN network is trained on the training dataset using the GoogleNet and AlexNet architecture, and the data model's performance is evaluated on the test data set. The model's performance is measured in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and AUC. The algorithm performance matrices of both AlexNet and GoogLeNet are compared, the accuracy of AlexNet is 98.95, GoogLeNet is 99.45 sensitivity of AlexNet is 98.4, and GoogLeNet is 99.75, so from these values, we can infer that the GooGleNet is highly accurate and parameters that GoogLeNet consumes is significantly less; that is, the depth of AlexNet is 8, and it takes 60 million parameters, and the image input size is 227 × 227. Because of its high specificity and speed, the proposed CNN model can be a competent alternative support tool for radiologists in clinical diagnosis.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/abstract&gt;

Experimental evaluation of the antioxidant and antitumor activities of thyme and basil essential oils and their phenolic constituents: theoretical antioxidant evaluation

BackgroundIdentifying specific biological activities of natural products are of the main concerns worldwide for the use in safe functional food manufacture; essential oils and their components are good candidates in this respect. The present work aims to evaluate the biological activities of basil and thyme oils as well as their phenolic constituents. Using computational methods to predict biological activities are currently effective tools in minimizing and explaining experimental works.ResultsChemical composition of thyme and basil oils were determined using GC–MS. The identified phenolic components were thymol (28.21%) and carvacrol (0.47%) in thyme oil and eugenol (11.37%) in basil oil. The antioxidant activity of both oils and their phenolic constituents as expressed by EC50 value were 535.01, 134.37, 176.57, 407.89 and 2.29 µg/mL against DPPH and 131.95, 56.65, 57.15, 82.71and 32.80 µg/mL against hydrogen peroxide, respectively. The order of activity is basil oil > thyme oil while phenolic compound order is eugenol > thymol > carvacrol; reducing power showed the same order. Basil oil showed also higher and good antitumor activity where it reduces the surviving fraction to 38.4% of brain tumor cells (U251) and 61.3% of liver tumor cells (HEPG2) at concentration 10 µg/mL. The antioxidant activity were evaluated theoretically according to the main three mechanisms, Hydrogen-Atom-Transfer (HAT), Single Electron Transfer–Proton Transfer (SET-PT) and the Sequential Proton Loss Electron-Transfer (SPLET); the results proved the experimental order of antioxidant and biological activities, and explained the remarkably higher activities of basil oil and its main phenolic component, eugenol.ConclusionTheoretical calculation can be used successfully to explain and predict the experimental biological activity results. Basil oil and its main phenolic component, eugenol, were found effective as antioxidants. Basil oil was also efficient in reducing the surviving fraction of liver and brain cancer cells where it reduces brain cells even lower than cells treated by doxorubicin, a known anti-cancer agent; thus, basil oil and its main phenolic components, eugenol, can be used safely in food preservation and functional food production.Graphical

Regulatory role of endoplasmic reticulum resident chaperone protein ERp29 in anti-murine β-coronavirus host cell response

Gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) involving astrocytes is important for proper CNS homeostasis. As determined in our previous studies, trafficking of the predominant astrocyte GJ protein, Connexin43 (Cx43), is disrupted in response to infection with a neurotropic murine β-coronavirus (MHV-A59). However, how host factors are involved in Cx43 trafficking and the infection response is not clear. Here, we show that Cx43 retention due to MHV-A59 infection was associated with increased ER stress and reduced expression of chaperone protein ERp29. Treatment of MHV-A59-infected astrocytes with the chemical chaperone 4-sodium phenylbutyrate increased ERp29 expression, rescued Cx43 transport to the cell surface, increased GJIC, and reduced ER stress. We obtained similar results using an astrocytoma cell line (delayed brain tumor) upon MHV-A59 infection. Critically, delayed brain tumor cells transfected to express exogenous ERp29 were less susceptible to MHV-A59 infection and showed increased Cx43-mediated GJIC. Treatment with Cx43 mimetic peptides inhibited GJIC and increased viral susceptibility, demonstrating a role for intercellular communication in reducing MHV-A59 infectivity. Taken together, these results support a therapeutically targetable ERp29-dependent mechanism where β-coronavirus infectivity is modulated by reducing ER stress and rescuing Cx43 trafficking and function.

Autonomous rhythmic activity in glioma networks drives brain tumour growth

Diffuse gliomas, particularly glioblastomas, are incurable brain tumours1. They are characterized by networks of interconnected brain tumour cells that communicate via Ca2+ transients2-6. However, the networks' architecture and communication strategy and how these influence tumour biology remain unknown. Here we describe how glioblastoma cell networks include a small, plastic population of highly active glioblastoma cells that display rhythmic Ca2+ oscillations and are particularly connected to others. Their autonomous periodic Ca2+ transients preceded Ca2+ transients of other network-connected cells, activating the frequency-dependent MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Mathematical network analysis revealed that glioblastoma network topology follows scale-free and small-world properties, with periodic tumour cells frequently located in network hubs. This network design enabled resistance against random damage but was vulnerable to losing its key hubs. Targeting of autonomous rhythmic activity by selective physical ablation of periodic tumour cells or by genetic or pharmacological interference with the potassium channel KCa3.1 (also known as IK1, SK4 or KCNN4) strongly compromised global network communication. This led to a marked reduction of tumour cell viability within the entire network, reduced tumour growth in mice and extended animal survival. The dependency of glioblastoma networks on periodic Ca2+ activity generates a vulnerability7 that can be exploited for the development of novel therapies, such as with KCa3.1-inhibiting drugs.