Mouse Model Of Cancer Research Articles

Chemoradiotherapy response and the tumor microenvironment in a novel immunocompetent mouse model of cervical cancer

Chemoradiotherapy response and the tumor microenvironment in a novel immunocompetent mouse model of cervical cancer

Vitamin D significantly inhibits carcinogenesis in the mogp-TAg mouse model of fallopian tube cancer

Vitamin D significantly inhibits carcinogenesis in the mogp-TAg mouse model of fallopian tube cancer

Generation of an organoid model of a STIC lesion from a MADM mouse model for premalignant ovarian cancer

Generation of an organoid model of a STIC lesion from a MADM mouse model for premalignant ovarian cancer

TLR Agonist Nano Immune Therapy Clears Peritoneal and Systemic Ovarian Cancer.

Intraperitoneal (IP) administration of immunogenic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (iMSN) in a mouse model of metastatic ovarian cancer promotes the development of tumor-specific CD8+ T cells and protective immunity. IP delivery of iMSN functionalized with the Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists polyethyleneimine (PEI), CpG oligonucleotide, and monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) stimulated rapid uptake by all peritoneal myeloid subsets. Myeloid cells quickly transported iMSN to milky spots and fat-associated lymphoid clusters (FALCs) present in tumor-burdened adipose tissues, leading to a reduction in suppressive T cells and an increase in activated memory T cells. Two doses of iMSN cleared or reduced ovarian and colorectal cancer and protected against future tumor engraftment. In contrast, subcutaneous (SC) and intravenous (IV) delivery of iMSN were without therapeutic effect in mice with peritoneal metastases, supporting the need for activation of regional immune cells. Remarkably, intraperitoneal delivery of iMSN cleared subcutaneously implanted ovarian cancer, supporting homing of antigen specific T cells to extraperitoneal tumor sites.

Characterizing dynamic tumor-immune interactions in lung adenocarcinoma through orthotopic allograft modeling.

The major clinical challenge in lung cancer immunotherapy is drug resistance. Therefore, establishing efficient orthotopic lung cancer mouse models to explore the mechanisms of drug immunotherapy resistance is highly important. In this study, we generated multiple fluorescently labeled lung adenocarcinoma cell lines from agenetically engineered KPZ mice model. Orthotopic transplantation of the primary 1F3 cell line induced a strong immune response, causing many small tumors to disappear, but some tumors evaded the immune attack and eventually formed large tumors. Tumor microenvironment analysis demonstrated that M2 macrophages play key roles in the immune response. Further mechanistic studies revealed that the chemokine CCL7 promoted the infiltration of M2 macrophages to facilitate immune escape, thereby promoting tumor growth in the orthotopic mouse model. Moreover, CCL7 levels were elevated in human lung cancer biopsies and positively correlated with M2 macrophage infiltration, and high CCL7 levels predicted advanced pathological stage and poor survival in lung cancer patients. Overall, we established a visualized and orthotopic mouse model with fluorescently labeled cells to better dissect the tumor microenvironment of lung cancer and define the critical role of CCL7 in promoting M2 macrophage polarization and tumorigenesis, providing new preclinical tools and potential targets for lung cancer immunotherapy.

Cell-autonomous IL6ST activation suppresses prostate cancer development via STAT3/ARF/p53-driven senescence and confers an immune-active tumor microenvironment

BackgroundProstate cancer ranks as the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in men worldwide. Recent research highlights the crucial roles IL6ST-mediated signaling pathways play in the development and progression of various cancers, particularly through hyperactivated STAT3 signaling. However, the molecular programs mediated by IL6ST/STAT3 in prostate cancer are poorly understood.MethodsTo investigate the role of IL6ST signaling, we constitutively activated IL6ST signaling in the prostate epithelium of a Pten-deficient prostate cancer mouse model in vivo and examined IL6ST expression in large cohorts of prostate cancer patients. We complemented these data with in-depth transcriptomic and multiplex histopathological analyses.ResultsGenetic cell-autonomous activation of the IL6ST receptor in prostate epithelial cells triggers active STAT3 signaling and significantly reduces tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, genetic activation of IL6ST signaling mediates senescence via the STAT3/ARF/p53 axis and recruitment of cytotoxic T-cells, ultimately impeding tumor progression. In prostate cancer patients, high IL6ST mRNA expression levels correlate with better recurrence-free survival, increased senescence signals and a transition from an immune-cold to an immune-hot tumor.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate a context-dependent role of IL6ST/STAT3 in carcinogenesis and a tumor-suppressive function in prostate cancer development by inducing senescence and immune cell attraction. We challenge the prevailing concept of blocking IL6ST/STAT3 signaling as a functional prostate cancer treatment and instead propose cell-autonomous IL6ST activation as a novel therapeutic strategy.

Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound-Responsive Phase-Transitional Liposomes Loaded with STING Agonist Enhances Immune Activation for Breast Cancer Immunotherapy

Background: Pharmacologically targeting the STING pathway offers a novel approach to cancer immunotherapy. However, small-molecule STING agonists face challenges such as poor tumor accumulation, rapid clearance, and short-lived effects within the tumor microenvironment, thus limiting their therapeutic potential. To address the challenges of poor specificity and inadequate targeting of STING in breast cancer treatment, herein, we report the design and development of a targeted liposomal delivery system modified with the tumor-targeting peptide iRGD (iRGD-STING-PFP@liposomes). With LIFU irradiation, the liposomal system exploits acoustic cavitation, where gas nuclei form and collapse within the hydrophobic region of the liposome lipid bilayer (transient pore formation), which leads to significantly enhanced drug release. Methods: Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to investigate the physicochemical properties of the targeted liposomes. Encapsulation efficiency and in vitro release were assessed using the dialysis bag method, while the effects of iRGD on liposome targeting were evaluated through laser confocal microscopy. The CCK-8 assay was used to investigate the toxicity and cell growth effects of this system on 4T1 breast cancer cells and HUVEC vascular endothelial cells. A subcutaneous breast cancer tumor model was established to evaluate the tumor-killing effects and therapeutic mechanism of the newly developed liposomes. Results: The liposome carrier exhibited a regular morphology, with a particle size of 232.16 ± 19.82 nm, as indicated by dynamic light scattering (DLS), and demonstrated low toxicity to both HUVEC and 4T1 cells. With an encapsulation efficiency of 41.82 ± 5.67%, the carrier exhibited a slow release pattern in vitro after STING loading. Targeting results indicated that iRGD modification enhanced the system’s ability to target 4T1 cells. The iRGD-STING-PFP@liposomes group demonstrated significant tumor growth inhibition in the subcutaneous breast cancer mouse model with effective activation of the immune system, resulting in the highest populations of matured dendritic cells (71.2 ± 5.4%), increased presentation of tumor-related antigens, promoted CD8+ T cell infiltration at the tumor site, and enhanced NK cell activity. Conclusions: The iRGD-STING-PFP@liposomes targeted drug delivery system effectively targets breast cancer cells, providing a new strategy for breast cancer immunotherapy. These findings indicate that iRGD-STING-PFP@liposomes could successfully deliver STING agonists to tumor tissue, trigger the innate immune response, and may serve as a potential platform for targeted immunotherapy.

Accurate and Safe Tumor Targeting of Orally-administered Salmonella typhimurium A1-R Leads to Regression of an Aggressive Fibrosarcoma in Nude Mice.

Salmonella typhimurium A1-R has been shown to target and inhibit many types of cancers in mouse models without continuous infection of normal tissue. The objective of the present study was to determine the effective dose of orally-administered Salmonella typhimurium A1-R, expressing-green fluorescent protein (GFP), on an HT1080 human-fibrosarcoma nude-mouse model. The HT1080-human- fibrosarcoma nude-mouse models were randomized into the following three groups: G1: untreated control; G2: Oral Salmonella typhimurium A1-R (5×107 colony forming units [CFU]/body, twice a week, 2 weeks); G3: Oral Salmonella typhimurium A1-R (3.3×108 CFU/body, twice a week, 2 weeks). Each group comprised five mice. Body weight and tumor volume were measured twice a week. The number of colonies of Salmonella typhimurium A1-R-GFP in excised tumors and excised livers in groups G2 and G3 were determined on day 3, day 7 and 14 by growth on agar plates. Tukey-Kramer analysis was used to examine the relationships between variables. Statistically-significant results are defined as those with p≤0.05. Salmonella typhimurium A1-R was administered orally at a dose of 3.3×108 CFU, which successfully regressed the HT1080 tumor in nude mice. However, this effect was not observed at a lower dose of 5×107 CFU. After administering Salmonella typhimurium A1-R at 3.3×108 CFU, tumors and liver tissues were harvested, homogenized, and cultured on days 3, 7 and 14. Resulting GFP-expressing Salmonella typhimurium A1-R colonies were then counted. The number of GFP-bacterial colonies derived from excised tumors at intervals of 3, 7, and 14 days increased over time post-administration of oral GFP-Salmonella typhimurium. Conversely, the number of GFP-Salmonella typhimurium A1-R colonies that could be grown from excised livers decreased over time, following oral administration of GFP-Salmonella typhimurium. Additionally, the GFP-bacterial colonies grown from the excised tumors were significantly larger than those grown from the excised livers. The present study showed that an aggressive fibrosarcoma could be regressed by orally-administered Salmonella typhimurium A1-R which accurately targeted tumors without continuous growth in normal organs. The present results suggested the potential of orally-administered Salmonella typhimurium A1-R as a probiotic to treat aggressive soft-tissue sarcoma.

Metformin boosts doxorubicin efficacy and increases CD8 + T cell frequency in mouse breast cancer.

Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. The presence and function of CD8 + T cells in the tumor microenvironment have been associated with better patient outcomes. Drug toxicity has posed a significant challenge to the clinical implementation of chemotherapy-based strategies in cancer treatment. In this study, we employed flow cytometry to investigate the potential synergistic immunomodulatory effects on CD8 + T cells in a mouse model of breast cancer by combining metformin, an anti-diabetic medication, with doxorubicin. Through flow cytometry analysis, we observed that the combination of the two drugs led to an increased percentage of CD8 + T cells compared to either drug alone. The modulation of HIF-1α and STAT3 gene expression in the combination group further confirmed the efficacy of this approach. Our findings suggest that combining metformin with doxorubicin can enhance the anticancer activity of doxorubicin and decrease its cytotoxicity in a 4T1 breast cancer mouse model.

Angiotensin II as a linking factor in cardiovascular disease enhanced cancer growth

Abstract Introduction Several publications have demonstrated that cardiovascular diseases (CVD) promote tumor growth in mouse models of breast, lung, and colon cancer, suggesting a causal relationship between both diseases. Cancer and CVD share several risk factors and pathophysiological mechanisms, including inflammation, oxidative stress, neurohormonal activation, and immune system dysfunction that combined could explain why patients with CVD are prone to develop cancer. Recent reports also suggest a link between hypertension and lung cancer, and between cardiac hypertrophy and breast cancer. Angiotensin II (ANGII) is a hormone involved in blood pressure regulation, vascular hemostasis and hypertrophy development. Moreover, ANGII is cancerogenic by increasing proliferation of several cancer cell types. Hence, ANGII could be a link in CVD-induced enhancement of cancer growth. Here, we investigated whether ANGII treatment, and subsequent hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy, could promote cancer growth and metastasis. Methods ANGII (2000ng.kg-1.min-1, 4w) was administered to 10w old C57B6/J mice using subcutaneous osmotic minipumps. After 3w, 5*10^5 Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells or 2*10^5 MC38 colon cancer cells were injected onto the right flank of the mice. Tumor growth was monitored over 21d using a digital caliper. Tumor volume was calculated using the following formula: Length × width² × 0.5 On day 22, mice were sacrificed for further post-mortem analysis. Cardiac echography was performed after 3w of ANGII treatment and before sacrifice to assess cardiac function (data not shown). To assess the formation of cardiac fibrosis trichrome staining’s were performed. In addition, the effect of ANGII on LLC metastasis was investigated. Mice were treated with ANGII as described above. LLC cells, 2*10^6, were injected intravenously (i.v.). Mice were sacrificed 21d after cell injection. Metastatic growth was visualized and quantified by organ weighing and H&E staining. Results LLC tumor growth was significantly increased by ANGII treatment. In addition, post-mortem tumor weight was increased (0.62 ± 0.05 g control vs. 1.17 ± 0.24 g ANGII). Furthermore, we found lung weight increased in the ANGII-treated group injected i.v. with LLC cells, indicating an increase in metastatic growth (0.41 ± 0.08 g control vs. 0.57 ± 0.04 g ANGII). Interestingly, MC38 tumor growth decreased in the ANGII treated group as portrayed by the tumor weight (0.42 ± 0.06 g control vs. 0.19 ± 0.05 g ANGII). Figure 1 shows the tumor growth over time and tumor volume, weight post-mortem. Conclusion Our data suggest a role for ANGII in CVD-enhanced cancer growth, but also that this effect is not universal, illustrated by a differential effect of ANGII on distinct cancer types. Although further investigation is required to unravel the role of ANGII, screening cancer patients with CVD comorbidities for ANGII involvement might be warranted.

TP53 Codon 72 Polymorphism Impacts Macrophage Activation through Reactive Oxygen Species-Dependent Cell Signaling Alterations.

The role of the most common TP53 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at codon 72, which encodes for proline (P72) or arginine (R72), in the regulation of the immune system has not yet been thoroughly explored. We found that this SNP contributes to aggravated inflammatory response in COVID-19 patients resulting from biased macrophage activation. R72-P53 inhibits mitochondrial manganese superoxide dismutase, leading to impaired reactive oxygen species scavenging, oxidation of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN), and, consequently, its inhibition. Reduced PTEN activity causes constitutive activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway, which restricts proinflammatory (M1) and promotes anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes through NF-κB and p53 inhibition. In contrast, PTEN-reduced PI3K/Akt activity, in P72 carrying cells, favors M1 phenotypes. LPS-stimulated R72 macrophages fail to reduce tumor growth in a mouse model of cancer, in contrast with P72 macrophages, which preserve M1 phenotype invivo and reduce tumor growth by enhancing antitumor T cell responses, consistent with antitumor functions of M1 macrophages. In addition, P72 macrophages contributed to increased mortality in a mouse model of LPS-induced endotoxemia. Therefore, given the high frequency of P72 in African Americans, cell signaling alterations driven by codon 72 of TP53 SNP may potentially contribute to differences in clinical outcomes and health disparities in common diseases associated with dysregulated macrophage activation.

Mitochondrial-targeted plastoquinone therapy ameliorates early onset muscle weakness that precedes ovarian cancer cachexia in mice.

Cancer cachexia, and the related loss of muscle and strength, worsens quality of life and lowers overall survival. Recently, a novel 'pre-atrophy' muscle weakness was identified during early-stage cancer. While mitochondrial stress responses are associated with early-stage pre-atrophy weakness, a causal relationship has not been established. Using a robust mouse model of metastatic epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC)-induced cachexia, we found the well-established mitochondrial-targeted plastoquinone SkQ1 partially prevents pre-atrophy weakness in the diaphragm. Furthermore, SkQ1 improved force production during atrophy without preventing atrophy itself in the tibialis anterior and diaphragm. EOC reduced flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) force production and myoplasmic free calcium ([Ca 2+ ] i ) during contraction in single muscle fibers, both of which were prevented by SkQ1. Remarkably, changes in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and pyruvate metabolism were heterogeneous across time and between muscle types which highlights a considerable complexity in the relationships between mitochondria and muscle remodeling throughout EOC. These discoveries identify that muscle weakness can occur independent of atrophy throughout EOC in a manner that is linked to improved calcium handling. The findings also demonstrate that mitochondrial-targeted therapies exert a robust effect in preserving muscle force during the early pre-atrophy period and in late-stage EOC once cachexia has become severe.

Gold-siRNA supraclusters enhance the anti-tumor immune response of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy at primary and metastatic tumors.

Strategies to enhance the anti-tumor immune response of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) at primary tumors and abscopal sites are under intensive investigation. Here we report a metabolizable binary supracluster (BSCgal) that combines gold nanoclusters as radiosensitizing adjuvants with small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting the immunosuppressive mediator galectin-1 (Gal-1). BSCgal comprises reversibly crosslinked cationic gold nanoclusters and siRNA complexes in a polymer matrix that biodegrades over weeks, facilitating clearance (90.3% in vivo clearance at 4 weeks) to reduce toxicity. The particle size well above the renal filtration threshold facilitates passive delivery to tumors. Using mouse models of head and neck cancer, we show that BSCgal augments the radiodynamic and immunotherapeutic effects of SABR at the primary and metastatic tumors by promoting tumor-inhibitory leukocytes, upregulating cytotoxic granzyme B and reducing immunosuppressive cell populations. It outperforms SABR plus Gal-1 antagonists, chemoradiation drug cisplatin or PD-1 inhibitor. This work presents a translatable strategy to converge focal radiosensitization with targeted immune checkpoint silencing for personalized radioimmunotherapy.

Blautia coccoides and its metabolic products enhance the efficacy of bladder cancer immunotherapy by promoting CD8+ T cell infiltration

BackgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have emerged as a novel and effective treatment strategy, yet their effectiveness is limited to a subset of patients. The gut microbiota, recognized as a promising anticancer adjuvant, is being increasingly suggested to augment the efficacy of ICIs. Despite this, the causal link between the gut microbiota and the success of immunotherapy is not well understood. This gap in knowledge has driven us to identify beneficial microbiota and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms.MethodsThrough 16S rDNA sequencing, we identified distinct gut microbiota in patients undergoing treatment with ICIs. Following this, we assessed the impact of probiotics on anti-PD-1 therapy in bladder cancer using mouse models, employing a multi-omics strategy. Subsequently, we uncovered the mechanisms through which Blautia-produced metabolites enhance antitumor immunity, utilizing untargeted metabolomics and a range of molecular biology techniques.ResultsIn our research, the LEfSe analysis revealed a significant enrichment of the Blautia genus in the gut microbiota of patients who responded to immunotherapy. We discovered that the external addition of Blautia coccoides hampers tumor growth in a bladder cancer mouse model by enhancing the infiltration of CD8+ T cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Further investigations through untargeted metabolomics and molecular biology experiments showed that oral administration of Blautia coccoides elevated trigonelline levels. This, in turn, suppresses the β-catenin expression both in vitro and in vivo, thereby augmenting the cancer-killing activity of CD8+ T cells.ConclusionsThis research provided valuable insights into enhancing the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors in clinical settings. It was suggested that applying Blautia coccoides and its metabolic product, trigonelline, could serve as a synergistic treatment method with PD-1 inhibitors in clinical applications.Graphical

All-trans retinoic acid-mediated ADAR1 degradation synergizes with PD-1 blockade to suppress pancreatic cancer.

As a double-stranded RNA-editing enzyme and an interferon-stimulated gene, double-stranded RNA-specific adenosine deaminase (ADAR1) suppresses interferon signaling and contributes to immunotherapy resistance. Suppression of ADAR1 overcomes immunotherapy resistance in preclinical models, but has not yet been translated to clinical settings. By conducting a screening of a subset of the FDA-approved drugs, we found that all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA, also known as tretinoin) caused ADAR1 protein degradation through ubiquitin-proteasome pathways and concomitantly increased PD-L1 expression in pancreatic and breast cancers. In addition, the combination of ATRA and PD-1 blockade reprogrammed the tumor microenvironment and unleashed antitumor immunity and thereby impeded tumor growth in pancreatic cancer mouse models. In a pilot clinical trial, a higher dose of ATRA plus the anti-PD-1 antibody nivolumab prolonged median overall survival in patients with chemotherapy-resistant pancreatic cancer compared to a lower dose of the same regimen. In this study, ATRA was the first drug to be found to cause ADAR1 degradation. We propose translation of a promising 2-pronged antitumor strategy using ATRA and nivolumab to convert immunologically "cold" into "hot" tumors susceptible to immune checkpoint blockade.

L-tryptophan and copper interactions linked to reduced colibactin genotoxicity in pks+ Escherichia coli.

Colibactin is a small molecule produced by pks+ Enterobacteriaceae that damages DNA, leading to oncogenic mutations in human genomes. Colibactin-producing Escherichia coli (pks+) cells promote tumorigenesis in mouse models of colorectal cancer (CRC) and are elevated in abundance in CRC patient biopsies, making it important to identify the regulatory systems governing colibactin production. Here, we apply a systems biology approach to explore metabolite repression of colibactin production in pks+ E. coli. We identify L-tryptophan as a repressor of colibactin genotoxicity that stimulates the expression of genes to export copper to the periplasm where it can inhibit ClbP, the colibactin-activating peptidase. These results work toward an antibiotic-sparing, prophylactic strategy to inhibit colibactin genotoxicity and its tumorigenic effects in the intestine.

Contemporaneous Inflammatory, Angiogenic, Fibrogenic, and Angiostatic Cytokine Profiles of the Time-to-Tumor Development by Cancer Cells to Orchestrate Tumor Neovascularization, Progression, and Metastasis.

Cytokines can promote various cancer processes, such as angiogenesis, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, and tumor progression, and maintain cancer stem-cell-like (CSCs) cells. The mechanism(s) that continuously promote(s) tumors to progress in the TME still need(s) to be investigated. The data in the present study analyzed the inflammatory, angiogenic, fibrogenic, and angiostatic cytokine profiles in the host serum during tumor development in a mouse model of human pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic MiaPaCa-2-eGFP cancer cells were subcutaneously implanted in RAG2xCγ double mutant mice. Blood samples were collected before cancer cell implantation and every week until the end point of the study. The extracted serum from the blood of each mouse at different time points during tumor development was analyzed using a Bio-Plex microarray analysis and a Bio-Plex 200 system for proinflammatory (IL-1β, IL-10, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) and angiogenic and fibrogenic (IL-15, IL-18, basic FGF, LIF, M-CSF, MIG, MIP-2, PDGF-BB, and VEGF) cytokines. Here, we find that during cancer cell colonization for tumor development, host angiogenic, fibrogenic, and proinflammatory cytokine profiling in the tumor-bearing mice has been shown to significantly reduce host angiostatic and proinflammatory cytokines that restrain tumor development and increase those for tumor growth. The proinflammatory cytokines IL-15, IL-18, and IL-1β profiles reveal a significant host serum increase after day 35 when the tumor began to progress in growth. In contrast, the angiostatic cytokine profiles of TNFα, MIG, M-CSF, IL-10, and IFNγ in the host serum revealed a dramatic and significant decrease after day 5 post-implantation of cancer cells. OP treatment of tumor-bearing mice on day 35 maintained high levels of angiostatic and fibrogenic cytokines. The data suggest an entirely new regulation by cancer cells for tumor development. The findings identify for the first time how pancreatic cancer cells use host cytokine profiling to orchestrate the initiation of tumor development.

Ultrasound-triggered and glycosylation inhibition-enhanced tumor piezocatalytic immunotherapy.

Nanocatalytic immunotherapy holds excellent potential for future cancer therapy due to its rapid activation of the immune system to attack tumor cells. However, a high level of N-glycosylation can protect tumor cells, compromising the anticancer immunity of nanocatalytic immunotherapy. Here, we show a 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) and bismuth ferrite co-loaded gel (DBG) scaffold for enhanced cancer piezocatalytic immunotherapy. After the implantation in the tumor, DBG generates both reactive oxygen species (ROS) and piezoelectric signals when excited with ultrasound irradiation, significantly promoting the activation of anticancer immunity. Meanwhile, 2-DG released from ROS-sensitive DBG disrupts the N-glycans synthesis, further overcoming the immunosuppressive microenvironment of tumors. The synergy effects of ultrasound-triggered and glycosylation inhibition enhanced tumor piezocatalytic immunotherapy are demonstrated on four mouse cancer models. A "hot" tumor-immunity niche is produced to inhibit tumor progress and lung metastasis and elicit strong immune memory effects. This work provides a promising piezocatalytic immunotherapy for malignant solid tumors featuring both low immunogenicity and high levels of N-glycosylation.

Voluntary Exercise Attenuates Tumor Growth in a Preclinical Model of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

To examine the effects of voluntary exercise training on tumor growth and explore the underlying intratumoral molecular pathways and processes responsible for the beneficial effects of VWR on tumor initiation and progression in a mouse model of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC). Male immunodeficient mice (SCID) were castrated and subcutaneously inoculated with human CWR-22RV1 cancer cells to construct CRPC xenograft model before randomly assigned to either voluntary wheel running (VWR) or sedentary (SED) group (n=6/group). After three weeks, tumor tissues were collected. Tumor size was measured and calculated. mRNA expression of markers of DNA replication, Androgen Receptor (AR) signaling, and mitochondrial dynamics was determined by RT-PCR. Protein expression of mitochondrial content and dynamics was determined by western blotting. Finally, RNA-sequencing analysis was performed in the tumor tissues. Voluntary wheel running resulted in smaller tumor volume at the initial stage and attenuated tumor progression throughout the time course (P < 0.05). The reduction of tumor volume in VWR group was coincided with lower mRNA expression of DNA replication markers ( MCM2 , MCM6 , and MCM7 ), AR signaling ( ELOVL5 and FKBP5 ) and regulatory proteins of mitochondrial fission (Drp1 and Fis1) and fusion (MFN1 and OPA1) when compared to the SED group (P<0.05). More importantly, RNA sequencing data further revealed that pathways related to pathways related to angiogenesis, extracellular matrix formation and endothelial cell proliferation were downregulated. Three weeks of VWR was effective in delaying tumor initiation and progression, which coincided with reduced transcription of DNA replication, AR signaling targets and mitochondrial dynamics. We further identified reduced molecular pathways/processes related to angiogenesis that may be responsible for the delayed tumor initiation and progression by VWR.

Targeting Human Pancreatic Cancer with a Fluorophore-Conjugated Mucin 4 (MUC4) Antibody: Initial Characterization in Orthotopic Cell Line Mouse Models.

Background/Objectives: Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of death related to cancer. The only possible cure presently is complete surgical resection; however, this is limited by difficulty in clearly defining tumor margins. Enhancement of the visualization of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) tumor margins using near-infrared dye-conjugated tumor-specific antibodies was pioneered by using anti-CEA, anti-CA19.9, and anti-MUC5AC in orthotopic mouse models of pancreatic cancer. Recently, an antibody to Mucin 4 (MUC4) conjugated to a fluorescent probe has shown promise in targeting colon tumors in orthotopic mouse models. Methods: In the present study, we targeted pancreatic cancer using an anti-MUC4 antibody conjugated to IRDye800 (anti-MUC4-IR800) in orthotopic mouse models. Two pancreatic cancer human cell lines were used, SW1990 and CD18/HPAF. Results: Anti-MUC4-IR800 targeted the two pancreatic cancer cell line tumors in orthotopic mouse models with high tumor-to-pancreas ratios and high tumor-to-liver ratios, with greater targeting seen in SW1990. Conclusions: The present results suggest anti-MUC4-IR800's potential to be used in fluorescence-guided surgical resection of pancreatic cancer.