Percentage Of Cells Research Articles

Analysis of PRAME immunocytochemistry in 109 acral malignant melanoma in situ

AimsPreferentially expressed antigen in melanoma (PRAME) recently is a reliable immunohistochemistry (IHC) marker for distinguishing melanoma from other lesions. However, there are few articles focused on PRAME use in acral...

Abstract 7563: Efficacy of JPI-547, novel dual PARP inhibitor, in endometrial cancer cell line

Abstract Objectives: PARP inhibitor is effective in treating DNA repair deficiency endometrial cancer. Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common gynecological cancers in developed countries and its incidence is increasing, and the prognosis of patients with early stage and low-risk EC is very good, but the prognosis of progressive and recurrent EC is poor. Novel PARP inhibitor JPI-547 is a PARP and tankyrase dual inhibitor, and in cancer cells, tankyrase inhibitor plays an important role in DNA repair, telomere maintenance, and cell survival. This experiment was conducted to determine whether the reactivity of the PTEN mutant EEC was increased by using the Novel PARP inhibitor. Method: Human endometrioid endometrial cancer cell lines, Hec-1A, Hec-1B and Ishikawa were obtained. Cell viability assay for the drugs Olaparib and JPI-547 were assessed. Colonies consisting of at least 50 cells were counted. The number of dead cells was counted in five different areas of the hemocytometer, and the experiment was performed three times. The percentage of dead cells was analyzed compared to the untreated group. We confirmed the efficacy by siRNA transfection and immunofluorescence. Result: When treated with Olaparib, there was no change in cell viability in the rest of the cells except for Ishikawa cells, which are PTEN mutations. It decreased by 35.4% in Ishikawa cells, whereas when treated with JPI-547, all cell lines Hec-1A, Hec-1B, and Ishikawa cell viability decreased by 28%, 34.3%, and 48.7%, respectively. PTEN knock-down reduced cell visibility by 28% when treated with olaparib, whereas when treated with JPI-547, Hec-1A (siCont) and Hec-1A (siPTEN) decreased by 26% and 42%, respectively, in all cells regardless of whether PTEN knock-down is present. When treated with Olaparib, dead cells were identified only in PTEN knock-down cells, increasing by 22%. When treated with JPI-547, dead cells increased by 25.5% and 33% in all cells of Hec-1A (siCont) and Hec-1A (siPTEN), respectively. It was confirmed that JPI-547 can reduce cell viability regardless of the formation of Rad51 according to PTEN. Conclusion: JPI-547, a novel PARP inhibitor, showed good efficacy in PTEN mutation and PTEN-wild-type EEC cell lines than in conventional PARP inhibitor. The effect of reducing survival of ECC cell line with JPI-547 was confirmed with or without PTEN mutation. Further evaluation and in vivo experiments are needed to prove the efficacy of JPI-547 in EC. Citation Format: Shin-Wha Lee, So-Hyun Nam, Su-Bin Park. Efficacy of JPI-547, novel dual PARP inhibitor, in endometrial cancer cell line [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 7563.

Biofilm Development by Mycobacterium avium Complex Clinical Isolates: Effect of Clarithromycin in Ultrastructure.

The Mycobacterium avium complex includes the commonest non-tuberculous mycobacteria associated with human infections. These infections have been associated with the production of biofilms in many cases, but there are only a few studies about biofilms produced by the species included in this group. Three collection strains (M. avium ATCC25291, M. intracellulare ATCC13950, and M. chimaera DSM756), three clinically significant strains (647, 657, and 655), and three clinically non-significant ones (717, 505, and 575) of each species were included. The clinical significance of the clinical isolates was established according to the internationally accepted criteria. The biofilm ultrastructure was studied by Confocal-Laser Scanning Microscopy by using BacLight Live-Dead and Nile Red stains. The viability, covered surface, height, and relative autofluorescence were measured in several images/strain. The effect of clarithromycin was studied by using the technique described by Muñoz-Egea et al. with modifications regarding incubation time. The study included clarithromycin in the culture medium at a concentration achievable in the lungs (11.3 mg/L), using one row of wells as the control without antibiotics. The bacterial viability inside the biofilm is expressed as a percentage of viable cells. The differences between the different parameters of the biofilm ultrastructure were analyzed by using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The correlation between bacterial viability in the biofilm and treatment time was evaluated by using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (ρ). The strains showed differences between them with all the studied parameters, but neither a species-specific pattern nor a clinical-significance-specific pattern were detected. For the effect of clarithromycin, the viability of the bacteria contained in the biofilm was inversely proportional to the exposure time of the biofilm (ρ > -0.3; p-value < 0.05), excluding two M. chimaera strains (M. chimaera DSM756 and 575), which showed a weak positive correlation with treatment time (0.2 < ρ < 0.39; p-value < 0.05). Curiously, despite a clarithromycin treatment of 216 h, the percentage of the biofilm viability of the strains evaluated here was not less than 40% at best (M. avium 717). All the M. avium complex strains studied can form biofilm in vitro, but the ultrastructural characteristics between them suggest that these are strain-specific characteristics unrelated to the species or the clinical significance. The clarithromycin effect on MAC species is biofilm-age/time-of-treatment-dependent and appears to be strain-specific while being independent of the clinical significance of the strain.

Evaluation of pancreatic cancer specimens for comprehensive genomic profiling.

Inadequate specimen quality or quantity hinders comprehensive genomic profiling in identifying actionable mutations and guiding treatment strategies. We investigated the optimal conditions for pancreatic cancer specimen selection for comprehensive genomic profiling. We retrospectively analyzed 213 pancreatic cancer cases ordered for comprehensive genomic profiling and compared results from pancreatic biopsy, liver biopsy of pancreatic cancer metastases, pancreatectomy, liquid, and nonliver metastatic organ specimens. We examined preanalytical conditions, including cellularity (tumor cell count/size). The successfully tested cases were those that underwent comprehensive genomic profiling tests without any issues. The successfully tested case ratio was 72.8%. Pancreatic biopsy had the highest successfully tested case ratio (87%), with a high tumor cell percentage, despite the small number of cells (median, 3425). Pancreatic biopsy, liver biopsy of pancreatic cancer metastases, and non-liver metastatic organ had higher successfully tested case ratios than that for pancreatectomy. Liver biopsy of pancreatic cancer metastases and pancreatectomy cases with tumor size (mm2) × tumor ratio (%) > 150 and >3000, respectively, had high successfully tested case ratios. The success of comprehensive genomic profiling is significantly influenced by the tumor cell ratio, and pancreatic biopsy is a potentially suitable specimen for comprehensive genomic profiling.

A Review: Biomechanical Aspects of the Fallopian Tube Relevant to its Function in Fertility.

The fallopian tube (FT) plays a crucial role in the reproductive process by providing an ideal biomechanical and biochemical environment for fertilization and early embryo development. Despite its importance, the biomechanical functions of the FT that originate from its morphological aspects, and ultrastructural aspects, as well as the mechanical properties of FT, have not been studied nor used sufficiently, which limits the understanding of fertilization, mechanotrasduction, and mechanobiology during embryo development, as well as the replication of the FT in laboratory settings for infertility treatments. This paper reviews and revives valuable information on human FT reported in medical literature in the past five decades relevant to the biomechanical aspects of FT. In this review, we summarized the current state of knowledge concerning the morphological, ultrastructural aspects, and mechanical properties of the human FT. We also investigate the potential arising from a thorough consideration of the biomechanical functions and exploring often neglected mechanical aspects. Our investigation encompasses both macroscopic measurements (such as length, diameter, and thickness) and microscopic measurements (including the height of epithelial cells, the percentage of ciliated cells, cilia structure, and ciliary beat frequency). Our primary focus has been on healthy women of reproductive age. We have examined various measurement techniques, encompassing conventional metrology, 2D histological data as well as new spatial measurement techniques such as micro-CT.

A case report of Pallister-Killian syndrome with an unusual mosaic supernumerary marker chromosome 12 with interstitial 12p13.1-p12.1 duplication.

Pallister-Killian syndrome (PKS) is a rare inherited disease with multiple congenital anomalies, profound intellectual disability, and the presence in the karyotype of sSMC - i(12)(p10). The frequency of PKS may be underestimated due to problems with cytogenetic diagnosis caused by tissue-specific mosaicism and usually a low percentage of peripheral blood cells containing sSMC. Such tissue-specific mosaicism also complicates a detailed analysis of the sSMC, which, along with the assessment of mosaicism in different tissues, is an important part of cytogenetic diagnosis in PKS. Unfortunately, a full-fledged diagnosis in PKS is either practically impossible or complicated. On the one hand, this is due to problems with the biopsy of various tissues (skin biopsy with fibroblast culture is most often used in practice); on the other - a low percentage of dividing peripheral blood cells containing sSMC, which often significantly complicates the analysis of its composition and organization. In the present study, a detailed analysis of sSMC was carried out in a patient with a characteristic clinical picture of PKS. A relatively high percentage of peripheral blood cells with sSMC (50%) made it possible to perform a detailed molecular cytogenetic analysis of de novo sSMC using chromosomal in situ suppression hybridization (CISS-hybridization), multicolor FISH (mFISH), multicolor chromosome banding (MCB), array CGH (aCGH), and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), and short tandem repeat (STR) - analysis. As a result, it was found that the sSMC is not a typical PKS derivative of chromosome 12. In contrast to the classical i(12)(p10) for PKS, the patient's cells contained an acrocentric chromosome consisting of 12p material. Clusters of telomeric repeats were found at the both ends of the sSMC. Furthemore, the results of aCGH and qPCR indicate the presence of interstitial 8.9Mb duplication at 12p13.1-p12.1 within the sSMC, which leads to different representations of DNA from different segments of 12p within cells containing sSMC. The obtained data raise the question of the instability of the sSMC and, as a consequence, the possible presence of additional rearrangements, which, in traditional cytogenetic analysis of patients with PKS, are usually described as i(12)(p10).

Expression of Sialic Acid α2-3 and α2-6 in MCF Cells Upon Stimulation with Lipopolysaccharide

Protein sialylation is an important post-translational modification of glycoproteins that is also involved in tumor progression and metastasis. Increased expression of sialic acid can disrupt receptor-ligand interactions and protect tumor cells from the immune system. In this work, the expression of sialic acid α2-3 and α2-6 in MCF-7 stimulated with LPS at a concentration of 20 ng/ml cells was determined, by flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy, and RT- qPCR. An increase in the expression of sialic acid α2-3 and α2-6 recognized by Maackia amurensis and Sambuccus nigra lectins was observed. While the percentage of cells expressing α2, 3 sialic acid recognized by the Maackia amurensis lectin remained at 20%, in the case of α2, 6 sialic acid recognized by the Sambucus nigra lectin, it was observed that 44% of the population expressed it after 2h of stimulation. The expression of ST3GAL1 and ST6GAL1 was evaluated by RT- qPCR, and the results obtained showed that Lipopolysaccharide did not produce significant changes in ST6GAL1 mRNA levels, while for ST3GAL1 it is observed that Lipopolysaccharide causes an increase in mRNA at 4 hours while at 2 and 6 hours it decreases. Our results suggest that lipopolysaccharide causes an increase in the expression of α2, 3 sialic acid at four hours after stimulation, decreasing at six hours of stimulation, while the expression of α2, 6 sialic acid increases at six hours of stimulation with LPS. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effect of protein sialylation caused by lipopolysaccharide.

Abstract B080: AB-1015, an Integrated Circuit T (ICT) cell therapy containing an ALPG/MSLN logic gate and FAS/PTPN2 shRNA-miR, for the treatment of ovarian cancer

Abstract B080: AB-1015, an Integrated Circuit T (ICT) cell therapy containing an ALPG/MSLN logic gate and FAS/PTPN2 shRNA-miR, for the treatment of ovarian cancer

Abstract A110: Targeting methionine metabolism inhibits ovarian cancer stem cells

Abstract Ovarian cancer (OC) is the leading cause of gynecologic cancer death. Platinum (Pt)- based chemotherapy can reprogram cancer cells to ovarian cancer stem cells (OCSCs) and contribute to disease recurrence. In the current study, we demonstrated that platinum drugs can enrich for OCSCs. In high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) cell lines, cisplatin treatment (IC50 for 16hrs) increased the percentage of cells with high aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH+) activity, a known OCSCs marker, and altered methionine (Met) metabolism. Extracellular Met uptake is converted to S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM) by methionine adenosyltransferase 2A (MAT2A), the rate-limiting enzyme of Met utilization. Short-term cisplatin treatment decreased SAM level and increased expression of MAT2A. It has been reported that CSCs have a high-flux metabolic state and are dependent on Met metabolism. We observed higher MAT2A expression in ALDH+ cells compared to the whole cell population, and Met depletion blocked the cisplatin-induced increase in %ALDH+ cells and spheroid formation ability. Furthermore, both MAT2A siRNA knockdown and the MAT2A inhibitor FIDAS-5 prevented cisplatin-induced increase in %ALDH+ cells, suggesting that blocking Met metabolism phenotypically inhibited the platinum enrichment of OCSCs. MAT2A inhibition also downregulated Cyclin E and arrested HGSOC cells in G1/S phase, indicating that a lower level of Met utilization re-established G1/S checkpoint in p53-mutant OC. As SAM is the universal methyl-group donor, it was of interest to examine whether the observed cisplatin-induced alterations in SAM level resulted in changes in DNA methylation. Methylation specific-PCR analysis demonstrated that siMAT2A or FIDAS-5 treatment of HGSOC cells inhibited cisplatin-induced hypermethylation of CpG islands of BRCA1 and ALDH1L1, a folate metabolic enzyme of which promoter hypermethylation is associated to tumor progression. Collectively, these results demonstrated a crucial role of Met metabolism in cisplatin-induced OCSCs enrichment. MAT2A has been recognized as a therapeutic target for the treatment of solid tumors and Met inhibition by targeting MAT2A could represent a therapeutic approach for inhibiting CSC in ovarian cancer. Citation Format: Shu Zhang, Tara X. Metcalfe, Christiane A. Hassel, Heather M. O'Hagan, Kenneth P. Nephew. Targeting methionine metabolism inhibits ovarian cancer stem cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Ovarian Cancer; 2023 Oct 5-7; Boston, Massachusetts. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(5 Suppl_2):Abstract nr A110.

Establishment of COS-BK cells persistently infected with archetype BK polyomavirus.

BK polyomavirus (BKPyV) was the first human polyomavirus to be isolated from an immunosuppressed kidney transplant recipient in 1971. BKPyV reactivation causes BKPyV-associated nephropathy and hemorrhagic cystitis. However, the mechanisms underlying BKPyV replication remain unclear. In the present study, we performed the long-term cultivation of COS-7 cells transfected with archetype KOM-5 DNA, which were designated as COS-BK cells. BKPyV derived from COS-BK cells was characterized by analyzing the amount of the virus based on hemagglutination, viral replication, and the production of viral protein 1 (VP1). Immunostaining showed that VP1-positive cells accounted for a small percentage of COS-BK cells. The nucleotide sequences encompassing the origin of the DNA replication of BKPyV derived from COS-BK cells were generated from KOM-5 by the deletion of an 8-bp sequence, which did not involve T antigen binding sites. BKPyV replicated most efficiently in COS-BK cells in DMEM containing 2% fetal bovine serum. These results indicate that COS-BK cells are a suitable culture system for studying the persistent infection of archetype BKPyV.

Combination of IL-33 with PD-1 blockade augment mILC2s-mediated anti-tumor immunity

BackgroundGroup 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) represent one of the main tissue-specific innate lymphoid cell populations, which are key drivers of cytokine secretion in their occupational niche. However, the precise involvement of ILC2s in cancer immunity and their potential impact on immunotherapeutic approaches remain poorly understood.MethodsThe proportion of ILC2s originating from various tissue sources were quantified through flow cytometry, along with the determination of CD4+ T cell and CD8+ T cell percentages. Flow cytometry was also employed to assess IFN-γ production and programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) expression in T cells. Immunohistochemistry was utilized to detect IL-33 expression in tumor tissues, while immunofluorescence was employed to confirm the infiltration of ILC2s in both murine and human tumor tissues.ResultsIn this study, we provide evidence that intra-tumoral ILC2s in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) exist in a quiescent state. However, the activation of intra-tumoral ILC2s is induced by IL-33 specifically in a natural ILC2s (nILC2, ST2+KLRG1−) phenotype. Considering the pivotal role of PD-1 in cancer immunotherapy and its immunoregulatory functions, we investigated the synergistic effects of IL-33 and anti-PD-1 and found that their combination enhances anti-tumor immunity and improves the efficacy of immunotherapy. Moreover, this combination leads to the upregulation of activated mature ILC2s (mILC2, ST2+KLRG1+) phenotype, thereby highlighting the activated ILC2s as a novel enhancer of the immunoregulatory properties of anti-PD-1.ConclusionsCollectively, these findings underscore the significance of ILC2s and their contribution to the anti-tumor response in the context of cancer immunotherapy. Consequently, the simultaneous targeting of ILC2s and T cells represents a potentially promising and widely applicable strategy for immunotherapeutic interventions.

Higher percentage of CD34+ stem cells and elevated efficacy in androgenetic alopecia treatment observed in CGF prepared from 640 nm laser-pretreated blood: A preliminary study.

Concentrated growth factor (CGF) injection has proven effective in treating androgenetic alopecia (AGA). The primary mechanism of CGF in treating AGA is thought to be the CD34+ stem cells and platelets-associated growth factors being injected into the scalp. CGF efficacy in treating AGA may rely on the activation level of these stem cells and platelets. The 640 nm laser is a United States Food and Drug Administration approved AGA treatment that activates follicle stem cells. Therefore, we hypothesize that pretreating CGF with a 640 nm laser may further activate CD34+ stem cells and platelets, thereby improving the efficacy of CGF in treating AGA. This study aims to investigate whether 640 nm laser pretreated CGF (640CGF) has a greater effect in treating AGA than 640 nm laser non-pretreated CGF (N640CGF) and evaluate whether 640 nm laser pretreatment changed CD34+ cell percentage. This study enrolled 10 patients (8 male, 2 female) with AGA aged 18-60 years who received CGF injections. The 640CGF group was pretreated with a 640 nm laser at an energy density of 4 J/cm2, with a 30 cm irradiation distance for 30 min. Half of the scalp was treated with 640CGF, whereas the other half was treated with N640CGF. The injection was prepared by a doctor who did not know which blood tube had been pretreated. The treatment efficacy was evaluated using a trichoscope 1 month after injection. All 10 (100%) patients participated in the follow-up visit, and a higher quantity of new hairs was observed on the side injected with 640CGF than N640CGF (p = 0.019). Additionally, fewer malnourished hairs were observed on the 640CGF pretreated side (p = 0.015). No serious adverse events were reported. A higher percentage of CD34+ stem cells and improved efficacy in AGA treatment could be observed with CGF prepared from 640 nm laser-pretreated blood.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel quinoxaline aryl ethers as anticancer agents.

We designed and synthesized thirty novel quinoxaline aryl ethers as anticancer agents, and the structures of final compounds were confirmed with various analytical techniques like Mass, 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, FTIR, and elemental analyses. The compounds were tested against three cancer cell lines: colon cancer (HCT-116), breast cancer (MDA-MB-231), prostate cancer (DU-145), and one normal cell line: human embryonic kidney cell line (HEK-293). The obtained results indicate that two compounds, FQ and MQ, with IC50 values < 16 μM, were the most active compounds. Molecular docking studies revealed the binding of FQ and MQ molecules in the active site of the c-Met kinase (PDB ID: 3F66, 1.40 Å). Furthermore, QikProp ADME prediction and the MDS analysis preserved those critical docking data of both compounds, FQ and MQ. Western blotting was used to confirm the impact of the compounds FQ and MQ on the inhibition of the c-Met kinase receptor. The apoptosis assays were performed to investigate the mechanism of cell death for the most active compounds, FQ and MQ. The Annexin V/7-AAD assay indicated apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells treated with FQ and MQ, with FQ (21.4%) showing a higher efficacy in killing MDA-MB-231 cells than MQ (14.25%). The Caspase 3/7 7-AAD assay further supported these findings, revealing higher percentages of apoptotic cells for FQ-treated MDA-MB-231 cells (41.8%). The results obtained from the apoptosis assay conclude that FQ exhibits better anticancer activity against MDA-MB-231 cells than MQ.

Unraveling the complex pathophysiology of white matter hemorrhage in intracerebral stroke: A single-cell RNA sequencing approach.

This study aims to elucidate the cellular dynamics and pathophysiology of white matter hemorrhage (WMH) in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Using varying doses of collagenase IV, a consistent rat ICH model characterized by pronounced WMH was established. Verification was achieved through behavioral assays, hematoma volume, and histological evaluations. Single-cell suspensions from the hemorrhaged region of the ipsilateral striatum on day three post-ICH were profiled using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Gene Ontology (GO) and gene set variation analysis (GSVA) further interpreted the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Following WMH induction, there was a notable increase in the percentage of myeloid cells and oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), alongside a reduction in the percentage of neurons, microglia, and oligodendrocytes (OLGs). Post-ICH WMH showed homeostatic microglia transitioning into pro-, anti-inflammatory, and proliferative states, influencing lipid metabolic pathways. Myeloid cells amplified chemokine expression, linked with ferroptosis pathways. Macrophages exhibited M1 and M2 phenotypes, and post-WMH, macrophages displayed a predominance of M2 phenotypes, characterized by their anti-inflammatory properties. A surge in OPC proliferation aligned with enhanced ribosomal signaling, suggesting potential reparative responses post-WMH. The study offers valuable insights into WMH's complex pathophysiology following ICH, highlighting the significance and utility of scRNA-seq in understanding the cellular dynamics and contributing to future cerebrovascular research.

Serum starvation is as efficient as roscovitine on the cycle synchronization in G0/G1 of red-rumped agouti fibroblasts.

Fibroblast cycle synchronization in G0/G1 is an essential step for nuclear reprogramming by cloning or induced cells to pluripotency. Considering the diversity among rodents and the ecological and scientific importance of these animals, we compared the contact inhibition, serum starvation, and 10µM of roscovitine as methods of synchronization of red-rumped agouti fibroblasts. The effects of each protocol were evaluated on the percentage of cycle phase, morphology, viability, and apoptosis levels. The results showed that culturing the cells to serum starvation for 24h (75.9%), 48h (81.6%), 72h (86.2%), 96h (84.0%), and 120h (83.7%) yielded a significantly higher percentage of cells arrested in the G0/G1 (P < 0.05) phase than cells not subjected to any cell cycle synchronization method (31.4%). Also, this effect was not different between the times of 48 and 120h (P > 0.05). A similar response was observed for cells cultured with roscovitine for 12h (86.9%), 24h (74.8%), and 48h (81.7%), with a higher percentage of synchronized cells in G0/G1 compared to cells not submitted to any synchronization treatment (52.2%). Nevertheless, this effect was best evidenced at 12h (P < 0.05). Also, the contact inhibition for 24-120h could not synchronize cells in G0/G1, with values ranging from 70.9 to 77.9% (P > 0.05). Moreover, no difference was observed for morphology, viability, and apoptosis levels in any synchronization method (P > 0.05). Therefore, serum starvation is as efficient as roscovitine on cycle synchronization in G0/G1 of red-rumped agouti fibroblasts.

Intratumoral Delivery of Interleukin 9 via Oncolytic Vaccinia Virus Elicits Potent Antitumor Effects in Tumor Models.

The success of cancer immunotherapy is largely associated with immunologically hot tumors. Approaches that promote the infiltration of immune cells into tumor beds are urgently needed to transform cold tumors into hot tumors. Oncolytic viruses can transform the tumor microenvironment (TME), resulting in immunologically hot tumors. Cytokines are good candidates for arming oncolytic viruses to enhance their function in this transformation. Here, we used the oncolytic vaccinia virus (oVV) to deliver interleukin-9 (IL-9) into the tumor bed and explored its antitumor effects in colon and lung tumor models. Our data show that IL-9 prolongs viral persistence, which is probably mediated by the up-regulation of IL-10. The vvDD-IL-9 treatment elevated the expression of Th1 chemokines and antitumor factors such as IFN-γ, granzyme B, and perforin. IL-9 expression increased the percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the TME and decreased the percentage of oVV-induced immune suppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), leading to potent antitumor effects compared with parental virus treatment. The vvDD-IL-9 treatment also increased the percentage of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the TME and elevated the expression of immune checkpoint molecules such as PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4, but not GITR. The combination therapy of vvDD-IL-9 and the anti-CTLA-4 antibody, but not the anti-GITR antibody, induced systemic tumor-specific antitumor immunity and significantly extended the overall survival of mice, indicating a potential translation of the IL-9-expressing oncolytic virus into a clinical trial to enhance the antitumor effects elicited by an immune checkpoint blockade for cancer immunotherapy.

Lymph node stromal cells vary in susceptibility to infection but can support the intracellular growth of Listeria monocytogenes.

Lymph node stromal cells (LNSC) are an often overlooked component of the immune system, but play a crucial role in maintaining tissue homeostasis and orchestrating immune responses. Our understanding of the functions these cells serve in the context of bacterial infections remains limited. We previously showed that Listeria monocytogenes, a facultative intracellular foodborne bacterial pathogen, must replicate within an as-yet-unidentified cell type in the mesenteric lymph node (MLN) to spread systemically. Here, we show that L. monocytogenes could invade, escape from the vacuole, replicate exponentially, and induce a type I IFN response in the cytosol of two LNSC populations infected in vitro, fibroblastic reticular cells (FRC) and blood endothelial cells (BEC). Infected FRC and BEC also produced a significant chemokine and pro-inflammatory cytokine response after in vitro infection. Flow cytometric analysis confirmed that GFP+ L. monocytogenes were associated with a small percentage of MLN stromal cells in vivo following foodborne infection of mice. Using fluorescent microscopy, we showed that these cell-associated bacteria were intracellular L. monocytogenes and the number of infected FRC and BEC changed over the course of a three-day infection in mice. Ex vivo culturing of these infected LNSC populations revealed viable, replicating bacteria that grew on agar plates. These results highlight the unexplored potential of FRC and BEC to serve as suitable growth niches for L. monocytogenes during foodborne infection and to contribute to the pro-inflammatory environment within the MLN that promotes clearance of listeriosis.

Morindone as a potential therapeutic compound targeting TP53 and KRAS mutations in colorectal cancer cells

There is an increasing demand for anticancer agent in treating colorectal cancer (CRC) with frequently mutated TP53 and KRAS genes. Phytochemical compounds are suitable as chemoprevention for CRC since dietary factor is a major risk factor. Anthraquinones from Morinda citrifolia L. were previously reported with various pharmacological properties. Various in vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of two anthraquinones: damnacanthal and morindone on the cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, gene expression and protein expression in two CRC cells: HCT116 and HT29. Real-time monitoring of CRC cells showed that both anthraquinones exerted significant anti-proliferative effects in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Next, cell cycle analysis revealed an increase in the percentage of CRC cells in the G1 phase under anthraquinones treatment. Fluorescence microscopy also showed an increment of apoptotic cells under anthraquinones’ treatment. siRNA transfection was conducted to evaluate the mediating effect of gene knockdown on mutated TP53 and KRAS in CRC cells. Before transfection, qRT-PCR analysis showed that only morindone downregulated the gene expression of mutated TP53 and KRAS and then further downregulated them after transfection. Both damnacanthal and morindone treatments further downregulated the expression of these two genes but upregulated at the protein expression level. Furthermore, gene knockdown also sensitised CRC cells to both damnacanthal and morindone treatments, resulting in lowered IC50 values. The accumulation of cells at the G1 phase was reduced after gene knockdown but increased after damnacanthal and morindone treatments. In addition, gene knockdown has increased the number of apoptotic cells in both cell lines and further increment was observed after anthraquinone treatment. In conclusion, morindone could be a competitive therapeutic agent in CRC by exhibiting multiple mechanism of anti-cancer actions.

Influence of Zika virus on the cytotoxicity, cell adhesion, apoptosis and inflammatory markers of glioblastoma cells.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most common types of brain tumor in adults. Despite the availability of treatments for this disease, GBM remains one of the most lethal and difficult types of tumors to treat, and thus, a majority of patients die within 2 years of diagnosis. Infection with Zika virus (ZIKV) inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis, particularly in developing neuronal cells, and thus could potentially be considered an alternative for GBM treatment. In the present study, two GBM cell lines (U-138 and U-251) were infected with ZIKV at different multiplicities of infection (0.1, 0.01 and 0.001), and cell viability, migration, adhesion, induction of apoptosis, interleukin levels and CD14/CD73 cell surface marker expression were analyzed. The present study demonstrated that ZIKV infection promoted loss of cell viability and increased apoptosis in U-138 cells, as measured by MTT and triplex assay, respectively. Changes in cell migration, as determined by wound healing assay, were not observed; however, the GBM cell lines exhibited an increase in cell adhesion when compared with non-tumoral cells (Vero). The Luminex immunoassay showed a significant increase in the expression levels of IL-4 specifically in U-251 cells (MOI 0.001) following exposure to ZIKV. There was no significant change in the expression levels of IFN-γ upon ZIKV infection in the cell lines tested. Furthermore, a marked increase in the percentage of cells expressing the CD14 surface marker was observed in both GBM cell lines compared with in Vero cells; and significantly increased CD73 expression was observed particularly in U-251 cells, when compared with uninfected cells. These findings indicate that ZIKV infection could lead to reduced cell viability, elevated CD73 expression, improved cellular adherence, and higher rates of apoptosis in glioblastoma cells. Further studies are required to explore the potential use of ZIKV in the treatment of GBM.

Analysis and validation of potential ICD-related biomarkers in development of myopia using machine learning.

We aimed to identify and verify potential biomarkers in the development of myopia associated with immunogenic cell death (ICD). We download high myopia (HM) dataset GSE136701 from Gene Expression Omnibus. Differentially expressed genes in HM were identified to overlapped with ICD-related genes. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator were used to select the Hub genes. Furthermore, the correlation between the hub genes and immune infiltration, immune response activities, and hub genes Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways analysis was investigated using Spearman's rank correlation. Prediction of the miRNAs upstream of the Hub genes was based on the TargetScan database. We used guinea pig lens-induced myopia model's scleral tissues performed quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. We identified overlapped with ICD-related genes (LY96, IL1A, IL33, and AGER) and two genes (LY96 and AGER) as hub genes. Single sample gene set enrichment analysis and Spearman's rank correlation revealed that hub gene expression levels in HM were significantly correlated with the infiltration percentages of CD56dim natural killer cells, macrophages, immature B cells, and the immune response activities of APC co-stimulation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways, such as terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, aminoacyl-trna biosynthesis, Huntington's disease, oxidative phosphorylation; there were a few additional signaling pathways compared to normal samples. Additionally, several miRNA were predicted as upstream regulators of LY96 and AGER. LY96 was identified as a significantly differentially expressed biomarker in myopia guinea pig's scleral tissues, as verified by qPCR. LY96 was identified and verified as a ICD-related potential myopia biomarker. Molecular mechanisms or pathways involved in myopia development by LY96 requires further research.