Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha Stimulation Research Articles

Abstract 75: Luciferase reporter cell lines allow simultaneous incorporation of tumor cells, innate immune cells, and adaptive immune cells for in-depth immune checkpoint studies

Abstract Despite the considerable success of immune checkpoint therapies targeting T cells, a sizable proportion of patients experience resistance or relapse due to the immunosuppressive nature of the tumor microenvironment. Myeloid cells, a major component that suppresses effector lymphocytes, have emerged as an alternative and promising therapeutic target. However, there is a deep lack of widely accessible immunological models capable of representing the intricate three-way interaction between tumor cells, T cells, and myeloid cells. To address this need, we conducted a comprehensive protein profiling of human tumor and immune cell lines available at ATCC for various established and novel immune checkpoint molecules. Cell lines with high endogenous expression of the immune checkpoint proteins, such as programmed death-ligand 1 and 2 (PD-L1 and PD-L2), cluster of differentiation 155 (CD155), B7 homolog 3 (B7-H3), sialic acid-binding Ig-like lectin 10 (Siglec-10), or signal-regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα), were selected and constructed into luciferase reporter cell lines. For tumor reporter cell lines, a gamma interferon activation site (GAS) response element was placed upstream of the luciferase gene in the lentiviral vector, enabling the activation of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway within tumor cells to induce luciferase expression. In myeloid reporter cell lines, a nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) response element replaced GAS to monitor the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. In the presence of corresponding immune checkpoint inhibitors that enhance T cell-mediated anti-tumor activity, these reporter cell lines produce a bioluminescent signal based on luciferase expression. This signal can be easily detected and quantified to assess the efficacy of the inhibitor. Our data revealed that bioluminescence intensity in the tumor and myeloid reporter cell lines increased by >100-fold in a dose-dependent manner in response to interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) stimulation, respectively, and by >50-fold in response to the conditioned media collected from activated primary T cells. Furthermore, in co-culture assays involving various combinations of immune cell and tumor cell types with corresponding immune checkpoint inhibitors, these reporter cell lines demonstrated a significant increase in bioluminescence intensity. In conclusion, these newly established luciferase reporter cell lines offer an excellent ex vivo model for cancer immunotherapy. These cell lines naturally express immune checkpoint proteins, enabling the sensitive and reproducible monitoring of combinatorial responses from various immune cell types. Citation Format: Hyeyoun Chang, Alicia C. Walker, John G. Foulke, Luping Chen, Fang Tian, Zhizhan Gu. Luciferase reporter cell lines allow simultaneous incorporation of tumor cells, innate immune cells, and adaptive immune cells for in-depth immune checkpoint studies [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 75.

Periplogenin inhibits pathologic synovial proliferation and infiltration in rheumatoid arthritis by regulating the JAK2/3-STAT3 pathway

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that affects joints, causing inflammation, synovitis, and erosion of cartilage and bone. Periplogenin is an active ingredient in the anti-rheumatic and anti-inflammatory herb, cortex periplocae. We conducted a study using a CIA model and an in vitro model of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) induced by Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) stimulation. We evaluated cell activity, proliferation, and migration using the CCK8 test, EDU kit, and transwell assays, as well as network pharmacokinetic analysis of periplogenin targets and RA-related effects. Furthermore, we measured inflammatory factors and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) expression using ELISA and qRT-PCR assays. We also evaluated joint destruction using HE and Safranin O-Fast Green Staining and examined the changes in the JAK2/3-STAT3 pathway using western blot. The results indicated that periplogenin can effectively inhibit the secretion of inflammatory factors, suppress the JAK2/3-STAT3 pathway, and impede the proliferation and migration of RA FLS. Thus, periplogenin alleviated the Synovial inflammatory infiltration of RA.

Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Pro-Differentiative Effects of Chlorogenic Acid on M03-13 Human Oligodendrocyte-like Cells

Chlorogenic acid (CGA), a polyphenol found mainly in coffee and tea, exerts antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects at the gastrointestinal level. However, although CGA is known to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB), its effects on the CNS are still unknown. Oligodendrocytes (OLs), the myelin-forming cells in the CNS, are the main target in demyelinating neuroinflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). We evaluated the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic roles of CGA in M03-13, an immortalized human OL cell line. We found that CGA reduces intracellular superoxide ions, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) and NADPH oxidases (NOXs) /dual oxidase 2 (DUOX2) protein levels. The stimulation of M03-13 cells with TNFα activates the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cell (NF-kB) pathway, leading to an increase in superoxide ion, NOXs/DUOX2 and phosphorylated extracellular regulated protein kinase (pERK) levels. In addition, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) stimulation induces caspase 8 activation and the cleavage of poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). All these TNFα-induced effects are reversed by CGA. Furthermore, CGA induces a blockade of proliferation, driving cells to differentiation, resulting in increased mRNA levels of myelin basic protein (MBP) and proteolipid protein (PLP), which are major markers of mature OLs. Overall, these data suggest that dietary supplementation with this polyphenol could play an important beneficial role in autoimmune neuroinflammatory diseases such as MS.

Quercetin-Induced Enhancement of Nasal Epithelial Cells' Ability to Produce Clara Cell 10-kD Protein In Vitro and In Vivo.

Background: Quercetin, a polyphenolic flavonoid found in various plants and foods, is known to have antioxidant, antiviral and anticancer effects. Although quercetin is well known to exert anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects, the precise mechanisms by which quercetin favorably modifies the clinical status of allergic diseases, such as allergic rhinitis (AR), remain unclear. The present study examined whether quercetin could modulate the production of the endogenous anti-inflammatory molecule, Clara cell 10-kD protein (CC10), in vitro and in vivo. Methods: Human nasal epithelial cells (1 × 105 cells/mL) were stimulated with 20 ng/mL of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) in the presence of quercetin for 24 h. CC10 levels in culture supernatants were examined by ELISA. Sprague Dawley rats were sensitised with toluene 2,4-diisocyanate (TDI) by intranasal instillation of 10% TDI in ethyl acetate at a volume of 5.0 μL once daily for five days. This sensitisation procedure was repeated after an interval of two days. The rats were treated with different dosages of quercetin once daily for five days starting on the 5th day following the second sensitization. Nasal allergy-like symptoms induced by the bilateral application of 5.0 μL of 10% TDI were assessed by counting sneezing and nasal-rubbing behaviours for 10 min immediately after the TDI nasal challenge. The levels of CC10 in nasal lavage fluids obtained 6 h after TDI nasal challenge were examined using ELISA. Results: The treatment of cells with low doses of quercetin (<2.5 μM) scarcely affected TNF-induced CC10 production from nasal epithelial cells. However, the ability of nasal epithelial cells to produce CC10 after TNF stimulation significantly increased on treatment with quercetin doses (>5.0 μM). The oral administration of quercetin (>25 mg/kg) for five days significantly increased the CC10 content in nasal lavage fluids and attenuated the nasal symptoms induced by the TDI nasal challenge. Conclusions: Quercetin inhibits AR development by increasing the ability of nasal epithelial cells to produce CC10.

Tumor Necrosis Factor from Leukemic Microenvironment Provides Non-Leukemic Hematopoietic Stem Cells with Megakaryocyte Lineage Bias

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by proliferation of malignant cells and impairment of normal hematopoiesis, leading to the severe bone marrow failure. Although genetic abnormalities and pathogenesis of AML are now investigated in detail, the precise mechanism impairing normal hematopoiesis in AML is not fully elucidated yet. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) retain the self-renewal capacity together with multipotent differentiation potential into all mature blood cells, playing a major role in maintaining the normal hematopoiesis. The ability of HSC is maintained by complex network of intrinsic factors and external stimulation from microenvironment called as HSC niche. According to these backgrounds, we hypothesized that the impairment of normal hematopoiesis in AML is caused by abnormal function of non-leukemic (nl) HSC. To verify this hypothesis, we isolated nl-HSC and HSC niche cells from MLL-AF9-induced AML mice and further analyzed their function and gene expression profiles. Results: The frequencies of nl-HSC/hematopoietic progenitor fraction (Lin-cKit+Sca1+ cells, HSPC) were significantly increased at the initiation phase of leukemic proliferation in AML mice (leukemic cells : 10-30% in BM)（normal: 0.76+/-0.34%, AML: 2.07 +/-0.93 %, p<0.001）. Surface expression level of CD41 was also upregulated (normal: 15.1+/- 0.526%, AML: 25.4+/- 9.28%, p<0.05). Interestingly, the results of in vitro culture of nl-HSPC demonstrated that they proliferated more efficiently than HSPC from normal mouse BM, and that they tended to differentiate into megakaryocyte (MgK) lineage. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that MgK-related gene sets and several inflammatory cytokines signaling pathways, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF) pathway, were statistically enriched in nl-HSC. These data suggested that nl-HSC/HSPC retain the MgK-biased character. On the other hands, the gene expression profiles of perivascular stromal cells (ICAM1+CD31-CD45-TER119-cells) in AML mice demonstrated the significantly decreased expression of HSC-supporting factors (e.g., lpl, ptn, rspo2, angptl4, kitl, cxcl12), when compared with those in normal mice. These data suggested that the changes of multiple external humoral factors from leukemic environment induce functional alternation of nl-HSC. To further investigate the role of inflammatory humoral factors in HSC self-renew and differentiation, we next utilized polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based ex vivo HSC expansion system and focused on the role of TNF signaling. In the analysis of highly purified normal HSC (CD150+CD48-CD34-cKit+Sca1+Lin-cells) with PVA, TNF alpha increased both proliferation and MgK differentiation. UMAP analysis of single cell RNA sequence data for ex vivo-expanded HSCs with TNF alpha showed the increased frequencies of the clusters expressing MgK-related genes (e.g., itga2b and gp1ba) and relatively decreased immature HSC related genes (e.g., hlf and procr). The results of competitive repopulation assay using ex-vivo expanded normal HSC with TNF alpha stimulation in HSC promoted myeloid differentiation of HSC, rather than self-renew and expansion of HSC. Conclusion: Our data suggested that TNF alpha from leukemic microenvironment may play a key role for the driver signaling of HSCs to MgK, eventually resulting in the impairment of normal HSC maintenance.

Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived astrocytes from patients with schizophrenia exhibit an inflammatory phenotype that affects vascularization.

Molecular and functional abnormalities of astrocytes have been implicated in the etiology and pathogenesis of schizophrenia (SCZ). In this study, we examined the proteome, inflammatory responses, and secretome effects on vascularization of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived astrocytes from patients with SCZ. Proteomic analysis revealed alterations in proteins related to immune function and vascularization. Reduced expression of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 subunit was observed in these astrocytes, with no incremental secretion of cytokines after tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) stimulation. Among inflammatory cytokines, secretion of interleukin (IL)-8 was particularly elevated in SCZ-patient-derived-astrocyte-conditioned medium (ASCZCM). In a chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay, ASCZCM reduced the diameter of newly grown vessels. This effect could be mimicked with exogenous addition of IL-8. Taken together, our results suggest that SCZ astrocytes are immunologically dysfunctional and may consequently affect vascularization through secreted factors.

RNA-sequencing reveals significant differences in the inflammatory response of iPSC-derived endothelial cells from ACS patients and healthy controls

Abstract Background Coronary artery disease (CAD) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in general still represent the leading cause of death worldwide. As a multifactorial disease entity, genetic predisposition and lifestyle strongly impact disease development and progression. Here, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) are an ideal tool to differentiate (epi-)genetic from lifestyle disease risk modulation and identify the underlying molecular mechanisms. Aim This study aims to determine differences in iPSC-derived endothelial cell (iPSC-EC) characteristics and functionality between healthy donors and high-risk CAD patients. Methods IPSC from participants with similar lifestyle but different disease status (healthy &amp;gt;65 y/o, n=5, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) &amp;lt;65y/o, n=6) were differentiated into iPSC-EC. Cells were exposed to inflammatory stimulation with tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) followed by bulk RNA-seq. Monocyte (THP-1) recruitment was assessed under protective and atherogenic flow conditions. Mitotic age was calculated based on DNA-methylation via Hannum estimate (1) for each donor at the iPSC and iPSC-EC (passage 4) stage. Results ACS-iPSC-EC had significantly higher upregulation of E-selectin upon TNF-a stimulation on mRNA level (ACS: 532.1-fold±48.7 vs healthy: 322.3-fold±55.7 with p=0.02). Similarly, ICAM1 protein upregulation was higher in ACS-iPSC-EC compared to healthy iPSC-EC as determined by flow cytometry (ACS: 1.4-fold±0.01 vs healthy: 1.1-fold±0.0007; p&amp;lt;0.001). ACS-iPSC-EC recruited significantly more THP-1 per view field under protective (high shear stress, laminar) flow conditions (ACS: 78.4±20.7 vs healthy: 33.25±12.3 with p=0.04) compared to healthy iPSC-EC. While both groups recruited significantly more THP-1 under atherogenic than protective conditions (ACS: 302±38.9 with p=0.0055 vs healthy: 340±70.4 with p=0.0005), there was no difference between the donor groups (p=0.43). Analysis of bulk RNA-seq data showed significant differences in TNF-a-induced transcriptome changes. Gene set enrichment analysis identified differences in signalling pathways related to leukocyte and lymphocyte-mediated immunity, adaptive immune response, cytokine activity, and many more as shown in Figure 1 (p.adj ≤1e-10). IPSC of both groups had a negative calculated mitotic age (in years) which significantly increased after endothelial differentiation and four population doublings (ACS-iPSC: −14.1±0.7 vs ACS-EC: −0.1±1.1, p&amp;lt;0.0001 and healthy-iPSC: −13.7±0.8 vs healthy-EC: 2.5±1.5, p=0.0001). Conclusion The higher rate of basal THP-1 recruitment and upregulation of adhesion molecules on mRNA and protein level and the distinct transcriptome changes suggest intrinsic differences between patient and healthy iPSC-EC both in the basal state and in inflammatory response. Furthermore, this demonstrates iPSC as a viable in vitro model also for polygenetic diseases such as CAD. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): German Cardiac Society, Research Scholarship

Overexpression of NDST1 Attenuates Fibrotic Response in Murine Adipose-Derived Stem Cells.

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) hold tremendous potential for treating diseases and repairing damaged tissues. Heparan sulfate (HS) plays various roles in cellular signaling mechanisms. The importance of HS in stem cell function has been reported and well documented. However, there has been little progress in using HS for therapeutic purposes. We focused on one of the sulfotransferases, NDST1, which influences overall HS chain extent and sulfation pattern, with the expectation to enhance stem cell function by increasing the N-sulfation level. We herein performed transfections of a green fluorescent protein-vector control and NDST1-vector into mouse ADSCs to evaluate stem cell functions. Overexpression of NDST1 suppressed the osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs. There was no pronounced effect observed on the stemness, inflammatory gene expression, nor any noticeable effect in adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation. Under the tumor necrosis factor-alpha stimulation, NDST1 overexpression induced several chemokine productions that attract neutrophils and macrophages. Finally, we identified an antifibrotic response in ADSCs overexpressing NDST1. This study provides a foundation for the evaluation of HS-related effects in ADSCs undergoing ex vivo gene manipulation.

A Print-and-Fuse Strategy for Sacrificial Filaments Enables Biomimetically Structured Perfusable Microvascular Networks with Functional Endothelium Inside 3D Hydrogels.

A facile and flexible approach for the integration of biomimetically branched microvasculature within bulk hydrogels is presented. For this, sacrificial scaffolds of thermoresponsive poly(2-cyclopropyl-2-oxazoline) (PcycloPrOx) are created using melt electrowriting (MEW) in an optimized and predictable way and subsequently placed into a customized bioreactor system, which is then filled with a hydrogel precursor solution. The aqueous environment above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of PcycloPrOx at 25°C swells the polymer without dissolving it, resulting in fusion of filaments that are deposited onto each other (print-and-fuse approach). Accordingly, an adequate printing pathway design results in generating physiological-like branchings and channel volumes that approximate Murray's law in the geometrical ratio between parent and daughter vessels. After gel formation, a temperature decrease below the LCST produces interconnected microchannels with distinct inlet and outlet regions. Initial placement of the sacrificial scaffolds in the bioreactors in a pre-defined manner directly yields perfusable structures via leakage-free fluid connections in a reproducible one-step procedure. Using this approach, rapid formation of a tight and biologically functional endothelial layer, as assessed not only through fluorescent dye diffusion, but also by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) stimulation, is obtained within three days.

Fibulin-3 regulates the inhibitory effect of TNF-α on chondrocyte differentiation partially via the TGF-β/Smad3 signaling pathway

Fibulin-3 is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein that is present in elastic tissue and involved in carcinoma development. Previous studies have indicated that fibulin-3 may affect skeletal development, cartilage, and osteoarthritis (OA). This study aims to investigate the function of fibulin-3 on chondrocytes under tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) stimulation and in murine OA models, and explore the possible mechanism. It was found that fibulin-3 was increased in the cartilage of OA models and in the chondrogenic cells ATDC5 stimulated by TNF-α. Fibulin-3 promoted the proliferation of ATDC5 cells both in the presence and absence of TNF-α. Moreover, overexpression of fibulin-3 suppressed the chondrogenic and hypertrophic differentiation of ATDC5 cells, while knockdown of fibulin-3 caused the opposite effect. Mechanistically, fibulin-3 partially suppressed the activation of TGF-β/Smad3 signaling by inhibiting the phosphorylation of Smad3. SIS3, a Smad3 inhibitor, decreased the chondrogenesis of articular cartilages in OA models, and partially reversed the chondrogenic differentiation of ATDC5 cells caused by knockdown of fibulin-3 in the presence of TNF-α. Furthermore, co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) showed that fibulin-3 could only interact with TGF-β type I receptor (TβRI), although overexpression of fibulin-3 reduced the protein levels of both TβRI and TβRII. In conclusion, this study indicates that fibulin-3 modulates the chondrogenic differentiation of ATDC5 cells in inflammation partially via TGF-β/Smad3 signaling pathway.

Mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 2 modulates FoxO1 phosphorylation in murine embryonic hearts during organogenesis

Gestational diabetes (GDM) is associated with increased oxidative stress and overexpression of inflammatory cytokines, both of which might lead to endothelial dysfunction and vascular disease. As such, GDM could be viewed as a sort of ‘short lived’ metabolic syndrome. As umbilical cord vessels represent a suitable model for the study of vascular alterations brought about by GDM, the aim of the present work was to characterize the phenotype of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) chronically exposed to hyperglycaemia and to a pro-inflammatory environment during pregnancy so as to identify molecular modifications of cellular homoeostasis eventually impacting on endothelial dysfunction.Tissue specimens and HUVECs were obtained from umbilical cords of GDM and control women. As compared to controls, GD-HUVEC exhibited enhanced monocyte adhesion and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression and exposure on plasma membrane after tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) stimulation (Western blot, flow cytometer). As compared to control cells, GD-HUVEC in basal conditions exhibited enhanced monocyte adhesion, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) expression and activity (eNOS Real-Time polymerase chain reaction, Western Blot for eNOS total protein and monomers/dimers ratio, conversion of [3H]-L-arginine in [3H]-L-citrulline), increased O2– generation together with increased NT levels (immunofluorescence) and reduced NO bioavailability (guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cGMP) production, EIA). Furthermore, immunohistochemistry revealed increased eNOS and NT immunoreactivity in GD umbilical cords.Endothelial cells exposed in vivo even transiently to hyperglycaemia, oxidative stress and inflammation exhibit durable pro-atherogenic modifications.

Inhibition Effect of &lt;i&gt;Eucommia ulmoides&lt;/i&gt; Leaf Extract on Interleukin 8 Production by A549 Cells

Asthma is characterized by chronic inflammation of the airway mucosa. As Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. leaf extract (ELE) has been known to have anti-inflammatory properties, herein, we investigated the effect of ELE on interleukin (IL-) 8 production in A549 cells, a human airway epithelial cell line. The addition of ELE 1 h before tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) stimulation inhibited IL-8 production by A549 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The addition of geniposidic acid, the main component of ELE, also inhibited IL-8 production. To further investigate the mechanism by which ELE inhibits IL-8 production, the effect of ELE or geniposidic acid on TNFα-stimulated p38 phosphorylation was examined by Western blotting. After 30 min of TNFα stimulation, p38 phosphorylation was inhibited by the addition of ELE or geniposidic acid, suggesting that ELE inhibited IL-8 production in TNFα-stimulated A549 cells by suppressing one of the signal transducers of p38 phosphorylation. These results indicate that ELE can be used as an effective measure against asthma, particularly neutrophilic asthma.

Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha utilizes MAPK/NFκB pathways to induce cholesterol-25 hydroxylase for amplifying pro-inflammatory response via 25-hydroxycholesterol-integrin-FAK pathway.

Exaggerated inflammatory response results in pathogenesis of various inflammatory diseases. Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF) is a multi-functional pro-inflammatory cytokine regulating a wide spectrum of physiological, biological, and cellular processes. TNF induces Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) for various activities including induction of pro-inflammatory response. The mechanism of FAK activation by TNF is unknown and the involvement of cell surface integrins in modulating TNF response has not been determined. In the current study, we have identified an oxysterol 25-hydroxycholesterol (25HC) as a soluble extracellular lipid amplifying TNF mediated innate immune pro-inflammatory response. Our results demonstrated that 25HC-integrin-FAK pathway amplifies and optimizes TNF-mediated pro-inflammatory response. 25HC generating enzyme cholesterol 25-hydroxylase (C25H) was induced by TNF via NFκB and MAPK pathways. Specifically, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay identified binding of AP-1 (Activator Protein-1) transcription factor ATF2 (Activating Transcription Factor 2) to the C25H promoter following TNF stimulation. Furthermore, loss of C25H, FAK and α5 integrin expression and inhibition of FAK and α5β1 integrin with inhibitor and blocking antibody, respectively, led to diminished TNF-mediated pro-inflammatory response. Thus, our studies show extracellular 25HC linking TNF pathway with integrin-FAK signaling for optimal pro-inflammatory activity and MAPK/NFκB-C25H-25HC-integrin-FAK signaling network playing an essential role to amplify TNF dependent pro-inflammatory response. Thus, we have identified 25HC as the key factor involved in FAK activation during TNF mediated response and further demonstrated a role of cell surface integrins in positively regulating TNF dependent pro-inflammatory response.

WBP2 promotes BTRC mRNA stability to drive migration and invasion in triple-negative breast cancer via NF-κB activation.

WW‐domain‐binding protein 2 (WBP2) is an oncogene that drives breast carcinogenesis through regulating Wnt, estrogen receptor (ER), and Hippo signaling. Recent studies have identified neoteric modes of action of WBP2 other than its widely recognized function as a transcriptional coactivator. Here, we identified a previously unexplored role of WBP2 in inflammatory signaling in breast cancer via an integrated proteogenomic analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas Breast Invasive Carcinoma (TCGA BRCA) dataset. WBP2 was shown to enhance the migration and invasion in triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells especially under tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) stimulation. Molecularly, WBP2 potentiates TNF‐α‐induced nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) transcriptional activity and nuclear localization through aggrandizing ubiquitin‐mediated proteasomal degradation of its upstream inhibitor, NF‐κB inhibitor alpha (NFKBIA; also known as IκBα). We further demonstrate that WBP2 induces mRNA stability of beta‐transducin repeat‐containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase (BTRC), which targets IκBα for ubiquitination and degradation. Disruption of IκBα rescued the impaired migratory and invasive phenotypes in WBP2‐silenced cells, while loss of BTRC ameliorated WBP2‐driven migration and invasion. Clinically, the WBP2‐BTRC‐IκBα signaling axis correlates with poorer prognosis in breast cancer patients. Our findings reveal a pivotal mechanism of WBP2 in modulating BTRC‐IκBα‐NF‐κB pathway to promote TNBC aggressiveness.

Inverse Agonist of Retinoid-Related Orphan Receptor-Alpha Prevents Apoptosis and Degeneration in Nucleus Pulposus Cells via Upregulation of YAP.

Intervertebral disc degenerative disease (IDD) is the most common degenerative spine disease, which leads to chronic low back pain and symptoms in the lower extremities. In this study, we found that RORα, a member of the retinoid-related orphan receptor family, is significantly elevated in nucleus pulposus tissue in IDD patients. The elevation of RORα is associated with increased apoptosis of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells. Therefore, we applicated a well-established inverse agonist of RORα, SR3335, to investigate its role in regulating NP cell metabolism and apoptosis. To further investigate the mechanism that SR3335 regulates the pathogenesis of IDD in vitro, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) stimulation was used in human NP cells to mimic the hostile environment that leads to degeneration. We found that SR3335 treatment reversed the trend of increased apoptosis in NP cells induced by TNF-α treatment. Next, TNF-α treatment upregulated the expression of type II collagen and aggrecan and downregulated MMP13 (matrix-degrading enzyme matrix metalloproteinase 13) and ADAMTS4 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 4). However, these effects were reversed after SR3335 treatment. Furthermore, we find that SR3335 mediated the effect in NP cells by regulating the YAP signaling pathway, especially by affecting the phosphorylation state of YAP. In conclusion, the reduction of matrix degradation enzymes and apoptosis upon SR3335 treatment suggests that SR3335 is a promising drug in reversing the deleterious microenvironment in IDD patients.

A hierarchical and collaborative BRD4/CEBPD partnership governs vascular smooth muscle cell inflammation

Bromodomain protein BRD4 reads histone acetylation (H3K27ac), an epigenomic mark of transcription enhancers. CCAAT enhancer binding protein delta (CEBPD) is a transcription factor typically studied in metabolism. While both are potent effectors and potential therapeutic targets, their relationship was previously unknown. Here we investigated their interplay in vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) inflammation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq) revealed H3K27ac/BRD4 enrichment at Cebpd in injured rat carotid arteries. While genomic deletion of BRD4-associated enhancer in SMCs in vitro decreased Cebpd transcripts, BRD4 gene silencing also diminished Cebpd mRNA and protein, indicative of a BRD4 control over CEBPD expression. Bromodomain-1, but not bromodomain-2, accounted for this BRD4 function. Moreover, endogenous BRD4 protein co-immunoprecipitated with CEBPD, and both proteins co-immunoprecipitated the Cebpd promoter and enhancer DNA fragments. These co-immunoprecipitations (coIPs) were all abolished by the BRD4-bromodomain blocker JQ1, suggesting a BRD4/CEBPD /promoter/enhancer complex. While BRD4 and CEBPD were both upregulated upon tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) stimulation of SMC inflammation (increased interleukin [IL]-1b, IL-6, and MCP-1), they mediated this stimulation via preferentially elevated expression of platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRα, versus PDGFRβ), as indicated by loss- and gain-of-function experiments. Taken together, our study unravels a hierarchical yet collaborative BRD4/CEBPD relationship, a previously unrecognized mechanism that prompts SMC inflammation and may underlie other pathophysiological processes as well.

Silymarin modulates catabolic cytokine expression through Sirt1 and SOX9 in human articular chondrocytes

BackgroundSilymarin (SMN), a polyphenolic flavonoid, is involved in multiple bioactive functions including anti-inflammation. Pretreatment with SMN demonstrated chondroprotection against tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) stimulation in a chondrocyte cell line. However, pre- and posttreatment with phytochemicals have varying effects on osteoarthritis (OA) chondrocytes, and the therapeutic potential of SMN after catabolic cytokine stimulation is not fully elucidated.MethodsThe cytotoxicity of SMN (12.5, 25, 50 and 100 μM) was evaluated in human primary chondrocytes. The chondrocytes were supplemented with SMN (25 and 50 μM) after interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) stimulation. The mRNA expression and protein production of catabolic/anabolic cytokines as well as extracellular matrix (ECM) components were evaluated.ResultsHigh-dose SMN (100 μM) impaired the mitochondrial activity in chondrocytes, and 50 μM SMN further caused cell death in IL-1β-stimulated cells. The addition of 25 μM SMN ameliorated cell senescence; downregulated the catabolic genes of inducible nitric oxide synthase, IL-1β, TNF-α, matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), MMP-9 and MMP-13; upregulated the anabolic genes of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and collagen type II alpha 1; and restored the expression of chondrogenic phenotype genes SOX9 and sirtuin-1 (Sirt1). In addition, the production of IL-1β, MMP-3 and MMP-9 decreased with an increase in TIMP-1 secretion. However, the mRNA levels of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 and protein production remained high. The addition of nicotinamide, a Sirt1 inhibitor, downregulated SOX9 and attenuated the therapeutic effects of SMN on IL-1β-stimulated chondrocytes.ConclusionSMN regulates the chondrocyte phenotype through Sirt1 and SOX9 to improve ECM homeostasis and may serve as a complementary therapy for early-stage knee OA.

Cholangiogenic potential of human deciduous pulp stem cell-converted hepatocyte-like cells

BackgroundStem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) have been reported to show the in vivo and in vitro hepatic differentiation, SHED-Heps; however, the cholangiogenic potency of SHED-Heps remains unclear. Here, we hypothesized that SHED-Heps contribute to the regeneration of intrahepatic bile duct system in chronic fibrotic liver.MethodsSHED were induced into SHED-Heps under cytokine stimulation. SHED-Heps were intrasplenically transplanted into chronically CCl4-treated liver fibrosis model mice, followed by the analysis of donor integration and hepatobiliary metabolism in vivo. Immunohistochemical assay was examined for the regeneration of intrahepatic bile duct system in the recipient liver. Furthermore, SHED-Heps were induced under the stimulation of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFA).ResultsThe intrasplenic transplantation of SHED-Heps into CCl4-treated mice showed that donor SHED-Heps behaved as human hepatocyte paraffin 1- and human albumin-expressing hepatocyte-like cells in situ and ameliorated CCl4-induced liver fibrosis. Of interest, the integrated SHED-Heps not only expressed biliary canaliculi ATP-binding cassette transporters including ABCB1, ABCB11, and ABCC2, but also recruited human keratin 19- (KRT19-) and KRT17-positive cells, which are considered donor-derived cholangiocytes, regenerating the intrahepatic bile duct system in the recipient liver. Furthermore, the stimulation of TNFA induced SHED-Heps into KRT7- and SRY-box 9-positive cells.ConclusionsCollectively, our findings demonstrate that infused SHED-Heps showed cholangiogenic ability under the stimulation of TNFA in CCl4-damaged livers, resulting in the regeneration of biliary canaliculi and interlobular bile ducts in chronic fibrotic liver. Thus, the present findings suggest that SHED-Heps may be a novel source for the treatment of cholangiopathy.

Global expression and CpG methylation analysis of primary endothelial cells before and after TNFa stimulation reveals gene modules enriched in inflammatory and infectious diseases and associated DMRs.

Endothelial cells are a primary site of leukocyte recruitment during inflammation. An increase in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFa) levels as a result of infection or some autoimmune diseases can trigger this process. Several autoimmune diseases are now treated with TNFa inhibitors. However, genomic alterations that occur as a result of TNF-mediated inflammation are not well understood. To investigate molecular targets and networks resulting from increased TNFa, we measured DNA methylation and gene expression in 40 human umbilical vein endothelial cell primary cell lines before and 24 hours after stimulation with TNFa via microarray. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified 15 gene groups (modules) with similar expression correlation patterns; four modules showed a strong association with TNFa treatment. Genes in the top TNFa-associated module were all up-regulated, had the highest proportion of hypomethylated regions, and were associated with 136 Disease Ontology terms, including autoimmune/inflammatory, infectious and cardiovascular diseases, and cancers. They included chemokines CXCL1, CXCL10 and CXCL8, and genes associated with autoimmune diseases including HLA-C, DDX58, IL4, NFKBIA and TNFAIP3. Cardiovascular and metabolic disease genes, including APOC1, ACLY, ELOVL6, FASN and SCD, were overrepresented in a module that was not associated with TNFa treatment. Of 223 hypomethylated regions identified, several were in promoters of autoimmune disease GWAS loci (ARID5B, CD69, HDAC9, IL7R, TNIP1 and TRAF1). Results reveal specific gene groups acting in concert in endothelial cells, delineate those driven by TNFa, and establish their relationship to DNA methylation changes, which has strong implications for understanding disease etiology and precision medicine approaches.

Hypnosis in Women with Breast Cancer: Its Effects on Cytokines

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of hypnosis on the cytokine levels of women with breast cancer during chemotherapy. Patients with a recent breast cancer diagnosis were assigned to either a control group (n = 20) or to a hypnosis group (n = 20). The control group received standard medical care, while the hypnosis group received 24 sessions of hypnosis over 6 months as an adjuvant therapy to standard medical care. Three blood samples were obtained, one before the initiation of chemotherapy, the second a month after beginning treatment, and the third at the end of treatment. At the end of chemotherapy treatment, the control group showed significantly higher levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and granulocyte colony stimulation factor (G-CSF) compared to the hypnosis group. Stabilized G-CSF and TNF-α levels during chemotherapy in the hypnosis group could be considered as beneficial because high levels of these cytokines have been associated with increased levels of tumor growth and metastasis in cancer patients.