Target Inflammatory Cytokines Research Articles

Role of NEAT1 and HOTAIR long non-coding RNAs in Behcet's Disease pathogenesis and their correlation with target inflammatory cytokines.

Recent studies have highlighted the potential role of several long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the pathogenesis of Behçet's disease (BD). This study investigated the expression profiles of lncRNA NEAT1 and lncRNA HOTAIR, and their target cytokine genes, IL-6 and TNF-α, in active and inactive BD patients. This cross-sectional study was conducted on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from 25 BD patients and 25 age-sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). BD activity was evaluated using the BDCAF (Behcet's Disease Current Activity Form) score. Correlation analysis assessed the relationship between BD activity and the expression levels of lncRNAs and their target cytokine genes. The diagnostic potential of the genes was evaluated using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The expression levels of NEAT1, HOTAIR, IL-6, and TNF-α were significantly higher in the BD group compared to the HCs. However, there was no significant correlation between the expression levels of these genes and BD activity or the involvement of various organs. A positive correlation was observed between HOTAIR gene expression and IL-6 (R = 0.594, P-value = 0.009) in the BD group. In contrast, no significant correlation was found between HOTAIR and TNF-α or between NEAT1 and TNF-α or IL-6. The ROC curve analysis indicated strong diagnostic potential for the lncRNAs, with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.90 for NEAT1 and 0.86 for HOTAIR. The elevated expression levels of NEAT1 and HOTAIR in BD patients suggest their potential involvement in the disease's pathogenesis, indicating promising targets for future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in BD.

Regulation of miRNA-155-5p ameliorates NETosis in pulmonary fibrosis rat model via inhibiting its target cytokines IL-1β, TNF-α and TGF-β1

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an age-related inflammatory disease with no cure up till now.It is accompanied by neutrophils infiltration as the main responders to inflammation and fibrosis. Importantly, neutrophils release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) through NETosis process. The function of microRNAs during inflammation became of great biological attention. Owing to microRNAs’ central role in immune system, microRNA-155-5p (miR-155-5p) is intensely involved in the inflammatory response. Capsaicin (Cap) is a bioactive compound that exhibits antioxidative and anti-inflammatory functions. Recent studies have shown its role in regulation of certain microRNAs’ expressions. Accordingly, the present study aims to investigate the effect of miR-155-5p regulation in suppressing NETs production via ameliorating its target inflammatory cytokines, IL-1ß, TNF-α and TGF-ß1, in bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis rat model treated by Cap. The obtained results demonstrated that miR-155-5p downregulation was associated with significant decrease in IL-1ß, TNF-α, TGF-β1, which consequently, reduced hydroxyproline (HYP), NETs activity markers as NE and PAD-4, and alleviated CTGF levels in lung tissues of animals treated by Cap. Furthermore, NETosis ultrastructure examination by transmission electron microscope (TEM), MPO immunohistochemical staining and histopathological studies confirmed an abolishment in NETs formation and an improvement in lung tissue architecture in Cap-treated rats. This study concluded that Cap quenched the inflammatory response through interrupting IL-1β, TNF-α and TGF-β1 pathway via modulating miR-155-5p expression. In addition, Cap was able to alleviate pulmonary NETosis markers by restraining NETs activity markers. These findings provide novel insight into the application of Cap-based treatment in ameliorating pulmonary damage in IPF.

Abstract 12433: miR 187a-3p Prevents Septic-Induced Myocardial Dysfunction by Targeting the Inflammatory Cytokines TNFa and IL-6

Introduction: Patients with severe, sepsis can develop acute heart failure characterized by left ventricular dilatation and decreased contractility. Inflammatory mediators, including TNFα, IL-6 and IL-1β contribute to the activation of inflammation and ventricular remodeling. Therapeutic interventions for sepsis are lacking. Previously, we demonstrated that miR187-3p, a regulator of TNFα is dysregulated in the septic heart, in a pre-clinical model of sepsis. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that administering miR187-3p mimic would reduce inflammatory cytokine production and improve cardiac function and mortality rate. Methods: Polymicrobial sepsis was induced in mice via cecal ligation and perforation (CLP) surgery, mice undergoing sham surgery served as controls. MiR187-3p mimic, miRNA negative control, or saline were administered IV 6 hrs post-CLP. At 48 hrs post-CLP, following echocardiographic and hemodynamic assessments, the mice were sacrificed, and the hearts collected for biochemical, and molecular analysis. To complement the experimental findings, autopsy human hearts and circulatory blood samples from septic patients and healthy controls were collected and the expression of miR187a-3p and inflammatory cytokines were analyzed. Results: Administration of miR-187-3p mimic to septic mice 6 hrs post-CLP increased survival, improved echo-derived indices of cardiac function (left ventricular ejection fraction, fractional shortening), increased bacterial clearance and reduced inflammation when compared to septic mice receiving a scrambled control miR. In septic mice, miR-187-3p expression decreased in both the circulation and heart tissue. In addition to TNFα, bioinformatic analysis, confirmed by luciferase assays, identified IL-6 as a specific target of miR187-3p in cardiac myocytes. In septic patients, the expression of miR-187-3p and target inflammatory cytokines decreased in plasma and autopsied hearts. Conclusions: Delivery of miR-187-3p improves outcomes in sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction. Thus, miR-187-3p serves as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for prevention and prognostic reflection in sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction.

Efficacy of ruxolitinib for HAVCR2 mutation-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and panniculitis manifestations in children.

Frequent germline mutations of HAVCR2, recently identified in subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL), are associated with an increased risk of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). However, SPTCL-HLH represents a challenge because of the difficulties in treatment with poor survival. Its malignant nature, specifically harbouring HAVCR2 mutations, has also been questioned. To better understand its pathology and treatment, we analysed the clinical data of six patients diagnosed at our centre. The median age at onset was 10.5 years (range, 0.8-12.4). Five patients presented with skin lesions of subcutaneous nodules/plaques and/or ulceration. All patients developed HLH; notably, one infant only had HLH without skin involvement. Histopathologically, only two patients were diagnosed with SPTCL and three were reported as panniculitis with no sufficient evidence of lymphoma. Genetically, germline homozygous mutation of HAVCR2 (p.Y82C) was identified in all patients, with a median diagnosis time of 4.6 months. All patients initially received corticosteroids, immunosuppressants or chemotherapy, achieving unfavourable responses. Strikingly, they responded well to ruxolitinib targeting inflammatory cytokines, allowing rapid disease resolution and/or long-term maintenance of remission. The excellent efficacy of ruxolitinib highlights this disease as an inflammatory condition instead of neoplastic nature and indicates novel agents targeting key inflammatory pathways as an encouraging approach for this disease entity.

New biologics and targeted therapies in systemic lupus: From new molecular targets to new indications. A systematic review.

Despite available therapies, persistently active and corticosteroid-dependent Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) represent a significant therapeutic challenge. The purpose of this systematic review was to provide an updated view of targeted therapies currently in clinical development in SLE, with a special focus on the most promising ones. We performed a systematic review of targeted therapies in clinical development in SLE in clinicaltrials.gov (search date: 28th of August 2022). Targeted therapies (defined as drugs specifically designed to block certain molecules, receptors, or pathways involved in the development of SLE) were extracted. For each investigational drug, we considered only the study at the most advanced stage of clinical development. The systematic review yielded a total of 92 targeted therapies (58 biological DMARDs [bDMARDs] and 34 targeted synthetic [ts]DMARDs) assessed in a total of 203 clinical trials. The candidate drugs reached phase I (n=20), Ia/IIb (n=6), phase II (n=51), phase II/III (n=1), phase III (n=13) and phase IV (n=1). These trials were reported as recruiting (n=31), active but not recruiting (n=8), not yet recruiting (n=4), enrolling by invitation (n=2), completed (n=31), prematurely terminated (n=12) and withdrawn in 1 (status unknown in 3). The main investigational drugs for SLE target inflammatory cytokines, chemokines or their receptors (n=19), intracellular signaling pathways (n=18), B cells (n=14) or plasma cells (n=7),T/B cells co-stimulation molecules (n=10), complement molecules (n=5),T lymphocytes (n=2), plasmacytoid dendritic cells (n=2), as well as various other immune targets (n=15). The pipeline of investigational drugs in SLE is highly diversified and will hopefully enable more optimal Treat-To-Target with the goal of disease modification. Companion biomarkers will be needed to better characterized SLE heterogeneity and optimize treatment selection at the individual-patient level.

Targeting Inflammatory Cytokines to Improve Type 2 Diabetes Control.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is one of the most common chronic metabolic disorders in adulthood worldwide, whose pathophysiology includes an abnormal immune response accompanied by cytokine dysregulation and inflammation. As the T2D-related inflammation and its progression were associated with the balance between pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines, anticytokine treatments might represent an additional therapeutic option for T2D patients. This review focuses on existing evidence for antihyperglycemic properties of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and anticytokine agents (anti-TNF-α, anti-interleukin-(IL-) 6, -IL-1, -IL-17, -IL-23, etc.). Emphasis is placed on their molecular mechanisms and on the biological rationale for clinical use. Finally, we briefly summarize the results from experimental model studies and promising clinical trials about the potential of anticytokine therapies in T2D, discussing the effects of these drugs on systemic and islet inflammation, beta-cell function, insulin secretion, and insulin sensitivity.

Anti-Inflammation, Immunomodulation and Therapeutic Repair in Current Clinical Trials for the Management of COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), continues to spread around the world. While prophylactic vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are making great progress, there is still a need to explore safe and effective therapies with biological products for COVID-19. Currently clinical trial efforts are planned and ongoing using different biological agents for anti-inflammatory therapies, immunomodulation, and therapeutic repair in COVID-19. Targeting inflammatory cytokines with antibodies or inhibitors may be an urgent therapeutic strategy for COVID-19. Importantly, it is critical for an in-depth understanding of these new clinical therapeutic agents in their conditions that are probably involved in both physiological and pathological host responses. In this article, we analyze the potential implications for the current clinical trials of therapeutic biologics and address issues for the development of the COVID-19-related biological therapies.

Palm readings: Manicaria saccifera palm fibers are biocompatible textiles with low immunogenicity.

Plant-based fibers are a potential alternative to synthetic polymer fibers that can yield enhanced biocompatibility and mechanical properties matching those properties of tissue. Given the unique morphology of the bract of the Manicaria saccifera palm, being an interwoven meshwork of fibers, we believe that these fibers with this built-in structure could prove useful as a tissue engineering scaffold material. Thus, we first investigated the fiber's in vitro biocompatibility and immunogenicity. We cultured NIH/3T3 mouse fibroblasts, human aortic smooth muscle cells, and human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells on the fiber mats, which all readily attached and over 21days grew to engulf the fibers. Importantly, this was achieved without treating the plant tissue with extracellular matrix proteins or any adhesion ligands. In addition, we measured the gene expression and protein secretion of three target inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-8, and TNFα) from THP-1 human leukemia monocytes cultured in the presence of the biotextile as an in vitro immunological model. After 24h of culture, gene expression and protein secretion were largely the same as the control, demonstrating the low immunogenicity of Manicaria saccifera fibers. We also measured the tensile mechanical properties of the fibers. Individual fibers after processing had a Young's modulus of 9.51±4.38GPa and a tensile strength of 68.62±27.93MPa. We investigated the tensile mechanical properties of the fiber mats perpendicular to the fiber axis (transverse loading), which displayed upwards of 100% strain, but with a concession in strength compared to longitudinal loading. Collectively, our in vitro assessments point toward Manicaria saccifera as a highly biocompatible biotextile, with a range of potential clinical and engineering applications.

From the Cover: Tetrachlorobenzoquinone Exerts Neurological Proinflammatory Activity by Promoting HMGB1 Release, Which Induces TLR4 Clustering within the Lipid Raft.

Tetrachlorobenzoquinone (TCBQ) is a confirmed active metabolite of a well-known environmental pollutant pentachlorophenol (PCP). Unfortunately, there is insufficient knowledge present available on TCBQ's toxicity. Our previous studies indicated that TCBQ induces inflammatory response in vivo and in vitro; however, its exact mechanism needs further investigation. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a crucial role in conveying of inflammatory signaling, whilst high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) functions as a transcription-enhancing nuclear protein that regulates inflammation. Indeed, this study demonstrated that TCBQ induces the secretion/translocation of HMGB1, which in turn activates its receptors, TLR family gene (especially TLR4) and receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) expressions. Consistently, the binding affinity of HMGB1 with its receptors also increased. In the case of HMGB1 or TLR4 deficiency, there were decreases in TCBQ-induced neuroinflammatory cytokine production and neuropathological changes, eg, neuronal loss, astrocyte and macrophage cells activation. Moreover, we found the mobilization of TLR4 into lipid rafts occurs in response to TCBQ exposure, lipid rafts disruptors weakened this effect, suggested lipid rafts play an essential role for TLR4-mediated signal transduction and target inflammatory cytokines expressions. In summary, our current findings revealed a previously unknown mechanism of TCBQ-induced neurological inflammation related to HMGB1-TLR4 signaling.

S-4 : Targeting inflammatory cytokines in cancer

Cancers are driven by complex networks of cytokines and chemokines that enable communication between the malignant cells and the many other cell types of the tumor microenvironment. Pre-clinical experiments have shown that targeting these networks with therapeutic antibodies or small molecule inhibitors can decrease tumor growth and spread. The challenge now is to translate these promising results to clinical trial. This talk will focus on the cytokine IL-6 and the chemokine receptor CCR4. IL-6 is a key regulator of an inflammatory cytokine network of high-grade serous ovarian cancer, HGSC. Clinical, pre-clinical and in silico experiments showed that antibodies to IL-6 can have multiple actions within the tumor microenvironment including reductions in cytokine production, tumor angiogenesis and tumor macrophage infiltrate as well as reducing paraneoplastic thrombocytosis. We are now investigating rational combinations of anti-IL-6 antibodies with other treatments in pre-clinical studies based with a particular emphasis on combinations with growth factor receptor inhibitors and inhibitors of angiogenesis. The chemokine receptor CCR4 is abnormally expressed on malignant cells as well as on leukocytes in human renal cell cancer, RCC. Patient plasma levels of the CCR4 ligands and their ratio reflect this abnormality and have prognostic significance. Both a small molecule CCR4 inhibitor and an anti-CCR4 antibody had anti-tumor activity in an RCC model with a novel mechanism of action on tumor-associated macrophages that was dependent on CD4 T cell function. Results from the pre-clinical experiments with both of these targets have the potential to be progressed to clinical trial.

PS1-003. Ahr-mediated transcription of miR-212/132 cluster promotes anti-inflammation in autoimmunity by modulating Treg subset and targeting inflammatory cytokines

PS1-003. Ahr-mediated transcription of miR-212/132 cluster promotes anti-inflammation in autoimmunity by modulating Treg subset and targeting inflammatory cytokines

Immunotherapy of Rheumatoid Arthritis Targeting Inflammatory Cytokines and Autoreactive T Cells

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disorder for which there is no known cure. Concentrating on specific elements of the abnormal immune response that characterizes the disease, scientists are reaching into biotechnology's bag of tricks to develop immunotherapeutic techniques. This paper will present some advances in the immunotherapy of rheumatoid arthritis targeting inflammatory cytokines and autoreactive T cells.