Article
Immunology
Shunxian Zhang, Xiaoqin Li, Li Zhu, Siqi Ming, Hongli Wang, Jing Xie, Lu Ren, Jing Huang, Defeng Liang, Liya Xiong, Yuesheng Wang, Dan Zhang, Sitang Gong, Yongjian Wu, Lanlan Geng
Summary: The study revealed that CD163(+)M phi in colorectal polyps may promote polyp progression by inhibiting the local T cell response.
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ying Shao, Yan Lan, Xinyue Chai, Shuhua Gao, Jinxiu Zheng, Rui Huang, Yu Shi, Yi Xiang, Hongmei Guo, Yanfeng Xi, Lijun Yang, Tao Yang
Summary: The poor prognosis of immunotherapy in colorectal cancer patients highlights the importance of understanding the immunosuppressive mechanisms within tumor microenvironment. This study identified the gene CXCL8 as a key player in the malignant progression of colorectal cancer and demonstrated its role in promoting M2 macrophage infiltration while inhibiting CD8+ T cell recruitment, thereby facilitating tumor evasion of the immune system.
Review
Immunology
Maorun Zhang, Xiaoping Li, Qi Zhang, Jiahua Yang, Gang Liu
Summary: Colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) is a severe complication of ulcerative colitis (UC), characterized by multiple lesions, worse pathological type, and poor prognosis. Macrophages, as innate immune cells, play a crucial role in both inflammatory response and tumor immunity. Enhanced macrophage infiltration in UC leads to the production of inflammatory cytokines, promoting UC tumorigenesis. Macrophage polarization into M1 has an anti-tumor effect, while M2 polarization promotes tumor growth. Targeting macrophages has shown effectiveness in preventing and treating CAC.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Naohiko Akimoto, Juha P. Vayrynen, Melissa Zhao, Tomotaka Ugai, Kenji Fujiyoshi, Jennifer Borowsky, Rong Zhong, Koichiro Haruki, Kota Arima, Mai Chan Lau, Junko Kishikawa, Tyler S. Twombly, Yasutoshi Takashima, Mingyang Song, Xuehong Zhang, Kana Wu, Andrew T. Chan, Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt, Marios Giannakis, Jonathan A. Nowak, Shuji Ogino
Summary: Immature desmoplastic reaction and myxoid stroma are associated with lower densities of immune cells in the colorectal tumor microenvironment, which may influence cancer survival.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Naveen Kumar, Gautam Sethi
Summary: Transformed cells acquire specific characteristics to become malignant. Telomerase, an enzyme complex, plays a significant role in maintaining telomere length. Its main component, TERT, interacts with various signaling molecules and promotes cancer hallmarks such as cell death resistance, sustained proliferation, angiogenesis activation, and metastasis. Understanding the role of telomerase in promoting cancer hallmarks is crucial for understanding the mechanism of cancer development and progression.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Xihong Lian, Limin Jiao, Zejin Liu
Summary: The study investigates the interaction and relative contributions of five drivers to gross primary productivity in China from 1982 to 2018. It finds that while vegetation productivity has significantly increased, it exhibits similar saturation responses to environmental drivers such as elevated CO2, climatic factors, and soil moisture. Water availability plays an essential role in limiting the potential effects of climate change and elevated CO2 concentrations on vegetation productivity. The findings emphasize the need to consider the intricate interactions globally and incorporate them into mitigation and adaptation policies.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Xuehui Wu, Xiaoliang Lan, Wanming Hu, Wanning Zhang, Xiangmeng Lai, Shaowan Xu, Jiaoying Li, Weihao Qiu, Wei Wang, Jianbiao Xiao, Feifei Wang, Yanqing Ding, Li Liang
Summary: Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that CMTM6 and PD-L1 were significantly higher in dMMR CRC patients than in pMMR CRC patients. CMTM6 expression in M2 macrophages was identified as the best biomarker for predicting the responsiveness to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors.
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY IMMUNOTHERAPY
(2021)
Review
Oncology
Dorian V. Ziegler, Katharina Huber, Lluis Fajas
Summary: Cell cycle regulators play a crucial role in the control of autophagy. Dysregulation of autophagy is closely related to cell cycle regulators and blocking cancer progression can be achieved by modulating both aspects.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Xiaojing Li, Yongheng Yan, Xinru Du, Hao Zhang, Haitao Li, Wei Chen
Summary: This study demonstrates that yogurt consumption can effectively reduce the occurrence of colonic neoplasms in mice and protect against colitis. The activation of lactate receptor GPR81 by D-lactate in yogurt suppresses proinflammatory macrophage polarization, facilitates inflammatory resolution, and consequently inhibits the development of colorectal cancer.
MOLECULAR NUTRITION & FOOD RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hui Wang, Tian Tian, Jinhua Zhang
Summary: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a highly prevalent and lethal malignant tumor in the digestive system. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a crucial role in various mechanisms of CRC progression, such as promoting tumor proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and immunosuppression, although their exact role is still debated in clinical evidence.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xiaocheng Gong, Yunfei Liu, Keying Liang, Zixi Chen, Ke Ding, Li Qiu, Jinfen Wei, Hongli Du
Summary: Macrophages play a critical role in the tumor microenvironment and have become a new therapeutic target for inhibiting tumor progression. In this study, we found that cucurbitacin I inhibits M2-like polarization in macrophages and reduces heme oxygenase-1 expression. Furthermore, cucurbitacin I-treated macrophages reduce cancer cell migration by inhibiting M2 polarization. These findings highlight the potential of cucurbitacin I as a therapeutic agent that targets M2-like macrophages to inhibit cancer cell metastasis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sean M. O'Cathail, Chieh-Hsi Wu, Rachael Thomas, Maria A. Hawkins, Tim S. Maughan, Annabelle Lewis
Summary: This study demonstrates that NRF2 plays a role in mediating radiation resistance in colorectal cancer, with potential therapeutic implications. By affecting metabolic pathways, NRF2 may improve radioresistance in rectal cancer patients and could be a target for therapeutic interventions.
Article
Cell Biology
Fraser R. Millar, Adam Pennycuick, Morwenna Muir, Andrea Quintanilla, Priya Hari, Elisabeth Freyer, Philippe Gautier, Alison Meynert, Graeme Grimes, Carla Salomo Coll, Sofia Zdral, Stella Victorelli, Vitor H. Teixeira, John Connelly, Joao F. Passos, Marian A. Ros, William A. H. Wallace, Margaret C. Frame, Andrew H. Sims, Luke Boulter, Sam M. Janes, Simon Wilkinson, Juan Carlos Acosta
Summary: Targeting Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), a key regulator of oncogene-induced senescence, can impede early lung cancer progression by activating cell intrinsic cell cycle arrest pathways and the proinflammatory SASP. This discovery suggests TLR2 as a potential therapeutic target for lung cancer.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Terry R. Medler, Tiffany C. Blair, Alejandro F. Alice, Alexa K. Dowdell, Brian D. Piening, Marka R. Crittenden, Michael J. Gough
Summary: Radiation therapy induces immunogenic cell death in cancer cells, and the released endogenous adjuvants are sensed by immune cells to direct adaptive immune responses. MyD88 signaling in myeloid cells is identified as a critical source of immunosuppression in hinder adaptive immune tumor control following radiation therapy in pancreatic cancer.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Xu Chao, Zhang Lei, Liu Hongqin, Wang Ziwei, Li Dechuan, Du Weidong, Xu Lu, Chen Haitao, Zhang Bo, Ju Haixing, Yao Qinghua
Summary: This study investigates the role of gut microbiota in colorectal cancer (CRC) under malnutrition conditions. The researchers found significant variations in the gut microbiota among patients with different nutritional statuses. Specific microbiota species were identified as potential diagnostic biomarkers for malnutrition and indicators of poor prognosis in CRC. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that after fecal microbiota transplantation, B cells and macrophages were recruited to activate specific tumor immunity in CRC. These findings highlight the importance of gut microbiota in CRC progression and its potential as a diagnostic tool.
CLINICAL NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Claudia Martins, Catarina Pacheco, Catarina Moreira-Barbosa, Angela Marques-Magalhaes, Sofia Dias, Marco Araujo, Maria J. Oliveira, Bruno Sarmento
Summary: This study generated human GBM heterotypic multicellular tumor microtissues (MCTMs) using high-throughput 3D modeling, which mimicked the spatial organization and biological features of GBM. The bioactivity of tumor-targeted nanoparticles and anti-cancer drugs were evaluated in the MCTMs, and it was found that the targeted nanoparticles exhibited higher cell uptake and anti-proliferative effect.
JOURNAL OF CONTROLLED RELEASE
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Dagmar Fischer, Georg Fluegen, Paul Garcia, Nassim Ghaffari-Tabrizi-Wizsy, Laura Gribaldo, Ruby Yun-Ju Huang, Volker Rasche, Domenico Ribatti, Xavier Rousset, Marta Texeira Pinto, Jean Viallet, Yan Wang, Regine Schneider-Stock
Summary: The chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model is a valuable alternative in vivo test system for studying various aspects of cancer. It can be used to investigate angiogenesis, tumor growth, immune escape, metastasis, and drug resistance. The CAM model is easily accessible due to its location and is a simple, fast, and low-cost tool for studying tumor pathology and treatment responses in vivo.
Article
Oncology
Ana Teresa Pinto, Ana Beatriz Machado, Hugo Osorio, Marta Laranjeiro Pinto, Rui Vitorino, Goncalo Justino, Catia Santa, Flavia Castro, Tania Cruz, Carla Rodrigues, Jorge Lima, Jose Luis R. Sousa, Ana Patricia Cardoso, Rita Figueira, Armanda Monteiro, Margarida Marques, Bruno Manadas, Jarne Pauwels, Kris Gevaert, Marc Mareel, Sonia Rocha, Tiago Duarte, Maria Jose Oliveira
Summary: Resistance to radiotherapy is a major problem in cancer treatment. Investigating the response of macrophages to ionizing radiation could help overcome tumor radio resistance.
Article
Microbiology
Wendy Malespin-Bendana, Rui M. Ferreira, Marta T. Pinto, Ceu Figueiredo, Warner Alpizar-Alpizar, Clas Une, Lucia Figueroa-Protti, Vanessa Ramirez
Summary: Helicobacter pylori infection induces inflammatory response in the stomach and can lead to gastric pathologies, including cancer. This study investigates the expression of pro-angiogenic genes (ANGPT2, ANGPT1, receptor TEK) and microRNAs (miR-135a, miR-200a, miR-203a) predicted to regulate those genes, using H. pylori co-cultures with gastric cancer cell lines. The results indicate that H. pylori infection upregulates ANGPT2 mRNA and downregulates miR-203a expression in AGS cells, and the supernatants of infected cells induce a higher angiogenic and inflammatory response.
BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Daniela P. Vasconcelos, Madalena Costa, Joaquim L. Reis, Vasco S. Pinto, Ana B. Sousa, Artur P. aguas, Mario A. Barbosa, Judite N. Barbosa
Summary: This pilot study evaluated the feasibility of chitosan porous 3D scaffolds incorporated with resolvin D1 as an alternative to iliac bone autograft. The results showed that the chitosan scaffolds with resolvin D1 demonstrated potential in inhibiting inflammation and promoting new bone formation, suggesting their usefulness for bone tissue repair applications.
EUROPEAN SPINE JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Diogo Estevao, Miguel da Cruz-Ribeiro, Ana P. Cardoso, Angela M. Costa, Maria J. Oliveira, Tiago L. Duarte, Tania B. da Cruz
Summary: This review discusses the complex role of iron in colorectal cancer (CRC), particularly the consequences of iron excess or deprivation on tumor development and progression. The regulation of cellular iron metabolism in the CRC microenvironment and the role of hypoxia and oxidative stress (e.g. ferroptosis) in CRC are also highlighted. Furthermore, potential therapeutic targets against CRC malignancy related to iron are identified.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Sara Reis Moura, Jaime Freitas, Claudia Ribeiro-Machado, Jorge Lopes, Nuno Neves, Helena Canhao, Ana Maria Rodrigues, Mario Adolfo Barbosa, Maria Ines Almeida
Summary: This study decodes the regulatory network of the lncRNA H19 on the extracellular matrix (ECM) and reveals its impact on bone regeneration. Inhibition of H19 expression results in decreased ECM density and collagen content, and promotes adipogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived stem cells. Furthermore, H19 is targeted by miR-29c, which is downregulated in osteoporotic bone tissue and affects MSC proliferation and collagen production. These findings suggest that H19 is a potential therapeutic target for controlling cell behavior and engineering the bone ECM.
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Joana Wilton, Filipa Lopes de Mendonca, Isabel Pereira-Castro, Michael Tellier, Takayuki Nojima, Angela M. Costa, Jaime Freitas, Shona Murphy, Maria Jose Oliveira, Nicholas J. Proudfoot, Alexandra Moreira
Summary: In this study, new 3'UTR-APA and IPA mRNA isoforms were found during pro-inflammatory polarization of primary human macrophages and CRC co-culture, which may be used as diagnostic or therapeutic tools in the future.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carlota M. Relvas, Susana G. Santos, Maria J. Oliveira, Fernao D. Magalhaes, Artur M. Pinto
Summary: Skin cancer is a common and increasing type of cancer with two main categories: melanoma and non-melanoma. Current treatments, including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, have limitations in terms of mortality and recurrence rates. Recent studies have focused on new approaches, such as immunotherapy and various forms of phototherapy. Among these, photoimmunotherapy has gained attention for its potential outcomes in combining photodynamic and/or photothermal therapy with a systemic immune response. This review critically discusses the properties and mechanisms of action of different nanomaterials in skin cancer photoimmunotherapy and presents important results in the field.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joana Peixoto, Catarina Principe, Ana Pestana, Hugo Osorio, Marta Teixeira Pinto, Hugo Prazeres, Paula Soares, Raquel T. Lima
Summary: LRP1B remains one of the most altered genes in cancer, but its relevance in cancer biology is still unclear. This study used a dual sgRNA CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing approach to disrupt LRP1B in glioblastoma cells and found that the edited cells exhibited altered morphology, increased size, changes in ploidy, and reduced cell growth. Proteomic analysis of the edited cells' secretome identified differentially expressed proteins that had not been previously associated with LRP1B alterations. Overall, this study provides new insights into the impact of LRP1B deletions in glioblastoma biology.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Maria Jose Silveira, Claudia Martins, Tania Cruz, Flavia Castro, Angela Amorim-Costa, Kerry Chester, Maria Jose Oliveira, Bruno Sarmento
Summary: A smart nanoplatform based on chemical conjugation of an anti-CEA single-chain variable fragment (scFv) with PLGA-PEG polymers was developed to deliver 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) chemotherapy to colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. The developed CEA-targeted nanoparticles demonstrated specificity for CEA-expressing CRC cells and induced higher cytotoxicity. Safety evaluation showed no relevant impact on donor-isolated macrophages. This proof of concept supports CEA-targeted nanoparticles as a promising chemotherapeutic strategy.
JOURNAL OF NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Ana Teresa Pinto, Marta Pojo, Ricardo Rodrigues, Diana Pacheco Sousa, Rune Matthiesen, Ana Sofia Carvalho, Hans C. Beck, Carolina Pires, Rodrigo Eduardo, Joana Simoes Pereira, Valeriano Leite, Branca Maria Cavaco
Summary: The study observed bidirectional communication mechanisms between tumor-associated macrophages and anaplastic thyroid cancer cells. The macrophages influenced cancer cell viability and invasiveness, while the cancer cells modulated macrophage polarization. The mediator SPRY4 was identified as a crucial factor in this interaction, potentially serving as a tumor suppressor gene for therapeutic purposes.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Filipa A. L. S. Silva, Hui-Ping Chang, Jean Anne C. Incorvia, Maria J. Oliveira, Bruno Sarmento, Susana G. Santos, Fernao D. Magalhaes, Artur M. Pinto
Summary: Photothermal therapy (PTT) and magnetic hyperthermia therapy (MHT) using 2D nanomaterials (2DnMat) show promising potential for alternative cancer and bacterial infection treatments. The unique properties of 2DnMat, including high surface area, near-infrared absorption, responsiveness to external stimuli, and surface functionalization possibilities, make them ideal platforms for PTT and MHT. Although significant progress has been made in in vitro and in vivo studies, challenges such as improving drug conjugation, understanding in vivo biodegradation, and refining evaluation criteria still need to be addressed.