Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Katsuaki Ieguchi, Masabumi Funakoshi, Taishi Mishima, Kohtaro Takizawa, Tsutomu Omori, Fumio Nakamura, Makoto Watanabe, Mayumi Tsuji, Yuji Kiuchi, Shinichi Kobayashi, Takuya Tsunoda, Yoshiro Maru, Satoshi Wada
Summary: Emerging evidence suggests that neural activity contributes to tumor initiation and metastasis. Specifically, the sympathetic nervous system has been found to regulate tumor angiogenesis, growth, and metastasis. By performing chemical sympathectomy, researchers observed a decrease in lung metastasis and identified neuro-immune cell interactions in tumor-bearing mouse lungs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Seiji Mabuchi, Tomoyuki Sasano
Summary: In uterine cervical and endometrial cancers, increased number of MDSCs is associated with advanced stage, poor survival, and resistance to chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Studies in murine models have shown the important roles of MDSCs in cancer progression. Treatment strategies targeting MDSCs may have growth-inhibitory effects and enhance the efficacy of existing anticancer treatments.
Article
Immunology
Weichuan Luo, John V. Napoleon, Fenghua Zhang, Yong Gu Lee, Bingbing Wang, Karson S. Putt, Philip S. Low
Summary: CAR T cell therapies have shown great effectiveness in treating hematopoietic cancers, but their success in solid tumors has been limited. This study investigates the role of immunosuppressive tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in CAR T cell therapy and proposes a method to enhance their efficacy by reprogramming these myeloid cells.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Giulia Milardi, Ana Lleo
Summary: Primary liver cancer is a major cause of cancer-related death. The cellular components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) have been found to play a crucial role in tumor growth. This review provides a comprehensive summary of B-cell biology and their impact on liver malignancies, as well as their potential role in new immunotherapies for primary liver cancer treatment.
Article
Oncology
Kazim Husain, Krystal Villalobos-Ayala, Valentina Laverde, Oscar A. Vazquez, Bradley Miller, Samra Kazim, George Blanck, Margaret L. Hibbs, Gerald Krystal, Isra Elhussin, Joakin Mori, Clayton Yates, Tomar Ghansah
Summary: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a deadly disease with a grim prognosis. Pancreatic tumor derived factors contribute to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, hindering immunotherapy. The study found that the bioflavonoid apigenin (API) can increase SHIP-1 expression through the suppression of miRNA-155, which promotes the expansion of tumoricidal macrophages and improves anti-tumor immune responses in mice with PC.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Melis Gultekin, Caglayan Selenge Beduk Esen, Deniz Ates Ozdemir, Selma Yildirim, Deniz Yuce, Alp Usubutun, Ferah Yildiz
Summary: The study investigated the impact of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) on treatment outcomes in cervical squamous cell carcinoma patients undergoing radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. The findings suggest that stromal TILs have a stronger predictive value for prognosis than intraepithelial TILs, emphasizing the importance of investigating the stromal compartment in TIL studies. Further research is needed to explore treatment intensification for patients with low numbers of stromal TILs.
ARCHIVES OF GYNECOLOGY AND OBSTETRICS
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Avinash Sahu, Xiaoman Wang, Phillip Munson, Jan P. G. Klomp, Xiaoqing Wang, Shengqing Stan Gu, Ya Han, Gege Qian, Phillip Nicol, Zexian Zeng, Chenfei Wang, Collin Tokheim, Wubing Zhang, Jingxin Fu, Jin Wang, Nishanth Ulhas Nair, Joost A. P. Rens, Meriem Bourajjaj, Bas Jansen, Inge Leenders, Jaap Lemmers, Mark Musters, Sanne van Zanten, Laura van Zelst, Jenny Worthington, Jun S. Lu, Dejan Juric, Clifford A. Meyer, Arthur Oubrie, X. Shirley Liu, David E. Fisher, Keith T. Flaherty
Summary: Researchers have developed a multiomics computational method called BipotentR to identify cancer cell-specific regulators that modulate both tumor immunity and another oncogenic pathway. They stratified melanoma patients' response to anti-PD-1 therapy based on the tumor activities of these regulators using machine learning and deep neural approaches, enhancing the predictive power of current biomarkers. Their top regulator, ESRRA, activated in immunotherapy-resistant tumors, killed tumors by suppressing energy metabolism and activating two immune mechanisms: cytokine induction and antigen-presentation stimulation.
Article
Oncology
Hongyan Cheng, Liju Zong, Shuangni Yu, Jie Chen, Xirun Wan, Yang Xiang, Junjun Yang
Summary: This study evaluated the expression of emerging immune targets in the tumor-infiltrating immunocytes (TIIs) of human gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) specimens and analyzed their correlation with patient prognosis. The results showed widespread expression of GAL-9, TIM-3, and PD-1 in TIIs of almost all GTN patients. The expression density of LAG-3 in TIIs was a prognostic factor for disease recurrence in GTN patients.
PATHOLOGY & ONCOLOGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Juhee Jeong, Duk Ki Kim, Ji-Hyeon Park, Do Joong Park, Hyuk-Joon Lee, Han-Kwang Yang, Seong-Ho Kong, Keehoon Jung
Summary: Gastric cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death globally. Classifying advanced gastric cancer based on molecular features has enabled personalized cancer therapy for some patients. The study suggests that HER2 negativity is associated with reduced survival and increased tumor infiltration of neutrophils and non-classical monocytes, indicating that these myeloid populations could serve as novel therapeutic targets for HER2-negative AGC.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
JingJing Zhang, Pengcheng He, Xiaoning Wang, Suhua Wei, Le Ma, Jing Zhao
Summary: This study identified 56 B-cell-specific RBPs with significant roles in multiple myeloma (MM). ADAR, FASTKD1, and SNRPD3 were defined as prognostic B-cell-specific RBP signatures. The risk model and nomogram based on these RBPs showed good predictive capacity for MM patients' overall survival, while immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint expression differed significantly between low-risk and high-risk groups.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Bin Xu, Lingxin Zhang, Reza Setoodeh, Abhinita S. Mohanty, Inigo Landa, Bonnie Balzer, Vera Tiedje, Ian Ganly, Snjezana Dogan, James A. Fagin, Ronald Ghossein
Summary: In this study, a comprehensive comparison was conducted between long-term survivors and control patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC). The results revealed that factors attributed to resectability and absence of certain gene mutations were associated with prolonged survival in ATC. Additionally, the study found that tumor-infiltrating and circulating neutrophils/myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) were adverse prognostic factors in ATC.
Article
Oncology
Di Wu, Hongbing Zhang, Hua Huang, Xuanguang Li, Xingyu Liu, Hongyu Liu, Jun Chen
Summary: This study comprehensively analyzed and evaluated tumor-infiltrating immune cells in advanced LUSC, revealing the association between immune cell infiltration and overall survival (OS) in clinical patients. Based on the nomogram model of resting NK cells, monocytes, and macrophages M2, specific prognostic predictions can be made for advanced LUSC patients.
TRANSLATIONAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Cristian A. Angeramo, Francisco Laxague, Enrique D. Armella, Julieta Rodriguez Catan, Felix A. Vigovich, Norberto A. Mezzadri, Juan M. Fernandez Vila
Summary: This study retrospectively analyzed data from melanoma patients and found that tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes have a significant impact on melanoma-specific survival and recurrence-free survival, as well as sentinel lymph node status. TILs are associated with a better MSS and RFS in melanoma patients.
INDIAN JOURNAL OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Deeptarup Biswas, Neha Kumari, Mercedes Lachen-Montes, Sampurna Dutta, Ishita Agrawal, Debabrata Samanta, Sanjyot Vinayak Shenoy, Ankit Halder, Joaquin Fernandez-Irigoyen, Advait Rahul Padhye, Enrique Santamaria, Sanjeeva Srivastava
Summary: This study revealed the phosphoproteome map of human brain interhemispheric regions using high-resolution mass spectrometry and integrated the data into a global platform for ongoing neuroproteomics research.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ester Blanco, Luisa Chocarro, Leticia Fernandez-Rubio, Ana Bocanegra, Hugo Arasanz, Miriam Echaide, Maider Garnica, Sergio Pineiro-Hermida, Grazyna Kochan, David Escors
Summary: Immunotherapies based on immune checkpoint blockade have shown promising clinical outcomes but lack efficacy in most cancer patients. Intratumor delivery of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has emerged as a potential solution to reduce adverse events and improve treatment efficacy. Gene therapy vectors expressing mAbs inside tumors offer an attractive approach for local intratumor delivery. This expanding research subject will likely play a key role in future oncology.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Sara Badesso, Paz Cartas-Cejudo, Maria Espelosin, Enrique Santamaria, Mar Cuadrado-Tejedor, Ana Garcia-Osta
Summary: DHA, as the most abundant polyunsaturated fatty acid in the brain, is essential for successful aging and may lower the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease. DHA enhances memory function through promoting synapse formation and has potential for dietary supplement for AD dementia prevention.
Review
Immunology
Ivonne Jerico, Janire Vicuna-Urriza, Idoia Blanco-Luquin, Monica Macias, Leyre Martinez-Merino, Miren Roldan, Ricard Rojas-Garcia, Inmaculada Pagola-Lorz, Alvaro Carbayo, Noemi De Luna, Victoria Zelaya, Maite Mendioroz
Summary: The study examines the expression levels of TREM2 gene in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and investigates the role of sTREM2 as a diagnostic biomarker for ALS. The results show elevated TREM2 expression levels and increased sTREM2 levels in the spinal cord, cerebrospinal fluid, and blood of ALS patients. The findings support the involvement of TREM2 in ALS pathophysiology and suggest that pTDP-43 levels in cerebrospinal fluid could serve as a biomarker for ALS.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nayra Felipez, Sheyla Montori, Naroa Mendizuri, Joan Llach, Pedro G. G. Delgado, Leticia Moreira, Enrique Santamaria, Joaquin Fernandez-Irigoyen, Eduardo Albeniz
Summary: Gastric cancer is a global public health problem with high mortality rates. Biomarker research is crucial for early detection of gastric cancer. Technological advances have identified several potential biomarkers, but their low specificity in biofluids limits their clinical use. Recent research focuses on exploring gastric juice as an alternative source for biomarker identification, as it contains disease-specific biomarkers generated at the site of damage. This narrative review describes potential biomarkers for gastric cancer screening in gastric juice.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hugo Arasanz, Luisa Chocarro, Leticia Fernandez-Rubio, Ester Blanco, Ana Bocanegra, Miriam Echaide, Ibone Labiano, Ana Elsa Huerta, Maria Alsina, Ruth Vera, David Escors, Grazyna Kochan
Summary: Bispecific antibodies hold promise as a therapy for cancer, demonstrating the ability to simultaneously inhibit multiple proteins involved in cancer progression. In lung cancer treatment, their development has been particularly intense due to extensive knowledge of underlying molecular pathways, especially in oncogene-driven tumors. This review provides an overview of the current landscape of bispecific antibodies in lung cancer treatment and discusses potential future expansion of their role.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Amaya Urdanoz-Casado, Javier Sanchez-Ruiz de Gordoa, Maitane Robles, Miren Roldan, Monica Macias Conde, Blanca Acha, Idoia Blanco-Luquin, Maite Mendioroz
Summary: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of age-related dementia. It has been found that a circular RNA (circRNA) derived from the APP gene may contribute to the synthesis of A beta peptides, providing an alternative pathway for A beta biogenesis. In this study, we investigated the expression of a circAPP (hsa_circ_0007556) in the entorhinal cortex of AD patients, and observed decreased levels of circAPP (hsa_circ_0007556) in AD cases compared to controls. We also found a negative correlation between A beta deposits and circAPP (hsa_circ_0007556) and APP expression levels.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pol Andres-Benito, Africa Flores, Sara Busquet-Areny, Margarita Carmona, Karina Ausin, Paz Cartas-Cejudo, Mercedes Lachen-Montes, Jose Antonio Del Rio, Joaquin Fernandez-Irigoyen, Enrique Santamaria, Isidro Ferrer
Summary: Transcriptomics and phosphoproteomics analyses revealed altered gene expression and phosphorylation levels in the cerebral cortex of tau knockout mice. Tau knockout mice exhibited reduced anxiety-like behavior and fear expression, while recognition memory remained unchanged. The altered gene expression affected synaptic structures, neuron cytoskeleton, transport, and extracellular matrix components, while the deregulated phosphorylation levels impacted cytoskeletal and membrane proteins, DNA and RNA metabolism, and various signaling pathways.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Inigo Les, Mireia Martinez, Ines Perez-Francisco, Maria Cabero, Lucia Teijeira, Virginia Arrazubi, Nuria Torrego, Ana Campillo-Calatayud, Inaki Elejalde, Grazyna Kochan, David Escors
Summary: Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are widely used in cancer treatment, but they can cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in a significant number of patients. Predicting irAEs has become important for managing patients on ICIs. This review discusses biomarkers that have shown potential for predicting irAEs, including those already available for clinical use and those under investigation. Although these biomarkers have not been validated in prospective studies, there is growing evidence supporting their use for predicting and characterizing irAEs, which depend on factors such as the type of cancer, ICI agent, and affected organ. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms of irAEs and to assess the predictive capacity of different biomarkers.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ana Bocanegra, Gonzalo Fernandez-Hinojal, Daniel Ajona, Ester Blanco, Miren Zuazo, Maider Garnica, Luisa Chocarro, Elvira Alfaro-Arnedo, Sergio Pineiro-Hermida, Pilar Morente, Leticia Fernandez, Ana Remirez, Miriam Echaide, Maite Martinez-Aguillo, Idoia Morilla, Beatriz Tavira, Alejandra Roncero, Carolina Gotera, Alfonso Ventura, Nerea Recalde, Jose G. Pichel, Juan Jose Lasarte, Luis Montuenga, Ruth Vera, Ruben Pio, David Escors, Grazyna Kochan
Summary: Recent studies show that baseline functional immunity is crucial for the success of immune checkpoint blockade therapies. In this study, high-dimensional systemic immune profiling was performed on non-small-cell lung cancer patients undergoing PD-L1/PD-1 blockade immunotherapy. Responders had a higher diversity of myeloid phenotypes in their peripheral blood. A diversity index was defined as a potential biomarker of response. Fractalkine (FKN), a chemokine linked to immune chemotaxis and adhesion, was identified as a biomarker of response and correlated with myeloid cell diversity. FKN inhibited lung adenocarcinoma growth in both human and mouse models through the involvement of systemic effector NK cells and increased tumor immune infiltration. FKN also sensitized mouse lung cancer models resistant to anti-PD-1 treatment to immunotherapy, indicating its potential therapeutic use in combination with immunotherapy.
Correction
Engineering, Biomedical
Zhuolong Zhou, Kevin van der Jeught, Yuanzhang Fang, Tao Yu, Yujing Li, Zheng Ao, Sheng Liu, Lu Zhang, Yang Yang, Haniyeh Eyvani, Mary L. Cox, Xiyu Wang, Xiaoming He, Guang Ji, Bryan P. Schneider, Feng Guo, Jun Wan, Xinna Zhang, Xiongbin Lu
NATURE BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Biology
Raquel Herrero-Labrador, Joaquin Fernandez-Irigoyen, Rebeca Vecino, Candela Gonzalez-Arias, Karina Ausin, Inmaculada Crespo, Francisco Fernandez Acosta, Vanesa Nieto-Estevez, M. Jose Roman, Gertrudis Perea, Ignacio Torres-Aleman, Enrique Santamaria, Carlos Vicario
Summary: By conditional deletion of Igf-I in the nervous system, we found that long-term potentiation was impaired in hippocampal slices. Igf-I1 /1 mice showed spatial memory deficits in the Morris water maze and the sex-dependent differences displayed in Igf-ICtrl/Ctrl mice disappeared in Igf-I1 /1 mice in the open field and rota-rod tests. Brain Igf-I deletion disrupted the granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus and altered the relative expressions of GAD and VGLUT1, affecting inhibitory and excitatory presynaptic terminals. Furthermore, Igf-I deletion affected protein modules involved in receptor trafficking, synaptic proteins, and proteins related to estrogen and androgen metabolism. These findings highlight the crucial role of brain IGF-I in long-term potentiation and its involvement in spatial memory and sexual dimorphic behaviors through the maintenance of granule cell layer structure and stability of synaptic-related protein modules.
LIFE SCIENCE ALLIANCE
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Marta Redondo-Munoz, Francisco Javier Rodriguez-Baena, Paula Aldaz, Adria Caballe-Mestres, Veronica Moncho-Amor, Maddalen Otaegi-Ugartemendia, Estefania Carrasco-Garcia, Ana Olias-Arjona, Irene Lasheras-Otero, Eva Santamaria, Ana Bocanegra, Luisa Chocarro, Abby Grier, M. Monika Dzieciatkowska, Claudia Bigas, Josefina Martin, Uxue Urdiroz-Urricelqui, Florencio Marzo, Enrique Santamaria, Grazyna Kochan, David Escors, Ignacio Marcos Larrayoz, Holger Heyn, Angelo D'Alessandro, Camille Stephan-Otto Attolini, Ander Matheu, Claudia Wellbrock, Salvador Aznar Benitah, Berta Sanchez-Laorden, Imanol Arozarena
Summary: In this study, the anti-anginal drug ranolazine is found to sensitize BRAF inhibitor-resistant melanoma to targeted therapy and immunotherapy by rewiring fatty acid oxidation and the methionine salvage pathway. Resistance of melanoma to targeted therapy and immunotherapy is linked to metabolic rewiring.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carlota Jauregui, Idoia Blanco-Luquin, Monica Macias, Miren Roldan, Cristina Caballero, Inma Pagola, Maite Mendioroz, Ivonne Jerico
Summary: This study investigates the expression patterns of microglial-related genes in ALS spinal cord, and suggests the presence of a DAM-mediated inflammatory response and the significant role of TREM2 in the immune function of microglia in ALS.