Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ameya Champhekar, Rachel Heymans, Justin Saco, Guillem Turon Font, Cynthia Gonzalez, Anne Gao, John Pham, June Lee, Ryan Maryoung, Egmidio Medina, Katie M. Campbell, Daniel Karin, David Austin, Robert Damioseaux, Antoni Ribas
Summary: Through chemical genomics and whole genome targeting CRISPR/Cas9 screens, researchers have identified essential nodes in the IFN_gamma-mediated growth inhibition pathway and confirmed the involvement of cell death pathways through transcriptomic profiling and live imaging experiments. The activation of ERK signaling induces a stress response that leads to apoptosis via the activity of DR5 and NOXA proteins.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhaowei Chu, Lei Gu, Yeguang Hu, Xiaoyang Zhang, Man Li, Jiajia Chen, Da Teng, Man Huang, Che-Hung Shen, Li Cai, Toshimi Yoshida, Yifeng Qi, Zhixin Niu, Austin Feng, Songmei Geng, Dennie T. Frederick, Emma Specht, Adriano Piris, Ryan J. Sullivan, Keith T. Flaherty, Genevieve M. Boland, Katia Georgopoulos, David Liu, Yang Shi, Bin Zheng
Summary: STAG2 is involved in DNA looping and plays a role in controlling the expression of IRF9 and PD-L1, which are related to immune evasion in cancer cells. This study provides insights into the role of STAG2 in 3D genome organization and its functional link to interferon signaling in cancer.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Dermatology
Mitchell E. Fane, Yash Chhabra, Loredana Spoerri, Jacinta L. Simmons, Raquelle Ludwig, Elise Bonvin, Colin R. Goding, Richard A. Sturm, Glen M. Boyle, Nikolas K. Haass, Michael Piper, Aaron G. Smith
Summary: A reciprocal relationship between BRN2 and NOTCH1/2 signaling exists in melanoma cells, bolstering acquisition of invasiveness. Working through the epigenetic modulator EZH2, the BRN2-NOTCH1/2 axis is potentially a key mechanism by which the invasive phenotype is maintained.
JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Zhenzhen Li, Chanjun Sun, Zhihai Qin
Summary: Cancer cells adapt their metabolism to proliferate and survive in harsh environments, with a close relationship between tumor microenvironment and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) playing key roles in tumor growth and metastasis. CAFs act as major regulators in shaping tumor metabolism, especially through dysregulation of metabolic pathways, influencing cancer cell behavior and response to therapy. The interaction and crosstalk between cancer cells and CAFs contribute to metabolic reprogramming that impacts cancer cell growth and progression.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Richard J. Beck, Sander Sloot, Hirokazu Matsushita, Kazuhiro Kakimi, Joost B. Beltman
Summary: In this study, the importance of cytolytic versus IFNG-mediated cytostatic effects in a murine melanoma model was compared. The contribution of immune checkpoints HAVCR2, LAG3, and PDCD1/CD274 to CTL exhaustion was also investigated. The results showed that the cytostatic effects of IFNG were more important in tumor control, and HAVCR2 and LAG3 better characterized the development of a dysfunctional CTL phenotype than the PDCD1/CD274 axis.
Article
Oncology
Weijian Kong, Zhengsheng Liu, Mengnan Sun, Huiqin Liu, Chao Kong, Jie Ma, Rui Wang, Feng Qian
Summary: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly fibrotic tumor with abundant activated pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs). Inhibiting autophagy and activating vitamin D receptor (VDR) signaling can improve the response of PDAC to immunotherapy. We developed a PSC deactivator that can both activate VDR signaling and inhibit autophagy, and showed that it significantly enhanced the response of PDAC to immunotherapy and chemotherapy.
Article
Neurosciences
Min You, Haizhu Xing, Ming Yan, Jie Zhang, Jiayi Chen, Yang Chen, Xiaoli Liu, Jing Zhu
Summary: Paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN) is a neurological disorder caused by paclitaxel (PTX) treatment in cancer patients. Schwann cell-derived exosomes (SC-EXOs) have been found to effectively improve PIPN both in vitro and in vivo. SC-EXOs alleviate PTX-induced mechanical nociceptive sensitization, ameliorate nerve fiber loss and DRG injury, and protect damaged neurons by upregulating miR-21 to repress the PTEN signaling pathway. These findings provide a novel strategy for the treatment of PIPN.
MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joana I. Carmo-Martins, Michelangelo B. Gonzatti, Marina T. Varela, Maria Eduarda P. Sousa, Lucas V. S. Costa, Elaine Guadelupe Rodrigues, Joao Paulo S. Fernandes, Alexandre C. Keller
Summary: The esterification of p-coumaric acid enhanced its activity as an antimelanogenic agent against melanoma cells. The ethyl and butyl ester derivatives of p-coumaric acid showed significant antitumor potential at doses below 1 mM. They controlled melanoma growth by arresting the cell cycle of the B16-F10 and SK-MEL-25 cells. The butyl ester derivative also suppressed lung B16-F10 burden in vivo compared to p-coumaric acid treatment.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yasuaki Tatsumi, Ayako Kato, Naoko Niimi, Hideji Yako, Tatsuhito Himeno, Masaki Kondo, Shin Tsunekawa, Yoshiro Kato, Hideki Kamiya, Jiro Nakamura, Koji Higai, Kazunori Sango, Koichi Kato
Summary: This study reveals the potential application value of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in diabetic neuropathy. The experimental results suggest that DHA can inhibit oxidative stress-induced cell death, attenuate excessive autophagy, and has the potential to protect Schwann cells from oxidative stress.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Svenja Meierjohann
Summary: Melanomas and melanocytes are frequently exposed to UV, resulting in DNA damage and reactive oxygen stress related harm. This can lead to multinucleation or polyploidy, with the cells either experiencing mitotic catastrophe and death or surviving and acquiring new features to adapt to stress. This review focuses on polyploidy inducers in melanoma, their effects on transcriptional reprogramming and phenotypic adaptation, and the significance of polyploid melanoma cells in therapy resistance.
SEMINARS IN CANCER BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Beatrice Thier, Fang Zhao, Simone Stupia, Alicia Brueggemann, Johannes Koch, Nina Schulze, Susanne Horn, Christoph Coch, Gunther Hartmann, Antje Sucker, Dirk Schadendorf, Annette Paschen
Summary: The activation of RIG-I signaling in melanoma cells can induce dedifferentiation, but these dedifferentiated cells are still highly sensitive to autologous immune responses, challenging the concept of melanoma dedifferentiation as an indicator of T cell resistance.
JOURNAL FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Ihor Arkhypov, Feyza Gul Ozbay Kurt, Rebekka Bitsch, Daniel Novak, Vera Petrova, Samantha Lasser, Thomas Hielscher, Christopher Groth, Alisa Lepper, Xiaoying Hu, Wei Li, Jochen Utikal, Peter Altevogt, Viktor Umansky
Summary: Soluble HSP90 alpha can convert monocytes into MDSC, which inhibits the antitumor function of T and NK cells. Higher levels of HSP90 alpha in plasma of patients with melanoma are associated with increased PD-L1 expression on MDSC and shorter PFS after ICI therapy.
JOURNAL FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY OF CANCER
(2022)
Article
Biology
Jennifer Patritti Cram, Jianqiang Wu, Robert A. Coover, Tilat A. Rizvi, Katherine E. Chaney, Ramya Ravindran, Jose A. Cancelas, Robert J. Spinner, Nancy Ratner
Summary: This study identifies P2ry14 as a critical regulator of neurofibroma by increasing cAMP through the G(i) signaling pathway and affecting self-renewal and proliferation of neurofibroma-related cells.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rana Falahat, Anders Berglund, Ryan M. Putney, Patricio Perez-Villarroel, Shota Aoyama, Shari Pilon-Thomas, Glen N. Barber, James J. Mule
Summary: The lack or loss of tumor antigenicity is a key mechanism of immune evasion and resistance to T cell-based immunotherapies. Epigenetic regulation, specifically DNA methylation, plays a role in suppressing the STING signaling function in melanoma cells, but this suppression can be reversed through pharmacologic DNA methylation inhibition. Restoring STING signaling improves melanoma cell antigenicity and enhances recognition and killing by cytotoxic T cells, highlighting the functional significance of epigenetic processes in tumor-immune evasion.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Harish N. Vasudevan, Calixto-Hope G. Lucas, Javier E. Villanueva-Meyer, Philip Theodosopoulos, David R. Raleigh
Summary: This review highlights the development of Schwann cells from embryonic neural crest cells to mature Schwann cells, focusing on genetic drivers and signaling mechanisms that regulate proliferation and differentiation decisions. The article also discusses potential novel therapeutic strategies for cancers derived from Schwann cell lineages, based on knowledge of Schwann cell development events and mouse models of related tumors.
Review
Oncology
Sophia H. Zhang, Galina V. Shurin, Hasan Khosravi, Rashek Kazi, Oleg Kruglov, Michael R. Shurin, Yuri L. Bunimovich
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY IMMUNOTHERAPY
(2020)
Review
Immunology
Michael R. Shurin, Galina V. Shurin, Samuel B. Zlotnikov, Yuri L. Bunimovich
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2020)
Review
Dermatology
Li-Wei Chang, Viktoryia Kazlouskaya, Rashek Kazi, Diwakar Davar, Robert L. Ferris, Jonhan Ho, Arivarasan Karunamurthy, Jaroslaw J. Jedrych, Yuri L. Bunimovich
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DERMATOPATHOLOGY
(2020)
Review
Cell Biology
Michael R. Shurin, James H. Baraldi, Galina V. Shurin
Summary: Surgery can promote cancer metastasis through mechanisms such as the release of neuroendocrine hormones, immunosuppression, neovascularization, and tissue remodeling. The role of neuroimmune regulation in surgery-associated metastasis is not well understood, highlighting the need for further research in this area.
Article
Medical Laboratory Technology
Nathan Cook, Lingqing Xu, Shaymaa Hegazy, Bradley J. Wheeler, Adam R. Anderson, Nancy Critelli, Mary Yost, Anita K. McElroy, Michael R. Shurin, Sarah E. Wheeler
Summary: The study aimed to detect antibodies to different SARS-CoV-2 antigens, analyzing the performance of the BioRad SARS-CoV-2 IgG multiplex assay in terms of diagnostic accuracy, differentiation of vaccination and natural disease, and retrospective exposure determination. Results showed that the assay is comparable to existing methods, achieving 100% sensitivity when all markers are included, with practical implications for research and infection prevention strategies.
CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Sarah E. Wheeler, Galina Shurin, Mary Yost, Adam Anderson, Lisa Pinto, Alan Wells, Michael R. Shurin
Summary: Understanding the development and duration of virus-specific antibodies after COVID-19 vaccination is important for controlling the pandemic. Postvaccination antibody testing can help in monitoring individuals after vaccination and selecting those who may require additional doses or not need vaccination.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Lingqing Xu, Joshua Doyle, Dominique J. Barbeau, Valerie Le Sage, Alan Wells, W. Paul Duprex, Michael R. Shurin, Sarah E. Wheeler, Anita K. McElroy
Summary: This study found a 4.5-fold increase in SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence from Fall 2020 to February 2021 in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, due to increased incidence of both natural disease and vaccination. The neutralization titer was significantly correlated with RBD titer but not with N titer. In the February cohort, higher median income and white race were associated with serological findings consistent with vaccination.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kavita Vats, Oleg Kruglov, Alicia Mizes, Svetlana N. Samovich, Andrew A. Amoscato, Vladimir A. Tyurin, Yulia Y. Tyurina, Valerian E. Kagan, Yuri L. Bunimovich
Summary: This research indicates that UVB-induced skin inflammation is primarily mediated by ferroptosis in epidermal keratinocytes, rather than apoptosis or pyroptosis. Inhibition of ferroptosis can prevent inflammation and has implications for the prevention and treatment of various skin diseases induced by UVB.
Review
Oncology
James H. Baraldi, German Martyn, Galina Shurin, Michael R. Shurin
Summary: This comprehensive review summarizes the literature on tumor innervation, addressing the evidence, historical developments, and important mechanisms related to tumor development. It concludes that solid tumors are innervated and that nerves, neurons, and glia play a functional role in tumor development.
Review
Oncology
Nuray Erin, Galina V. Shurin, James H. Baraldi, Michael R. Shurin
Summary: Sensory nerve fibers and the vagus nerve play crucial roles in tumor growth and spread. Current findings are contradictory, likely due to the stage and aggressiveness of the tumor model. Sensory neurons and Schwann cells are important players in tumor development, growth, and progression.
Article
Oncology
Shuhui Cao, Yue Wang, Yan Zhou, Yao Zhang, Xuxinyi Ling, Lincheng Zhang, Jingwen Li, Yu Yang, Weimin Wang, Michael R. Shurin, Hua Zhong
Summary: This study demonstrates the role of tumor-associated Schwann cells in the progression of small-cell lung cancer by constructing a mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA network. The findings improve our understanding of the interaction between tumor cells and Schwann cells, and provide insights into cancer progression.
Article
Cell Biology
Galina Shurin, Kavita Vats, Oleg Kruglov, Yuri L. Bunimovich, Michael R. Shurin
Summary: Nerve-cancer crosstalk is controlled by Schwann cells, which can be stimulated by tumor cells to produce prostaglandin E. This inhibits the proliferation of activated T cells and leads to T cell exhaustion. Understanding this pathway is important for the development of cancer therapies.
Letter
Dermatology
Li-Wei Chang, Viktoryia Kazlouskaya, Jenna R. Bordelon, Marion A. Hughes, Yana G. Najjar, Yuri Bunimovich, Arivarasan Karunamurthy, Jonhan Ho
DERMATOLOGY PRACTICAL & CONCEPTUAL
(2020)
Letter
Dermatology
Mary-Katharine Collins, Sonal Choudhary, Jonhan Ho, Yuri L. Bunimovich