Review
Cell Biology
Yanyu Jiang, Lihui Li, Yan Li, Guangwei Liu, Robert M. Hoffman, Lijun Jia
Summary: The neddylation pathway regulates the function, migration, survival, and polarization of macrophages, highlighting its implications for cancer therapy.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Yangon Zhang, Shu Ma, Tie Li, Yu Tian, Huangao Zhou, Hongsheng Wang, Lan Huang
Summary: This study found that tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are increased in colon cancer and promote tumor progression. Type 1 innate lymphocytes (ILC1s) can promote the activation of macrophages towards an anti-tumor phenotype. In this study, ILC1s were found to promote the activation of M1-like macrophages through secretion of IFN-? and inhibit the progression of colon cancer.
Article
Immunology
Xuedi Zheng, Mengyuan Li, Qi Chen, Boli Ma, Xueyi Nie, Yueyang Liu, Yi Yang, Jinrui Xu, Yujiong Wang
Summary: This study aimed to explore the pathways that regulate Ror2-regulated cholesterol accumulation in macrophages and found that Ror2 can shape the autophagic activity in macrophages by modulating intracellular cholesterol levels.
MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Wenwen Gu, Mengdi Zhang, Fan Gao, Yuji Niu, Luyao Sun, Haojie Xia, Wenwen Li, Yaru Zhang, Zhenzhen Guo, Gangjun Du
Summary: Coptis chinensis Franch (CCF) has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat various diseases. This study investigated the potential of berberine, a major compound in CCF, to prevent lung cancer and its effect on PADI4-related macrophage function. The results suggest that berberine may regulate macrophage function to prevent lung cancer.
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Li Zhu, Hongjiao Li, Jiyu Li, Yuan Zhong, Shuai Wu, Meng Yan, Sheng Ni, Kun Zhang, Guixue Wang, Kai Qu, Deqin Yang, Xian Qin, Wei Wu
Summary: A disorder of cholesterol homeostasis initiates atherosclerosis progression. Macrophage membrane-camouflaged methotrexate nanoparticles (MM@MTX NPs) showed improved therapeutic efficacy by promoting cholesterol efflux and inhibiting foam cell formation. The NPs significantly reduced plaque area, aortic plaque, and cholesterol crystal deposition in ApoE-/- mice, and exhibited good biocompatibility.
JOURNAL OF NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Hong Luo, Zhicheng Zhou, Shan Huang, Mengru Ma, Manyu Zhao, Lixu Tang, Yuan Quan, Yiming Zeng, Li Su, Jongchan Kim, Peijing Zhang
Summary: The cell cycle-related E3 ubiquitin ligase, CHFR, serves as a key negative regulator of ZEB1 in TNBC, enhancing the therapeutic potential against TNBC cells by modulating ZEB1.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Chao Wang, Linxuan Xue, Wenqiang Zhu, Lina Liu, Shuhua Zhang, Daya Luo
Summary: Globally, breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in women. Metabolic reprogramming and immune escape play important roles in breast cancer progression. Lactate in tumors is mainly derived from glycolysis. Through multiomics data analysis, it was found that breast cancer cells with higher malignancy and in the cell cycle have higher expression of glycolytic metabolic enzymes. Clinical data analysis showed that the lactate transporter SLC16A3 is correlated with breast cancer molecular subtypes and immune infiltration. Macrophages are the most abundant immune cells in breast cancer tissues, and the high expression group of SLC16A3 has a lower proportion of M1 macrophages. In vitro experiments confirmed that lactate could inhibit the expression of M1 macrophage markers at both RNA and protein levels. In conclusion, lactate produced by glycolysis regulates the polarization of inflammatory macrophages in breast cancer.
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY IMMUNOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Thanh Nguyen, Dhivya Sridaran, Surbhi Chouhan, Cody Weimholt, Audrey Wilson, Jingqin Luo, Tiandao Li, John Koomen, Bin Fang, Nagireddy Putluri, Arun Sreekumar, Felix Y. Feng, Kiran Mahajan, Nupam P. Mahajan
Summary: This study reveals a new mechanism of inhibiting androgen synthesis by phosphorylated SREBF1 protein, which affects the development and treatment of prostate cancer.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Chia-Cheng Miao, Wen Hwang, Ling-Yi Chu, Li-Hao Yang, Cam-Thu Ha, Pei-Yu Chen, Ming-Han Kuo, Sheng-Chieh Lin, Ya-Yu Yang, Shuang-En Chuang, Chia-Cherng Yu, Shien-Tung Pan, Mou-Chieh Kao, Chuang-Rung Chang, Yu-Ting Chou
Summary: In this study, it was found that the key autophagy molecule MAP1LC3A/LC3A is negatively associated with histological grade and distant metastasis of lung cancer, partly due to its role in maintaining mitochondria and energy homeostasis. Basal autophagy is preferentially active in SOX2-positive lung cancer cells with high-proliferative and low-invasive properties. The findings provide insights into the crosstalk between basal autophagy and SOX2 proliferation signaling, regulating mitochondrial metabolism and determining cancer cell plasticity in lung tumor progression.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yaowei Xuan, Lin Li, Muzhi Ma, Junkai Cao, Zhen Zhang
Summary: Mineralized collagen is a promising barrier membrane material for guided bone regeneration (GBR). In this study, hierarchical intrafibrillarly mineralized collagen (HIMC) membrane was fabricated, which showed preferable physicochemical properties and promoted cell adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation. HIMC membrane also induced macrophage polarization and enhanced bone regeneration. Therefore, HIMC membrane represents a promising material for GBR.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Xin Zheng, Qi Jiang, Mingshun Han, Fenfen Ye, Mingchang Wang, Ying Qiu, Jialu Wang, Minxia Gao, Fajian Hou, Hongyan Wang
Summary: Macrophages are versatile cells that can be activated by different stimuli to differentiate into distinct subsets. FBXO38, a protein identified in this study, was found to promote immunosuppressive function in macrophages without affecting other macrophage functions. Further investigation revealed that deletion of FBXO38 in macrophages can block tumor development and protect against colitis.
CELLULAR & MOLECULAR IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fabao Liu, Min Ma, Ang Gao, Fengfei Ma, Gui Ma, Peng Liu, Chenxi Jia, Yidan Wang, Kristine Donahue, Shengjie Zhang, Irene M. Ong, Sunduz Keles, Lingjun Li, Wei Xu
Summary: The study revealed that PKM2 regulates lipid metabolism through TMEM33, which affects SREBP activation. Loss of PKM2 leads to up-regulation of TMEM33, impacting the regulation of lipid metabolism.
Article
Immunology
Yao Tan, Juan Pan, Zhenjun Deng, Tao Chen, Jinquan Xia, Ziling Liu, Chang Zou, Bo Qin
Summary: This study demonstrates that the risk model based on lipid metabolism may be useful for predicting the prognosis of patients with UM. By promoting macrophage M2 polarization, MGLL contributes to the evolution of malignancy in UM, suggesting that it may be a therapeutic target for UM.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ksenija Korotkaja, Juris Jansons, Karina Spunde, Zhanna Rudevica, Anna Zajakina
Summary: Reprogramming TAMs is a promising strategy for cancer immunotherapy. In this study, a new 3D model was established to investigate macrophage programming in the presence of cancer cell spheroids. The findings showed that the profile of cytokines, chemokines, and surface markers of 3D-cultured macrophages did not differ conceptually from monolayer-cultured M1 and M2-programmed macrophages.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Kai Zhang
Summary: Leishmania parasites rely on different sources of lipids during their life cycle stages in the sand fly vector and vertebrate host, reflecting their growth rate and metabolic activity. Future studies may reveal how Leishmania uptake and remodel host lipids at cellular and molecular levels, and blocking this lipid transfer could be a novel strategy to control Leishmania growth.
CURRENT OPINION IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Laura Strauss, Valentina Guarneri, Alessandra Gennari, Antonio Sica
Summary: Immune homeostasis is disrupted in chronic inflammatory states like cancer, leading to excessive expansion of myeloid progenitors and aberrant immune responses. Metabolic dysfunctions play a critical role in influencing the balance between therapeutic efficacy and immune-related adverse effects, particularly in current immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Restoring immunometabolism may enhance host antitumor immunity and improve clinical outcomes.
CELLULAR & MOLECULAR IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elettra Barberis, Virginia V. Vanella, Marco Falasca, Valeria Caneapero, Giuseppe Cappellano, Davide Raineri, Marco Ghirimoldi, Veronica De Giorgis, Chiara Puricelli, Rosanna Vaschetto, Pier Paolo Sainaghi, Stefania Bruno, Antonio Sica, Umberto Dianzani, Roberta Rolla, Annalisa Chiocchetti, Vincenzo Cantaluppi, Gianluca Baldanzi, Emilio Marengo, Marcello Manfredi
Summary: Limited knowledge of the host response to SARS-CoV-2 hinders understanding of COVID-19 pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies. This study revealed that SARS-CoV-2 infection modulates exosome content and their involvement in disease progression, highlighting the potential of plasma exosomes as biomarkers for disease severity. Proteomic analysis of patient-derived exosomes identified molecules implicated in immune response, inflammation, coagulation, and complement pathways associated with COVID-19 tissue damage and organ dysfunction. Moreover, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in exosomes suggests a potential route for viral spread.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Francesca Maria Consonni, Augusto Bleve, Maria Grazia Totaro, Mariangela Storto, Paolo Kunderfranco, Alberto Termanini, Fabio Pasqualini, Chiara Ali, Chiara Pandolfo, Francesco Sgambelluri, Giulia Grazia, Mario Santinami, Andrea Maurichi, Massimo Milione, Marco Erreni, Andrea Doni, Marco Fabbri, Laura Gribaldo, Eliana Rulli, Miguel Parreira Soares, Valter Torri, Roberta Mortarini, Andrea Anichini, Antonio Sica
Summary: This study identifies a distinct subset of TAMs with high rates of heme catabolism by HO-1, playing a critical role in shaping a prometastatic tumor microenvironment and favoring immunosuppression, angiogenesis and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. These TAMs originate from BM precursors, accumulate in the blood of tumor bearers, and preferentially localize at the invasive margin through Nrf2 activation and NF-kappa B1-CSF1R-C3aR axis coordination. Hindering their recruitment or deletion of HO-1 inhibits metastasis formation and enhances anticancer immunotherapy, making them a potential antimetastatic target and prognostic blood marker.
Letter
Oncology
Matteo Bellone, Marco Bregni, Vincenzo Bronte, Stefano Ugel, Pier Francesco Ferrucci, Massimo Di Nicola, Paola Nistico, Gaia Zuccolotto, Antonio Rosato, Vincenzo Russo, Antonio Sica, Mario P. Colombo
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY IMMUNOTHERAPY
(2022)
Letter
Oncology
Matteo Bellone, Arianna Brevi, Vincenzo Bronte, Silvia Dusi, Pier Francesco Ferrucci, Paola Nistico, Antonio Rosato, Vincenzo Russo, Antonio Sica, Gabriele Toietta, Mario Paolo Colombo
CANCER IMMUNOLOGY IMMUNOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Allergy
Augusto Bleve, Francesca Motta, Barbara Durante, Chiara Pandolfo, Carlo Selmi, Antonio Sica
Summary: The immune system plays a crucial role in maintaining tissue homeostasis and defending against pathogens and cancer cells. However, the aging process leads to a decline in immune function, resulting in compromised immune responses and unresolved inflammation. This contributes to a subclinical syndrome of homeostatic frailty in the elderly, making them more susceptible to immune debilitation and chronic low-grade inflammation, which in turn increase the risk of chronic and degenerative diseases. This review focuses on the age-dependent changes in myeloid populations and their impact on frailty and diseases in the elderly.
CLINICAL REVIEWS IN ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Augusto Bleve, Francesca Maria Consonni, Chiara Porta, Valentina Garlatti, Antonio Sica
Summary: Immunotherapy has made significant progress in the treatment of cancer, but the presence of myeloid cells in the tumor microenvironment can greatly impact treatment response. Current strategies targeting TAMs and MDSCs are showing promising results in pre-clinical and clinical studies. Variability in immune profile within the tumor microenvironment, largely influenced by the frequency and phenotypic heterogeneity of infiltrating myeloid cells, can contribute to the variability in treatment response.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Angela Masini, Valentina Bonetto, Marcello Manfredi, Anna Pasto, Elettra Barberis, Sara Timo, Virginia Vita Vanella, Elisa Robotti, Francesca Masetto, Francesca Andreoli, Alessandra Fiore, Sara Tavella, Antonio Sica, Massimo Donadelli, Emilio Marengo
Summary: The absence of gravity has significant impact on cancer cells, affecting their morphology, metabolism, and phenotype. Simulated microgravity can activate cellular motility pathways and enhance the migratory capability of tumor cells. Additionally, the absence of gravity can alter metabolic pathways, promoting the survival and proliferation of cancer cells.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elettra Barberis, Shahzaib Khoso, Antonio Sica, Marco Falasca, Alessandra Gennari, Francesco Dondero, Antreas Afantitis, Marcello Manfredi
Summary: This review discusses the application of recent technological innovations in mass spectrometry to metabolomics analysis, with a focus on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) strategies. The article also explores the challenges and limitations of implementing metabolomics-AI systems, as well as recent tools and studies in disease classification and biomarker identification.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Francesca Maria Consonni, Barbara Durante, Marcello Manfredi, Augusto Bleve, Chiara Pandolfo, Valentina Garlatti, Virginia Vita Vanella, Emilio Marengo, Elettra Barberis, Barbara Bottazzi, Sara Bombace, Ilaria My, Gianluigi Condorelli, Valter Torri, Antonio Sica
Summary: Despite being more susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the mechanisms underlying the predisposition of cancer patients to severe forms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remain unknown. Utilizing a combination of flow cytometry and multiomics, this study identifies immunometabolic pathways that intersect with cancer and SARS-CoV-2 infection. The findings suggest that cancer not only dampens the inflammatory state in COVID-19 patients but also weakens their metabolic state through interference with NAD(+)-dependent immune homeostasis.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Immunology
Antonio Sica, Massimo Lazzeri
Summary: Tissue-resident macrophages promote protective fibrosis in pancreatitis for pancreatic homeostasis maintenance, while in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, they facilitate tumor progression through stromal desmoplasia.
Article
Allergy
Francesca Motta, Elisa Barone, Antonio Sica, Carlo Selmi
Summary: Osteoarthritis is a prevalent disease in the elderly population, and the role of inflammaging in its development has been explored. Inflammaging affects immune response and cartilage degradation, and may serve as a potential therapeutic target.
CLINICAL REVIEWS IN ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
