Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Gokhan Bahcecioglu, Xiaoshan Yue, Erin Howe, Ian Guldner, M. Sharon Stack, Harikrishna Nakshatri, Siyuan Zhang, Pinar Zorlutuna
Summary: The study reveals that aging ECM can drive normal mammary epithelial cells to a more invasive and cancer-like phenotype, and enhance motility and invasiveness in breast cancer cells. Different responses of cells to young and aged ECMs may lead to the identification of new targets for cancer treatment and prevention.
Article
Oncology
Borja Sese, Sandra Iniguez-Munoz, Miquel Ensenyat-Mendez, Pere Llinas-Arias, Guillem Ramis, Javier I. J. Orozco, Silvia Fernandez de Mattos, Priam Villalonga, Diego M. Marzese
Summary: This study identifies a subpopulation of glioma stem cells (GSCs), known as core-GSCs (c-GSCs), in glioblastoma (GBM) patients that have a similar profile to embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and downregulated immune-associated pathways. The development of an induced c-GSC (ic-GSC) cellular model provides insights into the immune evasion mechanisms in GBM and potential targets for improving immunotherapy treatments.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Susanne Flor, Claudia R. Oliva, Md Yousuf Ali, Kristen L. Coleman, Jeremy D. Greenlee, Karra A. Jones, Varun Monga, Corinne E. Griguer
Summary: Glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer, often becomes resistant to standard treatments due to the upregulation of antioxidant catalase (CAT) which enhances resistance to chemotherapy and radiation, decreases survival rates, and enriches glioma stem cell populations.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wojciech M. Ciszewski, Malgorzata Chmielewska-Kassassir, Lucyna A. Wozniak, Katarzyna Sobierajska
Summary: This study found a close correlation between TYMS and invasion ability in colon cancer cells, as well as its crucial role in EMT regulation. It suggests that chemotherapeutics targeting TYMS expression may enhance the effectiveness of colon cancer treatment, especially in the metastatic stage.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carolin Seifert, Ellen Balz, Susann Herzog, Anna Korolev, Sebastian Gassmann, Heiko Paland, Matthias A. Fink, Markus Grube, Sascha Marx, Gabriele Jedlitschky, Mladen Tzvetkov, Bernhard H. Rauch, Henry W. S. Schroeder, Sandra Bien-Moeller
Summary: Research has shown that PIM1 kinase plays a significant role in the behavior of glioblastoma stem cells, and its inhibition can lead to the death of these stem-like cells, suggesting a potential approach for glioblastoma therapy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Yao Guo, Hanzhong Pei, Bo Lu, Dengyang Zhang, Yuming Zhao, Fuqun Wu, Honghua Sun, Junbin Huang, Peng Li, Chenju Yi, Chengming Zhu, Yihang Pan, Shunjie Wu, Chun Chen, Xiaojun Xu, Yun Chen
Summary: Plasma levels of Wnt5a in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients are positively correlated with absolute monocyte counts, but not lymphocyte counts. Nurse-like cells (NLCs) derived from CLL patients express Wnt5a. Wnt5a-induced NF-kappa B activation in the CLL microenvironment results in resistance to venetoclax in CLL cells.
CELL DEATH DISCOVERY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Tianqi Li, Rachel W. S. Chan, Cheuk-Lun Lee, Philip C. N. Chiu, Raymond H. W. Li, Ernest H. Y. Ng, William S. B. Yeung
Summary: Endometrial mesenchymal stem-like cells (eMSC) are regulated by WNT/beta-catenin signaling through the interaction of WNT5A with FZD5 and LRP5, which control the proliferation and self-renewal of eMSC.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Malvina Prapa, Chiara Chiavelli, Giulia Golinelli, Giulia Grisendi, Marco Bestagno, Rosanna Di Tinco, Massimiliano Dall'Ora, Giovanni Neri, Olivia Candini, Carlotta Spano, Tiziana Petrachi, Laura Bertoni, Gianluca Carnevale, Giuseppe Pugliese, Roberta Depenni, Alberto Feletti, Corrado Iaccarino, Giacomo Pavesi, Massimo Dominici
Summary: The study revealed that GD2 CAR has strong anti-tumor potential in glioblastoma models, and intracerebral CAR T injection significantly increased survival time without any side effects.
NPJ PRECISION ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Jiaxin Li, Fredrik Ek, Roger Olsson, Mattias Belting, Johan Bengzon
Summary: This study identified CD105(+) cells as a potential subset of glioma stem-like cells (GSCs) that play a crucial role in tumor growth and treatment resistance. CD105(+) cells exhibited stem-like characteristics and differentiated into osteocytes and adipocytes. They also produced immunosuppressive and protumorigenic cytokines. Targeting CD105(+) cells could reshape the tumor microenvironment and block glioblastoma progression.
ACTA NEUROPATHOLOGICA COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Marta Cecchi, Antonella Mannini, Andrea Lapucci, Angela Silvano, Matteo Lulli, Cristina Luceri, Mario D'Ambrosio, Alberto Chiarugi, Ali H. Eid, Astrid Parenti
Summary: In addition to its immunosuppressive actions, the enzyme tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) also has direct effects on tumor cell function. This study shows that the drug dexamethasone (dex), which is commonly used in the treatment of advanced melanoma, upregulates TDO and promotes melanoma cell function and tumor-supporting properties.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Mathilde Kerherve, Sara Rosinska, Kilian Trillet, Alya Zeinaty, Magalie Feyeux, Steven Nedellec, Julie Gavard
Summary: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a rare but devastating brain tumor in adults, with current treatments being generally ineffective. This study focused on a population of self-sustaining transformed cells with stem-like properties (GSCs) within GBM, which play a crucial role in tumor initiation, growth, invasion, and recurrence. An ex vivo model was established to explore the invasive behavior of GSCs, and it was found that the glycoprotein Neuropilin-1 (NRP1) contributes to their spreading and invasion. This study proposes a reliable approach to studying invasive properties of patient glioma cells and identifies NRP1 as a mediator in this malignant process.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yu Jin Jang, Mijeong Kim, Bum-Kyu Lee, Jonghwan Kim
Summary: The authors developed a simple procedure to convert human primed pluripotent stem cells into trophoblast stem-like cells using bone morphogenetic protein 4, providing an important opportunity to study human placenta development and pathology.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michelle Holthaus, Nivethiha Santhakumar, Thorsten Wahlers, Adnana Paunel-Goerguelue
Summary: The preconditioning of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can enhance their regenerative and immunomodulatory capabilities and exert anti-inflammatory effects by influencing the phenotype and polarization state of macrophages.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Tatyana D. Larionova, Soniya Bastola, Tatiana E. Aksinina, Ksenia S. Anufrieva, Jia Wang, Victoria O. Shender, Dmitriy E. Andreev, Tatiana F. Kovalenko, Georgij P. Arapidi, Polina Shnaider, Anastasia N. Kazakova, Yaroslav A. Latyshev, Victor V. Tatarskiy, Alexander A. Shtil, Pascale Moreau, Francis Giraud, Chaoxi Li, Yichan Wang, Maria P. Rubtsova, Olga A. Dontsova, Michael Condro, Benjamin M. Ellingson, Mikhail Shakhparonov, Harley Kornblum, Ichiro Nakano, Marat S. Pavlyukov
Summary: Larionova et al. discover a mechanism by which acidification of the tumour microenvironment induces the generation of an alternative splice isoform of ribosomal protein RPL22L1, which regulates cell stemness and increases tumour heterogeneity. The acidic pH in the tumour core switches the RNA splicing of the ribosomal gene towards the RPL22L1b isoform, allowing cells to survive acidosis and promoting stemness. In the tumour edge region, RPL22L1a interacts with ribosomes and upregulates translation of multiple messenger RNAs including TP53. Targeting this mechanism may decrease GBM heterogeneity and facilitate therapy.
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Jose Erices, Ignacio Niechi, Atenea Uribe-Ojeda, Maria de los Angeles Toro, Noemi Garcia-Romero, Josefa Carrion-Navarro, Alvaro Monago-Sanchez, Angel Ayuso-Sacido, Rody San Martin, Claudia Quezada-Monras
Summary: This study reveals that under hypoxic conditions, GBM stem-like cells enhance their migratory and invasive capacity through the activation of A(2B)AR, suggesting that targeting A(2B)AR could be an effective strategy for treating GBM recurrence.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Letter
Genetics & Heredity
Giovanni Innella, Emanuela Scarano, Pietro Palumbo, Massimo Carella, Giulia Severi
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS PART A
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Doron Tolomeo, Debora Traversa, Santina Venuto, Karoline K. Ebbesen, Juan L. Garcia Rodriguez, Grazia Tamma, Marianna Ranieri, Giorgia Simonetti, Martina Ghetti, Matteo Paganelli, Grazia Visci, Arcangelo Liso, Klaas Kok, Lucia Anna Muscarella, Federico Pio Fabrizio, Maria Antonia Frassanito, Aurelia Lamanuzzi, Ilaria Saltarella, Antonio Giovanni Solimando, Alessandro Fatica, Zaira Ianniello, Rene Massimiliano Marsano, Antonio Palazzo, Amalia Azzariti, Vito Longo, Stefania Tommasi, Domenico Galetta, Annamaria Catino, Alfredo Zito, Tommaso Mazza, Alessandro Napoli, Giovanni Martinelli, Jorgen Kjems, Lasse Sommer Kristensen, Angelo Vacca, Clelia Tiziana Storlazzi
Summary: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by distinct molecular subtypes. The amplification of MYC oncogene in SCLC is associated with different histological classes. Circular (circRNA) and chimeric RNAs derived from the co-amplified PVT1 gene were found to have a functional role in SCLC, promoting cell growth and preventing apoptosis. These PVT1 transcripts also showed a connection between MYC and YAP1/POU2F3, contributing to the transcriptional landscape of MYC-amplified tumors. These findings suggest that circular and chimeric PVT1 transcripts could serve as novel biomarkers for MYC-amplified SCLC.
GENES CHROMOSOMES & CANCER
(2023)
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Tommaso Mazza, Thomas M. Baumann, Rebecca Boll, Alberto De Fanis, Patrik Grychtol, Markus Ilchen, Jacobo Montano, Valerija Music, Yevheniy Ovcharenko, Nils Rennhack, Daniel E. Rivas, Aljoscha Roerig, Philipp Schmidt, Sergey Usenko, Pawel Ziolkowski, Daniele La Civita, Maurizio Vannoni, Harald Sinn, Barbara Keitel, Elke Ploenjes, Ulf Fini Jastrow, Andrey Sorokin, Kai Tiedtke, Klaus Mann, Bernd Schaefer, Niels Breckwoldt, Sang-Kil Son, Michael Meyer
Summary: The Small Quantum Systems instrument at the European XFEL is designed for atomic, molecular, and cluster physics research. This instrument has undergone a commissioning phase and started user operation in 2018. The article describes the design and characterization of the beam transport system, provides details on the X-ray optical components, and reports on the performance, transmission, and focusing capabilities of the beamline. It highlights that the X-ray beam can be effectively focused, as predicted by ray-tracing simulations, and discusses the impact of non-ideal X-ray source conditions on focusing performances.
JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Manuel Mangoni, Francesco Petrizzelli, Niccolo Liorni, Salvatore Daniele Bianco, Tommaso Biagini, Alessandro Napoli, Marta Adinolfi, Pietro Hiram Guzzi, Antonio Novelli, Viviana Caputo, Tommaso Mazza
Summary: The process of aging involves a decline in physiological functions and mitochondrial dysfunction is thought to play a significant role. In this study, Drosophila melanogaster was used as a model organism to study aging, and graph theory was employed to analyze gene expression patterns. Mitochondrial genes, including UQCR-C1, ND-B17.2, ND-20, and Pdhb, were found to be important in aging and age-related diseases. These findings demonstrate the role of mitochondrial genes in the aging process and the usefulness of Drosophila melanogaster and graph theory in aging research.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Francesco Cecere, Laura Pignata, Bruno Hay Mele, Abu Saadat, Emilia D'Angelo, Orazio Palumbo, Pietro Palumbo, Massimo Carella, Gioacchino Scarano, Giovanni Battista Rossi, Claudia Angelini, Angela Sparago, Flavia Cerrato, Andrea Riccio
Summary: This study reports a case of early-onset colorectal cancer (EO-CRC) in a 27-year-old woman with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWSp). Genetic and epigenetic analysis revealed the presence of genetic and epigenetic variations that may be associated with the development of EO-CRC.
Article
Microbiology
Orazio Palmieri, Stefano Castellana, Anna Latiano, Tiziana Latiano, Annamaria Gentile, Anna Panza, Marianna Nardella, Davide Ciardiello, Tiziana Pia Latiano, Giuseppe Corritore, Tommaso Mazza, Francesco Perri, Giuseppe Biscaglia
Summary: An increasing amount of evidence suggests the important role of gut microbiota in the development of colorectal cancer. This study analyzed the microbial communities in normal and neoplastic colonic mucosa using NGS and metagenomics analysis tools. The findings revealed weak differences in microbial diversity between CRC and control groups, with an increasing trend of Rikenellaceae, Pseudomonas, and Fusobacterium in CRC. Fusobacterium nucleatum was found to be significantly enriched in all tissues of subjects with synchronous colorectal neoplasia.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Tiziana De Santis, Valentina Serpieri, Tommaso Mazza, Michele Lanotte, Carlotta Criffo, Tommaso Mazza, Enza Maria Valente, Alberto Albanese
MOVEMENT DISORDERS CLINICAL PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Alberto Visioli, Nadia Trivieri, Gandino Mencarelli, Fabrizio Giani, Massimiliano Copetti, Orazio Palumbo, Riccardo Pracella, Maria Grazia Cariglia, Chiara Barile, Luigi Mischitelli, Amata Amy Soriano, Pietro Palumbo, Federico Legnani, Francesco Dimeco, Leonardo Gorgoglione, Graziano Pesole, Angelo L. Vescovi, Elena Binda
Summary: This study demonstrates that distinct pools of GSCs enrich the functional inter-cluster variances in GBM patients. Two novel functional biomarkers that selectively represent GSCs pools were identified, capable of discriminating GBM patient stratification, survival, and drug response. These findings provide the groundwork for personalized diagnostic and prognostic strategies, as well as patient-selective treatment protocols.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eelke M. M. Bos, Elena Binda, Iris S. C. Verploegh, Eva Wembacher, Daphna Hoefnagel, Rutger K. K. Balvers, Anne L. L. Korporaal, Andrea Conidi, Esther A. H. Warnert, Nadia Trivieri, Alberto Visioli, Paola Zaccarini, Laura Caiola, Rogier van Wijck, Peter van der Spek, Danny Huylebroeck, Sieger Leenstra, Martine L. M. Lamfers, Zvi Ram, Manfred Westphal, David Noske, Federico Legnani, Francesco DiMeco, Angelo Luigi Vescovi, Clemens M. F. Dirven
Summary: This study evaluates the safety and efficacy of intra- and peritumoral administration of hrBMP4 in recurrent glioblastoma. The results show that local delivery of hrBMP4 is safe and well-tolerated, and some patients responded positively to the treatment. Further clinical studies are warranted.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Niccolo Liorni, Alessandro Napoli, Stefano Castellana, Sebastiano Giallongo, Daniela Rehakova, Oriana Lo Re, Irena Koutna, Tommaso Mazza, Manlio Vinciguerra
Summary: This study used a combination of CUT&Tag and RNA-Seq data to analyze the differences between macroH2A1.1 and macroH2A1.2 during iPSCs reprogramming. The results demonstrated that macroH2A1.1 had wider genome occupancy and specifically activated ectoderm/neural processes during reprogramming.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Antonella Tramutola, Hannah S. Bakels, Federica Perrone, Michela Di Nottia, Tommaso Mazza, Maria Pia Abruzzese, Martina Zoccola, Sara Pagnotta, Rosalba Carrozzo, Susanne T. de Bot, Marzia Perluigi, Willeke M. C. van Roon-Mom, Ferdinando Squitieri
Summary: This study investigated the expression levels of two main glucose transporters, GLUT-1 and GLUT-3, in patients with paediatric Huntington disease with highly expanded mutations (HE-PHD). The results showed significantly lower expression of GLUT-1 and GLUT-3 in the frontal cortex of HE-PHD patients. The study also found deregulated mitochondrial complex expression and reduced hexokinase-II expression in HE-PHD patients, indicating a dysfunctional hypometabolic state in the brains of paediatric Huntington disease.
Letter
Oncology
Mattia Colucci, Nadia Trivieri, Gandino Mencarelli, Elisabetta De Santis, Francesca Sansico, Francesco Tamiro, Alberto Visioli, Chiara Barile, Riccardo Pracella, Giovanni Rossi, Elena Binda, Vincenzo Giambra
Summary: EphB6 is overexpressed in T-ALL and plays a critical role in leukemia initiating cells. EphB6 positive cells persist during minimal residual disease after treatment and are associated with cell proliferation and poor clinical outcomes.
BIOMARKER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Niels Breckwoldt, Sang-Kil Son, Tommaso Mazza, Aljoscha Roerig, Rebecca Boll, Michael Meyer, Aaron C. LaForge, Debadarshini Mishra, Nora Berrah, Robin Santra
Summary: X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) bring new possibilities for probing and manipulating atomic and molecular dynamics with unprecedented resolution. However, accurately comparing experimental results with theoretical simulations requires precise characterization of the spatial and temporal profile of the X-ray pulses. In this study, we propose a calibration scheme based on Bayesian optimization to accurately determine the pulse duration and spatial fluence distribution profile of intense XFEL pulses. This method can serve as a comprehensive tool for characterizing ultraintense and ultrafast X-ray pulses.
PHYSICAL REVIEW RESEARCH
(2023)
