Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Fei-Fei Nong, Yu-Qi Liang, Shang-Ping Xing, Yin-Fang Xiao, Hui-Hui Chen, Bin Wen
Summary: This study found a correlation between alcohol consumption and malignant metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Alcohol may promote CRC metastasis by influencing the molecular mechanism of the premetastatic niche.
WORLD JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Sara F. F. Almeida, Liliana Santos, Gabriela Sampaio-Ribeiro, Hugo R. S. Ferreira, Nuno Lima, Rui Caetano, Monica Abreu, Monica Zuzarte, Ana Sofia Ribeiro, Artur Paiva, Tania Martins-Marques, Paulo Teixeira, Rui Almeida, Jose Manuel Casanova, Henrique Girao, Antero J. Abrunhosa, Celia M. Gomes
Summary: This study investigated the mechanisms driving lung metastasis in osteosarcoma. The researchers found that osteosarcoma-bearing mice or those preconditioned with osteosarcoma cell secretome had structural alterations in the lungs, promoting the adhesion of disseminated tumor cells and accelerating metastasis formation. They also identified EFEMP1, an extracellular matrix glycoprotein, as a potential biomarker for lung metastasis and poor prognosis in osteosarcoma patients. Depletion of EFEMP1 prevented the formation of lung metastasis. This study highlights the importance of understanding the early events and molecular targets involved in lung metastasis to develop effective therapeutic strategies.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Laurence Blavier, Rie Nakata, Paolo Neviani, Khounish Sharma, Hiroyuki Shimada, Aitor Benedicto, Irina Matei, David Lyden, Yves A. DeClerck
Summary: The capture of tumour-derived extracellular vesicles (TEVs) by cells in the tumour microenvironment (TME) contributes to metastasis and notably to the formation of the pre-metastatic niche (PMN). However, due to the challenges associated with modelling release of small EVs in vivo, the kinetics of PMN formation in response to endogenously released TEVs have not been examined. Here, we have studied the endogenous release of TEVs in mice orthotopically implanted with metastatic human melanoma (MEL) and neuroblastoma (NB) cells releasing GFP-tagged EVs (GFTEVs) and their capture by host cells to demonstrate the active contribution of TEVs to metastasis.
JOURNAL OF EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yoshitaka Kiya, Yusuke Yoshioka, Yuichi Nagakawa, Takahiro Ochiya
Summary: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer particles secreted by various cells in the body. They interact with recipient cells and modulate biological functions by transporting cargoes such as nucleic acids and proteins. They play a role in tumor progression by stimulating signaling pathways, regulating immune system activation, and establishing premetastatic niches. EVs express immune checkpoint molecules, allowing tumor cells to evade immune cell attack and acquire resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors. This review discusses the association between EVs and tumor progression through the immune system, as well as the clinical application of EVs as biomarkers and therapeutic agents.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zixin Wang, Jie Zhu, Yanfang Liu, Ziqiao Wang, Xuetao Cao, Yan Gu
Summary: By single-cell sequencing, a tumor-polarized subpopulation of alveolar type 2 (AT2) epithelial cells with increased expression of glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPX3) and high production of interleukin (IL)-10 in the premetastatic niche (PMN) was identified. These IL-10-producing GPX3(+) AT2 cells inhibited CD4(+) T cell proliferation but enhanced regulatory T cell generation, providing new insights into immune evasion in lung metastasis.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiaoqing Han, Luopeng Bi, Yunyun Wu, Jiao Yan, Xiaqing Wu, Runxiao Zheng, Yingying Sun, Hua Zhang, Zhenxin Wang, Yanbo Wang, Haiyuan Zhang
Summary: This study presents a promising anti-metastasis strategy by using functional exosomes ((G)Exo(I)) to specifically target the lungs and block the recruitment of granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (G-MDSCs). This strategy effectively transforms the lung microenvironment from immunosuppressive to immunostimulatory, leading to the inhibition of postoperative lung metastasis of melanoma.
Review
Immunology
Atsuko Deguchi, Yoshiro Maru
Summary: Metastasis remains the leading cause of cancer-related death. The formation of a premetastatic niche, involving various types of cells such as immune cells, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts, is widely accepted as an accelerator for metastasis. This review discusses the mechanisms underlying inflammation-associated premetastatic niche formation, with a focus on myeloid cells and macrophages as the cells executing and mediating complex processes.
INFLAMMATION AND REGENERATION
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Patricia Gonzalez-Callejo, Petra Gener, Zamira Diaz-Riascos, Sefora Conti, Patricia Camara-Sanchez, Roger Riera, Sandra Mancilla, Miguel Garcia-Gabilondo, Vicente Peg, Diego Arango, Anna Rosell, Anna Labernadie, Xavier Trepat, Lorenzo Albertazzi, Jr Simo Schwartz, Joaquin Seras-Franzoso, Ibane Abasolo
Summary: Tumor-secreted extracellular vesicles play a crucial role in the establishment and growth of metastatic tumors. The diversity among these vesicles, particularly in triple-negative breast cancer, has not been fully explored. This study found that vesicles secreted by cancer stem cells and differentiated cancer cells have distinct effects on the tumor microenvironment, promoting different aspects of tumor growth and metastasis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiaoli Yi, Yue Yan, Lian Li, Qiuyi Li, Yucheng Xiang, Yuan Huang
Summary: The study presents a sequential combination strategy targeting CAFs depletion and mitochondria disruption to combat metastatic tumors. This dual approach significantly inhibits primary tumor growth and completely eradicates distant metastasis by reducing tumor stroma, increasing intratumoral oxygen perfusion, disrupting cancer cells' aerobic respiration, and downregulating hypoxia-induced PMN-fostering factors.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Claudius Jelgersma, Peter Vajkoczy
Summary: The spine is one of the organs most affected by metastasis in cancer patients, making it crucial to study metastasis in spinal mouse models. Current research focuses on the formation of the premetastatic niche, tumor cell dormancy, and the influence and regulation of the immune system. This review provides an overview of mouse models of spinal metastasis, discussing the technical aspects and proposing future development of better models.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiongfa Ji, Ho-Pan Bei, Guoqing Zhong, Hongwei Shao, Xuecheng He, Xin Qian, Yu Zhang, Xin Zhao
Summary: Primary cancer influences the bone microenvironment to induce dormancy and metastasis in tumor cells, leading to organ metastasis and death. In this study, a bone-on-a-chip (BOC) platform is created using 3D printing technology to mimic the pre-metastatic niches (PMNs), allowing investigation of the interactions between bone-resident cells and metastatic tumor cells under the influence of primary cancer. The platform utilizes a photocrosslinkable gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) hydrogel for 3D cell culture, combined with circulating tumor culture medium (CM) to examine the role of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and osteoclasts (RAW264.7s). Three niches representing dormancy, perivascular, and vicious cycle are designed to simulate bone metastasis on a single chip with high cell viability and nutrient exchange. The platform is demonstrated to be functional and practical, providing insights into PMN formation and potential drug discovery.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Shuang Chen, Xiaohong Yang, Yan Zhang, Yun Liu, Hui Lu, Yanfei Qiu, Liting Cheng, Chong Li, Chenhui Wang
Summary: The study demonstrated that encapsulating metformin and docosahexaenoic acid in inhalable microspheres could be a promising strategy for inhibiting tumor lung metastasis by orthotopically modulating the premetastatic niche in the lungs.
MOLECULAR PHARMACEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhaozhong Wang, Chen Chen, Chongdeng Shi, Xiaotian Zhao, Lin Gao, Feiyue Guo, Maosen Han, Zhenmei Yang, Jing Zhang, Chunwei Tang, Cai Zhang, Ying Liu, Peng Sun, Xinyi Jiang
Summary: Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are web-like chromatin structures coated with granule proteins that can trap microorganisms. However, they can also cause damage to host tissue and contribute to the development of various diseases. Researchers developed biomimetic CCDC25-overexpressing cell membrane hybrid liposomes that specifically target NETs and efficiently eliminate them, providing a promising therapeutic approach for NET-associated diseases.
JOURNAL OF CONTROLLED RELEASE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Shizhen Emily Wang
Summary: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a major role in intercellular communication in both physiological and pathological processes. Tumor-derived EVs contribute to cancer cell plasticity and resistance to therapy, adaptation of tumor microenvironment, vascular remodeling, immunomodulation, and establishment of pre-metastatic niches. Therefore, studying EVs and developing targeted therapies and diagnostic methods based on EVs is of great importance for cancer treatment.
SEMINARS IN CANCER BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Barbora Kvokackova, Jan Remsik, Mohit Kumar Jolly, Karel Soucek
Summary: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) play critical roles in the development of TNBC, shaping aggressive and heterogeneous biological features, but may also contribute to the progression of metastatic disease.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Jiacheng Zhang, Sean M. Rothenberger, Melissa C. Brindise, Michael Markl, Vitaliy L. Rayz, Pavlos P. Vlachos
Summary: This study introduces a novel method for estimating wall shear stress (WSS) using 4D flow MRI, which improves the accuracy of WSS estimation by correcting velocity gradient estimation. The method was tested on synthetic and in vivo data, and compared to the state-of-the-art method. The proposed method showed significant improvement in WSS accuracy and its potential for predicting cardiovascular diseases.
ANNALS OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Javad Eshraghi, Jean-Christophe Veilleux, Galen Shi, David Collins, Arezoo M. Ardekani, Pavlos P. Vlachos
Summary: Cavitation is an undesirable phenomenon that may occur in certain types of autoinjectors, potentially causing damage to the device container and protein drug molecules. By analyzing the potential effects of cavitation on autoinjectors, it was found that design parameters have an impact on the severity of cavitation, providing valuable data insights.
PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Melissa C. Brindise, Kevin Buno, Luis Solorio, Pavlos P. Vlachos
Summary: We propose a novel automated method for identifying tissue layers in histology images. The method incorporates coarse boundary identification and refinement steps to accurately segment different layers. Experimental results show that our method is robust across different histology stains.
ANNALS OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Brian H. Jun, Adib Ahmadzadegan, Arezoo M. Ardekani, Luis Solorio, Pavlos P. Vlachos
Summary: This study presents a feature-based cell tracking algorithm that can automatically detect and track cells in time-lapse images. By using advanced image processing techniques and adaptive thresholding, the algorithm can handle cell feature changes and achieves high detection and tracking accuracy.
ANNALS OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Mario de Lucio, Yu Leng, Atharva Hans, Ilias Bilionis, Melissa Brindise, Arezoo M. Ardekani, Pavlos P. Vlachos, Hector Gomez
Summary: Subcutaneous injection of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is a rapidly growing field in the pharmaceutical industry. This study presents a large-deformation poroelastic model to understand high-dose, high-speed subcutaneous injection. The anisotropy of subcutaneous tissue and the multi-layer structure of the skin tissue are considered. The impact of handheld autoinjectors on injection dynamics for different patient forces is analyzed. The simulations highlight the importance of the large deformation approach in modeling large injection volumes and provide insights into the mechanics and transport processes in subcutaneous injections of mAbs.
JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Patrick A. Giolando, Kelsey Hopkins, Barrett F. Davis, Nicole Vike, Adib Ahmadzadegan, Arezoo M. Ardekani, Pavlos P. Vlachos, Joseph V. Rispoli, Luis Solorio, Tamara L. Kinzer-Ursem
Summary: Implantable, bioresorbable drug delivery systems provide a patient-tailored drug dosage with increased patient compliance. Mechanistic mathematical modeling accelerates the design of release systems by predicting physical anomalies and short- and long-term drug release profiles. This study investigates the impact of various parameters on drug release and offers new insight into the design process for tailored release systems.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Madison E. Bates, Sarah Libring, Cynthia A. Reinhart-King
Summary: Although the role of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in tumor progression is well-known, the effects of mechanical tissue changes on CAFs are not well-studied. Myofibroblastic CAFs (myCAFs) alter tumor matrix and heavily influence mechanical forces in the tumor microenvironment (TME), but how these mechanical changes initiate and maintain the myCAF phenotype is not well-understood. Recent studies indicate CAFs may also be subjected to mechanical forces beyond the primary TME. Targeting CAF mechanical regulation may have therapeutic benefits in cancer progression.
BIOLOGY OF THE CELL
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Xiaoxu Zhong, Jean-Christophe Veilleux, Galen Huaiqiu Shi, David S. Collins, Pavlos Vlachos, Arezoo M. Ardekani
Summary: In recent years, significant progress has been made in the studies of spring-driven autoinjectors, leading to an improved understanding of its interactions with tissue and therapeutic proteins. Simulation tools have enhanced the prediction of performance, while this paper addresses critical hydrodynamic considerations and presents a framework for optimizing design. This work is valuable to the pharmaceutic industry as it provides insights into device development and improving patient outcomes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
Adib Ahmadzadegan, Harsa Mitra, Pavlos P. Vlachos, Arezoo M. Ardekani
Summary: We propose a novel method called particle image rheometry (PIR) to measure the rheological properties of fluids using the Brownian motion of suspended particles. PIR estimates the particle ensemble mean square displacement (MSD) from the temporal evolution of the displacement probability density function (PDF). Our evaluations show that PIR achieves a lower error than existing methods, with less than 1% error in passive microrheology measurements.
JOURNAL OF RHEOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Mary K. Salcedo, Brian H. Jun, John J. Socha, Naomi E. Pierce, Pavlos P. Vlachos, Stacey A. Combes
Summary: Research shows that the circulation system, respiration system, and nervous system of insects extend into their wings, playing a critical role in supplying nutrients and maintaining wing function. High-speed fluorescent microscopy and particle tracking reveals dynamic flow patterns in every vein of grasshopper wings, with three different flow behaviors: pulsatile, aperiodic, and leaky. Study of the wing circulatory system provides valuable insights into the hemodynamics necessary for sustaining wing health and insect flight.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Sean M. Rothenberger, Neal M. Patel, Jiacheng Zhang, Susanne Schnell, Bruce A. Craig, Sameer A. Ansari, Michael Markl, Pavlos P. Vlachos, Vitaliy L. Rayz
Summary: We propose an automatic segmentation method for 4D flow MRI based on SDM velocity. The SDM velocity quantifies the net flow effects in each voxel, and vessel segmentation is performed using an F-test. We compare the SDM algorithm with PCD and CNN segmentation methods, and the results demonstrate its robustness and accuracy in identifying vessel surfaces.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Kayla F. Goliwas, Sarah Libring, Emily Berestesky, Shayan Gholizadeh, Samantha C. Schwager, Andra R. Frost, Thomas R. Gaborski, Jian Zhang, Cynthia A. Reinhart-King
Summary: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) communicate with breast cancer cells through contact-dependent tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) to transfer cargo, including mitochondria, and enhance cancer cell migration. This cargo transfer results in an increase in mitochondrial ATP production in cancer cells, while glycolytic ATP production is minimally impacted. Tumor-stromal cell crosstalk via TNTs and the associated metabolic symbiosis is a finely controlled mechanism by which tumor cells promote cancer progression and may be a potential therapeutic target.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Hao Chen, Gregory M. Cresswell, Sarah Libring, Mitchell G. Ayers, Jinmin Miao, Zhong-Yin Zhang, Luis Solorio, Timothy L. Ratliff, Michael K. Wendt
CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)