Review
Oncology
Jianhui Yang, Omar Aljitawi, Peter Van Veldhuizen
Summary: This review summarizes the recent research progress on the role of CD133 in prostate cancer stem cells (PCSC), including its selective expression in undifferentiated cells, its correlation to treatment resistance, its gene regulation and functional analysis, and its targeted therapy in vitro, in vivo, and in clinical trials.
Review
Oncology
Xingning Lai, Yiling Guo, Miaomiao Chen, Yuxuan Wei, Wanting Yi, Yubo Shi, Lixia Xiong
Summary: Cav1 plays dual roles in stem cell biology, with both inhibitory and promoting effects on stem cell self-renewal, differentiation, proliferation, migration, and tumorigenicity. Targeting the Cav1-stem cell axis may provide new approaches for tissue repair and overcoming cancer drug resistance.
JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH AND CLINICAL ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Alejandro Ordaz-Ramos, Olivia Tellez-Jimenez, Karla Vazquez-Santillan
Summary: Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) are a specific subpopulation of cells capable of self-renewal and differentiation into diverse tumor cells. The involvement of cancer stem cells in treatment resistance and cancer recurrence is well established. Specific signaling pathways, such as Wnt/beta-catenin, NF-kappa B, Notch, Hedgehog, TGF-beta, and Hippo, play crucial roles in regulating the self-renewal ability of cancer stem cells. Targeting these signaling pathways holds promise as a therapeutic strategy for combating breast cancer aggressiveness. This review discusses the main signaling pathways involved in maintaining the self-renewal ability of BCSCs and highlights current strategies to disrupt stemness-related signaling molecules.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Gulab Sher, Tariq Masoodi, Kalyani Patil, Sabah Akhtar, Shilpa Kuttikrishnan, Aamir Ahmad, Shahab Uddin
Summary: Since the introduction of the cancer stem cell paradigm, significant progress has been made in understanding the role of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in tumor biology, including metastasis and drug resistance. The transcription factor FOXM1 has emerged as a key regulator of CSCs, involved in their formation, maintenance, and functionality. This review summarizes the evidence for the mechanisms by which FOXM1 promotes stemness in different types of cancers and highlights its prognostic importance.
SEMINARS IN CANCER BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Shixin Liao, Kaili Wang, Lulu Zhang, Gaoli Shi, Zhiwei Wang, Zhenzhen Chen, Pingping Zhu, Qiankun He
Summary: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, and reliable markers for early detection are lacking. This study identified PRC1 and RACGAP1 as reliable markers for early HCC detection and demonstrated their crucial roles in HCC therapy.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Tong Niu, Weiwei Zhang, Wei Xiao
Summary: Breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) play critical roles in modulating breast tumor behaviors and drug resistance, while miRNAs in breast cancer exhibit multifaceted roles as suppressors or oncogenes in regulating cancer progression. The review highlights the importance of miRNAs in regulating key signaling pathways that are essential for BCSC maintenance.
CANCER CELL INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
S. S. Hoepner, Ana Raykova, R. Radpour, M. A. Amrein, D. Koller, G. M. Baerlocher, C. Riether, A. F. Ochsenbein
Summary: The study demonstrates that LIGHT and its receptor LT beta R promote quiescence and self-renewal of HSCs, while LT beta R deficiency contributes to survival in a mouse leukemia model.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Ziwei Liang, Bingrui Wu, Zhi Ji, Weitao Liu, Danfang Shi, Xiaoning Chen, Yuanyan Wei, Jianhai Jiang
Summary: LDN193189 inhibits liver TIC self-renewal, tumorigenicity, and immune escape by targeting CD133 phosphorylation, providing a potential therapeutic approach to targeting the CD133-Galectin-3 axis for liver cancer treatment.
Article
Cell Biology
Xiaomin Du, Siyu Wu, Yudong Wei, Xiuwei Yu, Fanglin Ma, Yuanxin Zhai, Donghui Yang, Mengfei Zhang, Wenqing Liu, Haijing Zhu, Jiang Wu, Mingzhi Liao, Na Li, Chunling Bai, Guangpeng Li, Jinlian Hua
Summary: The study identified a subset of spermatogonial stem cells in dairy goats with high PAX7 expression, indicating that PAX7 can maintain the self-renewal of these cells.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Miaoling Tang, Meisongzhu Yang, Geyan Wu, Shuang Mo, Xingui Wu, Shuxia Zhang, Ruyuan Yu, Yameng Hu, Yingru Xu, Ziwen Li, Xinyi Liao, Jun Li, Libing Song
Summary: In liver cancer cells, the upregulation of MFF mediated by the TBX19/PRMT1 complex promotes mitochondrial fission and tumor-initiating capacity, indicating that PRMT1 may be a viable therapeutic target in liver cancer.
Review
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Cong Zhao, Wen Xie, Hecheng Zhu, Ming Zhao, Weidong Liu, Zhaoping Wu, Lei Wang, Bin Zhu, Shasha Li, Yao Zhou, Xingjun Jiang, Qiang Xu, Caiping Ren
Summary: Stem cells are unique cells with the ability to self-renew and differentiate into various functional cells. Recent studies have revealed the crucial roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) in the self-renewal and differentiation of stem cells. This review summarizes the functions of lncRNAs and their RBPs in determining the fate of stem cells, focusing on their involvement in epigenetic regulation, signaling pathway regulation, splicing, mRNA stability, and subcellular localization. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs and RBPs will contribute to the development of clinical regenerative medicine.
STEM CELL RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Rakshita Grover, Sahil Drall, Neelam Poonia, Gaurav Kumar Jain, Geeta Aggarwal, Viney Lather, Prashant Kesharwani, Deepti Pandita, Ramesh K. Goyal
Summary: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) contribute to tumor onset, progression, chemotherapy resistance, and relapse. CD44 and CD133 are commonly expressed markers used to identify aggressive CSCs. Targeting these markers with aptamers conjugated nanocarriers can overcome the limitations of antibodies and has proven to be beneficial in targeting CSCs. This article reviews the recent advancements in aptamers and their conjugation with nanocarriers for specific targeting of CSCs and improved cancer therapy efficacy.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Karolin Walter, Eva Rodriguez-Aznar, Monica S. Ventura Ferreira, Pierre-Olivier Frappart, Tabea Dittrich, Kanishka Tiwary, Sabine Meessen, Laura Lerma, Nora Daiss, Lucas-Alexander Schulte, Zeynab Najafova, Frank Arnold, Valentyn Usachov, Ninel Azoitei, Mert Erkan, Andre Lechel, Tim H. Brummendorf, Thomas Seufferlein, Alexander Kleger, Enrique Tabares, Cagatay Gunes, Steven A. Johnsen, Fabian Beier, Bruno Sainz Jr, Patrick C. Hermann
Summary: This study demonstrates the critical role of telomerase regulation in maintaining stemness in pancreatic CSCs and examines the effects of telomerase inhibition as a potential treatment option for pancreatic cancer. This may significantly enhance our understanding of PDAC tumor biology and potentially lead to improved treatment for pancreatic cancer patients.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Lifa Li, Jingxiao Zhang, Hong Peng, Xianhong Jiang, Zuoliang Liu, Hongpeng Tian, Songlin Hou, Xingjiang Xie, Qiang Peng, Tong Zhou
Summary: This study investigates the role of miR-92a in colorectal cancer (CRC). It is found that miR-92a functions as an oncogene by directly binding and repressing SOCS3, resulting in the regulation of stemness and proliferation of CRC cells.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Haiqing Luo, Chih-Yu Chen, Xiangyong Li, Xin Zhang, Chien-Wen Su, Yinghua Liu, Tinglan Cao, Lei Hao, Meng Wang, Jing X. Kang
Summary: Aberrant lipid metabolism is recognized as a new hallmark of malignancy, and targeting specific enzymes involved in fatty acid metabolism can limit self-renewal and growth of breast cancer stem cells. Omega-3 fatty acids are effective in suppressing lipogenic enzymes and reducing tumor load in BCSC-derived tumors.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francesc Font-Clos, Stefano Zapperi, Caterina A. M. La Porta
Summary: The study introduces a general algorithmic strategy called ARIADNE to assess metastasis risk in patients with triple-negative breast cancer from transcriptomic data, validated in three independent cohorts. This strategy provides a prognostic tool that could potentially be applied to other breast cancer subtypes or other tumor types.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Loretta Ferrera, Raffaella Barbieri, Cristiana Picco, Paolo Zuccolini, Alessia Remigante, Sara Bertelli, Maria Rita Fumagalli, Giovanni Zifarelli, Caterina A. M. La Porta, Paola Gavazzo, Michael Pusch
Summary: The response to oxidative stimulation in melanoma cells involves the activation of potassium currents and an increase in intracellular calcium levels, mediated by BK, KCa3.1, and TRPM2 channels. Differences in the expression levels of these channels in different cell lines may play a crucial role in melanoma progression. Targeting these ion channels pharmacologically could be a novel strategy to reduce the metastatic potential of melanoma cells alongside traditional treatments.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Caterina A. M. La Porta, Maria Rita Fumagalli, Stefano Gomarasca, Maria Chiara Lionetti, Stefano Zapperi, Stefano Bocchi
Summary: This study analyzed geolocated data of pollutants in surface and groundwater of Lombardy, revealing presence of herbicides and insecticides above legal limits in surface waters. The research showed that a combination of multiple compounds can induce stress in algae, indicating synergistic effects on the environment. The work resulted in a pipeline that can be easily utilized to monitor other territories in Italy and abroad.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sara Donzelli, Francesca Spinella, Enea Gino Di Domenico, Martina Pontone, Ilaria Cavallo, Giulia Orlandi, Stefania Iannazzo, Giulio Maria Ricciuto, ISG Virology Covid Team, Raul Pellini, Paola Muti, Sabrina Strano, Gennaro Ciliberto, Fabrizio Ensoli, Stefano Zapperi, Caterina A. M. La Porta, Giovanni Blandino, Aldo Morrone, Fulvia Pimpinelli
Summary: The presence of undiscovered SARS-CoV-2 variants in Italy is described in this study. Deep sequencing analysis of respiratory samples revealed the D614G and S939F mutations. Unlike D614G, the S939F mutation has a slight but significant impact on immune response.
COMPUTATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Francesc Font-Clos, Stefano Zapperi, Caterina A. M. La Porta
Summary: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer that grows and spreads quickly, has limited treatment options, and worse prognosis. This study compares two patient stratification strategies based on gene expression data and finds that they are not directly related, suggesting that the aggressiveness of TNBC may be influenced by multiple unrelated factors.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Maria Chiara Lionetti, Maria Rita Fumagalli, Caterina A. M. La Porta
Summary: Tumor plasticity is the ability of tumor cells to change their phenotype in response to the environment. In this study, we investigated the biophysical changes that occur during phenotypic switching in human melanoma cells. Our results suggest that phenotypic switching in melanoma involves nuclear changes and chromatin remodeling, which alter the transcriptional activity and phenotype of cells.
CELLS TISSUES ORGANS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maria Rita Fumagalli, Stella Maria Saro, Matteo Tajana, Stefano Zapperi, Caterina A. M. La Porta
Summary: STELLA is a computational method used to derive the spectrum of metabolites associated with an individual's microbiome. By comparing the results with healthy individuals, individual metabolic alterations can be identified.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marco Zanchi, Stefano Zapperi, Chiara Zanotti, Marco Rotiroti, Tullia Bonomi, Stefano Gomarasca, Stefano Bocchi, Caterina A. M. La Porta
Summary: Time-dependent geolocalized analysis of pollution data is crucial for understanding and mitigating water pollution. This study examines pollutant concentrations in surface waters and groundwater in Lombardy, finding that groundwater has more sites exceeding legal limits for heavy metals. The results suggest that implementing stricter laws can improve the ecological status of water.
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Caterina AM. La Porta, Stefano Zapperi
Summary: Predicting the risk of breast cancer metastasis after a first diagnosis is a crucial issue, which can be tackled by artificial intelligence. Incorporating biological insight into algorithms is necessary due to limited availability of standardized datasets.
CELL REPORTS MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Stefano Zapperi, Caterina A. M. La Porta
Summary: Finding prognostic and predictive markers for TNBC is highly desirable, and the recently developed transcriptomic test ARIADNE shows promising capabilities in this regard.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mrinmoy Mukherjee, Oleksandr Chepizhko, Maria Chiara Lionetti, Stefano Zapperi, Caterina A. M. La Porta, Herbert Levine
Summary: In recent years, there has been a growing interest in understanding the role of the adaptive immune system in controlling tumor progression. Studies have shown that the density of adaptive immune cells inside solid tumors is a favorable prognostic marker for various types of cancer, although the exact mechanisms behind immune cell infiltration are not fully understood. In this study, the researchers quantified the temporal dynamics of immune cell density around a solid tumor spheroid and developed a computational model that could reproduce the experimentally measured infiltration profile. Studying the density distribution of immune cells inside solid tumors can provide insights into immune trafficking in the tumor microenvironment and potentially guide the development of novel immunotherapeutic strategies.
Article
Microbiology
Marianna Dourou, Caterina Anna Maria La Porta
Summary: The nucleation dynamic assay is used to identify microbial behaviors, such as the interactions between Trichoderma fungi and other members of soil microflora. Trichoderma-based fungicides are being researched as an alternative to synthetic ones, but the impact on the soil microbiome is not well-studied. In this study, twelve fungi were isolated from Italian vineyards, including three Trichoderma strains and nine other plant-associated fungi. Through a dual nucleation assay, it was observed that Trichoderma strains exhibited both neutral and antagonistic interactions with different fungi, including plant pathogens. The findings emphasize the importance of studying fungal interactions to understand the impact of fungal-based biological fungicides on soil communities.
Article
Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
Caterina A. M. La Porta, Stefano Zapperi
Summary: Inequalities in wealth, income, access to food and healthcare have been increasing worldwide. This study explores the relationship between wealth inequality and mobility, comparing surveys conducted in the USA and Italy. It is found that greater wealth inequality in the USA is associated with poorer health conditions than in Italy. Additionally, mobility becomes slower at the extremes of the wealth distribution in both countries. Households trapped in persistent lack of wealth experience greater food insecurity and poorer health. A simple agent based model of wealth condensation driven by random returns and exchanges is used to explain the association between inequality and immobility. The model accurately describes survey data qualitatively, but overestimates mobility. The discrepancy is attributed to the model's incorrect representation of income generation for low-wealth households. On the other hand, the model effectively describes wealth dynamics within the ultra-wealthy class. The results highlight the interconnectedness of different forms of inequality and the need to address them collectively.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-COMPLEXITY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maria Rita Fumagalli, Stefano Zapperi, Caterina A. M. La Porta
Summary: Bats have the ability to coexist with viruses by regulating their body temperature variations between day and night, which prevents viral escape and makes the system more robust.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY INTERFACE
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Caterina A. M. La Porta, Stefano Zapperi
Summary: The study identified three new Sars-Cov-2 variants that could potentially affect vaccine efficacy, with results showing varying impacts on immune responses depending on different HLA alleles. The findings suggest the importance of considering genetic diversity in vaccine design.
FRONTIERS IN DIGITAL HEALTH
(2021)