Review
Oncology
Ram Kumar Sahu, Sakina Ruhi, Ashok Kumar Jeppu, Husni Ahmed Al-Goshae, Ayesha Syed, Sanjay Nagdev, Retno Widyowati, Wiwied Ekasari, Jiyauddin Khan, Bedanta Bhattacharjee, Manoj Goyal, Sankha Bhattacharya, Rajendra K. Jangde
Summary: Malignant mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive tumor that develops in the mesothelium layer and is highly resistant to standard treatments. Despite the worldwide ban on asbestos, the prevalence of mesothelioma continues to increase. Diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma are challenging, and current treatments are largely ineffective. However, recent advances in understanding the genetics and molecular pathophysiology of mesothelioma have been made, particularly in the hippo signaling pathway.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yinying Chu, Yi Fang, Haitao Wu, Lei Cheng, Jian Chen
Summary: This study established immortalized human vocal fold fibroblast cell lines and characterized their properties. The results showed that these cells exhibited increased proliferation and altered gene expression, suggesting their potential use in investigating the mechanisms and treatments of vocal fold scarring.
BIOTECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Bruce W. S. Robinson, Alec J. Redwood, Jenette Creaney
Summary: Researchers have used asbestos-induced mouse models of mesothelioma to study this rare and fatal tumor type. These models have led to significant advancements in mesothelioma treatment, including improved response rates through clinical trials. In the future, these mouse models will continue to play a key role in the success of mesothelioma immunotherapy.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Respiratory System
Marie Shamseddin, Joanna Obacz, Mathew J. Garnett, Robert Campbell Rintoul, Hayley Elizabeth Francies, Stefan John Marciniak
Summary: Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer with a median survival of 12-18 months and existing models have limitations, so new technologies are being developed to study effective treatments.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Federico Ghiselli, Martina Felici, Andrea Piva, Ester Grilli
Summary: The aim of this study was to establish and characterize an immortalized chicken intestinal epithelial cell line to study host-pathogen interactions in poultry. This cell line was established by transducing the SV40 large-T antigen into primary chicken enterocytes. The immortalized cells exhibited characteristics of mature enterocytes and were able to generate a proper immune response to parasitic and bacterial stimulation.
Article
Cell Biology
Haobin Jiang, Shen Song, Jiacheng Li, Qianqian Yin, Shengshou Hu, Yu Nie
Summary: This study successfully established an immortalized cell line, EpiSV40, by transfecting SV40-LT into primary epicardial cells, providing a new tool for epicardial cell research. EpiSV40 has comparable proliferation and differentiation capacities to primary epicardial cells, making it an ideal in vitro model for related studies.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Veronica Filetti, Claudia Lombardo, Carla Loreto, George Dounias, Massimo Bracci, Serena Matera, Lucia Rapisarda, Venerando Rapisarda, Caterina Ledda, Ermanno Vitale
Summary: Environmental exposure to fibers of respirable size, including fluoro-edenite, has been found to cause chronic respiratory diseases and carcinogenic effects in humans. This is a public health issue that requires the identification of biomarkers for assessing the health status of individuals exposed to fluoro-edenite fibers and for early diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma in asymptomatic patients.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michele N. Dill, Mohammad Tabatabaei, Manasi Kamat, Kari B. Basso, Erika Moore, Chelsey S. Simmons
Summary: The spiny mouse (Acomys) is being studied for its remarkable regenerative capabilities, which include healing full thickness skin injuries without scarring. Immortalized Acomys dermal fibroblast cell lines have been generated, maintaining the characteristics of primary fibroblasts. These cells will facilitate research on Acomys as a model organism and accelerate the discovery of regeneration-promoting strategies in humans.
Article
Oncology
Tatsuhiro Sato, Hayao Nakanishi, Ken Akao, Maho Okuda, Satomi Mukai, Tohru Kiyono, Yoshitaka Sekido
Summary: This study successfully established three morphologically different types of immortalized mesothelial cell lines by introducing the E6 and E7 genes of human papillomavirus type 16 and human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene. The gene expression profiling revealed increased expression of NOD-like receptor signaling-related genes in sarcomatoid-like cells, while combination treatment with TGF-beta and IL-1 beta induced a morphological change in intermediate cells. These findings provide insight into the mechanisms of mesothelial cell transformation and mesothelial-to-mesenchymal transition.
CANCER CELL INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Junjie Huang, Sze Chai Chan, Wing Sze Pang, Shui Hang Chow, Veeleah Lok, Lin Zhang, Xu Lin, Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno, Wanghong Xu, Zhi-Jie Zheng, Edmar Elcarte, Mellissa Withers, Martin C. S. Wong
Summary: This study evaluates the global disease burden of mesothelioma and its trends by age, sex, and geographic locations. The findings show a substantial declining incidence trend of mesothelioma in the past decade, possibly related to the restriction of asbestos use in some countries, although an increase was observed in Bulgaria and Korea.
JOURNAL OF THORACIC ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Veronica Filetti, Alessandro La Ferlita, Antonio Di Maria, Venera Cardile, Adriana C. E. Graziano, Venerando Rapisarda, Caterina Ledda, Alfredo Pulvirenti, Carla Loreto
Summary: Experimental evidence shows that exposure to fluoro-edenite fibers can lead to chronic respiratory diseases and carcinogenic effects. The identification of specific biomarkers may help in the early diagnosis and comprehensive health monitoring of individuals exposed to these fibers, particularly in relation to malignant pleural mesothelioma.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Antonia Marazioti, Anthi C. Krontira, Sabine J. Behrend, Georgia A. Giotopoulou, Giannoula Ntaliarda, Christophe Blanquart, Hasan Bayram, Marianthi Iliopoulou, Malamati Vreka, Lilith Trassl, Mario A. A. Pepe, Caroline M. Hackl, Laura Klotz, Stefanie A. Weiss, Ina Koch, Michael Lindner, Rudolph A. Hatz, Juergen Behr, Darcy E. Wagner, Helen Papadaki, Sophia G. Antimisiaris, Didier Jean, Sophie Deshayes, Marc Gregoire, Ozgecan Kayalar, Deniz Mortazavi, Sukru Dilege, Serhan Tanju, Suat Erus, Omer Yavuz, Pinar Bulutay, Pinar Firat, Ioannis Psallidas, Magda Spella, Ioanna Giopanou, Ioannis Lilis, Anne-Sophie Lamort, Georgios T. Stathopoulos
Summary: A portion of human MPM cases have mutations in KRAS, and mouse models suggest that KRAS mutations can lead to MPM, especially when combined with TP53 deletion. These findings indicate that KRAS alterations may play an important and underestimated role in certain MPM patients.
EMBO MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Dermatology
Zackie Aktary, Jeremy H. Raymond, Marie Pouteaux, Veronique Delmas, Valerie Petit, Lionel Larue
Summary: The establishment of consistent genetically modified mouse melanoma models and cell lines is crucial for prevention and treatment. This study reviews different mouse melanoma cell lines and explores the changes they undergo through molecular characterization and modification of the genome and microenvironment. These cell lines with defined genetic mutations enable the testing of innovative therapies and have relevance to human disease.
JOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE DERMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Faith Chang, Synat Keam, Tracy Seymour Hoang, Jenette Creaney, Suki Gill, Anna K. Nowak, Martin Ebert, Alistair M. Cook
Summary: This study characterizes the dose- and time-dependent changes in immune marker expression of commonly studied mesothelioma cell lines following radiation, providing insights for future studies on optimal dosing and scheduling of combined radiotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibition for mesothelioma.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Jiamin Zhong, Hao Wang, Ke Yang, Huifeng Wang, Chongwen Duan, Na Ni, Liqin An, Yetao Luo, Piao Zhao, Yannian Gou, Shiyan Sheng, Deyao Shi, Connie Chen, William Wagstaff, Bryce Hendren-Santiago, Rex C. Haydon, Hue H. Luu, Russell R. Reid, Sherwin H. Ho, Guillermo A. Ameer, Le Shen, Tong-Chuan He, Jiaming Fan
Summary: Skin injury is repaired through a multi-phase wound healing process. Effective management of large chronic skin wounds remains a clinical challenge. Exogenous keratinocytes, in combination with a citrate-based scaffold, have been found to enhance skin wound healing.
BIOACTIVE MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Thomas Henzi, Kim-Long Diep, Anne Oberson, Valerie Salicio, Christian G. Bochet, Beat Schwaller
Summary: Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an aggressive cancer derived from mesothelial cells, often caused by asbestos exposure. The current treatment options are limited in effectiveness, hence the search for novel therapies. Recent research has identified septins as a potential target for treatment. Some FCF analogs have been found to inhibit the growth of MM cells in vitro, but at concentrations too high for clinical applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Michele Carbone, Harvey Pass, Guntulu Ak, H. Richard Alexander, Paul Baas, Francine Baumann, Andrew M. Blakely, Raphael Bueno, Aleksandra Bzura, Giuseppe Cardillo, Jane E. Churpek, Irma Dianzani, Assunta De Rienzo, Mitsuru Emi, Salih Emri, Emanuela Felley-Bosco, Dean A. Fennell, Raja M. Flores, Federica Grosso, Nicholas K. Hayward, Mary Hesdorffer, Chuong D. Hoang, Peter A. Johansson, Hedy L. Kindler, Muaiad Kittaneh, Thomas Krausz, Aaron Mansfield, Muzaffer Metintas, Michael Minaai, Luciano Mutti, Maartje Nielsen, Kenneth O'Byrne, Isabelle Opitz, Sandra Pastorino, Francesca Pentimalli, Marc de Perrot, Antonia Pritchard, Robert Taylor Ripley, Bruce Robinson, Valerie Rusch, Emanuela Taioli, Yasutaka Takinishi, Mika Tanji, Anne S. Tsao, A. Murat Tuncer, Sebastian Walpole, Andrea Wolf, Haining Yang, Yoshie Yoshikawa, Alicia Zolondick, David S. Schrump, Raffit Hassan
Summary: The most common malignancies that develop in carriers of BAP1 germline mutations include mesothelioma, melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and other tumor types. The features of malignancies can vary among individuals, and a multidisciplinary approach is required for diagnosis and treatment. Detecting BAP1 germline mutations has significant medical, social, and economic impact.
JOURNAL OF THORACIC ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Karin D. Prummel, Helena L. Crowell, Susan Nieuwenhuize, Eline C. Brombacher, Stephan Daetwyler, Charlotte Soneson, Jelena Kresoja-Rakic, Manuel Ronner, Agnese Kocere, Alexander Ernst, Zahra Labbaf, David E. Clouthier, Anthony B. Firulli, Hector Sanchez-Iranzo, Sundar R. Naganathan, Rebecca O'Rourke, Erez Raz, Nadia Mercader, Alexa Burger, Emanuela Felley-Bosco, Jan Huisken, Mark D. Robinson, Christian Mosimann
Summary: This study uncovers the early origins of mesothelium progenitor cells in zebrafish, linking the function of the Hand2 gene to mesothelium formation and the re-activation of mesothelioma tumors.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Oncology
Giulia Pasello, Jordi Remon, Emanuela Felley-Bosco
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Stefanie Hiltbrunner, Zoe Fleischmann, Ethan S. Sokol, Martin Zoche, Emanuela Felley-Bosco, Alessandra Curioni-Fontecedro
Summary: This study analyzed the molecular characteristics of a large cohort of pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma samples, identifying some alterations with potential therapeutic targets and suggesting that molecular profiling can lead to new treatment options for patients with mesothelioma.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Emanuela Felley-Bosco, Weihong Qi, Didier Jean, Clement Meiller, Hubert Rehrauer
Summary: This study reveals the association between RNA editing and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype in pleural mesothelioma (PM). Analysis of RNA editing expression changes in PM samples showed increased editing in introns and decreased editing in 3' UTR in samples with EMT phenotype.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Licun Wu, Kosuke Yoshihara, Hana Yun, Saraf Karim, Nastaran Shokri, Fatemeh Zaeimi, H. S. Jeffrey Man, Amin Zia, Emanuela Felley-Bosco, Marc de Perrot
Summary: Malignant mesothelioma (MESO) has different subtypes and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotypes. A panel of MESO EMT genes were found to be correlated with hypermethylation of epigenetic genes and loss of CDKN2A/B expression. The MESO EMT genes were associated with activation of TGF-beta, hedgehog, and IL-2-STAT5 signaling, and suppression of IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma response. Immune checkpoints were upregulated, while certain immune receptors were downregulated with the expression of MESO EMT genes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Licun Wu, Mikihiro Kohno, Junichi Murakami, Amin Zia, Jonathan Allen, Hana Yun, Meilin Chan, Cristina Baciu, Mingyao Liu, Veronique Serre-Beinier, Michele De Palma, Emanuela Felley-Bosco, Jonathan Yeung, Trevor J. Pugh, Marc de Perrot
Summary: Defining the origin of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) is crucial for developing targeted therapies for mesothelioma. Two distinct macrophage populations, small peritoneal/pleural macrophages (SPM) and large peritoneal/pleural macrophages (LPM), were identified in mice. SPM, which mainly consisted of M2-like TAM, rapidly increased in the tumor microenvironment and contributed to tumor development. On the other hand, LPM activated the IFN-gamma response and played a crucial role in the immune response, as confirmed by their depletion leading to loss of antitumoral memory immunity. The gene signature of SPM was observed in the pleural effusion and tumor of untreated mesothelioma patients, suggesting potential therapeutic targets.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Alexander Laure, Angelica Rigutto, Michaela B. Kirschner, Lennart Opitz, Linda Grob, Isabelle Opitz, Emanuela Felley-Bosco, Stefanie Hiltbrunner, Alessandra Curioni-Fontecedro
Summary: Patient-derived cell lines show closer resemblance to MPM tumors in terms of genome and transcriptome compared to commercial cell lines. This finding has significant implications for using cell line models to study predictive biomarkers and interpret preclinical results that cannot be translated in clinical practice.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Zongjie Wang, Sharif Ahmed, Mahmoud Labib, Hansen Wang, Licun Wu, Fatemeh Bavaghar-Zaeimi, Nastaran Shokri, Soraly Blanco, Saraf Karim, Kasia Czarnecka-Kujawa, Edward H. Sargent, A. J. Robert McGray, Marc de Perrot, Shana O. Kelley
Summary: Potent circulating tumour-reactive lymphocytes (cTRLs) can be isolated from peripheral blood at high yield and purity via microfluidic immunomagnetic cell sorting, allowing for comprehensive downstream analyses of these rare cells. This method provides a solution to the clinical challenge of obtaining large and fresh tumour fractions for the use of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes in solid tumour treatment.
NATURE BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Justin C. Y. Chan, H. S. Jeffrey Man, Usman M. Asghar, Karen Mcrae, Yidan Zhao, Laura L. Donahoe, Licun Wu, John Granton, Marc de Perrot
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the impact of sex on patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension undergoing pulmonary endarterectomy. The results showed that female patients had a greater need for targeted PH medical therapy postoperatively, emphasizing the importance of early reassessment and long-term follow-up.
JOURNAL OF HEART AND LUNG TRANSPLANTATION
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Licun Wu, Marc de Perrot
Summary: The SPARC gene is involved in extracellular matrix synthesis, cell shaping, tumor cell migration, invasion, metastasis, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process. It is associated with poor survival in MESO patients and correlates with an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. The gene may be targeted by microRNAs and is implicated in tumor angiogenesis.