MutT Homolog1 has multifaceted role in glioma and is under the apparent orchestration by Hypoxia Inducible factor1 alpha.

AIMS: The study focused on the expression and role of a recent potential cancer therapeutic target protein, MutT Homolog1 (MTH1). MTH1 gets activated in an increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) environment and removes the oxidized nucleotides from the cell. The study aimed to check the role of MTH1 in DNA damage and apoptosis, migration and angiogenesis and also to examine its regulation in glioma. MAIN METHODS: The experiments were carried out in human glioma tissue samples and brain tissues of epilepsy patients (non-tumor control). We used two human glioblastomas cell lines, U87MG and U251MG cells. In order to study the role of MTH1 in glioma and to analyze the relation of MTH1 with Hif1α, we have used MTH1 siRNA and Hif1α siRNA respectively. KEY FINDINGS: We found an increased expression of MTH1 in glioma tissues compared to the non-tumor brain tissues. Correlation analysis revealed that those samples showing reduced expression of MTH1 also had high levels of DNA damage and apoptotic markers, while diminished expression of angiogenesis regulators and levels of migration. MTH1 knockdown in vitro by siRNA in tumor cell lines corroborates the above observation. This justifies the emergence of MTH1 inhibitors as potential first-in-class drugs. Mechanistically, our observations suggest that Hif1α may modulate MTH1 expression. SIGNIFICANCE: We found elevated MTH1 expression in glioma irrespective of their grades, while its inhibition affects multiple tumor progression pathways, and that targeting Hif1α could simulate the same.

Inorganic nitrite alters mitochondrial dynamics without overt changes in cell death and mitochondrial respiration in cardiomyoblasts under hyperglycemia.

Inorganic nitrate or nitrite supplementation has been reported to demonstrate positive outcomes in rodent models of obesity and diabetes as well as in type 2 diabetic humans and even included in clinical trials pertaining to cardiovascular diseases in the recent decade. However, there are contrasting data regarding the useful and toxic effects of the anions. The primary scope of this study was to analyze the beneficial/detrimental alterations in redox status, mitochondrial dynamics and function, and cellular fitness in cardiomyoblasts inflicted by nitrite under hyperglycemic conditions compared with normoglycemia. Nitrite supplementation in H9c2 myoblasts under high glucose diminishes the Bcl-xL expression and mitochondrial ROS levels without significant initiation of cell death or decline in total ROS levels. Concomitantly, there are tendencies towards lowering of mitochondrial membrane potential, but without noteworthy changes in mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration. The study also revealed that under high glucose stress, nitrite may alter mitochondrial dynamics by Drp1 activation possibly via Akt1-Pim1 axis. Moreover, the study revealed differential effects of Drp1 silencing and/or nitrite under the above glycemic conditions. Overall, the study warrants more research regarding the effects of nitrite therapy in cardiac cells exposed to hyperglycemia.

To be Wild or Mutant: Role of Isocitrate Dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) and 2-Hydroxy Glutarate (2-HG) in Gliomagenesis and Treatment Outcome in Glioma.

Molecular and clinical research based on isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations is much sought after in glioma research since a decade of its discovery in 2008. IDH enzyme normally catalyzes isocitrate to α-keto-glutarate (α-KG), but once the gene is mutated it produces an 'oncometabolite', 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG). 2-HG is proposed to inhibit α-KG-dependent dioxygenases and also blocks cellular differentiation. Here, we discuss the role of the IDH1 mutation in gliomagenesis. The review also focuses on the effect of 2-HG on glioma epigenetics, the cellular signaling involved in IDH1 mutant glioma cells and the therapeutic response seen in mutant IDH1(mIDH1) harboring glioma patients in comparison to the patients with wild-type IDH1. The review encompasses the debatable impacts of the mutation on immune microenvironment a propos of various mIDH1 inhibitors in practice or in trials. Recent studies revealing the relation of IDH mutation with the immune microenvironment and inflammatory status in untreated versus treated glioblastoma patients are highlighted with respect to prospective therapeutic targets. Also at the molecular level, the association of mIDH1/2-HG with the intracellular components such as mitochondria and other neighboring cells is discussed.