MASTL induces Colon Cancer progression and Chemoresistance by promoting Wnt/ß-catenin signaling.

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapeutic agents that modulate cell cycle checkpoints and/or tumor-specific pathways have shown immense promise in preclinical and clinical studies aimed at anti-cancer therapy. MASTL (Greatwall in Xenopus and Drosophila), a serine/threonine kinase controls the final G2/M checkpoint and prevents premature entry of cells into mitosis. Recent studies suggest that MASTL expression is highly upregulated in cancer and confers resistance against chemotherapy. However, the role and mechanism/s of MASTL mediated regulation of tumorigenesis remains poorly understood. METHODS: We utilized a large patient cohort and mouse models of colon cancer as well as colon cancer cells to determine the role of Mastl and associated mechanism in colon cancer. RESULTS: Here, we show that MASTL expression increases in colon cancer across all cancer stages compared with normal colon tissue (P < 0.001). Also, increased levels of MASTL associated with high-risk of the disease and poor prognosis. Further, the shRNA silencing of MASTL expression in colon cancer cells induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in vitro and inhibited xenograft-tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistic analysis revealed that MASTL expression facilitates colon cancer progression by promoting the ß-catenin/Wnt signaling, the key signaling pathway implicated in colon carcinogenesis, and up-regulating anti-apoptotic proteins, Bcl-xL and Survivin. Further studies where colorectal cancer (CRC) cells were subjected to 5-fluorouracil (5FU) treatment revealed a sharp increase in MASTL expression upon chemotherapy, along with increases in Bcl-xL and Survivin expression. Most notably, inhibition of MASTL in these cells induced chemosensitivity to 5FU with downregulation of Survivin and Bcl-xL expression. CONCLUSION: Overall, our data shed light on the heretofore-undescribed mechanistic role of MASTL in key oncogenic signaling pathway/s to regulate colon cancer progression and chemo-resistance that would tremendously help to overcome drug resistance in colon cancer treatment.

Safety and Immunological Evaluation of Interleukin-21 Plus Anti-α4ß7 mAb Combination Therapy in Rhesus Macaques.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infections compromise gut immunological barriers, inducing high levels of inflammation and a severe depletion of intestinal CD4+ T cells. Expression of α4ß7 integrin promotes homing of activated T cells to intestinal sites where they become preferentially infected; blockade of α4ß7 with an anti-α4ß7 monoclonal antibody (mAb) prior to infection has been reported to reduce gut SIV viremia in rhesus macaques (RMs). Interleukin-21 (IL-21) administration in antiretroviral therapy-treated, SIV-infected RMs reduces gut inflammation and improves gut integrity. We therefore hypothesized that the combination of IL-21 and anti-α4ß7 mAb therapies could synergize to reduce inflammation and HIV persistence. We co-administered two intravenous doses of rhesus anti-α4ß7 mAb (50 mg/kg) combined with seven weekly subcutaneous infusions of IL-21-IgFc (100 µg/kg) in four healthy, SIV-uninfected RMs to evaluate the safety and immunological profiles of this intervention in blood and gut. Co-administration of IL-21 and anti-α4ß7 mAb showed no toxicity at the given dosages as assessed by multiple hematological and chemical parameters and did not alter the bioavailability of the therapeutics or result in the generation of antibodies against the anti-α4ß7 mAb or IL-21-IgFc. Upon treatment, the frequency of CD4 memory T cells expressing ß7 increased in blood and decreased in gut, consistent with an inhibition of activated CD4 T-cell homing to the gut. Furthermore, the frequency of T cells expressing proliferation and immune activation markers decreased in blood and, more profoundly, in gut. The combined IL-21 plus anti-α4ß7 mAb therapy is well-tolerated in SIV-uninfected RMs and reduces the gut homing of α4ß7+ CD4 T cells as well as the levels of gut immune activation.

Correction: Upregulated claudin-1 expression promotes colitis-associated cancer by promoting ß-catenin phosphorylation and activation in Notch/p-AKT-dependent manner.

In Fig. 1 legend, should read as follows: Cld-1 intensifies colitis, leads to impaired recovery from DSS induction and triggers dysplasia: a Schematic illustration of the experimental protocol. Age-matched and sex-matched WT (n = 8) and Cld-1 Tg (n = 8) mice were treated with 2.5% DSS in drinking water for 7 days ad libitum (colitis group), followed by drinking water for 10 days (DSS recovery group). b Representative histological images of WT and Cld-1 Tg mice under DSS and DSS recovery protocol showing regenerative crypts in WT DSS Recovery and dysplastic crypts in Cld-1 Tg Recovery. c The mean changes in body weight of the WT and Cld-1 Tg mice after being fed with 2.5% DSS were measured every day until day 7 for the colitis group and day 10 for the DSS recovery group. The percentage of mice possessing dysplastic crypt in the recovery protocol among WT and Cld-1 Tg groups. Results are statistically significant at p < 0.05. Values sharing following symbols differ significantly, asterisk (*) compared with WT DSS Recovery.

Upregulated claudin-1 expression promotes colitis-associated cancer by promoting ß-catenin phosphorylation and activation in Notch/p-AKT-dependent manner.

In IBD patients, integration between a hyper-activated immune system and epithelial cell plasticity underlies colon cancer development. However, molecular regulation of such a circuity remains undefined. Claudin-1 (Cld-1), a tight-junction integral protein deregulation alters colonic epithelial cell (CEC) differentiation, and promotes colitis severity while impairing colitis-associated injury/repair. Tumorigenesis is a product of an unregulated wound-healing process and therefore we postulated that upregulated Cld-1 levels render IBD patients susceptible to the colitis-associated cancer (CAC). Villin Cld-1 mice are used to carryout overexpressed studies in mice. The role of deregulated Cld-1 expression in CAC and the underlying mechanism was determined using a well-constructed study scheme and mouse models of DSS colitis/recovery and CAC. Using an inclusive investigative scheme, we here report that upregulated Cld-1 expression promotes susceptibility to the CAC and its malignancy. Increased mucosal inflammation and defective epithelial homeostasis accompanied the increased CAC in Villin-Cld-1-Tg mice. We further found significantly increased levels of protumorigenic M2 macrophages and ß-cateninSer552 (ß-CatSer552) expression in the CAC in Cld-1Tg vs. WT mice. Mechanistic studies identified the role of PI3K/Akt signaling in Cld-1-dependent activation of the ß-CatSer552, which, in turn, was dependent on proinflammatory signals. Our studies identify a critical role of Cld-1 in promoting susceptibility to CAC. Importantly, these effects of deregulated Cld-1 were not associated with altered tight junction integrity, but on its noncanonical role in regulating Notch/PI3K/Wnt/ ß-CatSer552 signaling. Overall, outcome from our current studies identifies Cld-1 as potential prognostic biomarker for IBD severity and CAC, and a novel therapeutic target.

Enhanced humoral and mucosal immune responses after intranasal immunization with chimeric multiple antigen peptide of LcrV antigen epitopes of Yersinia pestis coupled to palmitate in mice.

Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of the most deadly disease plague. F1 and V antigens are the major vaccine candidates. Six protective epitopes of V antigen of varying length (15-25aa) were assembled on a lysine backbone as multiple antigen peptide (MAP) using standard Fmoc chemistry. Palmitate was coupled at amino terminus end. Amino acid analysis, SDS-PAGE, immunoblot and immunoreactivity proved the authenticity of MAP. MAP was immunized intranasally encapsulated in PLGA (polylactide-co-glycolide) microspheres and with/without/adjuvants murabutide and CpG ODN 1826 (CpG), in three strains of mice. Humoral and mucosal immune responses were studied till day 120 and memory response was checked after immunization with native V antigen on day 120. Epitope specific serum and mucosal washes IgG, IgA, IgG subclasses and specific activity were measured by indirect ELISA and sandwich ELISA, respectively. IgG and IgA peak antibody titers of all the MAP construct formulations in sera were ranging from 71,944 to 360,578 and 4493 to 28,644, respectively. MAP with CpG showed significantly high (p<0.0001) antibody titers ranging from 101,690 to 360,578 for IgG and 28,644 for IgA. Mucosal peak IgG and IgA titers were ranging from 1425 to 8072 and 1425 to 7183, respectively in intestinal washes and 799-4528 and 566-4027, respectively in lung washes. MAP with CpG showed significantly high (p<0.001) SIgA titers of 8000 in lung and 16,000 in intestinal washes. IgG isotyping revealed IgG2a/IgG1 ratio>1 with CpG. Serum and mucosal antipeptide IgG and IgA specific activities correlated well with antibody titers. All the constituent peptides contributed towards immune response. Structural analysis of MAP revealed little or no interaction between the peptides. Present study showed MAP to be highly immunogenic with high and long lasting antibody titers in serum and mucosal washes with good recall response with/without CpG as an adjuvant which can be used for vaccine development for plague.