Excessive fatty acids activate PRMT5/MDM2/Drosha pathway to regulate miRNA biogenesis and lipid metabolism.

BACKGROUND: Excessive fatty acids in the liver lead to the accumulation of lipotoxic lipids and then cellular stress to further evoke the related disease, like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). As reported, fatty acid stimulation can cause some specific miRNA dysregulation, which caused us to investigate the relationship between miRNA biogenesis and fatty acid overload. METHODS: Gene expression omnibus (GEO) dataset analysis, miRNA-seq, miRNA cleavage assay, RT-qPCR, western blotting, immunofluorescence and co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) were used to reveal the change of miRNAs under pathological status and explore the relevant mechanism. High fat, high fructose, high cholesterol (HFHFrHC) diet-fed mice transfected with AAV2/8-shDrosha or AAV2/8-shPRMT5 were established to investigate the in vivo effects of Drosha or PRMT5 on NAFLD phenotype. RESULTS: We discovered that the cleavage of miRNAs was inhibited by analysing miRNA contents and detecting some representative pri-miRNAs in multiple mouse and cell models, which was further verified by the reduction of the Microprocessor activity in the presence of palmitic acid (PA). In vitro, PA could induce Drosha, the core RNase III in the Microprocessor complex, degrading through the proteasome-mediated pathway, while in vivo, knockdown of Drosha significantly promoted NAFLD to develop to a more serious stage. Mechanistically, our results demonstrated that PA can increase the methyltransferase activity of PRMT5 to degrade Drosha through MDM2, a ubiquitin E3 ligase for Drosha. The above results indicated that PRMT5 may be a critical regulator in lipid metabolism during NAFLD, which was confirmed by the knocking down of PRMT5 improved aberrant lipid metabolism in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: We first demonstrated the relationship between miRNA dosage and NAFLD and proved that PA can activate the PRMT5-MDM2-Drosha signalling pathway to regulate miRNA biogenesis.

Nanomedicine targeting ferroptosis to overcome anticancer therapeutic resistance.

A potential reason for the failure of tumor therapies is treatment resistance. Resistance to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy continues to be a major obstacle in clinic, resulting in tumor recurrence and metastasis. The major mechanisms of therapy resistance are inhibitions of cell deaths, like apoptosis and necrosis, through drug inactivation and excretion, repair of DNA damage, tumor heterogeneity, or changes in tumor microenvironment, etc. Recent studies have shown that ferroptosis play a major role in therapies resistance by inducing phospholipid peroxidation and iron-dependent cell death. Some ferroptosis inducers in combination with clinical treatment techniques have been used to enhance the effect in tumor therapy. Notably, versatile ferroptosis nanoinducers exhibit an extensive range of functions in reversing therapy resistance, including directly triggering ferroptosis and feedback regulation. Herein, we provide a detailed description of the design, mechanism, and therapeutic application of ferroptosis-mediated synergistic tumor therapeutics. We also discuss the prospect and challenge of nanomedicine in tumor therapy resistance by regulating ferroptosis and combination therapy.

Redox-Responsive Polymeric Nanoparticle for Nucleic Acid Delivery and Cancer Therapy: Progress, Opportunities, and Challenges.

Cancer development and progression of cancer are closely associated with the activation of oncogenes and loss of tumor suppressor genes. Nucleic acid drugs (e.g., siRNA, mRNA, and DNA) are widely used for cancer therapy due to their specific ability to regulate the expression of any cancer-associated genes. However, nucleic acid drugs are negatively charged biomacromolecules that are susceptible to serum nucleases and cannot cross cell membrane. Therefore, specific delivery tools are required to facilitate the intracellular delivery of nucleic acid drugs. In the past few decades, a variety of nanoparticles (NPs) are designed and developed for nucleic acid delivery and cancer therapy. In particular, the polymeric NPs in response to the abnormal redox status in cancer cells have garnered much more attention as their potential in redox-triggered nanostructure dissociation and rapid intracellular release of nucleic acid drugs. In this review, the important genes or signaling pathways regulating the abnormal redox status in cancer cells are briefly introduced and the recent development of redox-responsive NPs for nucleic acid delivery and cancer therapy is systemically summarized. The future development of NPs-mediated nucleic acid delivery and their challenges in clinical translation are also discussed.

Remodeling of Mitochondrial Metabolism by a Mitochondria-Targeted RNAi Nanoplatform for Effective Cancer Therapy.

Emerging evidence has demonstrated the significant contribution of mitochondrial metabolism dysfunction to promote cancer development and progression. Aberrant expression of mitochondrial genome (mtDNA)-encoded proteins widely involves mitochondrial metabolism dysfunction, and targeted regulation of their expression can be an effective strategy for cancer therapy, which however is challenged due to the protection by the mitochondrial double membrane. Herein, a mitochondria-targeted RNAi nanoparticle (NP) platform for effective regulation of mitochondrial metabolism and breast cancer (BCa) therapy is developed. This nanoplatform is composed of a hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG) shell, a hydrophobic poly(2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDPA) core, and charged-mediated complexes of mitochondria-targeting and membrane-penetrating peptide amphiphile (MMPA) and small interfering RNA (siRNA) embedded in the core. After tumor accumulation and internalization by tumor cells, these NPs can respond to the endosomal pH to expose the MMPA/siRNA complexes, which can specifically transport siRNA into the mitochondria to down-regulate mtDNA-encoded protein expression (e.g., ATP6 and CYB). More importantly, because ATP6 down-regulation can suppress ATP production and enhance reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation to induce mitochondrial damage and mtDNA leakage into tumor tissues, the NPs can combinatorially inhibit tumor growth via suppressing ATP production and repolarizing tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) into tumor-inhibiting M1-like macrophages by mtDNA.

Nanoparticles (NPs)-mediated Siglec15 silencing and macrophage repolarization for enhanced cancer immunotherapy.

T cell infiltration and proliferation in tumor tissues are the main factors that significantly affect the therapeutic outcomes of cancer immunotherapy. Emerging evidence has shown that interferon-gamma (IFNγ) could enhance CXCL9 secretion from macrophages to recruit T cells, but Siglec15 expressed on TAMs can attenuate T cell proliferation. Therefore, targeted regulation of macrophage function could be a promising strategy to enhance cancer immunotherapy via concurrently promoting the infiltration and proliferation of T cells in tumor tissues. We herein developed reduction-responsive nanoparticles (NPs) made with poly (disulfide amide) (PDSA) and lipid-poly (ethylene glycol) (lipid-PEG) for systemic delivery of Siglec15 siRNA (siSiglec15) and IFNγ for enhanced cancer immunotherapy. After intravenous administration, these cargo-loaded could highly accumulate in the tumor tissues and be efficiently internalized by tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). With the highly concentrated glutathione (GSH) in the cytoplasm to destroy the nanostructure, the loaded IFNγ and siSiglec15 could be rapidly released, which could respectively repolarize macrophage phenotype to enhance CXCL9 secretion for T cell infiltration and silence Siglec15 expression to promote T cell proliferation, leading to significant inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) growth when combining with the immune checkpoint inhibitor. The strategy developed herein could be used as an effective tool to enhance cancer immunotherapy.

MiR-337-3p improves metabolic-associated fatty liver disease through regulation of glycolipid metabolism.

Epigenetic regulations play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease; therefore, elucidating the biological functions of differential miRNAs helps us to understand the pathogenesis. Herein, we discovered miR-337-3p was decreased in patients with NAFLD from Gene Expression Omnibus dataset, which was replicated in various cell and mouse models with lipid disorders. Subsequently, overexpression of miR-337-3p in vivo could ameliorate hepatic lipid accumulation, reduce fasting blood glucose, and improve insulin resistance. Meanwhile, we determined miR-337-3p might influence multiple genes involved in glycolipid metabolism through mass spectrometry detection, bioinformatics analysis, and experimental verification. Finally, we selected HMGCR as a representative example to investigate the molecular mechanism of miR-337-3p regulating these genes, where the seed region of miR-337-3p bound to 3'UTR of HMGCR to inhibit HMGCR translation. In conclusion, we discovered a new function of miR-337-3p in glycolipid metabolism and that might be a new therapeutic target of MAFLD.

LARAI portal provides a safe method for lateral meniscus repair: three-dimensional computed tomography and cadaveric assessment.

BACKGROUND: Lateral, All-Round and All-Inside (LARAI) portal is a viewing or working portal for observing and repairing the lesions of the lateral meniscus. However, there are safety concerns about popliteal artery (PA) injuries during the procedure. This study aimed to assess the safe distance between the trajectory of the LARAI portal and PA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Both three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) and cadavers were used to simulate the LARAI portal trajectory. In the 3D-CT study, between January 2020 and September 2020, 45 participants who underwent computed tomography angiography were included in the study. The shortest distance from the PA to the simulated trajectory needle (PS) was measured using 3D-CT. Mean -3SD -2 was calculated to assess the safety of the LARAI portal trajectory. If this value was more than zero, the trajectory was considered "safe." In the cadaveric study, lower limbs from seven fresh-frozen cadavers were used to establish the "safe" trajectories of the LARAI portal, and the PS was measured. RESULTS: In the 3D-CT study, the longest PS (P < 0.001) was found 20 mm lateral to the edge of the patellar tendon trajectory at 0 mm from the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Safe trajectories were also found 10 mm, 15 mm, and 20 mm lateral to the edge of the patellar tendon at 0 mm from the PCL, as well as the 20 mm lateral to the edge of the patellar tendon at 3 mm from the PCL. The cadaveric study showed that the average PS of all safe trajectories closely adjoined to PCL was greater than 14 mm. CONCLUSIONS: The LARAI portal trajectory in the "figure of four" is safe, and the optimal insertion point is 10-20 mm lateral to the edge of the patellar tendon and closely adjoined to the posterolateral margin of the PCL at knee joint line level. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Role of long non-coding RNAs in cancer: From subcellular localization to nanoparticle-mediated targeted regulation.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of RNA transcripts more than 200 nucleotides in length that play crucial roles in cancer development and progression. With the rapid development of high-throughput sequencing technology, a considerable number of lncRNAs have been identified as novel biomarkers for predicting the prognosis of cancer patients and/or therapeutic targets for cancer therapy. In recent years, increasing evidence has shown that the biological functions and regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs are closely associated with their subcellular localization. More importantly, based on the important roles of lncRNAs in regulating cancer progression (e.g., growth, therapeutic resistance, and metastasis) and the specific ability of nucleic acids (e.g., siRNA, mRNA, and DNA) to regulate the expression of any target genes, much effort has been exerted recently to develop nanoparticle (NP)-based nucleic acid delivery systems for in vivo regulation of lncRNA expression and cancer therapy. In this review, we introduce the subcellular localization and regulatory mechanisms of various functional lncRNAs in cancer and systemically summarize the recent development of NP-mediated nucleic acid delivery for targeted regulation of lncRNA expression and effective cancer therapy.

Nanoparticles (NPs)-mediated lncBCMA silencing to promote eEF1A1 ubiquitination and suppress breast cancer growth and metastasis.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in cancer metastasis. Exploring metastasis-associated lncRNAs and developing effective strategy for targeted regulation of lncRNA function in vivo are of utmost importance for the treatment of metastatic cancer, which however remains a big challenge. Herein, we identified a new functional lncRNA (denoted lncBCMA), which could stabilize the expression of eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1A1 (eEF1A1) via antagonizing its ubiquitination to promote triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) growth and metastasis. Based on this regulatory mechanism, an endosomal pH-responsive nanoparticle (NP) platform was engineered for systemic lncBCMA siRNA (siBCMA) delivery. This NPs-mediated siBCMA delivery could effectively silence lncBCMA expression and promote eEF1A1 ubiquitination, thereby leading to a significant inhibition of TNBC tumor growth and metastasis. These findings show that lncBCMA could be used as a potential biomarker to predict the prognosis of TNBC patients and NPs-mediated lncBCMA silencing could be an effective strategy for metastatic TNBC treatment.

MiR-552-3p Regulates Multiple Fibrotic and Inflammatory genes Concurrently in Hepatic Stellate Cells Improving NASH-associated Phenotypes.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a chronic liver disease characterized by hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and progressive fibrosis. Our previous study demonstrated that microRNA-552-3p (miR-552-3p) was down-regulated in the livers of patients with NASH and alleviated hepatic glycolipid metabolic disorders. However, whether miR-552-3p affects NASH progression remains unclear. In this current study, we found that hepatic miR-552-3p expression was negatively correlated with the degree of liver fibrosis and inflammation of NASH patients. Interestingly, the level of miR-552-3p was decreased during hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation in vitro. Overexpression of miR-552-3p could not only inhibit the expression of fibrotic and inflammatory genes, but also restrain the activation of TGF-ß1/Smad3 signaling pathway by down-regulating the expression of TGFBR2 and SMAD3 in HSCs, finally suppressing HSC activation. More importantly, overexpression of miR-552-3p ameliorated liver fibrosis and inflammation in two murine models: high fat/high fructose/high cholesterol diet-induced NASH model and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-treated liver fibrosis model. In conclusion, miR-552-3p plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of NASH by limiting multiple fibrotic and inflammatory pathways in HSCs, which may shed light on its therapeutic potential in NASH.

Remodeling Serine Synthesis and Metabolism via Nanoparticles (NPs)-Mediated CFL1 Silencing to Enhance the Sensitivity of Hepatocellular Carcinoma to Sorafenib.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors represented by sorafenib are the first-line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the low response rate of HCC patient has become a clinical pain-point. Emerging evidences have revealed that metabolic reprogramming plays an important role in regulating the sensitivity of tumor cells to various chemotherapeutics including sorafenib. However, the underlying mechanisms are very complex and are not fully elucidated. By comparing the transcriptome sequencing data of sorafenib-sensitive and -insensitive HCC patients, it is revealed that cofilin 1 (CFL1) is highly expressed in the tumor tissues of sorafenib-insensitive HCC patients and closely correlated with their poor prognosis. Mechanically, CFL1 can promote phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase transcription and enhance serine synthesis and metabolism to accelerate the production of antioxidants for scavenging the excessive reactive oxygen species induced by sorafenib, thereby impairing the sorafenib sensitivity of HCC. To translate this finding and consider the severe side effects of sorafenib, a reduction-responsive nanoplatform for systemic co-delivery of CFL1 siRNA (siCFL1) and sorafenib is further developed, and its high efficacy in inhibiting HCC tumor growth without apparent toxicity is demonstrated. These results indicate that nanoparticles-mediated co-delivery of siCFL1 and sorafenib can be a new strategy for the treatment of advanced HCC.

Nanoparticles (NPs)-mediated systemic mRNA delivery to reverse trastuzumab resistance for effective breast cancer therapy.

Monoclonal antibody-based therapy has achieved great success and is now one of the most crucial therapeutic modalities for cancer therapy. The first monoclonal antibody authorized for treating human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer is trastuzumab. However, resistance to trastuzumab therapy is frequently encountered and thus significantly restricts the therapeutic outcomes. To address this issue, tumor microenvironment (TME) pH-responsive nanoparticles (NPs) were herein developed for systemic mRNA delivery to reverse the trastuzumab resistance of breast cancer (BCa). This nanoplatform is comprised of a methoxyl-poly (ethylene glycol)-b-poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) copolymer with a TME pH-liable linker (Meo-PEG-Dlink m -PLGA) and an amphiphilic cationic lipid that can complex PTEN mRNA via electrostatic interaction. When the long-circulating mRNA-loaded NPs build up in the tumor after being delivered intravenously, they could be efficiently internalized by tumor cells due to the TME pH-triggered PEG detachment from the NP surface. With the intracellular mRNA release to up-regulate PTEN expression, the constantly activated PI3K/Akt signaling pathway could be blocked in the trastuzumab-resistant BCa cells, thereby resulting in the reversal of trastuzumab resistance and effectively suppress the development of BCa.

Silencing LCN2 suppresses oral squamous cell carcinoma progression by reducing EGFR signal activation and recycling.

BACKGROUND: EGFR is an important signal involved in tumor growth that can induce tumor metastasis and drug resistance. Exploring targets for effective EGFR regulation is an important topic in current research and drug development. Inhibiting EGFR can effectively inhibit the progression and lymph node metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) because OSCC is a type of cancer with high EGFR expression. However, the problem of EGFR drug resistance is particularly prominent, and identifying a new target for EGFR regulation could reveal an effective strategy. METHODS: We sequenced wild type or EGFR-resistant OSCC cells and samples from OSCC patients with or without lymph node metastasis to find new targets for EGFR regulation to effectively replace the strategy of directly inhibiting EGFR and exert an antitumor effect. We then investigated the effect of LCN2 on OSCC biological abilities in vitro and in vivo through protein expression regulation. Subsequently, we elucidated the regulatory mechanism of LCN2 through mass spectrometry, protein interaction, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence analyses. As a proof of concept, a reduction-responsive nanoparticle (NP) platform was engineered for effective LCN2 siRNA (siLCN2) delivery, and a tongue orthotopic xenograft model as well as an EGFR-positive patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model were applied to investigate the curative effect of siLCN2. RESULTS: We identified lipocalin-2 (LCN2), which is upregulated in OSCC metastasis and EGFR resistance. Inhibition of LCN2 expression can effectively inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of OSCC in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting EGFR phosphorylation and downstream signal activation. Mechanistically, LCN2 binds EGFR and enhances the recycling of EGFR, thereby activating the EGFR-MEK-ERK cascade. Inhibition of LCN2 effectively inhibited the activation of EGFR. We translated this finding by systemic delivery of siLCN2 by NPs, which effectively downregulated LCN2 in the tumor tissues, thereby leading to a significant inhibition of the growth and metastasis of xenografts. CONCLUSIONS: This research indicated that targeting LCN2 could be a promising strategy for the treatment of OSCC.

Repolarization of macrophages to improve sorafenib sensitivity for combination cancer therapy.

Sorafenib is the first line drug for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) therapy. However, HCC patients usually acquire resistance to sorafenib treatment within 6 months. Recent evidences have shown that anticancer drugs with antiangiogenesis effect (e.g., sorafenib) can aggravate the hypoxia microenvironment and promote the infiltration of more tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) into the tumor tissues. Therefore, repolarization of TAMs phenotype could be expected to not only eliminate the influence of TAMs on sorafenib lethality to HCC cells, but also provide an additional anticancer effect to achieve combination therapy. However, immune side effects remain a great challenge due to the non-specific macrophage repolarization in normal tissues. We herein employed a tumor microenvironment (TME) pH-responsive nanoplatform to concurrently transport sorafenib and modified resiquimod (R848-C16). This nanoparticle (NP) platform is made with a TME pH-responsive methoxyl-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) copolymer. After intravenous administration, the co-delivery NPs could highly accumulate in the tumor tissues and then respond to the TME pH to detach their surface PEG chains. With this PEG detachment to enhance uptake by TAMs and HCC cells, the co-delivery NPs could combinatorially inhibit HCC tumor growth via sorafenib-mediated lethality to HCC cells and R848-mediated repolarization of TAMs into tumoricidal M1-like macrophages. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Anticancer drugs with antiangiogenesis effect (e.g., sorafenib) can aggravate the hypoxia microenvironment and promote the infiltration of more tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) into the tumor tissues to restrict the anticancer effect. In this work, we designed and developed a tumor microenvironment (TME) pH-responsive nanoplatform for systemic co-delivery of sorafenib and resiquimod in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) therapy. These co-delivery NPs show high tumor accumulation and could respond to the TME pH to enhance uptake by TAMs and HCC cells. With the sorafenib-mediated lethality to HCC cells and R848-mediated repolarization of TAMs, the co-delivery NPs show a combinational inhibition of HCC tumor growth in both xenograft and orthotopic tumor models.

The Critical Shoulder Angle Can be Accurately and Reliably Determined from Three-Dimensional Computed Tomography Images.

OBJECTIVE: Anteroposterior (AP) radiographs do not necessarily offer the optimal approach to measuring the critical shoulder angle (CSA) due to the malposition of the scapula. Three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) may offer some advantages, including the ability to rotate the scapula for position alignment and pre-operative planning for reducing CSA. This study aimed to investigate the accuracy and reliability of CSA measurement in 3D-CT and to determine whether there is an association between CSA and rotator cuff tears (RCTs). METHODS: In this retrospective study we identified 200 patients who received shoulder arthroscopy from 2019 to 2021, including 142 patients (81 females, 61 males) with RCTs and 58 patients (14 females, 44 males) with non-RCTs. For each participant, CSA was measured from standard shoulder AP radiographs and anterior views of 3D-CT of the scapula by two independent assessors. Inter- and intra-observer agreements were assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The relationship between the two measurement methodologies was determined by Spearman's correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman plots. Discriminative capacity was calculated by using receiver operating curve (ROC) analyses in the whole cohort and age sub-groups above and below 45 years. RESULTS: We found perfect inter-observer (ICC >0.96) and intra-observer (ICC >0.97) reliabilities for CSA measurements obtained from the standard AP radiographs and the 3D-CT. There was a strong correlation between the two methods (r = 0.960, P < 0.001). The mean CSA was 31.7° ± 4.2° in the standard AP radiographs and 31.8° ± 4.4° in the 3D-CT (mean difference 0.02°, P = 0.940; bias 0.02°, limits of agreement -2.29° to +2.33°). ROC analysis of the whole cohort showed that the CSA measured in the standard AP radiographs (area under the ROC curve [AUC] = 0.812, P < 0.001) and the 3D-CT (AUC = 0.815, P < 0.001) predicted RCT with high confidence. ROC analysis of patients aged ≥45 years showed that the CSA measured from the standard AP radiographs (AUC = 0.869, P < 0.001) and the 3D-CT (AUC = 0.870, P < 0.001) were very good at predicting RCTs. CONCLUSION: CSA measured from standard AP radiographs and 3D-CT showed high consistency, and the CSA could be accurately and reliably measured using 3D-CT. CSAs measured from standard AP radiographs and 3D-CT could predict RCTs, especially in patients aged ≥45 years.

Bioactive lipid-nanoparticles with inherent self-therapeutic and anti-angiogenic properties for cancer therapy.

Angiogenesis inhibition has become a promising therapeutical strategy for cancer treatment. Current clinical anti-angiogenesis treatment includes antibodies against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or VEGF receptor, fusion proteins with high affinity to VEGF receptor, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors of VEGF receptor. However, current treatments are prone to systemic toxicity or acquiring drug resistance. A natural bioactive lipid 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn­glycero-3-phosphate (dipalmitoyl phosphatidic acid, DPPA) was reported to exhibit anti-angiogenic and anti-tumoral activity. However, the hydrophobic property of DPPA largely restricted its clinical use, while systemic infusion of free DPPA could result in undesirable side effects. Herein, we successfully developed DPPA-based lipid-nanoparticles (DPPA-LNPs) which turns the "therapeutic payload into nanocarrier". This strategy could improve on DPPA's hydrophiliciy, thereby facilitating its systemic administration. . DPPA-LNPs not only retained the therapeutic anti-angiogenic and anti-tumoral bioactivity of parental DPPA, but also greatly improved its tumor targeting ability via enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. This strategy not only eliminates the limitation of drug encapsulation rate, toxicity of the delivery vehicle; but also enhances DPPA bioacvtity in vitro and in vivo. Systemic administration of DPPA-LNPs significantly suppressed the blood vessel formation and tumor growth of triple negative breast cancer and liver cancer growth on both xenograft tumor models. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first-in-kind self-therapeutic inherent lipid to be made into a nanocarrier, with inherent anti-angiogenic and anti-tumor properties. DPPA nanocarrier is fully natural, fully compatible with minimal systemic toxicity. DPPA nanocarrier can accumulate at high concentration at tumor via EPR effect, exerting both anti-angiogenic and anti-tumor effects in vivo. DPPA nanocarrier could be used to encapsulate biologics or small molecules for synergistic anti-cancer therapy.

HPV Enhances HNSCC Chemosensitization by Inhibiting SERPINB3 Expression to Disrupt the Fanconi Anemia Pathway.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common malignant tumor of the head and neck, and the prognosis of patients is poor due to chemotherapeutic resistance. Interestingly, patients with HNSCC induced by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection are more sensitive to chemotherapy and display a better prognosis than HPV-negative patients. The biological relevance of HPV infection and the mechanism underlying chemosensitivity to cisplatin remain unknown. Herein, SERPINB3 is identified as an important target for regulation of cisplatin sensitivity by HPV-E6/E7 in HNSCC. Downregulation of SERPINB3 inhibits cisplatin-induced DNA damage repair and enhances the cytotoxicity of cisplatin. In detail, decreasing SERPINB3 expression reduces the USP1-mediated deubiquitination of FANCD2-FANCI in the Fanconi anemia pathway, thereby interfering with cisplatin-induced DNA interstrand crosslinks repair and further contributing to HNSCC cell apoptosis. To translate this finding, pH-responsive nanoparticles are used to deliver SERPINB3 small interfering RNA in combination with cisplatin, and this treatment successfully reverses cisplatin chemotherapeutic resistance in a patient-derived xenograft model from HPV-negative HNSCC. Taken together, these findings suggest that targeting SERPINB3 based on HPV-positive HNSCC is a potential strategy to overcome cisplatin resistance in HPV-negative HNSCC and improves the prognosis of this disease.

Small Molecular Inhibitors Reverse Cancer Metastasis by Blockading Oncogenic PITPNM3.

Most cancer-related deaths are a result of metastasis. The development of small molecular inhibitors reversing cancer metastasis represents a promising therapeutic opportunity for cancer patients. This pan-cancer analysis identifies oncogenic roles of membrane-associated phosphatidylinositol transfer protein 3 (PITPNM3), which is crucial for cancer metastasis. Small molecules targeting PITPNM3 must be explored further. Here, PITPNM3-selective small molecular inhibitors are reported. These compounds exhibit target-specific inhibition of PITPNM3 signaling, thereby reducing metastasis of breast cancer cells. Besides, by using nanoparticle-based delivery systems, these PITPNM3-selective compounds loaded nanoparticles significantly repress metastasis of breast cancer in mouse xenograft models and organoid models. Notably, the results establish an important metastatic-promoting role for PITPNM3 and offer PITPNM3 inhibition as a therapeutic strategy in metastatic breast cancer.