Identification and characterization of chemotherapy resistant high-risk neuroblastoma persister cells.

Relapse rates in high-risk neuroblastoma remain exceedingly high. The malignant cells that are responsible for relapse have not been identified, and mechanisms of therapy resistance remain poorly understood. Here, we used single nucleus RNA sequencing and bulk whole genome sequencing to identify and characterize the residual malignant persister cells that survive chemotherapy from a cohort of 20 matched diagnosis and definitive surgery tumor samples from patients treated with high-risk neuroblastoma induction chemotherapy. We show that persister cells share common mechanisms of chemotherapy escape including suppression of MYCN activity and activation of NF-κB signaling, the latter is further enhanced by cell-cell communication between the malignant cells and the tumor microenvironment. Overall, our work dissects the transcriptional landscape of cellular persistence in high-risk neuroblastoma and paves the way to the development of new therapeutic strategies to prevent disease relapse.

Mapping the cellular biogeography of human bone marrow niches using single-cell transcriptomics and proteomic imaging.

Non-hematopoietic cells are essential contributors to hematopoiesis. However, heterogeneity and spatial organization of these cells in human bone marrow remain largely uncharacterized. We used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to profile 29,325 non-hematopoietic cells and discovered nine transcriptionally distinct subtypes. We simultaneously profiled 53,417 hematopoietic cells and predicted their interactions with non-hematopoietic subsets. We employed co-detection by indexing (CODEX) to spatially profile over 1.2 million cells. We integrated scRNA-seq and CODEX data to link predicted cellular signaling with spatial proximity. Our analysis revealed a hyperoxygenated arterio-endosteal neighborhood for early myelopoiesis, and an adipocytic localization for early hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). We used our CODEX atlas to annotate new images and uncovered mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) expansion and spatial neighborhoods co-enriched for leukemic blasts and MSCs in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient samples. This spatially resolved, multiomic atlas of human bone marrow provides a reference for investigation of cellular interactions that drive hematopoiesis.

Mapping the Cellular Biogeography of Human Bone Marrow Niches Using Single-Cell Transcriptomics and Proteomic Imaging.

The bone marrow is the organ responsible for blood production. Diverse non-hematopoietic cells contribute essentially to hematopoiesis. However, these cells and their spatial organization remain largely uncharacterized as they have been technically challenging to study in humans. Here, we used fresh femoral head samples and performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) to profile 29,325 enriched non-hematopoietic bone marrow cells and discover nine transcriptionally distinct subtypes. We next employed CO-detection by inDEXing (CODEX) multiplexed imaging of 18 individuals, including both healthy and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) samples, to spatially profile over one million single cells with a novel 53-antibody panel. We discovered a relatively hyperoxygenated arterio-endosteal niche for early myelopoiesis, and an adipocytic, but not endosteal or perivascular, niche for early hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. We used our atlas to predict cell type labels in new bone marrow images and used these predictions to uncover mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) expansion and leukemic blast/MSC-enriched spatial neighborhoods in AML patient samples. Our work represents the first comprehensive, spatially-resolved multiomic atlas of human bone marrow and will serve as a reference for future investigation of cellular interactions that drive hematopoiesis.

A longitudinal single-cell and spatial multiomic atlas of pediatric high-grade glioma.

Pediatric high-grade glioma (pHGG) is an incurable central nervous system malignancy that is a leading cause of pediatric cancer death. While pHGG shares many similarities to adult glioma, it is increasingly recognized as a molecularly distinct, yet highly heterogeneous disease. In this study, we longitudinally profiled a molecularly diverse cohort of 16 pHGG patients before and after standard therapy through single-nucleus RNA and ATAC sequencing, whole-genome sequencing, and CODEX spatial proteomics to capture the evolution of the tumor microenvironment during progression following treatment. We found that the canonical neoplastic cell phenotypes of adult glioblastoma are insufficient to capture the range of tumor cell states in a pediatric cohort and observed differential tumor-myeloid interactions between malignant cell states. We identified key transcriptional regulators of pHGG cell states and did not observe the marked proneural to mesenchymal shift characteristic of adult glioblastoma. We showed that essential neuromodulators and the interferon response are upregulated post-therapy along with an increase in non-neoplastic oligodendrocytes. Through in vitro pharmacological perturbation, we demonstrated novel malignant cell-intrinsic targets. This multiomic atlas of longitudinal pHGG captures the key features of therapy response that support distinction from its adult counterpart and suggests therapeutic strategies which are targeted to pediatric gliomas.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 interacts with Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14) signaling pathway in lipopolysaccharide-mediated inflammation in macrophages.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), a ligand-gated cation channel, is a receptor for vanilloids on sensory neurons and is also activated by capsaicin, heat, protons, arachidonic acid metabolites, and inflammatory mediators on neuronal or non-neuronal cells. However, the role of the TRPV1 receptor in pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion and its potential regulatory mechanisms in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation has yet to be entirely understood. To investigate the role and regulatory mechanism of the TRPV1 receptor in regulating LPS-induced inflammatory responses, bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) harvested from wild-type (WT) and TRPV1 deficient (Trpv1-/-) mice were used as the cell model. In WT BMDMs, LPS induced an increase in the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-1ß, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and nitric oxide, which were attenuated in Trpv1-/- BMDMs. Additionally, the phosphorylation of inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-Bα and mitogen-activated protein kinases, as well as the translocation of nuclear factor kappa-B and activator protein 1, were all decreased in LPS-treated Trpv1-/- BMDMs. Immunoprecipitation assay revealed that LPS treatment increased the formation of TRPV1-Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14) complex in WT BMDMs. Genetic deletion of TRPV1 in BMDMs impaired the LPS-triggered immune-complex formation of TLR4, myeloid differentiation protein 88, and interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase, all of which are essential regulators in LPS-induced activation of the TLR4 signaling pathway. Moreover, genetic deletion of TRPV1 prevented the LPS-induced lethality and pro-inflammatory production in mice. In conclusion, the TRPV1 receptor may positively regulate the LPS-mediated inflammatory responses in macrophages by increasing the interaction with the TLR4-CD14 complex and activating the downstream signaling cascade.

Identification and targeting of treatment resistant progenitor populations in T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Refractoriness to initial chemotherapy and relapse after remission are the main obstacles to cure in T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL). Biomarker guided risk stratification and targeted therapy have the potential to improve outcomes in high-risk T-ALL; however, cellular and genetic factors contributing to treatment resistance remain unknown. Previous bulk genomic studies in T-ALL have implicated tumor heterogeneity as an unexplored mechanism for treatment failure. To link tumor subpopulations with clinical outcome, we created an atlas of healthy pediatric hematopoiesis and applied single-cell multiomic (CITE-seq/snATAC-seq) analysis to a cohort of 40 cases of T-ALL treated on the Children's Oncology Group AALL0434 clinical trial. The cohort was carefully selected to capture the immunophenotypic diversity of T-ALL, with early T-cell precursor (ETP) and Near/Non-ETP subtypes represented, as well as enriched with both relapsed and treatment refractory cases. Integrated analyses of T-ALL blasts and normal T-cell precursors identified a bone-marrow progenitor-like (BMP-like) leukemia sub-population associated with treatment failure and poor overall survival. The single-cell-derived molecular signature of BMP-like blasts predicted poor outcome across multiple subtypes of T-ALL within two independent patient cohorts using bulk RNA-sequencing data from over 1300 patients. We defined the mutational landscape of BMP-like T-ALL, finding that NOTCH1 mutations additively drive T-ALL blasts away from the BMP-like state. We transcriptionally matched BMP-like blasts to early thymic seeding progenitors that have low NR3C1 expression and high stem cell gene expression, corresponding to a corticosteroid and conventional cytotoxic resistant phenotype we observed in ex vivo drug screening. To identify novel targets for BMP-like blasts, we performed in silico and in vitro drug screening against the BMP-like signature and prioritized BMP-like overexpressed cell-surface (CD44, ITGA4, LGALS1) and intracellular proteins (BCL-2, MCL-1, BTK, NF-κB) as candidates for precision targeted therapy. We established patient derived xenograft models of BMP-high and BMP-low leukemias, which revealed vulnerability of BMP-like blasts to apoptosis-inducing agents, TEC-kinase inhibitors, and proteasome inhibitors. Our study establishes the first multi-omic signatures for rapid risk-stratification and targeted treatment of high-risk T-ALL.

Monoamine oxidase A: An emerging therapeutic target in prostate cancer.

Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), a mitochondrial enzyme degrading biogenic and dietary amines, has been studied in the contexts of neuropsychiatry and neurological disorders for decades, but its importance in oncology, as best exemplified in prostate cancer (PC) to date, was only realized recently. PC is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer and the second deadliest malignancy for men in the United States. In PC, the increased expression level of MAOA is correlated with dedifferentiated tissue microarchitecture and a worse prognosis. A wealth of literature has demonstrated that MAOA promotes growth, metastasis, stemness and therapy resistance in PC, mainly by increasing oxidative stress, augmenting hypoxia, inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and activating the downstream principal transcription factor Twist1-dictated multiple context-dependent signaling cascades. Cancer-cell-derived MAOA also enables cancer-stromal cell interaction involving bone stromal cells and nerve cells by secretion of Hedgehog and class 3 semaphorin molecules respectively to modulate the tumor microenvironment in favor of invasion and metastasis. Further, MAOA in prostate stromal cells promotes PC tumorigenesis and stemness. Current studies suggest that MAOA functions in PC in both cell autonomous and non-autonomous manners. Importantly, clinically available monoamine oxidase inhibitors have shown promising results against PC in preclinical models and clinical trials, providing a great opportunity to repurpose them as a PC therapy. Here, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of MAOA roles and mechanisms in PC, present several MAOA-targeted strategies that have been nominated for treating PC, and discuss the unknowns of MAOA function and targeting in PC for future exploration.

Characterization of Leukemic Resistance to CD19-Targeted CAR T-cell Therapy through Deep Genomic Sequencing.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy targeting CD19 has been a clinical breakthrough for pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), and loss of the CD19 target antigen on leukemic cells represents a major mechanism of relapse. Previous studies have observed CD19 mutations specific to CD19- relapses, and we sought to clarify and strengthen this relationship using deep whole-exome sequencing in leukemic cells expanded in a patient-derived xenograft. By assessing pre-treatment and relapse cells from 13 patients treated with CAR T-cell therapy, 8 of whom developed CD19- relapse and 5 of whom developed CD19+ relapse, we demonstrate that relapse-specific single-nucleotide variants and small indels with high allele frequency combined with deletions in the CD19 gene in a manner specific to those patients with CD19- relapse. Before CAR T-cell infusion, one patient was found to harbor a pre-existing CD19 deletion in the context of genomic instability, which likely represented the first hit leading to the patient's subsequent CD19- relapse. Across patients, preexisting mutations and genomic instability were not significant predictors of subsequent CD19- relapse across patients, with sample size as a potential limiting factor. Together, our results clarify and strengthen the relationship between genomic events and CD19- relapse, demonstrating this intriguing mechanism of resistance to a targeted cancer immunotherapy.

Ractopamine at legal residue dosage accelerates atherosclerosis by inducing endothelial dysfunction and promoting macrophage foam cell formation.

Ractopamine, a synthetic ß-adrenoreceptor agonist, is used as an animal feed additive to increase food conversion efficiency and accelerate lean mass accretion in farmed animals. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration claimed that ingesting products containing ractopamine residues at legal dosages might not cause short-term harm to human health. However, the effect of ractopamine on chronic inflammatory diseases and atherosclerosis is unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effects of ractopamine on atherosclerosis and its action mechanism in apolipoprotein E-null (apoe-/-) mice and human endothelial cells (ECs) and macrophages. Daily treatment with ractopamine for four weeks increased the body weight and the weight of brown adipose tissues and gastrocnemius muscles. However, it decreased the weight of white adipose tissues in apoe-/- mice. Additionally, ractopamine exacerbated hyperlipidemia and systemic inflammation, deregulated aortic cholesterol metabolism and inflammation, and accelerated atherosclerosis. In ECs, ractopamine treatment induced endothelial dysfunction and increased monocyte adhesion and transmigration across ECs. In macrophages, ractopamine dysregulated cholesterol metabolism by increasing oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) internalization and decreasing reverse cholesterol transporters, increasing oxLDL-induced lipid accumulation. Collectively, our findings revealed that ractopamine induces EC dysfunction and deregulated cholesterol metabolism of macrophages, which ultimately accelerates atherosclerosis progression.

Dual-Energy Computed Tomography for Evaluation of Breast Cancer Follow-Ups: Comparison of Virtual Monoenergetic Images and Iodine-Map.

Differentiating tumor tissue from dense breast tissue can be difficult. Dual-energy CT (DECT) could be suitable for making diagnoses at breast cancer follow-ups. This study investigated the contrast in DECT images and iodine maps for patients with breast cancer being followed-up. Chest CT images captured in 2019 were collected. Five cases of metastatic breast cancer in the lungs were analyzed; the contrast-to-noise ratio (for breast tissue and muscle: CNRb and CNRm, respectively), tumor-to-breast mammary gland ratio (T/B), and tumor-to-muscle ratio (T/M) were calculated. For 84 cases of no metastasis, monochromatic spectral and iodine maps were obtained to compare differences under various breast densities using the K-means algorithm. The optimal T/B, T/M, and CNRb (related to mammary glands) were achieved for the 40-keV image. Conversely, CNRm (related to lungs) was better for higher energy. The optimal balance was achieved at 80 keV. T/B, T/M, and CNR were excellent for iodine maps, particularly for density > 25%. In conclusion, energy of 80 keV is the parameter most suitable for observing the breast and lungs simultaneously by using monochromatic spectral images. Adding iodine mapping can be appropriate when a patient's breast density is greater than 25%.

Physical and mental health outcomes associated with adolescent E-cigarette use.

INTRODUCTION: Use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarette) and other electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) among adolescents has increased dramatically, creating a need for research to examine the consequences of e-cigarette use on adolescent health. Given the emergent state of the research literature, this integrative review sought to summarize what is currently known about the physical and mental health outcomes associated with e-cigarette use in an adolescent population, and to identify directions for future research. METHOD: The methodology for this integrative review was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A methodical search was conducted in February 2020 in PubMed, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to address e-cigarette use, have samples that were between 13 and 24 years of age, be published in a peer-reviewed journal, and examine health outcomes associated with e-cigarette use. After the screening process, 18 studies were included. RESULTS: Physical health outcomes associated with e-cigarette use included oral health and respiratory problems as well as nicotine dependence. Mental health outcomes included depression and suicidal ideation. In studies that compared e-cigarette use to conventional cigarette use and non-use, e-cigarettes tended to be associated with more problems than non-use, but fewer problems than conventional cigarette use. Dual use, that is, use of both conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes, was associated with the greatest harm. CONCLUSION: Although somewhat less harmful than conventional cigarettes, e-cigarette use is related to a variety of negative physical and mental health outcomes among adolescent users.

Single-cell multiomics reveals increased plasticity, resistant populations, and stem-cell-like blasts in KMT2A-rearranged leukemia.

KMT2A-rearranged (KMT2A-r) infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a devastating malignancy with a dismal outcome, and younger age at diagnosis is associated with increased risk of relapse. To discover age-specific differences and critical drivers that mediate poor outcome in KMT2A-r ALL, we subjected KMT2A-r leukemias and normal hematopoietic cells from patients of different ages to single-cell multiomics analyses. We uncovered the following critical new insights: leukemia cells from patients <6 months have significantly increased lineage plasticity. Steroid response pathways are downregulated in the most immature blasts from younger patients. We identify a hematopoietic stem and progenitor-like (HSPC-like) population in the blood of younger patients that contains leukemic blasts and form an immunosuppressive signaling circuit with cytotoxic lymphocytes. These observations offer a compelling explanation for the ability of leukemias in young patients to evade chemotherapy and immune-mediated control. Our analysis also revealed preexisting lymphomyeloid primed progenitors and myeloid blasts at initial diagnosis of B-ALL. Tracking of leukemic clones in 2 patients whose leukemia underwent a lineage switch documented the evolution of such clones into frank acute myeloid leukemia (AML). These findings provide critical insights into KMT2A-r ALL and have clinical implications for molecularly targeted and immunotherapy approaches. Beyond infant ALL, our study demonstrates the power of single-cell multiomics to detect tumor intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting rare but critical subpopulations within a malignant population that ultimately determines patient outcome.

Bromelain Ameliorates Atherosclerosis by Activating the TFEB-Mediated Autophagy and Antioxidant Pathways.

Bromelain, a cysteine protease found in pineapple, has beneficial effects in the treatment of inflammatory diseases; however, its effects in cardiovascular pathophysiology are not fully understood. We investigated the effect of bromelain on atherosclerosis and its regulatory mechanisms in hyperlipidemia and atheroprone apolipoprotein E-null (apoe-/-) mice. Bromelain was orally administered to 16-week-old male apoe-/- mice for four weeks. Daily bromelain administration decreased hyperlipidemia and aortic inflammation, leading to atherosclerosis retardation in apoe-/- mice. Moreover, hepatic lipid accumulation was decreased by the promotion of cholesteryl ester hydrolysis and autophagy through the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/transcription factor EB (TFEB)-mediated upregulation of autophagy- and antioxidant-related proteins. Moreover, bromelain decreased oxidative stress by increasing the antioxidant capacity and protein expression of antioxidant proteins while downregulating the protein expression of NADPH oxidases and decreasing the production of reactive oxygen species. Therefore, AMPK/TFEB signaling may be crucial in bromelain-mediated anti-hyperlipidemia, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects, effecting the amelioration of atherosclerosis.

Network Analysis Reveals Synergistic Genetic Dependencies for Rational Combination Therapy in Philadelphia Chromosome-Like Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

PURPOSE: Systems biology approaches can identify critical targets in complex cancer signaling networks to inform new therapy combinations that may overcome conventional treatment resistance. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We performed integrated analysis of 1,046 childhood B-ALL cases and developed a data-driven network controllability-based approach to identify synergistic key regulator targets in Philadelphia chromosome-like B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph-like B-ALL), a common high-risk leukemia subtype associated with hyperactive signal transduction and chemoresistance. RESULTS: We identified 14 dysregulated network nodes in Ph-like ALL involved in aberrant JAK/STAT, Ras/MAPK, and apoptosis pathways and other critical processes. Genetic cotargeting of the synergistic key regulator pair STAT5B and BCL2-associated athanogene 1 (BAG1) significantly reduced leukemia cell viability in vitro. Pharmacologic inhibition with dual small molecule inhibitor therapy targeting this pair of key nodes further demonstrated enhanced antileukemia efficacy of combining the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax with the tyrosine kinase inhibitors ruxolitinib or dasatinib in vitro in human Ph-like ALL cell lines and in vivo in multiple childhood Ph-like ALL patient-derived xenograft models. Consistent with network controllability theory, co-inhibitor treatment also shifted the transcriptomic state of Ph-like ALL cells to become less like kinase-activated BCR-ABL1-rearranged (Ph+) B-ALL and more similar to prognostically favorable childhood B-ALL subtypes. CONCLUSIONS: Our study represents a powerful conceptual framework for combinatorial drug discovery based on systematic interrogation of synergistic vulnerability pathways with pharmacologic inhibitor validation in preclinical human leukemia models.

Integrative Bulk and Single-Cell Profiling of Premanufacture T-cell Populations Reveals Factors Mediating Long-Term Persistence of CAR T-cell Therapy.

The adoptive transfer of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells represents a breakthrough in clinical oncology, yet both between- and within-patient differences in autologously derived T cells are a major contributor to therapy failure. To interrogate the molecular determinants of clinical CAR T-cell persistence, we extensively characterized the premanufacture T cells of 71 patients with B-cell malignancies on trial to receive anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy. We performed RNA-sequencing analysis on sorted T-cell subsets from all 71 patients, followed by paired Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitopes (CITE) sequencing and single-cell assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing (scATAC-seq) on T cells from six of these patients. We found that chronic IFN signaling regulated by IRF7 was associated with poor CAR T-cell persistence across T-cell subsets, and that the TCF7 regulon not only associates with the favorable naïve T-cell state, but is maintained in effector T cells among patients with long-term CAR T-cell persistence. These findings provide key insights into the underlying molecular determinants of clinical CAR T-cell function. SIGNIFICANCE: To improve clinical outcomes for CAR T-cell therapy, there is a need to understand the molecular determinants of CAR T-cell persistence. These data represent the largest clinically annotated molecular atlas in CAR T-cell therapy to date, and significantly advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying therapeutic efficacy.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 2113.

Apigenin ameliorates hepatic lipid accumulation by activating the autophagy-mitochondria pathway.

Apigenin, a flavonoid isolated from plants, provides protection against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, the mechanism by which apigenin decreases lipid accumulation in the liver is unclear. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism underlying the beneficial effect of apigenin on the hepatic deregulation of lipid metabolism. Oleic acid (OA)-induced lipid accumulation in human hepatoma cells (Huh7 cells) was used as an in vitro model. Western blot analysis was used for evaluating protein expression. Oil red O staining, Nile red staining, and conventional assay kits were used to assess the level of lipids. Immunocytochemistry was performed to observe mitochondrial morphology. Seahorse XF analyzer was used to measure mitochondrial bioenergetics. Treatment with OA induced lipid accumulation in Huh7 cells, which was attenuated by apigenin. Mechanistically, treatment with apigenin increased the expression of autophagy-related proteins including Beclin1, autophagy related gene 5 (ATG5), ATG7, and LC3II, and the formation of autophagolysosomes, leading to an increase in intracellular levels of fatty acids. Inhibition of autophagy by bafilomycin A1 or chloroquine abolished the protection of apigenin in OA-induced lipid accumulation. Apigenin up-regulated the protein expression related to the ß-oxidation pathway including acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member 1, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1α, acyl-CoA oxidase 1, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) α, and PPARγ coactivator 1-α. Moreover, apigenin increased the mitochondrial network structure and mitochondrial function by increasing the protein expression related to the process of mitochondria fusion and mitochondrial function. Collectively, our findings suggest that apigenin ameliorates hepatic lipid accumulation by activating the autophagy-mitochondrial pathway.

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate limits the pleiotropic effects of statins in chronic kidney disease patients undergoing dialysis and endothelial cells.

The level of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is elevated in chronic kidney disease patients undergoing dialysis. However, statins are unable to reduce the cardiovascular events in chronic dialysis patients. In this study, we investigated the effects of DEHP on statin-conferred pleiotropic effects and the underlying molecular mechanism in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients and endothelial cells (ECs). In PD patients with serum DEHP level ≥0.0687 µg/mL, statin treatment was not associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease. In ECs, exposure to DEHP abrogated the simvastatin-induced NO bioavailability and EC-related functions. Additionally, DEHP abolished the anti-inflammatory effect of simvastatin on the tumor necrosis factor α-induced upregulation of adhesion molecules and monocyte adhesion to ECs. Mechanistically, DEHP blunted the activation of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1), which is required for NO production by simvastatin in ECs. Notably, DEHP increased the activity and expression of protein phosphatase 2B (PP2B), a negative regulator of TRPV1 activity. The effect of DEHP on PP2B activation was mediated by the activation of the NADPH oxidase/reactive oxygen species (NOX-ROS) pathway. Inhibition of PP2B activity by pharmacological antagonists prevented the inhibitory effects of DEHP on simvastatin-induced Ca2+ influx, NO bioavailability, and EC migration, proliferation, tube formation, and anti-inflammatory action. Collectively, DEHP activates the NOX-ROS-PP2B pathway, which in turns inhibits TRPV1/Ca2+-dependent signaling and abrogates the statin-conferred pleiotropic protection in ECs.

Diverse noncoding mutations contribute to deregulation of cis-regulatory landscape in pediatric cancers.

Interpreting the function of noncoding mutations in cancer genomes remains a major challenge. Here, we developed a computational framework to identify putative causal noncoding mutations of all classes by joint analysis of mutation and gene expression data. We identified thousands of SNVs/small indels and structural variants as putative causal mutations in five major pediatric cancers. We experimentally validated the oncogenic role of CHD4 overexpression via enhancer hijacking in B-ALL. We observed a general exclusivity of coding and noncoding mutations affecting the same genes and pathways. We showed that integrated mutation profiles can help define novel patient subtypes with different clinical outcomes. Our study introduces a general strategy to systematically identify and characterize the full spectrum of noncoding mutations in cancers.

Runx1 negatively regulates inflammatory cytokine production by neutrophils in response to Toll-like receptor signaling.

RUNX1 is frequently mutated in myeloid and lymphoid malignancies. It has been shown to negatively regulate Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling through nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) in lung epithelial cells. Here we show that RUNX1 regulates TLR1/2 and TLR4 signaling and inflammatory cytokine production by neutrophils. Hematopoietic-specific RUNX1 loss increased the production of proinflammatory mediators, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), by bone marrow neutrophils in response to TLR1/2 and TLR4 agonists. Hematopoietic RUNX1 loss also resulted in profound damage to the lung parenchyma following inhalation of the TLR4 ligand lipopolysaccharide (LPS). However, neutrophils with neutrophil-specific RUNX1 loss lacked the inflammatory phenotype caused by pan-hematopoietic RUNX1 loss, indicating that dysregulated TLR4 signaling is not due to loss of RUNX1 in neutrophils per se. Rather, single-cell RNA sequencing indicates the dysregulation originates in a neutrophil precursor. Enhanced inflammatory cytokine production by neutrophils following pan-hematopoietic RUNX1 loss correlated with increased degradation of the inhibitor of NF-κB signaling, and RUNX1-deficient neutrophils displayed broad transcriptional upregulation of many of the core components of the TLR4 signaling pathway. Hence, early, pan-hematopoietic RUNX1 loss de-represses an innate immune signaling transcriptional program that is maintained in terminally differentiated neutrophils, resulting in their hyperinflammatory state. We hypothesize that inflammatory cytokine production by neutrophils may contribute to leukemia associated with inherited RUNX1 mutations.

Endothelial Nitric Oxide Mediates the Anti-Atherosclerotic Action of Torenia concolor Lindley var. Formosama Yamazaki.

Torenia concolor Lindley var. formosama Yamazaki ethanolic extract (TCEE) is reported to have anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity properties. However, the effects of TCEE and its underlying mechanisms in the activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) have not yet been investigated. Increasing the endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) production has been known to be beneficial against the development of cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we investigated the effect of TCEE on eNOS activation and NO-related endothelial function and inflammation by using an in vitro system. In endothelial cells (ECs), TCEE increased NO production in a concentration-dependent manner without affecting the expression of eNOS. In addition, TCEE increased the phosphorylation of eNOS at serine 635 residue (Ser635) and Ser1179, Akt at Ser473, calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII) at threonine residue 286 (Thr286), and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) at Thr172. Moreover, TCEE-induced NO production, and EC proliferation, migration, and tube formation were diminished by pretreatment with LY294002 (an Akt inhibitor), KN62 (a CaMKII inhibitor), and compound C (an AMPK inhibitor). Additionally, TCEE attenuated the tumor necrosis factor-α-induced inflammatory response as evidenced by the expression of adhesion molecules in ECs and monocyte adhesion onto ECs. These inflammatory effects of TCEE were abolished by L-NG-nitroarginine methyl ester (an NOS inhibitor). Moreover, chronic treatment with TCEE attenuated hyperlipidemia, systemic and aortic inflammatory response, and the atherosclerotic lesions in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Collectively, our findings suggest that TCEE may confer protection from atherosclerosis by preventing endothelial dysfunction.