FoxD1 expression identifies a distinct subset of hepatic stellate cells involved in liver fibrosis.

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are pericytes of the liver responsible for liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, which are the end stages of chronic liver diseases. TGF-ß activates HSCs, leading to the differentiation of myofibroblasts in the process of liver fibrosis. While the heterogeneity of HSCs is appreciated in the fibrotic liver, it remains elusive which HSC subsets mainly contribute to fibrosis. Here, we show that the expression of the pericyte marker FoxD1 specifically marks a subset of HSCs in FoxD1-fate tracer mice. HSCs fate-mapped by FoxD1 were preferentially localized in the portal and peripheral areas of both the homeostatic and fibrotic liver induced by carbon tetrachloride. Furthermore, the deletion of Cbfß, which is necessary for TGF-ß signaling, in FoxD1-expressing cells ameliorated liver fibrosis. Thus, we identified an HSC subset that preferentially responds to liver injuries.

Trained innate lymphoid cells in allergic diseases.

Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) reside in peripheral tissues such as the lungs, skin, nasal cavity, and gut and provoke innate type 2 immunity against allergen exposure, parasitic worm infection, and respiratory virus infection by producing TH2 cytokines. Recent advances in understanding ILC2 biology revealed that ILC2s can be trained by IL-33 or allergic inflammation, are long-lived, and mount memory-like type 2 immune responses to any other allergens afterwards. In contrast, IL-33, together with retinoic acid, induces IL-10-producing immunosuppressive ILC2s. In this review, we discuss how the allergic cytokine milieu and other immune cells direct the generation of trained ILC2s with immunostimulatory or immunosuppressive recall capability in allergic diseases and infections associated with type 2 immunity. The molecular mechanisms of trained immunity by ILCs and the physiological relevance of trained ILC2s are also discussed.

Successful Treatment with 5-fluorouracil and Levofolinate Calcium in Advanced Gastric Cancer Patient with Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation.

A 32-year-old woman was found to have a gastric adenocarcinoma with multiple bone metastases. Chemotherapy in the first, second and third-line was not effective. Blood examinations showed disseminated intravascular coagulation(DIC)at the end of the second-line chemotherapy. The fourth-line chemotherapy, infusional 5-fluorouracil and levofolinate calcium was performed. This resulted in a good response for DIC. This palliative therapy was effective and safety.

TIGIT mediates activation-induced cell death of ILC2s during chronic airway allergy.

While group-2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) are highly proliferative in allergic inflammation, the removal of overactivated ILC2s in allergic diseases has not been investigated. We previously showed that chronic airway allergy induces "exhausted-like" dysfunctional ILC2s expressing T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT). However, the physiological relevance of these cells in chronic allergy remains elusive. To precisely identify and monitor TIGIT+ ILC2s, we generated TIGIT lineage tracer mice. Chronic allergy stably induced TIGIT+ ILC2s, which were highly activated, apoptotic, and were quickly removed from sites of chronic allergy. Transcripts from coding genes were globally suppressed in the cells, possibly due to reduced chromatin accessibility. Cell death in TIGIT+ ILC2s was enhanced by interactions with CD155 expressed on macrophages, whereas genetic ablation of Tigit or blockade by anti-TIGIT antagonistic antibodies promoted ILC2 survival, thereby deteriorating chronic allergic inflammation. Our work demonstrates that TIGIT shifts the fate of ILC2s toward activation-induced cell death, which could present a new therapeutic target for chronic allergies.