Detecting Tumor Antigen-Specific T Cells via Interaction-Dependent Fucosyl-Biotinylation.

Re-activation and clonal expansion of tumor-specific antigen (TSA)-reactive T cells are critical to the success of checkpoint blockade and adoptive transfer of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL)-based therapies. There are no reliable markers to specifically identify the repertoire of TSA-reactive T cells due to their heterogeneous composition. We introduce FucoID as a general platform to detect endogenous antigen-specific T cells for studying their biology. Through this interaction-dependent labeling approach, intratumoral TSA-reactive CD4+, CD8+ T cells, and TSA-suppressive CD4+ T cells can be detected and separated from bystander T cells based on their cell-surface enzymatic fucosyl-biotinylation. Compared to bystander TILs, TSA-reactive TILs possess a distinct T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire and unique gene features. Although exhibiting a dysfunctional phenotype, TSA-reactive CD8+ TILs possess substantial capabilities of proliferation and tumor-specific killing. Featuring genetic manipulation-free procedures and a quick turnover cycle, FucoID should have the potential of accelerating the pace of personalized cancer treatment.

RACK1 enhances STAT3 stability and promotes T follicular helper cell development and function during blood-stage Plasmodium infection in mice.

CD4+ T cells are central mediators of protective immunity to blood-stage malaria, particularly for their capacity in orchestrating germinal center reaction and generating parasite-specific high-affinity antibodies. T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are predominant CD4+ effector T cell subset implicated in these processes, yet the factors and detailed mechanisms that assist Tfh cell development and function during Plasmodium infection are largely undefined. Here we provide evidence that receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1), an adaptor protein of various intracellular signals, is not only important for CD4+ T cell expansion as previously implied but also plays a prominent role in Tfh cell differentiation and function during blood-stage Plasmodium yoelii 17XNL infection. Consequently, RACK1 in CD4+ T cells contributes significantly to germinal center formation, parasite-specific IgG production, and host resistance to the infection. Mechanistic exploration detects specific interaction of RACK1 with STAT3 in P. yoelii 17XNL-responsive CD4+ T cells, ablation of RACK1 leads to defective STAT3 phosphorylation, accompanied by substantially lower amount of STAT3 protein in CD4+ T cells, whereas retroviral overexpression of RACK1 or STAT3 in RACK1-deficient CD4+ T cells greatly restores STAT3 activity and Bcl-6 expression under the Tfh polarization condition. Further analyses suggest RACK1 positively regulates STAT3 stability by inhibiting the ubiquitin-proteasomal degradation process, thus promoting optimal STAT3 activity and Bcl-6 induction during Tfh cell differentiation. These findings uncover a novel mechanism by which RACK1 participates in posttranslational regulation of STAT3, Tfh cell differentiation, and subsequent development of anti-Plasmodium humoral immunity.

Upregulation of PRRX2 by silencing Marveld3 as a protective mechanism against radiation-induced ferroptosis in skin cells.

BACKGROUND: Radiation-induced skin injury (RISI) represents a significant complication in patients receiving radiotherapy and individuals exposed to nuclear accidents, characterized by a protracted wound-healing process relative to injuries from other etiologies. Current preventive and management approaches remain inadequate. Consequently, investigating efficacious intervention strategies that target the disease's progression characteristics holds significant practical importance. METHODS: Small interfering RNA (siRNA) and overexpression plasmid were used to modulate the expression of Marvel domain containing 3 (Marveld3) and paired related homeobox 2 (PRRX2). Protein and mRNA levels were estimated by Western Blot and real-time PCR, respectively. Intracellular levels of Malondialdehyde (MDA), a terminal product of lipid peroxidation, were measured following the manufacturer's protocol for MDA assay kit. Similarly, intracellular levels of ferrous iron (Fe2+) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were determined using their respective assay kits. Lipid peroxidation status within the cells was evaluated via BODIPY staining. Immunohistochemistry was conducted to ascertain the expression of PRRX2 in skin tissues collected at various time points following irradiation of rats. The H-score method was used to evaluate the percentage of positively stained cells and staining intensity. RNA sequencing, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were conducted by OE Biotech Company. RESULTS: In this study, our findings indicated that Marveld3 suppression could effectively inhibit lipid peroxidation levels in irradiated skin cells, concomitantly reducing intracellular Fe2+ content. Additionally, the silencing of Marveld3 effectively abrogated the impact of a ferroptosis agonist on cellular viability, resulting in the upregulation of 66 and 178 genes, as well as the downregulation of 188 and 31 genes in irradiated HaCaT and WS1 cells, respectively. Among the differentially expressed genes, the PRRX2 which was found to be involved in the process of ferroptosis, exhibited statistically significant upregulation. And the upregulation of PRRX2 expression may attenuate radiation-induced lipid peroxidation in skin cells, thereby functioning as a potential stress-responsive mechanism to counteract radiation effects. CONCLUSIONS: This study elucidates the role of Marveld3 in radiation-induced ferroptosis in skin cells. Inhibition of Marveld3 led to the upregulation of PRRX2, which subsequently resulted in a reduction of Fe2+ and ROS levels, as well as the suppression of lipid peroxidation. These effects collectively mitigated the occurrence of ferroptosis.

Exploring the Role of Extrachromosomal Circular DNA in Human Diseases.

BACKGROUND: Extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) has emerged as a central focus in molecular biology, with various types being found across species through advanced techniques, including high-throughput sequencing. This dynamic molecule exerts a significant influence on aging and immune function and plays pivotal roles in autoimmune diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cancer, and genetic disorders. SUMMARY: This comprehensive review investigates the classification, characteristics, formation processes, and multifaceted functions of eccDNA, providing an in-depth exploration of its mechanisms in diverse diseases. KEY MESSAGES: The goal of this review was to establish a robust theoretical foundation for a more comprehensive understanding of eccDNA, offering valuable insights for the development of clinical diagnostics and innovative therapeutic strategies in the context of related diseases.

Spatial proteomics: unveiling the multidimensional landscape of protein localization in human diseases.

Spatial proteomics is a multidimensional technique that studies the spatial distribution and function of proteins within cells or tissues across both spatial and temporal dimensions. This field multidimensionally reveals the complex structure of the human proteome, including the characteristics of protein spatial distribution, dynamic protein translocation, and protein interaction networks. Recently, as a crucial method for studying protein spatial localization, spatial proteomics has been applied in the clinical investigation of various diseases. This review summarizes the fundamental concepts and characteristics of tissue-level spatial proteomics, its research progress in common human diseases such as cancer, neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, and anticipates its future development trends. The aim is to highlight the significant impact of spatial proteomics on understanding disease pathogenesis, advancing diagnostic methods, and developing potential therapeutic targets in clinical research.

Trend and driving factors in burden of age-related macular degeneration in older adults aged 60-89 years: a global analysis over three decades.

BACKGROUND: To explore temporal trends and determine driving factors of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) burden in older adults aged 60-89 years at global, regional and national levels from 1990 to 2019. METHODS: Prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) were extracted. Joinpoint regression analysis was adopted to calculate average annual percentage change and to identify the year with the most significant changes. Global trends were stratified by sex, age and sociodemographic index, and regional and national trends were explored. Decomposition analysis was conducted to determine what extent the forces of population size, age structure and epidemiologic change driving alterations of AMD burden. RESULTS: Globally, prevalence rate slightly increased whereas YLDs rate decreased. The year 2005 marked a turning point where both prevalence and YLDs started to decline. Regionally, Western Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest prevalence and YLDs rates in 2019, with East Asia experiencing the most notable rise in prevalence from 1990 to 2019. Global decomposition revealed that the increased case number was primarily driven by population growth and ageing, and epidemiological change was only detected to lessen but far from offset these impacts. CONCLUSIONS: Although there was only slight increase or even decrease in prevalence and YLDs rates of AMD in older adults, the case number still nearly doubled, which may be primarily attributed to population growth and ageing, coupled with the emerging growing pattern of prevalence rate from 2015, collectively suggesting a huge challenge in control and management of AMD.

Transcriptional Activator UvXlnR Is Required for Conidiation and Pathogenicity of Rice False Smut Fungus Ustilaginoidea virens.

Transcription factors play critical roles in diverse biological processes in fungi. XlnR, identified as a transcriptional activator that regulates the expression of the extracellular xylanase genes in fungi, has not been extensively studied for its function in fungal development and pathogenicity in rice false smut fungus Ustilaginoidea virens. In this study, we characterized UvXlnR in U. virens and established that the full-length, N-terminal, and C-terminal forms have the ability to activate transcription. The study further demonstrated that UvXlnR plays crucial roles in various aspects of U. virens biology. Deletion of UvXlnR affected growth, conidiation, and stress response. UvXlnR mutants also exhibited reduced pathogenicity, which could be partially attributed to the reduced expression of xylanolytic genes and extracellular xylanase activity of U. virens during the infection process. Our results indicate that UvXlnR is involved in regulating growth, conidiation, stress response, and pathogenicity.

Dysregulated dendritic cells in sepsis: functional impairment and regulated cell death.

Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Studies have indicated that immune dysfunction plays a central role in the pathogenesis of sepsis. Dendritic cells (DCs) play a crucial role in the emergence of immune dysfunction in sepsis. The major manifestations of DCs in the septic state are abnormal functions and depletion in numbers, which are linked to higher mortality and vulnerability to secondary infections in sepsis. Apoptosis is the most widely studied pathway of number reduction in DCs. In the past few years, there has been a surge in studies focusing on regulated cell death (RCD). This emerging field encompasses various forms of cell death, such as necroptosis, pyroptosis, ferroptosis, and autophagy-dependent cell death (ADCD). Regulation of DC's RCD can serve as a possible therapeutic focus for the treatment of sepsis. Throughout time, numerous tactics have been devised and effectively implemented to improve abnormal immune response during sepsis progression, including modifying the functions of DCs and inhibiting DC cell death. In this review, we provide an overview of the functional impairment and RCD of DCs in septic states. Also, we highlight recent advances in targeting DCs to regulate host immune response following septic challenge.

Research progress on pesticide residue detection based on microfluidic technology.

The problem of pesticide residue contamination has attracted widespread attention and poses a risk to human health. The current traditional pesticide residue detection methods have difficulty meeting rapid and diverse field screening requirements. Microfluidic technology integrates functions from sample preparation to detection, showing great potential for quick and accurate high-throughput detection of pesticide residues. This paper reviews the latest research progress on microfluidic technology for pesticide residue detection. First, the commonly used microfluidic materials are summarized, including silicon, glass, paper, polydimethylsiloxane, and polymethyl methacrylate. We evaluated their advantages and disadvantages in pesticide residue detection applications. Second, the current pesticide residue detection technology based on microfluidics and its application to real samples are summarized. Finally, we discuss this technology's present challenges and future research directions. This study is expected to provide a reference for the future development of microfluidic technology for pesticide residue detection.

The Golgi-localized transporter OsPML3 is involved in manganese homeostasis and complex N-glycan synthesis in rice.

Manganese (Mn) is involved in many biochemical pathways as an enzyme cofactor, and is essential for maintaining metabolic processes in various plant cell compartments. Here, we determined the function of a rice (Oryza sativa) Mn transporter, PHOTOSYNTHESIS-AFFECTED MUTANT 71-LIKE 3 (OsPML3), belonging to the UNCHARACTERIZED PROTEIN FAMILY 0016 (UPF0016), in regulating Mn homeostasis and late-stage Golgi N-glycosylation. OsPML3 was highly expressed in rapidly developing tissues such as young leaves, root caps, lateral root primordia, and young anthers. Heterologous expression of OsPML3 restored the growth of Mn uptake-defective yeast strain Δsmf1 under Mn-limited conditions. Sub-cellular localization analysis revealed that OsPML3 localizes in the Golgi apparatus. At the vegetative stage, we observed necrotic root tips and lateral root primordia, and chlorotic young leaves in OsPML3 knockout lines under Mn-deficient conditions. Knocking out OsPML3 reduced the Mn content in the young leaves but did not affect the older leaves. Additionally, knocking out OsPML3 reduced the deposition of cell wall polysaccharides and the content of Lea (Lewis A structure)-containing N-glycan in roots and young leaves. OsPML3 knockout lines grown in the paddy field had reduced pollen fertility. Moreover, we found that the Lewis A structure was reduced in young anthers of OsPML3 knockout lines. Collectively, our results indicate that OsPML3 maintains Mn homeostasis in the Golgi apparatus of the rapidly developing rice tissues, and regulates the deposition of cell wall polysaccharides and late-stage Golgi N-glycosylation, especially biosynthesis of the Lewis A structure.

Peripheral Blood Markers Predictive of Progression-Free Survival in Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients Treated With PD-1 Inhibitors Plus Chemotherapy as First-Line Therapy.

Aim: To determine the prognostic value of peripheral blood markers in advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients receiving programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy as first-line therapy. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 54 patients with advanced ESCC was performed to assess 12 blood markers involving inflammation, nutrition, and tumor burden. Analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to explore the difference in markers among different response to therapy. Survival curves were constructed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate Cox models were applied to identify independent predictors of outcome. Results: Patients who achieved response had significantly higher prealbumin, increased BMI, and lower hs-CRP levels at baseline compared with those who experienced disease progression. In the univariate analysis, ALI > 23.55, PNI > 45.175, NLR ≤ 5, and hs-CRP ≤ 6.7 mg/L were significantly associated with a better progression-free survival. Cox regression analysis revealed that ALI >23.55 (P = 0.037) and hs-CRP ≤6.7 mg/L (P = 0.043) were independently associated with superior PFS. Increased tumor abnormal protein (TAP) levels post two cycles was significantly associated with a worse prognosis (P = 0.004). Conclusions: A baseline signature of low ALI and high hs-CRP as well as an early increase in TAP in ESCC appear to be predictive of inferior PFS.

Chemoenzymatic Tagging of Tn/TF/STF Antigens in Living Systems.

Truncated mucin-type O-glycans, such as Tn-associated antigens, are aberrantly expressed biomarkers of cancer, but remain challenging to target. Reactive antibodies to these antigens either lack high-affinity or are prone to antigen escape. Here, we have developed a robust chemoenzymatic strategy for the global labeling of Tn-associated antigens, i.e. Tn (GalNAcα-O-Ser/Thr), Thomsen-Friedenreich (Galß1-3GalNAcα-O-Ser/Thr, TF) and STF (Neu5Acα2-3Galß1-3GalNAcα-O-Ser/Thr, STF) antigens, in human whole blood with high efficiency and selectivity. This method relies on the use of the O-glycan sialyltransferase ST6GalNAc1 to transfer a sialic acid-functionalized adaptor to the GalNAc residue of these antigens. By tagging, the adaptor functionalized antigens can be easily targeted by customized strategies such as, but not limited to, chimeric antigen receptor T-Cells (CAR-T). We expect this tagging system to find broad applications in cancer diagnostics and targeting in combination with established strategies.

The effect of duration of youth/parent communication on depression and anxiety during COVID-19 isolation in China.

The current study examines the mediating roles of self-efficacy and sleep disturbance and the moderating role of gender in the association between the duration of youth/parent communication on depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 isolation period in China. We used the self-designed demographic variable questionnaire, General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Self-Rating Depression Scale, and the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale with 1,772 youths aged 15-24 from 26 provinces in China during the COVID-19 lockdown. We performed demographic variable analysis, correlation analysis, mediation analysis, and moderated analysis. The duration of daily communication with parents was significantly positively correlated with self-efficacy and significantly negatively correlated with sleep disturbance, depression, and anxiety. The chain mediation analysis revealed that the duration of communication with parents directly affected depression and anxiety. Self-efficacy, sleep disturbance, and self-efficacy sleep disturbance had significant mediating and chain-mediating effects on the duration of communication with parents, depression, and anxiety. The interactions between sleep disturbance and gender (B = 0.35, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.64, p = .02 < .05) were significant. The duration of parent/youth communication directly affected depression and anxiety and indirectly affected depression and anxiety via the chain-mediating effect of self-efficacy and sleep disturbance. Gender moderates the relationships between sleep disturbance and depression.

M2-phenotype tumour-associated macrophages upregulate the expression of prognostic predictors MMP14 and INHBA in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal gastrointestinal tumours, the most common pathological type is pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD). In recent year, immune imbalanced in tumour microenvironment has been shown to play an important role in the evolution of tumours progression, and the efficacy of immunotherapy has been gradually demonstrated in clinical practice. In this study, we propose to construct an immune-related prognostic risk model based on immune-related genes MMP14 and INHBA expression that can assess the prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients and identify potential therapeutic targets for pancreatic cancer, to provide new ideas for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. We also investigate the correlation between macrophage infiltration and MMP14 and INHBA expression. First, the gene expression data of pancreatic cancer and normal pancreatic tissue were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA) and The Genotype-Tissue Expression public database (GTEx). The differentially expressed immune-related genes between pancreatic cancer samples and normal sample were screened by R software. Secondly, univariate Cox regression analysis were used to evaluate the relationship between immune-related genes and the prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients. A polygenic risk score model was constructed by Cox regression analysis. The prognostic nomogram was constructed, and its performance was evaluated comprehensively by internal calibration curve and C-index. Using the risk model, each patient gets a risk score, and was divided into high- or low- risk groups. The proportion of 22 types of immune cells infiltration in pancreatic cancer samples was inferred by CIBERSOFT algorithm, correlation analysis (Pearson method) was used to analyse the correlation between the immune-related genes and immunes cells. Then, we applied macrophage conditioned medium to culture pancreatic cancer cell line PANC1, detected the expression of MMP14 and INHBA by qRT-PCR and Western blot methods. Knock-down MMP14 and INHBA in PANC1 cells by transfected with shRNA lentiviruses. Detection of migration ability of pancreatic cells was done by trans-well cell migration assay. A subcutaneous xenograft tumour model of human pancreatic cancer in nude mice was constructed. In conclusion, an immune-related gene prognostic model was constructed, patients with high-risk scores have poorer survival status, M2-phenotype tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) up-regulate two immune-related genes, MMP14 and INHBA, which were used to establish the prognostic model. Knock-down of MMP14 and INHBA inhibited invasion of pancreatic cancer.

BMI1 enables extensive expansion of functional erythroblasts from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Transfusion of red blood cells (RBCs) from ABO-matched but genetically unrelated donors is commonly used for treating anemia and acute blood loss. Increasing demand and insufficient supply for donor RBCs, especially those of universal blood types or free of known and unknown pathogens, has called for ex vivo generation of functional RBCs by large-scale cell culture. However, generating physiological numbers of transfusable cultured RBCs (cRBCs) ex vivo remains challenging, due to our inability to either extensively expand primary RBC precursors (erythroblasts) or achieve efficient enucleation once erythroblasts have been expanded and induced to differentiation and maturation. Here, we report that ectopic expression of the human BMI1 gene confers extensive expansion of human erythroblasts, which can be derived readily from adult peripheral blood mononuclear cells of either healthy donors or sickle cell patients. These extensively expanded erythroblasts (E3s) are able to proliferate exponentially (>1 trillion-fold in 2 months) in a defined culture medium. Expanded E3 cells are karyotypically normal and capable of terminal maturation with approximately 50% enucleation. Additionally, E3-derived cRBCs can circulate in a mouse model following transfusion similar to primary human RBCs. Therefore, we provide a facile approach of generating physiological numbers of human functional erythroblasts ex vivo.

Application of machine learning missing data imputation techniques in clinical decision making: taking the discharge assessment of patients with spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage as an example.

BACKGROUND: There are often many missing values in medical data, which directly affect the accuracy of clinical decision making. Discharge assessment is an important part of clinical decision making. Taking the discharge assessment of patients with spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage as an example, this study adopted the missing data processing evaluation criteria more suitable for clinical decision making, aiming at systematically exploring the performance and applicability of single machine learning algorithms and ensemble learning (EL) under different data missing scenarios, as well as whether they had more advantages than traditional methods, so as to provide basis and reference for the selection of suitable missing data processing method in practical clinical decision making. METHODS: The whole process consisted of four main steps: (1) Based on the original complete data set, missing data was generated by simulation under different missing scenarios (missing mechanisms, missing proportions and ratios of missing proportions of each group). (2) Machine learning and traditional methods (eight methods in total) were applied to impute missing values. (3) The performances of imputation techniques were evaluated and compared by estimating the sensitivity, AUC and Kappa values of prediction models. (4) Statistical tests were used to evaluate whether the observed performance differences were statistically significant. RESULTS: The performances of missing data processing methods were different to a certain extent in different missing scenarios. On the whole, machine learning had better imputation performance than traditional methods, especially in scenarios with high missing proportions. Compared with single machine learning algorithms, the performance of EL was more prominent, followed by neural networks. Meanwhile, EL was most suitable for missing imputation under MAR (the ratio of missing proportion 2:1) mechanism, and its average sensitivity, AUC and Kappa values reached 0.908, 0.924 and 0.596 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In clinical decision making, the characteristics of missing data should be actively explored before formulating missing data processing strategies. The outstanding imputation performance of machine learning methods, especially EL, shed light on the development of missing data processing technology, and provided methodological support for clinical decision making in presence of incomplete data.

Role of B Lymphocytes in the Pathogenesis of NAFLD: A 2022 Update.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and its related complications are becoming one of the most important health problems globally. The liver functions as both a metabolic and an immune organ. The crosstalk between hepatocytes and intrahepatic immune cells plays a key role in coordinating a dual function of the liver in terms of the protection of the host from antigenic overload as a result of receiving nutrients and gut microbiota antigenic stimulation via facilitating immunologic tolerance. B cells are the most abundant lymphocytes in the liver. The crucial role of intrahepatic B cells in energy metabolism under different immune conditions is now emerging in the literature. The accumulating evidence has demonstrated that the antibodies and cytokines produced by B cells in the microenvironment play key and distinct roles in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Herein, we have aimed to consolidate and update the current knowledge about the pathophysiological roles of B cells as well as the underlying mechanisms in energy metabolism. Understanding how B cells can exacerbate and suppress liver damage by exploiting the antibodies and cytokines they produce will be of great importance for designing B-cell targeting therapies to treat various liver diseases.

Tumor-associated macrophages promote the metastasis and growth of non-small-cell lung cancer cells through NF-κB/PP2Ac-positive feedback loop.

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with its aggressive biological behavior, is one of the most diagnosed cancers. Tumor-associated inflammatory cells play important roles in the interaction between chronic inflammation and lung cancer, however the mechanisms involved are far from defined. In the present study, by developing an orthotopic NSCLC mouse model based on chronic inflammation, we proved that an inflammatory microenvironment accelerated the growth of orthotopic xenografts in vivo. Tumor-associated macrophages, the most abundant population of inflammatory cells, were identified. Treatment with macrophage-conditioned medium (MCM) promoted the growth and migration of NSCLC cells. Using bioinformatics analysis, we identified downregulated PP2Ac expression in NSCLC cells upon treatment with MCM. We further confirmed that this downregulation was executed in an NF-κB pathway-dependent manner. As IκB kinase (IKK) has been proved to be a substrate of PP2Ac, inhibition on PP2Ac could result in amplification of NF-κB pathway signaling. Overexpression of PP2Ac, or the dominant-negative forms of IKK or IκB, attenuated the acceleration of growth and metastasis by MCM. Using bioinformatics analysis, we further identified that CXCL1 and COL6A1 could be downstream of NF-κB/PP2Ac pathway. Luciferase assay and ChIP assay further confirmed the location of response elements on the promoter regions of CXCL1 and COL6A1. Elevated CXCL1 facilitated angiogenesis, whereas upregulated COL6A1 promoted proliferation and migration.

lncRNA TUG1 regulates ulcerative colitis through miR-142-5p/SOCS1 axis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a long-lasting inflammation disease which finally results in ulcer of the colon and rectum. The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) TUG1 has been described to target miR-142 and regulate its expression. In current study, we evaluated the effects of long non-coding RNA TUG1 on cell injury and inflammatory cytokine production using a TNFα-treated HT-29 cells model. We monitored the level of TUG1 in colonic mucosa tissue of UC patients and in TNF-α-treated HT-29 cells. We investigated the effects of TUG1 on miR-142-5p and SOCS1expression, cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, production of nitrite and PGE2 after TNF-α treatment in HT-29 cells. We also investigated the effects of TUG1 on TNF-α-induced IL-6, IL-8 and IL-1ß expression in HT-29 cells. We detected down-regulated TUG1 level in colonic mucosa tissue of UC patients and in TNF-α-treated HT-29 cells. Overexpression of TUG1 enhanced cell viability, decreased LDH release, decreased nitrite and PGE2 production after TNF-α treatment in HT-29 cells. TUG1 prevented IL-1ß, IL-6 and IL-8 production in TNF-α-treated cells. TUG1 targeted miR-142-5p and inhibited its expression while enhanced SOCS1 expression. Overexpression of miR-142-5p abolished TUG1-mediated inhibition of TNF-induced inflammatory cytokines production. TUG1 negatively regulated inflammation in ulcerative colitis through miR-142-5p/SOCS1 axis.

VEGFR2 promotes tumorigenesis and metastasis in a pro-angiogenic-independent way in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: VEGF/VEGFR2 pathway is the central therapeutic target in anti-angiogenic treatment in multiple cancers. However, little work has been carried out concerning the pro-malignancy functions of VEGFR2 that are independent of its pro-angiogenesis effects in gastric cancer. Here, we demonstrated that VEGFR2 up-regulation in gastric cancer tissues was a prognostic marker for poor disease-free survival and overall survival of gastric cancer patients. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect VEGFR2 and VTN expressions in specimens. Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed for survival analysis. Stably knockdown cell lines and overexpression cell lines were constructed by small interfering RNA and plasmids transfection. Real-time PCR and Western blot were used to confirm the expressions of target genes at both RNA and protein levels. Cell proliferation was measured by using Cell Counting Kit-8 and xenograft models. Microarray and bioinformatic analysis were also performed to identify the relationship between Vitronectin (VTN) and VEGFR2. RESULTS: When overexpressed in gastric cancer cells, VEGFR2 increased cellular proliferation and invasion in vitro and tumor formation in xenograft models. By using integrating microarray and bioinformatic analysis, we identifiedVTN as a downstream of VEGFR2 pathway. In gain- and loss-of function analysis in gastric cancer cells, VTN was further verified in consistent with VEGFR2 in expression levels and in regulating cell growth and motility in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, in gastric cancer samples, VTN was as also revealed as a poor prognostic factor. CONCLUSIONS: Our present findings defined a novel activity for VEGFR2 in promoting tumorogenicity, motility and indicating a poor survival in gastric cancer beyond its known pro-angiogenic effects. IMPLICATIONS: Our present findings defined a novel activity for VEGFR2 in promoting tumorogenicity, motility and indicating a poor survival in gastric cancer beyond its known pro-angiogenic effects, which may provide a new and valuable target for design of therapies for intervention and a new cognitive perspective for the anti-angiogenesis therapies.