FOXM1 augments sorafenib resistance and promotes progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by epigenetically activating KIF23 expression.

Sorafenib has been used to enhance the survival outcome of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. But, occurrence resistance to sorafenib subtracts from its therapeutic benefits. Herein, we identified that FOXM1 was markedly upregulated in both tumor samples and sorafenib-resistant HCC tissues. We also demonstrated that patients with decreased FOXM1 expression had longer overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in the cohort of sorafenib-treated patients. For HCC cells resistant to sorafenib, the IC50 value of sorafenib and the expression of FOXM1 were increased. In addition, Downregulation of FOXM1 expression alleviated the occurrence of resistance to sorafenib and reduced the proliferative potential and viability of HCC cells. Mechanically, the suppression of the FOXM1 gene resulted in the downregulation of KIF23 levels. Moreover, downregulation of FOXM1 expression reduced the levels of RNA polymerase II (RNA pol II) and histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) on the KIF23 promoter, further epigenetically silencing the production of KIF23. More intriguingly, our results similarly revealed that FDI-6, a specific inhibitor of FOXM1, suppressed the proliferation of HCC cells resistant to sorafenib, as well as upregulation of FOXM1 or KIF23 abolished this effect. In addition, we found that FDI-6 combined with sorafenib significantly improved the therapeutic effect of sorafenib. Collectively, the present results revealed that FOXM augments sorafenib resistance and enhances HCC progression by upregulating KIF23 expression via an epigenetic mechanism, and targeting FOXM1 can be an effective treatment for HCC.

The CXCL12-CXCR4-NLRP3 axis promotes Schwann cell pyroptosis and sciatic nerve demyelination in rats.

Studies have shown that the activation of the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is detrimental to the functional recovery of the sciatic nerve, but the regulatory mechanisms of the NLRP3 inflammasome in peripheral nerves are unclear. C-X-C motif chemokine 12 (CXCL12) can bind to C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) and participate in a wide range of nerve inflammation by regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome. Based on these, we explore whether CXCL12-CXCR4 axis regulates the NLRP3 inflammasome in the peripheral nerve. We found that CXCR4/CXCL12, NLRP3 inflammasome-related components, pyroptosis-related proteins and inflammatory factors in the sciatic nerve injured rats were markedly increased compared with the sham-operated group. AMD3100, a CXCR4 antagonist, reverses the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome, Schwann cell pyroptosis and sciatic nerve demyelination. We further treated rat Schwann cells with LPS (lipopolysaccharide) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to mimic the cellular inflammation model of sciatic nerve injury, and the results were consistent with those in vivo. In addition, both in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that AMD3100 treatment reduced the phosphorylation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and the expression of thioredoxin interacting protein (TXNIP), which contributes to activating NLRP3 inflammasome. Therefore, our findings suggest that, after sciatic nerve injury, CXCL12-CXCR4 axis may promote Schwann cell pyroptosis and sciatic nerve demyelination through activating NLRP3 inflammasome and slow the recovery process of the sciatic nerve.

The role of the sex hormone-gut microbiome axis in tumor immunotherapy.

Accumulating evidence suggested that both gut microbiome and sex play a critical role in the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Considering the reciprocal relationship between sex hormones and gut microbiome, the sex hormone-gut microbiome axis may participate in the regulation of the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). In this review, it was attempted to summarize the current knowledge about the influences of both sex and gut microbiome on the antitumor efficacy of ICIs and describe the interaction between sex hormones and gut microbiome. Accordingly, this review discussed the potential of enhancing the antitumor efficacy of ICIs through regulating the levels of sex hormones through manipulation of gut microbiome. Collectively, this review provided reliable evidence concerning the role of the sex hormone-gut microbiome axis in tumor immunotherapy.

IL-17A functions and the therapeutic use of IL-17A and IL-17RA targeted antibodies for cancer treatment.

Interleukin 17A (IL-17A) is a major member of the IL-17 cytokine family and is produced mainly by T helper 17 (Th17) cells. Other cells such as CD8+ T cells, γδ T cells, natural killer T cells and innate lymphoid-like cells can also produce IL-17A. In healthy individuals, IL-17A has a host-protective capacity, but excessive elevation of IL-17A is associated with the development of autoimmune diseases and cancer. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting IL-17A (e.g., ixekizumab and secukinumab) or IL-17A receptor (IL-17RA) (e.g., brodalumab) would be investigated as potential treatments for these diseases. Currently, the application of IL-17A-targeted drugs in autoimmune diseases will provide new ideas for the treatment of tumors, and its combined application with immune checkpoint inhibitors has become a research hotspot. This article reviews the mechanism of action of IL-17A and the application of anti-IL-17A antibodies, focusing on the research progress on the mechanism of action and therapeutic blockade of IL-17A in various tumors such as colorectal cancer (CRC), lung cancer, gastric cancer and breast cancer. Moreover, we also include the results of therapeutic blockade in the field of cancer as well as recent advances in the regulation of IL-17A signaling.

The role of CXCL1/CXCR2 axis in neurological diseases.

The C-X-C chemokine ligand (CXCL) 1 and its receptor C-X-C chemokine receptor (CXCR) 2 are widely expressed in the peripheral nervous systems (PNS) and central nervous systems (CNS) and are involved in the development of inflammation and pain after various nerve injuries. Once a nerve is damaged, it affects not only the neuron itself but also lesions elsewhere in its dominant site. After the CXCL1/CXCR2 axis is activated, multiple downstream pathways can be activated, such as c-Raf/MAPK/AP-1, p-PKC-µ/p-ILK/NLRP3, JAK2/STAT3, TAK1/NF-κB, etc. These pathways in turn mediate cellular motility state or cell migration. CXCR2 is expressed on the surface of neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages. These cells can be recruited to the lesion through the CXCL1/CXCR2 axis to participate in the inflammatory response. The expression of CXCR2 in neurons can activate some pathways in neurons through the CXCL1/CXCR2 axis, thereby causing damage to neurons. CXCR2 is also expressed in astrocytes, and when CXCR2 activated, it increases the number of astrocytes but impairs their function. Since inflammation can occur at almost any site of injury, elucidating the mechanism of CXCL1/CXCR2 axis' influence on inflammation may provide a favorable target for clinical treatment. Therefore, this article reviews the research progress of the CXCL1/CXCR2 axis in neurological diseases, aiming to provide a more meaningful theoretical basis for the treatment of neurological diseases.

CMTM6, a potential immunotherapy target.

The CKLF-like MARVEL transmembrane domain-containing protein 6 (CMTM6), which binds to the programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and stabilizes the expression of PD-L1 on the cell surface, has been recently discovered as a novel regulator of PD-L1 expression in cancer. PD-L1 is an immune checkpoint inhibitory molecule that can mediate the immune escape of tumor cells in various tumors and has been studied intensively in recent years. In 2017, two articles simultaneously reported that CMTM6 can stabilize the expression of PD-L1 on the plasma membrane and prevent PD-L1 from being degraded by lysosomes; therefore, CMTM6 may play an important role in tumor cell immune escape and immunosuppression. At present, there are few studies on the relationship between the expression of CMTM6 and PD-L1 in different tumors and diseases. These studies together suggested that CMTM6 may be a potential novel immunotherapy target. In this review, we briefly describe the latest research progresses of CMTM6 in various cancers and other diseases.

Research progress of targeting NLRP3 inflammasome in peripheral nerve injury and pain.

Nerve injury and nerve pain are common diseases caused by neuroinflammation. Numerous studies have shown that the activation of NLRP3 (nod-like receptor family, pyrin domain-containing 3) inflammasome is involved in a various inflammatory response, such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, nerve damage and other diseases. The NLRP3 inflammasome is a complex containing NLRP3 protein, ASC (apoptosis-associated speckle-like protein), and pro-caspase-1, which is highly expressed and activated to promote the secretion of IL-1ß and IL-18 in response to the stimulation of danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) in immune cells such as macrophages and dendritic cells. The activation of NLRP3 inflammasome can cause cell death through caspase-1-mediated cell pyroptosis and plays an important role in the development of nervous system injury and inflammation-related diseases. This discussion aims to summarize the mechanisms of nerve damage and pain caused by excessive activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.