T-Bet independent development of IFNγ secreting natural T helper 1 cell population in the absence of Itk.

Th1, Th2, Th9 and Th17 cells are conventional CD4+ effector T cells identified as secretors of prototypical cytokines IFNγ, IL4, IL9, and IL-17A respectively. Recently, populations of natural Th17 and Th1 cells (nTh17 and nTh1) with innate-like phenotype have been identified in the thymus that are distinct from conventional Th17 and Th1 cells. The absence of the Tec family kinase Interleukin-2 inducible T cell kinase (Itk) results in T cell immunodeficiency in mice and humans. Here we show that Itk negatively regulates the development of nTh1 cells that express IFNγ in a Tbet independent manner, and whose expansion can be enhanced by IL4. Furthermore, we show that robust induction of IL4 responses during Trichinella spiralis infection enhance the presence of nTh1 cells. We conclude T cell receptor signaling via Itk controls the development of natural Th1 cells, which are expanded by the presence of IL4.

Cutting Edge: Drebrin-Regulated Actin Dynamics Regulate IgE-Dependent Mast Cell Activation and Allergic Responses.

Mast cells play critical roles in allergic responses. Calcium signaling controls the function of these cells, and a role for actin in regulating calcium influx into cells has been suggested. We have previously identified the actin reorganizing protein Drebrin as a target of the immunosuppressant 3,5-bistrifluoromethyl pyrazole, which inhibits calcium influx into cells. In this study, we show that Drebrin(-/-) mice exhibit reduced IgE-mediated histamine release and passive systemic anaphylaxis, and Drebrin(-/-) mast cells also exhibit defects in FcεRI-mediated degranulation. Drebrin(-/-) mast cells exhibit defects in actin cytoskeleton organization and calcium responses downstream of the FcεRI, and agents that relieve actin reorganization rescue mast cell FcεRI-induced degranulation. Our results indicate that Drebrin regulates the actin cytoskeleton and calcium responses in mast cells, thus regulating mast cell function in vivo.

Differential regulation of Th17 and T regulatory cell differentiation by aryl hydrocarbon receptor dependent xenobiotic response element dependent and independent pathways.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is regarded as an environmental sensor and has been shown to link environmental stresses with chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The AHR can be activated to regulate both the X/DRE (xenobiotic or dioxin response elements) as well as a non-X/DRE mediated pathway. Selective AHR modulators (SAhRMs) are recently identified compounds that activate non-X/DRE mediated pathway without activating the X/DRE-driven responses. Here, we have used 3 classes of AHR ligands; agonist, antagonist, and a SAhRM, to delineate the role of these AHR-driven pathways in T helper 17 (Th17)/T regulatory (Treg) regulation. We show that Th17 differentiation is primarily dependent on X/DRE-driven responses, whereas Treg differentiation can be suppressed by inhibiting non-X/DRE pathway. Using a model of Citrobacter rodentium infection, we further show that AHR agonist enhances Th17 production and promoted resolution of infection, whereas a SAhRM inhibited Th17 mediated responses with reduced resolution of infection. These data indicate that Th17/Treg function may be differentially regulated by SAhRMs that differentially activate the X/DRE and non-X/DRE mediated pathways, and point to a therapeutic strategy to leverage AHR function in the treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disease.

Evaluation of the stability, bioavailability, and hypersensitivity of the omega-3 derived anti-leukemic prostaglandin: Δ(12)-prostaglandin J3.

Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of an eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)-derived endogenous cyclopentenone prostaglandin (CyPG) metabolite, Δ(12)-PGJ3, to selectively target leukemic stem cells, but not the normal hematopoietic stems cells, in in vitro and in vivo models of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Here we evaluated the stability, bioavailability, and hypersensitivity of Δ(12)-PGJ3. The stability of Δ(12)-PGJ3 was evaluated under simulated conditions using artificial gastric and intestinal juice. The bioavailability of Δ(12)-PGJ3 in systemic circulation was demonstrated upon intraperitoneal injection into mice by LC-MS/MS. Δ(12)-PGJ3 being a downstream metabolite of PGD3 was tested in vitro using primary mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) and in vivo mouse models for airway hypersensitivity. ZK118182, a synthetic PG analog with potent PGD2 receptor (DP)-agonist activity and a drug candidate in current clinical trials, was used for toxicological comparison. Δ(12)-PGJ3 was relatively more stable in simulated gastric juice than in simulated intestinal juice that followed first-order kinetics of degradation. Intraperitoneal injection into mice revealed that Δ(12)-PGJ3 was bioavailable and well absorbed into systemic circulation with a Cmax of 263 µg/L at 12 h. Treatment of BMMCs with ZK118182 for 12 h resulted in increased production of histamine, while Δ(12)-PGJ3 did not induce degranulation in BMMCs nor increase histamine. In addition, in vivo testing for hypersensitivity in mice showed that ZK118182 induces higher airways hyperresponsiveness when compared Δ(12)-PGJ3 and/or PBS control. Based on the stability studies, our data indicates that intraperitoneal route of administration of Δ(12)-PGJ3 was favorable than oral administration to achieve effective pharmacological levels in the plasma against leukemia. Δ(12)-PGJ3 failed to increase histamine and IL-4 in BMMCs, which is in agreement with reduced airway hyperresponsiveness in mice. In summary, our studies suggest Δ(12)-PGJ3 to be a promising bioactive metabolite for further evaluation as a potential drug candidate for treating CML.

IL-2-inducible T-cell kinase modulates TH2-mediated allergic airway inflammation by suppressing IFN-γ in naive CD4+ T cells.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a predominantly TH2 cell-dominated inflammatory disease characterized by airway inflammation and a major public health concern affecting millions of persons. The Tec family tyrosine kinase IL-2-inducible T-cell kinase (Itk) is primarily expressed in T cells and critical for the function and differentiation of TH cells. Itk(-/-) mice have a defective TH2 response and are not susceptible to allergic asthma. OBJECTIVE: We sought to better understand the role of Itk signaling in TH differentiation programs and in the development and molecular pathology of allergic asthma. METHODS: Using a murine model of allergic airway inflammation, we dissected the role of Itk in regulating TH cell differentiation through genetic ablation of critical genes, chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, and house dust mite-driven allergic airway inflammation. RESULTS: Peripheral naive Itk(-/-) CD4(+) T cells have substantially increased transcripts and expression of the prototypic TH1 genes Eomesodermin, IFN-γ, T-box transcription factor (T-bet), and IL-12Rß1. Removal of IFN-γ on the Itk(-/-) background rescues expression of TH2-related genes in TH cells and allergic airway inflammation in Itk(-/-) mice. Furthermore, small hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown of Itk in human peripheral blood T cells results in increased expression of mRNA for IFN-γ and T-bet and reduction in expression of IL-4. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that Itk signals suppress the expression of IFN-γ in naive CD4(+) T cells, which in a positive feed-forward loop regulates the expression of TH1 factors, such as T-bet and Eomesodermin, and suppress development of TH2 cells and allergic airway inflammation.

Wnt pathway and breast cancer.

Breast cancer is one of the most debilitating human carcinomas with second highest mortality rate after lung cancer in women. Recent advancement in genetic and biochemical analyses has deciphered the molecular pathways involved in breast cancer development. Wnt signal has long been established to play a critical role in normal development as well as in tumorigenesis. In this review, we summarize the role of Wnt signal in the development of mammary carcinoma, the molecular mechanism via which Wnt signal exerts its malignant potential and various nodal points in the Wnt cascade that can be targeted for drug development and cancer treatment.

Tumor-endothelial cell interactions: therapeutic potential.

Metastasis is the primary cause of death in cancer patients. However, the molecular mechanism of the metastatic process is poorly understood because it involves multiple steps with a high degree of complexity. A critical step for successful establishment of secondary colonization is the hematogenous dissemination of malignant cells. During this process, the attachment of cancer cells to the endothelial cells on microvasculature is considered to be an essential step and many adhesion molecules as well as chemokines have been found to be involved in this process. This interaction of cancer-endothelial cell is considered not only to determine the physical site of metastasis, but also to provide the necessary anchorage to facilitate tumor cell extravasation. However, recent evidence indicates that this interaction also serves as a host defense mechanism and hinders the process of metastasis. The tumor metastases suppressor gene, KAI1, has been known to block metastatic process without affecting the primary tumor growth, and this protein has been found to be able to bind to the chemokine receptor, Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC), which is expressed on endothelial cells. Importantly, this interaction markedly induces senescence of tumor cells. This novel finding is not only significant in the context of molecular dissection of metastatic process but also in the therapeutic implication to develop drugs inhibiting metastasis.

The tumor metastasis suppressor gene Drg-1 down-regulates the expression of activating transcription factor 3 in prostate cancer.

The tumor metastasis suppressor gene Drg-1 has been shown to suppress metastasis without affecting tumorigenicity in immunodeficient mouse models of prostate and colon cancer. Expression of Drg-1 has also been found to have a significant inverse correlation with metastasis or invasiveness in various types of human cancer. However, how Drg-1 exerts its metastasis suppressor function remains unknown. In the present study, to elucidate the mechanism of action of the Drg-1 gene, we did a microarray analysis and found that induction of Drg-1 significantly inhibited the expression of activating transcription factor (ATF) 3, a member of the ATF/cyclic AMP-responsive element binding protein family of transcription factors. We also showed that Drg-1 attenuated the endogenous level of ATF3 mRNA and protein in prostate cancer cells, whereas Drg-1 small interfering RNA up-regulated the ATF3 expression. Furthermore, Drg-1 suppressed the promoter activity of the ATF3 gene, indicating that Drg-1 regulates ATF3 expression at the transcriptional level. Our immunohistochemical analysis on prostate cancer specimens revealed that nuclear expression of ATF3 was inversely correlated to Drg-1 expression and positively correlated to metastases. Consistently, we have found that ATF3 overexpression promoted invasiveness of prostate tumor cells in vitro, whereas Drg-1 suppressed the invasive ability of these cells. More importantly, overexpression of ATF3 in prostate cancer cells significantly enhanced spontaneous lung metastasis of these cells without affecting primary tumorigenicity in a severe combined immunodeficient mouse model. Taken together, our results strongly suggest that Drg-1 suppresses metastasis of prostate tumor cells, at least in part, by inhibiting the invasive ability of the cells via down-regulation of the expression of the ATF3 gene.

Interaction of KAI1 on tumor cells with DARC on vascular endothelium leads to metastasis suppression.

CD82, also known as KAI1, was recently identified as a prostate cancer metastasis suppressor gene on human chromosome 11p1.2 (ref. 1). The product of CD82 is KAI1, a 40- to 75-kDa tetraspanin cell-surface protein also known as the leukocyte cell-surface marker CD82 (refs. 1,2). Downregulation of KAI1 has been found to be clinically associated with metastatic progression in a variety of cancers, whereas overexpression of CD82 specifically suppresses tumor metastasis in various animal models. To define the mechanism of action of KAI1, we used a yeast two-hybrid screen and identified an endothelial cell-surface protein, DARC (also known as gp-Fy), as an interacting partner of KAI1. Our results indicate that the cancer cells expressing KAI1 attach to vascular endothelial cells through direct interaction between KAI1 and DARC, and that this interaction leads to inhibition of tumor cell proliferation and induction of senescence by modulating the expression of TBX2 and p21. Furthermore, the metastasis-suppression activity of KAI1 was significantly compromised in DARC knockout mice, whereas KAI1 completely abrogated pulmonary metastasis in wild-type and heterozygous littermates. These results provide direct evidence that DARC is essential for the function of CD82 as a suppressor of metastasis.

Mechanism of apoptosis induced by the inhibition of fatty acid synthase in breast cancer cells.

Fatty acid synthase (FAS) has been found to be overexpressed in a wide range of epithelial tumors, including breast cancer. Pharmacologic inhibitors of FAS cause apoptosis of breast cancer cells and result in decreased tumor size in vivo. However, how the inhibition of FAS induces apoptosis in tumor cells remains largely unknown. To understand the apoptotic pathway resulting from direct inhibition of FAS, we treated breast tumor cells with or without FAS small interfering RNA (siRNA) followed by a microarray analysis. Our results indicated that the proapoptotic genes BNIP3, tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), and death-associated protein kinase 2 (DAPK2) were significantly up-regulated on direct inhibition of the FAS gene. We also found that the knockdown of FAS expression significantly increased ceramide level in the tumor cells, and this increase was abrogated by acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibitor. In addition, carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1) inhibitor up-regulated the ceramide and BNIP3 levels in these cells, whereas treatment of tumor cells with FAS siRNA in the presence of a ceramide synthase inhibitor abrogated the up-regulation of BNIP3 and inhibited apoptosis. Furthermore, we found that treatment of cells with BNIP3 siRNA significantly counteracted the effect of FAS siRNA-mediated apoptosis. Consistent with these results, a significant inverse correlation was observed in the expression of FAS and BNIP3 in clinical samples of human breast cancer. Collectively, our results indicate that inhibition of FAS in breast cancer cells causes accumulation of malonyl-CoA, which leads to inhibition of CPT-1 and up-regulation of ceramide and induction of the proapoptotic genes BNIP3, TRAIL, and DAPK2, resulting in apoptosis.

The role of tumor metastasis suppressors in cancers of breast and prostate.

Despite significant improvement in surgical techniques and chemotherapies, none of the current medical technologies "cure" metastatic disease, and the patients who have acquired metastatic cancer inevitably die from disseminated disease. Thus, there is a need for developing novel therapeutic approaches which can directly target metastatic tumor cells. However, advances in understanding the molecular mechanism of tumor metastases have lagged behind other developments in the cancer field. Tumor metastasis involves complex array of steps with each step requiring a coordination of the actions of many positive and negative factors. A number of tumor metastasis suppressors have been identified which suppress the formation of tumor metastasis without affecting the growth rate of the primary tumor. Such discoveries offer new approaches for curtailing tumor metastasis. This review summarizes our current understanding on these genes and their potential role in the progression of tumor metastases.