Functionalizing Collagen with Vessel‐Penetrating Two‐Photon Phosphorescence Probes: A New In Vivo Strategy to Map Oxygen Concentration in Tumor Microenvironment and Tissue Ischemia

AbstractUnderstanding the structure and function of vasculature in the brain requires us to monitor distributed hemodynamics at high spatial and temporal resolution in three-dimensional (3D) volumes in vivo. Currently, a volumetric vasculature imaging method with sub-capillary spatial resolution and blood flow-resolving speed is lacking. Here, using two-photon laser scanning microscopy (TPLSM) with an axially extended Bessel focus, we capture volumetric hemodynamics in the awake mouse brain at a spatiotemporal resolution sufficient for measuring capillary size and blood flow. With Bessel TPLSM, the fluorescence signal of a vessel becomes proportional to its size, which enables convenient intensity-based analysis of vessel dilation and constriction dynamics in large volumes. We observe entrainment of vasodilation and vasoconstriction with pupil diameter and measure 3D blood flow at 99 volumes/second. Demonstrating high-throughput monitoring of hemodynamics in the awake brain, we expect Bessel TPLSM to make broad impacts on neurovasculature research.

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Tumor-associated macrophages: potential therapeutic strategies and future prospects in cancer

Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer ◽

10.1136/jitc-2020-001341 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. e001341

Author(s):

Chunxiao Li ◽

Xiaofei Xu ◽

Shuhua Wei ◽

Ping Jiang ◽

Lixiang Xue ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tumor Microenvironment ◽

Tumor Progression ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Poor Prognosis ◽

Tumor Immunotherapy ◽

Therapeutic Strategies ◽

Preclinical Studies ◽

Future Prospects ◽

Tumor Associated Macrophages

Macrophages are the most important phagocytes in vivo. However, the tumor microenvironment can affect the function and polarization of macrophages and form tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Usually, the abundance of TAMs in tumors is closely associated with poor prognosis. Preclinical studies have identified important pathways regulating the infiltration and polarization of TAMs during tumor progression. Furthermore, potential therapeutic strategies targeting TAMs in tumors have been studied, including inhibition of macrophage recruitment to tumors, functional repolarization of TAMs toward an antitumor phenotype, and other therapeutic strategies that elicit macrophage-mediated extracellular phagocytosis and intracellular destruction of cancer cells. Therefore, with the increasing impact of tumor immunotherapy, new antitumor strategies to target TAMs are now being discussed.

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C4b-binding protein α-chain enhances antitumor immunity by facilitating the accumulation of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer

Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research ◽

10.1186/s13046-021-02019-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kosuke Sasaki ◽

Shigetsugu Takano ◽

Satoshi Tomizawa ◽

Yoji Miyahara ◽

Katsunori Furukawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cell ◽

Tumor Microenvironment ◽

Binding Protein ◽

Combined Treatment ◽

Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes ◽

Pdac Cell ◽

Α Chain ◽

Infiltrating Lymphocytes

Abstract Background Recent studies indicate that complement plays pivotal roles in promoting or suppressing cancer progression. We have previously identified C4b-binding protein α-chain (C4BPA) as a serum biomarker for the early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, its mechanism of action remains unclear. Here, we elucidated the functional roles of C4BPA in PDAC cells and the tumor microenvironment. Methods We assessed stromal C4BPA, the C4BPA binding partner CD40, and the number of CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in resected human PDAC tissues via immunohistochemical staining. The biological functions of C4BPA were investigated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and human PDAC cell lines. Mouse C4BPA (mC4BPA) peptide, which is composed of 30 amino acids from the C-terminus and binds to CD40, was designed for further in vitro and in vivo experiments. In a preclinical experiment, we assessed the efficacy of gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP), dual immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs), and mC4BPA peptide in a mouse orthotopic transplantation model. Results Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that high stromal C4BPA and CD40 was associated with favorable PDAC prognosis (P=0.0005). Stromal C4BPA strongly correlated with the number of CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (P=0.001). In in vitro experiments, flow cytometry revealed that recombinant human C4BPA (rhC4BPA) stimulation increased CD4+ and CD8+ T cell numbers in PBMCs. rhC4BPA also promoted the proliferation of CD40-expressing PDAC cells. By contrast, combined treatment with gemcitabine and rhC4BPA increased PDAC cell apoptosis rate. mC4BPA peptide increased the number of murine T lymphocytes in vitro and the number of CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes surrounding PDAC tumors in vivo. In a preclinical study, GnP/ICBs/mC4BPA peptide treatment, but not GnP treatment, led to the accumulation of a greater number of CD8+ T cells in the periphery of PDAC tumors and to greater tumor regression than did control treatment. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that the combination of GnP therapy with C4BPA inhibits PDAC progression by promoting antitumor T cell accumulation in the tumor microenvironment.

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TAMI-06. PRECLINICAL MODELS REVEAL BRAIN-MICROENVIRONMENT SPECIFIC METABOLIC DEPENDENCIES IN GLIOBLASTOMA

Neuro-Oncology ◽

10.1093/neuonc/noaa215.895 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. ii214-ii214

Author(s):

Jenna Minami ◽

Nicholas Bayley ◽

Christopher Tse ◽

Henan Zhu ◽

Danielle Morrow ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tumor Microenvironment ◽

Cultured Cells ◽

Tumor Biology ◽

Metabolic Reprogramming ◽

Neoplastic Progression ◽

Extracellular Milieu ◽

Metabolic Defects ◽

Metabolic Heterogeneity

Abstract Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer, and malignant cells must acquire metabolic adaptations to fuel neoplastic progression. Mutations or changes in metabolic gene expression can impose nutrient dependencies in tumors, and even in the absence of metabolic defects, cancer cells can become auxotrophic for particular nutrients or metabolic byproducts generated by other cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Conventional cell lines do not recapitulate the metabolic heterogeneity of glioblastoma (GBM), while primary cultured cells do not account for the influences of the microenvironment and the blood brain barrier on tumor biology. Additionally, these systems are under strong selective pressure divergent from that in vivo, leading to reduced heterogeneity between cultured tumor cells. Here, we describe a biobank of direct-from-patient derived orthotopic xenografts (GliomaPDOX) and gliomaspheres that reveal a subset of gliomas that, while able to form in vivo, cannot survive in vitro. RNA sequencing of tumors that can form both in vivo and in vitro (termed “TME-Indifferent”) compared to that of tumors that can only form in vivo (termed “TME-Dependent”) revealed transcriptional changes associated with altered nutrient availability, emphasizing the unique metabolic programs impacted by the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, TME-dependent tumors lack metabolic signatures associated with nutrient biosynthesis, thus indicating a potential dependency of these tumors on scavenging specific nutrients from the extracellular milieu. Collectively, these data emphasize the metabolic heterogeneity within GBM, and reveal a subset of gliomas that lack metabolic plasticity, indicating a potential brain-microenvironment specific metabolic dependency that can be targeted for therapy.

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The Potential Role of IL1RAP on Tumor Microenvironment-Related Inflammatory Factors in Stomach Adenocarcinoma

Technology in Cancer Research & Treatment ◽

10.1177/1533033821995282 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 ◽

pp. 153303382199528

Author(s):

Qing Lv ◽

Qinghua Xia ◽

Anshu Li ◽

Zhiyong Wang

Keyword(s):

Tumor Microenvironment ◽

Interleukin 1 ◽

Mrna Level ◽

Inflammatory Factors ◽

Stomach Carcinoma ◽

Downstream Target ◽

Volume Weight

This study was performed to investigate the role of interleukin-1 receptor accessory protein (IL1RAP) in stomach carcinoma in vitro and in vivo, determine whether IL1RAP knockdown could regulate the development of stomach carcinoma, and elucidate the relationship between IL1RAP knockdown and inflammation by tumor microenvironment-related inflammatory factors in stomach carcinoma. We first used TCGA and GEPIA systems to predict the potential function of IL1RAP. Second, western blot and RT-PCR were used to analyze the expression, or mRNA level, of IL1RAP at different tissue or cell lines. Third, the occurrence and development of stomach carcinoma in vitro and in vivo were observed by using IL1RAP knockdown lentivirus. Finally, the inflammation of stomach carcinoma in vitro and in vivo was observed. Results show that in GEPIA and TCGA systems, IL1RAP expression in STAD tumor tissue was higher than normal, and high expression of IL1RAP in STAD patients had a worse prognostic outcome. Besides, GSEA shown IL1RAP was negative correlation of apopopsis, TLR4 and NF-κB signaling pathway. We also predicted that IL1RAP may related to IL-1 s, IL-33, and IL-36 s in STAD. The IL1RAP expression and mRNA level in tumor, or MGC803, cells were increased. Furthermore, IL1RAP knockdown by lentivirus could inhibit stomach carcinoma development in vitro and in vivo through weakening tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion, therefore reducing tumor volume, weight, and biomarker levels, and increasing apoptotic level. Finally, we found IL1RAP knockdown could increase inflammation of tumor microenvironment-related inflammatory factors of stomach carcinoma, in vitro and in vivo. Our study demonstrates that IL1RAP is possibly able to regulate inflammation and apoptosis in stomach carcinoma. Furthermore, TLR4, NF-κB, IL-1 s, IL-33, and IL-36 s maybe the downstream target factor of IL1RAP in inflammation. These results may provide a new strategy for stomach carcinoma development by regulating inflammation.

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Polarity-active NIR probes with strong two-photon absorption and ultrahigh binding affinity of insulin amyloid fibrils

Chemical Science ◽

10.1039/d0sc03907a ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Li Li ◽

Zheng Lv ◽

Zhongwei Man ◽

Zhenzhen Xu ◽

YuLing Wei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽

Binding Affinity ◽

Fluorescent Probes ◽

Amyloid Fibrils ◽

Photon Absorption ◽

Two Photon Absorption ◽

Two Photon ◽

Medical Diagnostic

Amyloid fibrils are associated with many neurodegenerative diseases. In-situ and in-vivo visualization of amyloid fibrils is important for medical diagnostic and requires fluorescent probes with both excitation and emission wavelengths in...

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Differentiated glioblastoma cells accelerate tumor progression by shaping the tumor microenvironment via CCN1-mediated macrophage infiltration

Acta Neuropathologica Communications ◽

10.1186/s40478-021-01124-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Atsuhito Uneda ◽

Kazuhiko Kurozumi ◽

Atsushi Fujimura ◽

Kentaro Fujii ◽

Joji Ishida ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tumor Microenvironment ◽

Tumor Progression ◽

Tumor Cells ◽

In Silico ◽

Tumor Tissue ◽

The Cancer Genome Atlas ◽

Macrophage Infiltration ◽

Macrophage Migration

AbstractGlioblastoma (GBM) is the most lethal primary brain tumor characterized by significant cellular heterogeneity, namely tumor cells, including GBM stem-like cells (GSCs) and differentiated GBM cells (DGCs), and non-tumor cells such as endothelial cells, vascular pericytes, macrophages, and other types of immune cells. GSCs are essential to drive tumor progression, whereas the biological roles of DGCs are largely unknown. In this study, we focused on the roles of DGCs in the tumor microenvironment. To this end, we extracted DGC-specific signature genes from transcriptomic profiles of matched pairs of in vitro GSC and DGC models. By evaluating the DGC signature using single cell data, we confirmed the presence of cell subpopulations emulated by in vitro culture models within a primary tumor. The DGC signature was correlated with the mesenchymal subtype and a poor prognosis in large GBM cohorts such as The Cancer Genome Atlas and Ivy Glioblastoma Atlas Project. In silico signaling pathway analysis suggested a role of DGCs in macrophage infiltration. Consistent with in silico findings, in vitro DGC models promoted macrophage migration. In vivo, coimplantation of DGCs and GSCs reduced the survival of tumor xenograft-bearing mice and increased macrophage infiltration into tumor tissue compared with transplantation of GSCs alone. DGCs exhibited a significant increase in YAP/TAZ/TEAD activity compared with GSCs. CCN1, a transcriptional target of YAP/TAZ, was selected from the DGC signature as a candidate secreted protein involved in macrophage recruitment. In fact, CCN1 was secreted abundantly from DGCs, but not GSCs. DGCs promoted macrophage migration in vitro and macrophage infiltration into tumor tissue in vivo through secretion of CCN1. Collectively, these results demonstrate that DGCs contribute to GSC-dependent tumor progression by shaping a mesenchymal microenvironment via CCN1-mediated macrophage infiltration. This study provides new insight into the complex GBM microenvironment consisting of heterogeneous cells.

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