Exercise protects from cancer through regulation of immune function and inflammation

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 905-911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pernille Hojman

Exercise training has been extensively studied in cancer settings as part of prevention or rehabilitation strategies, yet emerging evidence suggests that exercise training can also directly affect tumor-specific outcomes. The underlying mechanisms for this exercise-dependent cancer protection are just starting to be elucidated. To this end, evasion of immune surveillance and tumor-associated inflammation are established as hallmarks of cancer, and exercise may target cancer incidence and progression through regulation of these mechanisms. Here, I review the role of exercise in protection from cancer through mobilization and activation of cytotoxic immune cells, restriction of inflammatory signaling pathways in myeloid immune cells, and regulation of acute and chronic systemic inflammatory responses. In conclusion, I propose that exercise has the potential to target tumor growth through regulation of immune and inflammatory functions, and exercise may be pursued as anticancer treatment through incorporation into standard oncological therapy to the benefit of the cancer patients.

Metabolites ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl J. Harber ◽  
Kyra E. de Goede ◽  
Sanne G. S. Verberk ◽  
Elisa Meinster ◽  
Helga E. de Vries ◽  
...  

Immunometabolism revealed the crucial role of cellular metabolism in controlling immune cell phenotype and functions. Macrophages, key immune cells that support progression of numerous inflammatory diseases, have been well described as undergoing vast metabolic rewiring upon activation. The immunometabolite succinate particularly gained a lot of attention and emerged as a crucial regulator of macrophage responses and inflammation. Succinate was originally described as a metabolite that supports inflammation via distinct routes. Recently, studies have indicated that succinate and its receptor SUCNR1 can suppress immune responses as well. These apparent contradictory effects might be due to specific experimental settings and particularly the use of distinct succinate forms. We therefore compared the phenotypic and functional effects of distinct succinate forms and receptor mouse models that were previously used for studying succinate immunomodulation. Here, we show that succinate can suppress secretion of inflammatory mediators IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and nitric oxide (NO), as well as inhibit Il1b mRNA expression of inflammatory macrophages in a SUCNR1-independent manner. We also observed that macrophage SUCNR1 deficiency led to an enhanced inflammatory response without addition of exogenous succinate. While our study does not reveal new mechanistic insights into how succinate elicits different inflammatory responses, it does indicate that the inflammatory effects of succinate and its receptor SUCNR1 in macrophages are clearly context dependent.


2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (14) ◽  
pp. 2226-2238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsuo Horimatsu ◽  
Andra L Blomkalns ◽  
Mourad Ogbi ◽  
Mary Moses ◽  
David Kim ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims Chronic adventitial and medial infiltration of immune cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Nicotinic acid (niacin) was shown to inhibit atherosclerosis by activating the anti-inflammatory G protein-coupled receptor GPR109A [also known as hydroxycarboxylic acid receptor 2 (HCA2)] expressed on immune cells, blunting immune activation and adventitial inflammatory cell infiltration. Here, we investigated the role of niacin and GPR109A in regulating AAA formation. Methods and results Mice were supplemented with niacin or nicotinamide, and AAA was induced by angiotensin II (AngII) infusion or calcium chloride (CaCl2) application. Niacin markedly reduced AAA formation in both AngII and CaCl2 models, diminishing adventitial immune cell infiltration, concomitant inflammatory responses, and matrix degradation. Unexpectedly, GPR109A gene deletion did not abrogate the protective effects of niacin against AAA formation, suggesting GPR109A-independent mechanisms. Interestingly, nicotinamide, which does not activate GPR109A, also inhibited AAA formation and phenocopied the effects of niacin. Mechanistically, both niacin and nicotinamide supplementation increased nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) levels and NAD+-dependent Sirt1 activity, which were reduced in AAA tissues. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition of Sirt1 abrogated the protective effect of nicotinamide against AAA formation. Conclusion Niacin protects against AAA formation independent of GPR109A, most likely by serving as an NAD+ precursor. Supplementation of NAD+ using nicotinamide-related biomolecules may represent an effective and well-tolerated approach to preventing or treating AAA.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1061
Author(s):  
Fabrizia Bonacina ◽  
Angela Pirillo ◽  
Alberico L. Catapano ◽  
Giuseppe D. Norata

High density lipoproteins (HDL) are heterogeneous particles composed by a vast array of proteins and lipids, mostly recognized for their cardiovascular (CV) protective effects. However, evidences from basic to clinical research have contributed to depict a role of HDL in the modulation of immune-inflammatory response thus paving the road to investigate their involvement in other diseases beyond those related to the CV system. HDL-C levels and HDL composition are indeed altered in patients with autoimmune diseases and usually associated to disease severity. At molecular levels, HDL have been shown to modulate the anti-inflammatory potential of endothelial cells and, by controlling the amount of cellular cholesterol, to interfere with the signaling through plasma membrane lipid rafts in immune cells. These findings, coupled to observations acquired from subjects carrying mutations in genes related to HDL system, have helped to elucidate the contribution of HDL beyond cholesterol efflux thus posing HDL-based therapies as a compelling interventional approach to limit the inflammatory burden of immune-inflammatory diseases.


2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 229-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taraneh Moini Zanjani ◽  
Masoumeh Sabetkasaei ◽  
Behnaz Karimian ◽  
Farzaneh Labibi ◽  
Babak Farokhi ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundEvidence for a role of immune system in hyperalgesic pain states is increasing. Recent work in neuroimmunology suggests that the immune system does more than simply perform its well known functions of recognizing and removing invading pathogens and tumors. Interest in neuroinflammation and neuroimmune activation has grown rapidly in recent years with the recognition of the role of central nervous system inflammatiom and immune responses in the aetiology of pain states. Among various theories, the role of inflammatory responses of the injured nerve has recently received attention. Cytokines are heterogenous group of polypeptides that activate the immune system and mediate inflammatory responses, acting on a variety of tissue, including the peripheral and central nervous system. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) a pro-inflammatory cytokine, is potentially important in pain aetiology, have pronociceptive actions. Neuropathic pain may be due to a primary insult to the peripheral or central nervous system. Substances released during inflammation from immune cells play an important role in the development and maintenance of chronic pain. Nimesulide, a highly selective cox-2 inhibitor, effectively reduces hyperalgesia due to peripherally administration of inflammatory agents like formalin. The safety of nimesulide was reported for some conditions in which other NSAIDs are contraindicated. Here we have determined the effect of nimesulide on pain behaviour and serum IL-6 level in chronic constriction injury (CCI) model of neuropathic pain.MethodsExperiments were carried out on male Wistar rats, (weight 150–200 g, n = 8). Rats were divided into 3 different groups: 1-CCI + saline 0.9% 2Sham + saline 0.9% (control) 3CCI + drug. Nimesulide (1.25, 2.5, 5 mg/kg, i.p.) was injected 1h before surgery and continued daily to day 14 post-ligation. 42 °C water for thermal hyperalgesia, von Frey filaments for mechanical allodynia, acetone test for cool allodynia and 10 °C water for cold hyperalgesia were respectively used as pain behavioural tests. Behavioural tests were recorded before surgery and on postoperative days 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 and the serum concentration of IL-6 was determined at the day 14.ResultsThe results of this study showed a decrease in hyperalgesia and allodynia following nimesulide administration.ConclusionsIt appears that nimesulide was able to reduce pain behaviour due to nerve inflammation and a parallel decrease in the serum IL-6 concentration was observed.ImplicationsThe immune system is an important mediator in the cascade of events that ultimately results in hyperalgesia. Cytokines contribute to the patheogenesis of neuropathic pain, therefore drugs that inhibit cytokine release from immune cells may reduce inflammatory pain states.


Open Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 200358
Author(s):  
Sasi S. Senga ◽  
Richard P. Grose

Diagnosis and treatment of disease demand a sound understanding of the underlying mechanisms, determining any Achilles' heel that can be targeted in effective therapies. Throughout history, this endeavour to decipher the origin and mechanism of transformation of a normal cell into cancer has led to various theories—from cancer as a curse to an understanding at the level of single-cell heterogeneity, meaning even among a single sub-type of cancer there are myriad molecular challenges to overcome. With increasing insight into cancer genetics and biology, the disease has become ever more complex to understand. The complexity of cancer as a disease was distilled into key traits by Hanahan and Weinberg in their seminal ‘Hallmarks of Cancer' reviews. This lucid conceptualization of complex cancer biology is widely accepted and has helped advance cancer therapeutics by targeting the various hallmarks but, with the advancement in technologies, there is greater granularity in how we view cancer as a disease, and the additional understanding over the past decade requires us to revisit the hallmarks of cancer. Based on extensive study of the cancer research literature, we propose four novel hallmarks of cancer, namely, the ability of cells to regress from a specific specialized functional state, epigenetic changes that can affect gene expression, the role of microorganisms and neuronal signalling, to be included in the hallmark conceptualization along with evidence of various means to exploit them therapeutically.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (16) ◽  
pp. 8768
Author(s):  
Sheng-Dean Luo ◽  
Tai-Jan Chiu ◽  
Wei-Chih Chen ◽  
Ching-Shuen Wang

Otolaryngology (also known as ear, nose, and throat (ENT)) diseases can be significantly affected by the level of sex hormones, which indicates that sex differences affect the manifestation, pathophysiology, and outcomes of these diseases. Recently, increasing evidence has suggested that proinflammatory responses in ENT diseases are linked to the level of sex hormones. The sex hormone receptors are present on a wide variety of immune cells; therefore, it is evident that they play crucial roles in regulating the immune system and hence affect the disease progression of ENT diseases. In this review, we focus on how sex hormones, particularly estrogens, regulate ENT diseases, such as chronic rhinosinusitis, vocal fold polyps, thyroid cancer, Sjögren’s syndrome, and head and neck cancers, from the perspectives of inflammatory responses and specialized proresolving mediator-driven resolution. This paper aims to clarify why considering sex differences in the field of basic and medical research on otolaryngology is a key component to successful therapy for both males and females in the future.


Author(s):  
Jasmin Ali

Chromosomal instability (CIN), defined as an increased rate of gain or loss of whole chromosomes, leads to aneuploid cells, which are cells that display an abnormal number of chromosomes. Both CIN and aneuploidy are hallmarks of cancer, yet the underlying mechanisms of CIN and aneuploidy and their impact on tumourigenesis have remained poorly defined. Although multiple mechanisms have been proposed to explain the role of CIN and aneuploidy in tumourigenesis, this review focuses on three principal pathways leading to CIN: spindle assembly checkpoint defects, merotelic attachments, and cohesion defects. Here, we provide a brief overview of the current understanding of the roles of these mechanisms in CIN and aneuploidy. We also present emerging evidence that contradicts the importance of certain mechanisms in cancer evolution. A clearer understanding of these fundamental pathways could prove to be helpful in developing effective cancer therapies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lijun Ye ◽  
Wensi Huang ◽  
Su Liu ◽  
Songchen Cai ◽  
Ling Hong ◽  
...  

The physiological process of male reproduction relies on the orchestration of neuroendocrine, immune, and energy metabolism. Spermatogenesis is controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular (HPT) axis, which modulates the production of gonadal steroid hormones in the testes. The immune cells and cytokines in testes provide a protective microenvironment for the development and maturation of germ cells. The metabolic cellular responses and processes in testes provide energy production and biosynthetic precursors to regulate germ cell development and control testicular immunity and inflammation. The metabolism of immune cells is crucial for both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses, which supposes to affect the spermatogenesis in testes. In this review, the role of immunometabolism in male reproduction will be highlighted. Obesity, metabolic dysfunction, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, are well documented to impact male fertility; thus, their impacts on the immune cells distributed in testes will also be discussed. Finally, the potential significance of the medicine targeting the specific metabolic intermediates or immune metabolism checkpoints to improve male reproduction will also be reassessed.


Author(s):  
Martina Mang Leng Lei ◽  
Terence Kin Wah Lee

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are subpopulations of undifferentiated cancer cells within the tumor bulk that are responsible for tumor initiation, recurrence and therapeutic resistance. The enhanced ability of CSCs to give rise to new tumors suggests potential roles of these cells in the evasion of immune surveillance. A growing body of evidence has described the interplay between CSCs and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Recent data have shown the pivotal role of some major immune cells in driving the expansion of CSCs, which concurrently elicit evasion of the detection and destruction of various immune cells through a number of distinct mechanisms. Here, we will discuss the role of immune cells in driving the stemness of cancer cells and provide evidence of how CSCs evade immune surveillance by exerting their effects on tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), dendritic cells (DCs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), T-regulatory (Treg) cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). The knowledge gained from the interaction between CSCs and various immune cells will provide insight into the mechanisms by which tumors evade immune surveillance. In conclusion, CSC-targeted immunotherapy emerges as a novel immunotherapy strategy against cancer by disrupting the interaction between immune cells and CSCs in the TME.


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