scholarly journals ALK1 as an emerging target for antiangiogenic therapy of cancer

Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 117 (26) ◽  
pp. 6999-7006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara I. Cunha ◽  
Kristian Pietras

Members of the TGF-β family act on many, if not all, cell types within the body, producing diverse and complex cellular outcomes. Activation of the endothelial cell-restricted TGF-β type I receptor ALK1 results from the binding of several different ligands of the TGF-β family, including bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 9, BMP10, and TGF-β. Mounting genetic, pharmacologic, and histopathologic evidence supports a critical role for ALK1 signaling in regulation of both developmental and pathologic blood vessel formation. However, the precise function of TGF-β family signaling in endothelial cells is difficult to predict and appears highly context dependent because of the multitude of ligands and receptors influencing the final outcome. Pharmacologic inhibitors of ALK1 have recently been developed and will allow for more accurate studies of ALK1 function in vivo, as well as for assessment of ALK1 as a target for suppression of angiogenesis during tumor development. Herein, we will summarize the current view of ALK1 regulation of endothelial cell phenotype in vitro and in vivo as well as provide an outlook for the ongoing clinical trials of ALK1 inhibitors in malignant disease.

Author(s):  
А.А. Раецкая ◽  
С.В. Калиш ◽  
С.В. Лямина ◽  
Е.В. Малышева ◽  
О.П. Буданова ◽  
...  

Цель исследования. Доказательство гипотезы, что репрограммированные in vitro на М3 фенотип макрофаги при введении в организм будут существенно ограничивать развитие солидной карциномы in vivo . Методика. Рост солидной опухоли инициировали у мышей in vivo путем подкожной инъекции клеток карциномы Эрлиха (КЭ). Инъекцию макрофагов с нативным М0 фенотипом и с репрограммированным M3 фенотипом проводили в область формирования солидной КЭ. Репрограммирование проводили с помощью низких доз сыворотки, блокаторов факторов транскрипции STAT3/6 и SMAD3 и липополисахарида. Использовали две схемы введения макрофагов: раннее и позднее. При раннем введении макрофаги вводили на 1-е, 5-е, 10-е и 15-е сут. после инъекции клеток КЭ путем обкалывания макрофагами с четырех сторон область развития опухоли. При позднем введении, макрофаги вводили на 10-е, 15-е, 20-е и 25-е сут. Через 15 и 30 сут. после введения клеток КЭ солидную опухоль иссекали и измеряли ее объем. Эффект введения макрофагов оценивали качественно по визуальной и пальпаторной характеристикам солидной опухоли и количественно по изменению ее объема по сравнению с группой без введения макрофагов (контроль). Результаты. Установлено, что M3 макрофаги при раннем введении от начала развития опухоли оказывают выраженный антиопухолевый эффект in vivo , который был существенно более выражен, чем при позднем введении макрофагов. Заключение. Установлено, что введение репрограммированных макрофагов M3 ограничивает развитие солидной карциномы в экспериментах in vivo . Противоопухолевый эффект более выражен при раннем введении М3 макрофагов. Обнаруженные в работе факты делают перспективным разработку клинической версии биотехнологии ограничения роста опухоли, путем предварительного программирования антиопухолевого врожденного иммунного ответа «в пробирке». Aim. To verify a hypothesis that macrophages reprogrammed in vitro to the M3 phenotype and injected into the body substantially restrict the development of solid carcinoma in vivo . Methods. Growth of a solid tumor was initiated in mice in vivo with a subcutaneous injection of Ehrlich carcinoma (EC) cells. Macrophages with a native M0 phenotype or reprogrammed towards the M3 phenotype were injected into the region of developing solid EC. Reprogramming was performed using low doses of serum, STAT3/6 and SMAD3 transcription factor blockers, and lipopolysaccharide. Two schemes of macrophage administration were used: early and late. With the early administration, macrophages were injected on days 1, 5, 10, and 15 following the injection of EC cells at four sides of the tumor development area. With the late administration, macrophages were injected on days 10, 15, 20, and 25. At 15 and 30 days after the EC cell injection, the solid tumor was excised and its volume was measured. The effect of macrophage administration was assessed both qualitatively by visual and palpation characteristics of solid tumor and quantitatively by changes in the tumor volume compared with the group without the macrophage treatment. Results. M3 macrophages administered early after the onset of tumor development exerted a pronounced antitumor effect in vivo , which was significantly greater than the antitumor effect of the late administration of M3 macrophages. Conclusion. The observed significant inhibition of in vivo growth of solid carcinoma by M3 macrophages makes promising the development of a clinical version of the biotechnology for restriction of tumor growth by in vitro pre-programming of the antitumor, innate immune response.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Britani N. Blackstone ◽  
Summer C. Gallentine ◽  
Heather M. Powell

Collagen is a key component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in organs and tissues throughout the body and is used for many tissue engineering applications. Electrospinning of collagen can produce scaffolds in a wide variety of shapes, fiber diameters and porosities to match that of the native ECM. This systematic review aims to pool data from available manuscripts on electrospun collagen and tissue engineering to provide insight into the connection between source material, solvent, crosslinking method and functional outcomes. D-banding was most often observed in electrospun collagen formed using collagen type I isolated from calfskin, often isolated within the laboratory, with short solution solubilization times. All physical and chemical methods of crosslinking utilized imparted resistance to degradation and increased strength. Cytotoxicity was observed at high concentrations of crosslinking agents and when abbreviated rinsing protocols were utilized. Collagen and collagen-based scaffolds were capable of forming engineered tissues in vitro and in vivo with high similarity to the native structures.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e000622
Author(s):  
Lydia Meziani ◽  
Marine Gerbé de Thoré ◽  
Pauline Hamon ◽  
Sophie Bockel ◽  
Ruy Andrade Louzada ◽  
...  

BackgroundMacrophages play pivotal roles in tumor progression and the response to anticancer therapies, including radiotherapy (RT). Dual oxidase (DUOX) 1 is a transmembrane enzyme that plays a critical role in oxidant generation.MethodsSince we found DUOX1 expression in macrophages from human lung samples exposed to ionizing radiation, we aimed to assess the involvement of DUOX1 in macrophage activation and the role of these macrophages in tumor development.ResultsUsing Duox1−/− mice, we demonstrated that the lack of DUOX1 in proinflammatory macrophages improved the antitumor effect of these cells. Furthermore, intratumoral injection of Duox1−/− proinflammatory macrophages significantly enhanced the antitumor effect of RT. Mechanistically, DUOX1 deficiency increased the production of proinflammatory cytokines (IFNγ, CXCL9, CCL3 and TNFα) by activated macrophages in vitro and the expression of major histocompatibility complex class II in the membranes of macrophages. We also demonstrated that DUOX1 was involved in the phagocytotic function of macrophages in vitro and in vivo. The antitumor effect of Duox1−/− macrophages was associated with a significant increase in IFNγ production by both lymphoid and myeloid immune cells.ConclusionsOur data indicate that DUOX1 is a new target for macrophage reprogramming and suggest that DUOX1 inhibition in macrophages combined with RT is a new therapeutic strategy for the management of cancers.


Author(s):  
Hao Xu ◽  
Liying Wu ◽  
Guojia Yuan ◽  
Xiaolu Liang ◽  
Xiaoguang Liu ◽  
...  

: Hepatic disease negatively impacts liver function and metabolism. Primary human hepatocytes are the gold standard for the prediction and successful treatment of liver disease. However, the sources of hepatocytes for drug toxicity testing and disease modeling are limited. To overcome this issue, pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) have emerged as an alternative strategy for liver disease therapy. Human PSCs, including embryonic stem cells (ESC) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) can self-renew and give rise to all cells of the body. Human PSCs are attractive cell sources for regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, drug discovery, and developmental studies. Several recent studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can also differentiate (or trans-differentiate) into hepatocytes. Differentiation of human PSCs and MSCs into functional hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) opens new strategies to study genetic diseases, hepatotoxicity, infection of hepatotropic viruses, and analyze hepatic biology. Numerous in vitro and in vivo differentiation protocols have been established to obtain human PSCs/MSCs-derived HLCs and mimic their characteristics. It was recently discovered that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in controlling the ectopic expression of transcription factors and governing the hepatocyte differentiation of human PSCs and MSCs. In this review, we focused on the role of miRNAs in the differentiation of human PSCs and MSCs into hepatocytes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 94 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Li ◽  
Wenping Yang ◽  
Yi Ru ◽  
Jingjing Ren ◽  
Xiangtao Liu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The virus-induced signaling adaptor (VISA) complex plays a critical role in the innate immune response to RNA viruses. However, the mechanism of VISA complex formation remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that thioredoxin 2 (TRX2) interacts with VISA at mitochondria both in vivo and in vitro. Knockdown and knockout of TRX2 enhanced the formation of the VISA-associated complex, as well as virus-triggered activation of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) and transcription of the interferon beta 1 (IFNB1) gene. TRX2 inhibits the formation of VISA aggregates by repressing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, thereby disrupting the assembly of the VISA complex. Furthermore, our data suggest that the C93 residue of TRX2 is essential for inhibition of VISA aggregation, whereas the C283 residue of VISA is required for VISA aggregation. Collectively, these findings uncover a novel mechanism of TRX2 that negatively regulates VISA complex formation. IMPORTANCE The VISA-associated complex plays pivotal roles in inducing type I interferons (IFNs) and eliciting the innate antiviral response. Many host proteins are identified as VISA-associated-complex proteins, but how VISA complex formation is regulated by host proteins remains enigmatic. We identified the TRX2 protein as an important regulator of VISA complex formation. Knockout of TRX2 increases virus- or poly(I·C)-triggered induction of type I IFNs at the VISA level. Mechanistically, TRX2 inhibits the production of ROS at its C93 site, which impairs VISA aggregates at its C283 site, and subsequently impedes the assembly of the VISA complex. Our findings suggest that TRX2 plays an important role in the regulation of VISA complex assembly.


2017 ◽  
Vol 234 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thanh Q Dang ◽  
Nanyoung Yoon ◽  
Helen Chasiotis ◽  
Emily C Dunford ◽  
Qilong Feng ◽  
...  

Altered permeability of the endothelial barrier in a variety of tissues has implications both in disease pathogenesis and treatment. Glucocorticoids are potent mediators of endothelial permeability, and this forms the basis for their heavily prescribed use as medications to treat ocular disease. However, the effect of glucocorticoids on endothelial barriers elsewhere in the body is less well studied. Here, we investigated glucocorticoid-mediated changes in endothelial flux of Adiponectin (Ad), a hormone with a critical role in diabetes. First, we used monolayers of endothelial cells in vitro and found that the glucocorticoid dexamethasone increased transendothelial electrical resistance and reduced permeability of polyethylene glycol (PEG, molecular weight 4000 Da). Dexamethasone reduced flux of Ad from the apical to basolateral side, measured both by ELISA and Western blotting. We then examined a diabetic rat model induced by treatment with exogenous corticosterone, which was characterized by glucose intolerance and hyperinsulinemia. There was no change in circulating Ad but less Ad protein in skeletal muscle homogenates, despite slightly higher mRNA levels, in diabetic vs control muscles. Dexamethasone-induced changes in Ad flux across endothelial monolayers were associated with alterations in the abundance of select claudin tight junction (TJ) proteins. shRNA-mediated knockdown of one such gene, claudin-7, in HUVEC resulted in decreased TEER and increased adiponectin flux, confirming the functional significance of Dex-induced changes in its expression. In conclusion, our study identifies glucocorticoid-mediated reductions in flux of Ad across endothelial monolayers in vivo and in vitro. This suggests that impaired Ad action in target tissues, as a consequence of reduced transendothelial flux, may contribute to the glucocorticoid-induced diabetic phenotype.


2014 ◽  
Vol 306 (8) ◽  
pp. C768-C778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Q. Sheikh ◽  
Courtney Kuesel ◽  
Toloo Taghian ◽  
Jennifer R. Hurley ◽  
Wei Huang ◽  
...  

Diabetes-induced cardiomyopathy is characterized by cardiac remodeling, fibrosis, and endothelial dysfunction, with no treatment options currently available. Hyperglycemic memory by endothelial cells may play the key role in microvascular complications in diabetes, providing a potential target for therapeutic approaches. This study tested the hypothesis that a proangiogenic environment can augment diabetes-induced deficiencies in endothelial cell angiogenic and biomechanical responses. Endothelial responses were quantified for two models of diabetic conditions: 1) an in vitro acute and chronic hyperglycemia where normal cardiac endothelial cells were exposed to high-glucose media, and 2) an in vivo chronic diabetes model where the cells were isolated from rats with type I streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Capillary morphogenesis, VEGF and nitric oxide expression, cell morphology, orientation, proliferation, and apoptosis were determined for cells cultured on Matrigel or proangiogenic nanofiber hydrogel. The effects of biomechanical stimulation were assessed following cell exposure to uniaxial strain. The results demonstrate that diabetes alters cardiac endothelium angiogenic response, with differential effects of acute and chronic exposure to high-glucose conditions, consistent with the concept that endothelial cells may have a long-term “hyperglycemic memory” of the physiological environment in the body. Furthermore, endothelial cell exposure to strain significantly diminishes their angiogenic potential following strain application. Both diabetes and strain-associated deficiencies can be augmented in the proangiogenic nanofiber microenvironment. These findings may contribute to the development of novel approaches to reverse hyperglycemic memory of endothelium and enhance vascularization of the diabetic heart, where improved angiogenic and biomechanical responses can be the key factor to successful therapy.


2015 ◽  
Vol 309 (8) ◽  
pp. C541-C550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla P. Carneiro de Morais ◽  
Juliano Z. Polidoro ◽  
Donna L. Ralph ◽  
Thaissa D. Pessoa ◽  
Maria Oliveira-Souza ◽  
...  

Physiological concentrations of angiotensin II (ANG II) upregulate the activity of Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3) in the renal proximal tubule through activation of the ANG II type I (AT1) receptor/G protein-coupled signaling. This effect is key for maintenance of extracellular fluid volume homeostasis and blood pressure. Recent findings have shown that selective activation of the beta-arrestin-biased AT1 receptor signaling pathway induces diuresis and natriuresis independent of G protein-mediated signaling. This study tested the hypothesis that activation of this AT1 receptor/beta-arrestin signaling inhibits NHE3 activity in proximal tubule. To this end, we determined the effects of the compound TRV120023, which binds to the AT1R, blocks G-protein coupling, and stimulates beta-arrestin signaling on NHE3 function in vivo and in vitro. NHE3 activity was measured in both native proximal tubules, by stationary microperfusion, and in opossum proximal tubule (OKP) cells, by Na+-dependent intracellular pH recovery. We found that 10−7 M TRV120023 remarkably inhibited proximal tubule NHE3 activity both in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, stimulation of NHE3 by ANG II was completely suppressed by TRV120023 both in vivo as well as in vitro. Inhibition of NHE3 activity by TRV120023 was associated with a decrease in NHE3 surface expression in OKP cells and with a redistribution from the body to the base of the microvilli in the rat proximal tubule. These findings indicate that biased signaling of the beta-arrestin pathway through the AT1 receptor inhibits NHE3 activity in the proximal tubule at least in part due to changes in NHE3 subcellular localization.


Endocrinology ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 153 (8) ◽  
pp. 3724-3734 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Celia Fernández ◽  
Marcela Venara ◽  
Susana Nowicki ◽  
Héctor E. Chemes ◽  
Marta Barontini ◽  
...  

IGFs are involved in malignant transformation and growth of several tissues, including the adrenal medulla. The present study was designed to evaluate the impact of IGF-I on pheochromocytoma development. We used a murine pheochromocytoma (MPC) cell line (MPC4/30) and an animal model with a reduction of 75% in circulating IGF-I levels [liver-IGF-I-deficient (LID) mice] to perform studies in vitro and in vivo. We found that, in culture, IGF-I stimulation increases proliferation, migration, and anchorage-independent growth, whereas it inhibits apoptosis of MPC cells. When injected to control and to LID mice, MPC cells grow and form tumors with features of pheochromocytoma. Six weeks after cell inoculation, all control mice developed sc tumors. In contrast, in 73% of LID mice, tumor development was delayed to 7–12 wk, and the remaining 27% did not develop tumors up to 12 wk after inoculation. LID mice harboring MPC cells and treated with recombinant human IGF-I (LID+) developed tumors as controls. Tumors developed in control, LID, and LID+ mice had similar histology and were similarly positive for IGF-I receptor expression. The apoptotic index was higher in tumors from LID mice compared with those from control mice, whereas vascular density was decreased. In summary, our work demonstrates that IGF-I has a critical role in maintaining tumor phenotype and survival of already transformed pheochromocytoma cells and is required for the initial establishment of these tumors, providing encouragement to carry on research studies to address the IGF-I/IGF-I receptor system as a target of therapeutic strategies for pheochromocytoma treatment in the future.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giorgia Zambito ◽  
Siyuan Deng ◽  
Joost Haeck ◽  
Natasa Gaspar ◽  
Uwe Himmelreich ◽  
...  

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) promote cancer growth and metastasis, but their role in tumor development needs to be fully understood due to the dynamic changes of tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we report an approach to visualize TAMs by optical imaging and by Fluorine-19 (19F) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that is largely applied to track immune cells in vivo. TAMs are targeted with PLGA-PEG-mannose nanoparticles (NPs) encapsulating perfluoro-15-crown-5-ether (PFCE) as MRI contrast agent. These particles are preferentially recognized and phagocytized by TAMs that overexpress the mannose receptor (MRC1/CD206). The PLGA-PEG-mannose NPs are not toxic and they were up-taken by macrophages as confirmed by in vitro confocal microscopy. At 48 h after intravenous injection of PLGA-PEG-mannose NPs, 4T1 xenograft mice were imaged and fluorine-19 nuclear magnetic resonance confirmed nanoparticle retention at the tumor site. Because of the lack of 19F background in the body, observed 19F signals are robust and exhibit an excellent degree of specificity. In vivo imaging of TAMs in the TME by 19F MRI opens the possibility for detection of cancer at earlier stage and for prompt therapeutic interventions in solid tumors.


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