scholarly journals The Immune Regulatory Role of Protein Kinase CK2 and Its Implications for Treatment of Cancer

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1932
Author(s):  
Huixian Hong ◽  
Etty N. Benveniste

Protein Kinase CK2, a constitutively active serine/threonine kinase, fulfills its functions via phosphorylating hundreds of proteins in nearly all cells. It regulates a variety of cellular signaling pathways and contributes to cell survival, proliferation and inflammation. CK2 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of hematologic and solid cancers. Recent data have documented that CK2 has unique functions in both innate and adaptive immune cells. In this article, we review aspects of CK2 biology, functions of the major innate and adaptive immune cells, and how CK2 regulates the function of immune cells. Finally, we provide perspectives on how CK2 effects in immune cells, particularly T-cells, may impact the treatment of cancers via targeting CK2.

2003 ◽  
Vol 369 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. LITCHFIELD

Protein kinase CK2 ('casein kinase II') has traditionally been classified as a messenger-independent protein serine/threonine kinase that is typically found in tetrameric complexes consisting of two catalytic (α and/or α′) subunits and two regulatory β subunits. Accumulated biochemical and genetic evidence indicates that CK2 has a vast array of candidate physiological targets and participates in a complex series of cellular functions, including the maintenance of cell viability. This review summarizes current knowledge of the structural and enzymic features of CK2, and discusses advances that challenge traditional views of this enzyme. For example, the recent demonstrations that individual CK2 subunits exist outside tetrameric complexes and that CK2 displays dual-specificity kinase activity raises new prospects for the precise elucidation of its regulation and cellular functions. This review also discusses a number of the mechanisms that contribute to the regulation of CK2 in cells, and will highlight emerging insights into the role of CK2 in cellular decisions of life and death. In this latter respect, recent evidence suggests that CK2 can exert an anti-apoptotic role by protecting regulatory proteins from caspase-mediated degradation. The mechanistic basis of the observation that CK2 is essential for viability may reside in part in this ability to protect cellular proteins from caspase action. Furthermore, this anti-apoptotic function of CK2 may contribute to its ability to participate in transformation and tumorigenesis.


Open Biology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 170006 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Calì ◽  
B. Molon ◽  
A. Viola

Host immunity plays a central and complex role in dictating tumour progression. Solid tumours are commonly infiltrated by a large number of immune cells that dynamically interact with the surrounding microenvironment. At first, innate and adaptive immune cells successfully cooperate to eradicate microcolonies of transformed cells. Concomitantly, surviving tumour clones start to proliferate and harness immune responses by specifically hijacking anti-tumour effector mechanisms and fostering the accumulation of immunosuppressive immune cell subsets at the tumour site. This pliable interplay between immune and malignant cells is a relentless process that has been concisely organized in three different phases: elimination, equilibrium and escape. In this review, we aim to depict the distinct immune cell subsets and immune-mediated responses characterizing the tumour landscape throughout the three interconnected phases. Importantly, the identification of key immune players and molecules involved in the dynamic crosstalk between tumour and immune system has been crucial for the introduction of reliable prognostic factors and effective therapeutic protocols against cancers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holger Garn ◽  
Daniel Piotr Potaczek ◽  
Petra Ina Pfefferle

During its 30 years history, the Hygiene Hypothesis has shown itself to be adaptable whenever it has been challenged by new scientific developments and this is a still a continuously ongoing process. In this regard, the mini review aims to discuss some selected new developments in relation to their impact on further fine-tuning and expansion of the Hygiene Hypothesis. This will include the role of recently discovered classes of innate and adaptive immune cells that challenges the old Th1/Th2 paradigm, the applicability of the Hygiene Hypothesis to newly identified allergy/asthma phenotypes with diverse underlying pathomechanistic endotypes, and the increasing knowledge derived from epigenetic studies that leads to better understanding of mechanisms involved in the translation of environmental impacts on biological systems. Further, we discuss in brief the expansion of the Hygiene Hypothesis to other disease areas like psychiatric disorders and cancer and conclude that the continuously developing Hygiene Hypothesis may provide a more generalized explanation for health burden in highly industrialized countries also relation to global changes.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Pangrazzi ◽  
Erin Naismith ◽  
Carina Miggitsch ◽  
Jose’ Antonio Carmona Arana ◽  
Michael Keller ◽  
...  

Abstract Background. Obesity has been associated with chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. Both conditions play a determinant role in the pathogenesis of age-related diseases, such as immunosenescence. Adipose tissue can modulate the function of the immune system with the secretion of molecules influencing the phenotype of immune cells. The importance of the bone marrow (BM) in the maintenance of antigen-experienced adaptive immune cells has been documented in mice. Recently, some groups have investigated the survival of effector/memory T cells in the human BM. Despite this, whether high body mass index (BMI) may affect immune cells in the BM and the production of molecules supporting the maintenance of these cells it is unknown.Methods. Using flow cytometry, the frequency and the phenotype of immune cell populations were measured in paired BM and PB samples obtained from persons with different BMI. Furthermore, the expression of BM cytokines was assessed. The influence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) on T cell subsets was additionally considered, dividing the donors into the CMV- and CMV+ groups.Results. Our study suggests that increased BMI may affect both the maintenance and the phenotype of adaptive immune cells in the BM. While the BM levels of IL-15 and IL-6, supporting the survival of highly differentiated T cells, and oxygen radicals increased in overweight persons, the production of IFNγ and TNF by CD8+ T cells was reduced. In addition, the frequency of B cells and CD4+ T cells positively correlated with BMI in the BM of CMV- persons. Finally, the frequency of several T cell subsets, and the expression of senescence/exhaustion markers within these subpopulations, were affected by BMI. In particular, the levels of bona fide memory T cells may be reduced in overweight persons.Conclusion. Our work suggests that, in addition to aging and CMV, obesity may represent an additional risk factor for immunosenescence in adaptive immune cells. Metabolic interventions may help in improving the fitness of the immune system in the elderly.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Pangrazzi ◽  
Erin Naismith ◽  
Carina Miggitsch ◽  
Jose’ Antonio Carmona Arana ◽  
Michael Keller ◽  
...  

Abstract Background. Obesity has been associated with chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. Both conditions play a determinant role in the pathogenesis of age-related diseases, such as immunosenescence. Adipose tissue can modulate the function of the immune system with the secretion of molecules influencing the phenotype of immune cells. Recently, the importance of the bone marrow (BM) in the maintenance of antigen-experienced adaptive immune cells has been documented. Despite this, whether high body mass index (BMI) may affect immune cells in the BM and the production of molecules supporting the maintenance of these cells it is unknown. Methods. Using flow cytometry, the frequency and the phenotype of immune cell populations were measured in paired BM and PB samples obtained from persons with different BMI. Furthermore, the expression of BM cytokines was assessed. The influence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) on T cell subsets was additionally considered, dividing the donors into the CMV - and CMV + groups. Results. Our study suggests that increased BMI may affect both the maintenance and the phenotype of adaptive immune cells in the BM. While the BM levels of IL-15 and IL-6, supporting the survival of highly differentiated T cells, and oxygen radicals increased in overweight persons, the production of IFNγ and TNF by CD8 + T cells was reduced. In addition, the frequency of B cells and CD4 + T cells positively correlated with BMI in the BM of CMV - persons. Finally, the frequency of several T cell subsets, and the expression of senescence/exhaustion markers within these subpopulations, were affected by BMI. In particular, the levels of bona fide memory T cells may be reduced in overweight persons. Conclusion. Our work suggests that obesity may represent an independent risk factor supporting immunosenescence, in addition to aging and CMV. Metabolic interventions may help in improving the fitness of the immune system in the elderly.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (Suppl 2) ◽  
pp. A13.1-A13
Author(s):  
LK Klauer ◽  
O Schutti ◽  
S Ugur ◽  
F Doraneh-Gard ◽  
N Rogers ◽  
...  

BackgroundMyeloid leukaemic blasts can be converted into leukaemia derived dendritic cells (DCleu) with blastmodulatory Kit-I and Kit-M, which have the competence to regularly activate T and immunoreactive cells to gain anti-leukaemic activity or rather cytotoxicity. As innate and adaptive immune responses are notably promoted by the cytokine interferon gamma (IFNy), we hypothesised that the IFNy secretion could be a suitable parameter to display DC/DCleu mediated immunologic activity and even anti-leukaemic cytotoxicity.Materials and MethodsDC/DCleu were generated from leukaemic WB with Kit-I (GM-CSF + OK-432) and Kit-M (GM-CSF + PGE1) and used to stimulate T cell enriched immunoreactive cells. Initiated anti-leukaemic cytotoxicity was investigated with a cytotoxicity fluorolysis assay (CTX). Initiated IFNy secretion of innate and adaptive immune cells (T cells, TCD4+ cells, TCD8+ cells, NKCD56+ cells, NKCD161+ cells, CIKCD56+ cells, CIKCD161+ cells and iNKT) was investigated with a cytokine secretion assay (CSA). In some cases IFNy production was additionally evaluated with an intracellular cytokine assay (ICA). Conclusively, the IFNy secretion of immunoreactive cells was correlated with the anti-leukaemic cytotoxicity.ResultsSignificant amounts of DC and DCleu as well as migratory DC and DCleu could be generated with Kit-I and Kit-M without induction of blast proliferation. T cell enriched immunoreactive cells stimulated with DC/DCleu showed an increased anti-leukaemic cytotoxicity and an increased IFNy secretion of T, NK and CIK cells compared to control. Both the CSA and ICA yielded comparable amounts of IFNy positive innate and adaptive immune cells. The correlation between the IFNy secretion of immunoreactive cells and the anti-leukaemic cytotoxicity showed a positive relationship in T cells, TCD4+ cells, TCD8+ cells and NKCD56+ cells.ConclusionsWe found blastmodulatory Kit-I and Kit-M competent to generate DC/DCleu from leukaemic WB. Stimulation of T cell enriched immunoreactive cells with DC/DCleu regularly resulted in an increased anti-leukaemic cytotoxicity and an increased IFNy dependent immunological activity of T, NK and CIK cells compared to control. Moreover the anti-leukaemic cytotoxicity positively correlated with the IFNy secretion in T cells, TCD4+ cells, TCD8+ cells, NKCD56+ cells. We therefore consider the IFNy secretion of innate and adaptive immune cells to be a suitable parameter to assess the efficacy of in vitro and potentially in vivo AML immunotherapy. The CSA in this regard proved to be a convenient and reproducible technique to detect and phenotypically characterise IFNy secreting cells of the innate and adaptive immune system.Disclosure InformationL.K. Klauer: None. O. Schutti: None. S. Ugur: None. F. Doraneh-Gard: None. N. Rogers: None. M. Weinmann: None. D. Krämer: None. A. Rank: None. C. Schmid: None. B. Eiz-Vesper: None. H.M. Schmetzer: None.


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