JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGICAL SCIENCES
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2018
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IF 2.575
Botao Wang,Xin Zheng,Jing Liu,Zhen Zhang,Chongyang Qiu,Lei Yang,Lanqiu Zhang,Qi Zhang,Hongwei Gao,Ximo Wang
Pancreatic cancer has remained a major cause of cancer-related deaths. A hallmark of pancreatic cancer is extensive stromal reactions, resulting in a unique tumor microenvironment, especially the involvement of macrophages. These tumor-educated cells limit the efficacy of chemotherapy. Therefore, it is necessary to identify an effective treatment strategy. In this study, we aimed to explore the anti-tumor and immunomodulatory effects of osthole on pancreatic cancer. We found that osthole suppressed Panc 02 cell migration and proliferation and induced apoptosis as shown in vitro. Osthole also attenuated the development of pancreatic cancer in mice by inhibiting tumor-infiltrating M2 macrophages in our study. Additionally, osthole inhibited the polarization of primary bone marrow cells into M2 macrophages and inhibited the expression of MRC1 , CCL22 and TGF-β in the M2 polarization process in vitro. Detection of the related signaling pathways revealed that osthole exerted immunomodulatory effects on M2 macrophages by down-regulating p-STAT6 and the p-ERK1/2-C/EBP β axis. These results indicated that osthole has effective anti-tumor and immunomodulatory effects on pancreatic cancer.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
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免疫学
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药理学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
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2018
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IF 2.559
Qing Shu,Song Lai,Xiao-Mei Wang,Yun-Long Zhang,Xiao-Lei Yang,Hai-Lian Bi,Hui-Hua Li
Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is the main risk factor for heart diseases. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is the major intracellular protein degradation system involved in the development of cardiac hypertrophic remodeling. Ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1, a key component of the UPS, catalyzes the first step in ubiquitin conjugation to mark cellular proteins for degradation via proteasome . However, the functional role of E1 (UBA1) in regulation of hypertrophic remodeling in angiotensin II (Ang II)-infused mice remains unknown. In this study, male wild-type mice were treated with UBA1 inhibitor PYR-41 at two doses of 5 and 10 mg and infused with Ang II (1000 ng/kg/min) for 14 days. Systolic blood pressure was detected by using tail-cuff system. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography. Hypertrophic remodeling was analyzed examined by histological examinations. The expressions of genes and proteins were detected by quantitative real-time PCR and immunoblotting analysis. After 14 days, Ang II infusion significantly increased UBA1 expression at both mRNA and protein levels in the hearts. Furthermore, Ang II-infused mice showed a significant increase in systolic blood pressure compensatory cardiac function, hypertrophy, interstitial fibrosis, inflammation and oxidative stress compared with saline-treated controls, whereas these effects were dose-dependently attenuated in PYR-41-treated mice. These beneficial actions were associated mainly with inhibition of PTEN degradation and multiple downstream mediators (AKT, ERK1/2, STAT3 , TGF-β/Smad2/3 and NF-kB(p65)). In conclusion, these results indicate that inhibition of UBA1 suppresses Ang II-induced hypertrophic remodeling, and suggest that administration of low dose PYR-41 may be a new potential therapeutic approach for treating hypertensive heart diseases.
研究领域:
心脏病学
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药理学
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分子生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
HISTOCHEMISTRY AND CELL BIOLOGY
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2023
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IF 2.3
Jin Xin,Xu Hainan,Hu Qing,Yin Yitong,Qin Meiying,Xia Zhijun
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a common disorder among women that negatively affects women’s quality of life. Early growth response 2 (EGR2) is a transcription factor that regulates cell growth. The present study aimed to explore the role of EGR2 in POP progression and provided a new target for the treatment and prevention of POP. Firstly, we extracted primary vaginal anterior wall fibroblasts from POP tissues and non-POP tissues and then constructed an EGR2-silencing lentivirus for further study. Immunoblotting, qPCR, TUNEL assay, CCK-8 assay, dual luciferase assay, and ELISA assay were carried out. EGR2 expression was much higher in POP tissues than in control tissues, and EGR2 expression positively correlated with cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) expression. Knockdown of EGR2 increased cell proliferation, upregulated PCNA expression, and reduced apoptosis in POP fibroblasts. Moreover, we found that the knockdown of EGR2 increased COL1A1 , COL3A1 , and Elastin expression and decreased MMP2 and MMP9 activities, and knockdown of EGR2 increased TGF-β/Smad pathway activity in POP fibroblasts. Interestingly, the results of dual luciferase assay demonstrated that EGR2 was able to increase SOCS3 transcriptional activity. EGR2 knockdown alleviated the apoptosis of POP fibroblasts by reducing SOCS3 expression and improving the proliferation and collagen synthesis of POP fibroblasts. Overall, our study illustrated that EGR2 was highly expressed in POP tissues, and knockdown of EGR2 alleviated apoptosis and reduced matrix degradation in POP fibroblasts. This study might provide a new insight into the pathogenesis of POP.
研究领域:
妇科学
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分子生物学
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细胞生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
CHEMOSPHERE
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2022
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IF 8.943
Man Qu,He Chen,Hanpeng Lai,Xing Liu,Dayong Wang,Xing Zhang
Nanoplastics represented by nanopolystyrene (NPS) and its chemically modified derivatives are environmentally ecotoxicological hotpots in recent years, but their toxicity and underlying mechanisms have not been fully identified. Here we employed Caenorhabditis elegans as an animal model to systematically compare the toxicity between nanopolystyrene and its 4 chemically modified derivatives (PS-PEG, PS-COOH, PS-SOOOH and PS-NH 2 ) at predicted environmental concentrations. Our study demonstrated that compared with PS exposed group, PS-NH 2 exposure (15 μg/L) caused a significant decline in lifespan by suppressed DAF-16/insulin signaling and shortened body length by inhibiting DBL-1/TGF β signaling. Different from PS-NH 2 exposed group, PS-SOOOH exposure (15 μg/L) could not cause changes in lifespan, but shortened body length by inhibiting DBL-1/TGF β signaling. In addition, PS-COOH, PS-SOOOH or PS-NH 2 exposure (1 μg/L or 15 μg/L) caused more serious toxicity in reducing locomotion behavior and causing gut barrier deficit. Hence the rank order in toxicity of PS-NH 2 ＞PS-SOOOH＞PS-COOH＞PS＞PS-PEG was identified. Furthermore, we also presented evidence to support the contention that the observed toxic effects on nematodes were linked to oxide stress and activation of anti-oxidative molecules for reversing the adverse effects induced by nanopolystyrene and its 4 chemically modified derivatives. Our data highlighted nanoplastics may be charge-dependently toxic to environmental organisms, and the screened low toxic modification may support polystyrene nanoparticles continued application for daily consumer goods and biomedicine.
研究领域:
环境科学
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毒理学
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分子生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
MOLECULAR IMMUNOLOGY
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2024
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IF 3.2
Chaonan Zhu,Zhiquan Chen,Shuai Wang,Junmei Cao,Yuan Cheng,Maogen Zheng
Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a highly heterogeneous disease that threaten human life with serious incidence and high mortality. High heterogeneity of tumor microenvironment (TME) was reported in multiple studies. However, the factor of controlling the tumor migration progression between eary and late-stage LUAD is still not fully understood. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data of LUAD obtained from the GEO database. The identification of cell clusters revealed significant expansion of epithelial cells in late-stage patients. Interpretation of the cell-cell communication results between early-stage and late-stage patient samples indicated that early tumor cells may interact with epithelial cells through the TGF-β pathway to promote tumor progression. The cell cycle analysis demonstrated a significant increase in the number of cells in the G2 and M phases in late-stage lung cancer. Further analysis using Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) revealed early-stage cell-specific gene features involved in cell adhesion-related biological processes. Among these, the Tensin (TNS) gene family, particularly TNS1, showed high expression in epithelial cells and fibroblasts of early-stage samples, specifically associated with cell adhesion. Survival analysis using TCGA database for LUAD demonstrated that patients with high expression of TNS1 exhibited significantly higher overall survival rates compared to those with low expression. Immunofluorescence experiments have demonstrated co-expression of TNS1 with fibroblast and tumor cell markers (α-SMA and EPCAM). Immunohistochemistry experiments further validated the significantly higher expression levels of TNS1 in early-stage LUAD tissues compared to late-stage lung cancer tissues (P<0.05). Pathway experiments have shown that early-stage tumor patients with high expression of TNS1 exhibit stronger phosphorylation levels of Akt and mTOR, indicating a more potent activation of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate that TNS1 is an adhesive molecule in the immune microenvironment of early-stage tumor cells, and it may serve as a novel prognostic marker for lug cancer.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
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分子生物学
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基因组学
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细胞生物学
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癌症生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Scientific Reports
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2017
·Vol. 7
·期 1
·1-10
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IF 4.259
Yuan Yi,Han Qiuju,Li Siyu,Tian Zhigang,Zhang Jian
The Wingless-type MMTV integration site family member 2b (Wnt2b) has been found to be a principal mediator of liver development and regeneration. However, the significance of Wnt2b in the pathogenesis of fibrosis-related liver diseases remains undefined. Here, we report that Wnt2b was highly expressed in the fibrotic liver tissues, exhibiting protective effects against activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and fibrosis progression. We identified a negative regulation of Wnt2b on the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) activation-mediated pro-fibrogenic effects. Wnt2b was shown not only to directly suppress LPS-induced HSCs activation, but also to inhibit TLR4-enhanced the sensitivity of HSCs to transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β). Mechanistic study showed that Wnt2b suppresses TLR4 signaling through inhibiting the expression of TLR4 as well as the activation of NF-κB and MAPKs. These findings provided new insights into the pathophysiology of liver fibrosis by characterizing Wnt2b as a novel endogenous suppressor of TLR4 signaling, maintaining tissue homeostasis during the early stage of hepatic fibrosis-associated liver diseases.
研究领域:
肝病学
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分子生物学
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细胞信号传导
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
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2022
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IF 6.51
Chan Jin,Jinbo Li,Xiaoguang Yang,Shuang Zhou,Chang Li,Jiang Yu,Zhaomeng Wang,Dun Wang,Zhonggui He,Yiguo Jiang,Yongjun Wang
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) represent a new class of immunotherapy drugs, and are used to relieve immune suppression or enhance the immune response through the blockade of checkpoint ligands or receptors. ICIs have achieved great success in clinical cancer treatment. Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) is a potent immune checkpoint of immunotherapy. Recently, it has been reported that MAOA inhibitors could enhance CD8 + T cell activity by upregulating 5-HT autocrine pathway in T cells. In this study, we synthesized doxorubicin (DOX) and isoniazid (INH, a MAOA inhibitor) conjugates through a pH sensitive hydrazone bond. Results of the in vivo studies showed that DOX-INH could effectively enhance the activity of CD8 + T cells and perform a synergistic anti-tumor effect with PD-L1 small molecular inhibitor (BMS202). In addition, in an orthotopic 4T1 breast cancer model, it was demonstrated that DOX-INH could inhibit the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process by blocking Shh, IL-6, and TGF-β signaling pathways, thereby inhibiting the growth and metastasis of breast cancer. Thus, a simple and effective small molecule conjugate produced by the combination of a chemotherapy drug and a MAOA inhibitor shows broad prospect in cancer therapy.
研究领域:
癌症免疫治疗
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肿瘤学
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药理学
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免疫学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Frontiers in Pharmacology
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2024
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IF 4.4
Liu Bin,Li Faping,Wang Yuxiong,Gao Xin,Li Yunkuo,Wang Yishu,Zhou Honglan
Background: Kidney injuries often carry a grim prognosis, marked by fibrosis development, renal function loss, and macrophage involvement. Despite extensive research on macrophage polarization and its effects on other cells, like fibroblasts, limited attention has been paid to the influence of non-immune cells on macrophages. This study aims to address this gap by shedding light on the intricate dynamics and diversity of macrophages during renal injury and repair.Methods: During the initial research phase, the complexity of intercellular communication in the context of kidney injury was revealed using a publicly available single-cell RNA sequencing library of the unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model. Subsequently, we confirmed our findings using an independent dataset from a renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) model. We treated two different types of endothelial cells with TGF-β and co-cultured their supernatants with macrophages, establishing an endothelial cell and macrophage co-culture system. We also established a UUO and an IRI mouse model. Western blot analysis, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining were used to validate our results at multiple levels.Results: Our analysis revealed significant changes in the heterogeneity of macrophage subsets during both injury processes. Amyloid β precursor protein (APP)-CD74 axis mediated endothelial-macrophage intercellular communication plays a dominant role. In the in vitro co-culture system, TGF-β triggers endothelial APP expression, which subsequently enhances CD74 expression in macrophages. Flow cytometry corroborated these findings. Additionally, APP and CD74 expression were significantly increased in the UUO and IRI mouse models. Immunofluorescence techniques demonstrated the co-localization of F4/80 and CD74 in vivo.Conclusion: Our study unravels a compelling molecular mechanism, elucidating how endothelium-mediated regulation shapes macrophage function during renal repair. The identified APP-CD74 signaling axis emerges as a promising target for optimizing renal recovery post-injury and preventing the progression of chronic kidney disease.
研究领域:
肾病学
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免疫学
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分子生物学
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细胞生物学
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病理生理学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Stem Cell Research & Therapy
·
2019
·Vol. 10
·期 1
·1-11
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IF 4.627
Kong Yuanyuan,Hu Xiaoli,Zhong Yingqun,Xu Ke,Wu Buling,Zheng Jianmao
Background Magnesium (Mg 2+ )-enriched microenvironment promotes odontogenic differentiation in human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), but the regulatory mechanisms remain undefined. The aim of this work was to assess magnesium’s function in the above process and to explore the associated signaling pathway. Methods DPSCs underwent culture in odontogenic medium with the addition of 0, 1, 5, or 10 mM MgCl 2 . Intracellular Mg 2+ levels in DPSCs were evaluated flow cytometrically using Mag-Fluo-4-AM. Mg 2+ -entry was inhibited by TRPM7 inhibitor 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB). RNA-Sequencing was carried out for assessing transcriptome alterations in DPSCs during odontogenic differentiation associated with high extracellular Mg 2+ . KEGG pathway analysis was performed to determine pathways related to the retrieved differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Immunoblot was performed for assessing magnesium’s role and exploring ERK/BMP2/Smads signaling. Results Mg 2+ -enriched microenvironment promoted odontogenic differentiation in DPSCs via intracellular Mg 2+ increase. Consistently, the positive effect of high extracellular Mg 2+ on odontogenic differentiation in DPSCs was blocked by 2-APB, which reduced Mg 2+ entry. RNA-sequencing identified 734 DEGs related to odontogenic differentiation in DPSCs in the presence of high extracellular Mg 2+ . These DEGs participated in many cascades such as MAPK and TGF-β pathways. Consistently, ERK and BMP2/Smads pathways were activated in DPSCs treated with high extracellular Mg 2+ . In agreement, ERK signaling inhibition by U0126 blunted the effect of high extracellular Mg 2+ on mineralization and odontogenic differentiation in DPSCs. Interestingly, BMP2, BMPR1, and phosphorylated Smad1/5/9 were significantly decreased by U0126, indicating that BMP2/Smads acted as downstream of ERK. Conclusions Mg 2+ -enriched microenvironment promotes odontogenic differentiation in DPSCs by activating ERK/BMP2/Smads signaling via intracellular Mg 2+ increase. This study revealed that Mg 2+ -enriched microenvironment could be used as a new strategy for dental pulp regeneration.
研究领域:
牙科研究
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干细胞生物学
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分子生物学
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细胞信号传导
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF CONTROLLED RELEASE
·
2020
·
IF 7.727
Menglu Qin,Jing Jin,Qimanguli Saiding,Yi Xiang,Yong Wang,Flávia Sousa,Bruno Sarmento,Wenguo Cui,Xinliang Chen
Biomedical hydrogel has been widely used as regenerative biomaterials, however, an immune inflammatory response of hydrogel constantly crops up in body due to crosslinking agent, external stimulus or small molecule residues. Here we present a strategy to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP) by combining both anti-inflammatory and promote tissue regeneration, using drug-loaded hydrogel to reconstruct the pelvic floor and minimize multiple inflammations. Photo-crosslinked gelatin hydrogel (GelMA) loaded with Puerarin (Pue) regulate inflammation by inhibiting the aggregation of neutrophils and eosinophils, simultaneously intervene the matrix regenerating/remodeling via TGF-β/MMPs pathway to repair the fascia of pelvic floor in rabbit models (POP model). The assessment of inflammatory cytokines expression (IL-3, IL-6, TNF-α, TGF-β1) in human uterus fibroblasts (HUVs), and extracellular matrix (ECM) related factors (COL-1, COL-3, MMP2 , MMP9) was performed in rabbit. Immune microenvironment was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in rabbit samples. Pue-loaded GelMA ( [email protected] ) down regulate inflammatory cytokines (IL-3 and IL-6) and matrix metalloproteinase 2/9 (MMP 2/9), and up regulate 1/3 type collagen (COL-1/3) in vitro. In this study, [email protected] was able to regulate immune microenvironment through restricting the aggregation of neutrophils and eosinophils and remodel the distribution of ECM collagen in vivo. In the POP model, [email protected] can effectively inhibits the inflammatory response caused by material implanted and promote fascia regenerate. This Hydrogel drug loading system was considered as an safe and effective method to treat POP without persistent complications, and it can also be applied to other prolapse diseases (e.g., intestinal hernia) or complex diseases treatment.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
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药剂学
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再生医学
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免疫学
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组织工程
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Cancer Immunology Research
·
2024
·
IF 8.1
Shi Yongjing,Zheng Xiaodong,Peng Hui,Xu Chenqi,Sun Rui,Tian Zhigang,Sun Haoyu,Wang Xianwei
Natural killer (NK) cells are the main innate antitumor effector cells but their function is often constrained in the tumor microenvironment (TME). It has been reported that the E3 ligase FBXO38 accelerates PD-1 degradation in tumor-infiltrating T cells to unleash their cytotoxic function. In this study, we found that the transcriptional levels of FBXO38 in intratumoral NK cells of cancer patients and tumor-bearing mice were significantly lower than in peritumoral NK cells. Conditional knock-out (cKO) of FBXO38 in NK cells accelerated tumor growth and increased tumor metastasis. FBXO38 deficiency resulted in impaired proliferation and survival of tumor-infiltrating NK (TINK) cells. Mechanistically, FBXO38 deficiency enhanced TGF-β signaling, including elevating expression of Smad2 and Smad3, which suppressed expression of the transcription factor Eomes and further reduced expression of surface IL-15Rβ and IL-15Rγc on NK cells. Consequently, FBXO38 deficiency led to TINK cell hyporesponsiveness to IL-15. Consistent with these observations, FBXO38 mRNA expression was positively correlated with the proliferation of TINK cells in multiple human tumors. To study the therapeutic potential of FBXO38, mice bearing human tumors were treated with FBXO38 overexpressed human primary NK cells and showed a significant reduction in tumor size and prolonged survival. In conclusion, our results suggest that FBXO38 sustains NK-cell expansion and survival to promote antitumor immunity, and have potential therapeutic implications as they suggest FBXO38 could be harnessed to enhance NK cell–based cancer immunotherapy.
研究领域:
癌症生物学
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免疫学
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分子生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY
·
2024
·Vol. 22
·期 1
·1-21
·
IF 10.6
Hou Yu,Zhu Lin,Ye Xiaofeng,Ke Qiaoying,Zhang Qibin,Xie Xiaowei,Piao Ji-gang,Wei Yinghui
Background Renal fibrosis is a progressive process associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD), contributing to impaired kidney function. Active constituents in traditional Chinese herbs, such as emodin (EMO) and asiatic acid (AA), exhibit potent anti-fibrotic properties. However, the oral administration of EMO and AA results in low bioavailability and limited kidney accumulation. Additionally, while oral probiotics have been accepted for CKD treatment through gut microbiota modulation, a significant challenge lies in ensuring their viability upon administration. Therefore, our study aims to address both renal fibrosis and gut microbiota imbalance through innovative co-delivery strategies. Results In this study, we developed yeast cell wall particles (YCWPs) encapsulating EMO and AA self-assembled nanoparticles (NPYs) and embedded them, along with Lactobacillus casei Zhang, in chitosan/sodium alginate (CS/SA) microgels. The developed microgels showed significant controlled release properties for the loaded NPYs and prolonged the retention time of Lactobacillus casei Zhang ( L. casei Zhang) in the intestine. Furthermore, in vivo biodistribution showed that the microgel-carried NPYs significantly accumulated in the obstructed kidneys of rats, thereby substantially increasing the accumulation of EMO and AA in the impaired kidneys. More importantly, through hitchhiking delivery based on yeast cell wall and positive modulation of gut microbiota, our microgels with this synergistic strategy of therapeutic and modulatory interactions could regulate the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway and thus effectively ameliorate renal fibrosis in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) rats. Conclusion In conclusion, our work provides a new strategy for the treatment of renal fibrosis based on hitchhiking co-delivery of nanodrugs and probiotics to achieve synergistic effects of disease treatment and targeted gut flora modulation. Graphical Abstract
研究领域:
药学
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生物医学工程
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肾病学
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微生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）