Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), a distant member of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β family, is a secreted protein that circulates as a 25-kDa dimer. In humans, elevated GDF15 ...correlates with weight loss, and the administration of GDF15 to mice with obesity reduces body weight, at least in part, by decreasing food intake. The mechanisms through which GDF15 reduces body weight remain poorly understood, because the cognate receptor for GDF15 is unknown. Here we show that recombinant GDF15 induces weight loss in mice fed a high-fat diet and in nonhuman primates with spontaneous obesity. Furthermore, we find that GDF15 binds with high affinity to GDNF family receptor α-like (GFRAL), a distant relative of receptors for a distinct class of the TGF-β superfamily ligands. Gfral is expressed in neurons of the area postrema and nucleus of the solitary tract in mice and humans, and genetic deletion of the receptor abrogates the ability of GDF15 to decrease food intake and body weight in mice. In addition, diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance are exacerbated in GFRAL-deficient mice, suggesting a homeostatic role for this receptor in metabolism. Finally, we demonstrate that GDF15-induced cell signaling requires the interaction of GFRAL with the coreceptor RET. Our data identify GFRAL as a new regulator of body weight and as the bona fide receptor mediating the metabolic effects of GDF15, enabling a more comprehensive assessment of GDF15 as a potential pharmacotherapy for the treatment of obesity.
TIM-3 (T cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing protein 3) is a member of the TIM family of proteins that is preferentially expressed on Th1 polarized CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Recent studies ...indicate that TIM-3 serves as a negative regulator of T cell function (i.e. T cell dependent immune responses, proliferation, tolerance, and exhaustion). Despite having no recognizable inhibitory signaling motifs, the intracellular tail of TIM-3 is apparently indispensable for function. Specifically, the conserved residues Y265/Y272 and surrounding amino acids appear to be critical for function. Mechanistically, several studies suggest that TIM-3 can associate with interleukin inducible T cell kinase (ITK), the Src kinases Fyn and Lck, and the p85 phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) adaptor protein to positively or negatively regulate IL-2 production via NF-κB/NFAT signaling pathways. To begin to address this discrepancy, we examined the effect of TIM-3 in two model systems. First, we generated several Jurkat T cell lines stably expressing human TIM-3 or murine CD28-ECD/human TIM-3 intracellular tail chimeras and examined the effects that TIM-3 exerts on T cell Receptor (TCR)-mediated activation, cytokine secretion, promoter activity, and protein kinase association. In this model, our results demonstrate that TIM-3 inhibits several TCR-mediated phenotypes: i) NF-kB/NFAT activation, ii) CD69 expression, and iii) suppression of IL-2 secretion. To confirm our Jurkat cell observations we developed a primary human CD8+ cell system that expresses endogenous levels of TIM-3. Upon TCR ligation, we observed the loss of NFAT reporter activity and IL-2 secretion, and identified the association of Src kinase Lck, and PLC-γ with TIM-3. Taken together, our results support the conclusion that TIM-3 is a negative regulator of TCR-function by attenuating activation signals mediated by CD3/CD28 co-stimulation.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Cinnamomum cassia possesses antioxidative activity and induces the apoptotic properties of various cancer types. However, its effect on osteosarcoma invasion and cancer stemness remains ambiguous. ...Here, we examined the molecular evidence of the anti‐invasive effects of ethanoic C. cassia extracts (CCE). Invasion and migration were obviously suppressed after the expression of urokinase‐type plasminogen activator and matrix metalloprotein 2 in human osteosarcoma 143B cells were downregulated. CCE reversed epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by transforming growth factor β1 and downregulated mesenchymal markers, such as snail‐1 and RhoA. CCE suppressed self‐renewal property and the expression of stemness genes (aldehyde dehydrogenase, Nanog, and CD44) in the 143B cells. CCE suppressed cell viability, reduced the colony formation of osteosarcoma cancer cells, and induced apoptotic cell death in the 143B cells, as indicated by caspase‐9 activation. The xenograft tumor model of immunodeficient BALB/c nude mice showed that CCE administered in vivo through oral gavage inhibited the growth of implanted 143B cells. These findings indicated that CCE inhibited the invasion, migration, and cancer stemness of the 143B cells. CCE reduced proliferation of 143B cell possibly because of the activation of caspase‐9 and the consequent apoptosis, suggesting that CCE is a potential anticancer supplement for osteosarcoma.
Background:
Melanoma is a highly aggressive, lethal, and malignant cancer. Once diagnosed early, it can be easily removed and cured with satisfaction. Although many methods such as surgery, ...chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy have been used to treat this disease at an advanced stage, the outcomes are poor.
Terminalia catappa
leaves have been shown to have various biological benefits, including antitumor activity. The specific effects and molecular mechanisms of
Terminalia catappa
leaf in treating A2058 and A375 melanoma cells
in vitro
need to be clarified.
Methods:
The A2058 and A375 melanoma cancer cells were treated with
Terminalia catappa
leaf extracts, and then the effect of
Terminalia catappa
leaf extracts on migration and invasion was examined. The cell migration/invasion capacities of A2058 and A375 cells were investigated by a modified Boyden chamber assay. Zymography was used to clarify the activities of matrix metalloproteinases-2 and urinary type plasminogen activator. We performed a Western blot to verify the related expression of phospho-Src (Tyr416), phospho-Focal adhesion kinase (Tyr397), Vimentin, and β-catenin.
Results:
Modified Boyden chamber assays demonstrated that treatment of
Terminalia catappa
leaf extracts significantly inhibited A2058 and A375 cell migration/invasion capacities. In the zymography results, we showed that
Terminalia catappa
leaf extracts negatively modulated the activities of matrix metalloproteinases-2 and urinary type plasminogen activator. Western blot indicated that
Terminalia catappa
leaf extracts reduced the expression of phospho-Src (Tyr416), phospho-Focal adhesion kinase (Tyr397), Vimentin, and β-catenin.
Conclusion:
Terminalia catappa
leaf extracts affected the antimetastasis of the A2058 and A375 melanoma cell lines by inhibiting the Focal adhesion kinase/Src interaction and Wingless-int1/β-catenin pathways
in vitro
.
Terminalia catappa
leaf extracts may serve as an effective chemopreventive agent against metastasis of melanoma cancer.
Background and objectivesPatient–clinician communication and shared decision-making face challenges in the perioperative period. Chatbots have emerged as valuable support tools in perioperative care. ...A simultaneous and complete comparison of overall benefits and harm of chatbot application is conducted.MaterialsMEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched for studies published before May 2023 on the benefits and harm of chatbots used in the perioperative period. The major outcomes assessed were patient satisfaction and knowledge acquisition. Untransformed proportion (PR) with a 95% CI was used for the analysis of continuous data. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias assessment tool version 2 and the Methodological Index for Non-Randomised Studies.ResultsEight trials comprising 1073 adults from four countries were included. Most interventions (n = 5, 62.5%) targeted perioperative care in orthopaedics. Most interventions use rule-based chatbots (n = 7, 87.5%). This meta-analysis found that the majority of the participants were satisfied with the use of chatbots (mean proportion=0.73; 95% CI: 0.62 to 0.85), and agreed that they gained knowledge in their perioperative period (mean proportion=0.80; 95% CI: 0.74 to 0.87).ConclusionThis review demonstrates that perioperative chatbots are well received by the majority of patients with no reports of harm to-date. Chatbots may be considered as an aid in perioperative communication between patients and clinicians and shared decision-making. These findings may be used to guide the healthcare providers, policymakers and researchers for enhancing perioperative care.
Comorbidities and stages may influence the prognosis of melanoma patients in Taiwan and need to be determined.
We performed a retrospective cohort study by using the national health insurance ...research database in Taiwan. Patients with a primary diagnosis of melanoma by the Taiwan Cancer Registry from 2009 to 2017 were recruited as the study population. The comparison group was never diagnosed with melanoma from 2000 to 2018. The Charlson comorbidity index was conducted to calculate the subjects' disease severity. The Cox proportional hazards model analysis was used to estimate the hazard ratio of death.
We selected 476 patients, 55.5% of whom had comorbidity. A higher prevalence of comorbidity was associated with a more advanced cancer stage. The mortality rate increased with an increasing level of comorbidity in both cohorts and was higher among melanoma patients. The interaction between melanoma and comorbidity resulted in an increased mortality rate.
An association between poorer survival and comorbidity was verified in this study. We found that the level of comorbidity was strongly associated with mortality. A higher risk of mortality was found in patients who had localized tumors, regional metastases, or distant metastases with more comorbidity scores. Advanced stage of melanoma patients with more comorbidities was significantly associated with the higher risk of mortality rate.
Abstract Activating interferon responses with STING agonists (STINGa) is a current cancer immunotherapy strategy, and therapeutic modalities that enable tumor-targeted delivery via systemic ...administration could be beneficial. Here we demonstrate that tumor cell-directed STING agonist antibody-drug-conjugates (STINGa ADCs) activate STING in tumor cells and myeloid cells and induce anti-tumor innate immune responses in in vitro, in vivo (in female mice), and ex vivo tumor models. We show that the tumor cell-directed STINGa ADCs are internalized into myeloid cells by Fcγ-receptor-I in a tumor antigen-dependent manner. Systemic administration of STINGa ADCs in mice leads to STING activation in tumors, with increased anti-tumor activity and reduced serum cytokine elevations compared to a free STING agonist. Furthermore, STINGa ADCs induce type III interferons, which contribute to the anti-tumor activity by upregulating type I interferon and other key chemokines/cytokines. These findings reveal an important role for type III interferons in the anti-tumor activity elicited by STING agonism and provide rationale for the clinical development of tumor cell-directed STINGa ADCs.
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) achieve targeted drug delivery to a tumor and have demonstrated clinical success in many tumor types. The activity and safety profile of an ADC depends on its ...construction: antibody, payload, linker, and conjugation method, as well as the number of payload drugs per antibody (drug-to-antibody ratio, DAR). To allow for ADC optimization for a given target antigen, we developed Dolasynthen, a novel ADC platform based on the payload auristatin hydroxypropylamide (AF-HPA), that enables precise DAR-ranging and site-specific conjugation. We used the new platform to optimize an ADC that targets B7-H4 (VTCN1), an immune-suppressive protein that is overexpressed in breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers. XMT-1660 is a site-specific Dolasynthen DAR 6 ADC that induced complete tumor regressions in xenograft models of breast and ovarian cancer as well as in a syngeneic breast cancer model that is refractory to PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibition. In a panel of 28 breast cancer patient-derived xenografts (PDX), XMT-1660 demonstrated activity that correlated with B7-H4 expression. XMT-1660 has recently entered clinical development in a Phase 1 study (NCT05377996) in cancer patients.
Metastasis is the most common cause of cancer‐related mortality in patients, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is essential for cancer metastasis and antidrug resistance. Cinnamomum cassia ...has several antioxidative, anti‐inflammatory, and anticancer biological effects. However, the anti‐EMT effect of C. cassia in human lung carcinoma is rarely reported. In this study, we determined whether C. cassia extracts (CCE) reduces the EMT and tumor growth of human lung adenocarcinoma cells. CCE inhibited the transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β1‐induced cell motility and invasiveness of A549 and H1299 cells by repressing matrix metalloproteinase‐2 and urokinase‐type plasminogen activator as well as impaired cell adhesion to collagen. CCE also affected the TGF‐β1‐induced EMT by downregulating the expression of vimentin and fibronectin and upregulating E‐cadherin. The nude mice xenograft model showed that CCE reduced A549 tumor growth. Thus, CCE possesses antimetastatic activity of A549 and H1299 cells by affecting EMT and suppressing A549 tumor growth in vivo. This result suggested that CCE could be used as an antimetastatic agent or as an adjuvant for anticancer therapy.