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Harnessing Endogenous Plasticity Rather than Reprogramming of Mature Cells Will Advance Regenerative Medicine, Cancer Treatment and Rejuvenation.

The successful culture of human embryonic stem (hES) cells from inner cell mass cells of blastocyst stage 'spare' embryos in 1998, followed by induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells in 2006, which allowed somatic cells to be reprogrammed to pluripotency using the Yamanaka factors, transformed regenerative biology and inspired extensive global efforts towards developing pluripotent stem cell-based applications. However, hES and iPS cells, as well as organoids generated from them, largely retain fetal-like characteristics, which limits their relevance for clinical translation. Concurrently, the prevailing assumption published in leading journals that adult tissues lack endogenous stem cells has led to the belief that mature cells dedifferentiate and reprogram during in vivo regeneration upon chronic injury, and that the appearance of embryonic/fetal markers in diabetes, heart failure, cancer, and many other chronic disease states reflects dedifferentiation of mature cells. We suggest that the prevailing concepts of dedifferentiation and reprogramming, both in vitro and in vivo, require careful re-evaluation. Adult somatic cells possibly do not truly dedifferentiate, neither in vitro nor in vivo. Instead, tissue-resident, pluripotent, very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs) in multiple organs account for the observed biology. In vitro "reprogramming" responses to Yamanaka factors likely reflect selective activation and expansion of VSELs/early progenitors rather than the dedifferentiation/ reprogramming of mature adult somatic cells. Likewise, the embryonic/fetal-like signatures reported in multiple disease states including cancer reflect expansion of immature tissue-specific progenitors that arise from VSELs but fail to differentiate normally due to a damaged microenvironment in vivo. Therapeutic strategies involving transplantation of MSCs, MUSE cells, or their secreted exosomes improve disease outcomes, possibly by restoring the damaged niche that supports functional tissue repair by VSELs. Although direct evidence to support this is lacking at present, recognising the central role of VSELs/progenitors and their niche in maintaining tissue homeostasis in vivo could resolve existing roadblocks and guide more effective endogenous regenerative therapies for diseased tissues and age-related dysfunctions.

Humans↗

Bone marrow microenvironmental changes underlie reduced RAG-mediated recombination and B cell generation in aged mice.

During aging, adaptive immunity is severely compromised, due in part to decreased production of B lymphocytes and loss of immunoglobulin (Ig) diversity. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie age-associated diminished B cell production remain unclear. Using in vivo labeling, we find that this reduction in marrow pre-B cells reflects increased attrition during passage from the pro-B to pre-B cell pool. Analyses of reciprocal bone marrow chimeras reveal that the magnitude and production rates of pre-B cells are controlled primarily by microenvironmental factors, rather than intrinsic events. To understand changes in pro-B cells that could diminish production of pre-B cells, we evaluated rag2 expression and V(D)J recombinase activity in pro-B cells at the single cell level. The percentage of pro-B cells that express rag2 is reduced in aged mice and is correlated with both a loss of V(D)J recombinase activity in pro-B cells and reduced numbers of pre-B cells. Reciprocal bone marrow chimeras revealed that the aged microenvironment also determines rag2 expression and recombinase activity in pro-B cells. Together, these observations suggest that extrinsic factors in the bone marrow that decline with age are largely responsible for less efficient V(D)J recombination in pro-B cells and diminished progression to the pre-B cell stage.

Aging↗

The conveyor belt hypothesis for thymocyte migration: participation of adhesion and de-adhesion molecules.

Thymocyte differentiation is the process by which bone marrow-derived precursors enter the thymus, proliferate, rearrange the genes and express the corresponding T cell receptors, and undergo positive and/or negative selection, ultimately yielding mature T cells that will represent the so-called T cell repertoire. This process occurs in the context of cell migration, whose cellular and molecular basis is still poorly understood. Kinetic studies favor the idea that these cells leave the organ in an ordered pattern, as if they were moving on a conveyor belt. We have recently proposed that extracellular matrix glycoproteins, such as fibronectin, laminin and type IV collagen, among others, produced by non-lymphoid cells both in the cortex and in the medulla, would constitute a macromolecular arrangement allowing differentiating thymocytes to migrate. Here we discuss the participation of both molecules with adhesive and de-adhesive properties in the intrathymic T cell migration. Functional experiments demonstrated that galectin-3, a soluble beta-galactoside-binding lectin secreted by thymic microenvironmental cells, is a likely candidate for de-adhesion proteins by decreasing thymocyte interaction with the thymic microenvironment.

Antigens, Differentiation↗

Identification of differentially expressed genes in experimental models of the tumor microenvironment using differential display.

BACKGROUND: Genes upregulated within the tumour microenvironment represent potential targets for rational drug design. Most studies to date concentrate on the effects of hypoxia, although it is likely many genes are regulated by a more physiological combination of factors. MATERIALS & METHODS: Cells under conditions analogous to the normal and tumour microenvironments were isolated from the plateau-phase system and multicellular spheroids. Gene expression was analysed by differential display and confirmed by Northern blot or semiquantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS: p21-activated kinase (PAK1), a calmodulin-related mRNA, cytochrome oxidase subunit I and an H3.3 histone were upregulated within the in vitro tumour microenvironment, the last 3 within spheroids. CONCLUSIONS: Both models exhibit a range of microenvironmental parameters, although spheroids are more physiological with respect to the presence of extreme hypoxia and the formation of 3-dimensional interactions. We have shown that it is feasible to manipulate the spheroid system by serial trypsinisation to obtain reproducible cell populations for gene expression studies.

Adenocarcinoma↗

The glycolytic phenotype in carcinogenesis and tumor invasion: insights through mathematical models.

Malignant cells characteristically exhibit altered metabolic patterns when compared with normal mammalian cells with increased reliance on anaerobic metabolism of glucose to lactic acid even in the presence of abundant oxygen. The inefficiency of the anaerobic pathway is compensated by increased glucose flux, a phenomenon first noted by Otto Warburg approximately 80 years ago and currently exploited for 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-positron emission tomography imaging in clinical radiology. The latter has demonstrated the glycolytic phenotype is a near-universal phenomenon in human cancers. The potential role of the glycolytic phenotype in facilitating tumor invasion has been investigated through mathematical models of the tumor-host interface. Modified cellular automaton and diffusion reaction models demonstrate protons will diffuse from the tumor into peritumoral normal tissue subjecting nontransformed cells adjacent to the tumor edge to an extracellular pH significantly lower than normal. This leads to normal cell death via p53-dependent apoptosis pathways, as well as degradation of the interstitial matrix, loss of intercellular gap junctions, enhanced angiogenesis, and inhibition of the host immune response to tumor antigens. Transformed cells maintain their proliferative capacity in acidic extracellular pH because of mutations in p53 or some other component in the apoptosis pathways. This allows tumor cells to remain proliferative and migrate into the peritumoral normal tissue producing the invasive phenotype. Mathematical models of invasive cancer based on tumor-induced acidification are consistent with extant data on tumor microenvironment and results from clinical positron emission tomography imaging, including the observed correlation between tumor invasiveness and glucose utilization. Novel treatment approaches focused on perturbation of the tumor microenvironment are predicted from the mathematical models and are supported by recent clinical data demonstrating the benefits of azotemia and metabolic acidosis in survival of patients with metastatic renal cancer. The evolutionary basis for adoption of the glycolytic phenotype during carcinogenesis remains unclear because it appears to confer significant competitive disadvantages on the tumor cells due to of inefficient energy production and expenditure of resources to remove the acid byproducts. We propose that the glycolytic phenotype represents a successful adaptation to environmental selection parameters because it confers the ability to invade. That is, the glycolytic phenotype allows the cell to move from the microenvironment of a premalignant lesion to adjacent normal tissue. There it competes with normal cells that are less fit than the populations within the tumor in a microenvironment of relative substrate abundance. The consequent unrestrained proliferation allows the glycolytic phenotype to emerge simultaneous with the transition from a premalignant lesion to an invasive cancer.

Animals↗

The in vitro effect of paclitaxel on a LacZ-transfected malignant transitional cell line.

As bladder cancer is potentially lethal, the development of effective and tolerable therapeutic options is vital. In the present assay, we examined the in vitro effect of paclitaxel (Taxol) on the transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) cell line Hu1703He. Our model has several advantages over other in vitro models. The microenvironment in vivo is mimicked, and the important interaction between benign and malignant cells is consequently preserved in vitro. In addition, the results are not influenced by humoral immune factors. LacZ transfection and exposure to X-gal resulted in blue staining of the tumour cells and made them easy to visualise in sections. Tumour cell aggregates were cultured with continuous paclitaxel exposure to examine the drug's effect on tumour cell migration in monolayer and spheroidal growth in suspension culture. Paclitaxel treatment inhibited both tumour cell migration and spheroidal growth. Invasion was studied by confronting paclitaxel-treated and untreated tumour spheroids with benign bladder fragments in suspension culture. The co-cultures were followed for 4 weeks. Growth of the tumour cells encircling the bladder fragment and cellular infiltration of the bladder stroma were both inhibited by paclitaxel treatment. The expression of MMP-1 in tumour cells was also negatively influenced.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic↗

Biology of human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells present in circulation.

Circulating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells play important roles in the physiology and homeostasis of the hematopoietic system. The frequency of these cells varies throughout development, being more abundant during gestation. In the adult, the numbers of such cells are extremely low; however, they can be increased by intravenous administration of chemotherapy and/or recombinant cytokines to individuals. This mechanism--known as mobilization--involves the disruption of the interactions between primitive hematopoietic cells and microenvironment elements (stromal cells and extracellular matrix molecules), which are mediated by a group of molecules known as cell adhesion molecules. During the last two decades, circulating cells of newborns (those present in umbilical cord blood) and adults (mobilized peripheral blood) have gained relevance not only because of their biology, but also because of their clinical application. Indeed, at present the number of mobilized peripheral blood-derived hematopoietic cell transplants performed worldwide is clearly superior to the number of bone marrow transplants being done annually. On the other hand, the number of cord blood transplants has significantly increased during the last few years, and cord blood banking has expanded in a significant manner over the last decade. Circulating stem and progenitor cells are being manipulated ex vivo, both in cellular and molecular terms, and the clinical use of these manipulated cells is just beginning. Undoubtedly, hematopoietic cells present in circulation will play a key role in the development of both gene and cellular therapies for a variety of diseases.

Animals↗

Neuro-immune network. Basic structural and functional correlates.

The relationship among the nervous, endocrine and immune systems can be addressed in a number of ways. In this minireview, after introducing the immune microenvironment and outlining the principal domains of neuroimmune investigations, the preference was given to the influence of lesioning and stimulation of brain structures on immunological responsiveness; the relationship between micromagnetic fields, brain and immunity; the humoral and cell-mediated immunological features of certain neurological and psychiatric diseases; and the effect of stress on immune reactions. Described phenomena support the contention that there are numerous and continuous intercommunications between the nervous system and the immune system.

Animals↗

Accessory signals for growth and differentiation of human T lymphocytes.

Accessory signals represent the level at which functional immune responses are regulated. Impairment of ligand-receptor interactions or, alternatively, intracellular signalling processes plays a pivotal part in vivo. Thus, tumour tolerance might result from missing co-stimulatory signals, which is supported by numerous recent data. Conversely, blocking accessory receptors might provide the means to influence allograft rejection. Upregulation of accessory receptors and their ligands is a hallmark of inflammatory reactions. Finally, given that particular microenvironments are characterized by the presence of particular combinations of ligand molecules for critical accessory receptors on T lymphocytes, one could envisage novel approaches to local immune intervention. All these perspectives, however, are based on our understanding of how accessory receptors are composed and interact with intracellular enzymes, which all together transmit critical signals to the nucleus, and on an understanding of how these signals contribute to functional T cell behaviour.

Animals↗

Cellular interrelationships during in vitro granulopoiesis.

Long-term production of fully differentiated granulocytes can be maintained in vitro in a liquid system of cultured bone marrow. Marrow is cultured in medical flasks and allowed to form an adherent layer over a three-week period, and then recharged with fresh marrow resulting in continued mature granulocyte production for several months. During the initial establishment of the adherent layer, three attached populations become apparent: phagocytic monocytes, an attached epithelial cell type, and aggregations of epithelial cells swollen to enormous proportions by the presence of numerous lipid-containing vacuoles. Without the formation of these aggregations, granulocyte production is not maintained beyond an initial period and the culture converts to phagocytic mononuclear cell production alone. Thus not only is the presence of the fat-containing aggregations necessary to continued granulopoiesis, but cultures in full granulocyte production show a characteristic clumping of granulocytes around these aggregates. Electron microscopy has shown that the epithelial cells from the adherent layer form a layer covering some of the attached cells in these areas and thus may provide the necessary in vitro microenvironment for granulopoiesis to occur. Pinocytotic vesicles and gap junctions have been observed between the adjacent membranes of the undifferentiated granulocytes (possibly stem cells) and the epithelial cells themselves.

Animals↗

Nitric oxide regulation of maspin expression in normal mammary epithelial and breast cancer cells.

In this study, we examined the unique relationship of maspin, a serine protease inhibitor (serpin), that plays a critical role in mammary gland development and is silenced during breast cancer progression, and nitric oxide (NO), a multifaceted water and lipid soluble free radical. The hypothesis tested was that there is a correlation between endothelial nitric oxide synthase and maspin in MCF-7 cells and that NO is capable of regulating maspin expression. An experimental system was developed in which cellular levels of NO in normal human mammary epithelial cells and the breast cancer cell line MCF-7 could be altered using NO modulators. The effect(s) of NO modulators on maspin was measured using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis of subcellular fractions of both cell types. The data revealed that NO induced maspin expression in MCF-7 cells, and the induced maspin resulted in diminished cell motility and invasion, concomitant with an increase in the apoptotic index. This novel finding provides new information regarding the molecular role of maspin in regulating mammary epithelial growth, remodeling, tumor progression, and the metastatic process. More significantly, these findings could have a potential impact on future therapeutic intervention strategies for breast cancer. Targeted delivery of NO within the tumor microenvironment could provide a feasible noninvasive approach for effective treatment.

Breast↗

Estimations of uronic acids as quantitative measures of extracellular and cell wall polysaccharide polymers from environmental samples.

The extracellular polysaccharide polymers can bind microbes to surfaces and can cause physical modification of the microenvironment. Since uronic acids appear to be the components of these extracellular films that are most concentrated in a location outside the cell membrane, a quantitative assay for uronic acids was developed. Polymers containing uronic acids are resistant to quantitative hydrolysis, and the uronic acids, once released, form lactones irreproducibly and are difficult to separate from the neutral sugars. These problems were obviated by the methylation of the uronic acids and their subsequent reduction with sodium borodeuteride to the corresponding alcohol while they were in the polymer and could not form lactones. This caused the polymers to lose the ability to adhere to their substrates, so they could be quantitatively recovered. The hydrolysis of the dideuterated sugars was reproducible and could be performed under conditions that were mild enough that other cellular and extracellular polymers were not affected. The resulting neutral sugars were readily derivatized and then were separated and assayed by glass capillary gas-liquid chromatography. The dideuterated portion of each pentose, hexose, or heptose, identified by combined capillary gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, accurately provided the proportion of each uronic acid in each carbohydrate of the polymer. Examples of the applications of this methodology include the composition of extracellular polymers in marine bacteria, invertebrate feeding tubes and fecal structures, and the microfouling films formed on titanium and aluminum surfaces exposed to seawater.

Journal Article↗

Putative function and prognostic molecular marker of mast cells in colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The increased demand for markers for colorectal cancer (CRC) highlights the importance of investigating immune cells involved in CRC progression. This study aims to dissect the mast cells in CRC, characterize the role of mast cells in CRC development, coordinate molecular communication between mast cells and malignant cells, and construct and validate a prognostic classification model based on mast cell markers. METHODS: Single-cell transcriptome data of CRC patients were extracted from GSE146771 for cell classification and annotation. The malignant cells were identified by copykat and the communication between mast cells and malignant cells was analyzed by CellChat. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis and Cox regression analysis of mast cell markers were performed in the TCGA-COAD cohort to construct a prognostic classification model. qRT-PCR was performed to detect the mRNA expression of the molecules in the classification model in P815 and MC-9 cells. The co-culture experiment of MC38 and P815 cells were performed in 12-well transwell dish. Wound healing assay and Transwell assay were performed to detect cell migration and invasion. RESULTS: 10,186 high-quality cells in GSE146771 were annotated to 9 cell types. Six markers in mast cells (HDC, GATA2, ASAH1, BTBD19, TIMP1, FAM110A) were selected to construct a classification model. The high-risk score defined showed high infiltration of immunosuppressive cells, including endothelial cells, CAFs, Tregs and high angiogenesis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) activities. In the model, HDC were abnormally low expressed in P815 cells, while BTBD19, FAM110A, GATA2, ASAH1 and TIMP1 showed excessive expression in P815 cells. Knockdown of GATA2 in the co-culture system of P815 and MC38 cells blocked cell migration and invasion. CONCLUSION: This study identified the cell types within CRC, elaborated the cellular functions of mast cells in CRC development and their molecular communication to coordinate malignant cells, and highlighted the molecular components and biological features that constitute promising prognostic classification model.

Mast Cells↗

Tumor-derived MUC1 mucins interact with differentiating monocytes and induce IL-10highIL-12low regulatory dendritic cell.

Dendritic cells (DC) initiate immunity by the activation of naive T cells and control immunity through their ability to induce unresponsiveness of lymphocytes by mechanisms that include deletion and induction of regulatory cells. An inadequate presentation to T cells by tumor-induced "regulatory" DC, among several mechanisms, can explain tolerance to tumor-associated Ags. In this study, we show that tumor-derived mucin profoundly affects the cytokine repertoire of monocyte-derived DC and switch them into IL-10(high)IL-12(low) regulatory APCs with a limited capacity to trigger protective Th1 responses. In fact, DC cocultured with pancreatic tumor cell lines in a Transwell system did not reach full maturation, had low immunostimulatory functions, did not produce IL-12, and released high levels of IL-10. The involvement of known tumor-derived immune-suppressive factors (e.g., vascular endothelial growth factor, TGF-beta, IL-6, and IL-10) was considered and excluded. We provide evidence that tumor-derived MUC1 mucins are responsible for the impaired DC maturation and function. DC obtained in the presence of tumor microenvironment preferentially polarized IL-4(+) response. Moreover, T cells primed by these regulatory DC became anergic and behaved as suppressor/regulatory cells. These findings identify mucin secretion as a novel mechanism of tumor escape from immune surveillance and provide the basis for the generation of potentially tolerogenic DC.

Antigen-Presenting Cells↗

Effect of RGD secondary structure and the synergy site PHSRN on cell adhesion, spreading and specific integrin engagement.

The relationship between the form of cell adhesion, ligand presentation, and cell receptor function was characterized using model Langmuir-Blodgett supported films, containing lipid-conjugated peptide ligands, in which isolated variables of the ligand presentation were systematically altered. First, the conformation of an adhesive Arginine-Glycine-Aspartic acid (RGD) peptide was varied by synthesizing linear and looped RGD peptide-containing amphiphiles and subsequently measuring the impact on the function of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Secondly, the contribution of non-contiguous ligands to cellular engagement was assessed using multi-component biomimetic films. The peptide amphiphiles were composed of fibronectin-derived headgroups--GRGDSP, and its synergy site Pro-His-Ser-Arg-Asn (PHSRN)--attached to hydrocarbon tails. The peptide amphiphiles were diluted using polyethylene glycol (PEG) amphiphiles, where PEG inhibited non-specific cell adhesion. Cells adhered and spread on GRGDSP/PEG systems in a dose-dependent manner. The presentation of GRGDSP influenced integrin cell surface receptor specificity. Results demonstrated that beta1-containing integrins mediated adhesion to the linear GRGDSP presentation to a greater extent than did the alphavbeta3 integrin, and looped GRGDSP preferentially engaged alphavbeta3. GRGDSP/PHSRN/PEG mixtures that closely mimicked the RGD-PHSRN distance in fibronectin, enhanced cell spreading over their two-component analogues. This study demonstrated that controlling the microenvironment of the cell was essential for biomimetics to modulate specific binding and subsequent signaling events.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Interaction between beta-catenin and HIF-1 promotes cellular adaptation to hypoxia.

Aberrant activation of beta-catenin promotes cell proliferation and initiates colorectal tumorigenesis. However, the expansion of tumours and the inadequacy of their local vasculature results in areas of hypoxia where cell growth is typically constrained. Here, we report a novel diversion in beta-catenin signalling triggered by hypoxia. We show that hypoxia inhibits beta-catenin-T-cell factor-4 (TCF-4) complex formation and transcriptional activity, resulting in a G1 arrest that involves the c-Myc-p21 axis. Additionally, we find that hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) competes with TCF-4 for direct binding to beta-catenin. DNA-protein interaction studies reveal that beta-catenin-HIF-1alpha interaction occurs at the promoter region of HIF-1 target genes. Furthermore, rigorous analyses indicate that beta-catenin can enhance HIF-1-mediated transcription, thereby promoting cell survival and adaptation to hypoxia. These findings demonstrate a dynamic role for beta-catenin in colorectal tumorigenesis, where a functional switch is instigated to meet the ever-changing needs of the tumour. This study highlights the importance of the microenvironment in transcriptional regulation.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

[Calpains participate in inflammatory reaction development].

Calpains are cysteine proteases first identified 50 years ago. Because they are present in the cytosol of mammalian cells and because they are activated in response to Ca2+ mobilization, they are thought to be involved mainly in cell signalling pathways. They could participate in cellular responses such as apoptosis, proliferation, extracellular matrix adhesion and motility, that have relevance to pathophysiological issues in ischemia, inflammation, repair and tumor progression. Here we consider calpain functions in inflammatory reaction. We report the recent observation that calpain inhibitors reduce the development of acute and chronic inflammation. This has opened the door for understanding how these enzymes are effective in inflammation. We present data suggesting that calpains are primarily responsible for the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B, a transcription factor with a pivotal role in inflammation. They are involved in inflammatory cell adhesion and migration, pro-inflammatory mediator release and anti-inflammatory hormone resistance as well. In addition, we emphasize the intriguing possibility that calpains are externalized during inflammatory process and that they play a role in the microenvironment of inflammatory cells. Thus, both intracellular and extracellular calpains would offer novel therapeutic targets in inflammation.

Animals↗

Age-dependent sensitivity of the developing brain to irradiation is correlated with the number and vulnerability of progenitor cells.

In a newly established model of unilateral, irradiation (IR)-induced injury we compared the outcome after IR to the immature and juvenile brain, using rats at postnatal days 9 or 23, respectively. We demonstrate that (i) the immature brains contained more progenitors in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and subgranular zone (SGZ) compared with the juvenile brains; (ii) cellular injury, as judged by activation of caspase 3 and p53, as well as nitrotyrosine formation, was more pronounced in the SVZ and SGZ in the immature brains 6 h after IR; (iii) the number of progenitor and immature cells in the SVZ and SGZ decreased 6 h and 7 days post-IR, corresponding to acute and subacute effects in humans, respectively, these effects were more pronounced in immature brains; (iv) myelination was impaired after IR at both ages, and much more pronounced after IR to immature brains; (v) the IR-induced changes remained significant for at least 10 weeks, corresponding to late effects in humans, and were most pronounced after IR to immature brains. It appears that IR induces both an acute loss of progenitors through apoptosis and a perturbed microenvironment incompatible with normal proliferation and differentiation, and that this is more pronounced in the immature brain.

Age Factors↗