Voghera Sweet Pepper: A Potential Ally against Oxidative Stress and Aging.

In the present study, the potential functional properties of the extracts from the edible part of Capsicum annuum L. var. Peperone di Voghera (VP) were studied. The phytochemical analysis revealed a high amount of ascorbic acid, paralleled by a low carotenoid content. Normal human diploid fibroblasts (NHDF) were chosen as the in vitro model models to investigate the effects of the VP extract on oxidative stress and aging pathways. The extract of Carmagnola pepper (CP), another important Italian variety, was used as the reference vegetable. The cytotoxicity evaluation was performed firstly, using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, while the VP potential antioxidant and antiaging activity was investigated by immunofluorescence staining focusing on specifically selected proteins. The MTT data revealed the highest cell viability at a concentration of up to 1 mg/mL. The immunocytochemical analyses highlighted an increased expression of transcription factors and enzymes involved in redox homeostasis (Nrf2, SOD2, catalase), improved mitochondrial functionality, and the up-regulation of the longevity gene SIRT1. The present results supported the functional role of the VP pepper ecotype, suggesting a feasible use of its derived products as valuable food supplements.

Cytokine-Induced Memory-Like NK Cells with High Reactivity against Acute Leukemia Blasts and Solid Tumor Cells Suitable for Adoptive Immunotherapy Approaches.

The limited efficacy of Natural Killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy results in part from the suboptimal expansion and persistence of the infused cells. Recent reports suggest that the generation of NK cells with memory-like properties upon in vitro activation with defined cytokines might be an effective way of ensuring long-lasting NK cell function in vivo. Here, we demonstrate that activation with IL-12, IL-15 and IL-18 followed by a one-week culture with optimal doses of Interleukin (IL-2) and IL-15 generates substantial numbers of memory-like NK cells able to persist for at least three weeks when injected into NOD scid gamma (NSG) mice. This approach induces haploidentical donor-derived memory-like NK cells that are highly lytic against patients' myeloid or lymphoid leukemia blasts, independent of the presence of alloreactive cell populations in the donor and with negligible reactivity against patients' non-malignant cells. Memory-like NK cells able to lyse autologous tumor cells can also be generated from patients with solid malignancies. The anti-tumor activity of allogenic and autologous memory-like NK cells is significantly greater than that displayed by NK cells stimulated overnight with IL-2, supporting their potential therapeutic value both in patients affected by high-risk acute leukemia after haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and in patients with advanced solid malignancies.

Hydrogen Sulfide-Evoked Intracellular Ca2+ Signals in Primary Cultures of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Exogenous administration of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is emerging as an alternative anticancer treatment. H2S-releasing compounds have been shown to exert a strong anticancer effect by suppressing proliferation and/or inducing apoptosis in several cancer cell types, including colorectal carcinoma (CRC). The mechanism whereby exogenous H2S affects CRC cell proliferation is yet to be clearly elucidated, but it could involve an increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). Herein, we sought to assess for the first time whether (and how) sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), one of the most widely employed H2S donors, induced intracellular Ca2+ signals in primary cultures of human metastatic CRC (mCRC) cells. We provided the evidence that NaHS induced extracellular Ca2+ entry in mCRC cells by activating the Ca2+-permeable channel Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) followed by the Na+-dependent recruitment of the reverse-mode of the Na+/Ca2+ (NCX) exchanger. In agreement with these observations, TRPV1 protein was expressed and capsaicin, a selective TRPV1 agonist, induced Ca2+ influx by engaging both TRPV1 and NCX in mCRC cells. Finally, NaHS reduced mCRC cell proliferation, but did not promote apoptosis or aberrant mitochondrial depolarization. These data support the notion that exogenous administration of H2S may prevent mCRC cell proliferation through an increase in [Ca2+]i, which is triggered by TRPV1.

Generation of donor-derived Wilms tumor antigen 1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes with potent anti-leukemia activity for somatic cell therapy in children given haploidentical stem cell transplantation: a feasibility pre-clinical study.

BACKGROUND: The Wilms tumor antigen 1 (WT1) is over-expressed in a vast majority of adult and childhood acute leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes, being lowly or transiently expressed in normal tissues and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). A number of HLA-restricted WT1 epitopes are immunogenic, allowing the in vitro induction of WT1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) from patients and healthy donors. AIM: The aim of the study was to investigate the feasibility of producing WT1-specific CTLs suitable for somatic cell therapy to prevent or treat relapse in children with acute myeloid or lymphoblastic leukemia given haploidentical HSC transplantation (haplo-HSCT). METHODS: For WT1-specific CTL production, donor-derived either peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or CD8+ lymphocytes were stimulated with WT1 peptide-loaded donor dendritic cells in the presence of interleukin (IL)-7 and IL-12. Effector cells were re-stimulated once with irradiated donor PBMCs pulsed with WT1-peptides, and then expanded in an antigen-independent way. RESULTS: WT1-specific CTLs, displaying high-level cytotoxicity against patients' leukemia blasts and negligible activity against patients' non-malignant cells, were obtained from both PBMCs and CD8+ lymphocytes. WT1-specific CTLs obtained from PBMCs showed a better expansion capacity and better anti-leukemia activity than those obtained from CD8+ lymphocytes, even though the difference was not statistically significant. In CTLs derived from PBMCs, both CD8+ and CD4+ subpopulations displayed strong anti-leukemia cytotoxic activity. DISCUSSION: Results of this pre-clinical study pave the way to a somatic cell therapy approach aimed at preventing or treating relapse in children given haplo-HSCT for WT1-positive leukemia.

Nicotinic Acid Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate (NAADP) Induces Intracellular Ca2+ Release through the Two-Pore Channel TPC1 in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) gates two-pore channels 1 and 2 (TPC1 and TPC2) to elicit endo-lysosomal (EL) Ca2+ release. NAADP-induced EL Ca2+ signals may be amplified by the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) through the Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release mechanism (CICR). Herein, we aimed at assessing for the first time the role of EL Ca2+ signaling in primary cultures of human metastatic colorectal carcinoma (mCRC) by exploiting Ca2+ imaging and molecular biology techniques. The lysosomotropic agent, Gly-Phe ß-naphthylamide (GPN), and nigericin, which dissipates the ΔpH which drives Ca2+ refilling of acidic organelles, caused massive Ca2+ release in the presence of a functional inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3)-sensitive ER Ca2+ store. Liposomal delivery of NAADP induced a transient Ca2+ release that was reduced by GPN and NED-19, a selective TPC antagonist. Pharmacological and genetic manipulations revealed that the Ca2+ response to NAADP was triggered by TPC1, the most expressed TPC isoform in mCRC cells, and required ER-embedded InsP3 receptors. Finally, NED-19 and genetic silencing of TPC1 reduced fetal calf serum-induced Ca2+ signals, proliferation, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase and Akt phoshorylation in mCRC cells. These data demonstrate that NAADP-gated TPC1 could be regarded as a novel target for alternative therapies to treat mCRC.

Stim and Orai mediate constitutive Ca2+ entry and control endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ refilling in primary cultures of colorectal carcinoma cells.

Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) provides a major Ca2+ entry route in cancer cells. SOCE is mediated by the assembly of Stim and Orai proteins at endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-plasma membrane junctions upon depletion of the ER Ca2+ store. Additionally, Stim and Orai proteins underpin constitutive Ca2+ entry in a growing number of cancer cell types due to the partial depletion of their ER Ca2+ reservoir. Herein, we investigated for the first time the structure and function of SOCE in primary cultures of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) established from primary tumor (pCRC) and metastatic lesions (mCRC) of human subjects. Stim1-2 and Orai1-3 transcripts were equally expressed in pCRC and mCRC cells, although Stim1 and Orai3 proteins were up-regulated in mCRC cells. The Mn2+-quenching technique revealed that constitutive Ca2+ entry was significantly enhanced in pCRC cells and was inhibited by the pharmacological and genetic blockade of Stim1, Stim2, Orai1 and Orai3. The larger resting Ca2+ influx in pCRC was associated to their lower ER Ca2+ content as compared to mCRC cells. Pharmacological and genetic blockade of Stim1, Stim2, Orai1 and Orai3 prevented ER-dependent Ca2+ release, thereby suggesting that constitutive SOCE maintains ER Ca2+ levels. Nevertheless, pharmacological and genetic blockade of Stim1, Stim2, Orai1 and Orai3 did not affect CRC cell proliferation and migration. These data provide the first evidence that Stim and Orai proteins mediate constitutive Ca2+ entry and replenish ER with Ca2+ in primary cultures of CRC cells. However, SOCE is not a promising target to design alternative therapies for CRC.

In Vitro Killing of Colorectal Carcinoma Cells by Autologous Activated NK Cells is Boosted by Anti-Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-induced ADCC Regardless of RAS Mutation Status.

Treatment of advanced metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients is associated with a poor prognosis and significant morbidity. Moreover, targeted therapies such as anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have no effect in metastatic patients with tumors harboring a mutation in the RAS gene. The failure of conventional treatment to improve outcomes in mCRC patients has prompted the development of adoptive immunotherapy approaches including natural killer (NK)-based therapies. In this study, after confirmation that patients' NK cells were not impaired in their cytotoxic activity, evaluated against long-term tumor cell lines, we evaluated their interactions with autologous mCRC cells. Molecular and phenotypical evaluation of mCRC cells, expanded in vitro from liver metastasis, showed that they expressed high levels of polio virus receptor and Nectin-2, whereas UL16-binding proteins were less expressed in all tumor samples evaluated. Two different patterns of MICA/B and HLA class I expression on the membrane of mCRC were documented; approximately half of mCRC patients expressed high levels of these molecules on the membrane surface, whereas, in the remaining, very low levels were documented. Resting NK cells were unable to display sizeable levels of cytotoxic activity against mCRC cells, whereas their cytotoxic activity was enhanced after overnight or 5-day incubation with IL-2 or IL-15. The susceptibility of NK-mediated mCRC lysis was further significantly enhanced after coating with cetuximab, irrespective of their RAS mutation and HLA class I expression. These data open perspectives for combined NK-based immunotherapy with anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibodies in a cohort of mCRC patients with a poor prognosis refractory to conventional therapies.

Store-operated Ca2+ entry does not control proliferation in primary cultures of human metastatic renal cellular carcinoma.

Store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE) is activated following depletion of the inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3)-sensitive Ca(2+) pool to regulate proliferation in immortalized cell lines established from either primary or metastatic lesions. The molecular nature of SOCE may involve both Stim1, which senses Ca(2+) levels within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca(2+) reservoir, and a number of a Ca(2+)-permeable channels on the plasma membrane, including Orai1, Orai3, and members of the canonical transient receptor (TRPC1-7) family of ion channels. The present study was undertaken to assess whether SOCE is expressed and controls proliferation in primary cultures isolated from secondary lesions of heavily pretreated metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients. SOCE was induced following pharmacological depletion of the ER Ca(2+) store, but not by InsP3-dependent Ca(2+) release. Metastatic RCC cells express Stim1-2, Orai1-3, and TRPC1-7 transcripts and proteins. In these cells, SOCE was insensitive to BTP-2, 10 µM Gd(3+) and Pyr6, while it was inhibited by 100 µM Gd(3+), 2-APB, and carboxyamidotriazole (CAI). Neither Gd(3+) nor 2-APB or CAI impaired mRCC cell proliferation. Consistently, no detectable Ca(2+) signal was elicited by growth factor stimulation. Therefore, a functional SOCE is expressed but does not control proliferation of mRCC cells isolated from patients resistant to multikinase inhibitors.