MiR-145 suppresses cell proliferation and motility by inhibiting ROCK1 in hepatocellular carcinoma.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in cancer development and progression. In the present study, we investigated the role of miR-145 in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Ten HCC cell lines and samples from 96 patients with HCC were analyzed for the expression of miR-145 by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Overexpression of miR-145 was established by transfecting mimics into HepG2 and QGY-7703 cells. Cell proliferation and cell migration were assessed by cell viability assay and transwell assay. Western blot was to verify ROCK1 as a novel target gene of miR-145. Our results showed that miR-145 was frequently downregulated in HCC tumors and cell lines. Overexpression of miR-145 in HCC cell lines significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. ROCK1 was identified as a target of miR-145, and ectopic expression of miR-145 downregulated ROCK1. Together, these findings indicate that miR-145 acts as a tumor suppressor and its downregulation in tumor tissues may contribute to the progression and metastasis of HCC through a mechanism involving ROCK1, suggesting miR-145 as a potential new diagnostic and therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.

Tumor vasculature-targeted recombinant mutated human TNF-α enhanced the antitumor activity of doxorubicin by increasing tumor vessel permeability in mouse xenograft models.

OBJECTIVE: Increasing evidence suggests that, when used in combination, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) synergizes with traditional chemotherapeutic drugs to exert a heightened antitumor effect. The present study investigated the antitumor efficacy of recombinant mutated human TNF-α specifically targeted to the tumor vasculature (RGD-rmhTNF-α) combined with the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin in 2 murine allografted tumor models. METHODS: Mice bearing hepatoma or sarcoma allografted tumors were treated with various doses of RGD-rmhTNF-α alone or in combination with doxorubicin (2 mg/kg). We then evaluated tumor growth and tumor vessel permeability as well as intratumoral levels of RGD-rmhTNF-α and doxorubicin. RESULTS: RGD-rmhTNF-α treatment enhanced the permeability of the tumor vessels and increased intratumoral doxorubicin levels. In addition, intratumoral RGD-rmhTNF-α levels were significantly higher than that of rmhTNF-α. In both of the tested tumor models, administering RGD-rmhTNF-α in combination with doxorubicin resulted in an enhanced antitumor response compared to either treatment alone. Double-agent combination treatment of doxorubicin with 50,000 IU/kg RGD-rmhTNF-α induced stronger antitumor effects on H22 allografted tumor-bearing mice than the single doxorubicin agent alone. Moreover, doxorubicin with 10,000 IU/kg RGD-rmhTNF-α synergized to inhibit tumor growth in S180 allografted tumor-bearing mice. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that targeted delivery of low doses of RGD-rmhTNF-α into the tumor vasculature increases the antitumor efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs.

UXT is a novel regulatory factor of regulatory T cells associated with Foxp3.

Regulatory T (Treg) cells are a constitutively immunosuppressive subtype of T cells that contribute to the maintenance of immunological self-tolerance and immune homeostasis. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of Treg cells remain unclear. In the present study, we identified ubiquitously expressed transcript (UXT) to be a novel regulator of human Treg-cell function. In cultured human Treg cells, UXT associates with Foxp3 in the nucleus by interacting with the proline-rich domain in the N-terminus of Foxp3. Knockdown of UXT expression in Treg cells results in a less-suppressive phenotype, demonstrating that UXT is an important regulator of the suppressive actions of Treg cells. Depletion of UXT affects the localization stability of Foxp3 protein in the nucleus and downregulates the expression of Foxp3-related genes. Overall, our results show that UXT is a cofactor of Foxp3 and an important player in Treg-cell function.

Effects of glucocorticoid on BMD, micro-architecture and biomechanics of cancellous and cortical bone mass in OVX rabbits.

The incidence of osteoporosis continues to increase with progressively aging populations. The purpose of this study was to detect the effects of glucocorticoid (GC) treatment on bone mineral density (BMD), biomechanical strength and micro-architecture in cancellous and cortical bone in ovariectomized (OVX) rabbits. Twenty adult female New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into three groups. The OVX-GC group (n=8) received a bilateral ovariectomy first and then daily GC treatment (methylprednisolone sodium succinate, 1mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks beginning 2 weeks after ovariectomy treatment. The OVX group (n=4) received a bilateral ovariectomy without GC treatment. The sham group (n=8) only received the sham operation. BMD was determined prior to and 6 weeks after the operation in the spine. Six weeks after the operation, the animals were sacrificed, and cancellous bone specimens were harvested from the femoral condyle and lumbar vertebrae. Cortical bone specimens were obtained from the femoral midshaft. The femoral specimens were scanned for apparent BMD. All specimens were tested mechanically and analyzed by microcompute tomography (micro-CT). In cancellous bone, GC treatment resulted in significant decreases in BMD, bone biomechanical strength and micro-architecture parameters in lumbar vertebrae. Similar trends in BMD and micro-architectural changes were also observed in the femoral condyle in the OVX-GC group compared with the sham group. However, there was no significant decline in any parameter in either lumbar vertebrae or femoral condyle in the OVX group. Similarly, no significant difference was found in any parameter in cortical bone among the three groups. Thus, the 4-week GC treatment in OVX rabbits could result in a significant bone loss in cancellous bone but not in cortical bone. This model is comparable to the osteoporosis-related changes in humans. OVX alone was not sufficient to induce osteoporosis.

Foxp3 expression in melanoma cells as a possible mechanism of resistance to immune destruction.

The forkhead transcription factor Foxp3 is the only definitive marker of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) and has been identified as a key regulator in the development and function of Tregs. Foxp3 expression has been reported in a variety of solid tumors, including melanoma. In this study, we validated Foxp3 expression in both tumor-infiltrating Tregs and melanoma cells by performing immunohistochemical analysis of human melanoma tissue sections. Further, we assessed Foxp3 expression in melanoma cell lines by performing flow cytometry, confocal microscopic analysis, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and Western blotting. Inhibition of Foxp3 expression in melanoma cells using small interfering RNA (siRNA) resulted in downregulation of B7-H1 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß expression; in contrast, Foxp3 overexpression resulted in the upregulation of the expression of these proteins. Coculture of Foxp3-expressing melanoma cells with naive CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells resulted in strong inhibition of T-cell proliferation. This antiproliferative effect was partially abrogated by specific inhibition of Foxp3 expression and was effectively enhanced by overexpression of Foxp3. We observed an attenuated antiproliferative effect even when melanoma cells and T cells in the coculture were separated using Transwell inserts. These findings indicated that melanoma cells could have Foxp3-dependent Treg-like suppressive effects on T cells and suggested that the mimicking of Treg function by melanoma cells may represent a possible mechanism of tumor resistance to immune destruction in the melanoma tumor microenvironment.

Clinical implications and characteristics of factor forkhead box protein 3 in gastric cancer.

Transcription factor forkhead box protein 3 (FOXP3) is a specific marker of naturally occurring regulatory T cells (Tregs). Recently, various reports have suggested that FOXP3 may represent a tumor escape mechanism in cancer cells apart from its roles in Tregs. In the present study, the clinical and biological characteristics of FOXP3 were evaluated in human gastric cancer. The expression and localization of FOXP3 in gastric cancer cell lines was analyzed to evaluate its cellular biological features. Sections of human gastric cancer specimens were stained using immunohistochemistry (IHC) to assess the relationship between FOXP3 expression and tumor differentiation, in order to identify its clinical characteristics in gastric cancer. Expression of FOXP3 mRNA and protein was found in four gastric cancer cell lines (AGS, SGC-7901, MKN-28 and MKN-45). IHC of the gastric cancer sections revealed that more than 56% of gastric cancers displayed nuclear or cytoplasmic FOXP3 staining. Furthermore, a linear relationship between the differentiation of the gastric cancer tissues and FOXP3 expression intensity was shown. IHC and confocal analysis showed that the expression of FOXP3 was mainly present in the nucleus of tumor cells in the tissues and cell lines. Thus, FOXP3 nuclear staining may be associated with the risk of poor tumor differentiation. Apart from the lymphocytes, no FOXP3 staining was noted in the normal gastric tissues and para-tumor tissues. The high frequency of FOXP3 expression in gastric cancer tissue is a significant finding in the investigation of tumor differentiation and immune escape. This mechanism provides a further understanding of gastric cancer and a novel therapeutic strategy is presented.

FOXP3 expression and clinical characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM: To study the biological and clinical characteristics of transcription factor forkhead box protein 3 (FOXP3) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: We analyzed the expression and localization of FOXP3 in HCC tissues and cell lines to evaluate its biological features. The relationship between FOXP3 staining and clinical risk factors of HCC was assessed to identify the clinical characteristics of FOXP3 in HCC. RESULTS: The mRNA and protein expression of FOXP3 were found in some hepatoma cell lines. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of HCC sections revealed that 48% of HCC displayed FOXP3 staining, but we did not find any FOXP3 staining in normal liver tissues and para-tumor tissues. IHC and Confocal analysis showed that the expressions of FOXP3 were mainly present in the nucleus and cytoplasm of tumor cells in tissues or cell lines. In HCC, the distribution of FOXP3 was similar to that of the cirrhosis, but not to the hepatitis B virus. Those findings implicate that FOXP3 staining seems to be associated with the high risk of HCC. CONCLUSION: The clinical characteristics of FOXP3 in HCC warrants further studies to explore its functions and roles in the cirrhosis and development of HCC.

[Screening of candidate proteins interacting with Foxp3δ2 by yeast two-hybrid system].

AIM: To screen Foxp3Delta2-interacting proteins by yeast two-hybria. METHODS: pGBKT7-Foxp3Delta2 bait plasmid was constructed. Its toxicity and transcriptional activation in yeast cell AH109 was tested by observation of phenotypes and color. RESULTS: The bait plasmid pGBKT7-Foxp3Delta2 was constructed successfully and there was no self-activation or toxicity in AH109. Forty positive clones were obtained. After sequence comparison and analysis, nine candidate proteins were finally selected for further confirmation. CONCLUSION: Yeast two hybrid system could be used for screening Foxp3Delta2-interacting proteins. These results provide essential clues for further investigation of Foxp3Delta2 function.

The preventive effect of adjuvant-free administration of TNF-PADRE autovaccine on collagen-II-induced rheumatoid arthritis in mice.

Adjuvants are necessary to elicit high titers of antibodies in vaccine-immunization procedures. We previously developed a mouse tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) autovaccine (mTNF-PADRE) capable of inducing anti-TNF-alpha antibodies. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effect of adjuvant-free administration of the autovaccine on collagen-type-II-induced rheumatoid arthritis (CIA) in mice. Our results showed that the vaccine could ameliorate the symptoms of CIA in mice. In addition, this study suggests that it is possible to control the antibody levels in mice immunized with mTNF-PADRE without adjuvant.

Amelioration of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by BLyS autovaccine.

The B-lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) is implicated in various pathophysiological processes. The overexpression of BLyS has been observed in some human diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren's syndrome, and multiple sclerosis. This feature suggests that BLyS may be a therapeutic target for some human autoimmune diseases. We developed a therapeutic vaccine by coupling a tetanus toxoid T-helper cell epitope with the C-terminal of BLyS (TT-BLyS). This vaccine can induce high titers of neutralizing antibodies against BLyS in an animal model; the antibody has markedly protective effects on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in rats, which is induced by inoculation of spinal cord homogenate. Our data suggest that the BLyS autovaccine may be a useful candidate for the treatment of some autoimmune diseases associated with the production of BLyS.

Prepared and screened a modified TNF-alpha molecule as TNF-alpha autovaccine to treat LPS induced endotoxic shock and TNF-alpha induced cachexia in mouse.

Overexpression of TNF-alpha in the body is critically involved in many diseases. A strategy to construct TNF-alpha autovaccine by introducing a T cell helper epitope to the protein has been developed and may be an alternative because it is cheaper and highly efficient. However, the induction of high level anti-TNF-alpha neutralizing autoantibodies by TNF-alpha autovaccine is depend on a proper T cell help epitope. In order to evaluate the effect of different T helper cell epitopes on the immunogenicity of mouse TNF-alpha (mTNF-alpha), three T helper cell epitopes, TT (QYIKANSKFIGITEL), HEL (NTDGSTDYGILQINSR), and PADRE (AKFVAAWTLKA), were chosen for this study. The sequence (amino acids 126-140) of mTNF-alpha was replaced with those of the T cell help epitopes, respectively. The three fusion proteins (mTNF-TT, mTNF-HEL, mTNF-PADRE) were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified with a simple strategy. The abilities of the proteins elicited TNF-alpha autoantibodies in BALB/c mice were investigated. The results showed that mTNF-PADRE is the most effective among the three modified TNF-alpha molecules. In the absence of adjuvant, the therapeutic effect of TNF-PADRE on LPS induced endotoxic shock mice and mTNF-alpha induced cachexia mice was observed. This study suggests that mTNF-PADRE may be a better candidate of mTNF-alpha autovaccine.

Identification of a novel peptide ligand of human vascular endothelia growth factor receptor 3 for targeted tumour diagnosis and therapy.

Human vascular endothelia growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR-3) is up-regulated in a variety of human cancers. It is a potentially rational target for drug delivery. To identify novel ligands with specific binding capabilities to VEGFR-3, we screened a phage display peptide library and found a consensus motif of the peptides which is displayed by the positive phages CSDxxHxWC (x is any amino acid). The phage displaying peptide CSDSWHYWC (designated as P1) exhibited the highest affinity to VEGFR-3 in phage ELISA and the chemically synthesized P1 could bind to VEGFR-3 specifically in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the flow cytometry assay and immunofluorescence showed that the FITC labelled P1 could bind to VEGFR-3 positive carcinoma cells with specificity. Our study suggests that P1 may be a homing peptide for treatment of tumours.