Cholinergic signaling influences the expression of immune checkpoint inhibitors, PD-L1 and PD-L2, and tumor hallmarks in human colorectal cancer tissues and cell lines.

BACKGROUND: Cancer cells express immunosuppressive molecules, such as programmed death ligands (PD-L)1 and PD-L2, enabling evasion from the host's immune system. Cancer cells synthesize and secrete acetylcholine (ACh), acting as an autocrine or paracrine hormone to promote their proliferation, differentiation, and migration. METHODS: We correlated the expression of PD-L1, PD-L2, cholinergic muscarinic receptor 3 (M3R), alpha 7 nicotinic receptor (α7nAChR), and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues with the stage of disease, gender, age, risk, and patient survival. The effects of a muscarinic receptor blocker, atropine, and a selective M3R blocker, 4-DAMP, on the expression of immunosuppressive and cholinergic markers were evaluated in human CRC (LIM-2405, HT-29) cells. RESULTS: Increased expression of PD-L1, M3R, and ChAT at stages III-IV was associated with a high risk of CRC and poor survival outcomes independent of patients' gender and age. α7nAChR and PD-L2 were not changed at any CRC stages. Atropine and 4-DAMP suppressed the proliferation and migration of human CRC cells, induced apoptosis, and decreased PD-L1, PD-L2, and M3R expression in CRC cells via inhibition of EGFR and phosphorylation of ERK. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of immunosuppressive and cholinergic markers may increase the risk of recurrence of CRC. These markers might be used in determining prognosis and treatment regimens for CRC patients. Blocking cholinergic signaling may be a potential therapeutic for CRC through anti-proliferation and anti-migration via inhibition of EGFR and phosphorylation of ERK. These effects allow the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells.

Pilot Study: Immune Checkpoints Polymorphisms in Greek Primary Breast Cancer Patients.

Background: Breast cancer is the most prevalent and second leading cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide. Despite early detection and better treatment therapies, 30% of early-stage breast cancer patients still develop recurrent disease. Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease comprising several molecular subtypes, commonly classified into clinical subtypes based on the hormone receptor status. These subtypes included luminal A and luminal B, which have different prognoses. Breast cancer development and progression involve many factors. Polymorphisms of PD-1, PD-L1, and PD-L2 genes have been previously associated with high risk and prognosis of cancer. However, no studies have associated PD-1, PD-L1, and PD-L2 polymorphisms with primary breast cancer subtypes. Hence, this study evaluated functional single nucleotide polymorphisms of PD-1, PD-L1, and PD-L2 with primary breast cancer subtypes, luminal A, and luminal B. In addition, we evaluated the PD-L1 protein expression in relation to primary breast cancer subtypes and stages. Results: There were no significant differences in the allele frequencies of PD-1 polymorphisms (rs2227981 G>A, rs7421861 A>G, and rs11568821 C>T) and PD-L1 polymorphisms (rs10815225 C>T and rs2282055 T>G) when compared with the general European population. However, a significant difference was detected in one of the PD-L2 polymorphisms (rs1009759 A>G), with the G allele higher in breast cancer patients than in the general European population. A higher prevalence of the T allele of PD-L1 polymorphism rs2282055 T>G was observed in luminal B breast cancer patients compared with luminal A. No significant difference was detected in other polymorphisms. We also observed that the PD-L1 rs2282055 TT genotype was more prevalent in luminal B breast cancer patients compared with luminal A. Our results found no association of the selected SNPs in the PDCD1 gene with breast cancer risk. Similarly, the protein expression data showed that PD-L1 and PD-L2 are associated with an aggressive phenotype, Luminal B, and advanced breast cancer stage. Conclusion: These findings suggest that immune checkpoint polymorphisms are associated with the risk and subtypes of breast cancer.

Krill oil supplementation reduces the growth of CT-26 orthotopic tumours in Balb/c mice.

BACKGROUND: We have previously reported that the free fatty acid extract (FFAE) of krill oil (KO) significantly inhibits the proliferation and migration, and induces apoptosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. This study aimed to investigate the in vivo efficacy of various doses of KO supplementation on the inhibition of CRC tumour growth, molecular markers of proliferation, angiogenesis, apoptosis, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its downstream molecular signalling. METHODS: Male Balb/c mice were randomly divided into four groups with five in each group. The control (untreated) group received standard chow diet; and other three groups received KO supplementation at 5%, 10%, and 15% of their daily dietary intake respectively for three weeks before and after the orthotopic implantation of CT-26 CRC cells in their caecum. The expression of cell proliferation marker Ki-67 and angiogenesis marker CD-31 were assessed by immunohistochemistry. The expression of EGFR, phosphorylated EGFR (pEGFR), protein kinase B (AKT), pAKT, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2), pERK1/2, cleaved caspase-7, cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), and DNA/RNA damage were determined by western blot. RESULTS: KO supplementation reduced the CRC tumour growth in a dose-dependent manner; with 15% of KO being the most effective in reduction of tumour weight and volume (68.5% and 68.3% respectively, P < 0.001), inhibition of cell proliferation by 69.9% (P < 0.001) and microvessel density by 72.7% (P < 0.001). The suppressive effects of KO on EGFR and its downstream signalling, ERK1/2 and AKT, were consistent with our previous in vitro observations. Furthermore, KO exhibited pro-apoptotic effects on tumour cells as indicated by an increase in the expression of cleaved PARP by 3.9-fold and caspase-7 by 8.9-fold. CONCLUSIONS: This study has demonstrated that KO supplementation reduces CRC tumour growth by inhibiting cancer cell proliferation and blood vessel formation and inducing apoptosis of tumour cells. These anti-cancer effects are associated with the downregulation of the EGFR signalling pathway and activation of caspase-7, PARP cleavage, and DNA/RNA damage.

Blocking Muscarinic Receptor 3 Attenuates Tumor Growth and Decreases Immunosuppressive and Cholinergic Markers in an Orthotopic Mouse Model of Colorectal Cancer.

Tumor cells have evolved to express immunosuppressive molecules allowing their evasion from the host's immune system. These molecules include programmed death ligands 1 and 2 (PD-L1 and PD-L2). Cancer cells can also produce acetylcholine (ACh), which plays a role in tumor development. Moreover, tumor innervation can stimulate vascularization leading to tumor growth and metastasis. The effects of atropine and muscarinic receptor 3 (M3R) blocker, 1,1-dimethyl-4-diphenylacetoxypiperidinium iodide (4-DAMP), on cancer growth and spread were evaluated in vitro using murine colon cancer cell line, CT-26, and in vivo in an orthotopic mouse model of colorectal cancer. In the in vitro model, atropine and 4-DAMP significantly inhibited CT-26 cell proliferation in a dose dependent manner and induced apoptosis. Atropine attenuated immunosuppressive markers and M3R via inhibition of EGFR/AKT/ERK signaling pathways. However, 4-DAMP showed no effect on the expression of PD-L1, PD-L2, and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) on CT-26 cells but attenuated M3R by suppressing the phosphorylation of AKT and ERK. Blocking of M3R in vivo decreased tumor growth and expression of immunosuppressive, cholinergic, and angiogenic markers through inhibition of AKT and ERK, leading to an improved immune response against cancer. The expression of immunosuppressive and cholinergic markers may hold potential in determining prognosis and treatment regimens for colorectal cancer patients. This study's results demonstrate that blocking M3R has pronounced antitumor effects via several mechanisms, including inhibition of immunosuppressive molecules, enhancement of antitumor immune response, and suppression of tumor angiogenesis via suppression of the AKT/ERK signaling pathway. These findings suggest a crosstalk between the cholinergic and immune systems during cancer development. In addition, the cholinergic system influences cancer evasion from the host's immunity.

Software for segmenting and quantifying calcium signals using multi-scale generative adversarial networks.

Cellular calcium fluorescence imaging utilized to study cellular behaviors typically results in large datasets and a profound need for standardized and accurate analysis methods. Here, we describe open-source software (4SM) to overcome these limitations using an automated machine learning pipeline for subcellular calcium signal segmentation of spatiotemporal maps. The primary use of 4SM is to analyze spatiotemporal maps of calcium activities within cells or across multiple cells. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Kamran et al. (2022).1.

The Complex Interaction between the Tumor Micro-Environment and Immune Checkpoints in Breast Cancer.

The progression of breast cancer and its association with clinical outcome and treatment remain largely unexplored. Accumulating data has highlighted the interaction between cells of the immune system and the tumor microenvironment in cancer progression, and although studies have identified multiple facets of cancer progression within the development of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and its constituents, there is lack of research into the associations between breast cancer subtype and staging. Current literature has provided insight into the cells and pathways associated with breast cancer progression through expression analysis. However, there is lack of co-expression studies between immune pathways and cells of the TME that form pro-tumorigenic relationships contributing to immune-evasion. We focus on the immune checkpoint and TME elements that influence cancer progression, particularly studies in molecular subtypes of breast cancer.

Anti-Tumor Effects of Vitamin B2, B6 and B9 in Promonocytic Lymphoma Cells.

Chronic inflammation can lead to tumour initiation and progression. Vitamin B complex has the ability to regulate the immune response and, therefore, inflammation but many of the mechanistic and molecular processes involved in this regulation are still not fully understood. This study sought to determine some of these processes by studying the effects of vitamin B2 (riboflavin) B6 (pyridoxine) and B9 (folic acid) on un-differentiated pro-monocytic lymphoma cells in regard to their ability to alter the proliferation, migration, apoptosis, cytokines and expression levels of programmed death ligand 1. We show that vitamin B2, B6 and B9, on pro-monocytic lymphoma cells exerted an anti-tumorigenic effect. This data could form the basis for future studies in using vitamin B supplementation to reduce cancer cell growth in vivo.

Role of the Nervous System in Tumor Angiogenesis.

The development of cancer involves an intricate process, wherein many identified and unidentified factors play a role. Tumor angiogenesis, growth of new blood vessels, is one of the major prerequisites for tumor growth as tumor cells rely on adequate oxygen and nutrient supply as well as the removal of waste products. Growth factors including VEGF orchestrate the development of angiogenesis. In addition, nervous system via the release of neurotransmitters contributes to tumor angiogenesis. The nervous system governs functional activities of many organs, and, as tumors are not independent organs within an organism, this system is integrally involved in tumor growth and progression via regulating tumor angiogenesis. Various neurotransmitters have been reported to play an important role in tumor angiogenesis.

Crosstalk between cancer and the neuro-immune system.

In the last decade, understanding of cancer initiation and progression has been given much attention with studies mainly focusing on genetic abnormalities. Importantly, cancer cells can influence their microenvironment and bi-directionally communicate with other systems such as the immune system. The nervous system plays a fundamental role in regulating immune responses to a range of disease states including cancer. Its dysfunction influences the progression of cancer. The role of the immune system in tumor progression is of relevance to the nervous system since they can bi-directionally communicate via neurotransmitters and neuropeptides, common receptors, and, cytokines. However, cross-talk between these cells is highly complex in nature, and numerous variations are possible according to the type of cancer involved. The neuro-immune interaction is essential in influencing cancer development and progression.

Role of the nervous system in cancer metastasis.

Cancer remains as one of the leading cause of death worldwide. The development of cancer involves an intricate process, wherein many identified and unidentified factors play a role. Although most studies have focused on the genetic abnormalities which initiate and promote cancer, there is overwhelming evidence that tumors interact within their environment by direct cell-to-cell contact and with signaling molecules, suggesting that cancer cells can influence their microenvironment and bidirectionally communicate with other systems. However, only in recent years the role of the nervous system has been recognized as a major contributor to cancer development and metastasis. The nervous system governs functional activities of many organs, and, as tumors are not independent organs within an organism, this system is integrally involved in tumor growth and progression.

PD-1/PD-L1 in disease.

AIM: Expression of PD-1 on T/B cells regulates peripheral tolerance and autoimmunity. Binding of PD-1 to its ligand, PD-L1, leads to protection against self-reactivity. In contrary, tumor cells have evolved immune escape mechanisms whereby overexpression of PD-L1 induces anergy and/or apoptosis of PD-1 positive T cells by interfering with T cell receptor signal transduction. PD-L1 and PD-1 blockade using antibodies are in human clinical trials as an alternative cancer treatment modality. Areas covered: We describe the role of PD-1/PD-L1 in disease in the context of autoimmunity, neurological disorders, stroke and cancer. CONCLUSION: For immunotherapy/vaccines to be successful, the expression of PD-L1/PD-1 on immune cells should be considered, and the combination of checkpoint inhibitors and vaccines may pave the way for successful outcomes to disease.

The mechanisms tumor cells utilize to evade the host's immune system.

The immune system plays an essential role in the tumor progression; not only can it inhibit tumor growth but it can also promote tumor growth by establishing a favorable environment. Tumor cells utilize several strategies to evade the host's immune system, including expression of immunosuppressive molecules such as PD-L1, IDO and siglec-9. In addition, tumor cells not only regulate the recruitment and development of immunosuppressive forces to influence the tumor microenvironment but also shift the phenotype and function of normal immune cells from a possibly anti-tumor state to a pro-tumor state. As a result, tumor cells evade the host's immune system, leading to metastasis and/or recurrent disease.