Targeting Macrophages Sensitizes Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia to Apoptosis and Inhibits Disease Progression.

The role of monocytes/macrophages in the development and progression of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is poorly understood. Transcriptomic analyses show that monocytes/macrophages and leukemic cells cross talk during CLL progression. Macrophage depletion impairs CLL engraftment, drastically reduces leukemic growth, and favorably impacts mouse survival. Targeting of macrophages by either CSF1R signaling blockade or clodrolip-mediated cell killing has marked inhibitory effects on established leukemia also. Macrophage killing induces leukemic cell death mainly via the TNF pathway and reprograms the tumor microenvironment toward an antitumoral phenotype. CSF1R inhibition reduces leukemic cell load, especially in the bone marrow, and increases circulating CD20(+) leukemic cells. Accordingly, co-targeting TAMs and CD20-expressing leukemic cells provides a survival benefit in the mice. These results establish the important role of macrophages in CLL and suggest therapeutic strategies based on interfering with leukemia-macrophage interactions.

SIGLEC-G deficiency increases susceptibility to develop B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders.

The sialic-acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin SIGLEC-G is a negative regulator of B-cell receptor-mediated calcium signaling. Its deficiency leads to reduced turnover and increased proliferation and survival of murine B-1a cells. Siglecg(-/-) mice show a premature expansion of polyclonal CD5(+) B cells in the spleen and the peritoneal cavity. Here we studied the fate of B lymphocytes in Siglecg(-/-) mice over time. We demonstrate that in aging animals SIGLEC-G deficiency promotes progressive accumulation of monoclonal B lymphocytes and increases the susceptibility to develop B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders. Lymphoid tumors arising in aged Siglecg(-/-) mice are monoclonal and histologically heterogeneous as they include diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, and medium-to-large B-cell monomorphic lymphoma but surprisingly not chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The tumors express high levels of BCL-2 and are transplantable. In keeping with these findings we have also observed a remarkable down-regulation of the human ortholog SIGLEC10 in human B-cell lymphoma and leukemia cell lines. Taken together, these observations indicate that the down-regulation of negative B-cell receptor regulators such as SIGLEC-G/SIGLEC10 may represent another mechanism relevant to the pathogenesis of B-cell lymphomas.

Lack of TIR8/SIGIRR triggers progression of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in mouse models.

Inflammation is involved in the initiation and progression of several chronic lymphoid malignancies of B-cell type. Toll-like receptors (TLR) are transmembrane inflammatory receptors that on recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns trigger an innate immune response and bridge the innate and adaptive immune response by acting as costimulatory signals for B cells. Fine tuning of TLR and IL-1R-like (ILR) activity is regulated by TIR8 (SIGIRR), a transmembrane receptor of the TLR/ILR family which inhibits other family members. To test the hypothesis that TLR and/or ILR may play a role in the natural history of chronic B-cell tumors, we crossed Eµ-TCL1 transgenic mice, a well established model of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), with mice lacking the inhibitory receptor TIR8 that allow an unabated TLR-mediated stimulation. We here report that in the absence of TIR8 the appearance of monoclonal B-cell expansions is accelerated and mouse life span is shortened. The morphology and phenotype of the mouse leukemic expansions reproduce the progression of human CLL into an aggressive and frequently terminal phase characterized by the appearance of prolymphocytes. This study reveals an important pathogenetic implication of TLR in CLL development and progression.

Regulatory pathways in inflammation.

Tuning is a key aspect of inflammatory reaction essential in homeostasis and pathology. An emerging mechanism for negative regulation of proinflammatory cytokines is based on non-signaling IL-1/TLR receptors and chemokine receptors competing with signaling receptors for ligand binding and sustaining ligand internalization and degradation. Biological activities of IL-1R/TLR receptors are under control of membrane-bound binding molecules lacking the signaling domain, soluble receptor antagonists, and intracellular signaling inhibitors. The chemokine system includes at least three 'silent' receptors with distinct specificity and tissue distribution. D6 is the best characterized representative member of this class of negative regulators, binds most inflammatory, but not homeostatic, CC chemokines and shuttles in a ligand-independent way from the plasma membrane to endocytic compartments where chemokines are targeted to degradation. In vitro and in vivo evidence, including results with gene targeted mice, is consistent with the view that these non-signaling receptors for proinflammatory cytokines possess unique functional and structural features which make them ideally adapted to act as a decoy and scavenger receptors, with a non redundant role in dampening tissue inflammation and tuning draining lymph nodes reactivity.

Detection and determination of chemical groups in an extract of Allophylus cominia (L.).

The preliminary chemical characterization of the aqueous extract of Allophylus cominia (L.) Sw leaves was carried out by a phytochemical screening, the determination of the protein concentration by Lowry's method, as well as the composition of fatty acids and carbohydrates by gaseous chromatography (GC). The presence of the free amine groups, free phenolics, tannins, leucoantocianidines, saponines, triterpens, and steroids was detected. The concentration of proteins were 6.22 mg/mL. The composition of fatty acids (%) were: lauric acid (C12): 1.87; miristic acid (C14): 9.13; palmitic acid (C16): 19.87; stearic acid (C18): 8.35; and araquidic acid (C20): 7.83. The identified carbohydrates (mg/mg totals) were: arabinose: 0.06; xilose: 0.025; galactose: 0.241; and glucose: 1.2. Some members of these analyzed groups are reported in literature as potent hypoglycemic agents. For this reason, the presence of these substances in the analyzed extract may be one of the factors that contribute to the pharmacological effect of their administration in experimental diabetic models.