Atherosclerosis(AS)is the main underlyingpathology of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease(ASCVD),which is the leading cause of mortality inthe worldwide[1,2].Since the 19th century,Virchowhas already stated that AS...Atherosclerosis(AS)is the main underlyingpathology of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease(ASCVD),which is the leading cause of mortality inthe worldwide[1,2].Since the 19th century,Virchowhas already stated that AS is a chronic inflammatorystate induced by cholesterol.After that,it took at leastthree decades’worth of study to establish the multipleinflammatory pathways related to AS.展开更多
Objective Vascular smooth muscle cell(VSMC)differentiation from stem cells is one source of the increasing number of VSMCs that are involved in vascular remodeling-related diseases such as hypertension,atherosclerosis...Objective Vascular smooth muscle cell(VSMC)differentiation from stem cells is one source of the increasing number of VSMCs that are involved in vascular remodeling-related diseases such as hypertension,atherosclerosis,and restenosis.MicroRNA-146a(miR-146a)has been proven to be involved in cell proliferation,migration,and tumor metabolism.However,little is known about the functional role of miR-146a in VSMC differentiation from embryonic stem cells(ESCs).This study aimed to determine the role of miR-146a in VSMC differentiation from ESCs.Methods Mouse ESCs were differentiated into VSMCs,and the cell extracts were analyzed by Western blotting and RT-qPCR.In addition,luciferase reporter assays using ESCs transfected with miR-146a/mimic and plasmids were performed.Finally,C57BL/6J female mice were injected with mimic or miR-146a-overexpressing ESCs,and immunohistochemistry,Western blotting,and RT-qPCR assays were carried out on tissue samples from these mice.Results miR-146a was significantly upregulated during VSMC differentiation,accompanied with the VSMC-specific marker genes smooth muscle-alpha-actin(SMαA),smooth muscle 22(SM22),smooth muscle myosin heavy chain(SMMHC),and h1-calponin.Furthermore,overexpression of miR-146a enhanced the differentiation process in vitro and in vivo.Concurrently,the expression of Kruppel-like factor 4(KLF4),predicted as one of the top targets of miR-146a,was sharply decreased in miR-146a-overexpressing ESCs.Importantly,inhibiting KLF4 expression enhanced the VSMC-specific gene expression induced by miR-146a overexpression in differentiating ESCs.In addition,miR-146a upregulated the mRNA expression levels and transcriptional activity of VSMC differentiation-related transcription factors,including serum response factor(SRF)and myocyte enhancer factor 2c(MEF-2c).Conclusion Our data support that miR-146a promotes ESC-VSMC differentiation through regulating KLF4 and modulating the transcription factor activity of VSMCs.展开更多
Clonal hematopoiesis(CH)is a clonally expanded population of hematopoietic stem cells carrying somatic mutations that differentiate through multilineage hematopoiesis to form terminally differentiated mature hematopoi...Clonal hematopoiesis(CH)is a clonally expanded population of hematopoietic stem cells carrying somatic mutations that differentiate through multilineage hematopoiesis to form terminally differentiated mature hematopoietic cells carrying markers of the clonal mutation.Genes integral to critical cellular processes such as epigenetic regulation,DNA damage response,and inflammation frequently carry these mutations.Clonal hematopoiesis becomes increasingly prevalent with age and is associated with an increased risk of hematological tumors and some nonhematological conditions.Recent insights have revealed that the mutations driving CH are not only implicated in hematologic neoplasms but also possess the potential to influence cardiovascular pathogenesis.Here,we reviewed up-to-date findings about the roles of CH in cardiovascular diseases and tumors and explored the clinical significance of CH,as well as look forward to future related studies,so as to provide valuable references for future research and clinical practice.展开更多
Background:Chimeric antigen receptor T(CAR-T)therapy has substantially revolutionized the clinical outcomes of patients with hematologic malignan-cies,but the cancer-intrinsic mechanisms underlying resistance to CAR-T...Background:Chimeric antigen receptor T(CAR-T)therapy has substantially revolutionized the clinical outcomes of patients with hematologic malignan-cies,but the cancer-intrinsic mechanisms underlying resistance to CAR-T cells remain yet to be fully understood.This study aims to explore the molecular deter-minants of cancer cell sensitivity to CAR-T cell-mediated killing and to provide a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms and potential modulation to improve clinical efficacy.Methods:The human whole-genome CRISPR/Cas9-based knockout screening was conducted to identify key genes that enable cancer cells to evade CD19 CAR-T-cell-mediated killing.The in vitro cytotoxicity assays and evaluation of tumor tissue and bone marrow specimens were further conducted to confirm the role of the key genes in cancer cell susceptibility to CAR-T cells.In addition,the specific mechanisms influencing CAR-T cell-mediated cancer clearance were elucidated in mouse and cellular models.Results:The CRISPR/Cas9-based knockout screening showed that the enrich-ment of autophagy-related genes(ATG3,BECN1,and RB1CC1)provided protec-tion of cancer cells from CD19 CAR-T cell-mediated cytotoxicity.These findings were further validated by in vitro cytotoxicity assays in cells with genetic and pharmacological inhibition of autophagy.Notably,higher expression of the three autophagy-related proteins in tumor samples was correlated with poorer respon-siveness and worse survival in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma after CD19 CAR-T therapy.Bulk RNA sequencing analysis of bone marrow samples from B-cell leukemia patients also suggested the clinical relevance of autophagy to the therapeutic response and relapse after CD19 CAR-T cell ther-apy.Pharmacological inhibition of autophagy and knockout of RB1CC1 could dramatically sensitize tumor cells to CD19 CAR-T cell-mediated killing in mouse models of both B-cell leukemia and lymphoma.Moreover,our study revealed that cancer-intrinsic autophagy mediates evasion of CAR-T cells via the TNF-α-TNFR1 axis-mediated apoptosis and STAT1/IRF1-induced chemokine signaling activation.Conclusions:These findings confirm that autophagy signaling in B-cell malig-nancies is essential for the effective cytotoxic function of CAR-T cells and thereby pave the way for the development of autophagy-targeting strategies to improve the clinical efficacy of CAR-T cell immunotherapy.展开更多
Human microorganisms,including bacteria,fungi,and viruses,play key roles in several physiological and pathological processes.Some studies discovered that tumour tissues once considered sterile actually host a variety ...Human microorganisms,including bacteria,fungi,and viruses,play key roles in several physiological and pathological processes.Some studies discovered that tumour tissues once considered sterile actually host a variety of microorganisms,which have been confirmed to be closely related to oncogenesis.The concept of intratumoural microbiota was subsequently proposed.Microbiota could colonise tumour tissues through mucosal destruction,adjacent tissue migration,and hematogenic invasion and affect the biological behaviour of tumours as an important part of the tumour microenvironment.Mechanistic studies have demonstrated that intratumoural microbiota potentially promote the initiation and progression of tumours by inducing genomic instability and mutations,affecting epigenetic modifications,promoting inflammation response,avoiding immune destruction,regulating metabolism,and activating invasion and metastasis.Since more comprehensive and profound insights about intratumoral microbiota are continuously emerging,new methods for the early diagnosis and prognostic assessment of cancer patients have been under examination.In addition,interventions based on intratumoural microbiota show great potential to open a new chapter in antitumour therapy,especially immunotherapy,although there are some inevitable challenges.Here,we aim to provide an extensive review of the concept,development history,potential sources,heterogeneity,and carcinogenic mechanisms of intratumoural microorganisms,explore the potential role of microorganisms in tumour prognosis,and discuss current antitumour treatment regimens that target intratumoural microorganisms and the research prospects and limitations in this field.展开更多
The immune-cell origin of hematologic malignancies provides a unique avenue for the understanding of both the mechanisms of immune responsiveness and immune escape,which has accelerated the progress of immunotherapy.S...The immune-cell origin of hematologic malignancies provides a unique avenue for the understanding of both the mechanisms of immune responsiveness and immune escape,which has accelerated the progress of immunotherapy.Several categories of immunotherapies have been developed and are being further evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of blood cancers,including stem cell transplantation,immune checkpoint inhibitors,antigen-targeted antibodies,antibody-drug conjugates,tumor vaccines,and adoptive cell therapies.These immunotherapies have shown the potential to induce long-term remission in refractory or relapsed patients and have led to a paradigm shift in cancer treatment with great clinical success.Different immunotherapeutic approaches have their advantages but also shortcomings that need to be addressed.To provide clinicians with timely information on these revolutionary therapeutic approaches,the comprehensive review provides historical perspectives on the applications and clinical considerations of the immunotherapy.Here,we first outline the recent advances that have been made in the understanding of the various categories of immunotherapies in the treatment of hematologic malignancies.We further discuss the specific mechanisms of action,summarize the clinical trials and outcomes of immunotherapies in hematologic malignancies,as well as the adverse effects and toxicity management and then provide novel insights into challenges and future directions.展开更多
Myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury(MIRI)is a major hindrance to the success of cardiac reperfusion therapy.Although increased neutrophil infiltration is a hallmark of MIRI,the subtypes and alterations of neutroph...Myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury(MIRI)is a major hindrance to the success of cardiac reperfusion therapy.Although increased neutrophil infiltration is a hallmark of MIRI,the subtypes and alterations of neutrophils in this process remain unclear.Here,we performed single-cell sequencing of cardiac CD45^(+)cells isolated from the murine myocardium subjected to MIRI at six-time points.We identified diverse types of infiltrating immune cells and their dynamic changes during MIRI.Cardiac neutrophils showed the most immediate response and largest changes and featured with functionally heterogeneous subpopulations,including Ccl3^(hi)Neu and Ym-1^(hi)Neu,which were increased at 6 h and 1 d after reperfusion,respectively.Ym-1^(hi)Neu selectively expressed genes with protective effects and was,therefore,identified as a novel specific type of cardiac cell in the injured heart.Further analysis indicated that neutrophils and their subtypes orchestrated subsequent immune responses in the cardiac tissues,especially instructing the response of macrophages.The abundance of Ym-1^(hi)Neu was closely correlated with the therapeutic efficacy of MIRI when neutrophils were specifically targeted by anti-Lymphocyte antigen 6 complex locus G6D(Ly6G)or anti-Intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1)neutralizing antibodies.In addition,a neutrophil subtype with the same phenotype as Ym-1^(hi)Neu was detected in clinical samples and correlated with prognosis.Ym-1 inhibition exacerbated myocardial injury,whereas Ym-1 supplementation significantly ameliorated injury in MIRI mice,which was attributed to the tilt of Ym-1 on the polarization of macrophages toward the repair phenotype in myocardial tissue.Overall,our findings reveal the antiinflammatory phenotype of Ym-1^(hi)Neu and highlight its critical role in myocardial protection during the early stages of MIRI.展开更多
文摘Atherosclerosis(AS)is the main underlyingpathology of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease(ASCVD),which is the leading cause of mortality inthe worldwide[1,2].Since the 19th century,Virchowhas already stated that AS is a chronic inflammatorystate induced by cholesterol.After that,it took at leastthree decades’worth of study to establish the multipleinflammatory pathways related to AS.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.82070376 and No.81873491)the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province(No.LY21H020005)+1 种基金the Zhejiang Medical Science and Technology Project(No.2019KY376 and No.2018KY071)a Ningbo Science and Technology Project(No.202002N3173).
文摘Objective Vascular smooth muscle cell(VSMC)differentiation from stem cells is one source of the increasing number of VSMCs that are involved in vascular remodeling-related diseases such as hypertension,atherosclerosis,and restenosis.MicroRNA-146a(miR-146a)has been proven to be involved in cell proliferation,migration,and tumor metabolism.However,little is known about the functional role of miR-146a in VSMC differentiation from embryonic stem cells(ESCs).This study aimed to determine the role of miR-146a in VSMC differentiation from ESCs.Methods Mouse ESCs were differentiated into VSMCs,and the cell extracts were analyzed by Western blotting and RT-qPCR.In addition,luciferase reporter assays using ESCs transfected with miR-146a/mimic and plasmids were performed.Finally,C57BL/6J female mice were injected with mimic or miR-146a-overexpressing ESCs,and immunohistochemistry,Western blotting,and RT-qPCR assays were carried out on tissue samples from these mice.Results miR-146a was significantly upregulated during VSMC differentiation,accompanied with the VSMC-specific marker genes smooth muscle-alpha-actin(SMαA),smooth muscle 22(SM22),smooth muscle myosin heavy chain(SMMHC),and h1-calponin.Furthermore,overexpression of miR-146a enhanced the differentiation process in vitro and in vivo.Concurrently,the expression of Kruppel-like factor 4(KLF4),predicted as one of the top targets of miR-146a,was sharply decreased in miR-146a-overexpressing ESCs.Importantly,inhibiting KLF4 expression enhanced the VSMC-specific gene expression induced by miR-146a overexpression in differentiating ESCs.In addition,miR-146a upregulated the mRNA expression levels and transcriptional activity of VSMC differentiation-related transcription factors,including serum response factor(SRF)and myocyte enhancer factor 2c(MEF-2c).Conclusion Our data support that miR-146a promotes ESC-VSMC differentiation through regulating KLF4 and modulating the transcription factor activity of VSMCs.
基金Supported by a grant from the National Natural Science Founda-tion of China(no.82200319).
文摘Clonal hematopoiesis(CH)is a clonally expanded population of hematopoietic stem cells carrying somatic mutations that differentiate through multilineage hematopoiesis to form terminally differentiated mature hematopoietic cells carrying markers of the clonal mutation.Genes integral to critical cellular processes such as epigenetic regulation,DNA damage response,and inflammation frequently carry these mutations.Clonal hematopoiesis becomes increasingly prevalent with age and is associated with an increased risk of hematological tumors and some nonhematological conditions.Recent insights have revealed that the mutations driving CH are not only implicated in hematologic neoplasms but also possess the potential to influence cardiovascular pathogenesis.Here,we reviewed up-to-date findings about the roles of CH in cardiovascular diseases and tumors and explored the clinical significance of CH,as well as look forward to future related studies,so as to provide valuable references for future research and clinical practice.
基金The study obtained informed consent from all participants and was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Union Hos-pital affiliated with Huazhong University of Science and Technology,Wuhan,China(REC ref no.[2019]008)All in vivo animal experiments were approved by the Ethics Committee of Tongji Medical College,Huazhong Univer-sity of Science and Technology(IACUC No.2727),Wuhan,China.
文摘Background:Chimeric antigen receptor T(CAR-T)therapy has substantially revolutionized the clinical outcomes of patients with hematologic malignan-cies,but the cancer-intrinsic mechanisms underlying resistance to CAR-T cells remain yet to be fully understood.This study aims to explore the molecular deter-minants of cancer cell sensitivity to CAR-T cell-mediated killing and to provide a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms and potential modulation to improve clinical efficacy.Methods:The human whole-genome CRISPR/Cas9-based knockout screening was conducted to identify key genes that enable cancer cells to evade CD19 CAR-T-cell-mediated killing.The in vitro cytotoxicity assays and evaluation of tumor tissue and bone marrow specimens were further conducted to confirm the role of the key genes in cancer cell susceptibility to CAR-T cells.In addition,the specific mechanisms influencing CAR-T cell-mediated cancer clearance were elucidated in mouse and cellular models.Results:The CRISPR/Cas9-based knockout screening showed that the enrich-ment of autophagy-related genes(ATG3,BECN1,and RB1CC1)provided protec-tion of cancer cells from CD19 CAR-T cell-mediated cytotoxicity.These findings were further validated by in vitro cytotoxicity assays in cells with genetic and pharmacological inhibition of autophagy.Notably,higher expression of the three autophagy-related proteins in tumor samples was correlated with poorer respon-siveness and worse survival in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma after CD19 CAR-T therapy.Bulk RNA sequencing analysis of bone marrow samples from B-cell leukemia patients also suggested the clinical relevance of autophagy to the therapeutic response and relapse after CD19 CAR-T cell ther-apy.Pharmacological inhibition of autophagy and knockout of RB1CC1 could dramatically sensitize tumor cells to CD19 CAR-T cell-mediated killing in mouse models of both B-cell leukemia and lymphoma.Moreover,our study revealed that cancer-intrinsic autophagy mediates evasion of CAR-T cells via the TNF-α-TNFR1 axis-mediated apoptosis and STAT1/IRF1-induced chemokine signaling activation.Conclusions:These findings confirm that autophagy signaling in B-cell malig-nancies is essential for the effective cytotoxic function of CAR-T cells and thereby pave the way for the development of autophagy-targeting strategies to improve the clinical efficacy of CAR-T cell immunotherapy.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.82330003,No.82070099,No.82102496,No.82001988)National Science and Technology Major Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(2022YFF1203300)+1 种基金Major Project of the Department of Science and Technology of Hubei(2022BCA016)Hubei Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy(2022swbx009).
文摘Human microorganisms,including bacteria,fungi,and viruses,play key roles in several physiological and pathological processes.Some studies discovered that tumour tissues once considered sterile actually host a variety of microorganisms,which have been confirmed to be closely related to oncogenesis.The concept of intratumoural microbiota was subsequently proposed.Microbiota could colonise tumour tissues through mucosal destruction,adjacent tissue migration,and hematogenic invasion and affect the biological behaviour of tumours as an important part of the tumour microenvironment.Mechanistic studies have demonstrated that intratumoural microbiota potentially promote the initiation and progression of tumours by inducing genomic instability and mutations,affecting epigenetic modifications,promoting inflammation response,avoiding immune destruction,regulating metabolism,and activating invasion and metastasis.Since more comprehensive and profound insights about intratumoral microbiota are continuously emerging,new methods for the early diagnosis and prognostic assessment of cancer patients have been under examination.In addition,interventions based on intratumoural microbiota show great potential to open a new chapter in antitumour therapy,especially immunotherapy,although there are some inevitable challenges.Here,we aim to provide an extensive review of the concept,development history,potential sources,heterogeneity,and carcinogenic mechanisms of intratumoural microorganisms,explore the potential role of microorganisms in tumour prognosis,and discuss current antitumour treatment regimens that target intratumoural microorganisms and the research prospects and limitations in this field.
基金This work was supported by grants from the National Key R&D Program of China(2022YFC2502700)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(81873434+1 种基金82100190)the China Postdoctoral Innovative Talent Support Foundation(BX2021106).All the figures were created by the website tool BioRender(https://www.biorender.com/).
文摘The immune-cell origin of hematologic malignancies provides a unique avenue for the understanding of both the mechanisms of immune responsiveness and immune escape,which has accelerated the progress of immunotherapy.Several categories of immunotherapies have been developed and are being further evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of blood cancers,including stem cell transplantation,immune checkpoint inhibitors,antigen-targeted antibodies,antibody-drug conjugates,tumor vaccines,and adoptive cell therapies.These immunotherapies have shown the potential to induce long-term remission in refractory or relapsed patients and have led to a paradigm shift in cancer treatment with great clinical success.Different immunotherapeutic approaches have their advantages but also shortcomings that need to be addressed.To provide clinicians with timely information on these revolutionary therapeutic approaches,the comprehensive review provides historical perspectives on the applications and clinical considerations of the immunotherapy.Here,we first outline the recent advances that have been made in the understanding of the various categories of immunotherapies in the treatment of hematologic malignancies.We further discuss the specific mechanisms of action,summarize the clinical trials and outcomes of immunotherapies in hematologic malignancies,as well as the adverse effects and toxicity management and then provide novel insights into challenges and future directions.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82022076,81974249,82070136,82104488,and 82305194)the Postdoctoral Science Foundation of China(2023M731222,and 2020T130040ZX)the Foundation of Hubei Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy(2023swbx021)。
文摘Myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury(MIRI)is a major hindrance to the success of cardiac reperfusion therapy.Although increased neutrophil infiltration is a hallmark of MIRI,the subtypes and alterations of neutrophils in this process remain unclear.Here,we performed single-cell sequencing of cardiac CD45^(+)cells isolated from the murine myocardium subjected to MIRI at six-time points.We identified diverse types of infiltrating immune cells and their dynamic changes during MIRI.Cardiac neutrophils showed the most immediate response and largest changes and featured with functionally heterogeneous subpopulations,including Ccl3^(hi)Neu and Ym-1^(hi)Neu,which were increased at 6 h and 1 d after reperfusion,respectively.Ym-1^(hi)Neu selectively expressed genes with protective effects and was,therefore,identified as a novel specific type of cardiac cell in the injured heart.Further analysis indicated that neutrophils and their subtypes orchestrated subsequent immune responses in the cardiac tissues,especially instructing the response of macrophages.The abundance of Ym-1^(hi)Neu was closely correlated with the therapeutic efficacy of MIRI when neutrophils were specifically targeted by anti-Lymphocyte antigen 6 complex locus G6D(Ly6G)or anti-Intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1)neutralizing antibodies.In addition,a neutrophil subtype with the same phenotype as Ym-1^(hi)Neu was detected in clinical samples and correlated with prognosis.Ym-1 inhibition exacerbated myocardial injury,whereas Ym-1 supplementation significantly ameliorated injury in MIRI mice,which was attributed to the tilt of Ym-1 on the polarization of macrophages toward the repair phenotype in myocardial tissue.Overall,our findings reveal the antiinflammatory phenotype of Ym-1^(hi)Neu and highlight its critical role in myocardial protection during the early stages of MIRI.
