Issue published November 15, 2024 Previous issue | Next issue
- Volume 134, Issue 22
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On the cover: CCR2+ nonclassical monocytes promote tumor regression
Liu et al. report that pharmacologically induced CCR2-expressing nonclassical monocytes can infiltrate and regress immunotherapy-resistant cancers by recruiting natural killer cells. The cover image depicts the dynamic interplay between protumor and antitumor immune mechanisms, focusing on the transformation of monocytes in cancer metastasis. Image credit: Ellen Weiss.
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AAP Presidential Address
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Abstract
Authors
John P.A. Ioannidis
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Commentaries
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Abstract
Parkin, a ring-between-ring-type E3 ubiquitin ligase, first shown to play a critical role in autosomal recessive juvenile Parkinsonism, has recently emerged as a key player in cancer biology. Parkin is now known to serve as a tumor suppressor, and its deregulation frequently promotes tumorigenesis. In this issue of the JCI, Perego et al. expand that role by showing that Parkin expression stimulated an interferon (IFN) response to modulate CD8+ T cell activity. These findings suggest that, in addition to directly inhibiting tumor progression, Parkin enhances antitumor immune responses, highlighting it as a promising therapeutic target for cancer treatment.
Authors
Hyungsoo Kim, Ze’ev A. Ronai
×Abstract
Lung megakaryocytes (Mks) are a unique subset of Mks that are distinct from their bone marrow counterparts. Recent evidence suggests that lung Mks favor an immune phenotype, but have unclear contributions to the total platelet mass. In this issue of the JCI, Livada et al. used an array of complementary in vivo labeling and tracing models in mice to investigate a longstanding question of where lung Mks are derived. By combining these models with stressed conditions, the authors assessed the contribution of lung Mks to total platelet counts in a homeostatic and thrombocytopenic state. Mks were minor contributors to the circulating pool of platelets during homeostasis but increased output during thrombocytopenia. These findings add critical understanding to the development of lung Mks and demonstrate the dynamic potential of these specialized cells to respond to thrombocytopenia.
Authors
Anthony K. Yeung, George J. Murphy
×Abstract
Proper embryo implantation is necessary for a successful pregnancy. In this issue of the JCI, Aljubran et al. identified the cell cycle regulatory protein cyclin A2 (CCNA2) as a factor in supporting embryo implantation and embryo development. Endometrial stromal cells showed higher levels of CCNA2 in patients undergoing assisted reproductive technology who had successful pregnancies. CCNA2 expression correlated with stromal cell proliferation and the expression of steroid hormone receptors for estrogen (ESR1, also known as ERα) and progesterone (PGR). Notably, loss of Ccna2 in mouse models resulted in infertility. The uteri of these mice were hypoplastic with reduced estrogen sensitivity, resulting in the disruption of stroma cell decidualization and loss of embryo viability after implantation. These findings demonstrate the importance of stroma cell proliferation in preparing the uterus for embryo implantation. They also identify CCNA2 as a coregulator of steroid hormone receptor signaling and suggest that impaired uterine stroma can underly early pregnancy loss.
Authors
Francesco J. DeMayo
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Research Letter
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Abstract
Authors
Joseph R. Trinko, Ethan Foscue, Edward M. Kong, Aakash Basu, Anouk M. Corstens, Summer L. Thompson, Alfred P. Kaye, Jane R. Taylor, Ralph J. DiLeone
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Research Articles
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Abstract
Proper action of the female sex steroids 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) on the endometrium is essential for fertility. Beyond its role in regulating the cell cycle, cyclin A2 (CCNA2) also mediates E2 and P4 signaling in vitro, but a potential role in modulating steroid action for proper endometrial tissue development and function is unknown. To fill this gap in our knowledge, we examined human endometrial tissue from fertile and infertile cisgender women for CCNA2 expression and correlated this with pregnancy outcome. Functional assessment of CCNA2 was validated in vivo using a conditional Ccna2 uterine-deficient mouse model, while in vitro function was assessed using human cell culture models. We found that CCNA2 expression was significantly reduced in endometrial tissue, specifically the stromal cells, from women undergoing in vitro fertilization who failed to achieve pregnancy. Conditional deletion of Ccna2 from mouse uterine tissue resulted in an inability to achieve pregnancy, which appeared to be due to alterations in the process of decidualization, which was confirmed using in vitro models. From these studies, we conclude that CCNA2 expression during the proliferative/regenerative stage of the menstrual cycle allows for proper steroid responsiveness, decidualization, and pregnancy. When CCNA2 expression levels are insufficient, there is impaired endometrial responsiveness, aberrant decidualization, and loss of pregnancy.
Authors
Fatimah Aljubran, Katelyn Schumacher, Amanda Graham, Sumedha Gunewardena, Courtney Marsh, Michael Lydic, Kristin Holoch, Warren B. Nothnick
×Abstract
To identify novel genes responsible for recurrent hydatidiform moles (HMs), we performed exome sequencing on 75 unrelated patients who were negative for mutations in the known genes. We identified biallelic deleterious variants in 6 genes, FOXL2, MAJIN, KASH5, SYCP2, MEIOB, and HFM1, in patients with androgenetic HMs, including a familial case of 3 affected members. Five of these genes are essential for meiosis I, and their deficiencies lead to premature ovarian insufficiency. Advanced maternal age is the strongest risk factor for sporadic androgenetic HM, which affects 1 in every 600 pregnancies. We studied Hfm1–/– female mice and found that these mice lost all their oocytes before puberty but retained some at younger ages. Oocytes from Hfm1–/– mice initiated meiotic maturation and extruded the first polar bodies in culture; however, their meiotic spindles were often positioned parallel, instead of perpendicular, to the ooplasmic membrane at telophase I, and some oocytes extruded the entire spindle with all the chromosomes into the polar bodies at metaphase II, a mechanism we previously reported in Mei1–/– oocytes. The occurrence of a common mechanism in two mouse models argues in favor of its plausibility at the origin of androgenetic HM formation in humans.
Authors
Maryam Rezaei, Manqi Liang, Zeynep Yalcin, Jacinta H. Martin, Parinaz Kazemi, Eric Bareke, Zhao-Jia Ge, Majid Fardaei, Claudio Benadiva, Reda Hemida, Adnan Hassan, Geoffrey J. Maher, Ebtesam Abdalla, William Buckett, Pierre-Adrien Bolze, Iqbaljit Sandhu, Onur Duman, Suraksha Agrawal, JianHua Qian, Jalal Vallian Broojeni, Lavi Bhati, Pierre Miron, Fabienne Allias, Amal Selim, Rosemary A. Fisher, Michael J. Seckl, Philippe Sauthier, Isabelle Touitou, Seang Lin Tan, Jacek Majewski, Teruko Taketo, Rima Slim
×Abstract
Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is an extremely rare disease caused by the expression of progerin, an aberrant protein produced by a point mutation in the LMNA gene. HGPS patients show accelerated aging and die prematurely mainly from complications of atherosclerosis such as myocardial infarction, heart failure, or stroke. However, the mechanisms underlying HGPS vascular pathology remain ill-defined. We used single-cell RNA sequencing to characterize the aorta in progerin-expressing LmnaG609G/G609G mice and wild-type controls, with a special focus on endothelial cells (ECs). HGPS ECs showed gene expression changes associated with extracellular matrix alterations, increased leukocyte extravasation, and activation of the yes-associated protein 1/transcriptional activator with PDZ-binding domain (YAP/TAZ) mechanosensing pathway, all validated by different techniques. Atomic force microscopy experiments demonstrated stiffer subendothelial extracellular matrix in progeroid aortae, and ultrasound assessment of live HGPS mice revealed disturbed aortic blood flow, both key inducers of the YAP/TAZ pathway in ECs. YAP/TAZ inhibition with verteporfin reduced leukocyte accumulation in the aortic intimal layer and decreased atherosclerosis burden in progeroid mice. Our findings identify endothelial YAP/TAZ signaling as a key mechanism of HGPS vascular disease and open a new avenue for the development of YAP/TAZ-targeting drugs to ameliorate progerin-induced atherosclerosis.
Authors
Ana Barettino, Cristina González-Gómez, Pilar Gonzalo, María J. Andrés-Manzano, Carlos R. Guerrero, Francisco M. Espinosa, Rosa M. Carmona, Yaazan Blanco, Beatriz Dorado, Carlos Torroja, Fátima Sánchez-Cabo, Ana Quintas, Alberto Benguría, Ana Dopazo, Ricardo García, Ignacio Benedicto, Vicente Andrés
×Abstract
Vaccine adjuvants are thought to work by stimulating innate immunity in the draining lymph node (LN), although this has not been proven in humans. To bridge the data obtained in animals to humans, we have developed an in situ human LN explant model to investigate how adjuvants initiate immunity. Slices of explanted LNs were exposed to vaccine adjuvants and revealed responses that were not detectable in LN cell suspensions. We used this model to compare the liposome-based AS01 with its components, monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) and QS-21, and TLR ligands. Liposomes were predominantly taken up by subcapsular sinus–lining macrophages, monocytes, and DCs. AS01 induced DC maturation and a strong proinflammatory cytokine response in intact LN slices but not in dissociated cell cultures, in contrast to R848. This suggests that the onset of the immune response to AS01 required a coordinated activation of LN cells in time and space. Consistent with the robust immune response observed in older adults with AS01-adjuvanted vaccines, the AS01 response in human LNs was independent of age, unlike the response to R848. This human LN explant model is a valuable tool for studying the mechanism of action of adjuvants in humans and for screening new formulations to streamline vaccine development.
Authors
Vicki V. Stylianou, Kirstie M. Bertram, Van Anh Vo, Elizabeth B. Dunn, Heeva Baharlou, Darcii J. Terre, James Elhindi, Elisabeth Elder, James French, Farid Meybodi, Stéphane T. Temmerman, Arnaud M. Didierlaurent, Margherita Coccia, Kerrie J. Sandgren, Anthony L. Cunningham
×Abstract
Activated mTORC2/AKT signaling plays a role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Research has shown that TSC/mTORC1 and FOXO1 are distinct downstream effectors of AKT signaling in liver regeneration and metabolism. However, the mechanisms by which these pathways mediate mTORC2/AKT activation in HCC are not yet fully understood. Amplification and activation of c-MYC are key molecular events in HCC. In this study, we explored the roles of tuberous sclerosis complex/mTORC1 (TSC/mTORC1) and FOXO1 as downstream effectors of mTORC2/AKT1 in c-MYC–induced hepatocarcinogenesis. Using various genetic approaches in mice, we found that manipulating the FOXO pathway had a minimal effect on c-MYC–induced HCC. In contrast, loss of mTORC2 inhibited c-MYC–induced HCC, an effect that was completely reversed by ablation of TSC2, which activated mTORC1. Additionally, we discovered that p70/RPS6 and 4EBP1/eIF4E acted downstream of mTORC1, regulating distinct molecular pathways. Notably, the 4EBP1/eIF4E cascade is crucial for cell proliferation and glycolysis in c-MYC–induced HCC. We also identified centromere protein M (CENPM) as a downstream target of the TSC2/mTORC1 pathway in c-MYC–driven hepatocarcinogenesis, and its ablation entirely inhibited c-MYC–dependent HCC formation. Our findings demonstrate that the TSC/mTORC1/CENPM pathway, rather than the FOXO cascade, is the primary signaling pathway regulating c-MYC–driven hepatocarcinogenesis. Targeting CENPM holds therapeutic potential for treating c-MYC–driven HCC.
Authors
Yi Zhou, Shu Zhang, Guoteng Qiu, Xue Wang, Andrew Yonemura, Hongwei Xu, Guofei Cui, Shanshan Deng, Joanne Chun, Nianyong Chen, Meng Xu, Xinhua Song, Jingwen Wang, Zijing Xu, Youping Deng, Matthias Evert, Diego F. Calvisi, Shumei Lin, Haichuan Wang, Xin Chen
×Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM), an aggressive brain malignancy with a cellular hierarchy dominated by GBM stem cells (GSCs), evades antitumor immunity through mechanisms that remain incompletely understood. Like most cancers, GBMs undergo metabolic reprogramming toward glycolysis to generate lactate. Here, we show that lactate production by patient-derived GSCs and microglia/macrophages induces tumor cell epigenetic reprogramming through histone lactylation, an activating modification that leads to immunosuppressive transcriptional programs and suppression of phagocytosis via transcriptional upregulation of CD47, a “don’t eat me” signal, in GBM cells. Leveraging these findings, pharmacologic targeting of lactate production augments efficacy of anti-CD47 therapy. Mechanistically, lactylated histone interacts with the heterochromatin component chromobox protein homolog 3 (CBX3). Although CBX3 does not possess direct lactyltransferase activity, CBX3 binds histone acetyltransferase (HAT) EP300 to induce increased EP300 substrate specificity toward lactyl-CoA and a transcriptional shift toward an immunosuppressive cytokine profile. Targeting CBX3 inhibits tumor growth by both tumor cell–intrinsic mechanisms and increased tumor cell phagocytosis. Collectively, these results suggest that lactate mediates metabolism-induced epigenetic reprogramming in GBM that contributes to CD47-dependent immune evasion, which can be leveraged to augment efficacy of immuno-oncology therapies.
Authors
Shuai Wang, Tengfei Huang, Qiulian Wu, Huairui Yuan, Xujia Wu, Fanen Yuan, Tingting Duan, Suchet Taori, Yingming Zhao, Nathaniel W. Snyder, Dimitris G. Placantonakis, Jeremy N. Rich
×Abstract
Liposomal drug delivery systems have revolutionized traditional cytotoxic drugs. However, the relative instability and toxicity of the existing liposomal drug delivery systems compromised their efficacy. Herein, we present Rg3-lipo, an innovative drug delivery system using a glycosyl moiety–enriched ginsenoside (Rg3). This system is distinguished by its glycosyl moieties exposed on the liposomal surface. These moieties imitate human cell membranes to stabilize and evade phagocytic clearance. The Rg3-lipo system loaded with paclitaxel (PTX-Rg3-lipo) demonstrated favorable bioavailability and safety in Sprague-Dawley rats, beagle dogs, and cynomolgus monkeys. With its glycosyl moieties recognizing tumor cells via the glucose transporter Glut1, PTX-Rg3-lipo inhibited gastric, breast, and esophageal cancers in human cancer cell lines, tumor-bearing mice, and patient-derived xenograft models. These glycosyl moieties selectively targeted myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) through the glucose transporter Glut3 to attenuate their immunosuppressive effect. The mechanism study revealed that Rg3-lipo suppressed glycolysis and downregulated the transcription factors c-Maf and Mafb overcoming the MDSC-mediated immunosuppressive microenvironment and enhancing PTX-Rg3-lipo’s antitumor effect. Taken together, we supply substantial evidence for its advantageous bioavailability and safety in multiple animal models, including nonhuman primates, and Rg3-lipo’s dual targeting of cancer cells and MDSCs. Further investigation regarding Rg3-lipo’s druggability will be conducted in clinical trials.
Authors
Yuru Shen, Bin Zhong, Wanwei Zheng, Dan Wang, Lin Chen, Huan Song, Xuanxuan Pan, Shaocong Mo, Bryan Jin, Haoshu Cui, Huaxing Zhan, Feifei Luo, Jie Liu
×Abstract
Tumor-associated macrophages and microglia (TAMs) are critical for tumor progression and therapy resistance in glioblastoma (GBM), a type of incurable brain cancer. We previously identified lysyl oxidase (LOX) and olfactomedin like-3 (OLFML3) as essential macrophage and microglia chemokines, respectively, in GBM. Here, single-cell transcriptomics and multiplex sequential immunofluorescence followed by functional studies demonstrate that macrophages negatively correlate with microglia in the GBM tumor microenvironment. LOX inhibition in PTEN-deficient GBM cells upregulates OLFML3 expression via the NF-κB-PATZ1 signaling pathway, inducing a compensatory increase of microglia infiltration. Dual targeting macrophages and microglia via inhibition of LOX and the CLOCK-OLFML3 axis generates potent antitumor effects and offers a complete tumor regression in more than 60% of animals when combined with anti-PD1 therapy in PTEN-deficient GBM mouse models. Thus, our findings provide a translational triple therapeutic strategy for this lethal disease.
Authors
Yang Liu, Junyan Wu, Hinda Najem, Yiyun Lin, Lizhi Pang, Fatima Khan, Fei Zhou, Heba Ali, Amy B. Heimberger, Peiwen Chen
×Abstract
A major limitation of immunotherapy is the development of resistance resulting from cancer-mediated inhibition of host lymphocytes. Cancer cells release CCL2 to recruit classical monocytes expressing its receptor CCR2 for the promotion of metastasis and resistance to immunosurveillance. In the circulation, some CCR2-expressing classical monocytes lose CCR2 and differentiate into intravascular nonclassical monocytes that have anticancer properties but are unable to access extravascular tumor sites. We found that in mice and humans, an ontogenetically distinct subset of naturally underrepresented CCR2-expressing nonclassical monocytes was expanded during inflammatory states such as organ transplant and COVID-19 infection. These cells could be induced during health by treatment of classical monocytes with small-molecule activators of NOD2. The presence of CCR2 enabled these inducible nonclassical monocytes to infiltrate both intra- and extravascular metastatic sites of melanoma, lung, breast, and colon cancer in murine models, and they reversed the increased susceptibility of Nod2–/– mutant mice to cancer metastasis. Within the tumor colonies, CCR2+ nonclassical monocytes secreted CCL6 to recruit NK cells that mediated tumor regression, independent of T and B lymphocytes. Hence, pharmacological induction of CCR2+ nonclassical monocytes might be useful for immunotherapy-resistant cancers.
Authors
Xianpeng Liu, Ziyou Ren, Can Tan, Félix L. Núñez-Santana, Megan E. Kelly, Yuanqing Yan, Haiying Sun, Hiam Abdala-Valencia, Wenbin Yang, Qiang Wu, Takahide Toyoda, Marija Milisav, S. Marina Casalino-Matsuda, Emilia Lecuona, Emily Jeong Cerier, Lena J. Heung, Mohamed E. Abazeed, Harris Perlman, Ruli Gao, Navdeep S. Chandel, G.R. Scott Budinger, Ankit Bharat
×CXCL8 secreted by immature granulocytes inhibits WT hematopoiesis in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia
Abstract
Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is a severe myeloid malignancy with limited therapeutic options. Single-cell analysis of clonal architecture demonstrates early clonal dominance with few residual WT hematopoietic stem cells. Circulating myeloid cells of the leukemic clone and the cytokines they produce generate a deleterious inflammatory climate. Our hypothesis is that therapeutic control of the inflammatory component in CMML could contribute to stepping down disease progression. The present study explored the contribution of immature granulocytes (iGRANs) to CMML progression. iGRANs were detected and quantified in the peripheral blood of patients by spectral and conventional flow cytometry. Their accumulation was a potent and independent poor prognostic factor. These cells belong to the leukemic clone and behaved as myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Bulk and single-cell RNA-Seq revealed a proinflammatory status of iGRAN that secreted multiple cytokines of which CXCL8 was at the highest level. This cytokine inhibited the proliferation of WT but not CMML hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) in which CXCL8 receptors were downregulated. CXCL8 receptor inhibitors and CXCL8 blockade restored WT HSPC proliferation, suggesting that relieving CXCL8 selective pressure on WT HSPCs is a potential strategy to slow CMML progression and restore some healthy hematopoiesis.
Authors
Paul Deschamps, Margaux Wacheux, Axel Gosseye, Margot Morabito, Arnaud Pagès, Anne-Marie Lyne, Alexia Alfaro, Philippe Rameau, Aygun Imanci, Rabie Chelbi, Valentine Marchand, Aline Renneville, Mrinal M. Patnaik, Valerie Lapierre, Bouchra Badaoui, Orianne Wagner-Ballon, Céline Berthon, Thorsten Braun, Christophe Willekens, Raphael Itzykson, Pierre Fenaux, Sylvain Thépot, Gabriel Etienne, Emilie Elvira-Matelot, Francoise Porteu, Nathalie Droin, Leïla Perié, Lucie Laplane, Eric Solary, Dorothée Selimoglu-Buet
×Abstract
The activation of innate immunity and associated interferon (IFN) signaling have been implicated in cancer, but the regulators are elusive and links to tumor suppression remain undetermined. Here, we found that Parkin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase altered in Parkinson’s Disease, was epigenetically silenced in cancer and its reexpression by clinically approved demethylating therapy stimulated transcription of a potent IFN response in tumor cells. This pathway required Parkin E3 ubiquitin ligase activity, involved the subcellular trafficking and release of the alarmin High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) and was associated with inhibition of NF-κB gene expression. In turn, Parkin-expressing cells released an IFN secretome that upregulated effector and cytotoxic CD8+ T cell markers, lowered the expression of immune inhibitory receptors TIM3 and LAG3, and stimulated high content of the self renewal/stem cell factor, TCF1. PRKN-induced CD8+ T cells selectively accumulated in the microenvironment and inhibited transgenic and syngeneic tumor growth in vivo. Therefore, Parkin is an epigenetically regulated activator of innate immunity and dual mode tumor suppressor, inhibiting intrinsic tumor traits of metabolism and cell invasion, while simultaneously reinvigorating CD8 T cell functions in the microenvironment.
Authors
Michela Perego, Minjeong Yeon, Ekta Agarwal, Andrew T. Milcarek, Irene Bertolini, Chiara Camisaschi, Jagadish C. Ghosh, Hsin-Yao Tang, Nathalie Grandvaux, Marcus Ruscetti, Andrew V. Kossenkov, Sarah Preston-Alp, Italo Tempera, Noam Auslander, Dario C. Altieri
×Abstract
Effective psychotherapy of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains challenging owing to the fragile nature of fear extinction, for which the ventral hippocampal CA1 (vCA1) region is considered as a central hub. However, neither the core pathway nor the cellular mechanisms involved in implementing extinction are known. Here, we unveil a direct pathway, where layer 2a fan cells in the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC) target parvalbumin-expressing interneurons (PV-INs) in the vCA1 region to propel low-gamma-band synchronization of the LEC-vCA1 activity during extinction learning. Bidirectional manipulations of either hippocampal PV-INs or LEC fan cells sufficed for fear extinction. Gamma entrainment of vCA1 by deep brain stimulation (DBS) or noninvasive transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) of LEC persistently enhanced the PV-IN activity in vCA1, thereby promoting fear extinction. These results demonstrate that the LEC-vCA1 pathway forms a top-down motif to empower low-gamma-band oscillations that facilitate fear extinction. Finally, application of low-gamma DBS and tACS to a mouse model with persistent PTSD showed potent efficacy, suggesting that the dedicated LEC-vCA1 pathway can be stimulated for therapy to remove traumatic memory trace.
Authors
Ze-Jie Lin, Xue Gu, Wan-Kun Gong, Mo Wang, Yan-Jiao Wu, Qi Wang, Xin-Rong Wu, Xin-Yu Zhao, Michael X. Zhu, Lu-Yang Wang, Quanying Liu, Ti-Fei Yuan, Wei-Guang Li, Tian-Le Xu
×Abstract
Lung megakaryocytes (Mks) are largely extravascular with an immune phenotype (1). Because bone marrow (BM) Mks are short lived, it has been assumed that extravascular lung Mks are constantly “seeded” from the BM. To investigate lung Mk origins and how origin affects their functions, we developed methods to specifically label lung Mks using CFSE dye and biotin delivered via the oropharyngeal route. Labeled lung Mks were present for up to 4 months, while BM Mks had a lifespan of less than 1 week. In a parabiosis model, lung Mks were partially replaced over 1 month from a circulating source. Unlike tissue-resident macrophages, using MDS1-Cre-ERT2 TdTomato mice, we found that lung Mks arose from hematopoietic stem cells. However, studies with FlkSwitch mTmG mice showed that lung Mks were derived from a Flt3-independent lineage that did not go through a multipotent progenitor. CFSE labeling to track lung Mk–derived platelets showed that approximately 10% of circulating platelets were derived from lung-resident Mks at steady state, but in sterile thrombocytopenia this was doubled (~20%). Lung-derived platelets were similarly increased in a malaria infection model (Plasmodium yoelii) typified by thrombocytopenia. These studies indicate that lung Mks arise from a Flt3– BM source, are long-lived, and contribute more platelets during thrombocytopenia.
Authors
Alison C. Livada, Kathleen E. McGrath, Michael W. Malloy, Chen Li, Sara K. Ture, Paul D. Kingsley, Anne D. Koniski, Leah A. Vit, Katherine E. Nolan, Deanne Mickelsen, Grace E. Monette, Preeti Maurya, James Palis, Craig N. Morrell
×Abstract
The sensory cells that transduce the signals for hearing and balance are highly specialized mechanoreceptors called hair cells that together with supporting cells comprise the sensory epithelia of the inner ear. Loss of hair cells from toxin exposure and age can cause balance disorders and is essentially irreversible due to the inability of mammalian vestibular organs to regenerate physiologically active hair cells. Here, we show substantial regeneration of hair cells in a mouse model of vestibular damage by treatment with a combination of glycogen synthase kinase 3β and histone deacetylase inhibitors. The drugs stimulated supporting cell proliferation and differentiation into hair cells. The new hair cells were reinnervated by vestibular afferent neurons, rescuing otolith function by restoring head translation–evoked otolith afferent responses and vestibuloocular reflexes. Drugs that regenerate hair cells thus represent a potential therapeutic approach to the treatment of balance disorders.
Authors
Hanae Lahlou, Hong Zhu, Wu Zhou, Albert S.B. Edge
×Abstract
Canonically PD-L1 functions as the inhibitory immune checkpoint on cell surface. Recent studies have observed PD-L1 expression in the nucleus of cancer cells. But the biological function of nuclear PD-L1 (nPD-L1) in tumor growth and antitumor immunity is unclear. Here we enforced nPD-L1 expression and established stable cells. nPD-L1 suppressed tumorigenesis and aggressiveness in vitro and in vivo. Compared with PD-L1 deletion, nPD-L1 expression repressed tumor growth and improved survival more markedly in immunocompetent mice. Phosphorylated AMPKα (p-AMPKα) facilitated nuclear PD-L1 compartmentalization and then cooperated with it to directly phosphorylate S146 of histone variant macroH2A1 (mH2A1) to epigenetically activate expression of genes of cellular senescence, JAK/STAT, and Hippo signaling pathways. Lipoic acid (LA) that induced nuclear PD-L1 translocation suppressed tumorigenesis and boosted antitumor immunity. Importantly, LA treatment synergized with PD-1 antibody and overcame immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) resistance, which likely resulted from nPD-L1–increased MHC-I expression and sensitivity of tumor cells to interferon-γ. These findings offer a conceptual advance for PD-L1 function and suggest LA as a promising therapeutic option for overcoming ICB resistance.
Authors
Yong Liu, Zhi Yang, Shuanglian Wang, Rui Miao, Chiung-Wen Mary Chang, Jingyu Zhang, Xin Zhang, Mien-Chie Hung, Junwei Hou
×Abstract
The high rate of recurrence after radiation therapy in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) indicates that novel approaches and targets are needed to enhance radiosensitivity. Here, we report that neuropilin-2 (NRP2), a receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) that is enriched on subpopulations of TNBC cells with stem cell properties, is an effective therapeutic target for sensitizing TNBC to radiotherapy. Specifically, VEGF/NRP2 signaling induces nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) transcription by a mechanism dependent on Gli1. NRP2-expressing tumor cells serve as a hub to produce nitric oxide (NO), an autocrine and paracrine signaling metabolite, which promotes cysteine-nitrosylation of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1) and, consequently, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2–mediated (NFE2L2-mediated) transcription of antioxidant response genes. Inhibiting VEGF binding to NRP2, using a humanized mAb, results in NFE2L2 degradation via KEAP1, rendering cell lines and organoids vulnerable to irradiation. Importantly, treatment of patient-derived xenografts with the NRP2 mAb and radiation resulted in significant tumor necrosis and regression compared with radiation alone. Together, these findings reveal a targetable mechanism of radioresistance, and they support the use of NRP2 mAb as an effective radiosensitizer in TNBC.
Authors
Ayush Kumar, Hira Lal Goel, Christi A. Wisniewski, Tao Wang, Yansong Geng, Mengdie Wang, Shivam Goel, Kai Hu, Rui Li, Lihua J. Zhu, Jennifer L. Clark, Lindsay M. Ferreira, Michael A. Brehm, Thomas J. FitzGerald, Arthur M. Mercurio
×Abstract
T cell exclusion is crucial in enabling tumor immune evasion and immunotherapy resistance. However, the key genes driving this process remain unclear. We uncovered a notable increase of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) in immune-excluded tumors, predominantly secreted by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Using mice with systemic or fibroblast-specific deletion of IGF2, we demonstrated that IGF2 deficiency enhanced the infiltration and cytotoxic activity of CD8+ T cells, leading to a reduction in tumor burden. Integration of spatial and single-cell transcriptomics revealed that IGF2 promoted interaction between CAFs and T cells via CXCL12 and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1). Mechanistically, autocrine IGF2 activated PI3K/AKT signaling by binding to the IGF1 receptor (IGF1R) on CAFs, which was required for the immunosuppressive functions of CAFs. Furthermore, genetic ablation of IGF2 or targeted inhibition of the IGF2/IGF1R axis with the inhibitor linsitinib markedly boosted the response to immune checkpoint blockade. Clinically, elevated levels of IGF2 in tumors or plasma correlated with an adverse prognosis and reduced efficacy of anti–programmed death 1 treatment. Together, these results highlight the pivotal role of IGF2 in promoting CAF-mediated immunoevasion, indicating its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target in immunotherapy.
Authors
Daqiang Song, Yushen Wu, Jie Li, Jiazhou Liu, Ziying Yi, Xiaoyu Wang, Jiazheng Sun, Liuying Li, Qianxue Wu, Yuru Chen, Huiying Fang, Tiankuo Luan, Huimin Du, Jing Huang, Weiyan Peng, Yuxian Wei, Fan Li, Qin Li, Li Zhang, Yong Zhu, Jingyuan Wan, Guosheng Ren, Hongzhong Li
×Abstract
Although premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), a common cause of female infertility and subfertility, has a well-established hereditary component, the genetic factors currently implicated in POI account for only a limited proportion of cases. Here, using an exome-wide, gene-based case-control analysis in a discovery cohort comprising 1,027 POI cases and 2,733 ethnically matched women controls from China, we found that heterozygous loss-of-function (LoF) variants of MAX dimerization protein (MGA) were significantly enriched in the discovery cohort, accounting for 2.6% of POI cases, while no MGA LoF variants were found in the matched control females. Further exome screening was conducted in 4 additional POI cohorts (2 from China and 2 from the United States) for replication studies, and we identified heterozygous MGA LoF variants in 1.0%, 1.4%, 1.0%, and 1.0% of POI cases, respectively. Overall, a total of 37 distinct heterozygous MGA LoF variants were discovered in 38 POI cases, accounting for approximately 2.0% of the total 1,910 POI cases analyzed in this study. Accordingly, Mga+/− female mice were subfertile, exhibiting shorter reproductive lifespan and decreased follicle number compared with WT, mimicking the observed phenotype in humans. Our findings highlight the essential role of MGA deficiency for impaired female reproductive ability.
Authors
Shuyan Tang, Ting Guo, Chengcheng Song, Lingbo Wang, Jun Zhang, Aleksandar Rajkovic, Xiaoqi Lin, Shiling Chen, Yujun Liu, Weidong Tian, Bangguo Wu, Shixuan Wang, Wenwen Wang, Yunhui Lai, Ao Wang, Shuhua Xu, Li Jin, Hanni Ke, Shidou Zhao, Yan Li, Yingying Qin, Feng Zhang, Zi-Jiang Chen
Copyright © 2025 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)