-
Molecular Pharmaceutics Nov 2020Many autoimmune therapies focus on immune suppression to reduce symptom severity and halt disease progression; however, currently approved treatments lack specificity...
Many autoimmune therapies focus on immune suppression to reduce symptom severity and halt disease progression; however, currently approved treatments lack specificity for the autoantigen and rely on more global immune suppression. Multivalent antigen arrays can disarm pathogenic autoimmune B cell populations that specifically recognize the antigen of interest via their B cell receptor (BCR). Disarmament may be achieved by BCR engagement, cross-linking, and sustained receptor occupancy as a result of multivalent, high avidity BCR binding. To engage and explore this mechanism, a tetramer display of the encephalogenic proteolipid peptide (PLP), referred to as 4-arm PLP, was synthesized by copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition chemistry. Subcutaneous administration of 4-arm PLP completely ameliorated symptoms of paralysis in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis known as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Competitive binding of 4-arm PLP to PLP-specific IgG in the mouse serum demonstrated the enhanced avidity associated with the multivalent array compared to the free peptide. Furthermore, key PLP-reactive B cells were depleted following 4-arm PLP treatment, resulting in significant reduction of proinflammatory cytokines. Together, these data demonstrate the potential of 4-arm PLP to silence autoreactive B cell populations and limit the downstream activation of effector cells.
Topics: Administration, Topical; Animals; Autoantigens; B-Lymphocytes; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental; Female; Immune Tolerance; Immunoglobulin G; Immunotherapy; Mice; Multiple Sclerosis; Myelin Proteolipid Protein; Paralysis; Peptide Fragments; Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 32903002
DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.0c00665 -
BMC Medical Genomics Dec 2022Among the most lethal cancers, pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is an essential component of digestive system malignancies that still lacks effective diagnosis and...
BACKGROUND
Among the most lethal cancers, pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is an essential component of digestive system malignancies that still lacks effective diagnosis and treatment methods. As exosomes and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory networks in tumors go deeper, we expect to construct a ceRNA regulatory network derived from blood exosomes of PAAD patients by bioinformatics methods and develop a survival prediction model based on it.
METHODS
Blood exosome sequencing data of PAAD patients and normal controls were downloaded from the exoRbase database, and the expression profiles of exosomal mRNA, lncRNA, and circRNA were differentially analyzed by R. The related mRNA, circRNA, lncRNA, and their corresponding miRNA prediction data were imported into Cytoscape software to visualize the ceRNA network. Then, we conducted GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of mRNA in the ceRNA network. Genes that express differently in pancreatic cancer tissues compared with normal tissues and associate with survival (P < 0.05) were determined as Hub genes by GEPIA. We identified optimal prognosis-related differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) and generated a risk score model by performing univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses.
RESULTS
205 DEmRNAs, 118 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs), and 98 differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs) were screened out. We constructed the ceRNA network, and a total of 26 mRNA nodes, 7 lncRNA nodes, 6 circRNA nodes, and 16 miRNA nodes were identified. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the DEmRNAs in the regulatory network were mainly enriched in Human papillomavirus infection, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, Osteoclast differentiation, and ECM-receptor interaction. Next, six hub genes (S100A14, KRT8, KRT19, MAL2, MYO5B, PSCA) were determined through GEPIA. They all showed significantly increased expression in cancer tissues compared with control groups, and their high expression pointed to adverse survival. Two optimal prognostic-related DEmRNAs, MYO5B (HR = 1.41, P < 0.05) and PSCA (HR = 1.10, P < 0.05) were included to construct the survival prediction model.
CONCLUSION
In this study, we successfully constructed a ceRNA regulatory network in blood exosomes from PAAD patients and developed a two-gene survival prediction model that provided new targets which shall aid in diagnosing and treating PAAD.
Topics: Humans; RNA, Long Noncoding; Adenocarcinoma; Pancreatic Neoplasms; RNA, Circular; Gene Regulatory Networks; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; MicroRNAs; RNA, Messenger; Myelin and Lymphocyte-Associated Proteolipid Proteins
PubMed: 36522691
DOI: 10.1186/s12920-022-01409-3 -
Cell Death & Disease Jun 2024Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a highly aggressive cancer characterized by a poor prognosis and resistance to chemotherapy. In this study, utilizing scRNA-seq,...
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a highly aggressive cancer characterized by a poor prognosis and resistance to chemotherapy. In this study, utilizing scRNA-seq, we discovered that the tetra-transmembrane protein mal, T cell differentiation protein 2 (MAL2), exhibited specific enrichment in ICC cancer cells and was strongly associated with a poor prognosis. The inhibition of MAL2 effectively suppressed cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses suggested that MAL2 promoted lipid accumulation in ICC by stabilizing EGFR membrane localization and activated the PI3K/AKT/SREBP-1 axis. Molecular docking and Co-IP proved that MAL2 interacted directly with EGFR. Based on constructed ICC organoids, the downregulation of MAL2 enhanced apoptosis and sensitized ICC cells to cisplatin. Lastly, we conducted a virtual screen to identify sarizotan, a small molecule inhibitor of MAL2, and successfully validated its ability to inhibit MAL2 function. Our findings highlight the tumorigenic role of MAL2 and its involvement in cisplatin sensitivity, suggesting the potential for novel combination therapeutic strategies in ICC.
Topics: Cholangiocarcinoma; Humans; ErbB Receptors; Lipid Metabolism; Bile Duct Neoplasms; Cell Line, Tumor; Animals; Cisplatin; Signal Transduction; Cell Proliferation; Single-Cell Analysis; Myelin and Lymphocyte-Associated Proteolipid Proteins; Mice; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Sequence Analysis, RNA; Apoptosis; Male
PubMed: 38866777
DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06775-7 -
Brain Communications 2023American football players and other individuals exposed to repetitive head impacts can exhibit a constellation of later-life cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms....
American football players and other individuals exposed to repetitive head impacts can exhibit a constellation of later-life cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms. While tau-based diseases such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy can underpin certain symptoms, contributions from non-tau pathologies from repetitive head impacts are increasingly recognized. We examined cross-sectional associations between myelin integrity using immunoassays for myelin-associated glycoprotein and proteolipid protein 1 with risk factors and clinical outcomes in brain donors exposed to repetitive head impacts from American football. Immunoassays for myelin-associated glycoprotein and proteolipid protein 1 were conducted on dorsolateral frontal white matter tissue samples of 205 male brain donors. Proxies of exposure to repetitive head impacts included years of exposure and age of first exposure to American football play. Informants completed the Functional Activities Questionnaire, Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (Behavioral Regulation Index), and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11. Associations between myelin-associated glycoprotein and proteolipid protein 1 with exposure proxies and clinical scales were tested. Of the 205 male brain donors who played amateur and professional football, the mean age was 67.17 (SD = 16.78), and 75.9% ( = 126) were reported by informants to be functionally impaired prior to death. Myelin-associated glycoprotein and proteolipid protein 1 correlated with the ischaemic injury scale score, a global indicator of cerebrovascular disease ( = -0.23 and -0.20, respectively, s < 0.01). Chronic traumatic encephalopathy was the most common neurodegenerative disease ( = 151, 73.7%). Myelin-associated glycoprotein and proteolipid protein 1 were not associated with chronic traumatic encephalopathy status, but lower proteolipid protein 1 was associated with more severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy ( = 0.03). Myelin-associated glycoprotein and proteolipid protein 1 were not associated with other neurodegenerative disease pathologies. More years of football play was associated with lower proteolipid protein 1 [beta = -2.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) [-4.52, -0.38]] and compared with those who played <11 years of football ( = 78), those who played 11 or more years ( = 128) had lower myelin-associated glycoprotein (mean difference = 46.00, 95% CI [5.32, 86.69]) and proteolipid protein 1 (mean difference = 24.72, 95% CI [2.40, 47.05]). Younger age of first exposure corresponded to lower proteolipid protein 1 (beta = 4.35, 95% CI [0.25, 8.45]). Among brain donors who were aged 50 or older ( = 144), lower proteolipid protein 1 (beta = -0.02, 95% CI [-0.047, -0.001]) and myelin-associated glycoprotein (beta = -0.01, 95% CI [-0.03, -0.002]) were associated with higher Functional Activities Questionnaire scores. Lower myelin-associated glycoprotein correlated with higher Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 scores (beta = -0.02, 95% CI [-0.04, -0.0003]). Results suggest that decreased myelin may represent a late effect of repetitive head impacts that contributes to the manifestation of cognitive symptoms and impulsivity. Clinical-pathological correlation studies with prospective objective clinical assessments are needed to confirm our findings.
PubMed: 36895961
DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad019 -
Journal of Translational Medicine Dec 2023Magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) enables fast myelin quantification via the myelin water fraction (MWF), offering a noninvasive method to assess brain development...
BACKGROUND
Magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) enables fast myelin quantification via the myelin water fraction (MWF), offering a noninvasive method to assess brain development and disease. However, MRF-derived MWF lacks histological evaluation and remains unexamined in relation to leukodystrophy. This study aimed to access MRF-derived MWF through histology in mice and establish links between myelin, development, and leukodystrophy in mice and children, demonstrating its potential applicability in animal and human studies.
METHODS
3D MRF was performed on normal C57BL/6 mice with different ages, megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cyst 1 wild type (MLC1 WT, control) mice, and MLC 1 knock-out (MLC1 KO, leukodystrophy) mice using a 3 T MRI. MWF values were analyzed from 3D MRF data, and histological myelin quantification was carried out using immunohistochemistry to anti-proteolipid protein (PLP) in the corpus callosum and cortex. The associations between 'MWF and PLP' and 'MWF and age' were evaluated in C57BL/6 mice. MWF values were compared between MLC1 WT and MLC1 KO mice. MWF of normal developing children were retrospectively collected and the association between MWF and age was assessed.
RESULTS
In 35 C57BL/6 mice (age range; 3 weeks-48 weeks), MWF showed positive relations with PLP immunoreactivity in the corpus callosum (β = 0.0006, P = 0.04) and cortex (β = 0.0005, P = 0.006). In 12-week-old C57BL/6 mice MWF showed positive relations with PLP immunoreactivity (β = 0.0009, P = 0.003, R = 0.54). MWF in the corpus callosum (β = 0.0022, P < 0.001) and cortex (β = 0.0010, P < 0.001) showed positive relations with age. Seven MLC1 WT and 9 MLC1 KO mice showed different MWF values in the corpus callous (P < 0.001) and cortex (P < 0.001). A total of 81 children (median age, 126 months; range, 0-199 months) were evaluated and their MWF values according to age showed the best fit for the third-order regression model (adjusted R range, 0.44-0.94, P < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
MWF demonstrated associations with histologic myelin quantity, age, and the presence of leukodystrophy, underscoring the potential of 3D MRF-derived MWF as a rapid and noninvasive quantitative indicator of brain myelin content in both mice and humans.
Topics: Child; Humans; Mice; Animals; Myelin Sheath; Water; Retrospective Studies; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Brain; Neurodegenerative Diseases
PubMed: 38102606
DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04788-y -
Computational and Mathematical Methods... 2022Breast cancer is a big threat to the women across the world with substantial morbidity and mortality. The pressing matter of our study is to establish a prognostic gene...
BACKGROUND
Breast cancer is a big threat to the women across the world with substantial morbidity and mortality. The pressing matter of our study is to establish a prognostic gene model for breast cancer based on mRNAsi for predicting patient's prognostic survival.
METHODS
From The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, we downloaded the expression profiles of genes in breast cancer. On the basis of one-class logistic regression (OCLR) machine learning algorithm, mRNAsi of samples was calculated. Kaplan-Meier (K-M) and Kruskal-Wallis (K-W) tests were utilized for the assessment of the connection between mRNAsi and clinicopathological variables of the samples. As for the analysis on the correlation between mRNAsi and immune infiltration, ESTIMATE combined with Spearman test was employed. The weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) network was established by utilizing the differentially expressed genes in breast cancer, and the target module with the most significant correlation with mRNAsi was screened. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were conducted to figure out the biological functions of the target module. As for the construction of the prognostic model, univariate, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed on genes in the module. The single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and tumor mutational burden were employed for the analysis on immune infiltration and gene mutations in the high- and low-risk groups. As for the analysis on whether this model had the prognostic value, the nomogram and calibration curves of risk scores and clinical characteristics were drawn.
RESULTS
Nine mRNAsi-related genes (CFB, MAL2, PSME2, MRPL13, HMGB3, DCTPP1, SHCBP1, SLC35A2, and EVA1B) comprised the prognostic model. According to the results of ssGSEA and gene mutation analysis, differences were shown in immune cell infiltration and gene mutation frequency between the high- and low-risk groups.
CONCLUSION
Nine mRNAsi-related genes screened in our research can be considered as the biomarkers to predict breast cancer patients' prognoses, and this model has a potential relationship with individual somatic gene mutations and immune regulation. This study can offer new insight into the development of diagnostic and clinical treatment strategies for breast cancer.
Topics: Humans; Female; Prognosis; Breast Neoplasms; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Gene Expression Profiling; Biomarkers, Tumor; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex; Myelin and Lymphocyte-Associated Proteolipid Proteins; Shc Signaling Adaptor Proteins
PubMed: 36267313
DOI: 10.1155/2022/6532591 -
Biomedicines Jul 2022Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease (PMD) is an inherited leukodystrophy affecting the central nervous system (CNS)-a rare disorder that especially concerns males. Its... (Review)
Review
Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease (PMD) is an inherited leukodystrophy affecting the central nervous system (CNS)-a rare disorder that especially concerns males. Its estimated prevalence is 1.45-1.9 per 100,000 individuals in the general population. Patients affected by PMD exhibit a drastic reduction or absence of myelin sheaths in the white matter areas of the CNS. The Proteolipid Protein 1 () gene encodes a transmembrane proteolipid protein. PLP1 is the major protein of myelin, and it plays a key role in the compaction, stabilization, and maintenance of myelin sheaths. Its function is predominant in oligodendrocyte development and axonal survival. Mutations in the gene cause the development of a wide continuum spectrum of leukopathies from the most severe form of PMD for whom patients exhibit severe CNS hypomyelination to the relatively mild late-onset type 2 spastic paraplegia, leading to the concept of PLP1-related disorders. The genetic diversity and the biochemical complexity, along with other aspects of PMD, are discussed to reveal the obstacles that hinder the development of treatments. This review aims to provide a clinical and mechanistic overview of this spectrum of rare diseases.
PubMed: 35885014
DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10071709 -
Brain Communications 2022Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease is an X-linked recessive leucodystrophy of the central nervous system caused by mutations affecting the major myelin protein, proteolipid...
Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease is an X-linked recessive leucodystrophy of the central nervous system caused by mutations affecting the major myelin protein, proteolipid protein 1. The extent of the altered neurochemistry of protein, proteolipid protein 1 duplications, the most common form of Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease, is, however, poorly understood. Phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy is the only technique that can assess the biochemistry associated with high-energy phosphate and membrane phospholipid metabolism across different cortical, subcortical and white matter areas. In this cross-sectional study, whole-brain, multi-voxel phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy was acquired at 3 T on 14 patients with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease with protein, proteolipid protein 1 duplications and 23 healthy controls (all males). Anabolic and catabolic levels of membrane phospholipids (phosphocholine and phosphoethanolamine, and glycerophosphoethanolamine and glycerophosphocholine, respectively), as well as phosphocreatine, inorganic orthophosphate and adenosine triphosphate levels relative to the total phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy signal from 12 different cortical and subcortical areas were compared between the two groups. Independent of brain area, phosphocholine, glycerophosphoethanolamine and inorganic orthophosphate levels were significantly lower ( = 0.0025, < 0.0001 and = 0.0002) and phosphocreatine levels were significantly higher ( < 0.0001) in Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease patients compared with controls. Additionally, there was a significant group-by-brain area interaction for phosphocreatine with analyses demonstrating significantly higher phosphocreatine levels in patients with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease compared with controls across multiple brain areas (anterior and posterior white matter, superior parietal lobe, posterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus, occipital cortex, striatum and thalamus; all ≤ 0.0042). Phosphoethanolamine, glycerophosphoethanolamine and adenosine triphosphate levels were not significantly different between groups. For the first-time, widespread alterations in phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy metabolite levels of Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease patients are being reported. Specifically, increased high-energy phosphate storage levels of phosphocreatine concomitant with decreased inorganic orthophosphate across multiple areas suggest a widespread reduction in the high-energy phosphate utilization in Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease, and the membrane phospholipid metabolite deficits suggest a widespread degradation in the neuropil content/maintenance of patients with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease which includes axons, dendrites and astrocytes within cortex and the myelin microstructure and oligodendrocytes within white matter. These results provide greater insight into the neuropathology of Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease both in terms of energy expenditure and membrane phospholipid metabolites. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to investigate the utility of phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy as surrogate biomarkers in monitoring treatment intervention for Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease.
PubMed: 36003325
DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac202 -
Molecular Medicine Reports Apr 2024The myelin and lymphocyte protein (MAL) family is a novel gene family first identified and characterized in 2002. This family is comprised of seven members, including... (Review)
Review
The myelin and lymphocyte protein (MAL) family is a novel gene family first identified and characterized in 2002. This family is comprised of seven members, including MAL, MAL2, plasmolipin, MALL, myeloid differentiation‑associated marker (MYADM), MYADML2 and CMTM8, which are located on different chromosomes. In addition to exhibiting extensive activity during transcytosis, the MAL family plays a vital role in the neurological, digestive, respiratory, genitourinary and other physiological systems. Furthermore, the intimate association between MAL and the pathogenesis, progression and metastasis of malignancies, attributable to several mechanisms such as DNA methylation has also been elucidated. In the present review, an overview of the structural and functional properties of the MAL family and the latest research findings regarding the relationship between several MAL members and various cancers is provided. Furthermore, the potential clinical and scientific significance of MAL is discussed and directions for future research are summarized.
Topics: Humans; Myelin and Lymphocyte-Associated Proteolipid Proteins; Proteolipids; Myelin Proteins; Proteins; Neoplasms; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Carcinogenesis; Lymphocytes; Chemokines; MARVEL Domain-Containing Proteins
PubMed: 38362940
DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2024.13181 -
Annals of Clinical and Translational... Feb 2021To determine whether animals with Japanese macaque encephalomyelitis (JME), a spontaneous demyelinating disease similar to multiple sclerosis (MS), harbor...
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether animals with Japanese macaque encephalomyelitis (JME), a spontaneous demyelinating disease similar to multiple sclerosis (MS), harbor myelin-specific T cells in their central nervous system (CNS) and periphery.
METHODS
Mononuclear cells (MNCs) from CNS lesions, cervical lymph nodes (LNs) and peripheral blood of Japanese macaques (JMs) with JME, and cervical LN and blood MNCs from healthy controls or animals with non-JME conditions were analyzed for the presence of myelin-specific T cells and changes in interleukin 17 (IL-17) and interferon gamma (IFNγ) expression.
RESULTS
Demyelinating JME lesions contained CD4 T cells and CD8 T cells specific to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), myelin basic protein (MBP), and/or proteolipid protein (PLP). CD8 T-cell responses were absent in JME peripheral blood, and in age- and sex-matched controls. However, CD4 Th1 and Th17 responses were detected in JME peripheral blood versus controls. Cervical LN MNCs from eight of nine JME animals had CD3 T cells specific for MOG, MBP, and PLP that were not detected in controls. Mapping myelin epitopes revealed a heterogeneity in responses among JME animals. Comparison of myelin antigen sequences with those of JM rhadinovirus (JMRV), which is found in JME lesions, identified six viral open reading frames (ORFs) with similarities to myelin antigen sequences. Overlapping peptides to these JMRV ORFs did not induce IFNγ responses.
INTERPRETATIONS
JME possesses an immune-mediated component that involves both CD4 and CD8 T cells specific for myelin antigens. JME may shed new light on inflammatory demyelinating disease pathogenesis linked to gamma-herpesvirus infection.
Topics: Animals; Autoimmune Diseases; Demyelinating Diseases; Encephalomyelitis; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Epitope Mapping; Epitopes; Female; Herpesviridae Infections; Interferon-gamma; Interleukin-17; Macaca fuscata; Male; Monkey Diseases; Myelin Basic Protein; Myelin Proteolipid Protein; Myelin Sheath; Myelin-Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein; Rhadinovirus; T-Lymphocytes
PubMed: 33440071
DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51303