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Cell Communication and Signaling : CCS Jun 2024Mitochondria are central to endothelial cell activation and angiogenesis, with the RNA polymerase mitochondrial (POLRMT) serving as a key protein in regulating...
Mitochondria are central to endothelial cell activation and angiogenesis, with the RNA polymerase mitochondrial (POLRMT) serving as a key protein in regulating mitochondrial transcription and oxidative phosphorylation. In our study, we examined the impact of POLRMT on angiogenesis and found that its silencing or knockout (KO) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and other endothelial cells resulted in robust anti-angiogenic effects, impeding cell proliferation, migration, and capillary tube formation. Depletion of POLRMT led to impaired mitochondrial function, characterized by mitochondrial depolarization, oxidative stress, lipid oxidation, DNA damage, and reduced ATP production, along with significant apoptosis activation. Conversely, overexpressing POLRMT promoted angiogenic activity in the endothelial cells. In vivo experiments demonstrated that endothelial knockdown of POLRMT, by intravitreous injection of endothelial specific POLRMT shRNA adeno-associated virus, inhibited retinal angiogenesis. In addition, inhibiting POLRMT with a first-in-class inhibitor IMT1 exerted significant anti-angiogenic impact in vitro and in vivo. Significantly elevated expression of POLRMT was observed in the retinal tissues of streptozotocin-induced diabetic retinopathy (DR) mice. POLRMT endothelial knockdown inhibited pathological retinal angiogenesis and mitigated retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration in DR mice. At last, POLRMT expression exhibited a substantial increase in the retinal proliferative membrane tissues of human DR patients. These findings collectively establish the indispensable role of POLRMT in angiogenesis, both in vitro and in vivo.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells; Mice; Mitochondria; DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases; Diabetic Retinopathy; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Cell Proliferation; Neovascularization, Pathologic; Male; Neovascularization, Physiologic; Cell Movement; Apoptosis; Angiogenesis
PubMed: 38907279
DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01712-9 -
BMC Ophthalmology Jun 2024Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a proliferative disorder of the developing retina. Intravitreal bevacizumab injection (IVB) is an emerging treatment for severe forms...
BACKGROUND
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a proliferative disorder of the developing retina. Intravitreal bevacizumab injection (IVB) is an emerging treatment for severe forms of ROP, which does not restrict the visual field in comparison to laser therapy. The present study aimed to determine and evaluate the risk factors for ROP recurrence following IVB injection.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In this retrospective study, 98 eyes of 49 infants with ROP who had received IVB injections as the primary treatment for type 1 ROP are included.
RESULTS
Fifty-four eyes (55.1%) had aggressive retinopathy of prematurity (A-ROP), and forty-four (44.9%) had Stage III Plus ROP in Zone II. ROP recurred in 13 eyes (13.26%) of 8 infants. The mean period between IVB and the ROP recurrence was 8.08 (95% CI:5.32-10.83) weeks. The infants who had ROP recurrence had lower birth weight (P value = 0.002), lower postmenstrual age at IVB injection (P value = 0.001), lower IVB injection gap period from birth (P value = 0.044), higher oxygen therapy requirement rate after IVB injection (P value < 0.001, OR:19.0) and higher oxygen therapy duration (P value = 0.006). The ROP severity, gestational age at birth, and diet were not statistically different between the recurrence and complete regression groups. Out of 13 eyes treated with laser photocoagulation because of ROP relapse, macula dragging occurred in one eye, and all the cases met the complete regression.
CONCLUSION
Low birth weight and oxygen therapy are the most important risk factors for ROP relapse, which requires meticulous oxygen treatment guidelines for premature infants.
Topics: Humans; Retinopathy of Prematurity; Bevacizumab; Intravitreal Injections; Retrospective Studies; Angiogenesis Inhibitors; Female; Male; Recurrence; Infant, Newborn; Gestational Age; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; Risk Factors; Infant; Follow-Up Studies; Infant, Premature
PubMed: 38907228
DOI: 10.1186/s12886-024-03528-0 -
Indian Journal of Ophthalmology Jul 2024
Comparative Study
Topics: Humans; Intravitreal Injections; Administration, Oral; Rifampin; Central Serous Chorioretinopathy; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; Propranolol; Angiogenesis Inhibitors; Adrenergic beta-Antagonists
PubMed: 38905466
DOI: 10.4103/IJO.IJO_2774_23 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2024Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease with systemic manifestations that most commonly presents as itchy, erythematous, scaly plaques on extensor surfaces. Activation of...
Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease with systemic manifestations that most commonly presents as itchy, erythematous, scaly plaques on extensor surfaces. Activation of the IL-23/IL-17 pro-inflammatory signaling pathway is a hallmark of psoriasis and its inhibition is key to clinical management. Granzyme K (GzmK) is an immune cell-secreted serine protease elevated in inflammatory and proliferative skin conditions. In the present study, human psoriasis lesions exhibited elevated GzmK levels compared to non-lesional psoriasis and healthy control skin. In an established murine model of imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis, genetic loss of GzmK significantly reduced disease severity, as determined by delayed plaque formation, decreased erythema and desquamation, reduced epidermal thickness, and inflammatory infiltrate. Molecular characterization revealed that GzmK contributed to macrophage secretion of IL-23 as well as PAR-1-dependent keratinocyte proliferation. These findings demonstrate that GzmK enhances IL-23-driven inflammation as well as keratinocyte proliferation to exacerbate psoriasis severity.
Topics: Psoriasis; Animals; Keratinocytes; Humans; Mice; Cell Proliferation; Granzymes; Interleukin-23; Inflammation; Imiquimod; Disease Models, Animal; Mice, Knockout; Female; Male; Mice, Inbred C57BL
PubMed: 38903528
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1398120 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2024Drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia is an adverse reaction marked by accelerated destruction of blood platelets. In cancer therapy, thrombocytopenia has many other... (Review)
Review
Drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia is an adverse reaction marked by accelerated destruction of blood platelets. In cancer therapy, thrombocytopenia has many other causes including bone marrow suppression induced by chemotherapeutic agents, infection, and progression of cancer; drug-induced thrombocytopenia can easily be misdiagnosed or overlooked. Here, we present a case of an ovarian cancer patient with a history of mixed connective tissue disease who underwent surgery followed by treatment with paclitaxel, cisplatin, and bevacizumab. The patient developed acute isolated thrombocytopenia after the sixth cycle. Serum antiplatelet antibody testing revealed antibodies against glycoprotein IIb. After we analyzed the whole therapeutic process of this patient, drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia was assumed, and bevacizumab was conjectured as the most probable drug. Thrombocytopenia was ultimately successfully managed using recombinant human thrombopoietin, prednisone, and recombinant human interleukin-11. We provide a summary of existing literature on immune thrombocytopenia induced by bevacizumab and discuss related mechanisms and triggers for drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia. The present case underscores the potential of bevacizumab to induce immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, emphasizing the need for heightened vigilance towards autoimmune diseases or an autoimmune-activated state as plausible triggers for rare drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia in cancer therapy.
Topics: Humans; Female; Bevacizumab; Ovarian Neoplasms; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic; Mixed Connective Tissue Disease; Middle Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological
PubMed: 38903494
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1382964 -
Nature Communications Jun 2024Psoriasis is an immune-mediated skin disease associated with neurogenic inflammation, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. We demonstrate here that...
Psoriasis is an immune-mediated skin disease associated with neurogenic inflammation, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. We demonstrate here that acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) exacerbates psoriatic inflammation through a sensory neurogenic pathway. Global or nociceptor-specific Asic3 knockout (KO) in female mice alleviates imiquimod-induced psoriatic acanthosis and type 17 inflammation to the same extent as nociceptor ablation. However, ASIC3 is dispensable for IL-23-induced psoriatic inflammation that bypasses the need for nociceptors. Mechanistically, ASIC3 activation induces the activity-dependent release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) from sensory neurons to promote neurogenic inflammation. Botulinum neurotoxin A and CGRP antagonists prevent sensory neuron-mediated exacerbation of psoriatic inflammation to similar extents as Asic3 KO. In contrast, replenishing CGRP in the skin of Asic3 KO mice restores the inflammatory response. These findings establish sensory ASIC3 as a critical constituent in psoriatic inflammation, and a promising target for neurogenic inflammation management.
Topics: Animals; Acid Sensing Ion Channels; Female; Mice, Knockout; Psoriasis; Mice; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; Sensory Receptor Cells; Skin; Imiquimod; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Disease Models, Animal; Inflammation; Neurogenic Inflammation; Humans; Nociceptors; Interleukin-23
PubMed: 38902277
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49577-3 -
Nature Communications Jun 2024While myelodysplastic syndromes with del(5q) (del(5q) MDS) comprises a well-defined hematological subgroup, the molecular basis underlying its origin remains unknown....
While myelodysplastic syndromes with del(5q) (del(5q) MDS) comprises a well-defined hematological subgroup, the molecular basis underlying its origin remains unknown. Using single cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) on CD34 progenitors from del(5q) MDS patients, we have identified cells harboring the deletion, characterizing the transcriptional impact of this genetic insult on disease pathogenesis and treatment response. Interestingly, both del(5q) and non-del(5q) cells present similar transcriptional lesions, indicating that all cells, and not only those harboring the deletion, may contribute to aberrant hematopoietic differentiation. However, gene regulatory network (GRN) analyses reveal a group of regulons showing aberrant activity that could trigger altered hematopoiesis exclusively in del(5q) cells, pointing to a more prominent role of these cells in disease phenotype. In del(5q) MDS patients achieving hematological response upon lenalidomide treatment, the drug reverts several transcriptional alterations in both del(5q) and non-del(5q) cells, but other lesions remain, which may be responsible for potential future relapses. Moreover, lack of hematological response is associated with the inability of lenalidomide to reverse transcriptional alterations. Collectively, this study reveals transcriptional alterations that could contribute to the pathogenesis and treatment response of del(5q) MDS.
Topics: Humans; Lenalidomide; Myelodysplastic Syndromes; Hematopoietic Stem Cells; Antigens, CD34; Chromosome Deletion; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5; Single-Cell Analysis; Male; Female; Aged; Gene Regulatory Networks; Middle Aged; Hematopoiesis; Transcriptome; Aged, 80 and over; RNA-Seq; Gene Expression Profiling
PubMed: 38902243
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49529-x -
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual... Jun 2024The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical role of multi-signal quantitative optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) perfusion sampling in...
PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical role of multi-signal quantitative optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) perfusion sampling in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
METHODS
The study was designed as a cross-sectional case series. We collected data from already treated macular neovascularization (MNV), characterized by (I) clinically relevant recurrent exudation, (II) nonclinically relevant recurrent exudation, and (III) inactive lesion. We proposed a new OCTA metric, calculating the gap between high-resolution (HR) and high-speed (HS) OCTA samplings, hypothesizing that this gap might improve the detection of new secondary MNV branches, being also associated with exudation recurrence. Main outcome measures were the HR-HS gap-based categorization of MNV lesions and the assessment of its association with exudative, minimally exudative, and inactive lesions.
RESULTS
Our cohort (which consisted of 32 MNV eyes; 32 patients; mean disease duration 5 years) was classified as type 1 (17; 53%), type 2 (11; 34%), or mixed type (4; 13%) MNV. Subretinal fibrosis was found in 17 out of 32 eyes (53%), whereas outer retinal atrophy involved 22 of 32 eyes (69%). HR-HS MNV gap was significantly different among MNV subgroups: 18% for the exudative subgroup, 12% for the minimally exudative subgroup, and 4% for the inactive subgroup. HR-HS gap significantly correlated with best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), disease duration, fibrosis, and outer retinal atrophy.
CONCLUSIONS
HR-HS gap is a novel quantitative metric to detect the secondary novel branches of AMD-related MNV. This parameter is clinically relevant because it is associated with fluid recurrence. The integration of HR-HS gap in artificial intelligence models might help to predict MNV reactivation and to optimize treatment strategies.
Topics: Humans; Tomography, Optical Coherence; Male; Female; Cross-Sectional Studies; Aged; Wet Macular Degeneration; Fluorescein Angiography; Aged, 80 and over; Recurrence; Visual Acuity; Angiogenesis Inhibitors; Fundus Oculi; Retrospective Studies; Middle Aged; Exudates and Transudates
PubMed: 38899961
DOI: 10.1167/iovs.65.6.30 -
Translational Vision Science &... Jun 2024To compare gene expression changes following branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) in the pig with and without bevacizumab (BEV) and triamcinolone acetonide (TA).
PURPOSE
To compare gene expression changes following branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) in the pig with and without bevacizumab (BEV) and triamcinolone acetonide (TA).
METHODS
Photothrombotic BRVOs were created in both eyes of four groups of nine pigs (2, 6, 10, and 20 days). In each group, six pigs received intravitreal injections of BEV in one eye and TA in the fellow eye, with three pigs serving as untreated BRVO controls. Three untreated pigs served as healthy controls. Expression of mRNA of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), dystrophin (DMD), potassium inwardly rectifying channel subfamily J member 10 protein (Kir4.1, KCNJ10), aquaporin-4 (AQP4), stromal cell-derived factor-1α (CXCL12), interleukin-6 (IL6), interleukin-8 (IL8), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (CCL2), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM1), and heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) were analyzed by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Retinal VEGF protein levels were characterized by immunohistochemistry.
RESULTS
In untreated eyes, BRVO significantly increased expression of GFAP, IL8, CCL2, ICAM1, HSF1, and AQP4. Expression of VEGF, KCNJ10, and CXCL12 was significantly reduced by 6 days post-BRVO, with expression recovering to healthy control levels by day 20. Treatment with BEV or TA significantly increased VEGF, DMD, and IL6 expression compared with untreated BRVO eyes and suppressed BRVO-induced CCL2 and AQP4 upregulation, as well as recovery of KCNJ10 expression, at 10 to 20 days post-BRVO.
CONCLUSIONS
Inflammation and cellular osmohomeostasis rather than VEGF suppression appear to play important roles in BRVO-induced retinal neurodegeneration, enhanced in both BEV- and TA-treated retinas.
TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE
Inner retinal neurodegeneration seen in this acute model of BRVO appears to be mediated by inflammation and alterations in osmohomeostasis rather than VEGF inhibition, which may have implications for more specific treatment modalities in the acute phase of BRVO.
Topics: Animals; Bevacizumab; Triamcinolone Acetonide; Retinal Vein Occlusion; Disease Models, Animal; Angiogenesis Inhibitors; Cytokines; Intravitreal Injections; Swine; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; RNA, Messenger; Glucocorticoids; Gene Expression Regulation; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying
PubMed: 38899953
DOI: 10.1167/tvst.13.6.13 -
The New England Journal of Medicine Jun 2024The identification of oncogenic mutations in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has led to the development of drugs that target essential survival pathways, but...
BACKGROUND
The identification of oncogenic mutations in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has led to the development of drugs that target essential survival pathways, but whether targeting multiple survival pathways may be curative in DLBCL is unknown.
METHODS
We performed a single-center, phase 1b-2 study of a regimen of venetoclax, ibrutinib, prednisone, obinutuzumab, and lenalidomide (ViPOR) in relapsed or refractory DLBCL. In phase 1b, which included patients with DLBCL and indolent lymphomas, four dose levels of venetoclax were evaluated to identify the recommended phase 2 dose, with fixed doses of the other four drugs. A phase 2 expansion in patients with germinal-center B-cell (GCB) and non-GCB DLBCL was performed. ViPOR was administered every 21 days for six cycles.
RESULTS
In phase 1b of the study, involving 20 patients (10 with DLBCL), a single dose-limiting toxic effect of grade 3 intracranial hemorrhage occurred, a result that established venetoclax at a dose of 800 mg as the recommended phase 2 dose. Phase 2 included 40 patients with DLBCL. Toxic effects that were observed among all the patients included grade 3 or 4 neutropenia (in 24% of the cycles), thrombocytopenia (in 23%), anemia (in 7%), and febrile neutropenia (in 1%). Objective responses occurred in 54% of 48 evaluable patients with DLBCL, and complete responses occurred in 38%; complete responses were exclusively in patients with non-GCB DLBCL and high-grade B-cell lymphoma with rearrangements of and or (or both). Circulating tumor DNA was undetectable in 33% of the patients at the end of ViPOR therapy. With a median follow-up of 40 months, 2-year progression-free survival and overall survival were 34% (95% confidence interval [CI], 21 to 47) and 36% (95% CI, 23 to 49), respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
Treatment with ViPOR was associated with durable remissions in patients with specific molecular DLBCL subtypes and was associated with mainly reversible adverse events. (Funded by the Intramural Research Program of the National Cancer Institute and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03223610.).
Topics: Humans; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse; Female; Middle Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Sulfonamides; Aged; Male; Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; Lenalidomide; Piperidines; Adult; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Prednisone; Adenine; Aged, 80 and over; Recurrence; Pyrazoles; Pyrimidines; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Progression-Free Survival
PubMed: 38899693
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2401532