Einfluß von Komponenten der extrazellulären Matrix auf Hypophysenzellphysiologie und Hypophysentumorpathogenese

Die extrazelluläre Matrix umgibt Zellen, stabilisiert Gewebe und reguliert Zellfunktionen. Bestandteile der ECM transduzieren Signale durch Zellmembranrezeptoren, sog. Integrine. Integrine vermitteln Änderungen der Zellmorphologie, Proliferation, Differenzierung und Apoptose in Zellen. Die Frage ob die ECM eine wichtige Rolle in der Physiologie und Tumorgenese der Hypophyse spielt, ist immer noch offen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden zum ersten Mal die regulatorischen Möglichkeiten der ECM in der Hypophyse dargestellt. Es wurde der Einfluß der extrazellulären Matrix auf das Wachstum und die Zytokinsekretion von follikulostellaren Zellen, sowie Hormonsekretion, Proliferation und Signaltransduktion in kortikotropen Zellen untersucht. Desweiteren werden in dieser Arbeit Änderungen der Expression von Laminin, als auch deren mögliche funktionale Konsequenzen innerhalb der Prolaktinomgenese demonstriert. In der follikulostellaren Zellinie TtT-GF konnte gezeigt werden, daß Fibronektin und Kollagen I die Zellproliferation stimulieren. Simultan führte nur Kollagen I zu einer Erhöhung der Interleukin-6 Sekretion, welches ein bekannter Wachstumsfaktor für follikulostellare Zellen ist. Die signifikante Hemmung der Proliferation von FS-Zellen bei Kombination von Kollagen I mit einem anti-IL6-Antikörper läßt darauf schließen, daß Kollagen I die Proliferation und Zytokinsekretion von follikulostellaren Zellen reguliert. Die Fibronektin vermittelte Proliferationsteigerung scheint dagegen einem anderen Mechanismus zugrunde zu liegen. In der kortikotropen Tumorzellinie AtT-20 konnte nachgewiesen werden, daß die ACTH Sekretion durch Fibronektin, Laminin und Kollagen I inhibiert wird. Ein Reporterkonstrukt bestehend aus dem POMC Promoter und Luciferasegen zeigte ähnliche Ergebnisse, was auf eine Hemmung der ACTH Sekretion bereits auf Ebene der POMC-Transkription schließen läßt. Im Gegensatz dazu konnte keine signifikante Veränderung der ACTH Sekretion in normalen Hypophysenzellen festgestellt werden. AtT-20 Zellproliferation wurde durch Kollagen IV und Fibronektin stimuliert, wogegen Kollagen I und Laminin zu einer Inhibition führten. Parallel dazu fand eine Veränderung der Zellform statt. Ein möglicher integrinvermittelter Signalweg umfasst die Aktivierung von Rac, einer kleinen GTPase, mit der konsekutiven Produktion von reaktiven Sauerstoffradikalen (ROS) und einer runden Zellform. Es konnte gezeigt werden, daß eine Inhibition der AtT-20 Proliferation durch Laminin mit einer signifikanten Erhöhung der reaktiven Sauerstoffradikalen und einer runden Zellform einhergeht. Dieser Effekt war mit NAcetylcystein (NAC), einem ROS-Antagonisten, umkehrbar und am ehesten Rac vermittelt. Unter Kollagen IV fand ebenfalls eine Inhibition des Zellwachstums statt. AtT-20 Zellen nahmen auch hier eine runde Zellform an und produzierten, wenn auch weniger stark als Laminin und Kollagen I, ROS. Dieser Effekt war jedoch nicht durch NAC umkehrbar. Kollagen I führte dagegen zu einer Steigerung der Proliferation und ROS-Produktion, sowie zu ausgebreiteten als auch runden Zellen. Diese z.T. gegensätzlichen durch Kollagen I+IV vermittelten Effekte könnten durch simultane Aktivierung alternativer Mechanismen, wie z.B. eine integrinbedingte Aktivierung als auch Hemmung von Rezeptoren für Wachstumsfaktoren, verursacht sein. Ein weiterer, oft mit Fibronektin assoziierter Signalweg, beinhaltet die integrinvermittelte Aktivierung von Rho, einer weiteren kleinen GTPase. Die fehlende ROS Erhöhung, der Einsatz eines β1-integrin stimulierenden Antikörpers, sowie die integrinunabhängige Stimulation von Rho durch Lysophosphatidatsäure läßt auf eine Rho assoziierte Proliferationserhöhung in AtT-20 Zellen durch Fibronektin schließen. In GH3 Zellen führte Laminin zu einer Abnahme der Prolaktinsekretion und zur Inhibition der Proliferation. Im Gegensatz dazu konnten keine Veränderungen der Prolaktinsekretion in normalen Rattenhypophysenzellen beobachtet werden. Übereinstimmend zeigte sich im Dopamin2 Rezeptor defizienten Mausprolaktinom, einem Knock-Out in vivo Modell für spontane Prolaktinomentwicklung, und humanen Prolaktinom eine bereits sehr frühe Abnahme der Lamininexpression. Diese Hemmung der Lamininexpression während der Prolaktinomgenese könnte einen weiteren Faktor für erhöhte Hormonproduktion und Zellproliferation in Prolaktinomen darstellen. Die hier erstmalig beschriebenen Auswirkungen der extrazellulären Matrix auf Hypophysenzellproliferation und -hormonsekretion verdeutlichen die wichtige, aber wenig erforschte Rolle der ECM in der Hypophyse. Diese Resultate sind nicht nur neue Ansatzpunkte der Hypophysenphysiologie und -pathophysiologie, sondern lassen auch die Weitläufigkeit der unterschiedlichen regulativen Systeme innerhalb der Hypophyse erkennen

Circulating microRNAs as biomarkers - True Blood?

MicroRNAs are post-transcriptional regulators that are involved in many physiological and pathophysiological conditions. A recent study compared the expression profiles of hundreds of blood-borne microRNAs across a variety of nonmalignant and malignant diseases to identify disease-specific expression patterns. The resulting microRNA expression data could be used to discriminate disease samples with a high level of accuracy, demonstrating the potential for using microRNA signatures for the blood-based diagnosis of disease

A New CYP2E1 Inhibitor, 12-Imidazolyl-1-dodecanol, Represents a Potential Treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) is a key target protein in the development of alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (FLD). The pathophysiological correlate is the massive production of reactive oxygen species. The role of CYP2E1 in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the final complication of FLD, remains controversial. Specifically, CYP2E1 has not yet been defined as a molecular target for HCC therapy. In addition, a CYP2E1-specific drug has not been developed. We have already shown that our newly developed CYP2E1 inhibitor 12-imidazolyl-1-dodecanol (I-ol) was therapeutically effective against alcoholic and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. In this study, we investigated the effect of I-ol on HCC tumorigenesis and whether I-ol could serve as a possible treatment option for terminal-stage FLD. I-ol exerted a very highly significant antitumour effect against hepatocellular HepG2 cells. Cell viability was reduced in a dose-dependent manner, with only the highest doses causing a cytotoxic effect associated with caspase 3/7 activation. Comparable results were obtained for the model colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line, DLD-1, whose tumorigenesis is also associated with CYP2E1. Transcriptome analyses showed a clear effect of I-ol on apoptosis and cell-cycle regulation, with the increased expression of p27Kip1 being particularly noticeable. These observations were confirmed at the protein level for HepG2 and DLD-1 cells grafted on a chorioallantoic membrane. Cell-cycle analysis showed a complete loss of proliferating cells with a simultaneous increase in S-phase arrest beginning at a threshold dose of 30 μM. I-ol also reduced xenograft tumour growth in nude mice. This antitumour effect was not associated with tumour cachexia. I-ol was not toxic to healthy tissues or organs. This study demonstrates for the first time the therapeutic effect of the specific CYP2E1 inhibitor I-ol on the tumorigenesis of HCC. Our findings imply that I-ol can potentially be applied therapeutically on patients at the final stage of FLD. © 2021 Torsten Diesinger et al

Endogenous tumor suppressor microRNA-193b: Therapeutic and prognostic value in acute myeloid leukemia

Purpose Dysregulated microRNAs are implicated in the pathogenesis and aggressiveness of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We describe the effect of the hematopoietic stem-cell self-renewal regulating miR-193b on progression and prognosis of AML. Methods We profiled miR-193b-5p/3p expression in cytogenetically and clinically characterized de novo pediatric AML (n = 161) via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and validated our findings in an independent cohort of 187 adult patients. We investigated the tumor suppressive function of miR-193b in human AML blasts, patient-derived xenografts, and miR-193b knockout mice in vitro and in vivo. Results miR-193b exerted important, endogenous, tumor-suppressive functions on the hematopoietic system. miR-193b-3p was downregulated in several cytogenetically defined subgroups of pediatric and adult AML, and low expression served as an independent indicator for poor prognosis in pediatric AML (risk ratio 6 standard error, 20.56 6 0.23; P = .016). miR-193b-3p expression improved the prognostic value of the European LeukemiaNet risk-group stratification or a 17-gene leukemic stemness score. In knockout mice, loss of miR-193b cooperated with Hoxa9/Meis1 during leukemogenesis, whereas restoring miR-193b expression impaired leukemic engraftment. Similarly, expression of miR-193b in AML blasts from patients diminished leukemic growth in vitro and in mouse xenografts. Mechanistically, miR-193b induced apoptosis and a G1/S-phase block in various human AML subgroups by targeting multiple factors of the KIT-RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK (MAPK) signaling cascade and the downstream cell cycle regulator CCND1. Conclusion The tumor-suppressive function is independent of patient age or genetics; therefore, restoring miR-193b would assure high antileukemic efficacy by blocking the entire MAPK signaling cascade while preventing the emergence of resistance mechanisms

MiRNAs in hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in physiological as well as multiple malignant processes including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In an effort to gain further insight into the role of miRNAs in AML, we have applied the Illumina massively parallel sequencing platform to carry out an in depth analysis of the miRNA transcriptome in a murine leukemia progression model, based on the engineered over-expression of the nucleoporin 98(NUP98)-homeobox HOXD13 fusion gene (ND13), followed by conversion into AML inducing cells upon transduction with the oncogenic collaborator Meis1. Of the over 307 identified miRNA/miRNA* species in both libraries, sequence counts varied between 2 and 136,558, indicating a remarkable expression range. Our finding of extensive sequence variations (isomiRs) for almost all miRNA and miRNA* species adds additional complexity to the miRNA transcriptome. A stringent target prediction analysis coupled with in-vitro target validation revealed the potential for miRNA-mediated release of oncogenes that facilitates leukemic progression from the preleukemic to leukemia inducing state. Besides over 50 putative novel miRNAs, we found a high abundance of miRNA* species, implying a functional role for these. To further elucidate the function of miRNA*s, we took advantage of 9 deep sequencing libraries from a variety of cell lines to determine the most abundant complementary strand of know miRNAs. Comparing miRNA/miRNA* ratios across the miRNA sequence libraries revealed that most ratios remain constant across tissues and species, allowing a novel classification of miRNAs into α-duplexes, miRNAs duplexes with a dominant strand and β-duplexes with both strands being abundant. However, certain ratios were highly variable across the libraries examined as exemplified for the ratio of miR-223/miR-223*. Bioinformatics as well as functional analysis revealed a possible supporting function of miR-223* to the differentiating role of miR-223 in normal normal bone marrow as well as AML. Taken together, by using deep sequencing we provided deep insight into the changes of the miRNA transcriptome in the development of AML. Furthermore, we propose a new classification for miRNA duplexes and provide evidence for a possible role a miRNA* in the development of acute myeloid leukemia.Medicine, Faculty ofMedicine, Department ofExperimental Medicine, Division ofGraduat

Management of Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Review for General Practitioners in Oncology

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematologic malignancy that most frequently develops in older adults. Overall, AML is associated with a high mortality although advancements in genetic risk stratification and new treatments are leading to improvements in outcomes for some subgroups. In this review, we discuss an individualized approach to intensive therapy with a focus on the role of recently approved novel therapies as well as the selection of post-remission therapies for patients in first remission. We discuss the management of patients with relapsed and refractory AML, including the role of targeted treatment and allogeneic stem cell transplant. Next, we review non-intensive treatment for older and unfit AML patients including the use of azacitidine and venetoclax. Finally, we discuss the integration of palliative care in the management of patients with AML

Pulmonary Campylobacter concisus infection in an immunocompromised patient with underlying mucormycosis

Campylobacter concisus is a rarely encountered agent of human infection. The first isolation of C. concisus from a pulmonary abscess in an immunocompromised patient who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation is reported here. This unusual case demonstrates the pathogenic potential of this bacterium and outlines species-immanent difficulties in gaining a reliable diagnosis. Molecular methods were a cornerstone for definite identification of the organism grown on anaerobic culture from surgically excised tissue. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed unusual quinolone and macrolide resistance, and therefore antimicrobial therapy was based on β-lactam antibiotics. Keywords: Campylobacter concisus, Lung abscess, Molecular diagnostics, Antibiotic treatmen