Gene Expression Profiling of Placenta from Normal to Pathological Pregnancies

The placenta is a unique temporary organ essential for growth of the fetus, which determines the success of pregnancy. Its originality relies on a combination of nutritive, endocrine and immunological functions that control maternal immune tolerance to fetus. In the present chapter, we review gene expression programs of placenta from placenta tissue to isolated cells using high throughput transcriptomic approach. Beside trophoblasts, we focused on immune cells including macrophages, dendritic cells and mast cells. From the gene expression signatures, we identify key pathways for the different trimesters of the normal pregnancy and pathological alterations including preeclampsia and gestational diabetes mellitus

New Tools for Studying Macrophage Polarization: Application to Bacterial Infections

Macrophages are tissue immune cells involved in homeostasis and are considered as the first line of defense during bacterial infections. They are resident cells but may be recruited during inflammation and/or infection. Hence, their study is necessary not only to decipher innate immune mechanisms involved in bacterial infections but also to follow infected patients. Among the numerous functions of macrophages, their polarization into microbicidal or permissive cells has been an interesting concept to describe their responses to bacterial aggression. Numerous in vitro studies, including ours, have shown the ability of bacteria to induce different patterns of macrophage polarization. However, the studies of patients during infections have produced less convincing results. We propose in this review to take stock of the tools for studying the polarization of macrophages and to show their limits. We make recommendations for using macrophage polarization as a biomarker for measuring severity and response to treatment in bacterial infectious diseases

Inhibition of platelet activation prevents the P-selectin and integrin-dependent accumulation of cancer cell microparticles and reduces tumor growth and metastasis in vivo

International audienceVenous thromboembolism constitutes one of the main causes of death during the progression of a cancer. We previously demonstrated that tissue factor (TF)-bearing cancer cell-derived microparticles accumulate at the site of injury in mice developing a pancreatic cancer. The presence of these microparticles at the site of thrombosis correlates with the size of the platelet-rich thrombus. The objective of this study was to determine the involvement of TF expressed by cancer cell-derived microparticles on thrombosis associated with cancer. We observed that pancreatic cancer cell derived microparticles expressed TF, its inhibi-tor tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) as well as the integrins avb1 and avb3. In mice bearing a tumor under-expressing TF, a significant decrease in circulating TF activity associated with an increase bleeding time and a 100-fold diminished fibrin generation and platelet accumulation at the site of injury were observed. This was mainly due to the interaction of circulating cancer cell-derived microparticles expressing TFPI with activated platelets and fibrinogen. In an ectopic model of cancer, treatment of mice with Clopidogrel, an anti-platelet drug, decreased the size of the tumors and restored hemostasis by preventing the accumulation of cancer cell-derived microparticles at the site of thrombosis. In a syngeneic orthotopic model of pancreatic cancer Clopidogrel also significantly inhibited the development of metastases. Together, these results indicate that an anti-platelet strategy may efficiently treat thrombosis associated with cancer and reduce the progression of pancreatic cancer in mice

Rôle des plaquettes dans l'inflammation et le cancer

Dans le cancer, l'activation de la cascade de coagulation et des plaquettes participent à la formation de thromboses, à la croissance tumorale, et les métastases. Ces thromboses représentent une complication clinique chez les patients atteints du cancer du pancréas. Cet état serait dû à expression par la tumeur et leurs microparticules (MPs) de facteur tissulaire (FT). Dans une première partie, nous avons identifié le FT et le FT pathway inhibitor exprimés par les MPs cancéreuses et la P-sélectine plaquettaire impliqués dans la progression tumorale, les métastases et la thrombose associée au cancer du pancréas .Nous avons montré le rôle des intégrines αvβ3 et αvβ et des "neutrophils extracellular traps" dans l’interaction des MPs cancéreuses avec les plaquettes dans des modèles murins de « deep vein thrombosis » et de blessure au laser. Nous avons alors évalué l’efficacité du clopidogrel qui présente une action anti tumorale et thrombotique. Cette étude a permis d’initier une étude clinique de phase III pour d’évaluer le potentiel thérapeutique du clopidogrel chez des patients atteints de cancer du pancréas. Dans une seconde partie, nous avons montré que des neutrophiles exprimant le FT agissent comme « starter » de la formation de thrombi. A l’inverse, dans un modèle d’inflammation stérile, nos travaux montrent le rôle de la P-sélectine plaquettaire dans le slow rolling, l’adhésion et la transmigration des neutrophiles a des temps précoses. L’ensemble de nos résultats suggère que les coopérations cellulaires entre l’endothélium, les plaquettes, les MPs et les neutrophiles constituent des mécanismes essentiels à la thrombose et l'inflammation.In cancers, the blood coagulation cascade and platelets can be activated to form thrombosis. This state will mainly due by the tumor and their microparticles (MPs) expression of tissue factor (TF), key protein of the coagulation cascade. In the first part of this study, we demonstrated that TF and the TF pathway inhibitor expressed by cancer MPs and the platelet P-selectin are involved in tumor progression, metastasis and the associated thrombosis in pancreatic cancer in mice. We showed the key role-play by αvβ3 and αvβ1 integrins and neutrophils extracellular traps in the interaction between cancer cells-derived MPs and platelets. We also evaluated the effect of clopidogrel, but not aspirin, treatment exhibits an anti-tumor action and limits thrombosis formation in preclinical models of pancreatic cancer. This study initiates a national investigation of a multicenter clinical phase III study to evaluate the therapeutic potential of clopidogrel in pancreatic cancer patients. In the second part of this study, we identified a “population of neutrophils expressing TF” that acts like a starter of the thrombus formation. At the reverse, in a sterile inflammatory model, our work showed the primordial role of platelet P-selectin in the slow rolling, the adhesion and the transmigration of neutrophils. All together our results suggest that the cooperation between the endothelium, platelets, MPs and neutrophils constitute essential mechanisms acting in the thrombosis and the inflammation

Rôle des plaquettes dans l'inflammation et le cancer

Dans le cancer, l'activation de la cascade de coagulation et des plaquettes participent à la formation de thromboses, à la croissance tumorale, et les métastases. Ces thromboses représentent une complication clinique chez les patients atteints du cancer du pancréas. Cet état serait dû à expression par la tumeur et leurs microparticules (MPs) de facteur tissulaire (FT). Dans une première partie, nous avons identifié le FT et le FT pathway inhibitor exprimés par les MPs cancéreuses et la P-sélectine plaquettaire impliqués dans la progression tumorale, les métastases et la thrombose associée au cancer du pancréas .Nous avons montré le rôle des intégrines αvβ3 et αvβ et des "neutrophils extracellular traps" dans l’interaction des MPs cancéreuses avec les plaquettes dans des modèles murins de « deep vein thrombosis » et de blessure au laser. Nous avons alors évalué l’efficacité du clopidogrel qui présente une action anti tumorale et thrombotique. Cette étude a permis d’initier une étude clinique de phase III pour d’évaluer le potentiel thérapeutique du clopidogrel chez des patients atteints de cancer du pancréas. Dans une seconde partie, nous avons montré que des neutrophiles exprimant le FT agissent comme « starter » de la formation de thrombi. A l’inverse, dans un modèle d’inflammation stérile, nos travaux montrent le rôle de la P-sélectine plaquettaire dans le slow rolling, l’adhésion et la transmigration des neutrophiles a des temps précoses. L’ensemble de nos résultats suggère que les coopérations cellulaires entre l’endothélium, les plaquettes, les MPs et les neutrophiles constituent des mécanismes essentiels à la thrombose et l'inflammation.In cancers, the blood coagulation cascade and platelets can be activated to form thrombosis. This state will mainly due by the tumor and their microparticles (MPs) expression of tissue factor (TF), key protein of the coagulation cascade. In the first part of this study, we demonstrated that TF and the TF pathway inhibitor expressed by cancer MPs and the platelet P-selectin are involved in tumor progression, metastasis and the associated thrombosis in pancreatic cancer in mice. We showed the key role-play by αvβ3 and αvβ1 integrins and neutrophils extracellular traps in the interaction between cancer cells-derived MPs and platelets. We also evaluated the effect of clopidogrel, but not aspirin, treatment exhibits an anti-tumor action and limits thrombosis formation in preclinical models of pancreatic cancer. This study initiates a national investigation of a multicenter clinical phase III study to evaluate the therapeutic potential of clopidogrel in pancreatic cancer patients. In the second part of this study, we identified a “population of neutrophils expressing TF” that acts like a starter of the thrombus formation. At the reverse, in a sterile inflammatory model, our work showed the primordial role of platelet P-selectin in the slow rolling, the adhesion and the transmigration of neutrophils. All together our results suggest that the cooperation between the endothelium, platelets, MPs and neutrophils constitute essential mechanisms acting in the thrombosis and the inflammation

Changing the paradigm of IFN‐γ at the interface between innate and adaptive immunity: Macrophage‐derived IFN‐γ

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The E-Cadherin Cleavage Associated to Pathogenic Bacteria Infections Can Favor Bacterial Invasion and Transmigration, Dysregulation of the Immune Response and Cancer Induction in Humans

International audienceOnce bound to the epithelium, pathogenic bacteria have to cross epithelial barriers to invade their human host. In order to achieve this goal, they have to destroy the adherens junctions insured by cell adhesion molecules (CAM), such as E-cadherin (E-cad). The invasive bacteria use more or less sophisticated mechanisms aimed to deregulate CAM genes expression or to modulate the cell-surface expression of CAM proteins, which are otherwise rigorously regulated by a molecular crosstalk essential for homeostasis. Apart from the repression of CAM genes, a drastic decrease in adhesion molecules on human epithelial cells can be obtained by induction of eukaryotic endoproteases named sheddases or through synthesis of their own (prokaryotic) sheddases. Cleavage of CAM by sheddases results in the release of soluble forms of CAM. The overexpression of soluble CAM in body fluids can trigger inflammation and pro-carcinogenic programming leading to tumor induction and metastasis. In addition, the reduction of the surface expression of E-cad on epithelia could be accompanied by an alteration of the anti-bacterial and anti-tumoral immune responses. This immune response dysfunction is likely to occur through the deregulation of immune cells homing, which is controlled at the level of E-cad interaction by surface molecules α E integrin (CD103) and lectin receptor KLRG1. In this review, we highlight the central role of CAM cell-surface expression during pathogenic microbial invasion, with a particular focus on bacterial-induced cleavage of E-cad. We revisit herein the rapidly growing body of evidence indicating that high levels of soluble E-cad (sE-cad) in patients' sera could serve as biomarker of bacterial-induced diseases

From Coxiella burnetii Infection to Pregnancy Complications: Key Role of the Immune Response of Placental Cells

International audienceThe infection of pregnant animals and women by Coxiella burnetii, an intracellular bacterium, compromises both maternal health and foetal development. The placenta is targeted by C. burnetii, as demonstrated by bacteriological and histological evidence. It now appears that placental strains of C. burnetii are highly virulent compared to reference strains and that placental injury involves different types of placental cells. Trophoblasts, the major placental cells, are largely infected by C. burnetii and may represent a replicating niche for the bacteria. The placenta also contains numerous immune cells, including macrophages, dendritic cells, and mast cells. Placental macrophages are infected and activated by C. burnetii in an unusual way of M1 polarisation associated with bacterial elimination. Placental mast cells eliminate bacteria through a mechanism including the release of extracellular actin filaments and antimicrobial peptides. In contrast, C. burnetii impairs the maturation of decidual dendritic cells, favouring bacterial pathogenicity. Our aim is to review C. burnetii infections of human placentas, paying special attention to both the action and function of the different cell types, immune cells, and trophoblasts targeted by C. burnetii in relation to foetal injury

Macrophage Polarization in Viral Infectious Diseases: Confrontation with the Reality

The role of macrophages in viral infections is well documented. Their activation status also called macrophage polarization categorized by the dichotomy of M1 and M2 phenotype remained poorly investigated. Recent studies have shown the complexity of macrophage polarization in response to viral infection and the limits of its use in infected individuals. The aim of this chapter is to reappraise the concept of macrophage polarization in viral infectious diseases, which are more complicated than the models of macrophage-virus interaction. If this concept has been largely used to describe activation status of myeloid cells in experimental conditions, it has to be assessed in light of high-throughput technologies at molecular and phenotypic levels. We update knowledge on macrophage polarization in viral infectious diseases with a special attention for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection leading to coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Hence, we propose an overview of the concept of macrophages as targets for therapeutic intervention in viral infectious disease. Finally, we tempted to focus our approach on patient investigation restricting the use of in vitro experiments and animal models to mechanistic questions

Cell and Animal Models for SARS-CoV-2 Research

During the last two years following the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, development of potent antiviral drugs and vaccines has been a global health priority. In this context, the understanding of virus pathophysiology, the identification of associated therapeutic targets, and the screening of potential effective compounds have been indispensable advancements. It was therefore of primary importance to develop experimental models that recapitulate the aspects of the human disease in the best way possible. This article reviews the information concerning available SARS-CoV-2 preclinical models during that time, including cell-based approaches and animal models. We discuss their evolution, their advantages, and drawbacks, as well as their relevance to drug effectiveness evaluation