15 research outputs found

    Effects of Low Intensity Continuous Ultrasound (LICU) on Mouse Pancreatic Tumor Explants

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    This paper describes the effects of low intensity continuous ultrasound (LICU) on the inflammatory response of mouse pancreatic tumor explants. While there are many reports focusing on the application of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) on cell cultures and tissues, the effects of continuous oscillations on biological tissues have never been investigated. Here we present an exploratory study of the effects induced by LICU on mouse pancreatic tumor explants. We show that LICU causes significant upregulation of IFN-γ, IL-1β, and TNF-α on tumor explants. No detectable effects were observed on tumor vasculature or collagen I deposition, while thermal and mechanical effects were not apparent. Tumor explants responded as a single unit to acoustic waves, with spatial pressure variations smaller than their size.We acknowledge support by the CSIC Open Access Publication Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI)The authors would like to acknowledge funding from the National Institutes of Health (R01HL106584) and i-LINK (I-LINK0979). We thank Anna Khachatryan for her help with the ELISA assays

    Porphyromonas gingivalis Promotes Unrestrained Type I Interferon Production by Dysregulating TAM Signaling via MYD88 Degradation

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    Summary: Whereas type I interferons (IFNs-I) were proposed to be elevated in human periodontitis, their role in the disease remains elusive. Using a bacterial-induced model of murine periodontitis, we revealed a prolonged elevation in IFN-I expression. This was due to the downregulation of TAM signaling, a major negative regulator of IFN-I. Further examination revealed that the expression of certain TAM components was reduced as a result of prolonged degradation of MYD88 by the infection. As a result of such prolonged IFN-I production, innate immunological functions of the gingiva were disrupted, and CD4+ T cells were constitutively primed by dendritic cells, leading to elevated RANKL expression and, subsequently, alveolar bone loss (ABL). Blocking IFN-I signaling restored proper immunological function and prevented ABL. Importantly, a loss of negative regulation on IFN-I expression by TAM signaling was also evident in periodontitis patients. These findings thus suggest a role for IFN-I in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. : Mizraji et al. found that elevated expression of type I interferons mediates murine periodontitis induced by the oral pathogen P. gingivalis. P. gingivalis causes degradation of MYD88 that is essential to the expression of AXL and GAS6, known negative regulators of type I interferons. Keywords: oral mucosa, mucosal immunity, periodontitis, Porphyromonas gingivalis, MYD88, interferon, GAS

    Inhibition of CXCR4 Enhances the Efficacy of Radiotherapy in Metastatic Prostate Cancer Models

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    Radiotherapy (RT) is a standard treatment for patients with advanced prostate cancer (PCa). Previous preclinical studies showed that SDF1α/CXCR4 axis could mediate PCa metastasis (most often to the bones) and cancer resistance to RT. We found high levels of expression for both SDF1α and its receptor CXCR4 in primary and metastatic PCa tissue samples. In vitro analyses using PCa cells revealed an important role of CXCR4 in cell invasion but not radiotolerance. Pharmacologic inhibition of CXCR4 using AMD3100 showed no efficacy in orthotopic primary and bone metastatic PCa models. However, when combined with RT, AMD3100 potentiated the effect of local single-dose RT (12 Gy) in both models. Moreover, CXCR4 inhibition also reduced lymph node metastasis from primary PCa. Notably, CXCR4 inhibition promoted the normalization of bone metastatic PCa vasculature and reduced tissue hypoxia. In conclusion, the SDF1α/CXCR4 axis is a potential therapeutic target in metastatic PCa patients treated with RT
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