Abstract 2141: Stromal SPARC deficiency skews prostate cancer toward neuroendocrine differentiation

2018

Abstract Tumor progression is a multifaceted process in which, complex interactions between tumor and different types of stromal cells and extracellular matrix components, actively contribute to its phenotypic heterogeneity. Among extracellular matrix proteins, secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) has been deeply studied since conflicting reports have described its expression to be either increased or decreased in different cancer settings, also depending on whether it is produced by the neoplasm or by the neighboring stroma. Nevertheless, the different contribution of tumor- or stromal-derived SPARC in prostate tumor microenvironment has not been addressed at least for tumo…

Infiltrating mast cell-mediated stimulation of estrogen receptor activity in breast cancer cells promotes the luminal phenotype

2019

Abstract Tumor growth and development is determined by both cancer cell–autonomous and microenvironmental mechanisms, including the contribution of infiltrating immune cells. Because the role of mast cells (MC) in this process is poorly characterized and even controversial, we investigated their part in breast cancer. Crossing C57BL/6 MMTV-PyMT mice, which spontaneously develop mammary carcinomas, with MC-deficient C57BL/6-KitW-sh/W-sh (Wsh) mice, showed that MCs promote tumor growth and prevent the development of basal CK5-positive areas in favor of a luminal gene program. When cocultured with breast cancer cells in vitro, MCs hindered activation of cMET, a master regulator of the basal pr…

Constitutive psgl-1 correlates with cd30 and tcr pathways and represents a potential target for immunotherapy in anaplastic large t-cell lymphoma

2021

Simple Summary P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1), coded by the SELPLG gene, is the major ligand of selectins and plays a pivotal role in tethering, rolling and extravasation of immune cells. PSGL-1 involvement in core molecular programs, such as SYK, PLCγ2, PI3Kγ or MAPK pathways, suggests additional functions beyond the modulation of cell trafficking. Recently, several studies identified a novel mechanism responsible for PSGL-1-mediated immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment and proved a novel concept of PSGL-1 as a critical checkpoint molecule for tumor immunotherapy. The immunotherapeutic approach has gained an ever-growing interest in the treatment of several hematolog…

SARS-CoV2 vertical transmission with adverse effects on the newborn revealed through integrated immunohistochemical, electron microscopy and molecula…

2020

Background: The occurrence of trans-placental transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection remains highly debated. Placental positivity for SARS-CoV-2 has been reported in selected cases, but infection or virus-associated disease of fetal tissues or newborns remains to be demonstrated. Methods: We screened for SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein expression placentas from 101 women who delivered between February 7 and May 15 2020, including 15 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, 34 tested negative, and 52 not evaluated as they did not meet testing criteria (32), or delivered before COVID-19 pandemic declaration (20). Immunostain for SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid…

Fasting-Mimicking Diet Is Safe and Reshapes Metabolism and Antitumor Immunity in Patients with Cancer.

2021

Abstract In tumor-bearing mice, cyclic fasting or fasting-mimicking diets (FMD) enhance the activity of antineoplastic treatments by modulating systemic metabolism and boosting antitumor immunity. Here we conducted a clinical trial to investigate the safety and biological effects of cyclic, five-day FMD in combination with standard antitumor therapies. In 101 patients, the FMD was safe, feasible, and resulted in a consistent decrease of blood glucose and growth factor concentration, thus recapitulating metabolic changes that mediate fasting/FMD anticancer effects in preclinical experiments. Integrated transcriptomic and deep-phenotyping analyses revealed that FMD profoundly reshapes antican…

Breast Cancer Organoids Model Patient-Specific Response to Drug Treatment

2020

Tumor organoids are tridimensional cell culture systems that are generated in vitro from surgically resected patients&rsquo

The Abundance of Tumor-Infiltrating CD8+ Tissue Resident Memory T Lymphocytes Correlates with Patient Survival in Glioblastoma

2022

Glial tumors alone account for 40% of all CNS tumors and present a low survival rate. The tumor microenvironment is a critical regulator of tumor progression and therapeutic effectiveness in glioma. Growing evidence from numerous studies of human solid tumor-infiltrating CD8(+) T cells indicates that tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) represent a substantial subpopulation of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Although it is reported that some types of cancer patients with high immune infiltration tend to have better outcomes than patients with low immune infiltration, it seems this does not happen in gliomas. This study aimed to characterize TRMs cells in the glioma tumor microenviron…

Distinct Roles of Classical and Lectin Pathways of Complement in Preeclamptic Placentae

2022

Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterized by defective vascular remodeling in maternal decidua responsible for reduced blood flow leading to functional and structural alterations in the placenta. We have investigated the contribution of the complement system to decidual vascular changes and showed that trophoblasts surrounding unremodeled vessels prevalent in preeclamptic decidua fail to express C1q that are clearly detected in cells around remodeled vessels predominant in control placenta. The critical role of C1q is supported by the finding that decidual trophoblasts of femaleC1qa-/-pregnant mice mated toC1qa+/+male mice surrounding remodeled vessels express C1q of paternal …

Role of PD-L1 expression in triple-negative breast cancer stem cells.

2018

12081Background: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by poor prognosis, lack of specific-targeted agents and is in need of new therapeutics. Immune checkpoint blockers have shown ...

Frontline Science: Mast cells regulate neutrophil homeostasis by influencing macrophage clearance activity

2019

Abstract The receptor tyrosine kinase cKit and its ligand stem cell factor are essential for mast cells (MC) development and survival. Strains with mutations affecting the Kit gene display a profound MC deficiency in all tissues and have been extensively used to investigate the role of MC in both physiologic and pathologic conditions. However, these mice present a variety of abnormalities in other immune cell populations that can affect the interpretation of MC-related responses. C57BL/6 KitW-sh are characterized by an aberrant extramedullary myelopoiesis and systemic neutrophilia. MC deficiency in KitW-sh mice can be selectively repaired by engraftment with in vitro-differentiated MC to va…

Real-time detection of BRAF V600E mutation from archival hairy cell leukemia FFPE tissue by nanopore sequencing

2018

The MinION is a miniaturized high-throughput next generation sequencing platform of novel conception. The use of nucleic acids derived from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples is highly desirable, but their adoption for molecular assays is hurdled by the high degree of fragmentation and by the chemical-induced mutations stemming from the fixation protocols. In order to investigate the suitability of MinION sequencing on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples, the presence and frequency of BRAF c.1799T > A mutation was investigated in two archival tissue specimens of Hairy cell leukemia and Hairy cell leukemia Variant. Despite the poor quality of the starting DNA, BRAF mutation was su…

A novel CXCR4 antagonist counteracts paradoxical generation of cisplatin-induced pro-metastatic niches in lung cancer.

2021

Platinum-based chemotherapy remains widely used in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) despite experimental evidence of its potential to induce long-term detrimental effects, including the promotion of pro-metastatic microenvironments. In this study, we investigated the interconnected pathways underlying the promotion of cisplatin-induced metastases. In tumor-free mice, cisplatin treatment resulted in an expansion in the bone marrow of CCR2+CXCR4+Ly6Chigh inflammatory monocytes (IMs) and an increase in lung levels of stromal SDF-1, the CXCR4 ligand. In experimental lung metastasis assays, cisplatin-induced IMs promoted the extravasation of tumor cells and the expansion of CD133+CXCR…

CK2β-regulated signaling controls B cell differentiation and function

2023

Serine-Threonine kinase CK2 supports malignant B-lymphocyte growth but its role in B-cell development and activation is largely unknown. Here, we describe the first B-cell specific knockout (KO) mouse model of the β regulatory subunit of CK2. CK2βKO mice present an increase in marginal zone (MZ) and a reduction in follicular B cells, suggesting a role for CK2 in the regulation of the B cell receptor (BCR) and NOTCH2 signaling pathways. Biochemical analyses demonstrate an increased activation of the NOTCH2 pathway in CK2βKO animals, which sustains MZ B-cell development. Transcriptomic analyses indicate alterations in biological processes involved in immune response and B-cell activation. Upo…

Mutant p53 induces Golgi tubulo-vesiculation driving a prometastatic secretome

2020

TP53 missense mutations leading to the expression of mutant p53 oncoproteins are frequent driver events during tumorigenesis. p53 mutants promote tumor growth, metastasis and chemoresistance by affecting fundamental cellular pathways and functions. Here, we demonstrate that p53 mutants modify structure and function of the Golgi apparatus, culminating in the increased release of a pro-malignant secretome by tumor cells and primary fibroblasts from patients with Li-Fraumeni cancer predisposition syndrome. Mechanistically, interacting with the hypoxia responsive factor HIF1α, mutant p53 induces the expression of miR-30d, which in turn causes tubulo-vesiculation of the Golgi apparatus, leading …

ATR expands embryonic stem cell fate potential in response to replication stress

2020

Fondazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro FIRC 18112 Sina Atashpaz.Fondazione Umberto Veronesi Sina Atashpaz Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro AIRC 5xmille METAMECH program Vincenzo Costanzo Giovanni Armenise-Harvard Foundation Vincenzo Costanzo European Research Council Consolidator grant 614541 Vincenzo Costanzo Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro Fellowship 23961 Negar ArghavanifarDanish Cancer Society KBVU-2014 Andres Joaquin Lopez-Contreras Danish Council for Independent Research Sapere Aude, DFF Starting Grant 2014 Andres Joaquin Lopez-Contreras European Research Council ERC-2015-STG-679068 Andres Joaquin Lopez-Contreras Danish National Research Foundatio…

Circulating mir-320a promotes immunosuppressive macrophages M2 phenotype associated with lung cancer risk

2019

miRNAs play a central role in the complex signaling network of cancer cells with the tumor microenvironment. Little is known on the origin of circulating miRNAs and their relationship with the tumor microenvironment in lung cancer. Here, we focused on the cellular source and relative contribution of different cell types to circulating miRNAs composing our risk classifier of lung cancer using in vitro/in vivo models and clinical samples. A cell‐type specific expression pattern and topography of several miRNAs such as mir‐145 in fibroblasts, mir‐126 in endothelial cells, mir‐133a in skeletal muscle cells was observed in normal and lung cancer tissues. Granulocytes and platelets are the major …

Intracellular osteopontin protects from autoimmunity-driven lymphoma development inhibiting TLR9-MYD88-STAT3 signaling

2022

Abstract Background Autoimmune disorders, including Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), are associated with increased incidence of hematological malignancies. The matricellular protein osteopontin (OPN) has been linked to SLE pathogenesis, as SLE patients show increased serum levels of OPN and often polymorphisms in its gene. Although widely studied for its pro-tumorigenic role in different solid tumours, the role of OPN in autoimmunity-driven lymphomagenesis has not been investigated yet. Methods To test the role of OPN in the SLE-associated lymphomagenesis, the SLE-like prone Faslpr/lpr mutation was transferred onto an OPN-deficient background. Spleen from Faslpr/lpr and OPN-/-Faslpr/lpr …

HER2 Signaling and Breast Cancer Stem Cells: The Bridge behind HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Aggressiveness and Therapy Refractoriness

2021

Simple Summary Breast cancer (BC) is not a single disease, but a group of different tumors, and altered HER2 expression defines a particularly aggressive subtype. Although HER2 pharmacological inhibition has dramatically improved the prognosis of HER2-positive BC patients, there is still an urgent need for improved knowledge of HER2 biology and mechanisms underlying HER2-driven aggressiveness and drug susceptibility. Emerging data suggest that the clinical efficacy of molecularly targeted therapies is related to their ability to target breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), a population that is not only self-sustaining and able to differentiate into distinct lineages, but also contributes to tum…

Intra-tumor heterogeneity of Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma involves the induction of diversified stroma-tumor interfaces

2020

ABSTRACTIntra-tumor heterogeneity in lymphoid malignancies is articulated around several fundamentals, encompassing selection of genetic subclonal events and epigenetic regulation of transcriptional programs. Clonally-related neoplastic cell populations are unsteadily subjected to immune editing and metabolic adaptations within different tissue microenvironments. How tissue-intrinsic mesenchymal determinants impact on the diversification of aggressive lymphomas is still unknown. In this study we adopted the established A20 line-based model of Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL), to investigate the intra-tumor heterogeneity associated with the infiltration of different tissue microenvironm…

WNT signaling modulates PD-L1 expression in the stem cell compartment of triple-negative breast cancer

2019

Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are characterized by a poor prognosis and lack of targeted treatments, and thus, new therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. Inhibitors against programmed death-1 (PD-1)/PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) have shown significant efficacy in various solid cancers, but their activity against TNBCs remains limited. Here, we report that human TNBCs molecularly stratified for high levels of PD-L1 (PD-L1High) showed significantly enriched expression of immune and cancer stemness pathways compared with those with low PD-L1 expression (PD-L1Low). In addition, the PD-L1High cases were significantly associated with a high stemness score (SSHigh) signature. TNBC cell lines g…

PO-344 miR-302b as adjuvant therapeutic tool to improve chemotherapy efficacy in human triple negative breast cancer

2018

Introduction MiRNAs are a class of non-coding regulatory RNAs playing key roles in different biological processes including cancer. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for 15%–20% of all breast cancer cases, with the worst outcome of all subtypes. For TNBC, still lacking targeted therapies, the only therapeutic option is chemotherapy. MiRNAs can modulate chemotherapy response by affecting DNA repair, cell cycle progression, apoptosis and also tumour microenvironment. Macrophages constitute a major component of the immune microenvironment of cancer and pro-tumour M2 macrophages have been associated with response to chemotherapeutic treatments. Here, we investigated the potential of…

Neutrophil extracellular traps arm DC vaccination against NPM-mutant myeloproliferation

2022

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are web-like chromatin structures composed by dsDNA and histones, decorated with antimicrobial proteins. Their interaction with dendritic cells (DCs) allows DC activation and maturation toward presentation of NET-associated antigens. Differently from other types of cell death that imply protein denaturation, NETosis preserves the proteins localized onto the DNA threads for proper enzymatic activity and conformational status, including immunogenic epitopes. Besides neutrophils, leukemic cells can release extracellular traps displaying leukemia-associated antigens, prototypically mutant nucleophosmin (NPMc+) that upon mutation translocates from nucleolus …

Castration-Induced Downregulation of SPARC in Stromal Cells Drives Neuroendocrine Differentiation of Prostate Cancer.

2021

Abstract Fatal neuroendocrine differentiation (NED) of castration-resistant prostate cancer is a recurrent mechanism of resistance to androgen deprivation therapies (ADT) and antiandrogen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPI) in patients. The design of effective therapies for neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is complicated by limited knowledge of the molecular mechanisms governing NED. The paucity of acquired genomic alterations and the deregulation of epigenetic and transcription factors suggest a potential contribution from the microenvironment. In this context, whether ADT/ARPI induces stromal cells to release NED-promoting molecules and the underlying molecular networks are unestablis…

Transcriptional analysis distinguishes breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma from other peripheral T-cell lymphomas

2019

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma is a new provisional entity in the revised World Health Organization classification of lymphoid malignancies, the pathogenesis and cell of origin of which are still unknown. We performed gene expression profiling of microdissected breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma samples and compared their transcriptional profiles with those previously obtained from normal T-cells and other peripheral T-cell lymphomas and validated expression of selected markers by immunohistochemistry. Our results indicate that most breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphomas exhibit an activated CD4+ memory T-cell phenotype, whi…

In situ transcriptional profile of a germinal center plasmablastic burst hints at MYD88/CD79B mutants-enriched Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphomas

2021

AbstractThe germinal center (GC) reaction results in the selection of B-cells acquiring effector Ig secreting ability by progressing towards plasmablastic differentiation. This transition is associated with exclusion from the GC microenvironment. The aberrant expansion of plasmablastic elements within the GC fringes configures an atypical condition, the biological characteristics of which have not been defined yet. We investigated the in situ immunophenotypical and transcriptional characteristics of a non-clonal germinotropic expansion of plasmablastic elements (GEx) occurring in the tonsil of a young patient. Compared to neighboring GC and peri-follicular regions, the GEx showed a distinct…

Intra-tumour heterogeneity of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma involves the induction of diversified stroma-tumour interfaces

2020

Abstract Background Intra-tumour heterogeneity in lymphoid malignancies encompasses selection of genetic events and epigenetic regulation of transcriptional programs. Clonal-related neoplastic cell populations are unsteadily subjected to immune editing and metabolic adaptations within different tissue microenvironments. How tissue-specific mesenchymal cells impact on the diversification of aggressive lymphoma clones is still unknown. Methods Combining in situ quantitative immunophenotypical analyses and RNA sequencing we investigated the intra-tumour heterogeneity and the specific mesenchymal modifications that are associated with A20 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cells seeding of d…

Polymorphisms of Pro-Inflammatory IL-6 and IL-1β Cytokines in Ascending Aortic Aneurysms as Genetic Modifiers and Predictive and Prognostic Biomarkers

2021

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that polymorphisms involved in immune genes can affect the risk, pathogenesis, and outcome of thoracic ascending aortic aneurysms (TAAA). Here, we explored the potential associations of five functional promoter polymorphisms in interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1B, IL-1A, IL-18, and Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)A genes with TAAA. Methods: 144 TAAA patients and 150 age/gender matched controls were typed using KASPar assays. Effects on telomere length and levels of TAAA related histopathological and serological markers were analyzed. Results: Significant associations with TAAA risk were obtained for IL-6 rs1800795G&gt

Compromised nuclear envelope integrity drives TREX1-dependent DNA damage and tumor cell invasion

2021

Although mutations leading to a compromised nuclear envelope cause diseases such as muscular dystrophies or accelerated aging, the consequences of mechanically induced nuclear envelope ruptures are less known. Here, we show that nuclear envelope ruptures induce DNA damage that promotes senescence in non-transformed cells and induces an invasive phenotype in human breast cancer cells. We find that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated exonuclease TREX1 translocates into the nucleus after nuclear envelope rupture and is required to induce DNA damage. Inside the mammary duct, cellular crowding leads to nuclear envelope ruptures that generate TREX1-dependent DNA damage, thereby driving the …

PD‐1‐induced T cell exhaustion is controlled by a Drp1‐dependent mechanism

2022

Programmed cell death‐1 (PD‐1) signaling downregulates the T‐cell response, promoting an exhausted state in tumor‐infiltrating T cells, through mostly unveiled molecular mechanisms. Dynamin‐related protein‐1 (Drp1)‐dependent mitochondrial fission plays a crucial role in sustaining T‐cell motility, proliferation, survival, and glycolytic engagement. Interestingly, such processes are exactly those inhibited by PD‐1 in tumor‐infiltrating T cells. Here, we show that PD‐1pos CD8+ T cells infiltrating an MC38 (murine adenocarcinoma)‐derived murine tumor mass have a downregulated Drp1 activity and more elongated mitochondria compared with PD‐1neg counterparts. Also, PD‐1pos lymphocytic elements in…

SPARC regulation of PMN clearance protects from pristane-induced lupus and rheumatoid arthritis

2021

Summary The secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is a matricellular protein with unexpected immunosuppressive function in myeloid cells. We investigated the role of SPARC in autoimmunity using the pristane-induced model of lupus that, in mice, mimics human systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Sparc−/− mice developed earlier and more severe renal disease, multi-organ parenchymal damage, and arthritis than the wild-type counterpart. Sparc+/- heterozygous mice showed an intermediate phenotype suggesting Sparc gene dosage in autoimmune-related events. Mechanistically, reduced Sparc expression in neutrophils blocks their clearance by macrophages, through defective delivery of don'…

Spatial transcriptome of a germinal center plasmablastic burst hints at MYD88/CD79B mutants-enriched diffuse large B-cell lymphomas

2022

The GC reaction results in the selection of B cells acquiring effector Ig secreting ability by progressing toward plasmablastic differentiation. This transition is associated with exclusion from the GC microenvironment. The aberrant expansion of plasmablastic elements within the GC fringes configures an atypical condition, the biological characteristics of which have not been defined yet. We investigated the in situ immunophenotypical and transcriptional characteristics of a nonclonal germinotropic expansion of plasmablastic elements (GEx) occurring in the tonsil of a young patient. Compared to neighboring GC and perifollicular regions, the GEx showed a distinctive signature featuring key r…

Direct RNA nanopore sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 extracted from critical material from swabs

2020

ABSTRACTBackgroundIn consideration of the increasing prevalence of COVID-19 cases in several countries and the resulting demand for unbiased sequencing approaches, we performed a direct RNA sequencing experiment using critical oropharyngeal swab samples collected from Italian patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 from the Palermo region in Sicily.MethodsHere, we identified the sequences SARS-CoV-2 directly in RNA extracted from critical samples using the Oxford Nanopore MinION technology without prior cDNA retro-transcription.ResultsUsing an appropriate bioinformatics pipeline, we could identify mutations in the nucleocapisid (N) gene, which have been reported previously in studies conducted in…

Imatinib spares cKit-expressing prostate neuroendocrine tumors, whereas kills seminal vesicle epithelial-stromal tumors by targeting PDGFR-β

2017

Abstract Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death in males worldwide. Indeed, advanced and metastatic disease characterized by androgen resistance and often associated with neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation remains incurable. Using the spontaneous prostate cancer TRAMP model, we have shown that mast cells (MCs) support in vivo the growth of prostate adenocarcinoma, whereas their genetic or pharmacologic targeting favors prostate NE cancer arousal. Aiming at simultaneously targeting prostate NE tumor cells and MCs, both expressing the cKit tyrosine kinase receptor, we have tested the therapeutic effect of imatinib in TRAMP mice. Imatinib-treated TRAMP mice experience a pa…

Trabectedin Overrides Osteosarcoma Differentiative Block and Reprograms the Tumor Immune Environment Enabling Effective Combination with Immune Check…

2016

Abstract Purpose: Osteosarcoma, the most common primary bone tumor, is characterized by an aggressive behavior with high tendency to develop lung metastases as well as by multiple genetic aberrations that have hindered the development of targeted therapies. New therapeutic approaches are urgently needed; however, novel combinations with immunotherapies and checkpoint inhibitors require suitable preclinical models with intact immune systems to be properly tested. Experimental Design: We have developed immunocompetent osteosarcoma models that grow orthotopically in the bone and spontaneously metastasize to the lungs, mimicking human osteosarcoma. These models have been used to test the effica…

T Cells Expressing Receptor Recombination/Revision Machinery Are Detected in the Tumor Microenvironment and Expanded in Genomically Over-unstable Mod…

2021

AbstractTumors undergo dynamic immunoediting as part of a process that balances immunologic sensing of emerging neoantigens and evasion from immune responses. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) comprise heterogeneous subsets of peripheral T cells characterized by diverse functional differentiation states and dependence on T-cell receptor (TCR) specificity gained through recombination events during their development. We hypothesized that within the tumor microenvironment (TME), an antigenic milieu and immunologic interface, tumor-infiltrating peripheral T cells could reexpress key elements of the TCR recombination machinery, namely, Rag1 and Rag2 recombinases and Tdt polymerase, as a poten…

Compromised nuclear envelope integrity drives tumor cell invasion

2020

AbstractWhile mutations leading to a fragile envelope of the cell nucleus are well known to cause diseases such as muscular dystrophies or accelerated aging, the pathophysiological consequences of the recently discovered mechanically induced nuclear envelope ruptures in cells harboring no mutation are less known. Here we show that repeated loss of nuclear envelope integrity in nuclei experiencing mechanical constraints promotes senescence in nontransformed cells, and induces an invasive phenotype including increased collagen degradation in human breast cancer cells, both in vitro and in a mouse xenograft model of breast cancer progression. We show that these phenotypic changes are due to th…

PD-1-induced T cell exhaustion is controlled by a Drp1-dependent mechanism

2020

AbstractPD-1 signalling downregulates the T cell response, promoting an exhausted state in tumor-infiltrating T cells, through mostly unveiled molecular mechanisms. Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission plays a crucial role to sustain T cell motility, proliferation, survival and glycolytic engagement and, interestingly, such processes are exactly those inhibited by PD-1 in tumor-infiltrating T cells. Here we show that the signature of PD-1pos CD8+ T cells infiltrating MC38-derived murine tumor mass is having downregulated Drp1 activity and more fused mitochondria, compared to PD-1neg counterparts. Also, PD-1pos lymphocytic elements infiltrating human colon cancer rarely express active Drp1. …

Abstract 4981: Circulating mir-320 promotes immunosuppressive macrophages M2 phenotype associated with lung cancer progression

2018

Abstract INTRODUCTION miRNAs play a role in the complex network of signaling between cancer cells and tumor microenvironment. We previously reported the identification of diagnostic miRNA signatures (MSC) based on 24-miRNAs in plasma samples of lung cancer patients detected by low dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening. MATERIAL and METHODS To evaluate the potential origin of the miRNAs of the diagnostic signature, we analyzed their expression by real-time or digital PCR in both cells and conditioned medium (CM) from different cell types of the lung microenvironment as well as in plasma samples of heavy smokers and patients. Lung tissues and cell-blocks were analyzed by miRNAs in situ hy…

Transcriptional Profiles and Stromal Changes Reveal Bone Marrow Adaptation to Early Breast Cancer in Association with Deregulated Circulating microRN…

2020

Abstract The presence of a growing tumor establishes a chronic state of inflammation that acts locally and systemically. Bone marrow responds to stress signals by expanding myeloid cells endowed with immunosuppressive functions, further fostering tumor growth and dissemination. How early in transformation the cross-talk with the bone marrow begins and becomes detectable in blood is unknown. Here, gene expression profiling of the bone marrow along disease progression in a spontaneous model of mammary carcinogenesis demonstrates that transcriptional modifications in the hematopoietic compartment occurred as early as preinvasive disease stages. The transcriptional profile showed downregulation…

MiR-146b-5p regulates IL-23 receptor complex expression in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells

2022

Abstract Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells express the interleukin-23 receptor (IL-23R) chain, but the expression of the complementary IL-12Rβ1 chain requires cell stimulation via surface CD40 molecules (and not via the B-cell receptor [BCR]). This stimulation induces the expression of a heterodimeric functional IL-23R complex and the secretion of IL-23, initiating an autocrine loop that drives leukemic cell expansion. Based on the observation in 224 untreated Binet stage A patients that the cases with the lowest miR-146b-5p concentrations had the shortest time to first treatment (TTFT), we hypothesized that miR-146b-5p could negatively regulate IL-12Rβ1 side chain expression and clo…

Drp1 Controls Effective T Cell Immune-Surveillance by Regulating T Cell Migration, Proliferation, and cMyc-Dependent Metabolic Reprogramming

2018

Summary Mitochondria are key players in the regulation of T cell biology by dynamically responding to cell needs, but how these dynamics integrate in T cells is still poorly understood. We show here that the mitochondrial pro-fission protein Drp1 fosters migration and expansion of developing thymocytes both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we find that Drp1 sustains in vitro clonal expansion and cMyc-dependent metabolic reprogramming upon activation, also regulating effector T cell numbers in vivo. Migration and extravasation defects are also exhibited in Drp1-deficient mature T cells, unveiling its crucial role in controlling both T cell recirculation in secondary lymphoid organs and acc…

Repurposing of the Antiepileptic Drug Levetiracetam to Restrain Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer and Inhibit Mast Cell Support to Adenocarcinoma

2021

A relevant fraction of castration-resistant prostate cancers (CRPC) evolve into fatal neuroendocrine (NEPC) tumors in resistance to androgen deprivation and/or inhibitors of androgen receptor pathway. Therefore, effective drugs against both CRPC and NEPC are needed. We have previously described a dual role of mast cells (MCs) in prostate cancer, being capable to promote adenocarcinoma but also to restrain NEPC. This finding suggests that a molecule targeting both MCs and NEPC cells could be effective against prostate cancer. Using an in silico drug repurposing approach, here we identify the antiepileptic drug levetiracetam as a potential candidate for this purpose. We found that the protein…

The prolyl-isomerase PIN1 is essential for nuclear Lamin-B structure and function and protects heterochromatin under mechanical stress.

2021

Summary: Chromatin organization plays a crucial role in tissue homeostasis. Heterochromatin relaxation and consequent unscheduled mobilization of transposable elements (TEs) are emerging as key contributors of aging and aging-related pathologies, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cancer. However, the mechanisms governing heterochromatin maintenance or its relaxation in pathological conditions remain poorly understood. Here we show that PIN1, the only phosphorylation-specific cis/trans prolyl isomerase, whose loss is associated with premature aging and AD, is essential to preserve heterochromatin. We demonstrate that this PIN1 function is conserved from Drosophila to humans and prevents…

Inhibition of DNA damage response at telomeres improves the detrimental phenotypes of Hutchinson–Gilford Progeria Syndrome

2019

Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a genetic disorder characterized by premature aging features. Cells from HGPS patients express progerin, a truncated form of Lamin A, which perturbs cellular homeostasis leading to nuclear shape alterations, genome instability, heterochromatin loss, telomere dysfunction and premature entry into cellular senescence. Recently, we reported that telomere dysfunction induces the transcription of telomeric non-coding RNAs (tncRNAs) which control the DNA damage response (DDR) at dysfunctional telomeres. Here we show that progerin-induced telomere dysfunction induces the transcription of tncRNAs. Their functional inhibition by sequence-specific telomer…

SDF-1/CXCR4 inhibition prevents paradoxical generation of cisplatin-induced pro-metastatic niches

2020

AbstractPlatinum-based chemotherapy remains widely used in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) despite its ineffectiveness in long-term control of metastasis.Here, we uncover the interconnected pathways subtending cisplatin-induced metastasis promotion.We report that cisplatin treatment of tumor-free mice results in bone-marrow expansion of CCR2+CXCR4+Ly6Chigh inflammatory monocytes (IM) concomitantly with increased levels in the lungs of stromal SDF-1, the CXCR4 ligand. In experimental metastasis assays, cisplatin-induced IM favor tumor cells extravasation and expansion of CD133+CXCR4+ metastasis initiating cells (MICs), facilitating lung metastasis formation. At the primary tumor,…

DNA damage response at telomeres boosts the transcription of SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 during aging

2021

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), known to be more common in the elderly, who also show more severe symptoms and are at higher risk of hospitalization and death. Here, we show that the expression of the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the SARS-CoV-2 cell receptor, increases during aging in mouse and human lungs. ACE2 expression increases upon telomere shortening or dysfunction in both cultured mammalian cells and in vivo in mice. This increase is controlled at the transcriptional level, and Ace2 promoter activity is DNA damage response (DDR)-dependent. Both pharmacological global DDR inhibition of ATM kin…

Cross-Talk between Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells and Mast Cells Mediates Tumor-Specific Immunosuppression in Prostate Cancer.

2018

Abstract Immunotherapy, including the use of checkpoint inhibitors, is a potent therapeutic approach for some cancers, but has limited success with prostate tumors, in which immune suppression is instigated by the tumor. The immunosuppressive capacity of mast cells, which promote adenocarcinoma development in the prostate, prompted our investigation on whether mast cells promote tolerance to SV40 Large-T antigen, the transforming oncogene in transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) mice. The incidence of adenocarcinoma was reduced in the offspring of a cross between TRAMP mice and mast cell–deficient KitWsh mice. TRAMP mice are tolerant to the SV40 Large T antigen, which is o…

Abstract A24: Bone marrow hematopoietic adaptation as a sensor of early, pre-invasive, epithelial malignancy

2018

Abstract Tumor development and progression is in part dependent on the ability of bystander cells, mostly of bone marrow (BM) origin, to establish a pro-tumorigenic microenvironment. We hypothesized that signs of the cross-talk between elements of the tumor microenvironment and the BM can be identified in the very early phases of cancer development, being finalized to the instruction of a tumor-promoting hematopoiesis. By integrating in situ BM histopathological and immunophenotypical analyses with flow cytometry and gene expression profiling of hematopoietic populations in a spontaneous mouse model of breast carcinogenesis (MMTV/NeuT) we investigated the occurrence and quality of modificat…

Antibody–Fc/FcR Interaction on Macrophages as a Mechanism for Hyperprogressive Disease in Non–small Cell Lung Cancer Subsequent to PD-1/PD-L1 Blockade

2019

Abstract Purpose: Hyperprogression (HP), a paradoxical boost in tumor growth, was described in a subset of patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Neither clinicopathologic features nor biological mechanisms associated with HP have been identified. Experimental Design: Among 187 patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with ICI at our institute, cases with HP were identified according to clinical and radiologic criteria. Baseline histologic samples from patients treated with ICI were evaluated by IHC for myeloid and lymphoid markers. T-cell–deficient mice, injected with human lung cancer cells and patient-derived xenografts (PDX) belonging to specific mutat…

Direct RNA Nanopore Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 Extracted from Critical Material from Swabs

2022

In consideration of the increasing prevalence of COVID-19 cases in several countries and the resulting demand for unbiased sequencing approaches, we performed a direct RNA sequencing (direct RNA seq.) experiment using critical oropharyngeal swab samples collected from Italian patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 from the Palermo region in Sicily. Here, we identified the sequences SARS-CoV-2 directly in RNA extracted from critical samples using the Oxford Nanopore MinION technology without prior cDNA retrotranscription. Using an appropriate bioinformatics pipeline, we could identify mutations in the nucleocapsid (N) gene, which have been reported previously in studies conducted in other countri…

Additional file 1 of Intracellular osteopontin protects from autoimmunity-driven lymphoma development inhibiting TLR9-MYD88-STAT3 signaling

2023

Additional file 1. Supplementary file 1. Supplementary Material & methods.

Additional file 6 of Intracellular osteopontin protects from autoimmunity-driven lymphoma development inhibiting TLR9-MYD88-STAT3 signaling

2023

Additional file 6: Supplementary Figure S3. Immunohistochemistry staining of OPN IHC for OPN was performed in Fas lpr/lpr and OPN-/-Fas lpr/lpr mice with either no lymphoma or with lymphomatous cells. As expected, no staining is detected in case of OPN-deficient mice.

Additional file 4 of Intracellular osteopontin protects from autoimmunity-driven lymphoma development inhibiting TLR9-MYD88-STAT3 signaling

2023

Additional file 4: Supplementary Figure S1. Evaluation of autoimmunity in Faslpr/lpr and OPN-/-Faslpr/lpr mice. A. Quantification of OPN in sera from Faslpr/lpr mice at 2 (n=8) and 5 months of age (n=7) by ELISA. Sera from BALB/c and OPN-/- mice were tested as controls. Data are expressed as ng/ml and are a pool of 2 experiments (*, P<0.05; Ordinary one way ANOVA). B. Flow cytometry analysis showing the relative number of splenic autoimmune CD3+B220+ T cells in Faslpr/lpr (n=15) and OPN-/-Faslpr/lpr mice (n=18) and at about 5-6 months of age. The graph shows a pool of 3 different experiments (***, P<0.001; Student t test). C. Representative spleen photograph from BALB/c, OPN-/-, Faslp…

Additional file 7 of Intracellular osteopontin protects from autoimmunity-driven lymphoma development inhibiting TLR9-MYD88-STAT3 signaling

2023

Additional file 7: Supplementary Figure S4. Characterization of OPL239 and OPL241 DLBCL cell lines. A. Flow cytometry analysis showing the expression of B220, IgM, IgD and IgA in OPL239 and OPL241 cell lines. B. Hardy’s multiparametric flow cytometry panel illustrating the expression of CD93, CD21/35 and CD23 on OPL239 and OPL241 cell lines. C. Flow cytometry analysis showing the expression of TLR9 on OPL239 and OPL241 cell lines. D. RT-PCR analysis showing Spp1 mRNA level in overexpressing cell variants. E. Western blot for OPN protein expression (in presence or not of BFA, that blocks protein secretion) in parental and IRES-Green-based cell variants. 4T1 mammary cell line was used as posi…

Targeted sequencing of BRAF by MinION in archival Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded specimens allows to discriminate between Hairy Cell Leukemia and H…

2016

Targeted sequencing of BRAF by MinION in archival Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded specimens allows to discriminate between Hairy Cell Leukemia and Hair Cell Leukemia Variant

Tissue fluidification promotes a cGAS-STING cytosolic DNA response in invasive breast cancer.

2022

: The process in which locally confined epithelial malignancies progressively evolve into invasive cancers is often promoted by unjamming, a phase transition from a solid-like to a liquid-like state, which occurs in various tissues. Whether this tissue-level mechanical transition impacts phenotypes during carcinoma progression remains unclear. Here we report that the large fluctuations in cell density that accompany unjamming result in repeated mechanical deformations of cells and nuclei. This triggers a cellular mechano-protective mechanism involving an increase in nuclear size and rigidity, heterochromatin redistribution and remodelling of the perinuclear actin architecture into actin rin…

Immunological micro and macroenvironment modifications for the early diagnosis and prognostication of breast and prostate adenocarcinomas

Additional file 5 of Intracellular osteopontin protects from autoimmunity-driven lymphoma development inhibiting TLR9-MYD88-STAT3 signaling

2023

Additional file 5: Supplementary Figure S2. Evaluation of the different spenic B cell subsets. A. Example of Hardy’s gating strategy to discern the different CD93+ immature (Transitional T1, T2, T3) and CD93- mature [follicular B (FOB), marginal zone B (MZB) and CD21/35-CD23-] B cell subsets in the spleen from a BALB/c mouse. B. Flow cytometry analysis based on Hardy’s multiparametric panel illustrating the fraction of splenic CD23+ FOB, CD21/35+ MZB cells, and CD23-CD21/35- cells from the spleens of naive and autoimmune mice. 3 mice per group were used for the experiment. Data are referred to one representative experiment out of 3 (***, P<0.001; Two-way ANOVA) (****, P<0.0001; Two-wa…

Additional file 8 of Intracellular osteopontin protects from autoimmunity-driven lymphoma development inhibiting TLR9-MYD88-STAT3 signaling

2023

Additional file 8: Supplementary Figure S5. Expression of OPN in human GCB- and ABC-DLBCL samples. Immunohistochemistry analysis for OPN was performed on six cases for GCB- and ABC-DLBCLs. Representative images for two cases for each subtype are shown (quantification is shown in Figure 7B). Magnification 20X.

Additional file 2 of Intracellular osteopontin protects from autoimmunity-driven lymphoma development inhibiting TLR9-MYD88-STAT3 signaling

2023

Additional file 2: Supplementary Table S1. Differentially expressed genes between CD19+ cellsfrom OPN-/-Fas lpr/lpr and Faslpr/lpr mice.

Additional file 3 of Intracellular osteopontin protects from autoimmunity-driven lymphoma development inhibiting TLR9-MYD88-STAT3 signaling

2023

Additional file 3: Supplementary Table S2. Differentially expressed genes between CD19+ cellsfrom OPN-/-and OPN+/+ mice.

Anaplastic Large T Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) is characterized by high expression of P-Selectin Glycoprotein Ligand 1 (PSGL-1) that positively correlates w…

2016

Anaplastic Large T Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) is characterized by high expression of P-Selectin Glycoprotein Ligand 1 (PSGL-1) that positively correlates with CD30 expression and TCR signaling pathway.