Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2017
Atopic dermatitisIL17A and IFN-γ-producing lymphocytes: investigation in blood, chronic lesions a... more Atopic dermatitisIL17A and IFN-γ-producing lymphocytes: investigation in blood, chronic lesions and APT
Background Local allergic rhinitis (LAR) is a phenotype of rhinitis that has been poorly studied ... more Background Local allergic rhinitis (LAR) is a phenotype of rhinitis that has been poorly studied in children. It is characterized by the same symptoms of allergic rhinitis but with the absence of markers of systemic atopy. Objective To identify children affected by LAR and to analyze the pathogenesis of this disease. We chose to focus our attention on interleukin (IL) and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP). Methods We enrolled 20 children affected by nonallergic rhinitis (negative skin-prick test results and serum specific immunoglobulin E [sIgE] values). Each patient underwent a nasal allergen provocation test (NAPT) with dust mite and grass pollen. Before and after NAPT, nasal lavage was performed to detect sIgE, IL-5, and TSLP; anterior active rhinomanometry was used to evaluate changes in nasal obstruction. Results Two patients were positive to a nonspecific NAPT and, thus, were excluded from the study. Of the remaining 18 children, 12 (66.7%) had positive results to at least o...
Celiac Disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory enteropathy, triggered in genetically susceptible i... more Celiac Disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory enteropathy, triggered in genetically susceptible individuals by dietary gluten. Gluten is able to elicit proliferation of specific T cells and secretion of inflammatory cytokines in the small intestine. In this study we investigated the possibility that p10-mer, a decapeptide from durum wheat (QQPQDAVQPF), which was previously shown to prevent the activation of celiac peripheral lymphocytes, may exert an inhibitory effect on peptic-tryptic digested gliadin (PT-Gly)-stimulated intestinal carcinoma CACO-2 cells. In these cells, incubated with PT-Gly or p31-43 a-gliadin derived peptide in the presence or in the absence of p10-mer, IRAK1 activation and NF-kB, ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK phosphorylation were measured by immunoblotting, Cyclooxigenase 2 (COX-2) activity by PGE-2 release assay, and production of cytokines in the cell supernatants by ELISA. Our results showed that pre-treatment of CACO-2 cells with p10mer significantly inhibited IRAK1 activation and NF-kB, ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK phosphorylation, as well as COX-2 activity (i.e. PGE-2 release) and production of the IL-6 and IL-8 pro-inflammatory cytokines, induced by gliadin peptides. These findings demonstrate the inhibitory effect of the p10-mer peptide on inflammatory response in CACO-2 cells. The results of the present study show that this p10-mer peptide can modulate "in vitro" the inflammatory response induced by gliadin peptides, allowing to move towards new therapeutic strategies. Turning off the inflammatory response, may in fact represent a key target in the immunotherapy of celiac disease.
Fractalkine/CX3CL1 and its specific receptor CX3CR1 are constitutively expressed in several regio... more Fractalkine/CX3CL1 and its specific receptor CX3CR1 are constitutively expressed in several regions of the CNS and are reported to mediate neuron-microglial interaction, synaptic transmission, and neuronal protection from toxic insults. CX3CL1 is released both by neuronal and astrocytic cells, whereas CX3CR1 is mainly expressed by microglial cells and neurons. Microglial cells efficiently migrate in response to CX3CL1, whereas no evidence is reported to date on CX3CL1-induced neuronal migration. For this reason, we have investigated in vitro the effects of CX3CL1 on basal migration of neurons and of the microglial and astrocytic populations, all these cells being obtained from the hippocampus and the cerebellum of newborn rats. We report that CX3CL1 stimulates microglial cell migration but efficiently reduces basal neuronal movement, regardless of the brain source. The effect of CX3CL1 is pertussis toxin (PTX) sensitive and PI3K dependent on hippocampal neurons, while it is PTX sensitive, PI3K dependent, and ERK dependent on cerebellar granules. Interestingly, CX3CL1 also increases neuron adhesion to the extracellular matrix component laminin, with mechanisms dependent on PTX-sensitive G proteins, and on the ERK and PI3K pathways. Both the reduction of migration and the increase of neuron adhesion require the activation of the  1 and ␣ 6 integrin subunits with the exception of cerebellar neuron migration, which is only dependent on the  1 subunit. More importantly, in neurons, CX3CL1/ CXCL12 cotreatment abolished the effect mediated by a single chemokine on chemotaxis and adhesion. In conclusion, our findings indicate that CX3CL1 reduces neuronal migration by increasing cell adhesion through integrin-dependent mechanisms in hippocampal and cerebellar neurons.
Trasmembrane chemokines CX3CL1 and CXCL16 drive interplay between neurons, microglia and astrocyt... more Trasmembrane chemokines CX3CL1 and CXCL16 drive interplay between neurons, microglia and astrocytes to
We previously examined the safety and immunogenicity of multiple vaccines administered to a milit... more We previously examined the safety and immunogenicity of multiple vaccines administered to a military cohort, divided into two groups, the first composed of students at military schools, thus operating inside the national borders for at least 3 years, and the other formed of soldiers periodically engaged in a 9-month-long mission abroad (Lebanon). In the current study, we analyzed 112 individuals of this cohort, 50 pertaining to the first group and 62 to the second group, in order to examine the possible late appearance of side effects and to calculate the half-life of the induced antibodies. Moreover, the possible involvement of B-cell polyclonal activation as a pathogenetic mechanism for long term antibody persistence has even been explored. No late side effects, as far as autoimmunity and/or lymphoproliferation appearance, have been noticed. The long duration of the vaccine induced anti-HAV antibodies has been confirmed, whereas the antibodies induced by tetravalent meningococcal ...
Recent studies highlight that high levels of cytokines may precede the onset of many systemic aut... more Recent studies highlight that high levels of cytokines may precede the onset of many systemic autoimmune disorders and may also be related to chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) activity.
Recent studies described a critical role for microglia in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), wh... more Recent studies described a critical role for microglia in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), where these CNS-resident immune cells participate in the establishment of an inflammatory microenvironment that contributes to motor neuron degeneration. Understanding the mechanisms leading to microglia activation in ALS could help to identify specific molecular pathways which could be targeted to reduce or delay motor neuron degeneration and muscle paralysis in patients. The intermediate-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel KCa3.1 has been reported to modulate the "pro-inflammatory" phenotype of microglia in different pathological conditions. We here investigated the effects of blocking KCa3.1 activity in the hSOD1ALS mouse model, which recapitulates many features of the human disease. We report that treatment of hSOD1 mice with a selective KCa3.1 inhibitor, 1-[(2-chlorophenyl)diphenylmethyl]-1H-pyrazole (TRAM-34), attenuates the "pro-inflammatory" phenotyp...
In glioma, microglia and infiltrating macrophages are exposed to factors that force them to produ... more In glioma, microglia and infiltrating macrophages are exposed to factors that force them to produce cytokines and chemokines, contributing to tumor growth and maintaining a pro-tumorigenic, immunosuppressed microenvironment. We demonstrate that housing glioma-bearing mice in enriched environment (EE) reverts the immunosuppressive phenotype of infiltrating myeloid cells, by modulating inflammatory gene expression. Under these conditions, branching and patrolling activity of myeloid cells is increased, and their phagocytic activity is promoted. Modulation of gene expression depends on interferon-(IFN) g produced by natural killer (NK) cells, disappearing in mice depleted of NK cells or lacking IFN-g, and was mimicked by exogenous interleukin-15 (IL-15). Further, we describe a key role for BDNF produced in the brain of mice housed in EE in mediating the expression of IL-15 in CD11b+ cells. These data define novel mechanisms linking environmental cues to the acquisition of a pro-inflamm...
Wnt1-inducible signaling pathway protein 1 (WISP1) is a novel adipokine participating in adipose ... more Wnt1-inducible signaling pathway protein 1 (WISP1) is a novel adipokine participating in adipose tissue (AT) dysfunction; so far, no data on WISP1 in diabetes are available. Objectives: To evaluate plasma WISP1 in subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its correlates linked to AT inflammation. Design and Participants: For this cross-sectional study, 97 consecutive dysmetabolic patients were recruited at the diabetes outpatient clinics of Sapienza University in Rome; 71 of them had T2D, with (n = 35) or without (n = 36) obesity, and 26 were obese patients without diabetes. Twenty-one normalweight nondiabetic individuals were enrolled as a control group. Study participants underwent clinical workup and blood sampling for metabolic/inflammatory characterization; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data on subcutaneous AT and visceral AT (VAT) area, hepatic fat content, and VAT homogeneity were available for most diabetic patients. Results: Plasma WISP1 significantly increased throughout classes of obesity and correlated with greater VAT area, interleukin-8 (IL-8), and lower adiponectin levels, without differing between diabetic and nondiabetic participants. Higher IL-8 was the main determinant of increased WISP1. MRI-assessed VAT inhomogeneity was associated with higher WISP1, IL-8 and C-reactive protein levels, independent of obesity; high WISP1 strongly predicted VAT inhomogeneity (P , 0.001). Conclusions: WISP1 levels are increased in obese persons and are directly related to adiposity, independent of glycemic status or insulin resistance; moreover, they are strongly associated with increased plasma IL-8 and signal abnormalities of VAT. The overall data add insights to the mechanisms underlying metabolic alterations and may open a scenario for innovative therapeutic approaches for diabetes prevention and care.
Cancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII, Jan 29, 2017
The importance of T cell-dependent immune responses in achieving long-term cure of chemoimmunothe... more The importance of T cell-dependent immune responses in achieving long-term cure of chemoimmunotherapy-treated cancer patients is underscored by the recently described "vaccinal effect" exerted by therapeutic mAbs. In accordance, pre- and post-therapy peripheral blood lymphopenia represents a well-established negative prognostic factor in DLBCL. We analyzed the phenotypic and functional (IFNγ production, and Granzyme B (GrzB) cytotoxic granule marker expression) profile of peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets ("conventional" CD4(+) and CD8(+), FOXP3(+)CD25(bright) Treg, and "innate-like" CD56(+)) in DLBCL patients at diagnosis, and assessed the long-term impact of R-CHOP chemoimmunotherapy, in a prospective study. At diagnosis, DLBCL patients showed lower lymphocyte counts, due to selective decrement of CD4(+) T (including Treg) and B lymphocytes. While all T cell subsets transiently decreased during therapy, CD4(+) T cell and Treg remained significantl...
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, Apr 14, 2017
Oleandrin is a glycoside that inhibits the ubiquitous enzyme Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase. In addition to it... more Oleandrin is a glycoside that inhibits the ubiquitous enzyme Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase. In addition to its known effects on cardiac muscle, recent in vitro and in vivo evidence highlighted potential for anticancer properties of this compound. In this paper we evaluated for the first time the effect of oleandrin on brain tumors. To this aim mice were transplanted with human or murine glioma and analyzed for tumor progression upon oleandrin treatment. In both systems, oleandrin impaired glioma development, reduced tumor size, and inhibited cell proliferation. We demonstrated that oleandrin i) enhances brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level in the brain; ii) reduces both microglia/macrophage (M/Mφ) infiltration and CD68 immunoreactivity in the tumor mass; iii) decreases astrogliosis in peritumoral area; and iv )reduces glioma cell infiltration in healthy parenchyma. In BDNF deficient mice (bdnftm1Jae/J), and in glioma cells silenced for TrkB receptor expression, oleandrin was not effec...
Malignant gliomas are among the most frequent and aggressive cerebral tumors, characterized by hi... more Malignant gliomas are among the most frequent and aggressive cerebral tumors, characterized by high proliferative and invasive indexes. Standard therapy for patients, after surgery and radiotherapy, consists of temozolomide (TMZ), a methylating agent that blocks tumor cell proliferation. Currently, there are no therapies aimed at reducing tumor cell invasion. Ion channels are candidate molecular targets involved in glioma cell migration and infiltration into the brain parenchyma. In this paper we demonstrate that: i) blockade of the calcium-activated potassium channel KCa3.1 with TRAM-34 has co-adjuvant effects with TMZ, reducing GL261 glioma cell migration, invasion and colony forming activity, increasing apoptosis, and forcing cells to pass the G2/M cell cycle phase, likely through cdc2 de-phosphorylation; ii) KCa3.1 silencing potentiates the inhibitory effect of TMZ on glioma cell viability; iii) the combination of TMZ/TRAM-34 attenuates the toxic effects of glioma conditioned medium on neuronal cultures, through a microglia dependent mechanism since the effect is abolished by clodronate-induced microglia killing; iv) TMZ/TRAM-34 co-treatment increases the number of apoptotic tumor cells, and the mean survival time in a syngeneic mouse glioma model (C57BL6 mice implanted with GL261 cells); v) TMZ/TRAM-34 co-treatment reduces cell viability of GBM cells and cancer stem cells (CSC) freshly isolated from patients. Taken together, these data suggest a new therapeutic approach for malignant glioma, targeting both glioma cell proliferating and migration, and demonstrate that TMZ/TRAM-34 co-treatment affects both glioma cells and infiltrating microglia, resulting in an overall reduction of tumor cell progression.
The signaling pathways linking integrins to nuclear events are incompletely understood. We have e... more The signaling pathways linking integrins to nuclear events are incompletely understood. We have examined intracellular signaling by the alpha6beta4 integrin, a laminin receptor expressed in basal keratinocytes and other cells. Ligation of alpha6beta4 in primary human keratinocytes caused tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc, recruitment of Grb2, activation of Ras and stimulation of the MAP kinases Erk and Jnk. In contrast, ligation of the laminin- and collagen-binding integrins alpha3beta1 and alpha2beta1 did not cause these events. While the stimulation of Erk by alpha6beta4 was suppressed by dominant-negative Shc, Ras and RhoA, the activation of Jnk was inhibited by dominant-negative Ras and Rac1 and by the phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitor Wortmannin. Adhesion mediated by alpha6beta4 induced transcription from the Fos serum response element and promoted cell cycle progression in response to mitogens. In contrast, alpha3beta1- and alpha2beta1-dependent adhesion did not induce these events. These findings suggest that the coupling of alpha6beta4 integrin to the control of cell cycle progression mediated by Shc regulates the proliferation of basal keratinocytes and possibly other cells which are in contact with the basement membrane in vivo.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2017
Atopic dermatitisIL17A and IFN-γ-producing lymphocytes: investigation in blood, chronic lesions a... more Atopic dermatitisIL17A and IFN-γ-producing lymphocytes: investigation in blood, chronic lesions and APT
Background Local allergic rhinitis (LAR) is a phenotype of rhinitis that has been poorly studied ... more Background Local allergic rhinitis (LAR) is a phenotype of rhinitis that has been poorly studied in children. It is characterized by the same symptoms of allergic rhinitis but with the absence of markers of systemic atopy. Objective To identify children affected by LAR and to analyze the pathogenesis of this disease. We chose to focus our attention on interleukin (IL) and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP). Methods We enrolled 20 children affected by nonallergic rhinitis (negative skin-prick test results and serum specific immunoglobulin E [sIgE] values). Each patient underwent a nasal allergen provocation test (NAPT) with dust mite and grass pollen. Before and after NAPT, nasal lavage was performed to detect sIgE, IL-5, and TSLP; anterior active rhinomanometry was used to evaluate changes in nasal obstruction. Results Two patients were positive to a nonspecific NAPT and, thus, were excluded from the study. Of the remaining 18 children, 12 (66.7%) had positive results to at least o...
Celiac Disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory enteropathy, triggered in genetically susceptible i... more Celiac Disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory enteropathy, triggered in genetically susceptible individuals by dietary gluten. Gluten is able to elicit proliferation of specific T cells and secretion of inflammatory cytokines in the small intestine. In this study we investigated the possibility that p10-mer, a decapeptide from durum wheat (QQPQDAVQPF), which was previously shown to prevent the activation of celiac peripheral lymphocytes, may exert an inhibitory effect on peptic-tryptic digested gliadin (PT-Gly)-stimulated intestinal carcinoma CACO-2 cells. In these cells, incubated with PT-Gly or p31-43 a-gliadin derived peptide in the presence or in the absence of p10-mer, IRAK1 activation and NF-kB, ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK phosphorylation were measured by immunoblotting, Cyclooxigenase 2 (COX-2) activity by PGE-2 release assay, and production of cytokines in the cell supernatants by ELISA. Our results showed that pre-treatment of CACO-2 cells with p10mer significantly inhibited IRAK1 activation and NF-kB, ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK phosphorylation, as well as COX-2 activity (i.e. PGE-2 release) and production of the IL-6 and IL-8 pro-inflammatory cytokines, induced by gliadin peptides. These findings demonstrate the inhibitory effect of the p10-mer peptide on inflammatory response in CACO-2 cells. The results of the present study show that this p10-mer peptide can modulate "in vitro" the inflammatory response induced by gliadin peptides, allowing to move towards new therapeutic strategies. Turning off the inflammatory response, may in fact represent a key target in the immunotherapy of celiac disease.
Fractalkine/CX3CL1 and its specific receptor CX3CR1 are constitutively expressed in several regio... more Fractalkine/CX3CL1 and its specific receptor CX3CR1 are constitutively expressed in several regions of the CNS and are reported to mediate neuron-microglial interaction, synaptic transmission, and neuronal protection from toxic insults. CX3CL1 is released both by neuronal and astrocytic cells, whereas CX3CR1 is mainly expressed by microglial cells and neurons. Microglial cells efficiently migrate in response to CX3CL1, whereas no evidence is reported to date on CX3CL1-induced neuronal migration. For this reason, we have investigated in vitro the effects of CX3CL1 on basal migration of neurons and of the microglial and astrocytic populations, all these cells being obtained from the hippocampus and the cerebellum of newborn rats. We report that CX3CL1 stimulates microglial cell migration but efficiently reduces basal neuronal movement, regardless of the brain source. The effect of CX3CL1 is pertussis toxin (PTX) sensitive and PI3K dependent on hippocampal neurons, while it is PTX sensitive, PI3K dependent, and ERK dependent on cerebellar granules. Interestingly, CX3CL1 also increases neuron adhesion to the extracellular matrix component laminin, with mechanisms dependent on PTX-sensitive G proteins, and on the ERK and PI3K pathways. Both the reduction of migration and the increase of neuron adhesion require the activation of the  1 and ␣ 6 integrin subunits with the exception of cerebellar neuron migration, which is only dependent on the  1 subunit. More importantly, in neurons, CX3CL1/ CXCL12 cotreatment abolished the effect mediated by a single chemokine on chemotaxis and adhesion. In conclusion, our findings indicate that CX3CL1 reduces neuronal migration by increasing cell adhesion through integrin-dependent mechanisms in hippocampal and cerebellar neurons.
Trasmembrane chemokines CX3CL1 and CXCL16 drive interplay between neurons, microglia and astrocyt... more Trasmembrane chemokines CX3CL1 and CXCL16 drive interplay between neurons, microglia and astrocytes to
We previously examined the safety and immunogenicity of multiple vaccines administered to a milit... more We previously examined the safety and immunogenicity of multiple vaccines administered to a military cohort, divided into two groups, the first composed of students at military schools, thus operating inside the national borders for at least 3 years, and the other formed of soldiers periodically engaged in a 9-month-long mission abroad (Lebanon). In the current study, we analyzed 112 individuals of this cohort, 50 pertaining to the first group and 62 to the second group, in order to examine the possible late appearance of side effects and to calculate the half-life of the induced antibodies. Moreover, the possible involvement of B-cell polyclonal activation as a pathogenetic mechanism for long term antibody persistence has even been explored. No late side effects, as far as autoimmunity and/or lymphoproliferation appearance, have been noticed. The long duration of the vaccine induced anti-HAV antibodies has been confirmed, whereas the antibodies induced by tetravalent meningococcal ...
Recent studies highlight that high levels of cytokines may precede the onset of many systemic aut... more Recent studies highlight that high levels of cytokines may precede the onset of many systemic autoimmune disorders and may also be related to chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) activity.
Recent studies described a critical role for microglia in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), wh... more Recent studies described a critical role for microglia in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), where these CNS-resident immune cells participate in the establishment of an inflammatory microenvironment that contributes to motor neuron degeneration. Understanding the mechanisms leading to microglia activation in ALS could help to identify specific molecular pathways which could be targeted to reduce or delay motor neuron degeneration and muscle paralysis in patients. The intermediate-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel KCa3.1 has been reported to modulate the "pro-inflammatory" phenotype of microglia in different pathological conditions. We here investigated the effects of blocking KCa3.1 activity in the hSOD1ALS mouse model, which recapitulates many features of the human disease. We report that treatment of hSOD1 mice with a selective KCa3.1 inhibitor, 1-[(2-chlorophenyl)diphenylmethyl]-1H-pyrazole (TRAM-34), attenuates the "pro-inflammatory" phenotyp...
In glioma, microglia and infiltrating macrophages are exposed to factors that force them to produ... more In glioma, microglia and infiltrating macrophages are exposed to factors that force them to produce cytokines and chemokines, contributing to tumor growth and maintaining a pro-tumorigenic, immunosuppressed microenvironment. We demonstrate that housing glioma-bearing mice in enriched environment (EE) reverts the immunosuppressive phenotype of infiltrating myeloid cells, by modulating inflammatory gene expression. Under these conditions, branching and patrolling activity of myeloid cells is increased, and their phagocytic activity is promoted. Modulation of gene expression depends on interferon-(IFN) g produced by natural killer (NK) cells, disappearing in mice depleted of NK cells or lacking IFN-g, and was mimicked by exogenous interleukin-15 (IL-15). Further, we describe a key role for BDNF produced in the brain of mice housed in EE in mediating the expression of IL-15 in CD11b+ cells. These data define novel mechanisms linking environmental cues to the acquisition of a pro-inflamm...
Wnt1-inducible signaling pathway protein 1 (WISP1) is a novel adipokine participating in adipose ... more Wnt1-inducible signaling pathway protein 1 (WISP1) is a novel adipokine participating in adipose tissue (AT) dysfunction; so far, no data on WISP1 in diabetes are available. Objectives: To evaluate plasma WISP1 in subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its correlates linked to AT inflammation. Design and Participants: For this cross-sectional study, 97 consecutive dysmetabolic patients were recruited at the diabetes outpatient clinics of Sapienza University in Rome; 71 of them had T2D, with (n = 35) or without (n = 36) obesity, and 26 were obese patients without diabetes. Twenty-one normalweight nondiabetic individuals were enrolled as a control group. Study participants underwent clinical workup and blood sampling for metabolic/inflammatory characterization; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data on subcutaneous AT and visceral AT (VAT) area, hepatic fat content, and VAT homogeneity were available for most diabetic patients. Results: Plasma WISP1 significantly increased throughout classes of obesity and correlated with greater VAT area, interleukin-8 (IL-8), and lower adiponectin levels, without differing between diabetic and nondiabetic participants. Higher IL-8 was the main determinant of increased WISP1. MRI-assessed VAT inhomogeneity was associated with higher WISP1, IL-8 and C-reactive protein levels, independent of obesity; high WISP1 strongly predicted VAT inhomogeneity (P , 0.001). Conclusions: WISP1 levels are increased in obese persons and are directly related to adiposity, independent of glycemic status or insulin resistance; moreover, they are strongly associated with increased plasma IL-8 and signal abnormalities of VAT. The overall data add insights to the mechanisms underlying metabolic alterations and may open a scenario for innovative therapeutic approaches for diabetes prevention and care.
Cancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII, Jan 29, 2017
The importance of T cell-dependent immune responses in achieving long-term cure of chemoimmunothe... more The importance of T cell-dependent immune responses in achieving long-term cure of chemoimmunotherapy-treated cancer patients is underscored by the recently described "vaccinal effect" exerted by therapeutic mAbs. In accordance, pre- and post-therapy peripheral blood lymphopenia represents a well-established negative prognostic factor in DLBCL. We analyzed the phenotypic and functional (IFNγ production, and Granzyme B (GrzB) cytotoxic granule marker expression) profile of peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets ("conventional" CD4(+) and CD8(+), FOXP3(+)CD25(bright) Treg, and "innate-like" CD56(+)) in DLBCL patients at diagnosis, and assessed the long-term impact of R-CHOP chemoimmunotherapy, in a prospective study. At diagnosis, DLBCL patients showed lower lymphocyte counts, due to selective decrement of CD4(+) T (including Treg) and B lymphocytes. While all T cell subsets transiently decreased during therapy, CD4(+) T cell and Treg remained significantl...
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, Apr 14, 2017
Oleandrin is a glycoside that inhibits the ubiquitous enzyme Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase. In addition to it... more Oleandrin is a glycoside that inhibits the ubiquitous enzyme Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase. In addition to its known effects on cardiac muscle, recent in vitro and in vivo evidence highlighted potential for anticancer properties of this compound. In this paper we evaluated for the first time the effect of oleandrin on brain tumors. To this aim mice were transplanted with human or murine glioma and analyzed for tumor progression upon oleandrin treatment. In both systems, oleandrin impaired glioma development, reduced tumor size, and inhibited cell proliferation. We demonstrated that oleandrin i) enhances brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level in the brain; ii) reduces both microglia/macrophage (M/Mφ) infiltration and CD68 immunoreactivity in the tumor mass; iii) decreases astrogliosis in peritumoral area; and iv )reduces glioma cell infiltration in healthy parenchyma. In BDNF deficient mice (bdnftm1Jae/J), and in glioma cells silenced for TrkB receptor expression, oleandrin was not effec...
Malignant gliomas are among the most frequent and aggressive cerebral tumors, characterized by hi... more Malignant gliomas are among the most frequent and aggressive cerebral tumors, characterized by high proliferative and invasive indexes. Standard therapy for patients, after surgery and radiotherapy, consists of temozolomide (TMZ), a methylating agent that blocks tumor cell proliferation. Currently, there are no therapies aimed at reducing tumor cell invasion. Ion channels are candidate molecular targets involved in glioma cell migration and infiltration into the brain parenchyma. In this paper we demonstrate that: i) blockade of the calcium-activated potassium channel KCa3.1 with TRAM-34 has co-adjuvant effects with TMZ, reducing GL261 glioma cell migration, invasion and colony forming activity, increasing apoptosis, and forcing cells to pass the G2/M cell cycle phase, likely through cdc2 de-phosphorylation; ii) KCa3.1 silencing potentiates the inhibitory effect of TMZ on glioma cell viability; iii) the combination of TMZ/TRAM-34 attenuates the toxic effects of glioma conditioned medium on neuronal cultures, through a microglia dependent mechanism since the effect is abolished by clodronate-induced microglia killing; iv) TMZ/TRAM-34 co-treatment increases the number of apoptotic tumor cells, and the mean survival time in a syngeneic mouse glioma model (C57BL6 mice implanted with GL261 cells); v) TMZ/TRAM-34 co-treatment reduces cell viability of GBM cells and cancer stem cells (CSC) freshly isolated from patients. Taken together, these data suggest a new therapeutic approach for malignant glioma, targeting both glioma cell proliferating and migration, and demonstrate that TMZ/TRAM-34 co-treatment affects both glioma cells and infiltrating microglia, resulting in an overall reduction of tumor cell progression.
The signaling pathways linking integrins to nuclear events are incompletely understood. We have e... more The signaling pathways linking integrins to nuclear events are incompletely understood. We have examined intracellular signaling by the alpha6beta4 integrin, a laminin receptor expressed in basal keratinocytes and other cells. Ligation of alpha6beta4 in primary human keratinocytes caused tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc, recruitment of Grb2, activation of Ras and stimulation of the MAP kinases Erk and Jnk. In contrast, ligation of the laminin- and collagen-binding integrins alpha3beta1 and alpha2beta1 did not cause these events. While the stimulation of Erk by alpha6beta4 was suppressed by dominant-negative Shc, Ras and RhoA, the activation of Jnk was inhibited by dominant-negative Ras and Rac1 and by the phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitor Wortmannin. Adhesion mediated by alpha6beta4 induced transcription from the Fos serum response element and promoted cell cycle progression in response to mitogens. In contrast, alpha3beta1- and alpha2beta1-dependent adhesion did not induce these events. These findings suggest that the coupling of alpha6beta4 integrin to the control of cell cycle progression mediated by Shc regulates the proliferation of basal keratinocytes and possibly other cells which are in contact with the basement membrane in vivo.
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Papers by Fabrizio Mainiero