2024-07-20 2024, Volume 14 Issue 7

  • Select all
  • LETTER TO THE JOURNAL
    Hui Liu , Wei Wang , Chaomeng Wang , Liyan Li , Junshu Wu , Yingying Chen , Zhaoyun Liu , Honglei Wang , Lijuan Li , Rong Fu
    2024, 14(7): e1671. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1671
  • LETTER TO THE JOURNAL
    Huan-Xin Chen , Hai-Tao Hou , Xiu-Li Wang , Jun Wang , Qin Yang , Guo-Wei He
    2024, 14(7): e1676. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1676
  • LETTER TO THE JOURNAL
    Sonia Calabrò , Leonardo Nogara , Yongzhi Jian , Manuel Valentin , Dario Bizzotto , Paola Braghetta , Loris Russo , Lisa Gambarotto , Bert Blaauw , Said Hashemolhosseini , Paolo Bonaldo , Matilde Cescon
    2024, 14(7): e1688. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1688
  • REVIEW
    Bing Yue , Yuxia Gao , Yi Hu , Meixiao Zhan , Yangzhe Wu , Ligong Lu
    2024, 14(7): e1731. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1731

    Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection playsa significant role in the etiology and progression of liver-relatedpathologies, encompassing chronic hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and eventual hepatocellularcarcinoma (HCC). Notably, HBV infection stands as the primary etiologicalfactor driving the development of HCC. Given the significant contribution ofHBV infection to liver diseases, a comprehensive understanding of immunedynamics in the liver microenvironment, spanning chronic HBV infection,fibrosis, cirrhosis, and HCC, is essential. In this review, we focused on thefunctional alterations of CD8+ T cells within the pathogenic livermicroenvironment from HBV infection to HCC. We thoroughly reviewed the roles ofhypoxia, acidic pH, metabolic reprogramming, amino acid deficiency, inhibitory checkpointmolecules, immunosuppressive cytokines, and the gut-liver communication in shapingthe dysfunction of CD8+ T cells in the liver microenvironment. Thesefactors significantly impact the clinical prognosis. Furthermore, we comprehensivelyreviewed CD8+ T cell-based therapy strategies for liver diseases,encompassing HBV infection, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and HCC. Strategies includeimmune checkpoint blockades, metabolic T-cell targeting therapy, therapeuticT-cell vaccination, and adoptive transfer of genetically engineered CD8+ T cells, along with the combined usage of programmed cell death protein-1/programmeddeath ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitors with mitochondria-targeted antioxidants.Given that targeting CD8+ T cells at various stages of hepatitis Bvirus-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV + HCC) shows promise, we reviewedthe ongoing need for research to elucidate the complex interplay between CD8+ T cells and the liver microenvironment in the progression of HBV infection toHCC. We also discussed personalized treatment regimens, combining therapeuticstrategies and harnessing gut microbiota modulation, which holds potential forenhanced clinical benefits. In conclusion, this review delves into the immunedynamics of CD8+ T cells, microenvironment changes, and therapeuticstrategies within the liver during chronic HBV infection, HCC progression, andrelated liver diseases.

  • RESEARCH ARTICLE
    Fei Ding , Peng Zheng , Hong-Ting Fang , Yuan-Yuan Luo , Xi-Yue Yan , Hui-Jian Chen , You-E Yan
    2024, 14(7): e1742. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1742

    Background: White adipose tissue (WAT) has a key role in maintaining energy balance throughout the body, and their dysfunction take part in the regulation of diabetes mellitus. However, the internal regulatory mechanisms underlying are still unknown.

    Methods and results: We generated adipocyte-specific FAK KO (FAK-AKO) mice and investigated their phenotype. The cascade of adipocyte, macrophage in adipocyte tissues, and pancreatic β-cells were proposed in FAK-AKO mice and validated by cell line studies using 3T3-L1, Raw264.7 and Min6. The FAK-AKO mice exhibited glucose intolerance, reduced adipose tissue mass and increased apoptosis, lipolysis and inflammatory response in adipose tissue. We further demonstrate that adipocyte FAK deletion increases β cell apoptosis and inflammatory infiltrates into islets, which is potentiated if mice were treated with STZ. In the STZ-induced diabetes model, FAK AKO mice exhibit less serum insulin content and pancreatic β cell area. Moreover, serum pro-inflammatory factors increased and insulin levels decreased after glucose stimulation in FAK AKO mice. In a parallel vitro experiment, knockdown or inhibition of FAK during differentiation also increased apoptosis, lipolysis and inflammatory in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, whereas the opposite was observed upon overexpression of FAK. Moreover, coculturing LPS-treated RAW264.7 macrophages with knockdown FAK of 3T3-L1 adipocytes increased macrophage pro-inflammatory response. Furthermore, conditioned medium from above stimulated Min6 cells apoptosis (with or without STZ), whereas the opposite was observed upon overexpression of FAK. Mechanistically, FAK protein interact with TRAF6 in adipocytes and knockdown or inhibition of FAK activated TRAF6/TAK1/NF-κB signaling, which exacerbates inflammation of adipocytes themselves.

    Conclusion: Adipocyte FAK deletion promotes both adipocyte apoptosis and adipose tissue inflammation. Pro-inflammatory factors released by the FAK-null adipose tissue further trigger apoptosis in pancreatic islets induced by the administration of STZ, thereby exacerbating the diabetes mellitus. This study reveals a link between FAK-mediated adipose inflammation and diabetes mellitus, a mechanism that has not been previously recognized.

  • LETTER TO THE JOURNAL
    Zhaoman Wan , Nan Jiang , Mingming Su , Xinlei Zhang , Yang Cao , Aiping Wu , Peng Zhang , Taijiao Jiang
    2024, 14(7): e1745. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1745
  • COMMENTARY
    Elena Cattaneo , Roger A Barker
    2024, 14(7): e1746. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1746
  • RESEARCH ARTICLE
    Mengfei Ding , Zhuoya Yu , Tiange Lu , Shunfeng Hu , Xiangxiang Zhou , Xin Wang
    2024, 14(7): e1747. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1747

    Background: Accumulating studies suggested that posttranscriptional modifications exert a vital role in the tumorigenesis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) modification, catalyzed by the N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10), was a novel type of chemical modification that improves translation efficiency and mRNA stability.

    Methods: GEO databases and clinical samples were used to explore the expression and clinical value of NAT10 in DLBCL. CRISPER/Cas9-mediated knockout of NAT10 was performed to determine the biological functions of NAT10 in DLBCL. RNA sequencing, acetylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (acRIP-seq), LC-MS/MS, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP)-qPCR and RNA stability assays were performed to explore the mechanism by which NAT10 contributed to DLBCL progression.

    Results: Here, we demonstrated that NAT10-mediated ac4C modification regulated the occurrence and progression of DLBCL. Dysregulated N-acetyltransferases expression was found in DLBCL samples. High expression of NAT10 was associated with poor prognosis of DLBCL patients. Deletion of NAT10 expression inhibited cell proliferation and induced G0/G1 phase arrest. Furthermore, knockout of NAT10 increased the sensitivity of DLBCL cells to ibrutinib. AcRIP-seq identified solute carrier family 30 member 9 (SLC30A9) as a downstream target of NAT10 in DLBCL. NAT10 regulated the mRNA stability of SLC30A9 in an ac4C-dependent manner. Genetic silencing of SLC30A9 suppressed DLBCL cell growth via regulating the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway.

    Conclusion: Collectively, these findings highlighted the essential role of ac4C RNA modification mediated by NAT10 in DLBCL, and provided insights into novel epigenetic-based therapeutic strategies.

  • ERRATUM
    2024, 14(7): e1748. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1748
  • RESEARCH ARTICLE
    Ping Sun , Yifei Li , Weidong Yu , Jianfeng Chen , Pingping Wan , Zhuo Wang , Maomao Zhang , Chao Wang , Shuai Fu , Ge Mang , Stephen Choi , Zhuo Du , Caiying Tang , Song Li , Guoxia Shi , Jiawei Tian , Jiannan Dai , Xiaoping Leng
    2024, 14(7): e1749. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1749

    During myocardial ischaemia‒reperfusion injury (MIRI), the accumulation of damaged mitochondria could pose serious threats to the heart. The migrasomes, newly discovered mitocytosis-mediating organelles, selectively remove damaged mitochondria to provide mitochondrial quality control. Here, we utilised low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) on MIRI mice model and demonstrated that LIPUS reduced the infarcted area and improved cardiac dysfunction. Additionally, we found that LIPUS alleviated MIRI-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. We provided new evidence that LIPUS mechanical stimulation facilitated damaged mitochondrial excretion via migrasome-dependent mitocytosis. Inhibition the formation of migrasomes abolished the protective effect of LIPUS on MIRI. Mechanistically, LIPUS induced the formation of migrasomes by evoking the RhoA/Myosin II/F-actin pathway. Meanwhile, F-actin activated YAP nuclear translocation to transcriptionally activate the mitochondrial motor protein KIF5B and Drp1, which are indispensable for LIPUS-induced mitocytosis. These results revealed that LIPUS activates mitocytosis, a migrasome-dependent mitochondrial quality control mechanism, to protect against MIRI, underlining LIPUS as a safe and potentially non-invasive treatment for MIRI.

  • REVIEW
    Lulu Chen , Shuting Huang , Xiaoxue Wu , Weiling He , Mei Song
    2024, 14(7): e1750. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1750

    • Primary synthesis and metabolic routes of peripheral 5-hydroxytryptamine in the gastrointestinal tract.

    • Advanced research has established a strong association between the serotonergic components and carcinogenic mechanisms.

    • The interplay between serotonergic signalling and the immune system within the tumour microenvironment orchestrates antitumour immune responses.

    • Serotonergic-targeted drugs offer valuable clinical options for cancer therapy

  • REVIEW
    Xinzi Zhang , Fang Zhang , Xun Xu
    2024, 14(7): e1751. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1751

    • Progress in scRNA-seq for diabetic retinopathy (DR) research includes studies on DR patients, non-human primates, and the prevalent mouse models.

    • scRNA-seq facilitates the identification of differentially expressed genes, pivotal cell subpopulations, and complex cell-cell interactions in DR at single-cell level.

    • Future scRNA-seq applications in DR should target specific patient subsets and integrate with single-cell and spatial multi-omics approaches.

  • LETTER TO THE JOURNAL
    Yeqing Qian , Jianjun Zhu , Zhiguo Tang , Yan Sun , Zhonghua Wang , Fei Tang , Yun Yang , Linlin Fan , Yixi Sun , Bei Liu , Min Chen , Yuqin Luo , Junjie Hu , Kai Yan , Jianfen Man , Lina Wang , Cangcang Jia , Ping Tang , Xinyi Zhu , Chaohong Wang , Junxiang Tang , Yuanyuan Xia , Xueqin Guo , Kang Zhang , Xiaoli Wang , Suping Li , Lijie Song , Jiansheng Zhu , Minyue Dong
    2024, 14(7): e1752. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1752
  • RESEARCH ARTICLE
    Bing Yao , Mengying Xing , Xiangwei Zeng , Ming Zhang , Que Zheng , Zhi Wang , Bo Peng , Shuang Qu , Lingyun Li , Yucui Jin , Haitao Li , Hongyan Yuan , Quan Zhao , Changyan Ma
    2024, 14(7): e1753. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1753

    • YBX1 is a KMT2D-mediated H3K4me1-binding effector protein and mutation of YBX1 (E121A) disrupts its binding to H3K4me1.

    • KMT2D and YBX1 cooperatively promote TNBC proliferation and metastasis by activating c-Myc and SENP1 expression in vitro and in vivo.

    • YBX1 is colocalized with H3K4me1 in the c-Myc and SENP1 promoter regions in TNBC cells and increased YBX1 expression predicts a poor prognosis in breast cancer patients.

  • COMMENTARY
    Yiran Zhu , Yong Lu
    2024, 14(7): e1756. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1756
  • RESEARCH ARTICLE
    Huanqiang Zhao , Yu Xiong , Zixiang Zhou , Qixin Xu , Yang Zi , Xiujie Zheng , Shiguo Chen , Xirong Xiao , Lili Gong , Huangfang Xu , Lidong Liu , Huiqing Lu , Yutong Cui , Shuyi Shao , Jin Zhang , Jing Ma , Qiongjie Zhou , Duan Ma , Xiaotian Li
    2024, 14(7): e1759. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1759

    • A hidden circRNA-encoded proteome in the human placenta was extensively identified and systematically characterised.

    • The circRNA-encoded proteins (CEPs) are potentially related to placental development and associated disorders.

    • A novel conserved CEP circPRKCB119aa enhanced trophoblast autophagy by inhibiting phosphorylation of its cognate linear-spliced isoform protein kinase C (PKC) β in preeclampsia.

  • REVIEW
    Zizhuo Li , Anqi Lin , Zhifei Gao , Aimin Jiang , Minying Xiong , Jiapeng Song , Zaoqu Liu , Quan Cheng , Jian Zhang , Peng Luo
    2024, 14(7): e1761. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1761

    • Chemotherapy can inhibit B-cell proliferation and alter subset distributions and functions, including factor secretion, receptor signalling, and costimulation.

    • Chemotherapy can modulate complex B-cell–T-cell interactions with variable effects on anti-tumour immunity

    • Targeting B-cell surface markers or signalling improves chemotherapy responses, blocks immune evasion and inhibits tumour growth.

    • Critical knowledge gaps remain regarding B-cell interactions in TME, B-cell chemoresistance mechanisms, TLS biology, heterogeneity, spatial distributions, chemotherapy drug selection and B-cell targets that future studies should address.

  • ERRATUM
    2024, 14(7): e1767. https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.1767