TGFβ promotes YAP‐dependent AXL induction in mesenchymal‐type lung cancer cells

The acquisition of chemoresistance remains a major cause of cancer mortality due to the limited accessibility of targeted or immune therapies. However, given that severe alterations of molecular features during epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) lead to acquired chemoresistance, emerging studies have focused on identifying targetable drivers associated with acquired chemoresistance. Particularly, AXL, a key receptor tyrosine kinase that confers resistance against targets and chemotherapeutics, is highly expressed in mesenchymal cancer cells. However, the underlying mechanism of AXL induction in mesenchymal cancer cells is poorly understood. Our study revealed that the YAP signature, which was highly enriched in mesenchymal‐type lung cancer, was closely correlated to AXL expression in 181 lung cancer cell lines. Moreover, using isogenic lung cancer cell pairs, we also found that doxorubicin treatment induced YAP nuclear translocation in mesenchymal‐type lung cancer cells to induce AXL expression. Additionally, the concurrent activation of TGFβ signaling coordinated YAP‐dependent AXL expression through SMAD4. These data suggest that crosstalk between YAP and the TGFβ/SMAD axis upon treatment with chemotherapeutics might be a promising target to improve chemosensitivity in mesenchymal‐type lung cancer.

Abbreviations

AUC

area under the curve

AXL

AXL receptor tyrosine kinase

BCL2

B‐cell lymphoma 2

CTD2

cancer target discovery and development

CTGF

connective tissue growth factor

DEG

differentially expressed genes

DOXO

doxorubicin

EMT

epithelial–mesenchymal transition

Eto

etoposide

FDA

Food and Drug Administration

ITGB3

integrin beta‐3

MAPK

mitogen‐activated protein kinase

MMP2

matrix metalloproteinase‐2

MMP9

matrix metalloproteinase‐9

mRNA

messenger RNA

NF‐κB

nuclear factor kappa‐light‐chain‐enhancer of activated B cells

SBE

SMAD binding element

SERPINE1

serpin family E member 1

siRNA

small interfering RNA

ssGSEA

single‐sample gene set enrichment analysis

TCGA

The Cancer Genome Atlas

TGFβ

transforming growth factor beta

YAP

Yes‐associated protein

YAP8SA

mutants of inhibitory phosphorylation site at eight serine to Alanine of YAP

ZEB1

zinc finger E‐box binding homeobox 1

ZEB2

zinc finger E‐box‐binding homeobox 2

     

Combining proteomics and lipid analysis to unravel Confidor stress response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a useful model for studying the influence of different stress factors on eukaryotic cells. In this work we used the pesticide imidacloprid, in the Confidor formulation, as the stress factor and analyzed its influence on the metabolic activity, proteome and lipid content and composition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast. During the cultivation of yeast, the lowest recommended application dose of Confidor (0.025%, v/v) was added to the growth media and its influence on the mitochondria, cytosol with microsomes, and the whole yeast cells was monitored. The results show that under the stress provoked by the toxic effects of Confidor, yeast cells density significantly decreased and the percentage of metabolically disturbed cells significantly increased comparing with untreated control. Also, there was a downregulation of majority of glycolytic, gluconeogenesis, and TCA cycle enzymes (Fba1, Adh1, Hxk2, Tal1, Tdh1,Tdh3, Eno1) thus providing enough acetyl‐CoA for the lipid restructuring and accumulation mechanism since we have found the changes in the cell and mitochondrial lipid content and FA composition. This data suggest that lipids could be the molecules that orchestrate the answer of the cells in the stress response to the Confidor treatment.     

The Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 Antagonist Capsazepine Improves the Impaired Lung Mechanics during Endotoxemia

Acute lung injury (ALI) caused by systemic inflammatory response remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Management of patients with sepsis is largely limited to supportive therapies, reflecting an incomplete understanding of the underlying pathophysiology. Furthermore, there have been limited advances in the treatments for ALI. In this study, lung function and a histological analysis were performed to evaluate the impact of transient receptor potential vanilloid‐1 receptor (TRPV1) antagonist (capsazepine; CPZ) on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced lung injury in mice. For this, adult mice pre‐treated with CPZ or vehicle received intraperitoneal injections of LPS or saline and 24 hr after, the mice were anaesthetized, and lung mechanics was evaluated. The LPS‐challenged mice exhibited substantial mechanical impairment, characterized by increases in respiratory system resistance, respiratory system elastance, tissue damping and tissue elastance. The pre‐treatment with CPZ prevented the increase in respiratory system resistance and decreased the increase in tissue damping during endotoxemia. In addition, mice pre‐treated with CPZ had an attenuated lung injury evidenced by reduction on collapsed area of the lung parenchyma induced by LPS. This suggests that the TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine has a protective effect on lung mechanics in ALI during endotoxemia and that it may be a target for enhanced therapeutic efficacy in ALI.     

Sonodynamic Therapy: Advances and Challenges in Clinical Translation

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) consists of the synergetic interaction between ultrasound and a chemical agent. In SDT, the cytotoxicity is triggered by ultrasonic stimuli, notably through cavitation. The unique features of SDT are relevant in the clinical context more than ever: the need for efficacy, accuracy, and safety while being noninvasive and preserving the patient's quality of life. However, despite the promising results of this technique, only a few clinical reports describe the use of SDT. The objective of this article is to provide an extensive overview of the clinical and preclinical research conducted in vivo on SDT, to identify the limitations, and to detail the developed strategies to overcome them.     

Generalized,severe epidermolysis bullosa simplex caused by a Keratin 5 p.E477K mutation

Epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) is a skin fragility disorder resulting from mutations of structural proteins in the epidermis. We provide a brief report of long‐term survival and reproduction in a mother with EBS due to keratin 5 (KRT5) c.1429G > A (p.E477K) mutation, which causes a particularly severe form of the disease.