Background/Aims: Lung cancer is one of the most common malignancies in the world. Apoptosis-stimulating protein of p53 (ASPP2), a tumorigenesis related protein, plays a critical role in the initiation and development of various types of cancers. However, the effect of ASPP2 on lung cancer remains unknown. The purpose of this study aims to investigate the mechanism of ASPP2 regulated by miR-21 in lung cancer in vitro and in vivo. Methods: In the study, migration and invasion assays, apoptosis assay, caspase activity assay, TUNEL staining, real time PCR and western blot were used to investigate the mechanism of ASPP2 regulated by miR-21 in lung cancer in vitro and in vivo. Results: We demonstrated that the miR-21 inhibitor induced apoptosis through inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Moreover, ASPP2 was directly targeted by miR-21 in NSCLC cells. Down-regulation of miR-21 suppressed cell migration and invasion, as well as the EMT signaling pathway in NSCLC cells. Furthermore, the miR-21 inhibitor induced cell apoptosis via the caspase dependent pathway in NSCLC cells. The miR-21 inhibitor enhanced caspase-3, 8, 9 activity in NSCLC cells. In addition, the caspase inhibitor significantly reduced the apoptosis induced by the miR-21 inhibitor in NSCLC cells. Conclusions: Our results revealed that the miR-21 inhibitor could induce apoptosis through inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway in human NSCLC cells, and might serve as a therapeutic strategy to treat NSCLC.
CD4+ T cell-mediated immunity has increasingly received attention due to its contribution in the control of HIV viral replication; therefore, it is of great significance to improve CD4+ T cell responses to enhance the efficacy of HIV vaccines. Recent studies have suggested that macroautophagy plays a crucial role in modulating adaptive immune responses toward CD4+ T cells or CD8+ T cells. In the present study, a new strategy based on a macroautophagy degradation mechanism is investigated to enhance CD4+ T cell responses against the HIV/SIV gag antigen. Our results showed that when fused to the autophagosome-associated LC3b protein, SIVgag protein can be functionally targeted to autophagosomes, processed by autophagy-mediated degradation in autolysosomes/lysosomes, presented to MHC II compartments and elicit effective potential CD4 T cell responses in vitro. Importantly, compared with the SIVgag protein alone, SIVgag-LC3b fusion antigen can induce a stronger antigen-specific CD4+ T cell response in mice, which is characterized by an enhanced magnitude and polyfunctionality. This study provides insight for the immunological modulation between viral and mammalian cells via autophagy, and it also presents an alternative strategy for the design of new antigens in the development of effective HIV vaccines.
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