Ascorbic acid (AA), also known as vitamin C, was initially identified as the factor preventing the scurvy disease, and became very popular for its antioxidant properties. It is an important co-substrate of a large class of enzymes, and regulates gene expression by interacting with important transcription factors. AA is important in all stressful conditions that are linked to inflammatory processes and involve immunity. It has been known for decades that the persistence of an inflammatory stimulus is responsible for the onset of many diseases. AA is essential to stimulate the immune system by increasing the strength and protection of the organism. Therefore, its immunostimulant, antinflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial roles are well known, we have summarized its main functions in different types of diseases related to the immune system and chronic inflammation. We can conclude that AA, due to its effects and diversity of regulated pathways, is suitable for use in various fields of medicine including immunology, toxicology, radiobiology and others. AA is not preferable to be used as an isolated mode of treatment, but it can be co-applied as an adjuvant to regulate immunity, gene expression and other important physiological processes. However, we propose that future studies will take into consideration the research of new combinations of antioxidant natural substances and drugs.

Drug resistance imposes severe limitations to the efficacy of targeted therapy in BRAF-mutated metastatic melanoma. Although this issue has been mitigated by the development of combination therapies with BRAF plus MEK inhibitors, drug resistance inevitably occurs with time and results in clinical recurrences and untreatable disease. Hence, there is strong need of developing new combination therapies and non-invasive diagnostics for the early identification of drug-resistant patients. We report here that the development of drug resistance to BRAFi is dominated by a dynamic deregulation of a large population of miRNAs, leading to the alteration of cell intrinsic proliferation and survival pathways, as well as of proinflammatory and proangiogenic cues, where a prominent role is played by the miR-199b-5p/VEGF axis. Significant alterations of miRNA expression levels are detectable in tumor biopsies and plasma from patients after disease recurrence. Targeting these alterations blunts the development of drug resistance.

The nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (N-BP) zoledronic acid (ZOL) inhibits osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, and it is used to prevent skeletal complications from bone metastases. ZOL has also demonstrated anticancer activities in preclinical models and, recently, in cancer patients, highlighting the interest in determining eventual mechanisms of resistance against this agent. In our study, we selected and characterised a resistant subline of prostate cancer (PCa) cells to better understand the mechanisms, by which tumour cells can escape the antitumour effect of ZOL. DU145R80-resistant cells were selected in about 5 months using stepwise increasing concentrations of ZOL from DU145 parental cells. DU145R80 cells showed a resistance index value of 5.5 and cross-resistance to another N-BP, pamidronate, but not to the non-nitrogen containing BP clodronate. Notably, compared with DU145 parental cells, DU145R80 developed resistance to apoptosis and anoikis, as well as overexpressed the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and oncoprotein c-Myc. Moreover, DU145R80 cells underwent epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and showed increased expression of the metalloproteases MMP-2/9, as well as increased invading capability. Interestingly, compared with DU145, DU145R80 cells also increased the gene expression and protein secretion of VEGF and the cytokines Eotaxin-1 and IL-12. At the molecular level, DU145R80 cells showed strong activation of the p38-MAPK-dependent survival pathway compared with parental sensitive cells. Moreover, using the p38-inhibitor SB203580, we completely reversed the resistance to ZOL, as well as EMT marker expression and invasion. Furthermore, SB203580 treatment reduced the expression of VEGF, Eotaxin-1, IL-12, MMP-9, Bcl-2 and c-Myc. Thus, for the first time, we demonstrate that the p38-MAPK pathway can be activated under continuous extensive exposure to ZOL in PCa cells and that the p38-MAPK pathway has a critical role in the induction of resistance, as well as in the acquisition of a more aggressive and invasive phenotype.

Background Molecular markers for prostate cancer (PCa) are required to improve the early definition of patient outcomes. Atypically large extracellular vesicles (EVs), referred as “Large Oncosomes” (LO), have been identified in highly migratory and invasive PCa cells. We recently developed and characterized the DU145R80 subline, selected from parental DU145 cells as resistant to inhibitors of mevalonate pathway. DU145R80 showed different proteomic profile compared to parental DU145 cells, along with altered cytoskeleton dynamics and a more aggressive phenotype. Methods Immunofluorescence staining and western blotting were used to identify blebbing and EVs protein cargo. EVs, purified by gradient ultra-centrifugations, were analyzed by tunable resistive pulse sensing and multi-parametric flow cytometry approach coupled with high-resolution imaging technologies. LO functional effects were tested in vitro by adhesion and invasion assays and in vivo xenograft model in nude mice. Xenograft and patient tumor tissues were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Results We found spontaneous blebbing and increased shedding of LO from DU145R80 compared to DU145 cells. LO from DU145R80, compared to those from DU145, carried increased amounts of key-molecules involved in PCa progression including integrin alpha V (αV-integrin). By incubating DU145 cells with DU145R80-derived LO we demonstrated that αV-integrin on LO surface was functionally involved in the increased adhesion and invasion of recipient cells, via AKT. Indeed either the pre-incubation of LO with an αV-integrin blocking antibody, or a specific AKT inhibition in recipient cells are able to revert the LO-induced functional effects. Moreover, DU145R80-derived LO also increased DU145 tumor engraftment in a mice model. Finally, we identified αV-integrin positive LO-like structures in tumor xenografts as well as in PCa patient tissues. Increased αV-integrin tumor expression correlated with high Gleason score and lymph node status. Conclusions Overall, this study is the first to demonstrate the critical role of αV-integrin positive LO in PCa aggressive features, adding new insights in biological function of these large EVs and suggesting their potential use as PCa prognostic markers. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-019-1317-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory process of the vessel walls, and CD4+ T-cells are peculiar to both human and murine atherosclerotic lesions. There is a recent line of research favoring hypothetic allergic mechanisms in the genesis of atherosclerosis and, consequently, coronary artery disease (CAD), among which Interleukin (IL)-17 appears to be a key cytokine regulating local tissue inflammation.The objective was to add a piece of information on the role of IL-17 in the genesis of atherosclerosis. Eighty obese patients with normal liver enzyme levels but presenting with ultrasonographic evidence of NAFLD formed the population of this cross-sectional study. Anthropometric measures, data on excess adiposity, metabolic profile, serum concentrations of IL-17, eotaxin-3, IL-8, and CCL4/MIP1β, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, ferritin, TNF-α, as well carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), a marker of atherosclerosis, and the main risk factors for CAD, such as blood pressure and smoking status, but also less determinant ones such as degree of NAFLD severity, Intramuscular Triglyceride storage and Resting Metabolic Rate were evaluated.Serum concentrations of Il-17 were detected as related to those of inflammatory cytokines, IL-6, IFN-γ and TNF-α. Furthermore, circulating levels of IL-17 were linked to those mirroring allergic process, IL-8, CCL4/MIP1β and eotaxin. Early atherosclerosis, evidenced as increased IMT, was not associated with circulating IL-17 levels. At multiple regression, IMT was predicted, other than by age, by the amount of the visceral adiposity, expressed as visceral adipose tissue at ultrasonography, and by serum eotaxin.In conclusion, a strong relationship was found between the IL-17-related chemokine eotaxin and IMT. The association found between the amount of visceral fat and circulating levels of eotaxin on the one hand, and IMT on the other, could reinforce the hypothesis that IL-17, released by the visceral adipose tissue, induces eotaxin secretion via the smooth muscle cells present in the atheromatosus vessels.