Differentiation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) to extracellular matrix- and growth factor-producing cells supports liver regeneration through promotion of hepatocyte proliferation. We show that the neurotrophin receptor p75NTR, a tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member expressed in HSCs after fibrotic and cirrhotic liver injury in humans, is a regulator of liver repair. In mice, depletion of p75NTR exacerbated liver pathology and inhibited hepatocyte proliferation in vivo. p75NTR-/- HSCs failed to differentiate to myofibroblasts and did not support hepatocyte proliferation. Moreover, inhibition of p75NTR signaling to the small guanosine triphosphatase Rho resulted in impaired HSC differentiation. Our results identify signaling from p75NTR to Rho as a mechanism for the regulation of HSC differentiation to regeneration-promoting cells that support hepatocyte proliferation in the diseased liver.
Clearance of fibrin through proteolytic degradation is a critical step of matrix remodeling that contributes to tissue repair in a variety of pathological conditions, such as stroke, atherosclerosis, and pulmonary disease. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate fibrin deposition are not known. Here, we report that the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR), a TNF receptor superfamily member up-regulated after tissue injury, blocks fibrinolysis by down-regulating the serine protease, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), and up-regulating plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). We have discovered a new mechanism in which phosphodiesterase PDE4A4/5 interacts with p75NTR to enhance cAMP degradation. The p75NTR-dependent down-regulation of cAMP results in a decrease in extracellular proteolytic activity. This mechanism is supported in vivo in p75NTR-deficient mice, which show increased proteolysis after sciatic nerve injury and lung fibrosis. Our results reveal a novel pathogenic mechanism by which p75NTR regulates degradation of cAMP and perpetuates scar formation after injury.
Diffuse large B cell lymphoma is generally treated by chemotherapy and there is an unmet medical need for novel targeted therapies or combination therapies. Using in vitro screening, we have identified the combination of ibrutinib, an inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase BTK, and AZD2014, an mTOR catalytic inhibitor, as being highly synergistic in killing ABC-subtype DLBCL cell lines. Simultaneous inhibition of BTK and mTOR causes apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo and results in tumor regression in a xenograft model. We identify two parallel mechanisms that underlie apoptosis in this setting: cooperative inhibition of cap-dependent translation, and the inhibition of an NF-κB/IL10/STAT3 autocrine loop. Combined disruption of these pathways is required for apoptosis. These data represent a rational basis for the dual inhibition of BTK and mTOR as a potential treatment for ABC-subtype DLBCL.
The chemokine receptor CXCR4 is a seven-transmembrane G-protein coupled receptor that mediates chemotaxis and cell migration upon stimulation via its ligand, stromal-derived factor 1 (SDF-1), also called CXCL12. CXCR4 is normally expressed on bone marrow stem and progenitor cells, various circulating lymphocytes, endothelial precursor cells, tissue macrophages and fibroblasts but the aberrant overexpression of CXCR4 is linked to various hematological malignancies, solid tumors and metastatic neoplasms. Moreover, CXCR4 overexpression is correlated with poor prognosis in many types of cancer, including breast, ovarian, colon, pancreatic, AML and glioblastomas. CXCR4 inhibition using siRNA, small-molecule and peptide inhibitors has demonstrated that it can inhibit tumor growth by blocking tumor cell survival/proliferation, metastasis, angiogenesis and tumor immune infiltrates. Here we describe a novel, fully human, antagonistic antibody to CXCR4, MEDI3185, which blocks SDF-1 binding to CXCR4. MEDI3185 has picomolar binding affinity to human CXCR4 and exhibits no significant binding to other chemokine receptors such as CCR4 or CXCR3. In vitro studies demonstrated that MEDI3185 inhibited tumor cell migration, blocked SDF-1 induced tumor cell signaling and induced apoptosis of tumor cells. In preclinical human tumor xenograft models in mouse, MEDI3185 showed single-agent tumor growth inhibition in multiple myeloma and B-cell Burkitt's lymphoma models and had combination activity in ovarian models. In addition, MEDI3185 extended survival as combination therapy in mouse models of CLL and also blocked lung tumor burden in a disseminated ovarian model. Combined, these data suggest that MEDI3185 is a potent CXCR4 antibody for the treatment of both hematological and solid tumors because it has pleiotropic effects on tumor biology that may enhance the efficacy of the current standard of care. Citation Format: Adeela Kamal, Youzhen Wang, Philipp Steiner, Anne-Marie Mazzola, Leslie Wetzel, Melissa Passino, Brenda McDermott, Keven Huang, Vahe Bedian, Norman Greenberg. MEDI3185, a potent anti-CXCR4 antibody, inhibits tumor cell migration, signaling and tumor growth in preclinical models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5462. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5462
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