Metastasis contributes to poor prognosis in many types of cancer and is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Tumor cells metastasize to distant sites via the circulatory and lymphatic systems. In this review, we discuss the potential of circulating tumor cells for diagnosis and describe the experimental therapeutics that aim to target these disseminating cancer cells. We discuss the advantages and limitations of such strategies and how they may lead to the development of the next generation of antimetastasis treatments.

Selectins mediate circulatory leukocyte trafficking to sites of inflammation and trauma, and the extracellular microenvironments at these sites often become acidic. In this study, we investigated the influence of slightly acidic pH on the binding dynamics of selectins (P-, L-, and E-selectin) to P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) via computational modeling (molecular dynamics) and experimental rolling assays under shear in vitro. The P-selectin/PSGL-1 binding is strengthened at acidic pH, as evidenced by the formation of a new hydrogen bond (seen computationally) and the observed decrease in the rolling velocities of model cells. In the case of L-selectin/PSGL-1 binding dynamics, the binding strength and frequency increase at acidic pH, as indicated by the greater cell-rolling flux of neutrophils and slower rolling velocities of L-selectin-coated microspheres, respectively. The cell flux is most likely due to an increased population of L-selectin in the high-affinity conformation as pH decreases, whereas the velocities are due to increased L-selectin/PSGL-1 contacts. In contrast to P- and L-selectin, the E-selectin/PSGL-1 binding does not exhibit significant changes at acidic pH levels, as shown both experimentally and computationally.

Heart valve disease is an increasing clinical burden for which there is no effective treatment outside of prosthetic replacement. Over the last 20 years, clinicians have increasingly preferred the use of biological prosthetics to mechanical valves despite their superior durability because of the lifelong anticoagulation therapy that is required. Mechanical valve surface engineering has largely focused on being as non-thrombogenic as possible, but despite decades of iteration has had insufficient impact on the anticoagulation burden. In this study, we systematically evaluate the potential for endothelialization of the pyrolytic carbon surface used in mechanical valves. We compared adsorbed adhesion ligand type (collagen I, fibronectin, laminin, and purified adhesion domain fragments GFOGER and FN7-10) and concentration on endothelial adhesion rates and adhesion strength on Medtronic-Hall prosthetic valve surfaces. Regardless of ligand type or concentration, endothelial adhesion strengthening was insufficient for their intended ultra-high shear stress environment. We then hypothesized that microfabricated trenches would reduce shear stress to tolerable levels while maintaining endothelial access to the flow stream, thereby promoting a confluent and anticoagulant endothelial monolayer. Computational fluid dynamics simulations predicted an empirical relationship of channel width, depth, and spacing that would maintain interior surface shear stress within tolerable levels. Endothelial cells seeded to confluence in these channels retained a confluent monolayer when exposed to 600 dynes/cm2 shear stress for 48 hours regardless of applied adhesive ligand. Furthermore, sheared EC expressed a mature anti-coagulant profile, including endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), VE-cadherin, and significantly downregulated plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). As a final test, channeled pyrolytic carbon surfaces with confluent EC reduced human platelet adhesion 1000-fold over pyrolytic carbon alone. These results advance a promising biohybrid approach to enable active moderation of local coagulative response in mechanical heart valves, which could significantly extend the utility of this important treatment for heart valve disease.

The isolation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) is critical for transplantation therapy and HSPC research, however current isolation techniques can be prohibitively expensive, time-consuming, and produce variable results. Selectin-coated microtubes have shown promise in rapidly isolating HSPCs from human bone marrow, but further purification of HSPCs remains a challenge. Herein, a biomimetic device for HSPC isolation is presented to mimic the acidic vascular microenvironment during trauma, which can enhance the binding frequency between L-selectin and its counter-receptor PSGL-1 and HSPCs. Under acidic pH conditions, L-selectin coated microtubes enhanced CD34+ HSPC adhesion, as evidenced by decreased cell rolling velocity and increased rolling flux. Dynamic light scattering was utilized as a novel sensor to confirm an L-selectin conformational change under acidic conditions, as previously predicted by molecular dynamics. These results suggest that mimicking the acidic conditions of trauma can induce a conformational extension of L-selectin, which can be utilized for flow-based, clinical isolation of HSPCs.

BackgroundDuring inflammation, leukocytes are captured by the selectin family of adhesion receptors lining blood vessels to facilitate exit from the bloodstream. E-selectin is upregulated on stimulated endothelial cells and binds to several ligands on the surface of leukocytes. Selectin:ligand interactions are mediated in part by the interaction between the lectin domain and Sialyl-Lewis x (sLex), a tetrasaccharide common to selectin ligands. There is a high degree of homology between selectins of various species: about 72 and 60 % in the lectin and EGF domains, respectively. In this study, molecular dynamics, docking, and steered molecular dynamics simulations were used to compare the binding and dissociation mechanisms of sLex with mouse and human E-selectin. First, a mouse E-selectin homology model was generated using the human E-selectin crystal structure as a template.ResultsMouse E-selectin was found to have a greater interdomain angle, which has been previously shown to correlate with stronger binding among selectins. sLex was docked onto human and mouse E-selectin, and the mouse complex was found to have a higher free energy of binding and a lower dissociation constant, suggesting stronger binding. The mouse complex had higher flexibility in a few key residues. Finally, steered molecular dynamics was used to dissociate the complexes at force loading rates of 2000–5000 pm/ps2. The mouse complex took longer to dissociate at every force loading rate and the difference was statistically significant at 3000 pm/ps2. When sLex-coated microspheres were perfused through microtubes coated with human or mouse E-selectin, the particles rolled more slowly on mouse E-selectin.ConclusionsBoth molecular dynamics simulations and microsphere adhesion experiments show that mouse E-selectin protein binds more strongly to sialyl Lewis x ligand than human E-selectin. This difference was explained by a greater interdomain angle for mouse E-selectin, and greater flexibility in key residues. Future work could introduce similar amino acid substitutions into the human E-selectin sequence to further modulate adhesion behavior.

Background NETosis is an innate immune response elicited by activated neutrophils to fight microbial infections. Activated neutrophils release DNA fibers decorated with anti-microbial proteins called neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) into the extracellular space to trap and kill surrounding microbes. Methods Here, we show that tumor-derived IL-8 released by cancer cells also activates the release of NETs. Until now, there have been no existing technologies that leverage NETs as an anti-tumor drug delivery vehicle. In this study, we demonstrate the re-engineering of neutrophils to express an apoptosis-inducing chimeric protein, supercharged eGFP-TRAIL, on NETs that can ensnare and kill tumor cells while retaining their anti-microbial capabilities. Results We observed significant TRAIL-induced apoptosis in tumor cells captured by TRAIL-decorated NETs. Conclusions This work demonstrates NETs as a promising technology to deliver protein in response to local cytokine signals.

Introduction E-selectin is a member of the selectin family of cell adhesion molecules expressed on the plasma membrane of inflamed endothelium and facilitates initial leukocyte tethering and subsequent cell rolling during the early stages of the inflammatory response via binding to glycoproteins expressing sialyl LewisX and sialyl LewisA (sLeX/A). Existing crystal structures of the extracellular lectin/EGF-like domain of E-selectin complexed with sLeX have revealed that E-selectin can exist in two conformation states, a low affinity (bent) conformation, and a high affinity (extended) conformation. The differentiating characteristic of the two conformations is the interdomain angle between the lectin and the EGF-like domain. Methods Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations we observed that in the absence of tensile force E-selectin undergoes spontaneous switching between the two conformational states at equilibrium. A single amino acid substitution at residue 2 (serine to tyrosine) on the lectin domain favors the extended conformation. Results Steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulations of E-selectin and PSGL-1 in conjunction with experimental cell adhesion assays show a longer binding lifetime of E-selectin (S2Y) to PSGL-1 compared to wildtype protein. Conclusions The findings in this study advance our understanding into how the structural makeup of E-selectin allosterically influences its adhesive dynamics.

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