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Natural killer (NK) cell-based therapies represent a promising approach for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) relapse, yet their efficacy is hindered by immunosuppressive factors such as transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) in the tumor microenvironment. This study investigated the effects of TGF-β on NK cell cytotoxicity and migration using 2D and 3D co-culture models that mimic the leukemic microenvironment. TGF-β production was evaluated in AML-derived leukemic cell lines and mesenchymal stromal cells (hTERT-MSCs) using ELISA. Bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed to analyze global gene expression changes in TGF-β-treated primary human NK cells. NK cell cytotoxicity and migration were assessed in 2D monolayer and 3D spheroid co-cultures containing hTERT-MSCs and leukemic cells using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Both leukemic cells and MSCs produced TGF-β, with increased levels observed in MSCs after co-culture with primary AML blasts. RNA sequencing revealed that TGF-β altered key gene pathways associated with NK cell cytotoxicity, adhesion, and migration, supporting its immunosuppressive role. In functional assays, TGF-β exposure significantly reduced NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity in a time-dependent manner and impaired NK cell infiltration into 3D spheroids, particularly in models incorporating MSCs. Additionally, MSCs themselves provided a protective environment for leukemic cells, further reducing NK cell effectiveness in 2D co-cultures. TGF-β suppresses both NK cell cytotoxicity and migration, limiting their ability to eliminate leukemic cells and infiltrate the bone marrow niche (BMN). These findings provide novel insights into TGF-β–mediated immune evasion mechanisms and provide important insights for the future design of NK-based immunotherapies and clinical trials.

Genetic variations in the Trpm8 gene that encodes the cold receptor TRPM8 have been linked to protection against polygenic migraine, a disabling condition primarily affecting women. Noteworthy, TRPM8 has been recently found in brain areas related to emotional processing, suggesting an unrecognized role in migraine comorbidities. Here, we use mouse behavioural models to investigate the role of Trpm8 in migraine-related phenotypes. Subsequently, we test the efficacy of rapamycin, a clinically relevant TRPM8 agonist, in these behavioural traits and in human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived sensory neurons. We report that Trpm8 null mice exhibited impulsive and depressive-like behaviours, while also showing frequent pain-like facial expressions detected by an artificial intelligence algorithm. In a nitroglycerin-induced migraine model, Trpm8 knockout mice of both sexes developed anxiety and mechanical hypersensitivity, whereas wild-type females also displayed depressive-like phenotype and hypernociception. Notably, rapamycin alleviated pain-related behaviour through both TRPM8-dependent and independent mechanisms but lacked antidepressant activity, consistent with a peripheral action. The macrolide ionotropically activated TRPM8 signalling in human sensory neurons, emerging as a new candidate for intervention. Together, our findings underscore the potential of TRPM8 for migraine relief and its involvement in affective comorbidities, emphasizing the importance of addressing emotional symptoms to improve clinical outcomes for migraine sufferers, especially in females. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s10194-025-02082-4.

Severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (SCARs) are life-threatening diseases, which are associated with human leukocyte antigen ( HLA ) risk variants. However, the low positive predictive values of HLA variants suggest additional factors influence disease susceptibility. Using dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome (DHS) as a paradigm for SCARs, we show that the DHS patients harbor a sex-related global reduction in blood NK cells, contributing to the higher incidence of reactions in females. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed a decrease in the immunoregulatory CD56 low XCL1/2 low NK cell subset and an expansion of CD56 high XCL1/2 high NK cell subsets with an effector phenotype in DHS patients compared to dapsone-tolerant individuals. Functionally, interleukin-15 superagonist-induced activation of NK cells exacerbated SCARs-like symptoms in a murine model. Mechanistically, TSC22 domain family member 3 (TSC22D3) deficiency enhanced NK cell effector function, shifting the immune response from CD4+ T cell to CD8+ T cell function. These results demonstrate that TSC22D3-regulated NK cells play a critical role in predisposing to drug hypersensitivity reactions, bridging innate and adaptive immune dysregulation in SCARs pathogenesis. Our study highlights the importance of NK cell heterogeneity and TSC22D3 in immune-mediated hypersensitivity disorders, offering potential therapeutic targets for SCARs and related conditions. Subject terms: Innate immunity, Innate immunity

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) hold significant promise for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment monitoring. We previously developed a technique for a single‐cell filtering device known as the microcavity array (MCA), specifically designed for the efficient recovery of CTCs from whole blood samples. Efficient enrichment and release of cells from the MCA remains challenging because of cell adhesion that occurs on the MCA surface during the enrichment phase. This study investigated the effects of surface modification with 2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) on the recovery efficiency of cancer cell lines from MCA. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) demonstrated reduced cell‐substrate interactions, leading to improved recovery efficiency. Comparative analyses showed that the MCA method provided superior recovery efficiency and reduced processing time compared to traditional methods such as density gradient centrifugation (DGC), while maintaining cell viability and proliferative capacity. CTCs were successfully detected in patients with gastric cancer, and short‐term cultures were achieved even when fewer than 20 CTCs per milliliter of blood were isolated. These findings emphasize the importance of surface modification for enhancing CTC isolation and the need for optimized culture conditions. The optimized MCA method offers a promising approach for rapid CTC recovery and potential integration with automated systems. Practical application : The Microcavity array (MCA) is a device specifically designed for efficient recovery of CTCs from whole blood. However cell adhesion on the MCA surface can limit release efficiency. This study demonstrated that surface modification with MPC signigicantly reduces cell‐substrate adhesion, improving recovery efficiency while maintaining cell viability and proliferative capacity. Compared to traditional density gradient centrifugation, the MPC‐modified MCA offers shorter processing time and better performance. CTCs were successfully detected in gastric cancer, and short‐term cultures were achieved even when fewer than 20 CTCs per mL of blood were isolated. The method supports downstearm applications such as cancer cell characterization and treatment monitoring. With potential for integration into automated system, the optimized MCA provides a practical, scalable solution for clinical liquid biopsy and personalized oncology.

Histologic variant (HV) subtypes of bladder cancer are clinically aggressive tumors that are more resistant to standard therapy compared to conventional urothelial carcinoma (UC). Little is known about the transcriptional programs that account for their biological differences. Here we show using single cell analysis that HVs harbor a tumor cell state characterized by expression of MUC16 (CA125), MUC4 , and KRT24 . This cell state is enriched in metastases, predicted to be highly resistant to chemotherapy, and linked with poor survival. We also find enriched expression of TM4SF1 , a transmembrane protein, in HV tumor cells. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells engineered against TM4SF1 protein demonstrated in vitro and in vivo activity against bladder cancer cell lines in a TM4SF1 expression-dependent manner, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target. Subject terms: Bladder cancer, Tumour biomarkers, Targeted therapies

Targeted therapy interventions using tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) provide encouraging treatment responses in patients with ALK -rearranged lung adenocarcinomas, yet resistance occurs almost inevitably. In addition to tumor cell-intrinsic resistance mechanisms, accumulating evidence suggests that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) within the tumor microenvironment contribute to therapy resistance. This study aimed to investigate CAF-driven molecular networks that shape the therapeutic susceptibility of ALK -driven lung adenocarcinoma cells. Three-dimensional (3D) spheroid co-cultures comprising ALK -rearranged lung adenocarcinoma cells and CAFs were utilized to model the tumor microenvironment. Single-cell RNA sequencing was performed to uncover transcriptional differences between TKI-treated homotypic and heterotypic spheroids. Functional assays assessed the effects of CAF-conditioned medium and CAF-secreted factors on tumor cell survival, proliferation, lipid metabolism, and downstream AKT signaling. The therapeutic potential of targeting metabolic vulnerabilities was evaluated using pharmacological inhibition of lipid metabolism and by ferroptosis induction. CAFs significantly diminished the apoptotic response of lung tumor cells to ALK inhibitors while simultaneously enhancing their proliferative capacity. Single-cell RNA sequencing identified lipogenesis-associated genes as a key transcriptional difference between TKI-treated homotypic and heterotypic lung tumor spheroids. CAF-conditioned medium and the CAF-secreted factors HGF and NRG1 activated AKT signaling in 3D-cultured ALK-rearranged lung tumor cells, leading to increased de novo lipogenesis and suppression of lipid peroxidation. These metabolic adaptations were critical for promoting tumor cell survival and fostering therapy resistance. Notably, both dual inhibition of ALK and the lipid-regulatory factor SREBP-1, as well as co-treatment with ferroptosis inducers such as erastin or RSL3, effectively disrupted the CAF-driven metabolic-supportive niche and restored sensitivity of resistant lung tumor spheroids to ALK inhibition. This study highlights a critical role for CAFs in mediating resistance to ALK-TKIs by reprogramming lipid metabolism in ALK-rearranged lung cancer cells. It suggests that targeting these metabolic vulnerabilities, particularly through inhibition of lipid metabolism or induction of ferroptosis, could provide a novel therapeutic approach to overcome resistance and improve patient outcomes. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40170-025-00400-7.

CACNA1A encodes the pore-forming α 1A subunit of the Ca V 2.1 calcium channel, whose altered function is associated with various neurological disorders, including forms of ataxia, epilepsy, and migraine. In this study, we generated isogenic iPSC-derived neural cultures carrying CACNA1A loss-of-function mutations differently affecting Ca V 2.1 splice isoforms. Morphological, molecular, and functional analyses revealed an essential role of CACNA1A in neurodevelopmental processes. We found that different CACNA1A loss-of-function mutations produce distinct neurodevelopmental deficits. The F1491S mutation, which is located in a constitutive domain of the channel and therefore causes a complete loss-of-function, impaired neural induction at very early stages, as demonstrated by changes in single-cell transcriptomic signatures of neural progenitors, and by defective polarization of neurons. By contrast, cells carrying the Y1854X mutation, which selectively impacts the synaptically-expressed Ca V 2.1[EFa] isoform, behaved normally in terms of neural induction but showed altered neuronal network composition and lack of synchronized activity. Our findings reveal previously unrecognized roles of CACNA1A in the mechanisms underlying neural induction and neural network dynamics and highlight the differential contribution of the divergent variants Ca V 2.1[EFa] and Ca V 2.1[EFb] in the development of human neuronal cells. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00018-025-05740-7.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a common genetic disease in the United States, resulting from mutations in the Cystic Fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (cftr) gene. CFTR modulators, particularly Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor (ETI), have significantly improved clinical outcomes for patients with CF. However, many CFTR mutations are not eligible for CFTR modulator therapy due to their rarity. In this study, we report that a patient carrying rare complex CFTR mutations, c.1680-877G>T and c.3067_3072delATAGTG, showed positive clinical outcomes after ETI treatment. We demonstrate that ETI was able to increase the expression of CFTR harboring c.3067_3072delATAGTG in a heterologous system. Importantly, patient-derived nasal epithelial cells in an air–liquid interface (ALI) culture showed improved CFTR function following ETI treatment. These findings supported the initiation of ETI with the patient. Retrospective studies have suggested that the patient has shown small but steady improvement over the past two years in several clinical metrics, including lung function, body mass index (BMI), and sweat chloride levels. Our studies suggest that ETI could be beneficial for patients carrying c.3067_3072delATAGTG.

Substantial progress has been made in the development of radiation countermeasures, resulting in the recent approval of several mitigators; however, there has yet to be an approved prophylactic radioprotectant. Research on countermeasure performance in mixed neutron and gamma radiation fields has also been scarce. Fibroblast-stimulating lipopeptide (FSL-1) is a novel synthetic agonist for toll-like receptor 2/6. In previous studies, the administration of FSL-1 before and after gamma radiation significantly improved survival outcomes for mice through the activation of the NF-κB pathway. In the current study, we tested FSL-1’s radioprotective abilities in a mixed radiation field that models one produced by a nuclear detonation in 11–14-week-old C57BL/6 male and female mice. We demonstrate that a single dose of 1.5 mg/kg of FSL-1 administered 12 h prior to 65% neutron 35% gamma mixed-field (MF) irradiation enhances survival, accelerates recovery of hematopoietic cell and stem cell populations, reduces inflammation, and protects innate immune function in mice. FSL-1’s ability to recover blood and protect immune functions is important in countering the high rate of incidence of sepsis caused by MF radiation’s damaging effects. These results demonstrate that FSL-1 is a promising prophylactic countermeasure where exposure to MF radiation is anticipated.

Influenza virus particularly affects those with chronic lung conditions such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Airway epithelial cells are the first line of defense and primary target of influenza infection and release extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs can transfer of biological molecules such as microRNAs (miRNAs) that can modulate the immune response to viruses through control of the innate and adaptive immune systems. The aim of this work was to profile the EV miRNAs released from bronchial epithelial cells in response to influenza infection and discover if EV miRNA expression was altered in COPD. Influenza infection of air-liquid interface (ALI) differentiated BCi-NS1.1 epithelial cells were characterized by analyzing the expression of antiviral genes, cell barrier permeability and cell death. EVs were isolated by filtration and size exclusion chromatography from the apical surface wash of ALI cultured bronchial epithelial cells. The EV miRNA cargo was sequenced and reads mapped to miRBase. The BCi sequencing results were further investigated by RT-qPCR and by using healthy and COPD primary epithelial cells. Infection of ALI cultured BCi cells with IAV at 3.6 x 10 6 IU/ml for 24 h led to significant upregulation of anti-viral genes without high levels of cell death. EV release from ALI-cultured BCi cells was confirmed using electron microscopy and detection of known tetraspanin EV markers using western blot and the ExoView R100 platform. Differential expression analyses identified 5 miRNA that had a fold change of >0.6: miR-155-5p, miR-122-5p, miR-378a-3p, miR-7-5p and miR-146a-5p (FDR<0.05). Differences between EV, non-EV and cellular levels of these miRNA were detected. Primary epithelial cell release of EV and their miRNA cargo was similar to that observed for BCi. Intriguingly, miR-155 expression was decreased in EVs derived from COPD patients compared to EVs from control samples. Epithelial EV miRNA release may be a key mechanism in modulating the response to IAV in the lungs. Furthermore, changes in EV miRNA expression may play a dysfunctional role in influenza-induced exacerbations of COPD. However, further work to fully characterize the function of EV miRNA in response to IAV in both health and COPD is required.

Accumulating data have shown that targeting breast cancer stem cells (CSCs) is an auspicious way for anticancer therapies. This study demonstrated that the antirheumatic drug auranofin is a potent CSC inhibitor with anti-CSC action on breast cancer. This research focused on investigating the effect of auranofin on breast cancer and CSCs and its cellular mechanism. Mammosphere formation, colony formation, levels of CD44 high /CD24 low , and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 expression in the cells were evaluated after auranofin treatment. The anti-CSC properties of auranofin were further examined by gel shift assay and cytokine detection. Auranofin suppressed cell growth, colony formation, migration, and mammosphere formation and triggered apoptosis in breast cancer. Auranofin decreased the CD44 high /CD24 low - and aldehyde dehydrogenase-expressed subpopulations, as well as the Stat3-DNA interaction and phosphorylated Stat3 level. Auranofin also decreased the extracellular levels of interleukin-8 (IL-8) in the mammosphere media. Auranofin suppressed the Stat3/IL-8 signal and killed CSCs; therefore, it may be a potential target for CSCs.

Chromothripsis, the chaotic shattering and repair of chromosomes, is common in cancer. Whether chromothripsis generates actionable therapeutic targets remains an open question. In a cohort of 64 patients in blast phase of a myeloproliferative neoplasm (BP-MPN), we describe recurrent amplification of a region of chromosome 21q (‘chr. 21amp’) in 25%, driven by chromothripsis in a third of these cases. We report that chr. 21amp BP-MPN has a particularly aggressive and treatment-resistant phenotype. DYRK1A , a serine threonine kinase, is the only gene in the 2.7-megabase minimally amplified region that showed both increased expression and chromatin accessibility compared with non-chr. 21amp BP-MPN controls. DYRK1A is a central node at the nexus of multiple cellular functions critical for BP-MPN development and is essential for BP-MPN cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, and represents a druggable axis. Collectively, these findings define chr. 21amp as a prognostic biomarker in BP-MPN, and link chromothripsis to a therapeutic target. Subject terms: Leukaemia, DNA sequencing