Astegolimab, an anti-ST2, in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD-ST2OP): a phase 2a, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous inflammatory airway disease. The epithelial-derived IL-33 and its receptor ST2 have been implicated in airway inflammation and infection. We aimed to determine whether astegolimab, a selective ST2 IgG2 monoclonal antibody, reduces exacerbations in COPD.

Effects of indoor particulate matter exposure on daily asthma control.

Background: Household dust often contains aeroallergens, such as the house dust mite antigen Der p 1. It has been proposed that overnight exposure to particulate matter from bedding and other sources may be an important driver of atopic asthma. Whether variability in overnight particulate matter exposure is a significant determinant of asthma control is unknown.

Loss of catalase increases malignant mouse keratinocyte cell growth through activation of the stress activated JNK pathway.

A cell line that produces mouse squamous cell carcinoma (6M90) was modified to develop a cell line with an introduced Tet-responsive catalase transgene (MTOC2). We have previously reported that the overexpressed catalase in the MTOC2 cells reverses the malignant phenotype in part by decreasing epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling. With this work we expanded the investigation into the differences between these two cell lines.

Inhibition of UVA-induced c-Jun N-terminal kinase activity results in caspase-dependent apoptosis in human keratinocytes.

Inhibition of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) with the pharmacologic inhibitor SP600125 in UVA-irradiated HaCaT cells and human primary keratinocytes resulted in dramatic phenotypic changes indicative of cell death. These phenotypic changes correlated with caspase 8, 9 and 3 activations as well as cleavage of the caspase substrate polyADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). Morphologic analysis and analysis of sub-G0 DNA content confirmed apoptotic cell death in these keratinocytes after combination treatment.

Catalase reverses tumorigenicity in a malignant cell line by an epidermal growth factor receptor pathway.

We have used a keratinocyte in vivo/in vitro cell model to test the hypothesis that hydrogen peroxide acts as a signaling molecule, contributing to proliferation and tumorigenesis. A cell line, 6M90, that produces squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), has high levels of ROS and low levels of catalase. A new cell line, MTOC2, generated from parental 6M90 cells by introduction of a Tet-responsive catalase transgene, effectively expressed higher peroxisomal catalase.

The role of Rac1 in maintaining malignant phenotype of mouse skin tumor cells.

We have previously developed an in vitro tumor progression model with mouse skin keratinocytes to study the molecular targets that mediate the tumor cell's progression from a benign to a malignant phenotype. The malignantly transformed cells were found to have elevated MAP kinase signaling and increases in AP-1, NFkappaB and cAMP response element (CRE) transcription factors activities compared to their benign counter-part. In this study, we showed that Rac1, a member of the Rho superfamily of small GTPases, functions as a key signaling molecule that mediates these malignant phenotypes.

Transcriptional repression of catalase in mouse skin tumor progression.

Previous studies in our laboratory have shown that the elevation of reactive oxygen species levels and the repression of the antioxidant enzyme, catalase, played a critical role in the in vitro progression of benign papilloma cells to malignant carcinoma cells. Catalase message, protein levels, and activity levels were found to be downregulated in the malignantly progressed cells. The goal of this study is to further characterize the repression of catalase in malignant progression of mouse skin tumors.