AllergoOncology: Biomarkers and refined classification for research in the allergy and glioma nexus-A joint EAACI-EANO position paper.

Epidemiological studies have explored the relationship between allergic diseases and cancer risk or prognosis in AllergoOncology. Some studies suggest an inverse association, but uncertainties remain, including in IgE-mediated diseases and glioma. Allergic disease stems from a Th2-biased immune response to allergens in predisposed atopic individuals.

A fingerprint of 2-[F]FDG radiometabolites - How tissue-specific metabolism beyond 2-[F]FDG-6-P could affect tracer accumulation.

Studies indicate that the radiotracer 2-[F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-[F]FDG) can be metabolized beyond 2-[F]FDG-6-phosphate (2-[F]FDG-6-P), but its metabolism is incompletely understood. Most importantly, it remains unclear whether downstream metabolism affects tracer accumulation Here we present a fingerprint of 2-[F]FDG radiometabolites over time in cancer cells, corresponding tumor xenografts and murine organs. Strikingly, radiometabolites representing glycogen metabolism or the oxPPP correlated inversely with tracer accumulation across all examined tissues.

Targeting DNA repair to enhance the efficacy of sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma.

The multityrosine kinase inhibitor sorafenib remains an important systemic treatment option for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Signaling pathways, which are targeted by sorafenib, are involved in checkpoint and DNA repair response, RAD51 being a candidate protein. Here, we aim to evaluate the effect of the human RAD51 inhibitor B02 in combination with sorafenib in human HCC cells.

If It Works, Don't Touch It? A Cell-Based Approach to Studying 2-[F]FDG Metabolism.

The glucose derivative 2-[F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-[F]FDG) is still the most used radiotracer for positron emission tomography, as it visualizes glucose utilization and energy demand. In general, 2-[F]FDG is said to be trapped intracellularly as 2-[F]FDG-6-phosphate, which cannot be further metabolized. However, increasingly, this dogma is being questioned because of publications showing metabolism beyond 2-[F]FDG-6-phosphate and even postulating 2-[F]FDG imaging to depend on the enzyme hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in the endoplasmic reticulum.

Morphometric Analysis of Mast Cells in Tumor Predicts Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Liver Transplantation.

Tumor-infiltrating immune cells are relevant prognostic and immunotherapeutic targets in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Mast cells play a key role in allergic response but may also be involved in anticancer immunity. Digital morphometric analysis of patient tissue sections has become increasingly available for clinical routine and provides unbiased quantitative data.

Cytotoxic Activity of Piperazin-2-One-Based Structures: Cyclic Imines, Lactams, Aminophosphonates, and Their Derivatives.

-Heterocycles are considered as desirable scaffolds for the development of novel lead compounds for anticancer drug research. Among them, phosphorus-containing amino-derivatives play a crucial role. A series of imines and products of their further reactions with -nucleophiles were obtained starting from vicinal bisamines.

PIDDosome-induced p53-dependent ploidy restriction facilitates hepatocarcinogenesis.

Polyploidization frequently precedes tumorigenesis but also occurs during normal development in several tissues. Hepatocyte ploidy is controlled by the PIDDosome during development and regeneration. This multi-protein complex is activated by supernumerary centrosomes to induce p53 and restrict proliferation of polyploid cells, otherwise prone for chromosomal instability.

Soluble guanylyl cyclase stimulation and phosphodiesterase-5 inhibition improve portal hypertension and reduce liver fibrosis in bile duct-ligated rats.

Background: In cirrhosis, the nitric oxide-soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC)-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) pathway is impaired, which contributes to increased intrahepatic vascular resistance (IHVR) and fibrogenesis. We investigated if sGC stimulation (riociguat (RIO)), sGC activation (cinaciguat (CINA)) or phosphodiesterase (PDE)-5 inhibition (tadalafil (TADA)) improves portal hypertension (PHT) and liver fibrosis.

Methods: Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent bile-duct ligation (BDL) or sham operation.

Synthesis and Cytotoxic Activity of Chiral Sulfonamides Based on the 2-Azabicycloalkane Skeleton.

A series of chiral sulfonamides containing the 2-azabicycloalkane scaffold were prepared from -Diels-Alder cycloadducts through their conversion to amines based on 2-azanorbornane or the bridged azepane skeleton, followed by the reaction with sulfonyl chlorides. The cytotoxic activity of the obtained bicyclic derivatives was evaluated using human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), medulloblastoma (MB), and glioblastoma (GBM) cell lines. Chosen compounds were shown to notably reduce cell viability as compared to nonmalignant cells.

Association of Platelet Count and Mean Platelet Volume with Overall Survival in Patients with Cirrhosis and Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: Platelets have been reported to influence tumor biology and may promote metastasis. Traditionally, thrombocytopenia, a hallmark of cirrhosis, was associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. However, the impact of platelet count on outcome in patients with established HCC is not well studied.

Analysis of Liver Cancer Cell Lines Identifies Agents With Likely Efficacy Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Markers of Response.

Background And Aims: Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) are heterogeneous aggressive tumors with low rates of response to treatment at advanced stages. We screened a large panel of liver cancer cell lines (LCCLs) to identify agents that might be effective against HCC and markers of therapeutic response.

Methods: We performed whole-exome RNA and microRNA sequencing and quantification of 126 proteins in 34 LCCLs.

The soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator riociguat reduces fibrogenesis and portal pressure in cirrhotic rats.

In cirrhotic patients, portal hypertension (PHT) deteriorates survival, yet treatment options are limited. A major contributor to increased intrahepatic vasoconstriction in PHT is dysfunctional nitric-oxide signaling. Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) is the receptor of nitric-oxide and can be stimulated by riociguat.

Deviations of the immune cell landscape between healthy liver and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Tumor-infiltrating immune cells are highly relevant for prognosis and identification of immunotherapy targets in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The recently developed CIBERSORT method allows immune cell profiling by deconvolution of gene expression microarray data. By applying CIBERSORT, we assessed the relative proportions of immune cells in 41 healthy human livers, 305 HCC samples and 82 HCC adjacent tissues.

Impact of glutathione peroxidase 4 on cell proliferation, angiogenesis and cytokine production in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Insufficient supplementation with the micronutrient selenium and persistent hepatic inflammation predispose to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Inflammation-associated reactive oxygen species attack membrane lipids and form lipid hydroperoxides able to propagate oxidative hepatic damage. Selenium-containing enzyme glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPx4) antagonizes this damage by reducing lipid hydroperoxides to respective hydroxides.

Oxidative stress mediates an increased formation of vascular endothelial growth factor in human hepatocarcinoma cells exposed to erlotinib.

The tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib targets the receptor of epidermal growth factor (EGFR) involved in development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although inefficient in established HCC, erlotinib has been recently proposed for HCC chemoprevention. Since Cyp3A4 and Cyp1A2 enzymes metabolize erlotinib in the liver, the insights into the mechanisms of erlotinib effects on liver cells with maintained drug metabolizing activity are needed.

Photoactivation provides a mechanistic explanation for pan-assay interference behaviour of 2-aminopyrroles in lipoxygenase inhibition.

Human 15-lipoxygenase-1 (h-15-LOX-1) is a promising drug target in inflammation and cancer. In this study substitution-oriented screening (SOS) has been used to identify compounds with a 2-aminopyrrole scaffold as inhibitors for h-15-LOX-1. The observed structure activity relationships (SAR) proved to be relatively flat.

Proliferation Markers Are Associated with MET Expression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Predict Tivantinib Sensitivity .

Tivantinib was initially reported as a selective MET inhibitor and is under phase III evaluation in "MET-high" hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. However, it has been also proposed as an antimitotic agent. We aimed to evaluate the antitumor effect of tivantinib in HCC cells by combining pharmacologic and molecular profiling.

The FXR agonist PX20606 ameliorates portal hypertension by targeting vascular remodelling and sinusoidal dysfunction.

Background & Aims: Steroidal farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonists demonstrated potent anti-fibrotic activities and lowered portal hypertension in experimental models. The impact of the novel non-steroidal and selective FXR agonist PX20606 on portal hypertension and fibrosis was explored in this study.

Methods: In experimental models of non-cirrhotic (partial portal vein ligation, PPVL, 7days) and cirrhotic (carbon tetrachloride, CCl, 14weeks) portal hypertension, PX20606 (PX,10mg/kg) or the steroidal FXR agonist obeticholic acid (OCA,10mg/kg) were gavaged.

Metabolic preconditioning protects BSEP/ABCB11 mice against cholestatic liver injury.

Background & Aims: Cholestasis is characterized by intrahepatic accumulation of potentially cytotoxic bile acids (BAs) subsequently leading to liver injury with disruption of hepatocellular integrity, inflammation, fibrosis and ultimately liver cirrhosis. Bile salt export pump (BSEP/ABCB11) is the main canalicular BA transporter and therefore the rate limiting step for hepatobiliary BA excretion. In this study we aimed to investigate the role of BSEP/ABCB11 in the development of acquired cholestatic liver and bile duct injury.

Food-derived peroxidized fatty acids may trigger hepatic inflammation: a novel hypothesis to explain steatohepatitis.

Background & Aims: Obesity and hepatic steatosis are frequently associated with the development of a non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The mechanisms driving progression of a non-inflamed steatosis to NASH are largely unknown. Here, we investigated whether ingestion of peroxidized lipids, as being present in Western style diet, triggers the development of hepatic inflammation.

Antagonistic effects of selenium and lipid peroxides on growth control in early hepatocellular carcinoma.

Unlabelled: Activation of the activator protein 1 (AP-1) transcription factor as well as increased serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin (IL)-8 predict poor prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). Moreover, HCC patients display reduced selenium levels, which may cause lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress because selenium is an essential component of antioxidative glutathione peroxidases (GPx). We hypothesized that selenium-lipid peroxide antagonism controls the above prognostic markers and tumor growth.

HB-EGF is a paracrine growth stimulator for early tumor prestages in inflammation-associated hepatocarcinogenesis.

Background/aims: We studied the impact of heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) on inflammation-driven hepatocarcinogenesis.

Methods: HB-EGF expression was determined by qRT-PCR and immunodetection in hepatocellular adenoma and carcinoma and in mesenchymal (MC) and parenchymal liver cells obtained from different models of inflammation. The functions of HB-EGF in early hepatocarcinogenesis were assessed in co-cultures of unaltered and initiated/premalignant hepatocytes.

Lipid hydroperoxides from processed dietary oils enhance growth of hepatocarcinoma cells.

Linoleic acid, one of the major fatty acid in dietary oils, is an important source for hydroperoxides that may be formed in the presence of oxygen during food processing. Oxidized oils are absorbed in the intestine, transported as chylomicrones to the liver, and may affect unaltered hepatic cells as well as the process of hepatocarcinogenesis. We have studied the effects of linoleic acid hydroperoxides (LOOH) on growth and gene expression of cultured human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HCC-1.

Cytotoxicity of the novel spin trapping compound 5-ethoxycarbonyl-3,5-dimethyl-pyrroline N-oxide (3,5-EDPO) and its derivatives.

ESR spin trapping allows detection of superoxide radicals. Novel spin traps forming more stable superoxide adducts (t(1/2) ca. 12-55 min) were tested for their toxicity to cultured cells.

Cytotoxicity of novel derivatives of the spin trap EMPO.

Free radicals are involved in different regulatory and pathological processes. The formation of superoxide in living cells or whole organisms is of major interest. ESR spin trapping allows identification of the radicals if proper spin traps are available.