Low-dose irradiation of the gut improves the efficacy of PD-L1 blockade in metastatic cancer patients.

The mechanisms governing the abscopal effects of local radiotherapy in cancer patients remain an open conundrum. Here, we show that off-target intestinal low-dose irradiation (ILDR) increases the clinical benefits of immune checkpoint inhibitors or chemotherapy in eight retrospective cohorts of cancer patients and in tumor-bearing mice. The abscopal effects of ILDR depend on dosimetry (≥1 and ≤3 Gy) and on the metabolic and immune host-microbiota interaction at baseline allowing CD8 T cell activation without exhaustion.

A screening system to determine the effect of bacterial metabolites on MAdCAM-1 expression by transformed endothelial sinusoidal cells.

Mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule 1 (MAdCAM-1) expression in high endothelial venules is regulated by bacterial metabolites emanating from the gut and the interaction of MAdCAM-1 with α4β7 integrin mediates lymphocyte diapedesis into gut-associated secondary lymphoid tissues. MAdCAM-1 thus controls the abundance of circulating immunosuppressive T cells that can reach malignant tissue and compromise the therapeutic efficacy of anticancer immunotherapy. Here we describe a biosensor-based phenotypic assessment that facilitates the high throughput screening (HTS)-compatible assessment of MAdCAM-1 regulation in response to exposure to bacterial metabolites.

Increased RhoA pathway activation downstream of αIIbβ3/SRC contributes to heterozygous Bernard Soulier syndrome.

Bernard Soulier Syndrome (BSS) is a severe bleeding disorder with moderate to severe thrombocytopenia, giant platelets, and platelet dysfunction, caused by biallelic mutations in GP1BA, GP1BB, or GP9 genes. We generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from a BSS patient with a novel heterozygous GP1BA p.N103D mutation, resulting in moderate macrothrombocytopenia.

Impact of tumor and node stages on the efficacy of adjuvant oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in stage III colon cancer patients: an ACCENT pooled analysis.

Background: Standard adjuvant treatment of stage III colon cancer (CC) is fluoropyrimidine with oxaliplatin. Recently, stage III was subdivided into low-risk (T1-3, N1) and high-risk (T4 and/or N2), with the benefit of adding oxaliplatin varying across these substages. In this study, we aimed to assess the impact of oxaliplatin on survival outcomes in subdividing stage III CC patients based on T and N staging.

Comprehensive molecular portrait reveals genetic diversity and distinct molecular subtypes of small intestinal neuroendocrine tumors.

Small intestinal neuroendocrine tumors (siNETs) are rare bowel tumors arising from malignant enteroendocrine cells, which normally regulate digestion throughout the intestine. Though infrequent, their incidence is rising through better diagnosis, fostering research into their origin and treatment. To date, siNETs are considered to be a single entity and are clinically treated as such.

Atlas of expression of acyl CoA binding protein/diazepam binding inhibitor (ACBP/DBI) in human and mouse.

Acyl CoA binding protein encoded by diazepam binding inhibitor (ACBP/DBI) is a tissue hormone that stimulates lipo-anabolic responses and inhibits autophagy, thus contributing to aging and age-related diseases. Protein expression profiling of ACBP/DBI was performed on mouse tissues to identify organs in which this major tissue hormone is expressed. Transcriptomic and proteomic data bases corroborated a high level of human-mouse interspecies conservation of ACBP/DBI expression in different organs.

Nucleotide Excision Repair: Insights into Canonical and Emerging Functions of the Transcription/DNA Repair Factor TFIIH.

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a universal cut-and-paste DNA repair mechanism that corrects bulky DNA lesions such as those caused by UV radiation, environmental mutagens, and some chemotherapy drugs. In this review, we focus on the human transcription/DNA repair factor TFIIH, a key player of the NER pathway in eukaryotes. This 10-subunit multiprotein complex notably verifies the presence of a lesion and opens the DNA around the damage via its XPB and XPD subunits, two proteins identified in patients suffering from Xeroderma Pigmentosum syndrome.

[F]fluorodeoxyglucose and [F]fluorocholine PET-CT for staging optimisation and treatment modification in hepatocellular carcinoma (PET-HCC01): a prospective multicentre study.

Background: The role of PET-CT with [F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([F]FDG) and [F]fluorocholine ([F]FCH) in staging hepatocellular carcinoma and treatment decisions has, to our knowledge, never been prospectively assessed.

Methods: We conducted a multicentre prospective study (PET-HCC01) in nine hospitals in France, including patients aged 18 years or older with a first diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma classified as Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) classification A to C (without metastasis). At study inclusion, patients underwent contrast-enhanced liver MRI and liver, chest, and pelvis CT scans.

Inhibition of Atg7 in intestinal epithelial cells drives resistance against Citrobacter rodentium.

Autophagy, a cytoprotective mechanism in intestinal epithelial cells, plays a crucial role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis. Beyond its cell-autonomous effects, the significance of autophagy in these cells is increasingly acknowledged in the dynamic interplay between the microbiota and the immune response. In the context of colon cancer, intestinal epithelium disruption of autophagy has been identified as a critical factor influencing tumor development.

The MAST kinase KIN-4 carries out mitotic entry functions of Greatwall in C. elegans.

MAST-like, or Greatwall (Gwl), an atypical protein kinase related to the evolutionarily conserved MAST kinase family, is crucial for cell cycle control during mitotic entry. Mechanistically, Greatwall is activated by Cyclin B-Cdk1 phosphorylation of a 550 amino acids-long insertion in its atypical activation segment. Subsequently, Gwl phosphorylates Endosulfine and Arpp19 to convert them into inhibitors of PP2A-B55 phosphatase, thereby preventing early dephosphorylation of M-phase targets of Cyclin B-Cdk1.

Image processing approaches for microtubule remodeling quantification at the immunological synapse.

Immunological synapses result from a T cell polarization process, requiring cytoskeleton remodeling. Actin and microtubules drive synapse architecture and the localization of intracellular organelles, including Golgi and endolysosomal compartments, ensuring the directional localization of synapse components. Microtubule remodeling includes the centrosome polarization and the formation of a radial microtubules network, extending from the centrosome to the synapse periphery.

Measuring interaction force between T lymphocytes and their target cells using live microscopy and laminar shear flow chambers.

Understanding the immunological synapse formation and dynamics can be enriched by measuring cell-cell interaction forces and their kinetics. Microscopy imaging reveals structural organization of the synapse, while physical methods detail its mechanical construction. Various techniques have been reported for measuring forces needed to rupture the interface between a T lymphocyte and its target cell but most of them measure one pair at a time.

Measuring interaction kinetics between T cells and their target tumor cells with optical tweezers.

T cell adhesion kinetics are a powerful indicator of target cell recognition during the cell-cell exploration process and formation of the immunological synapse facilitating cell communication and activation through specific intercellular molecular interactions. Various techniques have been used to document these binding kinetics, which foreshadow the dynamics of immunological synapse formation. Here, optical tweezers were used for studying at the level of single cells, the adhesion kinetics of human leukemia T lymphocyte cell line (CEM) to mouse mast cell line (P815) used as a tumor cell model.

Use of mortality tables by level of deprivation in the study of social inequalities in cancer survival.

Background: Previous studies have reported lower net survival probabilities for socioeconomically deprived patients, using non-deprivation specific lifetables. Not accounting for the social gradient in background mortality could potentially overestimate the effect of deprivation on net survival. The aim of this study was to estimate the impact of taking into account the social gradient of expected mortality in the general population on the study of the social gradient of survival of people with cancer.

Combined Analyses of Circulating Tumor DNA and Immunoscore in Patients With Stage III Colon Cancer: A Post Hoc Analysis of the PRODIGE-GERCOR IDEA-France/HORG-IDEA-Greece Trials.

Purpose: Immunoscore (IS) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) are two emerging technologies in improving prognostication and tailoring adjuvant treatments in patients resected from a stage III colon cancer (CC). Here, we analyzed the prognostic value of the two biomarkers in patients who participated in the randomized phase III IDEA-France and HORG trials.

Methods: Plasma samples were collected after surgery and before adjuvant chemotherapy.

EMT-driven plasticity prospectively increases cell-cell variability to promote therapeutic adaptation in breast cancer.

Cellular plasticity enables cancer cells to adapt non-genetically, thereby preventing therapeutic success. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a type of plasticity linked to resistance and metastasis. However, its exact impact on population diversity and its dynamics under chemotherapy is unknown.

GATA2 mutated allele specific expression is associated with a hyporesponsive state of HSC in GATA2 deficiency syndrome.

GATA2 germline mutations lead to a syndrome characterized by immunodeficiency, vascular disorders and myeloid malignancies. To elucidate how these mutations affect hematopoietic homeostasis, we created a knock-in mouse model expressing the recurrent Gata2 R396Q missense mutation. Employing molecular and functional approaches, we investigated the mutation's impact on hematopoiesis, revealing significant alterations in the hematopoietic stem and progenitor (HSPC) compartment in young age.

A Novel Polymersome Nanocarrier Promotes Anti-Tumour Immunity by Improved Priming of CD8 T Cells.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies, in addition to standard immuno- or chemotherapy and surgical approaches, have massively improved the outcome for cancer patients. However, these therapies have their limitations and improved strategies, including access to reliable cancer vaccines, are needed.

A benchmarking study of individual somatic variant callers and voting-based ensembles for whole-exome sequencing.

By identifying somatic mutations, whole-exome sequencing (WES) has become a technology of choice for the diagnosis and guiding treatment decisions in many cancers. Despite advances in the field of somatic variant detection and the emergence of sophisticated tools incorporating machine learning, accurately identifying somatic variants remains challenging. Each new somatic variant caller is often accompanied by claims of superior performance compared to predecessors.

The fission yeast SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligase Slx8 functionally associates with clustered centromeres and the silent mating-type region at the nuclear periphery.

The SUMO-targeted ubiquitin ligase (STUbL) family is involved in multiple cellular processes via a wide range of mechanisms to maintain genome stability. One of the evolutionarily conserved functions of STUbL is to promote changes in the nuclear positioning of DNA lesions, targeting them to the nuclear periphery. In Schizossacharomyces pombe, the STUbL Slx8 is a regulator of SUMOylated proteins and promotes replication stress tolerance by counteracting the toxicity of SUMO conjugates.

Microglia depletion reduces neurodegeneration and remodels extracellular matrix in a mouse Parkinson's disease model triggered by α-synuclein overexpression.

Chronic neuroinflammation with sustained microglial activation occurs in Parkinson's disease (PD), yet the mechanisms and exact contribution of these cells to the neurodegeneration remains poorly understood. In this study, we induced progressive dopaminergic neuron loss in mice via rAAV-hSYN injection to cause the neuronal expression of α-synuclein, which produced neuroinflammation and behavioral alterations. We administered PLX5622, a colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor inhibitor, for 3 weeks prior to rAAV-hSYN injection, maintaining it for 8 weeks to eliminate microglia.

SLC10A7 regulates O-GalNAc glycosylation and Ca homeostasis in the secretory pathway: insights into SLC10A7-CDG.

Glycans are known to be fundamental for many cellular and physiological functions. Congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG) currently encompassing over 160 subtypes, are characterized by glycan synthesis and/or processing defects. Despite the increasing number of CDG patients, therapeutic options remain very limited as our knowledge on glycan synthesis is fragmented.

E4F1 coordinates pyruvate metabolism and the activity of the elongator complex to ensure translation fidelity during brain development.

Pyruvate metabolism defects lead to severe neuropathies such as the Leigh syndrome (LS) but the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal cell death remain poorly understood. Here, we unravel a connection between pyruvate metabolism and the regulation of the epitranscriptome that plays an essential role during brain development. Using genetically engineered mouse model and primary neuronal cells, we identify the transcription factor E4F1 as a key coordinator of AcetylCoenzyme A (AcCoA) production by the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) and its utilization as an essential co-factor by the Elongator complex to acetylate tRNAs at the wobble position uridine 34 (U).