VX-765 reduces neuroinflammation after spinal cord injury in mice

Inflammation is a major cause of neuronal injury after spinal cord injury. We hypothesized that inhibiting caspase-1 activation may reduce neuroinflammation after spinal cord injury, thus producing a protective effect in the injured spinal cord. A mouse model of T9 contusive spinal cord injury was established using an Infinite Horizon Impactor, and VX-765, a selective inhibitor of caspase-1, was administered for 7 successive days after spinal cord injury. The results showed that:(1) VX-765 inhibited spinal cord injury-induced caspase-1 activation and interleukin-1β and interleukin-18 secretion.(2) After spinal cord injury, an increase in M1 cells mainly came from local microglia rather than infiltrating macrophages.(3) Pro-inflammatory Th1 Th17 cells were predominant in the Th subsets. VX-765 suppressed total macrophage infiltration, M1 macrophages/microglia, Th1 and Th1 Th17 subset differentiation, and cytotoxic T cells activation;increased M2 microglia;and promoted Th2 and Treg differentiation.(4) VX-765 reduced the fibrotic area, promoted white matter myelination, alleviated motor neuron injury, and improved functional recovery. These findings suggest that VX-765 can reduce neuroinflammation and improve nerve function recovery after spinal cord injury by inhibiting caspase-1/interleukin-1β/interleukin-18. This may be a potential strategy for treating spinal cord injury. This study was approved by the Animal Care Ethics Committee of Bengbu Medical College(approval No. 2017-037) on February 23, 2017.

Stretch-induced human myometrial cytokines enhance immune cell recruitment via endothelial activation

Spontaneous term labour is associated with amplified inflammatory events in the myometrium including cytokine production and leukocyte infiltration; however, potential mechanisms regulating such events are not fully understood. We hypothesized that mechanical stretch of the uterine wall by the growing fetus facilitates peripheral leukocyte extravasation into the term myometrium through the release of various cytokines by uterine myocytes. Human myometrial cells （hTERT-HM） were subjected to static mechanical stretch; stretch-conditioned media was collected and analysed using 48-plex Luminex assay and ELISA. Effect of stretch-conditioned media on cell adhesion molecule expression of human uterine microvascular endothelial cells （UtMVEC-Myo） was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction （qPCR） and flow cytometry; functional assays testing leukocyte-endothelial interactions： adhesion of leukocytes to endothelial cells and transendothelial migration of calcein-labelled primary human neutrophils as well as migration of THP-1 monocytic cells were assessed by fluorometry. The current in vitrostudy demonstrated that mechanical stretch （i） directly induces secretion of multiple cytokines and chemokines by hTERT-HM cells （IL-6, CXCL8, CXCL1, migration inhibitory factor （MIF）, VEGF, G-CSF, IL-12p70, bFGF and platelet-derived growth factor subunit B （PDGF-bb）, P〈0.05）; stretch-induced cytokines （ii） enhance leukocyte adhesion to the endothelium of the surrounding uterine microvasculature by （iii） inducing the expression of endothelial cell adhesion molecules and （iv） directing the transendothelial migration of peripheral leukocytes. （vi） Chemokine-neutralizing antibodies and broad-spectrum chemokine inhibitor block leukocyte migration. Our data provide a proof of mechanical regulation for leukocyte recruitment from the uterine blood vessels to the myometrium, suggesting a putative mechanism for the leukocyte infiltrate into the uterus during labour and postpartum involution.

Immune contexture defined by single cell technology for prognosis prediction and immunotherapy guidance in cancer

Tumor immune microenvironment is closely related to tumor initiation,prognosis,and response to immunotherapy.The immune landscapes,number of infiltrating immune cells,and the localization of lymphocytes in the tumor vary in across different types of tumors.The immune contexture in cancer,which is determined by the density,composition,functional state and organization of the leukocyte infiltrate of the tumor,can yield information relevant to the prediction of treatment response and patients’prognosis.Better understanding of the immune atlas in human tumors have been achieved with the development and application of single-cell analysis technology,which has provided a reference for prognosis,and insights on new targets for immunotherapy.In this review,we summarized the different characteristics of immune contexture in cancer defined by a variety of single-cell techniques,which have enhanced our understanding on the pathophysiology of the tumor microenvironment.We believe that there are much more to be uncovered in this rapidly developing field of medicine,and they will predict the prognosis of cancer patients and guide the rational design of immunotherapies for success in cancer eradication.