Feiji Recipe inhibits the growth of lung cancer by modulating T-cell immunity through indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase pathway in an orthotopic implantation model

Objective： Escape from the body＇s immune response is a basic characteristic of lung cancer, and indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase （IDO） plays a key role in mediating immune escape of non-small-cell lung cancer, which leads to recurrence and metastasis. Feiji Recipe, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, has the effect of stabilizing lesions and prolonging survival in patients with lung cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying the anticancer properties of Feiji Recipe. Methods： An orthotopic transplant model of mouse Lewis lung cancer, with stable expression of IDO gene, was established in C57BL/6 mice. Optical imaging was used to observe the effects of Feiji Recipe in the treatment of lung cancer in vivo. The effects of Feiji Recipe on the proliferation of mouse Lewis lung cancer cell line 2LL, 2LL-enhanced green fluorescent protein （2LL-EGFP） and 2LL-EGFP-IDO were investi- gated, and the apoptosis of T-cells was examined by 3-（4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl）-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetra zolium bromide using flow cytometry. Chemical composition of Feiji Recipe was validated by high- performance liquid chromatography. Results： Compared to the control group, the survival of animals treated with Feiji Recipe was significantly prolonged （P〈0.0074）, and the IDO protein level decreased （P=0.0072）; moreover, the percentages of CD4＋CD25＋ T-cells and Foxp3＋ T-cells were significantly decreased （P〈0.05）. The molecular mechanism of Feiji Recipe against lung cancer may relate to the regulation of immune cells, such as T-cells and reg- ulatory T-cells. Conclusion： The molecular mechanism of Feiji Recipe in treatment of lung cancer is to restore the function of T-cells in the cancer microenvironment through interfering with the IDO pathway.

Rescue of p53 functions by in vitro-transcribed mRNA impedes the growth of high-grade serous ovarian cancer

Background:The cellular tumor protein p53(TP53)is a tumor suppressor gene that is frequently mutated in human cancers.Among various cancer types,the very aggressive high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma(HGSOC)exhibits the high-est prevalence of TP53 mutations,present in>96%of cases.Despite intensive efforts to reactivate p53,no clinical drug has been approved to rescue p53 func-tion.In this study,our primary objective was to administer in vitro-transcribed(IVT)wild-type(WT)p53-mRNA to HGSOC cell lines,primary cells,and ortho-topic mouse models,with the aim of exploring its impact on inhibiting tumor growth and dissemination,both in vitro and in vivo.Methods:To restore the activity of p53,WT p53 was exogenously expressed in HGSOC cell lines using a mammalian vector system.Moreover,IVT WT p53 mRNA was delivered into different HGSOC model systems(primary cells and patient-derived organoids)using liposomes and studied for proliferation,cell cycle progression,apoptosis,colony formation,and chromosomal instabil-ity.Transcriptomic alterations induced by p53 mRNA were analyzed using RNA sequencing in OVCAR-8 and primary HGSOC cells,followed by ingenuity path-way analysis.In vivo effects on tumor growth and metastasis were studied using orthotopic xenografts and metastatic intraperitoneal mouse models.Results:Reactivation of the TP53 tumor suppressor gene was explored in differ-ent HGSOC model systems using newly designed IVT mRNA-based methods.The introduction of WT p53 mRNA triggered dose-dependent apoptosis,cell cycle arrest,and potent long-lasting inhibition of HGSOC cell proliferation.Transcriptome analysis of OVCAR-8 cells upon mRNA-based p53 reactivation revealed significant alterations in gene expression related to p53 signaling,such as apoptosis,cell cycle regulation,and DNA damage.Restoring p53 function concurrently reduces chromosomal instability within the HGSOC cells,under-scoring its crucial contribution in safeguarding genomic integrity by moderating the baseline occurrence of double-strand breaks arising from replication stress.Furthermore,in various mouse models,treatment with p53 mRNA reduced tumor growth and inhibited tumor cell dissemination in the peritoneal cavity in a dose-dependent manner.Conclusions:The IVT mRNA-based reactivation of p53 holds promise as a potential therapeutic strategy for HGSOC,providing valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying p53 function and its relevance in ovarian cancer treatment.

Androgen receptor functioned as a suppressor in the prostate cancer cell line PC3 in vitro and in vivo

Background Prostate cancer is one of the most common urogenital tumors in the world with an increasing incidence in China. Androgen deprivation therapy is the major therapeutic option for advanced prostate cancer. However, the role of androgen receptor （AR） in hormone-refractory prostate cancer still remains unclear. This work aimed to investigate the role of AR in an androgen independent prostate cancer cell line by in vitro and in vivo studies. Methods The role of AR in the proliferation and invasion/metastasis ability of PC3-AR9 （a PC3 stable clone expressing human AR driven by natural human AR promoter） were examined with M-IF assay, soft agar assay, chamber invasion assay, wound healing assay, and also with orthotopic xenograft mouse model. Results Restoring androgen receptor in PC3 cells resulted in decreased proliferation and invasion/metastasis ability in MTT, soft agar, chamber invasion and wound healing assay. In the mouse orthotopic xenograft model, PC3-AR9 resulted in smaller primary tumors and metastasis tumors, with a lower proliferation rate and higher apoptosis rate. Conclusion The AR might function as a tumor suppressor in PC3 cells both in vitro and in vivo.