It has been 10 years since the role of a chemokine receptor, CXCR4, in breast cancer metastasis was first documented. Since then, the field of chemokines and cancer has grown significantly, so it is timely to review the progress, analyse the studies to date and identify future challenges facing this field. Metastasis is the major factor that limits survival in most patients with cancer. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms that control the metastatic behaviour of tumour cells is pivotal for treating cancer successfully. Substantial experimental and clinical evidence supports the conclusion that molecular mechanisms control organ-specific metastasis. One of the most important mechanisms operating in metastasis involves homeostatic chemokines and their receptors. Here, we review this field and propose a model of 'cellular highways' to explain the effects of homeostatic chemokines on cancer cells and how they influence metastasis.

Homeostatic chemokine receptors and organ-specific metastasis.

Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have generated considerable interest in the fields of regenerative medicine, cell therapy and immune modulation. Over the past 5 years, the initial observations that MSCs could enhance regeneration and modulate immune responses have been significantly advanced and we now have a clearer picture of the effects that MSCs have on the immune system particularly in the context of inflammatory-mediated disorders. A number of mechanisms of action have been reported in MSC immunomodulation, which encompass the secretion of soluble factors, induction of anergy, apoptosis, regulatory T cells and tolerogenic dendritic cells. It is clear that MSCs modulate both innate and adaptive responses and evidence is now emerging that the local microenvironment is key in the activation or licensing of MSCs to become immunosuppressive. More recently, studies have suggested that MSCs have the capacity to sense their environment and have a role in pathogen clearance in conjunction with the resolution of insult or injury. This review focuses on the mechanisms of MSC immunomodulation discussing the multistep process of MSC localisation at sites of inflammation, the cross talk between MSCs and the local microenvironment as well as the subsequent mechanisms of action used to resolve inflammation.

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Mechanisms of mesenchymal stromal cell immunomodulation.

Cardiovascular effects of Danshen.

The advent of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) based therapies for clinical therapeutics has been an exciting and new innovation for the treatment of a variety of diseases associated with inflammation, tissue damage and subsequent regeneration and repair. Application-based ability to measure MSC potency and fate of the cells post-MSC therapy are the variables that confound the use of MSCs therapeutics in human diseases. An evaluation of MSC function and applications with attention to detail in the preparation as well as quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) are only as good as the assays that are developed. In vivo measures of efficacy and potency require an appreciation of the overall pathophysiology of the model and standardization of outcome measures. The new concepts of how MSC’s participate in the tissue regeneration and wound repair process and further, how this is impacted by estimates of efficacy and potency Are important new topics. In this regard,,, this chapter will review some of the in vitro and in vivo assays for MSC function and activity and their application to the clinical arena.

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Mesenchymal stem cells in tissue repair.

Liver cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide, causing more than 700,000 deaths annually. Because of the wide landscape of genomic alterations and limited therapeutic success of targeting tumor cells, a recent focus has been on better understanding and possibly targeting the microenvironment in which liver tumors develop. A unique feature of liver cancer is its close association with liver fibrosis. More than 80% of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) develop in fibrotic or cirrhotic livers, suggesting an important role of liver fibrosis in the premalignant environment (PME) of the liver. Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), in contrast, is characterized by a strong desmoplasia that typically occurs in response to the tumor, suggesting a key role of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and fibrosis in its tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we discuss the functional contributions of myofibroblasts, CAFs, and fibrosis to the development of HCC and CCA in the hepatic PME and TME, focusing on myof...

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The Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts and Fibrosis in Liver Cancer

In vitro hypoxic preconditioning (HP) of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could ameliorate their viability and tissue repair capabilities after transplantation into the injured tissue through yet undefined mechanisms. There is also experimental evidence that HP enhances the expression of both stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) receptors, CXCR4 and CXCR7, which are involved in migration and survival of MSCs in vitro, but little is known about their role in the in vivo therapeutic effectiveness of MSCs in renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Here, we evaluated the role of SDF-1-CXCR4/CXCR7 pathway in regulating chemotaxis, viability and paracrine actions of HP-MSCs in vitro and in vivo. Compared with normoxic preconditioning (NP), HP not only improved MSC chemotaxis and viability but also stimulated secretion of proangiogenic and mitogenic factors. Importantly, both CXCR4 and CXCR7 were required for the production of paracrine factors by HP-MSCs though the former was only responsible for chemotaxis while the latter was for viability. SDF-1α expression was upregulated in postischemic kidneys. After 24 h systemical administration following I/R, HP-MSCs but not NP-MSCs were selectively recruited to ischemic kidneys and this improved recruitment was abolished by neutralization of CXCR4, but not CXCR7. Furthermore, the increased recruitment of HP-MSCs was associated with enhanced functional recovery, accelerated mitogenic response, and reduced apoptotic cell death. In addition, neutralization of either CXCR4 or CXCR7 impaired the improved therapeutic potential of HP-MSCs. These results advance our knowledge about SDF-1-CXCR4/CXCR7 axis as an attractive target pathway for improving the beneficial effects of MSC-based therapies for renal I/R.

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The role of SDF-1-CXCR4/CXCR7 axis in the therapeutic effects of hypoxia-preconditioned mesenchymal stem cells for renal ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Hypoxic preconditioning advances CXCR4 and CXCR7 expression by activating HIF-1α in MSCs

Kidney injury molecule-1 and osteopontin: new markers for prediction of early kidney transplant rejection.

Objective We sought to explore the adjunctive effects of Cordyceps sinensis (CS) in clinical renal transplantation. Materials and Methods Patients (n = 202) were divided randomly by lottery into a treatment (n = 93) and a control group (n = 109). Patients in the treatment group were treated with CS 1.0 g 3 times a day in addition to the immunosuppressive regimen given to the control group. We compared patient and graft survivals, incidence, time and severity of acute rejection episodes, chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN), hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity, biochemistry parameters including indicators of liver and kidney functions, fats, proteinuria, dosages, and whole blood concentrations of cyclosporine (CsA). Results Patient and graft survival rates, serum creatinine (SCr), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were not significantly different between the 2 groups ( P > .05). Serum uric acid (UA) and 24-hour urinary total protein (24-hour UTP) were significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control group ( P P > .05). Patients receiving thymoglobulin antirejection therapy (3 cases) were fewer in the heated versus control group (13 cases; P = .014). The incidences of hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity in the treated group were 12.90% and 19.35%, significantly lower than 24.77% and 33.94% in the control group, respectively ( P P P P P = .024). The 24-hour UTP level in CAN patients within the treated group was significantly lower than the control group after transplantation ( P = .045). The differences in total bilirubin, SCr, serum UA, and total cholesterol levels among otherwise normal patients in the treated group were significantly lower than those among the control group ( P Conclusions The use of CS may allow decreased dosages and concentrations of CsA causing fewer side effects without an increased risk of acute rejection. In addition, CS with reduced dose CsA may decrease proteinuria and retard CAN progression.

Clinical application of Cordyceps sinensis on immunosuppressive therapy in renal transplantation.

Objective: In this paper we compared the two methods of cell sorting (magnetic cell sorting and flow cytometry sorting) for the isolation and function analysis of mouse CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells, in order to inform further studies in Treg cell function. Methods: We separately used magnetic cell sorting and flow cytometry sorting to identify CD4+ CD25+ Treg cells. After magnetic cell separation, we further used flow cytometry to analyze the purity of CD4+ CD25+ Treg cells, trypan blue staining to detect cell viability, and propidium iodide (PI) staining to assess the cell viability. We detected the immune inhibition of CD4+ CD25+ Treg cells in the in vitro proliferation experiments. Results: The results showed that compared to flow cytometry sorting, magnetic cell sorting took more time and effort, but fewer live cells were obtained than with flow cytometry sorting. The CD4+ CD25+ Treg cells, however, obtained with both methods have similar immunosuppressive capacities. Conclusion: The result suggests that both methods can be used in isolating CD4+ CD25+ Treg cells, and one can select the best method according to specific needs and availability of the methodologies.

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Wujun Xue

Papers

The role of SDF-1-CXCR4/CXCR7 axis in the therapeutic effects of hypoxia-preconditioned mesenchymal stem cells for renal ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Hypoxic preconditioning advances CXCR4 and CXCR7 expression by activating HIF-1α in MSCs

Kidney injury molecule-1 and osteopontin: new markers for prediction of early kidney transplant rejection.

Clinical application of Cordyceps sinensis on immunosuppressive therapy in renal transplantation.

Magnetic cell sorting and flow cytometry sorting methods for the isolation and function analysis of mouse CD4+ CD25+ Treg cells.