Browsing by Author "Di Meo, Francesco"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    A target discovery pipeline identified ILT3 as a target for immunotherapy of multiple myeloma
    (Elsevier, 2023) Di Meo, Francesco; Iyer, Anjushree; Akama, Keith; Cheng, Rujin; Yu, Christina; Cesarano, Annamaria; Kurihara, Noriyoshi; Tenshin, Hirofumi; Aljoufi, Arafat; Marino, Silvia; Soni, Rajesh K.; Roda, Julie; Sissons, James; Vu, Ly P.; Guzman, Monica; Huang, Kun; Laskowski, Tamara; Broxmeyer, Hal E.; Roodman, David G.; Perna, Fabiana; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable malignancy of plasma cells. To identify targets for MM immunotherapy, we develop an integrated pipeline based on mass spectrometry analysis of seven MM cell lines and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) from 900+ patients. Starting from 4,000+ candidates, we identify the most highly expressed cell surface proteins. We annotate candidate protein expression in many healthy tissues and validate the expression of promising targets in 30+ patient samples with relapsed/refractory MM, as well as in primary healthy hematopoietic stem cells and T cells by flow cytometry. Six candidates (ILT3, SEMA4A, CCR1, LRRC8D, FCRL3, IL12RB1) and B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) present the most favorable profile in malignant and healthy cells. We develop a bispecific T cell engager targeting ILT3 that shows potent killing effects in vitro and decreased tumor burden and prolonged mice survival in vivo, suggesting therapeutic relevance. Our study uncovers MM-associated antigens that hold great promise for immune-based therapies of MM.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Aglianico Grape Seed Semi-Polar Extract Exerts Anticancer Effects by Modulating MDM2 Expression and Metabolic Pathways
    (MDPI, 2023-01-04) Cuciniello, Rossana; Di Meo, Francesco; Sulli, Maria; Demurtas, Olivia Costantina; Tanori, Mirella; Mancuso, Mariateresa; Villano, Clizia; Aversano, Riccardo; Carputo, Domenico; Baldi, Alfonso; Diretto, Gianfranco; Filosa, Stefania; Crispi, Stefania; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) seeds are rich in polyphenols including proanthocyanidins, molecules with a variety of biological effects including anticancer action. We have previously reported that the grape seed semi-polar extract of Aglianico cultivar (AGS) was able to induce apoptosis and decrease cancer properties in different mesothelioma cell lines. Concomitantly, this extract resulted in enriched oligomeric proanthocyanidins which might be involved in determining the anticancer activity. Through transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses, we investigated in detail the anticancer pathway induced by AGS. Transcriptomics analysis and functional annotation allowed the identification of the relevant causative genes involved in the apoptotic induction following AGS treatment. Subsequent biological validation strengthened the hypothesis that MDM2 could be the molecular target of AGS and that it could act in both a p53-dependent and independent manner. Finally, AGS significantly inhibited tumor progression in a xenograft mouse model of mesothelioma, confirming also in vivo that MDM2 could act as molecular player responsible for the AGS antitumor effect. Our findings indicated that AGS, exerting a pro-apoptotic effect by hindering MDM2 pathway, could represent a novel source of anticancer molecules.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The Antioxidant Effect of Dietary Bioactives Arises from the Interplay between the Physiology of the Host and the Gut Microbiota: Involvement of Short-Chain Fatty Acids
    (MDPI, 2023-05-10) Cuciniello, Rossana; Di Meo, Francesco; Filosa, Stefania; Crispi, Stefania; Bergamo, Paolo; Medicine, School of Medicine
    The maintenance of redox homeostasis is associated with a healthy status while the disruption of this mechanism leads to the development of various pathological conditions. Bioactive molecules such as carbohydrates accessible to the microbiota (MACs), polyphenols, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are food components best characterized for their beneficial effect on human health. In particular, increasing evidence suggests that their antioxidant ability is involved in the prevention of several human diseases. Some experimental data indicate that the activation of the nuclear factor 2-related erythroid 2 (Nrf2) pathway-the key mechanism in the maintenance of redox homeostasis-is involved in the beneficial effects exerted by the intake of PUFAs and polyphenols. However, it is known that the latter must be metabolized before becoming active and that the intestinal microbiota play a key role in the biotransformation of some ingested food components. In addition, recent studies, indicating the efficacy of the MACs, polyphenols, and PUFAs in increasing the microbial population with the ability to yield biologically active metabolites (e.g., polyphenol metabolites, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)), support the hypothesis that these factors are responsible for the antioxidant action on the physiology of the host. The underlying mechanisms through which MACs, polyphenols, and PUFAs might influence the redox status have not been fully elucidated, but based on the efficacy of SCFAs as Nrf2 activators, their contribution to the antioxidant efficacy of dietary bioactives cannot be excluded. In this review, we aimed to summarize the main mechanisms through which MACs, polyphenols, and PUFAs can modulate the host's redox homeostasis through their ability to directly or indirectly activate the Nrf2 pathway. We discuss their probiotic effects and the role played by the alteration of the metabolism/composition of the gut microbiota in the generation of potential Nrf2-ligands (e.g., SCFAs) in the host's redox homeostasis.