javad firouzi

Natural killer (NK) cells are critical immune cells for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) targeting. However,little is known about the relationship between using checkpoint inhibitors and heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) as NK cellactivators to control AML. Therefore, the study aims to find the best formulation of Hsp70, human PD-1 (Programmedcell death protein 1) blocker, and interleukin 15 (IL-15) to activate NK cells against AML. In this experimental study, the NK cells were isolated from mononuclear cells (MNCs) byusing magnetic activation cell sorting (MACS) and were activated using the different combinations of Hsp70, PD-1blocker, and IL-15 and then followed by immunophenotyping, functional assays to estimate their killing potential, andevaluation of expression pattern of PRF1, PIK3CB, PD-1, AKT-1, FAS-L, TRAIL, and GER A and B. The expression of PD-1 was significantly (P<0.05) reduced after NK cell activation by the different formulas ofIL-15, Hsp70, and PD-1 blocker. The expression of NKG2A in the treated NK cells was reduced particularly in the IL-15(P<0.01) and IL-15+PD-1 blocker (P<0.05) groups. The addition of Hsp70 increased its expression. The cytotoxic effectof NK cells increased in all groups, especially in IL-15+PD-1 blocker besides increasing interferon-gamma (IFN-γ),Granzymes, and perforin expression (P<0.05). All IL-15+PD-1 blocker group changes were associated with the upregulationof PIK3CB and AKT-1 as key factors of NK cell activation. The presence of Hsp70 reduced IFN-γ releasing,and down-regulation of PIK3CB, AKT-1, Granzymes, and Perforin (P<0.05). We suggested the combination of IL-15 and PD-1 blocker could enhance the killing potential of AMLNKcells. Moreover, Hsp70 in combination with IL-15 and PD-1 blocker interferes activation of AML-NK cells throughunknown mechanisms.

Malignant breast cancer (BC) frequently contains a rare population of cells called cancer stem cells which underlie tumor relapse and metastasis, and targeting these cells may improve treatment options and outcomes for patients with BC. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of silibinin on the self-renewal capacity, tumorgenicity, and metastatic potential of mammospheres.

The effect of silibinin on viability and proliferation of MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 mammospheres, and MDA-MB-468 cell aggregation was determined after 72-120 hours of treatment. Colony and sphere formation ability, and the expression of stemness, differentiation, and epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT)-associated genes were assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in mammospheres treated with an IC50 dose of silibinin. Additionally, the antitumor capacity of silibinin was assessed in vivo, in mice.

The results of the present study showed that silibinin decreased the viability of all mammospheres derived from MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-468 cell aggregation in a dose-dependent manner. Colony and sphere-forming ability, as well as the expression of genes associated with EMT were reduced in mammospheres treated with silibinin. Additionally, the expression of genes associated with stemness and metastasis was also decreased and the expression of genes associated with differentiation were increased. Intra-tumoral injection of 2 mg/kg silibinin decreased tumor volumes in mice by 2.8 fold.

The present study demonstrated that silibinin may have exerted its anti-tumor effects in BC by targeting the BC stem cells, reducing the tumorgenicity and metastasis. Therefore, silibinin may be a potential adjuvant for treatment of BC.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the stemness potency in association with BRAF mutation are in dispensable to the progression of melanoma. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been introduced as the regulator of a multitude of oncogenic functions in most of tumors. Therefore identifying and interpreting the expression patterns of these miRNAs is essential. The present study sought to find common miRNAs regulating all three important pathways in melanoma development.

In this experimental study, 18 miRNAs that importantly contribute to EMT and have a role in regulating self-renewal and the BRAF pathway were selected based on current literature and cross-analysis with available databases. Subsequently, their expression patterns were evaluated in 20 melanoma patients, normal tissues, serum from patients and control subjects, and melanospheres. Pattern discovery and integrative regulatory network analysis were used to find the most important miRNAs in melanoma progression.

Among 18 selected miRNAs, miR-205, -141, -203, -15b, and -9 were differentially expressed in tumor samples than normal tissues. Among them, miR-205, -15b, and -9 significantly expressed in serum samples and healthy donors. Attribute Weighting and decision trees (DT) analysis presented evidence that the combination of miR-205, -203, -9, and -15b can regulate self-renewal and EMT process, by affecting CDH1, CCND1, and VEGF expression.

We suggested here that miR-205, -15b, -203, -9 pattern as the key miRNAs linked to melanoma status, the pluripotency, proliferation, and motility of malignant cells. However, further investigations are required to find the mechanisms underlying the combinatory effects of the above mentioned miRNAs.

Cadherin-1 (CDH1) plays an important role in the metastasis, while expression of this protein is under control of epigenetic changes on its gene promoter. Therefore we evaluated both DNA methylation (DNAmet) and histone modification marks of CDH1 in prostate cancer stem like cells (PCSLCs). In this experimental study, we isolated PCSLCs using cell surface marker and prostaspheroid formation, respectively. The cells isolated from both methods were characterized and then the levels of H3K4me2, H3K27me3, H3K9me2/3 and H3K9ac as well as DNAmet were assessed in CDH1 promoter of the isolated cells. The CD44+ CD49hi cells were not validated as PCSLCs. However, prostaspheres overexpressed stemness related genes and had higher ability of invasion potential, associated with reduction in CDH1 expression. Epigenetic status analysis showed that CDH1 promoter was hypo-methylated. Histone modifications of H3K9ac and H3K4me3 were significantly reduced, in parallel with an increased level of H3K27me3. Our results suggest that slight decrease of DNAmet of the CpG island in CDH1 promoter does not significantly contribute to the change of CDH1 expression. Therefore, histone modifications are responsible in repressing CDH1 in PCSLCs.

Backgound and Cancer stem cells assume to be responsible for increasing cancer properties such as migration, and drug sensitivity. A lot of studies revealed signaling pathways are enhanced in cancer stem cells. Melanoma is well-known as heterogeneous cancer and its severity in treatment. These can be attributed to the existence of cancer stem cells. In this study, we first aimed to separate cancer stem cells (cancer stem-like cells) by sphere formation, characterized them, and second examine the expression of Wnt and Notch signaling pathway genes related to adherent cells.
Subjects and Adherent cell were cultured in the non-adherent condition with serum-free media; spheres obtained, then sphere formation, clonogenic assay, expression of CD133 and Nestin proteins, Nanog, NESTIN and Oct4 genes as stem related genes were assessed in comparison to adherent cells. In addition, Notch and Wnt signaling pathways genes in both adherent and spheres cells evaluated.
Sphere formation, clonogenic capacity, expression of Nestin protein, but not CD133 were increased in sphere cells in comparession to adherent cells. They also overexpressed β-catenin, cyclinD1, and c-Myc as Wnt down-stream genes, Notch1, HES1 as Notch down-stream genes, Nanog, and NESTIN as stem-related genes.
These results suggest that sphere culture model could be a proper experimental method to separate cancer stem-like cells. Our data also support two important pathways are overactivated in melanoma cancer stem-like cells which must be considered in targeting therapy.

Cutaneous melanoma is the most hazardous malignancy of skin cancer with a high mortality rate. It has been reported that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for malignancy in most of cancers including melanoma. The aim of this study is to compare two common methods for melanoma stem cell enriching; isolating based on the CD133 cell surface marker and spheroid cell culture.
In this experimental study, melanoma stem cells were enriched by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) based on the CD133 protein expression and spheroid culture of D10 melanoma cell line,. To determine stemness features, the mRNA expression analysis of ABCG2, c-MYC, NESTIN, OCT4-A and -B genes as well as colony and spheroid formation assays were utilized in unsorted CD133, CD133- and spheroid cells. Significant differences of the two experimental groups were compared using student’s t tests and a two-tailed value of P Our results demonstrated that spheroid cells had more colony and spheroid forming ability, rather than CD133 cells and the other groups. Moreover, melanospheres expressed higher mRNA expression level of ABCG2, c-MYC, NESTIN and OCT4-A compared to other groups (P Although CD133 derived melanoma cells represented stemness features, our findings demonstrated that spheroid culture could be more effective method to enrich melanoma stem cells.

Gastric cancer (GC) is widely associated with chronic inflammation. The pro inflammatory microenvironment provides conditions that disrupt stem/progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation. The signal transducer and activator of transcription- 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway is involved in inflammation and also contributes to the maintenance of embryonic stem cell (ESCs) pluripotency. Here, we have investigated the activation status of STAT3 in GC stem-like cells (GCSLCs). In this experimental research, CSLCs derived from the human GC cell line MKN-45 and patient specimens, through spheroid body formation, characterized and then assayed for the STAT3 transcription factor expression in mRNA and protein level further to its activation. Spheroid cells showed higher potential for spheroid formation than the parental cells. Furthemore, stemness genes NANOG, c-MYC and SOX-2 were over expressed in spheroids of MKN-45 and in patient samples. In MKN-45 spheroid cells, epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) related markers CDH2, SNAIL2, TWIST and VIMENTIN were upregulated (P<0.05), but we observed no change in expression of the E-cadherin epithelial marker. These cells exhibited more resistance to docetaxel (DTX) when compared with parental cells (P<0.05) according to the MTS assay. Although immunostaining and Western blotting showed expression of the STAT3 protein in both spheroids and parents, the mRNA level of STAT3 in spheroids was higher than the parents. Nuclear translocation of STAT3 was accompanied by more intensive phospho-STAT3 (p-STAT3) in spheroid structures relative to the parent cells according to flow cytometry analysis (P<0.05). The present findings point to STAT3 over activation in GCSLCs. Complementary experiments are required to extend the role of STAT3 in stemness features and invasion properties of GCSCs and to consider the STAT3 pathway for CSC targeted therapy.

As sacred narratives, myths have reflected human worldview since the ancient times. One of the main preoccupations of human being was how and why men have been created. Egyptian and Mesopotamian mythology, which approximately are contemporaneous, have an important role in development of the myths of man’s creation. We can find a good deal of such accounts in inscriptions of Pyramids and coffins in Egypt and on clay tablets and other artistic relics in Mesopotamia. By surveying these accounts we are going to find their similarities and differences.