Biology subjects

Yang, J.-L.

Publications and source records attributed to Yang, J.-L..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Small extracellular vesicles mediate the antihyperalgesic effect of bone marrow stromal cells: the role of "priming"

Multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) including bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) have shown analgesic efficacy in recent years. Studies suggested that the therapeutic effect of MSCs was mediated by their secreted small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) mainly exosomes. The present study evaluated the antihyperalgesic effect of BMSC-related sEVs in a mouse model of neuropathic pain involving chronic constriction injury of the infraorbital nerve (CCI-ION). Our separation protocol generated EV particles mostly sized in the range of exosomes (30-170 nm) and express exosome marker proteins CD9, CD81, and Tsg101, suggesting their endosome origin. We show that intravenous injection of BMSC-related sEVs attenuated pain hypersensitivity induced by CCI-ION as indicated by decreased mechanical hypersensitivity (von Frey test) and reduced aversion to noxious stimulation (conditioned place avoidance test). The antihyperalgesic effect of sEVs was observed in both female and male animals, and the effect was dose-dependent. sEVs from NAIVE serum-treated BMSC cultures produced short-lasting antihyperalgesia in male but not female mice, suggesting a subtle sex difference. The antihyperalgesia of sEVs from BMSC culture was blocked by the pretreatment of the culture with GM4869, the antagonist of exosome secretion, suggesting that the effect was not related to other co-isolated soluble mediators but mediated by MSC-derived exosomes. Interestingly, the prior injury condition in which sEVs were isolated favors the pain-relieving effect of sEVs. sEVs isolated from the serum of BMSC-treated animals receiving tendon ligation (TL) injury attenuated hyperalgesia for 24 h, while sEVs from the serum of BMSC-treated NAIVE animals only attenuated hyperalgesia at 3 h after injection. sEVs from the BMSC culture treated with the serum of TL rats were antihyperalgesic, but sEVs from the BMSC culture treated with the serum of naive animals were ineffective. Our results indicate that BMSC-related sEVs produced antihyperalgesia similar to that produced by BMSCs. The results suggest that the interactions between BMSCs and injury conditions are crucially important for producing efficacious sEVs/exosomes and support that the effect of sEVs could be optimized by priming BMSCs with injury-related conditions.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Syngeneic natural killer cell therapy activates dendritic and T cells in metastatic lungs and effectively treat low-burden metastases

Natural killer (NK) cells can control metastasis through cytotoxicity and IFN-{gamma} production independently of T cells in experimental metastasis mouse models. The inverse correlation between NK activity and metastasis incidence supports a critical role for NK cells in human metastatic surveillance. However, autologous NK cell therapy has shown limited benefit in treating patients with metastatic solid tumors. Using a spontaneous metastasis mouse model of MHC-I+ breast cancer, we found that transfer of IL-15/IL-12-conditioned syngeneic NK cells after primary tumor resection promoted long-term survival of mice with low metastatic burden and induced a tumor-specific protective T cell response that is essential for the therapeutic effect. Furthermore, NK cell transfer augments activation of conventional dendritic cells (cDCs), Foxp3-CD4+ T cells and stem cell-like CD8+ T cells in metastatic lungs, to which IFN-{gamma} of the transferred NK cells contributes significantly. These results imply direct interactions between transferred NK cells and endogenous cDCs to enhance T cell activation. We conducted an investigator-initiated clinical trial of autologous NK cell therapy in six patients with advanced cancer and observed that the NK cell therapy was safe and showed signs of effectiveness. These findings indicate that autologous NK cell therapy is effective in treating established low burden metastases of MHC-I+ tumor cells by activating the cDC-T cell axis at metastatic sites.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2019

Geometric regulation of histone state directs melanoma reprogramming

Malignant melanoma displays a high degree of cellular plasticity during disease progression, making classification of the heterogeneous population and selection of an appropriate therapy challenging. Signals in the tumor microenvironment are believed to influence melanoma plasticity through changes in the epigenetic state to guide dynamic differentiation and de-differentiation events that underlie tumorigenicity and dissemination. Here we uncover a relationship between geometric features at perimeter regions of multicellular melanoma aggregates, and reprogramming to a stem cell-like melanoma initiating cell (MIC) through histone marks H3K4Me2 and H3K9Ac. Using an in vitro tumor microengineering approach, we find concurrent expression of molecular MIC markers and spatial enrichment of these histone modifications at perimeter features. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and sequencing analysis demonstrates broad regulation of genes associated with SOX-, ETS-, and USF-families. SOX10 and PRDM14, transcriptional regulators with a putative role in several cancers, overlap with H3K9Ac and show elevated expression in cells along regions of perimeter curvature. siRNA knockdown of the epigenetic modifier PRDM14 abolishes the MIC phenotype suggesting a role in regulating melanoma heterogeneity. Our results suggest mechanotransduction at the periphery of melanoma tumors may orchestrate the activity of epigenetic modifiers to regulate histone state, cellular plasticity, and tumorigenicity.

cancer biology↗