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Lang, Benjamin

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Lang

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Benjamin

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Lang, Benjamin

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    Histone deacetylase activity mediates acquired resistance towards structurally diverse HSP90 inhibitors
    (John Wiley and Sons Inc., 2017) Chai, Ryan C.; Vieusseux, Jessica L.; Lang, Benjamin; Nguyen, Chau H.; Kouspou, Michelle M.; Britt, Kara L.; Price, John T.
    Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) regulates multiple signalling pathways critical for tumour growth. As such, HSP90 inhibitors have been shown to act as effective anticancer agents in preclinical studies but, for a number of reasons, the same effect has not been observed in the clinical trials to date. One potential reason for this may be the presence of de novo or acquired resistance within the tumours. To investigate mechanisms of resistance, we generated resistant cell lines through gradual dose escalation of the HSP90 inhibitor 17‐allylamino‐17‐demethoxygeldanamycin (17‐AAG). The resultant resistant cell lines maintained their respective levels of resistance (7–240×) in the absence of 17‐AAG and were also cross‐resistant with other benzoquinone ansamycin HSP90 inhibitors. Expression of members of the histone deacetylase family (HDAC 1, 5, 6) was altered in the resistant cells. To determine whether HDAC activity contributed to resistance, pan‐HDAC inhibitors (TSA and LBH589) and the class II HDAC‐specific inhibitor SNDX275 were found to resensitize resistant cells towards 17‐AAG and 17‐dimethylaminoethylamino‐17‐demethoxygeldanamycin. Most significantly, resistant cells were also identified as cross‐resistant towards structurally distinct HSP90 inhibitors such as radicicol and the second‐generation HSP90 inhibitors CCT018159, VER50589 and AUY922. HDAC inhibition also resensitized resistant cells towards these classes of HSP90 inhibitors. In conclusion, we report that prolonged 17‐AAG treatment results in acquired resistance of cancer cells towards not just 17‐AAG but also to a spectrum of structurally distinct HSP90 inhibitors. This acquired resistance can be inhibited using clinically relevant HDAC inhibitors. This work supports the potential benefit of using HSP90 and HDAC inhibitors in combination within the clinical setting.
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    The Scavenger Receptor SREC-I Cooperates with Toll-Like Receptors to Trigger Inflammatory Innate Immune Responses
    (Frontiers Media S.A., 2016) Murshid, Ayesha; Borges, Thiago J.; Lang, Benjamin; Calderwood, Stuart
    Scavenger receptor expressed by endothelial cell-I (SREC-I) is a class F scavenger receptor expressed by immune cells with a significant role in CD8+- and CD4+-mediated T cell immunity. This receptor can also modulate the function of toll-like receptors (TLRs), which play essential roles in innate immunity. Earlier, it was found that human monocyte/macrophage THP1 cells and bone marrow-derived macrophages from mice exhibited increased responses to polyinosine–polycytidylic acid (poly I:C, PIC) and CpG (unmethylated) DNA and enhanced production of inflammatory cytokines with overexpressed SREC-I. Our data also showed that intracellular/endocytic TLR3 and TLR9 could directly interact with SREC-I in the presence of their respective ligands. We also observed that the internalized ligand along with TLR3/TLR9 colocalized in the endosome in macrophages and THP-1 cells overexpressing these receptors. In the absence of these ligands, there was no detectable colocalization between the SREC-I and endocytic TLRs. Earlier, it was shown that SREC-I stimulated double-stranded RNA/CpGDNA-mediated TLR3/TLR9 activation of the innate immune response by triggering signaling through the NF-κB, IRF3, and MAP kinase pathways leading to transcription of cytokine genes. We also established that SREC-I can associate with plasma membrane TLRs, such as TLR2 and TLR4. We demonstrated that SREC-I–TLR4 signals more efficiently from lipid microdomain in which lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can associate with SREC-I–TLR4 complex. We also proved that SREC-I is an alternate receptor for LPS capable of internalizing the complex and for endocytic TLR ligands as well. This binding activated endocytic TLR-mediated downstream cytokine production in THP1 cells and macrophages. Finally, SREC-I could also form complexes with TLR2 and induce the release of cytokines in the presence of bacterial, viral, and fungal ligands.
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    Modulation of Alloimmunity by Heat Shock Proteins
    (Frontiers Media S.A., 2016) Borges, Thiago J.; Lang, Benjamin; Lopes, Rafael L.; Bonorino, Cristina
    The immunological mechanisms that evolved for host defense against pathogens and injury are also responsible for transplant rejection. Host rejection of foreign tissue was originally thought to be mediated mainly by T cell recognition of foreign MHC alleles. Management of solid organ transplant rejection has thus focused mainly on inhibition of T cell function and matching MHC alleles between donor and host. Recently, however, it has been demonstrated that the magnitude of the initial innate immune responses upon transplantation has a decisive impact on rejection. The exact mechanisms underlying this phenomenon have yet to be characterized. Ischemic cell death and inflammation that occur upon transplantation are synonymous with extracellular release of various heat shock proteins (Hsps), many of which have been shown to have immune-modulatory properties. Here, we review the impact of Hsps upon alloimmunity and discuss the potential use of Hsps as accessory agents to improve solid organ transplant outcomes.