Hypoxia is not only a prominent contributor to the heterogeneity of solid tumors but also a crucial stressor in the microenvironment to drive adaptations for tumors to evade immunosurveillance. Herein, we discuss the potential role of hypoxia within the microenvironment contributing to immune resistance and immune suppression of tumor cells. We outline recent discoveries of hypoxia-driven adaptive mechanisms that diminish immune cell response via skewing the expression of important immune checkpoint molecules (e.g., cluster of differentiation 47, programmed death ligand 1, and human leukocyte antigen G), altered metabolism and metabolites, and pH regulation. Importantly, inhibition of hypoxic stress-relevant pathways can collectively enhance T-cell-mediated tumor cell killing. Furthermore, we discuss how manipulation of hypoxia stress may pose a promising new strategy for a combinational therapeutic intervention to enhance immunotherapy of solid tumors.

Key words: autophagy, Beclin 1, 3-methyladenine, amyloid β, c-secretase inhibitor, cerebral infarction, thalamus, secondary degeneration-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester; LC3, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3A; MCA, middle cerebral artery; MCAO, middle cerebral artery occlusion; RHRSP, stroke-prone renovascular hypertensive rats; shRNA, short-hairpin RNA Cerebral infarction can cause secondary degeneration of thalamus and delay functional recovery. However, the mechanisms underlying secondary degeneration are unclear. The present study aimed to determine the occurrence and contribution of autophagy to thalamic degeneration after cerebral infarction. Focal cerebral infarction was induced by distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Autophagic activation, Beclin 1 expression and amyloid b (Ab) deposits were determined by immunofluorescence, immunoblot and electron microscopy. Secondary damage to thalamus was assessed with Nissl staining and immunofluorescence analysis. Apoptosis was determined using TUNEL staining. The contribution of autophagy to the secondary damage was evaluated by shRNA-mediated downregulation of Beclin 1 and the autophagic inhibitor, 3-methyladenine (3-MA). The potential role of Ab in autophagic activation was determined with N-[N-(3, 5-difluorophenacetyl)-L-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester (DAPT). The results showed that the conversion of LC3-II, the formation of autophagosomes, and the levels of activated cathepsin B and Beclin 1 were significantly increased in the ipsilateral thalamus at 7 and 14 d after MCAO (p , 0.05 or 0.01). Both Beclin 1 knockdown and 3-MA treatment significantly reduced LC3-II conversion and autophagosome formation, which were accompanied by obvious decreases in neuronal loss, gliosis and apoptosis in the ipsilateral thalamus (p , 0.05 or 0.01). Additionally, DAPT treatment markedly reduced Ab deposits, which coincided with decreases in LC3-II conversion and autophagosome formation (p , 0.01). These results suggest that inhibition of autophagy by Beclin 1 knockdown can attenuate the secondary thalamic damage after focal cerebral infarction. Furthermore, Ab deposits may be involved in the activation of autophagy.

Platinum drugs are used in first-line to treat ovarian cancer, but most of the patients eventually generate resistance after treatment with these drugs. Although both c-Myc and EZH2 have been implicated in regulating cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer, the interplay between these two regulators is poorly understood. Using RNA sequence analysis (RNA-seq), for the first time we find that miR-137 level is extremely low in cisplatin resistant ovarian cancer cells, correlating with higher levels of c-Myc and EZH2 expression. Further analyses indicate that in resistant cells c-Myc enhances the expression of EZH2 by directly suppressing miR-137 that targets EZH2 mRNA, and increased expression of EZH2 activates cellular survival pathways, resulting in the resistance to cisplatin. Inhibition of c-Myc-miR-137-EZH2 pathway re-sensitizes resistant cells to cisplatin. Both in vivo and in vitro analyses indicate that cisplatin treatment activates c-Myc-miR-137-EZH2 pathway. Importantly, elevated c-Myc-miR-137-EZH2 pathway in resistant cells is sustained by dual oxidase maturation factor 1 (DUOXA1)-mediated production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Significantly, clinical studies further confirm the activated c-Myc-miR-137-EZH2 pathway in platinum drug-resistant or recurrent ovarian cancer patients. Thus, our studies elucidate a novel role of miR-137 in regulating c-Myc-EZH2 axis that is crucial to the regulation of cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer.

J. Neurochem. (2012) 120, 564–573. Abstract Focal cerebral cortical infarction after distal middle cerebral artery occlusion causes β‐amyloid deposition and secondary neuronal degeneration in the ipsilateral ventroposterior nucleus of the thalamus. Several studies suggest that autophagy is an active pathway for β‐amyloid peptide generation. This study aimed to investigate the role of autophagy in thalamic β‐amyloid deposition and neuronal degeneration after cerebral cortical infarction in hypertensive rats. At 7 and 14 days after middle cerebral artery occlusion, neuronal death and β‐amyloid deposits were evident in the ipsilateral ventroposterior nucleus, and the activity of β‐site amyloid precursor protein (APP)‐cleaving enzyme 1, required for β‐amyloid peptide generation, was elevated in the thalamus. In correlation, both the number of cells showing punctate microtubule‐associated protein 1A light chain 3 fluorescence and levels of light chain 3‐II protein, an autophagosome marker, were markedly increased. Notably, most of the cells that over‐expressed β‐site APP‐cleaving enzyme 1 displayed punctate light chain 3 staining. Furthermore, the inhibition of autophagy with 3‐methyladenine significantly reduced the thalamic neuronal damage, β‐amyloid deposits, and β‐site APP‐cleaving enzyme 1 activity. These results suggest that autophagosomes accumulate within thalamic cells after cerebral cortical infarction, which is associated with thalamic β‐amyloid deposition and secondary neuronal degeneration via elevation of β‐site APP‐cleaving enzyme 1 level.

Highlights d Colorectal cancer (CRC) progression is affected by oral microbiota d Oral microbiota alterations affect efficacy of radiotherapy and prognosis in CRC d Changes in oral microbiome tune bacterial pattern at CRC site but not peritumor d Oral F. nucleatum migrates to CRC sites, impairing radiotherapy