Biology subjects

Beswick, E.

Publications and source records attributed to Beswick, E..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Tumor-Derived SPP1 Drives Immunosuppressive Macrophage Reprogramming in Gastric Peritoneal Carcinomatosis

Peritoneal carcinomatosis is a major cause of death in gastric cancer, yet effective therapies remain limited. Tumor-derived soluble factors are increasingly recognized as key regulators of the peritumoral microenvironment. Here, we nominate osteopontin (SPP1) as a tumor-derived mediator that orchestrates macrophage-driven immunoregulation in gastric peritoneal carcinomatosis. Using integrated analyses of human clinical datasets and murine models, we demonstrate that tumor-secreted SPP1 promotes macrophage recruitment and induces tolerogenic IL-10 production. Clinically, SPP1 correlated with inferior overall survival and progression-free survival in gastric cancer. In syngeneic murine models of gastric peritoneal carcinomatosis, intracavitary pharmacologic inhibition of SPP1 restricted peritoneal dissemination, impaired macrophage infiltration and suppressed IL-10 production. Consistent with these findings, macrophage depletion phenocopied antitumor effects of SPP1 inhibition, resulting in decreased metastatic burden. Collectively, these findings define a mechanism of tumor-macrophage crosstalk that promotes peritoneal dissemination and provide a rationale for therapeutic targeting of SPP1 in gastric peritoneal carcinomatosis.

Cancer Biology↗

bioRxiv2026

EZH1/2 inhibition improves immunotherapy response through MHC Class II de-repression and neutrophil reprogramming

Squamous cell carcinoma of the lung is a difficult-to-treat cancer with high prevalence in the US, and particularly in Kentucky. Here, we sought to test if the EZH1/2 inhibitor valemetostat improves anti-PD1 responses in squamous cell lung cancer models, and to develop ex vivo models to test immunotherapy drug combinations. We found that valemetostat augmented anti-tumor responses to anti-PD1 therapy, led to up-regulation of tumor cell specific Major Histocompatibility Complex Class II (MHC Class II), and drove systemic neutrophil maturation. Likewise, Ezh2 knock-out mice produced neutrophils that were more apoptotic, less migratory, and less able to produce extracellular nets, but had similar ability to kill bacteria as Ezh2-WT neutrophils. To test tumor responses to differing neutrophil populations, we engineered three-dimensional air-liquid interface cultures with tumoroids, lung mesenchymal cells, and T cells, with and without bone marrow containing neutrophils and myeloid progenitors from distinct donors. Bone marrow from tumor-naive or mice with actively growing untreated tumors boosted tumoroid growth, while bone marrow from spontaneously tumor-rejected or mice with tumors treated with valemetostat was anti-tumor. MHC Class II blockade lowered the ability of bone marrow to boost tumor growth, and reduced the ability of valemetostat with anti-PD1 to reduce tumoroid growth. Patient samples revealed a strong negative correlation between EZH2 and MHC Class II, suggesting that targeting EZH2 activity could lead to marked increase in MHC Class II and improve treatment responses in lung squamous cell carcinomas.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Mosquito saliva sialokinin-dependent enhancement of arbovirus infection through endothelial barrier leakage

Viruses transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes constitute an increasingly important global health burden. Defining common determinants of host susceptibility to this large group of heterogenous pathogens are key for informing the rational design of new pan-viral medicines. Infection of the vertebrate host with these viruses is enhanced by the presence of mosquito saliva, a complex mixture of salivary gland-derived factors and microbiota. We show that enhancement of infection by saliva was dependent on vascular function and was independent of most anti-saliva immune responses, including to salivary microbiota. Instead, the Aedes gene product sialokinin mediated enhancement of virus infection through a rapid reduction in endothelial barrier integrity. Sialokinin is unique within the insect world as having vertebrate-like tachykinin sequence and is absent from non-vector competent Anopheles mosquitoes, whose saliva was not pro-viral and did not induce similar vascular permeability. Therapeutic strategies targeting sialokinin have potential to limit disease severity following infection with Aedes mosquito-borne viruses.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2019

NEIL2 plays a critical role in limiting inflammation and preserving genomic integrity in H. pylori-infected gastric epithelial cells

The accumulation of Helicobacter pylori infection-induced oxidative DNA damage in gastric epithelial cells is a risk factor for developing gastric cancer (GC); however, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we report that the suppression of NEIL2, an oxidized base-specific mammalian DNA glycosylase, is one such mechanism via which H. pylori infection may fuel the accumulation of DNA damage during the initiation and progression of GC. Using a combination of cultured cell lines and primary cells, we show that expression of NEIL2 is significantly down-regulated after H. pylori infection; such down-regulation was also seen in human gastric biopsies. The H. pylori infection-induced down-regulation of NEIL2 is specific, as Campylobacter jejuni has no such effect. Using gastric organoids isolated from the murine stomach in co-culture studies with live bacteria mimicking the infected stomach lining, we found that H. pylori infection was associated with IL-8 production; this response was more pronounced in Neil2 knockout (KO) mouse cells compared to wild type (WT) cells, suggesting that NEIL2 suppresses inflammation under physiological conditions. Interestingly, DNA damage was significantly higher in Neil2 KO mice compared to WT mice. H. pylori-infected Neil2 KO mice showed higher inflammation and more epithelial cell damage. Computational analysis of gene expression profiles of repair genes in gastric specimens showed the reduction of Neil2 level is linked to the GC progression. Taken together, our data suggest that down-regulation of NEIL2 is a plausible mechanism by which H. pylori infection derails DNA damage repair, amplifies the inflammatory response and initiates GCs.

microbiology↗