The differential effects of sex hormone therapy on kidney function: insights into biological sex differences

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Abstract

There are known sex (i.e., biological) and gender (i.e., social) differences in the epidemiology and outcomes of chronic kidney disease. In this issue of the JCI, van Eeghen et al. provide a prospective multicenter observational study of transgender individuals initiating masculinizing and feminizing hormone therapy. Testosterone and estrogen with testosterone blockade had differential effects on kidney physiology including renal plasma blood flow, measured glomerular filtration rate, tubular biomarkers, and various proteins involved in inflammatory and repair pathways. The findings suggest that estrogen is renoprotective and that testosterone may be harmful to kidney function, but requires validation in larger, more diverse cohorts. The insights gained also need to be examined in the context of both endogenous and exogenous sex hormones in individuals over the life cycle.

Authors

David Collister, Adeera Levin

Developing cell-based therapies for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

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Abstract

Prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) is highly and preferentially expressed on the surface of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells, raising the promise of tumor-selective cell-based immunotherapies. In this issue of the JCI, Dai et al. harness PSCA for the development of an off-the-shelf chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell–based treatment for PDAC. Through in vitro experiments and in vivo models, the authors demonstrate selectivity and therapeutic efficacy of PSCA CAR_sIL15 iNKT cells against both gemcitabine-sensitive and -resistant PDAC cells with comparable antitumor activity for freshly produced and frozen off-the-shelf PSCA CAR_sIL15 iNKT cells. This development opens another potential therapeutic option for pancreatic cancer.

Authors

Rachel Elizabeth Ann Fincham, Joe Poh Sheng Yeong, Hemant Mahendrakumar Kocher

Transient pain and long-term gain: adjuvant dose directs immune memory

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Abstract

Vaccine hesitancy is often fueled by fears of side effects; however, most reactions result from innate immune activation and cytokine production, which are required for lasting immunity. For effective vaccines against HIV, innate activation is essential for differentiation of CD4+ T cells into T follicular helper cells (TFH), which guide rare B cells to mature into long-lived plasma cells that produce durable neutralizing antibodies (nAbs). In this issue of the JCI, Parham Ramezani-Rad et al. show that higher doses of saponin QS-21–MPLA nanoparticle (SMNP) adjuvant, combined with BG505 MD39 envelope (Env) protein, enhanced cytokine responses, drove stronger Env-specific TFH responses in blood, and increased Env-specific bone marrow plasma cells compared with lower doses. While tier 2 nAbs were sustained at memory in only a subset of animals, predominantly at the highest adjuvant dose, these findings highlight transient reactogenicity as an essential mechanism — not a flaw — for building durable immune memory.

Authors

Pabitra B. Pal, Smita S. Iyer

Haptenization as the missing link between vasculitis and myeloperoxidase

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Abstract

A wide variety of medications can induce adverse immune events and autoimmune responses such as vasculitis. Mechanistically, small molecule drugs known as haptens bind and modify endogenous proteins, triggering such immune reactions. In this issue of the JCI, Xi and colleagues investigated the immunological mechanism of autoimmune vasculitis associated with hydralazine. Notably, hydralazine-based haptenization modified myeloperoxidase (MPO), inducing the enzyme conformational change. The hydralazine-modified MPO induced IgM antibody specific for the modified enzyme, followed by immune complex precipitation, tissue deposition, and complement activation. These findings provide a mechanism by which hydralazine induces a type III hypersensitivity reaction associated with mild to severe vasculitis. The study serves as an example for understanding haptenation and may inform the development of diagnostics for determining susceptibility to drug-induced allergic or autoimmune responses.

Authors

Laura Santambrogio

Serotonin sets up neutrophil extracellular traps to promote neuroendocrine prostate cancer metastasis in the liver

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Abstract

Castration-resistant prostate cancer frequently metastasizes to the liver, and prostate cancer liver metastases often present a neuroendocrine phenotype (i.e., neuroendocrine prostate cancer [NEPC]), but the underlying molecular underpinnings remain unclear. In this issue of the JCI, Liu et al. demonstrate that the neurotransmitter serotonin (also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine), produced by NEPC cells, gained access to and activated neutrophils by modifying histone 3 (H3) to form neutrophil extracellular traps, which in turn promoted NEPC macrometastases in the liver. The study suggests that blocking serotonin transport to neutrophils and inhibiting the enzymes that catalyze serotonin-mediated H3 modifications may represent alternative approaches to treating prostate cancer liver metastases.

Authors

Dean G. Tang

Lipid peroxidation and immune activation: TRAF3’s double-edged strategy against glioblastoma

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Abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive type of primary brain tumor, continues to defy therapeutic advances with its metabolic adaptability and resistance to treatment. In this issue of the JCI, Zeng et al. delve into a pivotal mechanism underpinning this adaptability. They identified an important role for TNF receptor–associated factor 3 (TRAF3) in regulating lipid metabolism through its interaction with enoyl-CoA hydratase 1 (ECH1). These findings elucidate a unique signaling axis that shields GBM cells from lipid peroxidation and antitumor immunity, advancing therapeutic strategies for GBM that may also carry over to other cancers with similar metabolic vulnerabilities.

Authors

Tzu-Yi Chia, Nishanth S. Sadagopan, Jason Miska

Targeting lactylation and the STAT3/CCL2 axis to overcome immunotherapy resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

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Abstract

Metabolic reprogramming in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) fosters an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) characterized by elevated lactate levels, which contribute to immune evasion and therapeutic resistance. In this issue of the JCI, Sun, Zhang, and colleagues identified nonhistone ENSA-K63 lactylation as a critical regulator that inactivates PP2A, activates STAT3/CCL2 signaling, recruits tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and suppresses cytotoxic T cell activity. Targeting ENSA-K63 lactylation or CCL2/CCR2 signaling reprograms the TME and enhances the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in PDAC preclinical models. This work provides critical insights into the metabolic-immune crosstalk in PDAC and highlights promising therapeutic strategies for overcoming immune resistance and improving patient outcomes.

Authors

Qun Chen, Hao Yuan, Michael S. Bronze, Min Li

Insights into protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection: time to officially confirm another phenotype?

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Abstract

Immune correlates of protection against infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) remain elusive. In this issue of the JCI, Dallmann-Sauer and authors demonstrate that lack of tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon γ release assay (IGRA) conversion among people with HIV despite years-long Mtb exposure is associated with alveolar lymphocytosis, including specific poly-cytotoxic T cells, and M1-type alveolar macrophages with a stronger ex vivo response to the pathogen. Studies in these rare individuals, termed “TB resisters” and in tuberculosis household contacts who are repeatedly IGRA negative in the months after a specific exposure event (known as “early clearers”) help elucidate manipulatable mechanisms to boost protection against Mtb infection.

Authors

Todia P. Setiabudiawan, Philip C. Hill, Andrew R. DiNardo, Reinout van Crevel

ACAT1 regulates tertiary lymphoid structures: A target for enhancing immunotherapy in non–small cell lung cancer

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Abstract

Non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common type of lung cancer, remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have emerged as a promising therapy for NSCLC but only benefit a subset of patients. In this issue of the JCI, Jiao et al. revealed that acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase 1 (ACAT1) limited the efficacy of ICIs in NSCLC by impeding tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Targeting ACAT1 in tumor cells reduced mitochondrial hypersuccinylation and oxidative stress, enhancing TLS abundance and improving the efficacy of ICIs in preclinical murine models of NSCLC.

Authors

Sophie O’Keefe, Qiwei Wang

HoxBlinc: a key driver of chromatin dynamics in NUP98 fusion–driven leukemia

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Abstract

Nucleoporin 98 (NUP98) fusion oncogenes are known to promote aggressive pediatric leukemia by disrupting chromatin structure and modulating the expression of homeobox (HOX) genes, yet the precise molecular events are unclear. In this issue of the JCI, K. Hamamoto et al. explore the mechanistic underpinnings of NUP98 fusion–driven pediatric leukemia, with a focus on aberrant activation of the Hoxb-associated long, noncoding RNA (lncRNA) HoxBlinc. The authors provide compelling evidence that HoxBlinc plays a central role in the oncogenic transformation associated with NUP98 fusion protein. The study underscores a CTCF-independent role of HoxBlinc in the regulation of topologically associated domains (TADs) and chromatin accessibility, which has not been fully appreciated in previous research on the NUP98 fusion oncogenes. The discovery of HoxBlinc lncRNA as a downstream regulator of NUP98 fusion oncoproteins offers a potential target for therapeutic intervention in pediatric leukemia.

Authors

Jian Xu, Wei Du