Journal: Molecular Cancer

Article Title: Hedgehog signaling drives glial cell plasticity and oncogenic reprogramming in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms

doi: 10.1186/s12943-026-02611-y

Figure Lengend Snippet: Patient-derived PanNET tumoroids express HH signaling proteins and respond to HH pathway activation and inhibition. A Combined fluorescence and phase-contrast images of 21-day-old human PanNET tumoroids (PanNET3) stained for chromogranin A (CHGA) and HH proteins (PTCH1, SHH). B Four patient-derived PanNET tumoroid lines (PanNET1–4) were exposed to recombinant human SHH N-terminal peptide (100 ng/mL) or the SMO inhibitor vismodegib (VISMO, 20 µM) for 72 h and changes in mRNA expression were analyzed by RT-qPCR. mRNA changes were normalized to HPRT1 expression and DMSO vehicle control. ( n = 4 unique patient lines). * = p < 0.05, ** = p < 0.01, **** = p < 0.0001 by Two-way ANOVA with Sidak post-test. C EdU labeling showing proliferation of dissociated PanNET3 cells following 5-day exposure to: the HH agonists SHH-N (100 ng/mL) and SAG (10 nM); inhibitors of the canonical HH signaling pathway vismodegib (20 µM) and sonidegib (10 nM); or inhibitors of the GLI1/2 effectors GANT61 (10 µM) and itraconazole (ITZ, 1 µM). D Quantitation of the percentage of EdU-positive PanNET tumor cells following 5-day treatment. ( n = 3 replicates from one patient tumoroid line). * = p < 0.05, by One-way ANOVA with Tukey post-test. E SHH or SAG were co-administered with the respective pharmacologic inhibitors and EdU uptake was evaluated after 7 days. F Immunofluorescent images of CHGA, SHH, and PTCH1 expression in a second PanNET tumoroid line (PanNET5). G , H EdU labeling was evaluated in PanNET5 tumoroids following 7-day treatment with SHH-N (200 ng/mL) and SAG (20 nM); inhibitors of the canonical HH signaling pathway vismodegib (20 µM) and sonidegib (10 nM); or inhibitors of the GLI1/2 effectors GANT61 (10 µM) and itraconazole (ITZ, 5 µM). I Crystal violet staining of human BON-1 PanNET cells after 48 h treatment. J BrdU incorporation in BON-1 cells after 48 h treatment with HH agonists SHH-N and SAG, ( K ) SMO inhibitors vismodegib and sonidegib, and ( L ) inhibitors of GLI1/2 signaling. M Immunofluorescent images of CHGA, SHH, and PTCH1 expression in tumoroids derived from a metastatic ileal NET (IL-NET-met1). N , O EdU labeling was assayed in the IL-NET-met1 tumoroid line following 7-day treatment with the same drug concentrations used for PanNET5. * = p < 0.05, ** = p < 0.01, *** = p < 0.001, **** = p < 0.0001 by One-way ANOVA with Dunnett post-test

Article Snippet: Drug compounds used in the studies include: human recombinant SHH N-terminal peptide (R&D Systems, Cat# 1845-GMP), SAG (Tocris, Cat# 4366), vismodegib (Tocris, Cat# 7710), sonidegib (Tocris, Cat# 7826), GANT61 (Tocris, Cat# 3191), and itraconazole (Tocris, Cat# 5981).

Techniques: Derivative Assay, Activation Assay, Inhibition, Fluorescence, Staining, Recombinant, Expressing, Quantitative RT-PCR, Control, Labeling, Quantitation Assay, BrdU Incorporation Assay

Journal: Molecular Cancer

Article Title: Hedgehog signaling drives glial cell plasticity and oncogenic reprogramming in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms

doi: 10.1186/s12943-026-02611-y

Figure Lengend Snippet: HH signaling regulates the growth of GFAP ΔMen1 and Sox10 ΔMen1 pancreatic NET tumoroids. A Phase contrast and ( B ) fluorescence images of PanNET tumoroids from Sox10-Cre; Men1 FL/FL ; LSL-tdTomato mice. Tumoroids were imaged after 72 h exposure to: the HH agonists SHH-N (100 ng/mL) and SAG (10 nM); inhibitors of the canonical HH signaling pathway vismodegib (20 µM) and sonidegib (10 nM); or inhibitors of the GLI1/2 effectors GANT61 (10 µM) and itraconazole (ITZ, 1 µM). C TdTomato fluorescence intensity was used to measure PanNET tumoroid growth in the presence of HH pathway agonists or ( D ) inhibitors of the canonical and ( E ) non-canonical HH signaling pathways. Fluorescence signal is compared to DMSO vehicle control. ( n = 3 replicates in two unique mouse PanNET tumoroid lines). ** = p < 0.01, *** = p < 0.001, **** = p < 0.0001 by One-way ANOVA with Dunnett post-test. F BrdU incorporation was used to measure tumoroid proliferation in GFAP ΔMen1 and Sox10 ΔMen1 PanNET tumoroids after 72 h treatment. ( n = 4). ** = p < 0.01, **** = p < 0.0001 by One-way ANOVA with Dunnett post-test. G Relative fold-change in Chga mRNA levels in PanNET tumoroids following 72 h treatment. ( n = 5). H Western blot analysis of HH pathway proteins in PanNET tumoroids after 72 h treatment. I Quantitation of SHH protein expression normalized to beta-actin and DMSO vehicle control from the western blot analysis in panel ( H ). ( n = 3). J Western blot analysis and ( K ) associated quantitation of phosphorylated and total ERK and AKT growth pathways in PanNET tumoroids after 72 h treatment. ( n = 3). * = p < 0.05, ** = p < 0.01, *** = p < 0.001 by Kruskal-Wallis test

Article Snippet: Drug compounds used in the studies include: human recombinant SHH N-terminal peptide (R&D Systems, Cat# 1845-GMP), SAG (Tocris, Cat# 4366), vismodegib (Tocris, Cat# 7710), sonidegib (Tocris, Cat# 7826), GANT61 (Tocris, Cat# 3191), and itraconazole (Tocris, Cat# 5981).

Techniques: Fluorescence, Protein-Protein interactions, Control, BrdU Incorporation Assay, Western Blot, Quantitation Assay, Expressing

Journal: Molecular Cancer

Article Title: Hedgehog signaling drives glial cell plasticity and oncogenic reprogramming in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms

doi: 10.1186/s12943-026-02611-y

Figure Lengend Snippet: GFAP ΔMen1 DNETs and jejunal NETs are sensitive to HH pathway activation and inhibition. A Phase contrast and ( B ) fluorescence images of DNET tumoroids from a GFAP-Cre; Men1 FL/FL ; LSL-tdTomato mouse. Tumoroids were imaged after 72 h exposure to: the HH agonists SHH-N (100 ng/mL) and SAG (10 nM); inhibitors of the canonical HH signaling pathway vismodegib (20 µM) and sonidegib (10 nM); or inhibitors of the GLI1/2 effectors GANT61 (10 µM) and itraconazole (ITZ, 1 µM). C TdTomato fluorescence intensity was used to measure DNET tumoroid growth in the presence of HH pathway inhibitors. Fluorescence signal is compared to DMSO vehicle control. ( n = 3 replicates using one mouse DNET tumoroid line). ** = p < 0.01, *** = p < 0.001, **** = p < 0.0001 by One-way ANOVA with Dunnett post-test. D Relative BrdU incorporation in a second GFAP ΔMen1 DNET tumoroid line and ( E ) a jejunal tumoroid line (J-NET) after 72 h treatment. ( n = 4). ** = p < 0.01, *** = p < 0.001, **** = p < 0.0001 by One-way ANOVA with Dunnett post-test. F Western blot analysis of SHH, ERK, and AKT growth pathways in J-NET tumoroids after 72 h treatment. G Western blot quantitation of SHH and ( H ) phosphorylated and total ERK and AKT proteins normalized to GAPDH and DMSO vehicle control. ( n = 3). * = p < 0.05 by Kruskal-Wallis test. I Crystal violet staining of mouse STC-1 SI-NET cells after 48 h treatment with agonists and inhibitors of the HH signaling pathway. J BrdU incorporation in STC-1 cells after 48 h treatment with HH agonists SHH-N and SAG, ( K ) SMO inhibitors vismodegib and sonidegib, and ( L ) inhibitors of GLI1/2 signaling. * = p < 0.05, ** = p < 0.01, *** = p < 0.001, **** = p < 0.0001 by One-way ANOVA with Dunnett post-test

Article Snippet: Drug compounds used in the studies include: human recombinant SHH N-terminal peptide (R&D Systems, Cat# 1845-GMP), SAG (Tocris, Cat# 4366), vismodegib (Tocris, Cat# 7710), sonidegib (Tocris, Cat# 7826), GANT61 (Tocris, Cat# 3191), and itraconazole (Tocris, Cat# 5981).

Techniques: Activation Assay, Inhibition, Fluorescence, Control, BrdU Incorporation Assay, Western Blot, Quantitation Assay, Staining

Journal: Cardiovascular Diabetology

Article Title: ANXA1-FPR2 axis mitigates the susceptibility to atrial fibrillation in obesity via rescuing AMPK activity in response to lipid overload

doi: 10.1186/s12933-024-02545-z

Figure Lengend Snippet: Physical characteristics, echocardiographic, electrophysiological parameters, and metabolism-related indicators in mice from STD, STD + Ac2-26, HFD, and HFD + Ac2-26 groups

Article Snippet: The mice were intraperitoneally injected with Ac2-26 (1 mg/kg; Topscience, Shanghai, China), an ANXA1 mimetic peptide, or vehicle for a duration of 10 weeks [ ].

Techniques: