title: Identification of Motile Sperm Domain-Containing Protein 2 as Regulator of Human Monocyte Migration.
abstract: Binding of chemokines to their cognate receptors on monocytes instigates a cascade of events that directs these cells to migrate to sites of inflammation and cancerous tissues. Although targeting of selected chemokine receptors on monocytes exhibited preclinical efficacy, attempts to translate these studies to the clinic have failed thus far, possibly due to redundancy of the target receptor. We reveal that motile sperm domain-containing protein 2 (MOSPD2), a protein with a previously unknown function, regulates monocyte migration in vitro. This protein was found to be expressed on the cytoplasmic membrane of human monocytes. Silencing or neutralizing MOSPD2 in monocytes restricted their migration when induced by different chemokines. Mechanistically, silencing MOSPD2 inhibited signaling events following chemokine receptor ligation. When tested for expression in other immune cell subsets, MOSPD2 was apparent also, though less abundantly, in neutrophils, but not in lymphocytes. Thus, in the presence of neutralizing Abs, neutrophil migration was inhibited to some extent whereas lymphocyte migration remained intact. In view of these results, we suggest MOSPD2 as a potential target protein for treating diseases in which monocyte and neutrophil accumulation is correlated with pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: VBL Therapeutics, Or Yehuda 6037604, Israel Itzhak@vblrx.com.
authors.forename: Itzhak
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mendel
authors.affiliation: VBL Therapeutics, Or Yehuda 6037604, Israel.
authors.forename: Niva
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yacov
authors.affiliation: VBL Therapeutics, Or Yehuda 6037604, Israel.
authors.forename: Yaniv
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Salem
authors.affiliation: VBL Therapeutics, Or Yehuda 6037604, Israel.
authors.forename: Oshrat
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Propheta-Meiran
authors.affiliation: VBL Therapeutics, Or Yehuda 6037604, Israel.
authors.forename: Eti
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ishai
authors.affiliation: VBL Therapeutics, Or Yehuda 6037604, Israel.
authors.forename: Eyal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Breitbart
mesh_terms: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018925:Chemokines / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009000:Monocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology*; D011485:Protein Binding; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D018925:Chemokines; C000622653:MOSPD2 protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine