The lung microenvironment: an important regulator of tumour growth and metastasis

Galectin-1 overexpression induces normal fibroblasts translate into cancer-associated fibroblasts and attenuates the sensitivity of anlotinib in lung cancer

We aimed to investigate galectin-1 overexpression induces normal fibroblasts (NFs) translates into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Galectin-1 overexpression was conducted in Human embryonic lung fibroblasts (HFL1) cell. The motilities of H1299 and A549 cells were measured. Human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) proliferation and tube formation ability were assessed. Tumor volume and tumor weight was recorded. Cells motilities were increased, while apoptosis rates were decreased after CMs co-cultured. B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) expression level was increased, while Bcl2-associatedX (Bax) and cleaved-caspase3 decreased. CMs treatment enhanced HUVEC proliferation and tube formation. Tumor volume and weight in CMs treated mice were increased, and the sensitivity of anlotinib in co-cultured cells was decreased. Our results revealed that galectin-1 overexpression induced NFs translated into CAFs.

Arginine methylation and respiratory disease

Arginine methylation, a vital post-translational modification, plays a pivotal role in numerous cellular functions such as signal transduction, DNA damage response and repair, regulation of gene transcription, mRNA splicing, and protein interactions. Central to this modification is the role of protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs), which have been increasingly recognized for their involvement in the pathogenesis of various respiratory diseases. This review begins with an exploration of the biochemical underpinnings of arginine methylation, shedding light on the intricate molecular regulatory mechanisms governed by PRMTs. It then delves into the impact of arginine methylation and the dysregulation of arginine methyltransferases in diverse pulmonary disorders. Concluding with a focus on the therapeutic potential and recent advancements in PRMT inhibitors, this article aims to offer novel perspectives and therapeutic avenues for the management and treatment of respiratory diseases.

The MEF2A/SNHG16/miR-425-5p/NOTCH2 axis induces gemcitabine resistance by inhibiting ferroptosis in the starving bladder tumor microenvironment

Gemcitabine resistance is one of the leading causes of bladder cancer (BCa) recurrence and progression. The dysregulation of ferroptosis is involved in this process; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In the current study, we found a prominent increase in long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16) in tumor samples, which was related to advanced tumor grade and poor prognosis. SNHG16 is overexpressed in the starving tumor microenvironment (STME) and induces gemcitabine resistance by inhibiting ferroptosis in BCa. SNHG16 knockdown promotes ferroptosis and increases chemosensitivity to gemcitabine. Mechanistically, the transcription factor MEF2A was markedly upregulated in the STME, facilitating SNHG16 expression. SNHG16 acts as a competing endogenous RNA that sponges miR-425-5p and promotes NOTCH2 expression. SNHG16/miR-425-5p/NOTCH2 is demonstrated, for the first time, to suppress ferroptosis by inducing SLC7A11 and GPX4 expression in vitro and in vivo. Upregulation of miR-425-5p reverses NOTCH2-mediated inhibition of ferroptosis, thereby mitigating gemcitabine resistance. In conclusion, these findings reveal that the STME-activated MEF2A/SNHG16/miR-425-5p/NOTCH2 axis induces gemcitabine resistance by inhibiting ferroptosis and implicate SNHG16 as a potential therapeutic target for chemoresistance.

Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of the senescent microenvironment in bone metastasis

Bone metastasis (BM) is a mortality-related event of late-stage cancer, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) being a common origin for BM. However, the detailed molecular profiling of the metastatic bone ecosystem is not fully understood, hindering the development of effective therapies for advanced patients. In this study, we examined the cellular heterogeneity between primary tumours and BM from tissues and peripheral blood by single-cell transcriptomic analysis, which was verified using multiplex immunofluorescence staining and public datasets. Our results demonstrate a senescent microenvironment in BM tissues of NSCLC. BM has a significantly higher infiltration of malignant cells with senescent characteristics relative to primary tumours, accompanied by aggravated metastatic properties. The endothelial-mesenchymal transition involved with SOX18 activation is related to the cellular senescence of vascular endothelial cells from BM. CD4Tstr cells, with pronounced stress and senescence states, are preferentially infiltrated in BM, indicating stress-related dysfunction contributing to the immunocompromised environment during tumour metastasis to bone. Moreover, we identify the SPP1 pathway-induced cellular crosstalk among T cells, vascular ECs and malignant cells in BM, which activates SOX18 and deteriorates patient survival. Our findings highlight the roles of cellular senescence in modulating the microenvironment of BM and implicate anti-senescence therapy for advanced NSCLC patients.

Melatonin downregulates angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis by regulating tumor-associated macrophages via NLRP3 inflammasomes in lung adenocarcinoma

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), present within the tumor microenvironment (TME), strictly modulate tumor angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. Nevertheless, the associated signaling networks and candidate drug targets for these events remains to be elucidated. Given its antioxidative activities, we speculated that melatonin may reduce pyroptosis, and thereby modulate both angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. We revealed that a co-culture of A549 cells and THP-1 macrophages strongly enhanced expressions of the NLRP3 inflammasome axis members, and augmented angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. Next, we overexpressed NLRP3 in the A549 cells, and demonstrated that excess NLRP3 expression substantially upregulated VEGF and CXCL cytokine expressions, and enhanced lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) tube formation. In contrast, NLRP3 inhibition produced the opposite effect. In addition, relative to controls, melatonin administration strongly inhibited the NLRP3 inflammasome axis, as well as angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in the co-culture system. Subsequent animal experiments using a Lewis Lung Carcinoma (LLC) subcutaneous tumor model in mice corroborate these findings. Melatonin treatment and NLRP3 knockdown significantly inhibit tumor growth and downregulate NLRP3 and IL-1β expression in tumor tissues. Furthermore, melatonin downregulates the expression of angiogenic and lymphangiogenic markers in tumor tissues. Taken together, the evidence suggested that a THP-1 macrophage and A549 cell co-culture stimulates angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis via the NLRP3 axis. Melatonin protected against the TAMs- and NLRP3 axis-associated promotion of the aforementioned events in vitro and in vivo. Hence, melatonin is a promising candidate for managing for tumor-related angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in lung adenocarcinoma.

Tumor-associated exosomes in cancer progression and therapeutic targets

Exosomes are small membrane vesicles that are released by cells into the extracellular environment. Tumor-associated exosomes (TAEs) are extracellular vesicles that play a significant role in cancer progression by mediating intercellular communication and contributing to various hallmarks of cancer. These vesicles carry a cargo of proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and other biomolecules that can be transferred to recipient cells, modifying their behavior and promoting tumor growth, angiogenesis, immune modulation, and drug resistance. Several potential therapeutic targets within the TAEs cargo have been identified, including oncogenic proteins, miRNAs, tumor-associated antigens, immune checkpoint proteins, drug resistance proteins, and tissue factor. In this review, we will systematically summarize the biogenesis, composition, and function of TAEs in cancer progression and highlight potential therapeutic targets. Considering the complexity of exosome-mediated signaling and the pleiotropic effects of exosome cargoes has challenge in developing effective therapeutic strategies. Further research is needed to fully understand the role of TAEs in cancer and to develop effective therapies that target them. In particular, the development of strategies to block TAEs release, target TAEs cargo, inhibit TAEs uptake, and modulate TAEs content could provide novel approaches to cancer treatment.

The role of circular RNA during the urological cancer metastasis: exploring regulatory mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets

Metastasis is a major contributor to treatment failure and death in urological cancers, representing an important biomedical challenge at present. Metastases form as a result of cancer cells leaving the primary site, entering the vasculature and lymphatic vessels, and colonizing clones elsewhere in the body. However, the specific regulatory mechanisms of action underlying the metastatic process of urological cancers remain incompletely elucidated. With the deepening of research, circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been found to not only play a significant role in tumor progression and prognosis but also show aberrant expression in various tumor metastases, consequently impacting tumor metastasis through multiple pathways. Therefore, circRNAs are emerging as potential tumor markers and treatment targets. This review summarizes the research progress on elucidating how circRNAs regulate the urological cancer invasion-metastasis cascade response and related processes, as well as their role in immune microenvironment remodeling and circRNA vaccines. This body of work highlights circRNA regulation as an emerging therapeutic target for urological cancers, which should motivate further specific research in this regard.

The prognosis and metabolite changes of NSCLC patients receiving first-line immunotherapy combined chemotherapy in different M1c categories according to 9th edition of TNM classification

BACKGROUND

The 9th edition of the TNM Classification for lung cancer delineates M1c into two subcategories: M1c1 (Multiple extrathoracic lesions within a single organ system) and M1c2 (Multiple extrathoracic lesions involving multiple organ systems). Existing research indicates that patients with lung cancer in stage M1c1 exhibit superior overall survival compared to those in stage M1c2. The primary frontline therapy for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), lacking driver gene mutations, involves the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) combined with chemotherapy. Nevertheless, a dearth of evidence exists regarding potential survival disparities between NSCLC patients with M1c1 and M1c2 undergoing first-line immune-chemotherapy, and reliable biomarkers for predicting treatment outcomes are elusive. Serum metabolic profiles may elucidate distinct prognostic mechanisms, necessitating the identification of divergent metabolites in M1c1 and M1c2 undergoing combination therapy. This study seeks to scrutinize survival discrepancies between various metastatic patterns (M1c1 and M1c2) and pinpoint metabolites associated with treatment outcomes in NSCLC patients undergoing first-line ICIs combined with chemotherapy.

METHOD

In this study, 33 NSCLC patients lacking driver gene mutations diagnosed with M1c1, and 22 similarly diagnosed with M1c2 according to the 9th edition of TNM Classification, were enrolled. These patients received first-line PD-1 inhibitor plus chemotherapy. The relationship between metastatic patterns and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients undergoing combination therapy was analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox regression models. Serum samples were obtained from all patients before treatment initiation for untargeted metabolomics analysis, aiming to identify differential metabolites.

RESULTS

In the univariate analysis of PFS, NSCLC patients in M1c1 receiving first-line PD-1 inhibitor plus chemotherapy exhibited an extended PFS (HR = 0.49, 95% CI, 0.27-0.88, p = 0.017). In multivariate PFS analyses, these M1c1 patients receiving first-line PD-1 inhibitor plus chemotherapy also demonstrated prolonged PFS (HR = 0.45, 95% CI, 0.22-0.92, p = 0.028). The serum metabolic profiles of M1c1 and M1c2 undergoing first-line PD-1 inhibitors plus chemotherapy displayed notable distinctions. In comparison to M1c1 patients, M1c2 patients exhibited alterations in various pathways pretreatment, including platelet activation, linoleic acid metabolism, and the VEGF signaling pathway. Diminished levels of lipid-associated metabolites (diacylglycerol, sphingomyelin) were correlated with adverse outcomes.

CONCLUSION

NSCLC patients in M1c1, devoid of driver gene mutations, receiving first-line PD-1 inhibitors combined with chemotherapy, experienced superior outcomes compared to M1c2 patients. Moreover, metabolomic profiles strongly correlated with the prognosis of these patients, and M1c2 patients with unfavorable outcomes manifested distinct changes in metabolic pathways before treatment. These changes predominantly involved alterations in lipid metabolism, such as decreased diacylglycerol and sphingomyelin, which may impact tumor migration and invasion.

A detailed insight into macrophages' role in shaping lung carcinogenesis

Despite significant advancements in cancer treatment in recent decades, the high mortality rate associated with lung cancer remains a significant concern. The development and proper execution of new targeted therapies needs more deep knowledge regarding the lung cancer associated tumour microenvironment. One of the key component of that tumour microenvironment is the lung resident macrophages. Although in normal physiological condition the lung resident macrophages are believed to maintain lung homeostasis, but they may also initiate a vicious inflammatory response in abnormal conditions which is linked to lung cancer development. Depending on the activation pathway, the lung resident macrophages are either of M1 or M2 sub-type. The M1 and M2 sub-types differ significantly in various prospectuses, from phenotypic markers to metabolic pathways. In addition to this generalized classification, the recent advancement of the multiomics technology is able to identify some other sub-types of lung resident macrophages. Researchers have also observed that these different sub-types can manipulate the pathogenesis of lung carcinogenesis in a context dependent manner and can either promote or inhibit the development of lung carcinogenesis upon receiving proper activation. As proper knowledge about the role played by the lung resident macrophages' in shaping the lung carcinogenesis is limited, so the main purpose of this review is to bring all the available information under the same roof. We also elaborated the different mechanisms involved in maintenance of the plasticity of M1/M2 sub-type, as this plasticity can be a good target for lung cancer treatment.

Premalignant Progression in the Lung: Knowledge Gaps and Novel Opportunities for Interception of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. An Official American Thoracic Society Research Statement

Rationale: Despite significant advances in precision treatments and immunotherapy, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death worldwide. To reduce incidence and improve survival rates, a deeper understanding of lung premalignancy and the multistep process of tumorigenesis is essential, allowing timely and effective intervention before cancer development. Objectives: To summarize existing information, identify knowledge gaps, formulate research questions, prioritize potential research topics, and propose strategies for future investigations into the premalignant progression in the lung. Methods: An international multidisciplinary team of basic, translational, and clinical scientists reviewed available data to develop and refine research questions pertaining to the transformation of premalignant lung lesions to advanced lung cancer. Results: This research statement identifies significant gaps in knowledge and proposes potential research questions aimed at expanding our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the progression of premalignant lung lesions to lung cancer in an effort to explore potential innovative modalities to intercept lung cancer at its nascent stages. Conclusions: The identified gaps in knowledge about the biological mechanisms of premalignant progression in the lung, together with ongoing challenges in screening, detection, and early intervention, highlight the critical need to prioritize research in this domain. Such focused investigations are essential to devise effective preventive strategies that may ultimately decrease lung cancer incidence and improve patient outcomes.

Special tissue microbiota such as Cyanobacteria are associated with the immune microenvironment of lung adenocarcinoma

Background

Lung cancer is the leading prevalent form of human cancer and has the highest mortality rate among all cancer types. The role and potential mechanism of the lung microbiome in lung cancer is still unknown. This study aims to investigate the microbiomes of lung cancer patients possessing different levels of infiltrated CD8+ T cells and programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) receptors, and further assess the correlation between specific microbes and the immune environment of lung tumor.

Methods

We analyzed the microbiomes of lung cancer tissues from patients with different levels of infiltrated CD8+ T cells and PD-1 expression using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The relative abundance of dominant phyla and genera was compared, and the correlation between microbial composition and immune markers was explored.

Results

Our results showed that lung cancer tissues displayed similar microbiome profiles, including Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria as the dominant phyla; and Chryseobacterium, Triticum aestivum (bread wheat), and Acinetobacter as the dominant genera. We found that the relative abundance of Chryseobacterium was positively correlated with CD8+ T cell infiltration and the level of PD-1 expression, while the relative abundance of Acinetobacter was negatively associated with the PD-1 level. In addition, higher beta diversity was identified in samples with low CD8+ T cell infiltration, but no significant correlation between beta diversity and PD-1 expression was observed. Furthermore, the relative abundance of Cyanobacteria was significantly higher in both the CD8 high and PD-1 high groups.

Conclusions

Our study indicated that the lung microbiota played an indispensable role in the CD8+ T cell-mediated tumor immune response. These findings shed light on valuable insights into the intricate interplay between the lung microbiome and the immune system in the progression of lung cancer, offing potential therapeutic strategies targeting the lung microbiome.

Peritumoral radiomics increases the efficiency of classification of pure ground-glass lung nodules: a multicenter study

PURPOSE

We aimed to evaluate the efficiency of computed tomography (CT) radiomic features extracted from gross tumor volume (GTV) and peritumoral volumes (PTV) of 5, 10, and 15 mm to identify the tumor grades corresponding to the new histological grading system proposed in 2020 by the Pathology Committee of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC).

METHODS

A total of 151 lung adenocarcinomas manifesting as pure ground-glass lung nodules (pGGNs) were included in this randomized multicenter retrospective study. Four radiomic models were constructed from GTV and GTV + 5/10/15-mm PTV, respectively, and compared. The diagnostic performance of the different models was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis RESULTS: The pGGNs were classified into grade 1 (117), 2 (34), and 3 (0), according to the IASLC grading system. In all four radiomic models, pGGNs of grade 2 had significantly higher radiomic scores than those of grade 1 (P < 0.05). The AUC of the GTV and GTV + 5/10/15-mm PTV were 0.869, 0.910, 0.951, and 0.872 in the training cohort and 0.700, 0.715, 0.745, and 0.724 in the validation cohort, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The radiomic features we extracted from the GTV and PTV of pGGNs could effectively be used to differentiate grade-1 and grade-2 tumors. In particular, the radiomic features from the PTV increased the efficiency of the diagnostic model, with GTV + 10 mm PTV exhibiting the highest efficacy.

The HOXC10/NOD1/ERK axis drives osteolytic bone metastasis of pan-KRAS-mutant lung cancer

While KRAS mutation is the leading cause of low survival rates in lung cancer bone metastasis patients, effective treatments are still lacking. Here, we identified homeobox C10 (HOXC10) as a lynchpin in pan-KRAS-mutant lung cancer bone metastasis. Through RNA-seq approach and patient tissue studies, we demonstrated that HOXC10 expression was dramatically increased. Genetic depletion of HOXC10 preferentially impeded cell proliferation and migration in vitro. The bioluminescence imaging and micro-CT results demonstrated that inhibition of HOXC10 significantly reduced bone metastasis of KRAS-mutant lung cancer in vivo. Mechanistically, the transcription factor HOXC10 activated NOD1/ERK signaling pathway to reprogram epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and bone microenvironment by activating the NOD1 promoter. Strikingly, inhibition of HOXC10 in combination with STAT3 inhibitor was effective against KRAS-mutant lung cancer bone metastasis by triggering ferroptosis. Taken together, these findings reveal that HOXC10 effectively alleviates pan-KRAS-mutant lung cancer with bone metastasis in the NOD1/ERK axis-dependent manner, and support further development of an effective combinatorial strategy for this kind of disease.

Circ-0044539 promotes lymph node metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma through exosomal-miR-29a-3p

Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a common invasive feature of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with poor clinical outcomes. Through microarray profiling and bioinformatic analyses, we identified the circ-0044539-miR-29a-3p-VEGFA axis as a potential key factor in the progression of HCC LNM. In HCC cells and nude mice, circ-0044539 downregulation or miR-29a-3p upregulation was associated with small tumor size, PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway inactivation, and downregulation of the key LNM factors (HIF-1α and CXCR4). Furthermore, circ-0044539 was also responsible for exosomal miR-29a-3p secretion. Exosomal miR-29a-3p was then observed to migrate to the LNs and downregulate High-mobility group box transcription factor 1 (Hbp1) in Polymorphonuclear Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs), inducing the formation of a microenvironment suitable for tumor colonization. Overall, circ-0044539 promotes HCC cell LNM abilities and induces an immune-suppressive environment in LNs through exosomes, highlighting its potential as a target for HCC LNM and HCC immunotherapy.

Immune-inflammatory markers and clinical characteristics as predictors of the depth of response and prognosis of patients with PD-L1 ≥50% metastatic non-small cell lung cancer receiving first-line immunotherapy

BACKGROUND

Patients with programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) ≥50% metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with first-line immunotherapy showed heterogeneous tumor responses. In this study, we investigated the clinical and immune-inflammatory markers distinguishing patients with metastatic NSCLC achieving high depth of tumor response (HDPR) from those with non-high depth of response (NHDPR). The impact of clinical features on the prognosis of patients with PD-L1 ≥50% were further clarified.

METHODS

The clinical characteristics and immune-inflammatory markers of 17 patients with PD-L1 ≥50% metastatic NSCLC at Beijing Tiantan Hospital between July 2020 and December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

Among the 17 patients, seven (41.2%) patients achieved HDPR (range: -50%, -72%) and 10 (58.8%) patients achieved NHDPR (range: -13%, -45%). Below normal CD4 + T lymphocytes/CD8 + T lymphocytes (CD4/CD8) ratio (p = 0.01) and oncogenes and/or tumor suppressor gene mutations (TP53/KRAS/EGFR) (p = 0.001) were found enriched for NHDPR compared with HDPR. With a median follow-up of 26.0 months (range: 17.2-34.8 months), the median progression-free survival (PFS) following first-line immunotherapy and overall survival (OS) were 9.0 months (95% CI: 5.0-13.0) and not reached (NR), respectively. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was identified as an independent prognostic factor on first-line PFS. Patients with an NLR ≥4 exhibited a shorter median PFS (7.0 months vs. NR; p = 0.033; 95% CI: 1.2-80.2) than those with an NLR <4 following first-line immunotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with PD-L1 ≥50% metastatic NSCLC who received first-line immunotherapy, a lower CD4/CD8 ratio and the presence of genes mutations showed a diminished tumor response and a higher NLR ratio exhibited a worse median PFS.

HMGB2 drives tumor progression and shapes the immunosuppressive microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma: insights from multi-omics analysis

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) poses a significant health burden globally, with high mortality rates despite various treatment options. Immunotherapy, particularly immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), has shown promise, but resistance and metastasis remain major challenges. Understanding the intricacies of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is imperative for optimizing HCC management strategies and enhancing patient prognosis.

Methods

This study employed a comprehensive approach integrating multi-omics approaches, including single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), bulk RNA sequencing (Bulk RNA-seq), and validation in clinical samples using spatial transcriptomics (ST) and multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC). The analysis aimed to identify key factors influencing the immunosuppressive microenvironment associated with HCC metastasis and immunotherapy resistance.

Results

HMGB2 is significantly upregulated in HCCTrans, a transitional subgroup associated with aggressive metastasis. Furthermore, HMGB2 expression positively correlates with an immunosuppressive microenvironment, particularly evident in exhausted T cells. Notably, HMGB2 expression correlated positively with immunosuppressive markers and poor prognosis in HCC patients across multiple cohorts. ST combined with mIHC validated the spatial expression patterns of HMGB2 within the TME, providing additional evidence of its role in HCC progression and immune evasion.

Conclusion

HMGB2 emerges as a critical player of HCC progression, metastasis, and immunosuppression. Its elevated expression correlates with aggressive tumor behavior and poor patient outcomes, suggesting its potential as both a therapeutic target and a prognostic indicator in HCC management.

FGD5 in basal cells induces CXCL14 secretion that initiates a feedback loop to promote murine mammary epithelial growth and differentiation

The interactions of environmental compartments with epithelial cells are essential for mammary gland development and homeostasis. Currently, the direct crosstalk between the endothelial niche and mammary epithelial cells remains poorly understood. Here, we show that faciogenital dysplasia 5 (FGD5) is enriched in mammary basal cells (BCs) and mediates critical interactions between basal and endothelial cells (ECs) in the mammary gland. Conditional deletion of Fgd5 reduced, whereas conditional knockin of Fgd5 increased, the engraftment and expansion of BCs, regulating ductal morphogenesis in the mammary gland. Mechanistically, murine mammary BC-expressed FGD5 inhibited the transcriptional activity of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), leading to subsequent transcriptional activation and secretion of CXCL14. Furthermore, activation of CXCL14/CXCR4/ERK signaling in primary murine mammary stromal ECs enhanced the expression of HIF-1α-regulated hedgehog ligands, which initiated a positive feedback loop to promote the function of BCs. Collectively, these findings identify functionally important interactions between BCs and the endothelial niche that occur through the FGD5/CXCL14/hedgehog axis.

Dysregulation of Transposon Transcription Profiles in Cancer Cells Resembles That of Embryonic Stem Cells

Transposable elements (TEs) comprise a substantial portion of the mammalian genome, with potential implications for both embryonic development and cancer. This study aimed to characterize the expression profiles of TEs in embryonic stem cells (ESCs), cancer cell lines, tumor tissues, and the tumor microenvironment (TME). We observed similarities in TE expression profiles between cancer cells and ESCs, suggesting potential parallels in regulatory mechanisms. Notably, four TE RNAs (HERVH, LTR7, HERV-Fc1, HERV-Fc2) exhibited significant downregulation across cancer cell lines and tumor tissues compared to ESCs, highlighting potential roles in pluripotency regulation. The strong up-regulation of the latter two TEs (HERV-Fc1, HERV-Fc2) in ESCs has not been previously demonstrated and may be a first indication of their role in the regulation of pluripotency. Conversely, tandemly repeated sequences (MSR1, CER, ALR) showed up-regulation in cancer contexts. Moreover, a difference in TE expression was observed between the TME and the tumor bulk transcriptome, with distinct dysregulated TE profiles. Some TME-specific TEs were absent in normal tissues, predominantly belonging to LTR and L1 retrotransposon families. These findings not only shed light on the regulatory roles of TEs in both embryonic development and cancer but also suggest novel targets for anti-cancer therapy. Understanding the interplay between cancer cells and the TME at the TE level may pave the way for further research into therapeutic interventions.

CBX4/miR-190 regulatory loop inhibits lung cancer metastasis

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer is one of the major threats to human life worldwide. MiR-190 has been found to perform essential roles in multiple cancer progression; however, there have been no studies focused on its function and underlying regulatory mechanism in lung cancer.

METHOD

The miR-190 expression was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The cell functional experiments, including cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation and transwell assay were conducted in vitro, as well as animal experiments performed in vivo. The regulation and potential binding sites of CBX4 on miR-190 were predicted by TCGA data set and JASPAR website and verified by ChIP assay and dual-luciferase reporter assay. The prospects binding site of miR-190-3p on CBX4 3'UTR region was predicted by StarBase and verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

MiR-190 was decreased in lung cancer cells. The overexpression of miR-190 had no effects on cell proliferation, but significantly inhibited cancer metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, miR-190 expression could be transcriptionally inhibited by CBX4, and CBX4 was the direct target of miR-190-3p.

CONCLUSION

MiR-190 served as a cancer metastasis inhibitor in lung cancer and formed a regulatory loop with CBX4. These findings provided emerging insights into therapeutic targets and strategies for metastatic lung cancer.

WD repeat domain 43 as a new predictive indicator and its connection with tumor immune cell infiltration in pan-cancer

BACKGROUND

WD repeat domain 43 (WDR43) is a protein component that encodes WD-repeats and is involved in ribosome biogenesis. However, little is known about the role of WDR43 in cancer prognosis and immune modulation.

METHODS

In this study, we analyzed the expression and prognostic significance of WDR43 in pan-cancer using the Cancer Genome Atlas, the Genotype-Tissue Expression, and the Human Protein Atlas. We also examined the differential expression of WDR43 in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) and adjacent tissues of 48 patients using immunohistochemistry. Additionally, we investigated the correlation between WDR43 and clinical characteristics, gene alterations, tumor mutation burden, microsatellite instability, mismatch repair, tumor microenvironment, immune infiltrating cells, and immune-related genes using bioinformatics methods. Gene set enrichment analysis was conducted, and potential biological mechanisms were identified.

RESULTS

Immunohistochemistry staining showed that WDR43 was overexpressed in LIHC among 48 patients. Upregulation of WDR43 was associated with unfavorable prognosis, including overall survival in various types of cancer such as LIHC, uterine corpus endometrial cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Differential expression of WDR43 was significantly correlated with microsatellite instability, mismatch repair, and immune cell infiltration. Gene ontology annotation analysis revealed that these genes were significantly enriched in immune-related functions, including immune response, immune regulation, and signaling pathways.

CONCLUSION

We conducted a thorough investigation of the clinical features, phases of tumor development, immune infiltration, gene mutation, and functional enrichment analysis of WDR43 in various types of cancer. This research offers valuable insight into the significance and function of WDR43 in clinical therapy.

Quantitatively Evaluating Interactions between Patient-Derived Organoids and Autologous Immune Cells by Microfluidic Chip

The coculture of patient-derived tumor organoids (PDOs) and autologous immune cells has been considered as a useful ex vivo surrogate of in vivo tumor-immune environment. However, the immune interactions between PDOs and autologous immune cells, including immune-mediated killing behaviors and immune-related cytokine variations, have yet to be quantitatively evaluated. This study presents a microfluidic chip for quantifying interactions between PDOs and autologous immune cells (IOI-Chip). A baffle-well structure is designed to ensure efficient trapping, long-term coculturing, and in situ fluorescent observation of a limited amount of precious PDOS and autologous immune cells, while a microbeads-based immunofluorescence assay is designed to simultaneously quantify multiple kinds of immune-related cytokines in situ. The PDO apoptosis and 2 main immune-related cytokines, TNF-α and IFN-γ, are simultaneously quantified using samples from a lung cancer patient. This study provides, for the first time, a capability to quantify interactions between PDOs and autologous immune cells at 2 levels, the immune-mediated killing behavior, and multiple immune-related cytokines, laying the technical foundation of ex vivo assessment of patient immune response.

The crosstalk between lung cancer and the bone marrow niche fuels emergency myelopoiesis

Modest response rates to immunotherapy observed in advanced lung cancer patients underscore the need to identify reliable biomarkers and targets, enhancing both treatment decision-making and efficacy. Factors such as PD-L1 expression, tumor mutation burden, and a 'hot' tumor microenvironment with heightened effector T cell infiltration have consistently been associated with positive responses. In contrast, the predictive role of the abundantly present tumor-infiltrating myeloid cell (TIMs) fraction remains somewhat uncertain, partly explained by their towering variety in terms of ontogeny, phenotype, location, and function. Nevertheless, numerous preclinical and clinical studies established a clear link between lung cancer progression and alterations in intra- and extramedullary hematopoiesis, leading to emergency myelopoiesis at the expense of megakaryocyte/erythroid and lymphoid differentiation. These observations affirm that a continuous crosstalk between solid cancers such as lung cancer and the bone marrow niche (BMN) must take place. However, the BMN, encompassing hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, differentiated immune and stromal cells, remains inadequately explored in solid cancer patients. Subsequently, no clear consensus has been reached on the exact breadth of tumor installed hematopoiesis perturbing cues nor their predictive power for immunotherapy. As the current era of single-cell omics is reshaping our understanding of the hematopoietic process and the subcluster landscape of lung TIMs, we aim to present an updated overview of the hierarchical differentiation process of TIMs within the BMN of solid cancer bearing subjects. Our comprehensive overview underscores that lung cancer should be regarded as a systemic disease in which the cues governing the lung tumor-BMN crosstalk might bolster the definition of new biomarkers and druggable targets, potentially mitigating the high attrition rate of leading immunotherapies for NSCLC.

Metabolic profiling and combined therapeutic strategies unveil the cytotoxic potential of selenium-chrysin (SeChry) in NSCLC cells

Lung cancer ranks as the predominant cause of cancer-related mortalities on a global scale. Despite progress in therapeutic interventions, encompassing surgical procedures, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapies and immunotherapy, the overall prognosis remains unfavorable. Imbalances in redox equilibrium and disrupted redox signaling, common traits in tumors, play crucial roles in malignant progression and treatment resistance. Cancer cells, often characterized by persistent high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting from genetic, metabolic, and microenvironmental alterations, counterbalance this by enhancing their antioxidant capacity. Cysteine availability emerges as a critical factor in chemoresistance, shaping the survival dynamics of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Selenium-chrysin (SeChry) was disclosed as a modulator of cysteine intracellular availability. This study comprehensively characterizes the metabolism of SeChry and investigates its cytotoxic effects in NSCLC. SeChry treatment induces notable metabolic shifts, particularly in selenocompound metabolism, impacting crucial pathways such as glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and amino acid metabolism. Additionally, SeChry affects the levels of key metabolites such as acetate, lactate, glucose, and amino acids, contributing to disruptions in redox homeostasis and cellular biosynthesis. The combination of SeChry with other treatments, such as glycolysis inhibition and chemotherapy, results in greater efficacy. Furthermore, by exploiting NSCLC's capacity to consume lactate, the use of lactic acid-conjugated dendrimer nanoparticles for SeChry delivery is investigated, showing specificity to cancer cells expressing monocarboxylate transporters.

Research trends in lung cancer and the tumor microenvironment: a bibliometric analysis of studies published from 2014 to 2023

Background

Lung cancer (LC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, which seriously threatens human life and health as well as brings a heavy burden to the society. In recent years, the tumor microenvironment (TME) has become an emerging research field and hotspot affecting tumor pathogenesis and therapeutic approaches. However, to date, there has been no bibliometric analysis of lung cancer and the tumor microenvironment from 2014 to 2023.This study aims to comprehensively summarize the current situation and development trends in the field from a bibliometric perspective.

Methods

The publications about lung cancer and the tumor microenvironment from 2014 to 2023 were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). The Microsoft Excel, Origin, R-bibliometrix, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer software are comprehensively used to scientifically analyze the data.

Results

Totally, 763 publications were identified in this study. A rapid increase in the number of publications was observed after 2018. More than 400 organizations published these publications in 36 countries or regions. China and the United States have significant influence in this field. Zhou, CC and Frontiers in Immunology are the most productive authors and journals respectively. Besides, the most frequently cited references were those on lung cancer pathogenesis, clinical trials, and treatment modalities. It suggests that novel lung cancer treatment models mainly based on the TME components, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) may lead to future research trends.

Conclusions

The field of lung cancer and the tumor microenvironment research is still in the beginning stages. Gene expression, molecular pathways, therapeutic modalities, and novel detection technologies in this field have been widely studied by researchers. This is the first bibliometric study to comprehensively summarize the research trend and development regarding lung cancer and tumor microenvironment over the last decade. The result of our research provides the updated perspective for scholars to understand the key information and cutting-edge hotspots in this field, as well as to identify future research directions.

SOX11 as a prognostic biomarker linked to m6A modification and immune infiltration in renal clear cell carcinoma

Background

The prognosis for patients with kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) remains unfavorable, and the understanding of SRY-box transcription factor 11 (SOX11) in KIRC is still limited. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of SOX11 in the prognosis of KIRC.

Methods

We analyzed SOX11 expression in KIRC and adjacent normal tissues using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Our study aims to establish a correlation between SOX11 expression and clinical pathological features. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were assessed using R software. Furthermore, we conducted Gene Ontology (GO)/Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Integration of data from the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) and TCGA databases allowed us to assess the association between SOX11 expression and immune infiltration in KIRC. Additionally, we analyzed the association between SOX11 gene expression and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification in KIRC using TCGA and GEO data.

Results

Our findings revealed high SOX11 expression in KIRC, which showed a significant correlation with tumor staging and prognosis. GO/KEGG and GSEA analyses indicated that SOX11 was closely associated with sodium ion transport, synaptic vesicle circulation, and oxidative phosphorylation. Analysis of the TIMER and TCGA databases demonstrated correlations of SOX11 expression levels with the presence of CD8+ T lymphocytes, neutrophils, CD4+ T cells, as well as B cells. Moreover, both the TCGA and GEO datasets showed a substantial association between SOX11 and m6A modification-related genes, namely ZC3H13, FTO, METTL14, YTHDC1, IGF2BP1, and IGF2BP2.

Conclusions

SOX11 exhibits a correlation with m6A modification and immune infiltration, suggesting its potential as a prognostic biomarker for KIRC.

Unravelling the role of tumor microenvironment responsive nanobiomaterials in spatiotemporal controlled drug delivery for lung cancer therapy

Design and development of efficient drug delivery technologies that impart site-specificity is the need of the hour for the effective treatment of lung cancer. The emergence of materials science and nanotechnology partially helped drug delivery scientists to achieve this objective. Various stimuli-responsive materials that undergo degradation at the pathological tumor microenvironment (TME) have been developed and explored for drug delivery applications using nanotechnological approaches. Nanoparticles (NPs), owing to their small size and high surface area to volume ratio, demonstrated enhanced cellular internalization, permeation, and retention at the tumor site. Such passive accumulation of stimuli-responsive materials helped to achieve spatiotemporally controlled and targeted drug delivery within the tumors. In this review, we discussed various stimuli-physical (interstitial pressure, temperature, and stiffness), chemical (pH, hypoxia, oxidative stress, and redox state), and biological (receptor expression, efflux transporters, immune cells, and their receptors or ligands)-that are characteristic to the TME. We mentioned an array of biomaterials-based nanoparticulate delivery systems that respond to these stimuli and control drug release at the TME. Further, we discussed nanoparticle-based combinatorial drug delivery strategies. Finally, we presented our perspectives on challenges related to scale-up, clinical translation, and regulatory approvals.

[Research Progress on the Role of GSDME-mediated Pyroptosis in the Treatment of Lung Cancer]

Lung cancer causes a significant threat to human health. Despite considerable advancements in the treatment technologies in recent years, the five-year survival rate for lung cancer patients remains low. In this context, the discovery of pyroptosis, a unique cell death mechanism, offers a novel perspective for exploring new pathways of lung cancer treatment. Particularly, the role of gasdermin E (GSDME) in the process of pyroptosis reveals its tremendous potential in lung cancer therapy. Recent studies have made considerable progress in understanding the role of GSDME-mediated pyroptosis in lung cancer growth, the lung cancer microenvironment, and the effect of GSDME methylation on lung cancer treatment. This paper summarizes these research advancements and analyzes the potential and possible side effects of GSDME-mediated pyroptosis in lung cancer therapy, aiming to provide a theoretical foundation for developing more effective strategies for lung cancer treatment.
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The COMPASS complex maintains the metastatic capacity imparted by a subpopulation of cells in UPS

Intratumoral heterogeneity is common in cancer, particularly in sarcomas like undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS), where individual cells demonstrate a high degree of cytogenic diversity. Previous studies showed that a small subset of cells within UPS, known as the metastatic clone (MC), as responsible for metastasis. Using a CRISPR-based genomic screen in-vivo, we identified the COMPASS complex member Setd1a as a key regulator maintaining the metastatic phenotype of the MC in murine UPS. Depletion of Setd1a inhibited metastasis development in the MC. Transcriptome and chromatin sequencing revealed COMPASS complex target genes in UPS, such as Cxcl10, downregulated in the MC. Deleting Cxcl10 in non-MC cells increased their metastatic potential. Treating mice with human UPS xenografts with a COMPASS complex inhibitor suppressed metastasis without affecting tumor growth in the primary tumor. Our data identified an epigenetic program in a subpopulation of sarcoma cells that maintains metastatic potential.

Chemokines in the tumor microenvironment: implications for lung cancer and immunotherapy

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complex interconnected network of immune cells, fibroblasts, blood vessels, and extracellular matrix surrounding the tumor. Because of its immunosuppressive nature, the TME can pose a challenge for cancer immunotherapies targeting solid tumors. Chemokines have emerged as a crucial element in enhancing the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy, playing a direct role in immune cell signaling within the TME and facilitating immune cell migration towards cancer cells. However, chemokine ligands and their receptors exhibit context-dependent diversity, necessitating evaluation of their tumor-promoting or inhibitory effects based on tumor type and immune cell characteristics. This review explores the role of chemokines in tumor immunity and metastasis in the context of the TME. We also discuss current chemokine-related advances in cancer immunotherapy research, with a particular focus on lung cancer, a common cancer with a low survival rate and limited immunotherapy options.

Single cell transcriptomic analysis reveals tumor immune infiltration by NK cells gene signature in lung adenocarcinoma

Background

Natural Killer (NK) cells are vital components of the innate immune system, crucial for combating infections and tumor growth, making them pivotal in cancer prognosis and immunotherapy. We sought to understand the diverse characteristics of NK cells within lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) by conducting single-cell RNA sequencing analyses.

Methods

Using the scRNA-seq dataset for multiple primary lung cancers (MPLCs), we examined two major NK cell groups, NK1 and NK2, comparing the expression profiles of 422 differentially expressed NK signature genes. We identified eight genes (SPON2, PLEKHG3, CAMK2N1, RAB27B, CTBP2, EFHD2, GOLM1, and PLOD1) that distinguish NK1 from NK2 cells. A prognostic signature, the NK gene signature (NKGS) score, was established through LASSO Cox regression. High NKGS scores were linked to poorer overall survival in TCGA-LUAD patients and consistently validated in other datasets (GSE31210 and GSE14814).

Results

Functional analysis revealed an enrichment of genes related to the TGF-β signaling pathway in the high NKGS score group. Moreover, a high NKGS score correlated with an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) driven by immune evasion mechanisms. We also observed reduced T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire diversity in the high-risk NKGS group, indicating a negative association between inflammation and risk score.

Conclusion

This study introduced the innovative NKGS score, differentiating NK1 from NK2 cells. High NKGS scores were associated with the TGF-β pathway and provided insights into LUAD prognosis and immune activities.

Natural Compounds for Preventing Age-Related Diseases and Cancers

Aging is a multifaceted process influenced by hereditary factors, lifestyle, and environmental elements. As time progresses, the human body experiences degenerative changes in major functions. The external and internal signs of aging manifest in various ways, including skin dryness, wrinkles, musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer. Additionally, cancer, like aging, is a complex disease that arises from the accumulation of various genetic and epigenetic alterations. Circadian clock dysregulation has recently been identified as an important risk factor for aging and cancer development. Natural compounds and herbal medicines have gained significant attention for their potential in preventing age-related diseases and inhibiting cancer progression. These compounds demonstrate antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-metastatic, and anti-angiogenic effects as well as circadian clock regulation. This review explores age-related diseases, cancers, and the potential of specific natural compounds in targeting the key features of these conditions.

Oleic acid-PPARγ-FABP4 loop fuels cholangiocarcinoma colonization in lymph node metastases microenvironment

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Lymph node metastasis is a significant risk factor for patients with cholangiocarcinoma, but the mechanisms underlying cholangiocarcinoma colonization in the lymph node microenvironment remain unclear. We aimed to determine whether metabolic reprogramming fueled the adaptation and remodeling of cholangiocarcinoma cells to the lymph node microenvironment.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

Here, we applied single-cell RNA sequencing of primary tumor lesions and paired lymph node metastases from patients with cholangiocarcinoma and revealed significantly reduced intertumor heterogeneity and syntropic lipid metabolic reprogramming of cholangiocarcinoma after metastasis to lymph nodes, which was verified by pan-cancer single-cell RNA sequencing analysis, highlighting the essential role of lipid metabolism in tumor colonization in lymph nodes. Metabolomics and in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 screening identified PPARγ as a crucial regulator in fueling cholangiocarcinoma colonization in lymph nodes through the oleic acid-PPARγ-fatty acid-binding protein 4 positive feedback loop by upregulating fatty acid uptake and oxidation. Patient-derived organoids and animal models have demonstrated that blocking this loop impairs cholangiocarcinoma proliferation and colonization in the lymph node microenvironment and is superior to systemic inhibition of fatty acid oxidation. PPARγ-regulated fatty acid metabolic reprogramming in cholangiocarcinoma also contributes to the immune-suppressive niche in lymph node metastases by producing kynurenine and was found to be associated with tumor relapse, immune-suppressive lymph node microenvironment, and poor immune checkpoint blockade response.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results reveal the role of the oleic acid-PPARγ-fatty acid-binding protein 4 loop in fueling cholangiocarcinoma colonization in lymph nodes and demonstrate that PPARγ-regulated lipid metabolic reprogramming is a promising therapeutic target for relieving cholangiocarcinoma lymph node metastasis burden and reducing further progression.

Regulatory role of Echinochrome A in cancer-associated fibroblast-mediated lung cancer cell migration

Echinochrome A (Ech A), a marine biosubstance isolated from sea urchins, is a strong antioxidant, and its clinical form, histochrome, is being used to treat several diseases, such as ophthalmic, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a component of the tumor stroma and induce phenotypes related to tumor malignancy, including epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stemness, through reciprocal interactions with cancer cells. Here, we investigated whether Ech A modulates the properties of CAFs and alleviates CAF-induced lung cancer cell migration. First, we observed that the expression levels of CAF markers, Vimentin and fibroblast-activating protein (FAP), were decreased in Ech A-treated CAF-like MRC5 cells. The mRNA transcriptome analysis revealed that in MRC5 cells, the expression of genes associated with cell migration was largely modulated after Ech A treatment. In particular, the expression and secretion of cytokine and chemokine, such as IL6 and CCL2, stimulating cancer cell metastasis was reduced through the inactivation of STAT3 and Akt in MRC5 cells treated with Ech A compared to untreated MRC5 cells. Moreover, while conditioned medium from MRC5 cells enhanced the migration of non-small cell lung cancer cells, conditioned medium from MRC5 cells treated with Ech A suppressed cancer cell migration. In conclusion, we suggest that Ech A might be a potent adjuvant that increases the efficacy of cancer treatments to mitigate lung cancer progression.

Non-small cell lung cancer cells and concomitant cancer therapy induce a resistance-promoting phenotype of tumor-associated mesenchymal stem cells

Introduction

The tumor microenvironment gained attraction over the last decades as stromal cells significantly impact on tumor development, progression and metastasis, and immune evasion as well as on cancer therapy resistance. We previously reported that lung-resident mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were mobilized and activated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) progression and could even mediate radiation resistance in co-cultured NSCLC cells.

Methods

We investigated how MSCs were affected by NSCLC cells in combination with cancer (radiation) therapy in indirect co-cultures using tumor-conditioned medium and Transwells or direct three-dimensional NSCLC-MSC spheroid co-cultures in order to unravel the resistance-mediating action of tumor-associated MSCs.

Results

Although no obvious phenotypic and functional alterations in MSCs following NSCLC co-culture could be observed, MSC senescence was induced following co-applied radiotherapy (RT). Global gene expression profiling, in combination with gene set enrichment analysis upon treatment, was used to confirm the senescent phenotype of irradiated MSC and to reveal relevant senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors that could meditate NSCLC RT resistance. We identified senescent tumor-associated MSC-derived serine proteinase inhibitor (serpin) E1/PAI1 as potential SASP factor mediating NSCLC progression and RT resistance.

Discussion

Specified intra-tumor-stroma interactions and cell type-specific pro-tumorigenic functions could not only improve lung cancer classification but could even be used for a more precise profiling of individual patients, finally paving an additional way for the discovery of potential drug targets for NSCLC patients.

Guanylate binding protein 5 is an immune-related biomarker of oral squamous cell carcinoma: A retrospective prognostic study with bioinformatic analysis

BACKGROUND

Cancer utilizes immunosuppressive mechanisms to create a tumor microenvironment favorable for its progression. The purpose of this study is to histologically characterize the immunological properties of the tumor microenvironment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and identify key molecules involved in the immunological microenvironment and patient prognosis.

METHODS

First, overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened from OSCC transcriptome data in public databases. Correlation analysis of DEGs with known immune-related genes identified genes involved in the immune microenvironment of OSCC. Next, stromal patterns of tumor were classified and immunohistochemical staining was performed for immune cell markers (CD3, CD4, Foxp3, CD8, CD20, CD68, and CD163), programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), and guanylate binding protein 5 (GBP5) in resected specimens obtained from 110 patients with OSCC who underwent resection. Correlations between each factor and their prognostic impact were analyzed.

RESULTS

Among the novel OSCC-specific immune-related genes screened (including ADAMDEC1, CXCL9, CXCL13, DPT, GBP5, IDO1, and PLA2G7), GBP5 was selected as the target gene. Histopathologic analysis showed that multiple T-cell subsets and CD20-positive cells were less common in the advanced stages, whereas CD163-positive cells were more common in advanced stages. The immature type in the stromal pattern category was associated with less immune cell infiltration, lower expression of PD-L1 in immune cells, lower expression of GBP5 in the stroma, and shorter overall survival and recurrence-free survival. Expression of GBP5 in the tumor and stroma correlated with immune cell infiltration of tumors and PD-L1 expression in tumor and immune cells. Patients with low tumor GBP5 expression and high stromal expression had significantly longer overall survival and recurrence-free survival.

CONCLUSIONS

The stromal pattern category may reflect both invasive and immunomodulatory potentials of cancer-associated fibroblasts in OSCC. GBP5 has been suggested as a potential biomarker to predict the prognosis and therapeutic efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Tumor inflammatory microenvironment contribution to survival in resected upstaged adenocarcinomas

INTRODUCTION

Tumor Inflammatory microenvironment (TIME) encompasses several immune pathways modulating cancer development and escape that are not entirely uncoded. The results achieved with immunotherapy elicited the scientific debate on TIME also in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to investigate whether TIME (in terms of PD-L1 expression and/or Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes - TILs) played a separate role in terms of survival (OS) in resected upstaged lung adenocarcinomas (ADCs), excluding other perioperative variables as confounders.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study included 50 patients with a clinically resectable lung ADC, undergoing surgery (lobectomy or segmentectomy) at the Thoracic Unit of Padova University Hospital between 2016 and 2022 and receiving an unexpected pathological upstaging (IIB or higher).

RESULTS

Despite microscopical variables increasing from IIB to IIIB, survival was not significantly related to them. OS was better in TIME-active patients (defined as the presence of positive PD-L1 and/or TILs>10 %) than double negatives (PD-L1-/TILs-) (p = 0.01). In IIB or higher ADCs, TIME-active patients showed an improved survival compared to double negatives, merging the current TIME theories.

CONCLUSION

TIME seems to be associated with survival independently from other microscopical parameter, even in case of resected upstaged adenocarcinomas.

Activation of Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1 Alpha-Mediated DNA Methylation Enzymes (DNMT3a and TET2) Under Hypoxic Conditions Regulates S100A6 Transcription to Promote Lung Cancer Cell Growth and Metastasis

Aims: This research was aimed at investigating the effects of hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α)-mediated DNA methylation enzymes (ten-eleven translocase-2 [TET2] and DNA methyltransferase-3a [DNMT3a]) under hypoxic conditions on S100A6 transcription, thereby promoting the growth and metastasis of lung cancer cells. Methods: The expression of HIF-1α or S100A6 in lung cancer cells was interfered with under normoxic and hypoxic conditions, and the cell proliferative, migratory, and invasive properties were assessed. The mechanism of HIF-1α-regulated TET2 and DNMT3 effects on S100A6 transcription under hypoxic conditions was further investigated. Results: Functionally, S100A6 over-expression promoted lung cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. S100A6 over-expression reversed the inhibitory effects of HIF-1α interference on the proliferation and metastasis of lung cancer cells. S100A6 was induced to express in an HIF-1α-dependent manner under hypoxic conditions, and silencing S100A6 or HIF-1α suppressed lung cancer cell proliferation and metastasis under hypoxic conditions. Further, The Cancer Genome Atlas-lung adenocarcinoma database analysis revealed that S100A6 mRNA levels had a negative correlation with methylation levels. Mechanistically, CpG hypomethylation status in the S100A6 promoter hypoxia response element had an association with HIF-1α induction. TET2 was enriched in S100A6 promoter region of lung cancer cells under hypoxic conditions, whereas DNMT3a enrichment was reduced in S100A6 promoter region. HIF-1α-mediated S100A6 activation was linked to DNMT3a-associated epigenetic inactivation and TET2 activation. Innovation: The activation of HIF-1α-mediated DNA methylation enzymes under hypoxic conditions regulated S100A6 transcription, thereby promoting lung cancer cell growth and metastasis. Conclusion: In lung cancer progression, hypoxia-induced factor HIF-1α combined with DNA methylation modifications co-regulates S100A6 transcriptional activation and promotes lung cancer cell growth and metastasis.

Pitavastatin sensitizes the EGFR-TKI associated resistance in lung cancer by inhibiting YAP/AKT/BAD-BCL-2 pathway

BACKGROUND

Despite effective strategies, resistance in EGFR mutated lung cancer remains a challenge. Metabolic reprogramming is one of the main mechanisms of tumor drug resistance. A class of drugs known as "statins" inhibit lipid cholesterol metabolism and are widely used in patients with cardiovascular diseases. Previous studies have also documented its ability to improve the therapeutic impact in lung cancer patients who receive EGFR-TKI therapy. Therefore, the effect of statins on targeted drug resistance to lung cancer remains to be investigated.

METHODS

Prolonged exposure to gefitinib resulted in the emergence of a resistant lung cancer cell line (PC9GR) from the parental sensitive cell line (PC9), which exhibited a traditional EGFR mutation. The CCK-8 assay was employed to assess the impact of various concentrations of pitavastatin on cellular proliferation. RNA sequencing was conducted to detect differentially expressed genes and their correlated pathways. For the detection of protein expression, Western blot was performed. The antitumor activity of pitavastatin was evaluated in vivo via a xenograft mouse model.

RESULTS

PC9 gefitinib resistant strains were induced by low-dose maintenance. Cell culture and animal-related studies validated that the application of pitavastatin inhibited the proliferation of lung cancer cells, promoted cell apoptosis, and restrained the acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs. KEGG pathway analysis showed that the hippo/YAP signaling pathway was activated in PC9GR cells relative to PC9 cells, and the YAP expression was inhibited by pitavastatin administration. With YAP RNA interference, pAKT, pBAD and BCL-2 expression was decreased, while BAX expression as increased. Accordingly, YAP down-regulated significantly increased apoptosis and decreased the survival rate of gefitinib-resistant lung cancer cells. After pAKT was increased by SC79, apoptosis of YAP down-regulated cells induced by gefitinib was decreased, and the cell survival rate was increased. Mechanistically, these effects of pitavastatin are associated with the YAP pathway, thereby inhibiting the downstream AKT/BAD-BCL-2 signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

Our study provides a molecular basis for the clinical application of the lipid-lowering drug pitavastatin enhances the susceptibility of lung cancer to EGFR-TKI drugs and alleviates drug resistance.

A Critical Review of the Impact of SMARCA4 Mutations on Survival Outcomes in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

This critical review investigates the impact of SWI/SNF-related, matrix-associated, actin-dependent regulator of chromatin, subfamily A, member 4 (SMARCA4) mutations on survival outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) through an analysis of 21 peer-reviewed articles. Survival analyses across this review demonstrated consistently worse outcomes for SMARCA4-mutated vs. SMARCA4 wild-type NSCLC patients, specifically emphasizing class 1 truncating mutations as an independent factor for poor overall survival. In addition, this review explores the clinicopathologic characteristics of SMARCA4 mutations and their impact on various treatment modalities, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) both with and without Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) co-mutations. The potential ineffectiveness of ICI treatment in NSCLC is explored through the impact of SMARCA4/KRAS co-mutations on the tumor microenvironment. Moreover, this NSCLC review consistently reported statistically worse overall survival outcomes for SMARCA4/KRAS co-mutations than SMARCA4 wild-type/KRAS-mutated cohorts, extending across ICIs, chemo-immunotherapy (CIT), and KRAS G12C inhibitors. Designing prospective clinical SMARCA4-mutated or SMARCA4/KRAS co-mutated NSCLC trials to evaluate targeted therapies and immunotherapy may lead to a better understanding of how to improve cancer patients' outcomes and survival rates.

Modulatory effects of cancer stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles on the tumor immune microenvironment

Cancer stem cells (CSCs), accounting for only a minor cell proportion (< 1%) within tumors, have profound implications in tumor initiation, metastasis, recurrence, and treatment resistance due to their inherent ability of self-renewal, multi-lineage differentiation, and tumor-initiating potential. In recent years, accumulating studies indicate that CSCs and tumor immune microenvironment act reciprocally in driving tumor progression and diminishing the efficacy of cancer therapies. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), pivotal mediators of intercellular communications, build indispensable biological connections between CSCs and immune cells. By transferring bioactive molecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids, EVs can exert mutual influence on both CSCs and immune cells. This interaction plays a significant role in reshaping the tumor immune microenvironment, creating conditions favorable for the sustenance and propagation of CSCs. Deciphering the intricate interplay between CSCs and immune cells would provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of CSCs being more susceptible to immune escape. This review will highlight the EV-mediated communications between CSCs and each immune cell lineage in the tumor microenvironment and explore potential therapeutic opportunities.

Biohybrid microrobots locally and actively deliver drug-loaded nanoparticles to inhibit the progression of lung metastasis

Lung metastasis poses a formidable challenge in the realm of cancer treatment, with conventional chemotherapy often falling short due to limited targeting and low accumulation in the lungs. Here, we show a microrobot approach using motile algae for localized delivery of drug-loaded nanoparticles to address lung metastasis challenges. The biohybrid microrobot [denoted "algae-NP(DOX)-robot"] combines green microalgae with red blood cell membrane-coated nanoparticles containing doxorubicin, a representative chemotherapeutic drug. Microalgae provide autonomous propulsion in the lungs, leveraging controlled drug release and enhanced drug dispersion to exert antimetastatic effects. Upon intratracheal administration, algae-NP(DOX)-robots efficiently transport their drug payload deep into the lungs while maintaining continuous motility. This strategy leads to rapid drug distribution, improved tissue accumulation, and prolonged retention compared to passive drug-loaded nanoparticles and free drug controls. In a melanoma lung metastasis model, algae-NP(DOX)-robots exhibit substantial improvement in therapeutic efficacy, reducing metastatic burden and extending survival compared to control groups.

Dissecting tumor microenvironment from spatially resolved transcriptomics data by heterogeneous graph learning

Spatially resolved transcriptomics (SRT) has enabled precise dissection of tumor-microenvironment (TME) by analyzing its intracellular molecular networks and intercellular cell-cell communication (CCC). However, lacking computational exploration of complicated relations between cells, genes, and histological regions, severely limits the ability to interpret the complex structure of TME. Here, we introduce stKeep, a heterogeneous graph (HG) learning method that integrates multimodality and gene-gene interactions, in unraveling TME from SRT data. stKeep leverages HG to learn both cell-modules and gene-modules by incorporating features of diverse nodes including genes, cells, and histological regions, allows for identifying finer cell-states within TME and cell-state-specific gene-gene relations, respectively. Furthermore, stKeep employs HG to infer CCC for each cell, while ensuring that learned CCC patterns are comparable across different cell-states through contrastive learning. In various cancer samples, stKeep outperforms other tools in dissecting TME such as detecting bi-potent basal populations, neoplastic myoepithelial cells, and metastatic cells distributed within the tumor or leading-edge regions. Notably, stKeep identifies key transcription factors, ligands, and receptors relevant to disease progression, which are further validated by the functional and survival analysis of independent clinical data, thereby highlighting its clinical prognostic and immunotherapy applications.

Identification of CAF-related lncRNAs at the pan-cancer level represents a potential carcinogenic risk

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are increasingly recognized as playing a crucial role in regulating cancer progression and metastasis. These cells can be activated by long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), promoting the malignant biological processes of tumor cells. Therefore, it is essential to understand the regulatory relationship between CAFs and lncRNAs in cancers. Here, we identified CAF-related lncRNAs at the pan-cancer level to systematically predict their potential regulatory functions. The identified lncRNAs were also validated using various external data at both tissue and cellular levels. This study has revealed that these CAF-related lncRNAs exhibit expression perturbations in cancers and are highly correlated with the infiltration of stromal cells, particularly fibroblasts and endothelial cells. By prioritizing a list of CAF-related lncRNAs, we can further distinguish patient subtypes that show survival and molecular differences. In addition, we have developed a web server, CAFLnc (https://46906u5t63.zicp.fun/CAFLnc/), to visualize our results. In conclusion, CAF-related lncRNAs hold great potential as a valuable resource for comprehending lncRNA functions and advancing the identification of biomarkers for cancer progression and therapeutic targets in cancer treatment.

Deep learning-based pathway-centric approach to characterize recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation

BACKGROUND

Liver transplantation (LT) is offered as a cure for Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however 15-20% develop recurrence post-transplant which tends to be aggressive. In this study, we examined the transcriptome profiles of patients with recurrent HCC to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), the involved pathways, biological functions, and potential gene signatures of recurrent HCC post-transplant using deep machine learning (ML) methodology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We analyzed the transcriptomic profiles of primary and recurrent tumor samples from 7 pairs of patients who underwent LT. Following differential gene expression analysis, we performed pathway enrichment, gene ontology (GO) analyses and protein-protein interactions (PPIs) with top 10 hub gene networks. We also predicted the landscape of infiltrating immune cells using Cibersortx. We next develop pathway and GO term-based deep learning models leveraging primary tissue gene expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to identify gene signatures in recurrent HCC.

RESULTS

The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and cytokine-mediated signaling pathway were particularly activated in HCC recurrence. The recurrent tumors exhibited upregulation of an immune-escape related gene, CD274, in the top 10 hub gene analysis. Significantly higher infiltration of monocytes and lower M1 macrophages were found in recurrent HCC tumors. Our deep learning approach identified a 20-gene signature in recurrent HCC. Amongst the 20 genes, through multiple analysis, IL6 was found to be significantly associated with HCC recurrence.

CONCLUSION

Our deep learning approach identified PI3K/Akt signaling as potentially regulating cytokine-mediated functions and the expression of immune escape genes, leading to alterations in the pattern of immune cell infiltration. In conclusion, IL6 was identified to play an important role in HCC recurrence.

The Immune Response of Cancer Cells in Breast and Gynecologic Neoplasms

Cancer diseases constitute a major health problem which leads to the death of millions of people annually. They are unique among other diseases because cancer cells can perfectly adapt to the environment that they create themselves. This environment is usually highly hostile and for normal cells it would be hugely difficult to survive, however neoplastic cells not only can survive but also manage to proliferate. One of the reasons is that they can alter immunological pathways which allow them to be flexible and change their phenotype to the one needed in specific conditions. The aim of this paper is to describe some of these immunological pathways that play significant roles in gynecologic neoplasms as well as review recent research in this field. It is of high importance to possess extensive knowledge about these processes, as greater understanding leads to creating more specialized therapies which may prove highly effective in the future.

Endothelin and the tumor microenvironment: a finger in every pie

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a central role in the development of cancer. Within this complex milieu, the endothelin (ET) system plays a key role by triggering epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, causing degradation of the extracellular matrix and modulating hypoxia response, cell proliferation, composition, and activation. These multiple effects of the ET system on cancer progression have prompted numerous preclinical studies targeting the ET system with promising results, leading to considerable optimism for subsequent clinical trials. However, these clinical trials have not lived up to the high expectations; in fact, the clinical trials have failed to demonstrate any substantiated benefit of targeting the ET system in cancer patients. This review discusses the major and recent advances of the ET system with respect to TME and comments on past and ongoing clinical trials of the ET system.

Spatial Architecture of Myeloid and T Cells Orchestrates Immune Evasion and Clinical Outcome in Lung Cancer

Understanding the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in lung cancer is critical to improving patient outcomes. We identified four histology-independent archetype TMEs in treatment-naïve early-stage lung cancer using imaging mass cytometry in the TRACERx study (n = 81 patients/198 samples/2.3 million cells). In immune-hot adenocarcinomas, spatial niches of T cells and macrophages increased with clonal neoantigen burden, whereas such an increase was observed for niches of plasma and B cells in immune-excluded squamous cell carcinomas (LUSC). Immune-low TMEs were associated with fibroblast barriers to immune infiltration. The fourth archetype, characterized by sparse lymphocytes and high tumor-associated neutrophil (TAN) infiltration, had tumor cells spatially separated from vasculature and exhibited low spatial intratumor heterogeneity. TAN-high LUSC had frequent PIK3CA mutations. TAN-high tumors harbored recently expanded and metastasis-seeding subclones and had a shorter disease-free survival independent of stage. These findings delineate genomic, immune, and physical barriers to immune surveillance and implicate neutrophil-rich TMEs in metastasis.

SIGNIFICANCE

This study provides novel insights into the spatial organization of the lung cancer TME in the context of tumor immunogenicity, tumor heterogeneity, and cancer evolution. Pairing the tumor evolutionary history with the spatially resolved TME suggests mechanistic hypotheses for tumor progression and metastasis with implications for patient outcome and treatment. This article is featured in Selected Articles from This Issue, p. 897.

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and lung cancer: We should be hopeful or hopeless?

Lung cancer (LC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-caused death that possesses a poor prognosis and low survival rate worldwide. In general, LC is classified into small-cell (SCLC) and non-small-cell carcinoma (NSCLC) (involving 80% of patients). Although chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, and molecular-targeted therapy are considered standard approaches for LC treatment, these options have low success with detrimental effects on the life quality of patients. Ergo, recommending treatment with maximum effectiveness and minimum side effects for LC patients has been a substantial challenge for researchers and clinicians in the present era. Recently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-based strategies have sparked much interest in preventing or treating numerous illnesses. These multipotent stem cells can be isolated from diverse sources, such as umbilical cord, bone marrow, and adipose tissue. Among these sources, umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) have been in the spotlight of MSCs-based therapies thanks to their considerable advantages, such as high proliferation ability, low immune reactions and tumorigenesis, and easiness in collection and isolation. Some experimental studies have investigated the functionality of intact UC-MSCs and extracellular vesicles, exosomes, and conditioned medium derived from UC-MSCs, as well as genetically engineered UC-MSCs. In this review, we aimed to highlight the influences of these UMSCs-based methods in LC treatment with cellular and molecular insights.

Bioprinted Human Lung Cancer-Mimics for Tissue Diagnostics Applications

Developing a reproducible and secure supply of customizable control tissues that standardizes for the cell type, tissue architecture, and preanalytics of interest for usage in applications including diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive assays, is critical for improving our patient care and welfare. The conventionally adopted control tissues directly obtained from patients are not ideal because they oftentimes have different amounts of normal and neoplastic elements, differing cellularity, differing architecture, and unknown preanalytics, in addition to the limited supply availability and thus associated high costs. In this study, we demonstrated a strategy to stably produce tissue-mimics for diagnostics purposes by taking advantage of the three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technology. Specifically, we take anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive (Alk+) lung cancer as an example, where a micropore-forming bioink laden with tumor cells was combined with digital light processing-based bioprinting for developing native-like Alk+ lung cancer tissue-mimics with both structural and functional relevancy. It is anticipated that our proposed methodology will pave new avenues for both fields of tissue diagnostics and 3D bioprinting significantly expanding their capacities, scope, and sustainability.

Single-cell analysis identifies PLK1 as a driver of immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in LUAD

PLK1 (Polo-like kinase 1) plays a critical role in the progression of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Recent studies have unveiled that targeting PLK1 improves the efficacy of immunotherapy, highlighting its important role in the regulation of tumor immunity. Nevertheless, our understanding of the intricate interplay between PLK1 and the tumor microenvironment (TME) remains incomplete. Here, using genetically engineered mouse model and single-cell RNA-seq analysis, we report that PLK1 promotes an immunosuppressive TME in LUAD, characterized with enhanced M2 polarization of tumor associated macrophages (TAM) and dampened antigen presentation process. Mechanistically, elevated PLK1 coincides with increased secretion of CXCL2 cytokine, which promotes M2 polarization of TAM and diminishes expression of class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC-II) in professional antigen-presenting cells. Furthermore, PLK1 negatively regulates MHC-II expression in cancer cells, which has been shown to be associated with compromised tumor immunity and unfavorable patient outcomes. Taken together, our results reveal PLK1 as a novel modulator of TME in LUAD and provide possible therapeutic interventions.