How cancer metabolism is tuned for proliferation and vulnerable to disruption

Urinary volatile organic compounds for colorectal cancer screening, a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The faecal immunochemical test (FIT) suffers from suboptimal performance and participation in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Urinary volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may be a useful alternative. We aimed to determine the diagnostic potential of urinary VOCs for CRC/adenomas. By relating VOCs to known pathways, we aimed to gain insight into the pathophysiology of colorectal neoplasia.

METHODS

A systematic search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science. Original studies on urinary VOCs for CRC/adenoma detection with a control group were included. QUADAS-2 tool was used for quality assessment. Meta-analysis was performed by adopting a bivariate model for sensitivity/specificity. Fagan's nomogram estimated the performance of combined FIT-VOC. Neoplasm-associated VOCs were linked to pathways using the KEGG database.

RESULTS

Sixteen studies-involving 837 CRC patients and 1618 controls-were included; 11 performed chemical identification and 7 chemical fingerprinting. In all studies, urinary VOCs discriminated CRC from controls. Pooled sensitivity and specificity for CRC based on chemical fingerprinting were 84% (95% CI 73-91%) and 70% (95% CI 63-77%), respectively. The most distinctive individual VOC was butanal (AUC 0.98). The estimated probability of having CRC following negative FIT was 0.38%, whereas 0.09% following negative FIT-VOC. Combined FIT-VOC would detect 33% more CRCs. In total 100 CRC-associated urinary VOCs were identified; particularly hydrocarbons, carboxylic acids, aldehydes/ketones and amino acids, and predominantly involved in TCA-cycle or alanine/aspartate/glutamine/glutamate/phenylalanine/tyrosine/tryptophan metabolism, which is supported by previous research on (colorectal)cancer biology. The potential of urinary VOCs to detect precancerous adenomas or gain insight into their pathophysiology appeared understudied.

CONCLUSION

Urinary VOCs hold potential for non-invasive CRC screening. Multicentre validation studies are needed, especially focusing on adenoma detection. Urinary VOCs elucidate underlying pathophysiologic processes.

A Mitochondria-Targeted Fluorescent Probe for Monitoring NADPH Overproduction during Influenza Virus Infection

Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) is an important cofactor in the progress of antioxidant synthesis and biosynthesis, and an abnormal NADPH level has been observed in many viral infection processes. However, efficient tools to monitor NADPH in living cells after viral infection have not been reported. In this work, we present a fluorescent probe, NAFP4, that could detect NADPH ex vivo with a low detection limit of 3.66 nM and image mitochondrial NADPH level changes in living cells. The probe exhibits excellent cell permeability, rapid reactivity, and high selectivity with minimal cytotoxicity. Using NAFP4, we reveal that the NADPH is overproduced in the host cells infected by influenza virus, which was caused by an elevated level of G6PDH during the virus infection. Moreover, there was positive association between the G6PDH level and virus replication. With the proposed probe NAFP4, our study highlights that the virus infection would influence the host metabolism in NADPH production and also suggests that G6PDH is expected to be a promising target for antiviral therapy.

Glutaminase inhibition in combination with azacytidine in myelodysplastic syndromes: Clinical efficacy and correlative analyses

Malignancies can become reliant on glutamine as an alternative energy source and as a facilitator of aberrant DNA methylation, thus implicating glutaminase (GLS) as a potential therapeutic target. We demonstrate preclinical synergy of telaglenastat (CB-839), a selective GLS inhibitor, when combined with azacytidine (AZA), in vitro and in vivo, followed by a phase Ib/II study of the combination in patients with advanced MDS. Treatment with telaglenastat/AZA led to an ORR of 70% with CR/mCRs in 53% patients and a median overall survival of 11.6 months. scRNAseq and flow cytometry demonstrated a myeloid differentiation program at the stem cell level in clinical responders. Expression of non-canonical glutamine transporter, SLC38A1, was found to be overexpressed in MDS stem cells; was associated with clinical responses to telaglenastat/AZA and predictive of worse prognosis in a large MDS cohort. These data demonstrate the safety and efficacy of a combined metabolic and epigenetic approach in MDS.

Glucose Oxidase-Modified Metal-Organic Framework for Starving-Enhanced Chemodynamic Therapy

Chemodynamic therapy (CDT) has been considered an emerging strategy for cancer treatment. However, the tumor microenvironment (TME) with slight acidity and restricted H₂O₂ limits the efficacy of CDT. Here, we report a Hf-Mn-TCPP (Hf = hafnium; Mn-TCPP = 5, 10, 15, 20-tetrakis (4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrinato-manganese (II) chloride) loaded with glucose oxidase (GOx) to realize starving-enhanced CDT. GOx consumes glucose to produce H₂O₂ and gluconic acid. Gluconic acid increases the acidity of TME and subsequently provides favorable conditions for the Fenton-like reaction based on Hf-Mn-TCPP. The results indicate that GOx-modified Hf-Mn-TCPP provided a great therapeutic effect in starvation-enhanced CDT in vitro and in vivo.

WZB117 Decorated Metformin-Carboxymethyl Chitosan Nanoparticles for Targeting Breast Cancer Metabolism

The "Warburg effect" provides a novel method for treating cancer cell metabolism. Overexpression of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and downregulation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) have been identified as biomarkers of abnormal cancer cell metabolism. Metformin (MET) is an effective therapy for breast cancer (BC), but its efficacy is largely reliant on the concentration of glucose at the tumor site. We propose a WZB117 (a GLUT1 inhibitor)-OCMC (O-carboxymethyl-chitosan)-MET combo strategy for simultaneous GLUT1 and mTOR targeting for alteration of BC metabolism. WZB117 conjugated polymeric nanoparticles were 225.67 ± 11.5 nm in size, with a PDI of 0.113 ± 0.16, and an encapsulation of 72.78 6.4%. OCMC pH-dependently and selectively releases MET at the tumor site. MET targets the mTOR pathway in cancer cells, and WZB117 targets BCL2 to alter GLUT1 at the cancer site. WZB117-OCMC-MET overcomes the limitations of MET monotherapy by targeting mTOR and BCL2 synergistically. WZB117-OCMC-MET activates AMPK and suppresses mTOR in a Western blot experiment, indicating growth-inhibitory and apoptotic characteristics. AO/EB and the cell cycle enhance cellular internalization as compared to MET alone. WZB117-OCMC-MET affects cancer cells' metabolism and is a promising BC therapeutic strategy.

PINK1-Mediated Mitophagy Promotes Oxidative Phosphorylation and Redox Homeostasis to Induce Drug-Tolerant Persister Cancer Cells

The drug-tolerant persister (DTP) state enables cancer cells to evade cytotoxic stress from anticancer therapy. However, the mechanisms governing DTP generation remain poorly understood. Here, we observed that lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cells and organoids entered a quiescent DTP state to survive MAPK inhibitor treatment. DTP cells following MAPK inhibition underwent a metabolic switch from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1), a serine/threonine kinase that initiates mitophagy, was upregulated to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis during DTP generation. PINK1-mediated mitophagy supported DTP cell survival and contributed to poor prognosis. Mechanistically, MAPK pathway inhibition resulted in MYC-dependent transcriptional upregulation of PINK1, leading to mitophagy activation. Mitophagy inhibition using either clinically applicable chloroquine or depletion of PINK1 eradicated drug tolerance and allowed complete response to MAPK inhibitors. This study uncovers PINK1-mediated mitophagy as a novel tumor protective mechanism for DTP generation, providing a therapeutic opportunity to eradicate DTP and achieve complete responses.

SIGNIFICANCE

DTP cancer cells that cause relapse after anticancer therapy critically depend on PINK1-mediated mitophagy and metabolic reprogramming, providing a therapeutic opportunity to eradicate persister cells to prolong treatment efficacy.

Blood pH and COVID-19

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a worldwide war. Raising the blood pH might be a crucial strategy to chase COVID-19. The human blood is slightly alkaline, which is essential for cell metabolism, normal physiology, and balanced immunity since all of these biological processes are pH-dependent. Varieties of physiologic derangements occur when the blood pH is disrupted. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) proliferates in acidic blood that magnifies the severity of COVID-19. On the other side, blood acidemia is linked to increased morbidity and mortality because of its complications on immunity, especially in the elderly and in critical diseases such as cancer, musculoskeletal degradation, renal, cardiac, and pulmonary disorders, which result in many pathological disorders such as osteomalacia, and disturbing the hematopoiesis. Additionally, acidemia of the blood facilitates viral infection and progression. Thus, correcting the acid-base balance might be a crucial strategy for the treatment of COVID-19, which might be attributed to the distraction of the viral spike protein to its cognate receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and supporting the over-taxed immunity.

Cellular and Intravital Imaging of NAD(P)H by a Red-Emitting Quinolinium-Based Fluorescent Probe that Features a Shift of Its Product from Mitochondria to the Nucleus

NAD(P)H is a vital hydrogen donor and electron carrier involved in numerous biological processes. The development of small-molecule tools for intravital imaging of NAD(P)H is significant for further exploring their pathophysiological roles. Herein, we rationally designed a fluorescent probe NADH-R by a simple graft of pyridiniumylbutenenitrile on a 1-methylquinolinium moiety in the 3-position. Benefited from the reduction of quinolinium by NAD(P)H, this probe releases the free push-pull fluorophore NADH-RH, allowing a turn-on red-emitting fluorescence response together with an ultralow detection limit of 12 nM. Under the assistance of the probe, we first monitored exogenous and endogenous generation of NAD(P)H in living cells, subsequently observed dynamic changes of NAD(P)H levels in living cells under different metabolic perturbations, and finally visualized the declined NAD(P)H levels in live mouse brain in a stroke model. Unexpectedly, the time-dependent colocalization experiment revealed that the probe reacts with mitochondrial NAD(P)H, followed by a shift of its reduced product NADH-RH from mitochondria to the nucleus, highlighting that NADH-RH is a novel nucleus-directed dye scaffold, which would facilitate the development of nucleus-targeting fluorescent probes and drugs.

Divide and Conquer: A Flexible Deep Learning Strategy for Exploring Metabolic Heterogeneity from Mass Spectrometry Imaging Data

Research on metabolic heterogeneity provides an important basis for the study of the molecular mechanism of a disease and personalized treatment. The screening of metabolism-related sub-regions that affect disease development is essential for the more focused exploration on disease progress aberrant phenotypes, even carcinogenesis and metastasis. The mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) technique has distinct advantages to reveal the heterogeneity of an organism based on in situ molecular profiles. The challenge of heterogeneous analysis has been to perform an objective identification among biological tissues with different characteristics. By introducing the divide-and-conquer strategy to architecture design and application, we establish here a flexible unsupervised deep learning model, called divide-and-conquer (dc)-DeepMSI, for metabolic heterogeneity analysis from MSI data without prior knowledge of histology. dc-DeepMSI can be used to identify either spatially contiguous regions of interest (ROIs) or spatially sporadic ROIs by designing two specific modes, spat-contig and spat-spor. Comparison results on fetus mouse data demonstrate that the dc-DeepMSI outperforms state-of-the-art MSI segmentation methods. We demonstrate that the novel learning strategy successfully obtained sub-regions that are statistically linked to the invasion status and molecular phenotypes of breast cancer as well as organizing principles during developmental phase.

Serum metabolite signatures in normal individuals and patients with colorectal adenoma or colorectal cancer using UPLC-MS/MS method

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the main causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Sporadic CRC develops from normal mucosa via adenoma to adenocarcinoma, which provides a long screening window for clinical detection. However, early diagnosis of sporadic colorectal adenoma (CRA) and CRC using serum metabolic screening remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to identify some promising signatures for distinguishing the different pathological metabolites of colorectal mucosal malignant transformation. A total of 238 endogenous metabolites were elected. We found that CRA and CRC patients had 72 and 73 different metabolites compared with healthy controls, respectively. There were 20 different metabolites between CRA and CRC patients. The potential metabolites of tumor growth (including patients with CRA and CRC) were found, such as A-d-glucose, D-mannose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, L-cystine, Sarcosine, TXB 2, 12-Hete, and chenodeoxycholic acid. Compared with CRA, 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid was significantly higher in CRC patients. There results prompt us to use the potential serum signatures to screen CRC as the novel strategy. Serum metabolite screening is useful for early detection of mucosal intestinal malignancy. We will further investigate the roles of these promising biomarkers during intestinal tumorigenesis in future. SIGNIFICANCE: CRC is one of the main causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Sporadic CRC develops from normal mucosa via adenomas to adenocarcinoma, which provides a long screening window for about 5-10 years. We adopt the metabolic analysis of extensive targeted metabolic technology. The main purpose of the metabolic group analysis is to detect and screen the different metabolites, thereby performing related functional prediction and analysis of the differential metabolites. In our study, 30 samples are selected, divided into 3 groups for metabolic analysis, and 238 metabolites are elected. In 238 metabolites, we find that CRA patients have 72 different metabolites compared with health control. Compared with health control, CRC have 73 different metabolites. Compared with CRA and CRC patients, there are 20 different metabolites. The annotation results of the significantly different metabolites are classified according to the KEGG pathway type. The potential metabolites of tumor growth stage (including patients with CRA and CRC) are found, such as A-d-glucose, D-mannose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, L-cystine, sarcosine, TXB 2, 12-Hete and chenodeoxycholic acid. Compared with CRA patients, CRC patients had significantly higher 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoic acid level. It is prompted to use serum different metabolites to screen CRC to provide new possibilities.

Coumaryl-sulfonamide moiety: Unraveling their synthetic strategy and specificity toward hCA IX/XII, facilitating anticancer drug development

Currently, cancer is the most grieving threat to society. The cancer-related death rate has had an ascending trend, despite the implementation of numerous treatment strategies or the discovery of an array of potent molecules against several pathways of cancer growth. The need of the hour is to prevent the multidrug resistance toll, and the current efforts have been bestowed upon a versatile small molecule scaffold, coumarin (benz[α]pyrone), a natural compound possessing interesting affinity toward the cancer target human carbonic anhydrase (hCA), focusing on hCA I, II, IX, and XII. Along with coumarin, the age-old known antibacterial drug sulfonamide, when conjugated at positions 3, 7, and 8 of coumarin either with a linker group or as a single entity, has been reported to enhance the affinity of coumarin toward the overexpressed enzymes in tumor cell lines. The sulfonamides have been listed as obsolete drugs due to the severe side effects caused by them; however, their affinity toward the hCA-zinc-binding core has attracted the attention of researchers. Hence, in the process of drug development, coumarin and sulfonamides have remained the choice of last resort. To unveil the synthetic strategy of coumarin-sulfonamide conjugation, their rationale for inhibiting cancer cells/enzymes, and their affinity toward various types of carcinoma have been the sole goal of the researchers. This review specifically focuses on the mechanism of action and the structure-activity relationship through synthetic strategies and the binding affinity of coumaryl-sulfonamide conjugates with the anticancer targets possessing the highest enzyme affinity, since 2008.

Increased glucose influx and glycogenesis in lung cancer cells surviving after irradiation

PURPOSE

Lung cancer is considered as one of the most frequent malignancies worldwide. Radiotherapy is the main treatment modality applied for locally advanced disease, but remnant surviving cancer tissue results in disease progression in the majority of irradiated lung carcinomas. Metabolic reprogramming is regarded as a cancer hallmark and is associated with resistance to radiation therapy. Here, we explored metabolic alterations possibly related to cancer cell radioresistance.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We compared the expression of metabolism-related enzymes in the parental A549 lung cancer cell line along with two new cell lines derived from A549 cells after recovery from three (A549-IR3) and six (A549-IR6) irradiation doses with 4 Gy. Differential GLUT1 and GYS1 expression on proliferation and radioresistance were also comparatively investigated.

RESULTS

A549-IR cells displayed increased extracellular glucose absorption, and enhanced mRNA and protein levels of the GLUT1 glucose transporter. GLUT1 inhibition with BAY-876, suppressed cell proliferation and the effect was significantly more profound on A549-IR3 cells. Protein levels of molecules associated with aerobic or anaerobic glycolysis, or the phosphate pentose pathway were similar in all three cell lines. However, glycogen synthase 1 (GYS1) was upregulated, especially in the A549-IR3 cell line, suggestive of glycogen accumulation in cells surviving post irradiation. GYS1-gene silencing repressed the proliferation capacity of A549, but this increased their radioresistance. The radio-protective effect of the suppression of proliferative activity induced by GYS1 silencing did not protect A549-IR3 cells against further irradiation.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that GYS1 activity is a critical component of the metabolism of lung cancer cells surviving after fractionated radiotherapy. Targeting the glycogen metabolic reprogramming after irradiation may be a valuable approach to pursue eradication of the post-radiotherapy remnant of disease.

Sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 promotes proliferation and migration in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Background

Sterol-regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1) is a transcription factor involved in lipid metabolism that is encoded by sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1(SREBF1). SREBP1 overexpression is associated with the progression of several human tumors; however, the role of SREBP1 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) remains unclear.

Methods

SREBF1 expression in pan-cancer was analyzed using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) data, and the association between SREBF1 expression and clinical characteristics of HNSC patients was examined using the UALCAN database. Enrichment analysis of SREBF1-related genes was performed using the Cluster Profiler R package. TCGA database was used to investigate the relationship between immune cell infiltration and SREBF1 expression. CCK-8, flow cytometry, and wound healing assays were performed to investigate the effect of SREBF1 knockdown on the proliferation and migration of HNSC cells.

Results

SREBF1 was significantly upregulated in several tumor tissues, including HNSC, and SREBF1 overexpression was positively correlated with sample type, cancer stage, tumor grade, and lymph node stage in HNSC patients. Gene enrichment analysis revealed that SREBF1 is associated with DNA replication and homologous recombination. SREBF1 upregulation was positively correlated with the infiltration of cytotoxic cells, B cells, T cells, T helper cells, and NK CD56 bright cells in HNSC. Knockdown of SREBF1 inhibited the proliferation and migration of HNSC cells (Hep2 and TU212) and induced apoptosis by downregulating the expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein-related lipid transfer 4 (STARD4).

Conclusions

SREBF1 may promote HNSC proliferation, migration and inhibit apoptosis by upregulating STARD4 and affecting the level of immune cell infiltration.

Chronic restraint stress promotes the tumorigenic potential of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells by reprogramming fatty acid metabolism via CXCL3 mediated Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Chronic stress promotes tumor progression and may harm homeostasis of energy metabolism by disrupting key metabolic processes. Recently, emerging evidence that chemokines CXCL3 as a novel adipokine plays a new role in lipid metabolism and various human malignancies. However, the role and mechanism of the CXCL3 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) progression and reprogramming lipid metabolism induced by chronic restraint stress is unclear. The analysis of transcriptome sequencing, LC-MS, GC-MS, CCK8, cell apoptosis assays, cell cycle analysis, qRT-PCR, ELISA, western blotting, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, RNA interference and lentivirus transfection and a xenograft tumor growth and chronic restraint stress model were used to investigate the role of CXCL3 in the regulation of lipid metabolism and OSCC and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms. We showed that CXCL3 plays a critical role in in fatty acid de novo synthesis and tumor growth induced by chronic restraint stress. We demonstrated that chronic restraint stress promoted lipid accumulation, OSCC growth and metastasis in a mouse xenograft model. CXCL3 knockdown and FH535, an inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin pathway, could attenuate fatty acid de novo synthesis, cell proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition induced by chronic restraint stress in OSCC cells. Our findings demonstrate that chronic restraint stress promotes the proliferation and metastasis of OSCC by reprogramming fatty acid metabolism via CXCL3 mediated Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Our study provides novel insights to help understand the underlying mechanisms of CXCL3 in OSCC progression induced by chronic restraint stress.

Construction of a fatty acid metabolism-related gene signature for predicting prognosis and immune response in breast cancer

Background: Breast cancer has the highest incidence among malignant tumors in women, and its prevalence ranks first in global cancer morbidity. Aim: This study aimed to explore the feasibility of a prognostic model for patients with breast cancer based on the differential expression of genes related to fatty acid metabolism. Methods: The mRNA expression matrix of breast cancer and paracancer tissues was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. The differentially expressed genes related to fatty acid metabolism were screened in R language. The TRRUST database was used to predict transcriptional regulators related to hub genes and construct an mRNA-transcription factor interaction network. A consensus clustering approach was used to identify different fatty acid regulatory patterns. In combination with patient survival data, Lasso and multivariate Cox proportional risk regression models were used to establish polygenic prognostic models based on fatty acid metabolism. The median risk score was used to categorize patients into high- and low-risk groups. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to analyze the survival differences between both groups. The Cox regression analysis included risk score and clinicopathological factors to determine whether risk score was an independent risk factor. Models based on genes associated with fatty acid metabolism were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves. A comparison was made between risk score levels and the fatty acid metabolism-associated genes in different subtypes of breast cancer. The differential gene sets of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes for screening high- and low-risk populations were compared using a gene set enrichment analysis. Furthermore, we utilized CIBERSORT to examine the abundance of immune cells in breast cancer in different clustering models. Results: High expression levels of ALDH1A1 and UBE2L6 prevented breast cancer, whereas high RDH16 expression levels increased its risk. Our comprehensive assessment of the association between prognostic risk scoring models and tumor microenvironment characteristics showed significant differences in the abundance of various immune cells between high- and low-risk breast cancer patients. Conclusions: By assessing fatty acid metabolism patterns, we gained a better understanding of the infiltration characteristics of the tumor microenvironment. Our findings are valuable for prognosis prediction and treatment of patients with breast cancer based on their clinicopathological characteristics.

Overview of Cancer Metabolism and Signaling Transduction

Despite the remarkable progress in cancer treatment up to now, we are still far from conquering the disease. The most substantial change after the malignant transformation of normal cells into cancer cells is the alteration in their metabolism. Cancer cells reprogram their metabolism to support the elevated energy demand as well as the acquisition and maintenance of their malignancy, even in nutrient-poor environments. The metabolic alterations, even under aerobic conditions, such as the upregulation of the glucose uptake and glycolysis (the Warburg effect), increase the ROS (reactive oxygen species) and glutamine dependence, which are the prominent features of cancer metabolism. Among these metabolic alterations, high glutamine dependency has attracted serious attention in the cancer research community. In addition, the oncogenic signaling pathways of the well-known important genetic mutations play important regulatory roles, either directly or indirectly, in the central carbon metabolism. The identification of the convergent metabolic phenotypes is crucial to the targeting of cancer cells. In this review, we investigate the relationship between cancer metabolism and the signal transduction pathways, and we highlight the recent developments in anti-cancer therapy that target metabolism.

Identification of plant-based hexokinase 2 inhibitors: combined molecular docking and dynamics simulation studies

Cancer cells ferment glucose, even under aerobic conditions, following a phenomenon known as the 'Warburg effect.' Hexokinase 2 (HK2) catalyzes the crucial step of phosphorylation of glucose for subsequent utilization in glycolysis and other pathways. HK2 has been proposed as a potential therapeutic target for anti-cancer therapy because of its enhanced expression in glucose-dependent tumors. Here, we have employed structure-based virtual screening using in-house library to identify potential phytoconstituents which could inhibit the HK2 activity. The initial hits were selected based on their binding affinity towards HK2 using the molecular docking approach. Subsequently, the filters for physicochemical properties, PAINS patterns and PASS evaluation were applied to find potential hits against HK2. Finally, we have identified epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and quercitrin, two natural compounds with appreciable binding affinity, efficiency and specificity towards the HK2 binding pocket. Both compounds were found to be binding preferentially to the HK2 active site and showed a decent set of drug-like properties. All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for 100 ns were carried out to see the conformational dynamics, complexes stability and interaction mechanism of HK2 with EGCG and quercitrin. MD simulation results showed that HK2 forms stable protein-ligand complexes with EGCG and quercitrin with consistency throughout the trajectory. Overall, these findings suggest that EGCG and quercitrin might be further exploited as promising scaffolds in the drug development process against HK2..Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Metabolic targeting, immunotherapy and radiation in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: Where do we go from here?

In the US, there are ~250,000 new lung cancer diagnoses and ~130,000 deaths per year, and worldwide there are an estimated 1.6 million deaths per year from this deadly disease. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death worldwide, and it accounts for roughly a quarter of all cancer deaths in the US. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents 80-85% of these cases. Due to an enormous tobacco cessation effort, NSCLC rates in the US are decreasing, and the implementation of lung cancer screening guidelines and other programs have resulted in a higher percentage of patients presenting with potentially curable locoregional disease, instead of distant disease. Exciting developments in molecular targeted therapy and immunotherapy have resulted in dramatic improvement in patients' survival, in combination with new surgical, pathological, radiographical, and radiation techniques. Concurrent platinum-based doublet chemoradiation therapy followed by immunotherapy has set the benchmark for survival in these patients. However, despite these advances, ~50% of patients diagnosed with locally advanced NSCLC (LA-NSCLC) survive long-term. In patients with local and/or locoregional disease, chemoradiation is a critical component of curative therapy. However, there remains a significant clinical gap in improving the efficacy of this combined therapy, and the development of non-overlapping treatment approaches to improve treatment outcomes is needed. One potential promising avenue of research is targeting cancer metabolism. In this review, we will initially provide a brief general overview of tumor metabolism as it relates to therapeutic targeting. We will then focus on the intersection of metabolism on both oxidative stress and anti-tumor immunity. This will be followed by discussion of both tumor- and patient-specific opportunities for metabolic targeting in NSCLC. We will then conclude with a discussion of additional agents currently in development that may be advantageous to combine with chemo-immuno-radiation in NSCLC.

The role of noncoding RNAs in cancer lipid metabolism

Research on noncoding ribonucleic acids (ncRNAs) is mostly and broadly focused on microRNAs (miRNAs), cyclic RNAs (circRNAs), and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), which have been confirmed to play important roles in tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Specifically, recent studies have shown that ncRNAs contribute to tumorigenesis and tumor development by mediating changes in enzymes related to lipid metabolism. The purpose of this review is to discuss the characterized ncRNAs involved in the lipid metabolism of tumors to highlight ncRNA-mediated lipid metabolism-related enzyme expression in malignant tumors and its importance to tumor development. In this review, we describe the types of ncRNA and the mechanism of tumor lipid metabolism and analyze the important role of ncRNA in tumor lipid metabolism and its future prospects from the perspectives of ncRNA biological function and lipid metabolic enzyme classification. However, several critical issues still need to be resolved. Because ncRNAs can affect tumor processes by regulating lipid metabolism enzymes, in the future, we can study the unique role of ncRNAs from four aspects: disease prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Therefore, in the future, the development of ncRNA-targeted therapy will become a hot direction and shoulder a major task in the medical field.

Identification of the ultrahigh-risk subgroup in neuroblastoma cases through DNA methylation analysis and its treatment exploiting cancer metabolism

Neuroblastomas require novel therapies that are based on the exploitation of their biological mechanism. To address this need, we analyzed the DNA methylation and expression datasets of neuroblastomas, extracted a candidate gene characterizing the aggressive features, and conducted functional studies. Based on the DNA methylation data, we identified a subgroup of neuroblastoma cases with 11q loss of heterozygosity with extremely poor prognosis. PHGDH, a serine metabolism-related gene, was extracted as a candidate with strong expression and characteristic methylation in this subgroup as well as in cases with MYCN amplification. PHGDH inhibition suppressed neuroblastoma cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, indicating that the inhibition of serine metabolism by PHGDH inhibitors is a therapeutic alternative for neuroblastoma. Inhibiting the arginine metabolism, which is closely related to serine metabolism using arginine deiminase, had a combination effect both in vitro and in vivo, especially on extracellular arginine-dependent neuroblastoma cells with ASS1 deficiency. Expression and metabolome analyses of post-dose cells confirmed the synergistic effects of treatments targeting serine and arginine indicated that xCT inhibitors that inhibit cystine uptake could be candidates for further combinatorial treatment. Our results highlight the rational therapeutic strategy of targeting serine/arginine metabolism for intractable neuroblastoma.

Carbonic anhydrase IX: A tumor acidification switch in heterogeneity and chemokine regulation

The primary physiological process of respiration produces carbon dioxide (CO₂) that reacts with water molecules which subsequently liberates bicarbonate (HCO-₃) and protons. Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are the primary catalyst involved in this conversion. More than 16 isoforms of human CAs show organ or subcellular specific activity. Dysregulation of each CA is associated with multiple pathologies. Out of these members, the overexpression of membrane-bound carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) is associated explicitly with hypoxic tumors or various solid cancers. CAIX helps tumors deal with higher CO₂ by sequestering it with bicarbonate ions and helping cancer cells to grow in a comparatively hypoxic or acidic environment, thus acting as a pH adaptation switch. CAIX-mediated adaptations in cancer cells include angiogenesis, metabolic alterations, tumor heterogeneity, drug resistance, and regulation of cancer-specific chemokines. This review comprehensively collects and describe the cancer-specific expression mechanism and role of CAIX in cancer growth, progression, heterogeneity, and its structural insight to develop future combinatorial targeted cancer therapies.

Alanine serine cysteine transporter (ASCT) substrate binding site properties probed with hydroxyhomoserine esters

The glutamine transporter ASCT2 is highly overexpressed in cancer cells. Block of glutamine uptake by ASCT2 is a potential strategy to inhibit growth of cancer cells. However, pharmacology of the ASCT2 binding site is not well established. In this work, we report the computational docking to the binding site, and the synthesis of a new class of ASCT2 inhibitors based on the novel L-hydroxyhomoserine scaffold. While these compounds inhibit the ASCT2 leak anion conductance, as expected for competitive inhibitors, they did not block leak conductance in glutamate transporters (EAAT1-3 and EAAT5). They were also ineffective with respect to subtype ASCT1, which has >57% amino acid sequence similarity to ASCT2. Molecular docking studies agree very well with the experimental results and suggest specific polar interactions in the ASCT2 binding site. Our findings add to the repertoire of ASCT2 inhibitors and will aid in further studies of ASCT2 pharmacology.

Viscum album mother tinctures: Harvest conditions and host trees influence the plant metabolome and the glycolytic pathway of breast cancer cells

Viscum album is a semi-parasitic plant used for over one hundred years in complementary cancer therapy. The main commercial drugs used in cancer patients' treatment are derived from the aqueous V. album extracts, whose cytotoxic potential is mostly attributed to the aqueous soluble antitumoral metabolites. On the counterpart, ethanol solvents must be used to obtain V. album mother tinctures. This methodology permits better solubilization of phenolic compounds, among others, which present antitumoral bioactivity. Recently, the metabolomics approach revealed the influence of the host tree on the V. album subspecies differentiation. To increase the scientific information about the chemical differences related to the host trees and to clarify the seasonal influences, in this study, the metabolome of 50 V. album mother tinctures from three subspecies (abietis, album, austriacum) and five host trees (Malus domestica, Quercus sp., Ulmus carpinifolia, Pinus sylvestris, Abies alba) was evaluated using summer and winter plant harvests. The in vitro cytotoxic activities were investigated in breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) and immortalized normal human keratinocytes (HaCaT). The summer V. album mother tinctures presented higher cytotoxic activity than winter ones. Among the summer samples, those prepared with V. album subsp. album were more cytotoxic than V. album subsp. abietis and subsp. V. album subsp. austriacum. The V. album harvested from Quercus petraea and Abies alba inhibited the key-glycolytic enzymes: hexokinase (HK), phosphofructokinase (PFK), pyruvate kinase (PK). This activity was related to a reduction in glucose uptake and lactate production, which were host-tree-time-dose-dependent. The untargeted metabolomic approach was able to discriminate the mother tinctures according to respective botanical classes and harvest season. A total of 188 metabolites were annotated under positive and negative modes. Fourteen compounds were responsible for the samples differentiation, and, to the best of our knowledge, eight were described in the Viscum album species for the first time. Our study shows the interruption of the Warburg effect as a novel antitumoral mechanism triggered by V. album mother tinctures, which is related to their metabolite profile. These results bring scientific evidence that encourages the use of V. album mother tinctures as a natural product for cancer therapy.

Seven Fatty Acid Metabolism-Related Genes as Potential Biomarkers for Predicting the Prognosis and Immunotherapy Responses in Patients with Esophageal Cancer

Background: Esophageal cancer (ESCA) is a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Altered fatty acid metabolism is a hallmark of cancer. However, studies on the roles of fatty acid metabolism-related genes (FRGs) in ESCA remain limited. Method: We identified differentially expressed FRGs (DE-FRGs). Then, the DE-FRGs prognostic model was constructed and validated using a comprehensive analysis. Moreover, the correlation between the risk model and clinical characteristics was investigated. A nomogram for predicting survival was established and evaluated. Subsequently, the difference in tumor microenvironment (TME) was compared between two risk groups. The sensitivity of key DE-FRGs to chemotherapeutic interventions and their correlation with immune cells were investigated. Finally, DEGs between two risk groups were measured and the prognostic value of key DE-FRGs in ESCA was confirmed in other databases. Results: A prognostic model was constructed based on seven selected DEG-FRGs. TNM staging and CD8+ T cells were significantly correlated with high-risk groups. Low-risk groups exhibited more infiltrated M0 macrophages, an activation of type II interferon (IFN-γ) responses, and were found to be more suitable for immunotherapy. Seven key DE-FRGs with prognostic value were found to be considerably influenced by different chemotherapy drugs. Conclusion: A prognostic model based on seven DE-FRGs may efficiently predict patient prognosis and immunotherapy response, helping to develop individualized treatment strategies in ESCA.

Scaffold-mediated switching of lymphoma metabolism in culture

BACKGROUND

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and accounts for about a third of all NHL cases. A significant proportion (~40%) of treated DLBCL patients develop refractory or relapsed disease due to drug resistance which can be attributed to metabolomic and genetic variations amongst diverse DLBCL subtypes. An assay platform that reproduces metabolic patterns of DLBCL in vivo could serve as a useful model for DLBCL.

METHODS

This report investigated metabolic functions in 2D and 3D cell cultures using parental and drug-resistant DLBCL cell lines as compared to patient biopsy tissue.

RESULTS

A 3D culture model controlled the proliferation of parental and drug-resistant DLBCL cell lines, SUDHL-10, SUDHL-10 RR (rituximab resistant), and SUDHL-10 OR (obinutuzumab resistant), as well as retained differential sensitivity to CHOP. The results from metabolic profiling and isotope tracer studies with D-glucose-13C6 indicated metabolic switching in 3D culture when compared with a 2D environment. Analysis of DLBCL patient tumor tissue revealed that the metabolic changes in 3D grown cells were shifted towards that of clinical specimens.

CONCLUSION

3D culture restrained DLBCL cell line growth and modulated metabolic pathways that trend towards the biological characteristics of patient tumors. Counter-intuitively, this research thereby contends that 3D matrices can be a tool to control tumor function towards a slower growing and metabolically dormant state that better reflects in vivo tumor physiology.

Identification and validation of a fatty acid metabolism-related lncRNA signature as a predictor for prognosis and immunotherapy in patients with liver cancer

Background

Fatty acid (FA) metabolism is considered the emerging cause of tumor development and metastasis, driving poor prognosis. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are closely related to cancer progression and play important roles in FA metabolism. Thus, the discovery of FA metabolism-related lncRNA signatures to predict outcome and immunotherapy response is critical in improving the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

FA metabolism scores and a FA metabolism-related lncRNA signature were constructed using a single-sample gene set enrichment analysis based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. “ConsensusClusterPlus” was used to screen molecular subtypes. Chi-squared test and Fisher’s exact test were applied to explore the relationship between clinical, genomic mutation characteristics and subtypes. Transcription factor (TF) activity scores, cellular distributions, immune cell infiltration, and immunotherapy response were employed to investigate the functions of FA metabolism-related lncRNA signatures. FA metabolism microarray and western blot were performed to detect the biological function of candidate lncRNAs.

Results

A total of 70 lncRNAs that highly correlated with FA metabolism scores in two cohorts were used to construct two distinct clusters. Patients in cluster 2 had lower FA metabolism scores and worse survival than those in cluster 1. Patients in cluster 2 exhibited a high frequency of DNA damage, gene mutations, oncogenic signaling such as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and a high degree of immune cell infiltration. Moreover, the lncRNA signature could predict the effects of immunotherapy in patients with HCC. Furthermore, three lncRNAs (SNHG1, LINC00261, and SNHG7) were identified that were highly correlated with FA metabolism. Additionally, SNHG1 and SNHG7 were found to regulate various FA metabolism-related genes and ferroptosis-related genes in vitro experiments. GSEA analysis revealed that SNHG1 and SNHG7 promote fatty acid beta-oxidation. SNHG1 and SNHG7 silencing dramatically reduced lipid droplets in HCC cells. Many immune-infiltration genes and TFs were overexpressed in HCC tissues with SNHG1 and SNHG7 high expression.

Conclusions

A novel molecular model of FA metabolism-related lncRNAs was developed, which has significantly prognostic potential in HCC diagnosis and aids in clinical decision making.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-10122-4.

Tissue metabolomics identified new biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis prediction of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is burdened with a low 5-year survival rate and high mortality due to a severe lack of early diagnosis methods and slow progress in treatment options. To improve clinical diagnosis and enhance the treatment effects, we applied metabolomics using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with a high-resolution mass spectrometer (UHPLC-HRMS) to identify and validate metabolite biomarkers from paired tissue samples of PC patients. Results showed that the metabolic reprogramming of PC mainly featured enhanced amino acid metabolism and inhibited sphingolipid metabolism, which satisfied the energy and biomass requirements for tumorigenesis and progression. The altered metabolism results were confirmed by the significantly changed gene expressions in PC tissues from an online database. A metabolites biomarker panel (six metabolites) was identified for the differential diagnosis between PC tumors and normal pancreatic tissues. The panel biomarker distinguished tumors from normal pancreatic tissues in the discovery group with an area under the curve (AUC) of 1.0 (95%CI, 1.000−1.000). The biomarker panel cutoff was 0.776. In the validation group, an AUC of 0.9000 (95%CI = 0.782–1.000) using the same cutoff, successfully validated the biomarker signature. Moreover, this metabolites panel biomarker had a great capability to predict the overall survival (OS) of PC. Taken together, this metabolomics method identifies and validates metabolite biomarkers that can diagnose the onsite progression and prognosis of PC precisely and sensitively in a clinical setting. It may also help clinicians choose proper therapeutic interventions for different PC patients and improve the survival of PC patients.

Metabolic Reprogramming in Hematologic Malignancies: Advances and Clinical Perspectives

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer progression. Metabolic activity supports tumorigenesis and tumor progression, allowing cells to uptake essential nutrients from the environment and use the nutrients to maintain viability and support proliferation. The metabolic pathways of malignant cells are altered to accommodate increased demand for energy, reducing equivalents, and biosynthetic precursors. Activated oncogenes coordinate with altered metabolism to control cell-autonomous pathways, which can lead to tumorigenesis when abnormalities accumulate. Clinical and preclinical studies have shown that targeting metabolic features of hematologic malignancies is an appealing therapeutic approach. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms of metabolic reprogramming in hematologic malignancies and potential therapeutic strategies to target cancer metabolism.

The Metabolomic Approach for the Screening of Endometrial Cancer: Validation from a Large Cohort of Women Scheduled for Gynecological Surgery

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynecological neoplasm in high-income countries. Five-year survival rates are related to stage at diagnosis, but currently, no validated screening tests are available in clinical practice. The metabolome offers an unprecedented overview of the molecules underlying EC. In this study, we aimed to validate a metabolomics signature as a screening test for EC on a large study population of symptomatic women. Serum samples collected from women scheduled for gynecological surgery (n = 691) were separated into training (n = 90), test (n = 38), and validation (n = 563) sets. The training set was used to train seven classification models. The best classification performance during the training phase was the PLS-DA model (96% accuracy). The subsequent screening test was based on an ensemble machine learning algorithm that summed all the voting results of the seven classification models, statistically weighted by each models’ classification accuracy and confidence. The efficiency and accuracy of these models were evaluated using serum samples taken from 871 women who underwent endometrial biopsies. The EC serum metabolomes were characterized by lower levels of serine, glutamic acid, phenylalanine, and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. Our results illustrate that the serum metabolome can be an inexpensive, non-invasive, and accurate EC screening test.

MYCN and Metabolic Reprogramming in Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is a pediatric cancer responsible for approximately 15% of all childhood cancer deaths. Aberrant MYCN activation, as a result of genomic MYCN amplification, is a major driver of high-risk neuroblastoma, which has an overall survival rate of less than 50%, despite the best treatments currently available. Metabolic reprogramming is an integral part of the growth-promoting program driven by MYCN, which fuels cell growth and proliferation by increasing the uptake and catabolism of nutrients, biosynthesis of macromolecules, and production of energy. This reprogramming process also generates metabolic vulnerabilities that can be exploited for therapy. In this review, we present our current understanding of metabolic reprogramming in neuroblastoma, focusing on transcriptional regulation as a key mechanism in driving the reprogramming process. We also highlight some important areas that need to be explored for the successful development of metabolism-based therapy against high-risk neuroblastoma.

A cholesterogenic gene signature for predicting the prognosis of young breast cancer patients

Purpose

We aimed to establish a cholesterogenic gene signature to predict the prognosis of young breast cancer (BC) patients and then verified it using cell line experiments.

Methods

In the bioinformatic section, transcriptional data and corresponding clinical data of young BC patients (age ≤ 45 years) were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database for training set. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were compared between tumour tissue (n = 183) and normal tissue (n = 30). By using univariate Cox regression and multi COX regression, a five-cholesterogenic-gene signature was established to predict prognosis. Subgroup analysis and external validations of GSE131769 from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were performed to verify the signature. Subsequently, in experiment part, cell experiments were performed to further verify the biological roles of the five cholesterogenic genes in BC.

Results

In the bioinformatic section, a total of 97 upregulated genes and 124 downregulated cholesterogenic genes were screened as DEGs in the TCGA for training the model. A risk scoring signature contained five cholesterogenic genes (risk score = -1.169 × GRAMD1C -0.992 × NFKBIA + 0.432 × INHBA + 0.261 × CD24 -0.839 × ACSS2) was established, which could differentiate the prognosis of young BC patients between high-risk and low-risk group (<0.001). The prediction value of chelesterogenic gene signature in excellent with AUC was 0.810 in TCGA dataset. Then the prediction value of the signature was verified in GSE131769 with P = 0.033. In experiment part, although the downregulation of CD24, GRAMD1C and ACSS2 did not significantly affect cell viability, NFKBIA downregulation promoted the viability, colony forming ability and invasion capability of BC cells, while INHBA downregulation had the opposite effects.

Conclusion

The five-cholesterogenic-gene signature had independent prognostic value and robust reliability in predicting the prognosis of young BC patients. The cell experiment results suggested that NFKBIA played a protective role, while INHBA played the pro-cancer role in breast cancer.

Relationship between metabolic reprogramming and drug resistance in breast cancer

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women. At present, chemotherapy is the main method to treat breast cancer in addition to surgery and radiotherapy, but the process of chemotherapy is often accompanied by the development of drug resistance, which leads to a reduction in drug efficacy. Furthermore, mounting evidence indicates that drug resistance is caused by dysregulated cellular metabolism, and metabolic reprogramming, including enhanced glucose metabolism, fatty acid synthesis and glutamine metabolic rates, is one of the hallmarks of cancer. Changes in metabolism have been considered one of the most important causes of resistance to treatment, and knowledge of the mechanisms involved will help in identifying potential treatment deficiencies. To improve women's survival outcomes, it is vital to elucidate the relationship between metabolic reprogramming and drug resistance in breast cancer. This review analyzes and investigates the reprogramming of metabolism and resistance to breast cancer therapy, and the results offer promise for novel targeted and cell-based therapies.

The crosstalk of the human microbiome in breast and colon cancer: A metabolomics analysis

The human microbiome's role in colon and breast cancer is described in this review. Understanding how the human microbiome and metabolomics interact with breast and colon cancer is the chief area of this study. First, the role of the gut and distal microbiome in breast and colon cancer is investigated, and the direct relationship between microbial dysbiosis and breast and colon cancer is highlighted. This work also focuses on the many metabolomic techniques used to locate prospective biomarkers, make an accurate diagnosis, and research new therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. This review clarifies the influence of anti-tumor medications on the microbiota and the proactive measures that can be taken to treat cancer using a variety of therapies, including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, next-generation biotherapeutics, gene-based therapy, integrated omics technology, and machine learning.

Characterizing genes associated with cancer using the CRISPR/Cas9 system: A systematic review of genes and methodological approaches

The CRISPR/Cas9 system enables a versatile set of genomes editing and genetic-based disease modeling tools due to its high specificity, efficiency, and accessible design and implementation. In cancer, the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been used to characterize genes and explore different mechanisms implicated in tumorigenesis. Different experimental strategies have been proposed in recent years, showing dependency on various intrinsic factors such as cancer type, gene function, mutation type, and technical approaches such as cell line, Cas9 expression, and transfection options. However, the successful methodological approaches, genes, and other experimental factors have not been analyzed. We, therefore, initially considered more than 1,300 research articles related to CRISPR/Cas9 in cancer to finally examine more than 400 full-text research publications. We summarize findings regarding target genes, RNA guide designs, cloning, Cas9 delivery systems, cell enrichment, and experimental validations. This analysis provides valuable information and guidance for future cancer gene validation experiments.

Carbonic anhydrase XII as biomarker and therapeutic target in ovarian carcinomas

Targeting the tumor-associated carbonic anhydrase XII (CA XII) is considered a promising strategy to improve cancer treatment. As such progress is highly demanded for ovarian carcinomas, the present study aimed to provide deeper information about their CA XII expression profile. A large collection of tissue specimens was stained immunohistochemically with a specific anti-CA XII antibody to evaluate the expression in neoplastic and non-neoplastic epithelial ovarian cells. In addition, flow cytometry was used to measure CA XII expression on tumor cells from malignant ascites fluid. Binding of the antibody revealed a significant CA XII expression in most ovarian carcinoma tissue samples and ascites-derived ovarian carcinoma cells. Moreover, CA XII was expressed at higher levels in ovarian carcinomas as compared to borderline ovarian tumors and non-neoplastic ovarian epithelia. Within the carcinoma tissues, high expression of CA XII was associated with higher tumor grading and a trend towards shorter overall survival. Our results indicate that CA XII plays a crucial role for the malignancy of ovarian carcinoma cells and emphasize the potential of CA XII as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target in the management of ovarian carcinomas.

Genetic, Metabolic and Immunological Features of Cancers with NRF2 Addiction

Nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-like 2 (NRF2) is a master transcription factor that coordinately regulates the expression of many cytoprotective genes and plays a central role in defense mechanisms against oxidative and electrophilic insults. Although increased NRF2 activity is principally beneficial for our health, NRF2 activation in cancer cells is detrimental. Many human cancers exhibit persistent NRF2 activation and such cancer cells rely on NRF2 for most of their malignant characteristics, such as therapeutic resistance and aggressive tumorigenesis, and thus fall into NRF2 addiction. The persistent activation of NRF2 confers great advantages on cancer cells, whereas it is not tolerated by normal cells, suggesting that certain requirements are necessary for a cell to exploit NRF2 and evolve into malignant a cancer cell. In this review, recent reports and data on the genetic, metabolic and immunological features of NRF2-activated cancer cells are summarized, and prerequisites for NRF2 addiction in cancer cells and their therapeutic applications are discussed.

A New Strategy to Fight Metallodrug Resistance: Mitochondria-Relevant Treatment through Mitophagy to Inhibit Metabolic Adaptations of Cancer Cells

Metabolic adaptations can help cancer cells to escape from chemotherapeutics, mainly involving autophagy and ATP production. Herein, we report a new rhein-based cyclometalated Ir^III complex, Ir-Rhein, that can accurately target mitochondria and effectively inhibit metabolic adaptations. The complex Ir-Rhein induces severe mitochondrial damage and initiates mitophagy to reduce the number of mitochondria and subsequently inhibit both mitochondrial and glycolytic bioenergetics, which eventually leads to ATP starvation death. Moreover, Ir-Rhein can overcome cisplatin resistance. Co-incubation experiment, 3D tumor spheroids experiment and transcriptome analysis reveal that Ir-Rhein shows promising antiproliferation performance for cisplatin-resistant cancer cells with the regulation of platinum resistance-related transporters. To our knowledge, this is a new strategy to overcome metallodrug resistance with a mitochondria-relevant treatment.

Gasotransmitters in the tumor microenvironment: Impacts on cancer chemotherapy (Review)

Nitric oxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide are three endogenous gasotransmitters that serve a role in regulating normal and pathological cellular activities. They can stimulate or inhibit cancer cell proliferation and invasion, as well as interfere with cancer cell responses to drug treatments. Understanding the molecular pathways governing the interactions between these gases and the tumor microenvironment can be utilized for the identification of a novel technique to disrupt cancer cell interactions and may contribute to the conception of effective and safe cancer therapy strategies. The present review discusses the effects of these gases in modulating the action of chemotherapies, as well as prospective pharmacological and therapeutic interfering approaches. A deeper knowledge of the mechanisms that underpin the cellular and pharmacological effects, as well as interactions, of each of the three gases could pave the way for therapeutic treatments and translational research.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy: A Potential Treatment Targeting Pathological Manifestations of Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) makes up a large proportion of acute brain injuries and is a major cause of disability globally. Its complicated etiology and pathogenesis mainly include primary injury and secondary injury over time, which can cause cognitive deficits, physical disabilities, mood changes, and impaired verbal communication. Recently, mesenchymal stromal cell- (MSC-) based therapy has shown significant therapeutic potential to target TBI-induced pathological processes, such as oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, apoptosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction. In this review, we discuss the main pathological processes of TBI and summarize the underlying mechanisms of MSC-based TBI treatment. We also discuss research progress in the field of MSC therapy in TBI as well as major shortcomings and the great potential shown.

The Role of SLC7A11 in Cancer: Friend or Foe?

SLC7A11 controls the uptake of extracellular cystine in exchange for glutamate at a ratio of 1:1, and it is overexpressed in a variety of tumours. Accumulating evidence has shown that the expression of SLC7A11 is fine-tuned at multiple levels, and plays diverse functional and pharmacological roles in tumours, such as cellular redox homeostasis, cell growth and death, and cell metabolism. Many reports have suggested that the inhibition of SLC7A11 expression and activity is favourable for tumour therapy; thus, SLC7A11 is regarded as a potential therapeutic target. However, emerging evidence also suggests that on some occasions, the inhibition of SLC7A11 is beneficial to the survival of cancer cells, and confers the development of drug resistance. In this review, we first briefly introduce the biological properties of SLC7A11, including its structure and physiological functions, and further summarise its regulatory network and potential regulators. Then, focusing on its role in cancer, we describe the relationships of SLC7A11 with tumourigenesis, survival, proliferation, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance in more detail. Finally, since SLC7A11 has been linked to cancer through multiple approaches, we propose that its contribution and regulatory mechanism require further elucidation. Thus, more personalised therapeutic strategies should be adapted when targeting SLC7A11.

Metabolomic and Transcriptomic Profiling Identified Significant Genes in Thymic Epithelial Tumor

Thymomas and thymic carcinomas are malignant thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) with poor outcomes if non-resectable. However, the tumorigenesis, especially the metabolic mechanisms involved, is poorly studied. Untargeted metabolomics analysis was utilized to screen for differential metabolic profiles between thymic cancerous tissues and adjunct noncancerous tissues. Combined with transcriptomic data, we comprehensively evaluated the metabolic patterns of TETs. Metabolic scores were constructed to quantify the metabolic patterns of individual tumors. Subsequent investigation of distinct clinical outcomes and the immune landscape associated with the metabolic scores was conducted. Two distinct metabolic patterns and differential metabolic scores were identified between TETs, which were enriched in a variety of biological pathways and correlated with clinical outcomes. In particular, a high metabolic score was highly associated with poorer survival outcomes and immunosuppressive status. More importantly, the expression of two prognostic genes (ASNS and BLVRA) identified from differential metabolism-related genes was significantly associated with patient survival and may play a key role in the tumorigenesis of TETs. Our findings suggest that differential metabolic patterns in TETs are relevant to tumorigenesis and clinical outcome. Specific transcriptomic alterations in differential metabolism-related genes may serve as predictive biomarkers of survival outcomes and potential targets for the treatment of patients with TETs.

Deletion of Lactate Dehydrogenase-A Impairs Oncogene-Induced Mouse Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a multistep process whereby abnormally proliferating cancer cells undergo extensive metabolic reprogramming. Metabolic alterations in hepatocarcinogenesis depend on the activation of specific oncogenes, thus partially explaining HCC heterogeneity. c-Myc oncogene overexpression, frequently observed in human HCCs, leads to a metabolic rewiring toward a Warburg phenotype and production of lactate, resulting in the acidification of the extracellular space, favoring the emergence of an immune-permissive tumor microenvironment. Here, we investigated whether Ldha genetic ablation interferes with metabolic reprogramming and HCC development in the mouse.

METHODS

We characterized the metabolic reprogramming in tumors induced in C57BL/6J mice hydrodynamically cotransfected with c-Myc and h-Ras. Using the same experimental model, we investigated the effect of Ldha inhibition-gained through the inducible and hepatocyte-specific Ldha knockout-on cancer cell metabolic reprogramming, number and size of HCC lesions, and tumor microenvironment alterations.

RESULTS

c-Myc/h-Ras-driven tumors display a striking glycolytic metabolism, suggesting a switch to a Warburg phenotype. The tumors also exhibited enhanced pentose phosphate pathway activity, the switch of glutamine to sustain glutathione synthesis instead of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and the impairment of oxidative phosphorylation. In addition, Ldha abrogation significantly hampered tumor number and size together with an evident inhibition of the Warburg-like metabolic feature and a remarkable increase of CD4+ lymphocytes compared with Ldha wild-type livers.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate that Ldha deletion significantly impairs mouse HCC development and suggest lactate dehydrogenase as a potential target to enhance the efficacy of the current therapeutic options.

Metabolic reprogramming: a bridge between aging and tumorigenesis

Aging is the most robust risk factor for cancer development, with more than 60% of cancers occurring in those aged 60 and above. However, how aging and tumorigenesis are intertwined is poorly understood and a matter of significant debate. Metabolic changes are hallmarks of both aging and tumorigenesis. The deleterious consequences of aging include dysfunctional cellular processes, the build‐up of metabolic byproducts and waste molecules in circulation and within tissues, and stiffer connective tissues that impede blood flow and oxygenation. Collectively, these age‐driven changes lead to metabolic reprogramming in different cell types of a given tissue that significantly affects their cellular functions. Here, we put forward the idea that metabolic changes that happen during aging help create a favorable environment for tumorigenesis. We review parallels in metabolic changes that happen during aging and how these changes function both as adaptive mechanisms that enable the development of malignant phenotypes in a cell‐autonomous manner and as mechanisms that suppress immune surveillance, collectively creating the perfect environment for cancers to thrive. Hence, antiaging therapeutic strategies that target the metabolic reprogramming that occurs as we age might provide new opportunities to prevent cancer initiation and/or improve responses to standard‐of‐care anticancer therapies.

Glycolytic and fatty acid oxidation genes affect the treatment and prognosis of liver cancer

BACKGROUND

Metabolic reprogramming is a feature of tumour cells and is essential to support their rapid proliferation. The glycolytic activity of liver cancer cells is significantly higher than that of normal liver cells, and the rapidly proliferating tumour cells are powered by aerobic glycolysis. Lipid metabolism reprogramming enables tumour cells to meet their needs for highly proliferative growth and is an important driving force for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

AIM

To explore the influence of different metabolic subtypes of HCC and analyse their significance in guiding prognosis and treatment based on the molecular mechanism of glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation (FAO).

METHODS

By downloading related data from public databases including the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the Molecular Signatures Database, and International Cancer Genome Consortium, we utilised unsupervised consensus clustering to divide TCGA Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma samples into four metabolic subgroups and compared single nucleotide polymorphism, copy number variation, tumour microenvironment, and Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer and Tumour Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion between different metabolites. The differences and causes of survival and the clinical characteristics between them were analysed, and a prognostic model was established based on glycolysis and FAO genes. Combined with the clinical features, a Norman diagram was created to compare the pros and cons of each model.

RESULTS

In the four metabolic subgroups, with the increase in glycolytic expression, the median survival of patients showed the worst results, while FAO showed the best. When comparing the follow-up analysis of each group, we considered that the differences between them might be related to reactive oxygen species, somatic copy number variation of key genes, and immune microenvironment. It was also found that the FAO group and the low-risk group had better efficacy and response to immune checkpoint blockade treatment and anti-tumour drugs.

CONCLUSION

There are obvious differences in genes, chromosomes, and clinical characteristics between metabolic subgroups. The establishment of a prognostic model could predict patient prognosis and guide clinical treatment.

Hydrogen Sulfide Biology and Its Role in Cancer

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an endogenous biologically active gas produced in mammalian tissues. It plays a very critical role in many pathophysiological processes in the body. It can be endogenously produced through many enzymes analogous to the cysteine family, while the exogenous source may involve inorganic sulfide salts. H2S has recently been well investigated with regard to the onset of various carcinogenic diseases such as lung, breast, ovaries, colon cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders. H2S is considered an oncogenic gas, and a potential therapeutic target for treating and diagnosing cancers, due to its role in mediating the development of tumorigenesis. Here in this review, an in-detail up-to-date explanation of the potential role of H2S in different malignancies has been reported. The study summarizes the synthesis of H2S, its roles, signaling routes, expressions, and H2S release in various malignancies. Considering the critical importance of this active biological molecule, we believe this review in this esteemed journal will highlight the oncogenic role of H2S in the scientific community.

Visual barcodes for clonal-multiplexing of live microscopy-based assays

While multiplexing samples using DNA barcoding revolutionized the pace of biomedical discovery, multiplexing of live imaging-based applications has been limited by the number of fluorescent proteins that can be deconvoluted using common microscopy equipment. To address this limitation, we develop visual barcodes that discriminate the clonal identity of single cells by different fluorescent proteins that are targeted to specific subcellular locations. We demonstrate that deconvolution of these barcodes is highly accurate and robust to many cellular perturbations. We then use visual barcodes to generate ‘Signalome’ cell-lines by mixing 12 clones of different live reporters into a single population, allowing simultaneous monitoring of the activity in 12 branches of signaling, at clonal resolution, over time. Using the ‘Signalome’ we identify two distinct clusters of signaling pathways that balance growth and proliferation, emphasizing the importance of growth homeostasis as a central organizing principle in cancer signaling. The ability to multiplex samples in live imaging applications, both in vitro and in vivo may allow better high-content characterization of complex biological systems.

Multiplex analyses of samples allow understanding complex processes in cancer initiation, progression and therapy response. Here, the authors present a fluorescence imaging-based visual barcode for livecell clonal-multiplexing which allows identifying signalling pathways clusters in response to different chemotherapy compounds.

Boosting nutrient starvation-dominated cancer therapy through curcumin-augmented mitochondrial Ca2+ overload and obatoclax-mediated autophagy inhibition as supported by a novel nano-modulator GO-Alg@CaP/CO

BACKGROUND

By hindering energy supply pathway for cancer cells, an alternative therapeutic strategy modality is put forward: tumor starvation therapy. And yet only in this blockade of glucose supply which is far from enough to result in sheer apoptosis of cancer cells.

RESULTS

In an effort to boost nutrient starvation-dominated cancer therapy, here a novel mitochondrial Ca²⁺ modulator Alg@CaP were tailor-made for the immobilization of Glucose oxidase for depriving the intra-tumoral glucose, followed by the loading of Curcumin to augment mitochondrial Ca²⁺ overload to maximize the therapeutic efficiency of cancer starvation therapy via mitochondrial dysfunctions. Also, autophagy inhibitors Obatoclax were synchronously incorporated in this nano-modulator to highlight autophagy inhibition.

CONCLUSION

Here, a promising complementary modality for the trebling additive efficacy of starvation therapy was described for cutting off the existing energy sources in starvation therapy through Curcumin-augmented mitochondrial Ca²⁺ overload and Obatoclax-mediated autophagy inhibition.