101
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Zhang G, Shu Z, Yu J, Li J, Yi P, Wu B, Deng D, Yan S, Li Y, Ren D, Hou Y, Lan C. High ANO1 expression is a prognostic factor and correlated with an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1341209. [PMID: 38352864 PMCID: PMC10861777 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1341209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Aminooctylamine (ANO1) plays an oncogenic role in various cancers. However. its role in pancreatic cancer (PC) has rarely been studied. This study investigated the prognostic value of ANO1 and its correlation with the tumor microenvironment (TME) in PC. Methods Consecutive patients with PC (n = 119) were enrolled. The expression of ANO1 in cancer cells, the expression of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and alpha smooth muscle actin in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and the numbers of CD8- and FOXP3-positive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were evaluated using immunohistochemistry. The prognostic value of ANO1 and its correlation with CAF subgroups and TILs were analyzed. The possible mechanism of ANO1 in the TME of PC was predicted using the the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. Results The expression of AN01 was correlated with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival. Multi-factor analysis showed that high ANO1 expression was an independent adverse prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio, 4.137; P = 0.001). ANO1 expression was positively correlated with the expression of FAP in CAFs (P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with the number of CD8-positive TILs (P = 0.005), which was also validated by bioinformatics analysis in the TCGA dataset. Moreover, bioinformatic analysis of the TCGA dataset revealed that ANO1 may induce an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer in a paracrine manner. Conclusion ANO1 is a prognostic factor in patients with PC after radical resection. ANO1 may induce an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in PC in a paracrine manner, suggesting that ANO1 may be a novel therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangnian Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Zhihui Shu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Jun Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Jianshui Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Pengsheng Yi
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Bin Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Dawei Deng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Shu Yan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Yong Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Dongmei Ren
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Yifu Hou
- Department of Organ Transplantation, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Clinical Immunology Translational Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & Organ Transplantation Center, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Chuan Lan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
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Bigos KJA, Quiles CG, Lunj S, Smith DJ, Krause M, Troost EGC, West CM, Hoskin P, Choudhury A. Tumour response to hypoxia: understanding the hypoxic tumour microenvironment to improve treatment outcome in solid tumours. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1331355. [PMID: 38352889 PMCID: PMC10861654 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1331355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia is a common feature of solid tumours affecting their biology and response to therapy. One of the main transcription factors activated by hypoxia is hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), which regulates the expression of genes involved in various aspects of tumourigenesis including proliferative capacity, angiogenesis, immune evasion, metabolic reprogramming, extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling, and cell migration. This can negatively impact patient outcomes by inducing therapeutic resistance. The importance of hypoxia is clearly demonstrated by continued research into finding clinically relevant hypoxia biomarkers, and hypoxia-targeting therapies. One of the problems is the lack of clinically applicable methods of hypoxia detection, and lack of standardisation. Additionally, a lot of the methods of detecting hypoxia do not take into consideration the complexity of the hypoxic tumour microenvironment (TME). Therefore, this needs further elucidation as approximately 50% of solid tumours are hypoxic. The ECM is important component of the hypoxic TME, and is developed by both cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and tumour cells. However, it is important to distinguish the different roles to develop both biomarkers and novel compounds. Fibronectin (FN), collagen (COL) and hyaluronic acid (HA) are important components of the ECM that create ECM fibres. These fibres are crosslinked by specific enzymes including lysyl oxidase (LOX) which regulates the stiffness of tumours and induces fibrosis. This is partially regulated by HIFs. The review highlights the importance of understanding the role of matrix stiffness in different solid tumours as current data shows contradictory results on the impact on therapeutic resistance. The review also indicates that further research is needed into identifying different CAF subtypes and their exact roles; with some showing pro-tumorigenic capacity and others having anti-tumorigenic roles. This has made it difficult to fully elucidate the role of CAFs within the TME. However, it is clear that this is an important area of research that requires unravelling as current strategies to target CAFs have resulted in worsened prognosis. The role of immune cells within the tumour microenvironment is also discussed as hypoxia has been associated with modulating immune cells to create an anti-tumorigenic environment. Which has led to the development of immunotherapies including PD-L1. These hypoxia-induced changes can confer resistance to conventional therapies, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the impact of hypoxia on the TME and its implications for therapy resistance. It also discusses the potential of hypoxia biomarkers as prognostic and predictive indictors of treatment response, as well as the challenges and opportunities of targeting hypoxia in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamilla JA. Bigos
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Conrado G. Quiles
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Sapna Lunj
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Danielle J. Smith
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Mechthild Krause
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Dresden and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- OncoRay – National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiooncology and Clinical Radiotherapy, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiation Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiooncology and Clinical Radiotherapy and Image-guided High Precision Radiotherapy, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiooncology and Clinical Radiotherapy and Image-guided High Precision Radiotherapy, Helmholtz Association / Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- School of Medicine, Technische Universitat Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Esther GC. Troost
- OncoRay – National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiation Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiooncology and Clinical Radiotherapy and Image-guided High Precision Radiotherapy, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiooncology and Clinical Radiotherapy and Image-guided High Precision Radiotherapy, Helmholtz Association / Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- School of Medicine, Technische Universitat Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Institute of Radiooncology – OncoRay, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Rossendorf, Germany
| | - Catharine M. West
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Christie Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Hoskin
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, Northwood, United Kingdom
| | - Ananya Choudhury
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, Germany
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Zhang J, Tang K, Liu Z, Zhang Z, Duan S, Wang H, Yang H, Yang D, Fan W. Tumor microenvironment-responsive degradable silica nanoparticles: design principles and precision theranostic applications. NANOSCALE HORIZONS 2024; 9:186-214. [PMID: 38164973 DOI: 10.1039/d3nh00388d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Silica nanoparticles have emerged as promising candidates in the field of nanomedicine due to their remarkable versatility and customizable properties. However, concerns about their potential toxicity in healthy tissues and organs have hindered their widespread clinical translation. To address this challenge, significant attention has been directed toward a specific subset of silica nanoparticles, namely degradable silica nanoparticles, primarily because of their excellent biocompatibility and responsive biodegradability. In this review, we provide a comprehensive understanding of degradable silica nanoparticles, categorizing them into two distinct groups: inorganic species-doped and organic moiety-doped silica nanoparticles based on their framework components. Next, the recent progress of tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive degradable silica nanoparticles for precision theranostic applications is summarized in detail. Finally, current bottlenecks and future opportunities of theranostic nanomedicines based on degradable silica nanoparticles in clinical applications are also outlined and discussed. The aim of this comprehensive review is to shed light on the potential of degradable silica nanoparticles in addressing current challenges in nanomedicine, offering insights into their design, applications in tumor diagnosis and treatment, and paving the way for future advancements in clinical theranostic nanomedicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Zhang
- School of Fundamental Sciences, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, P. R. China.
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Kaiyuan Tang
- School of Fundamental Sciences, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, P. R. China.
| | - Zilu Liu
- School of Fundamental Sciences, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, P. R. China.
| | - Zhijing Zhang
- School of Fundamental Sciences, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, P. R. China.
| | - Shufan Duan
- School of Fundamental Sciences, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, P. R. China.
| | - Hui Wang
- School of Fundamental Sciences, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, P. R. China.
| | - Hui Yang
- School of Fundamental Sciences, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, P. R. China.
| | - Dongliang Yang
- Nanjing Polytechnic Institute, Nanjing 210048, P. R. China.
| | - Wenpei Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases, Center of Advanced Pharmaceuticals and Biomaterials, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, P. R. China.
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Lyu SI, Johannsen J, Simon AG, Knipper K, Wuerdemann N, Sharma SJ, Thelen M, Hansen KK, Fretter C, Klasen C, Esser J, Suchan MC, Abing H, Zimmermann PH, Schultheis AM, Schloesser HA, Klussmann JP, Quaas A, Eckel HNC. Co-expression patterns of cancer associated fibroblast markers reveal distinct subgroups related to patient survival in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1337361. [PMID: 38328551 PMCID: PMC10847231 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1337361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: The incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is rapidly increasing in high income countries due to its association with persistent high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. Recent scientific advances have highlighted the importance of the tumor microenvironment in OPSCC. In this study, including 216 OPSCC patients, we analyze the composition of four established markers of cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the context of intratumoral CD8 T-cell infiltration. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining for fibroblast activation protein (FAP), platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRb), periostin, alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and CD8 were analyzed digitally and their association with survival, tumor- and patient characteristics was assessed. Results: Co-expression of CAF markers was frequent but not associated with HPV status. FAPhigh and PDGFRbhigh expression were associated with increased CD8 T-cell infiltration. Low expression of PDGFRb improved patient survival in female patients but not in male patients. We identified PDGFRblow periostinlow α-SMAlow status as an independent predictor of improved survival (hazard ratio 0.377, p = 0.006). Conclusion: These findings elucidate the co-expression of four established CAF markers in OPSCC and underscore their association with T-cell infiltration and patient survival. Future analyses of CAF subgroups in OPSCC may enable the development of individualized therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Ir Lyu
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jannik Johannsen
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Adrian Georg Simon
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Karl Knipper
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nora Wuerdemann
- Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Shachi Jenny Sharma
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Martin Thelen
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kevin Karl Hansen
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Caroline Fretter
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Charlotte Klasen
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Julia Esser
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Malte Christian Suchan
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Helen Abing
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Philipp Heinrich Zimmermann
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Anne Maria Schultheis
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hans Anton Schloesser
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jens Peter Klussmann
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alexander Quaas
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hans Nikolaus Caspar Eckel
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Feng P, Xue X, Bukhari I, Qiu C, Li Y, Zheng P, Mi Y. Gut microbiota and its therapeutic implications in tumor microenvironment interactions. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1287077. [PMID: 38322318 PMCID: PMC10844568 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1287077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of cancer is not just the growth and proliferation of a single transformed cell, but its tumor microenvironment (TME) also coevolves with it, which is primarily involved in tumor initiation, development, metastasis, and therapeutic responses. Recent years, TME has been emerged as a potential target for cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, the clinical efficacy of treatments targeting the TME, especially its specific components, remains insufficient. In parallel, the gut microbiome is an essential TME component that is crucial in cancer immunotherapy. Thus, assessing and constructing frameworks between the gut microbiota and the TME can significantly enhance the exploration of effective treatment strategies for various tumors. In this review the role of the gut microbiota in human cancers, including its function and relationship with various tumors was summarized. In addition, the interaction between the gut microbiota and the TME as well as its potential applications in cancer therapeutics was described. Furthermore, it was summarized that fecal microbiota transplantation, dietary adjustments, and synthetic biology to introduce gut microbiota-based medical technologies for cancer treatment. This review provides a comprehensive summary for uncovering the mechanism underlying the effects of the gut microbiota on the TME and lays a foundation for the development of personalized medicine in further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengya Feng
- Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori, Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer of Henan Province, Marshall Medical Research Center, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Children Rehabilitation Medicine, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xia Xue
- Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori, Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer of Henan Province, Marshall Medical Research Center, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ihtisham Bukhari
- Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori, Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer of Henan Province, Marshall Medical Research Center, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Chunjing Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori, Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer of Henan Province, Marshall Medical Research Center, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yingying Li
- Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori, Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer of Henan Province, Marshall Medical Research Center, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Pengyuan Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori, Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer of Henan Province, Marshall Medical Research Center, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yang Mi
- Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori, Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer of Henan Province, Marshall Medical Research Center, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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Schwartz-Duval A, Mackeyev Y, Mahmud I, Lorenzi PL, Gagea M, Krishnan S, Sokolov KV. Intratumoral Biosynthesis of Gold Nanoclusters by Pancreatic Cancer to Overcome Delivery Barriers to Radiosensitization. ACS NANO 2024; 18:1865-1881. [PMID: 38206058 PMCID: PMC10811688 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c04260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Nanoparticle delivery to solid tumors is a prime challenge in nanomedicine. Here, we approach this challenge through the lens of biogeochemistry, the field that studies the flow of chemical elements within ecosystems as manipulated by living cellular organisms and their environments. We leverage biogeochemistry concepts related to gold cycling against pancreatic cancer, considering mammalian organisms as drivers for gold nanoparticle biosynthesis. Sequestration of gold nanoparticles within tumors has been demonstrated as an effective strategy to enhance radiotherapy; however, the desmoplasia of pancreatic cancer impedes nanoparticle delivery. Our strategy overcomes this barrier by applying an atomic-scale agent, ionic gold, for intratumoral gold nanoparticle biosynthesis. Our comprehensive studies showed the cancer-specific synthesis of gold nanoparticles from externally delivered gold ions in vitro and in a murine pancreatic cancer model in vivo; a substantial colocalization of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) with cancer cell nuclei in vitro and in vivo; a strong radiosensitization effect by the intracellularly synthesized GNPs; a uniform distribution of in situ synthesized GNPs throughout the tumor volume; a nearly 40-day total suppression of tumor growth in animal models of pancreatic cancer treated with a combination of gold ions and radiation that was also associated with a significantly higher median survival versus radiation alone (235 vs 102 days, respectively).
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron
S. Schwartz-Duval
- Department
of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas
MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Yuri Mackeyev
- Vivian
L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, University
of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Iqbal Mahmud
- Department
of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Philip L. Lorenzi
- Department
of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Mihai Gagea
- Department
of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery, The
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Sunil Krishnan
- Vivian
L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery, University
of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Konstantin V. Sokolov
- Department
of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas
MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
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Xiong J, Xiao R, Zhao J, Zhao Q, Luo M, Li F, Zhang W, Wu M. Matrix stiffness affects tumor-associated macrophage functional polarization and its potential in tumor therapy. J Transl Med 2024; 22:85. [PMID: 38246995 PMCID: PMC10800063 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04810-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays critical roles in cytoskeletal support, biomechanical transduction and biochemical signal transformation. Tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) function is regulated by matrix stiffness in solid tumors and is often associated with poor prognosis. ECM stiffness-induced mechanical cues can activate cell membrane mechanoreceptors and corresponding mechanotransducers in the cytoplasm, modulating the phenotype of TAMs. Currently, tuning TAM polarization through matrix stiffness-induced mechanical stimulation has received increasing attention, whereas its effect on TAM fate has rarely been summarized. A better understanding of the relationship between matrix stiffness and macrophage function will contribute to the development of new strategies for cancer therapy. In this review, we first introduced the overall relationship between macrophage polarization and matrix stiffness, analyzed the changes in mechanoreceptors and mechanotransducers mediated by matrix stiffness on macrophage function and tumor progression, and finally summarized the effects of targeting ECM stiffness on tumor prognosis to provide insight into this new field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqiang Xiong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Rourou Xiao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Jiahui Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Qiuyan Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Manwen Luo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Feng Li
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Wuhan, 430071, China.
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
| | - Meng Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430032, China.
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Dunbar KJ, Wong KK, Rustgi AK. Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Esophageal Cancer. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024; 17:687-695. [PMID: 38246591 PMCID: PMC10958110 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2024.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), a heterogenous population, can promote cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, immunosuppression, and therapeutic resistance in solid tumors. These effects are mediated through secretion of cytokines and growth factors, remodeling of the extracellular matrix, and providing metabolic support for cancer cells. The presence of CAFs in esophageal carcinoma are associated with reduced overall survival and increased resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy; thus, identifying therapeutic vulnerabilities of CAFs is a necessity. In esophageal cancer, the mechanisms for CAF recruitment, CAF-mediated promotion of tumorigenesis, metastatic dissemination, and therapeutic resistance have yet to be fully evaluated. Here, we provide an overview of the current understanding of CAFs in esophageal cancer, namely in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal adenocarcinoma, as well as in the preneoplastic conditions that predispose to these cancers. Interestingly, there is a discrepancy in our knowledge of CAF biology between esophageal cancer subtypes, with very few studies in esophageal adenocarcinoma, and its precursor lesion Barrett's esophagus, compared with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. We propose that although great strides have been made, certain questions remain to which answers hopefully will emerge to have an impact on biomarker diagnostics and translational therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen J Dunbar
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Kwok K Wong
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York
| | - Anil K Rustgi
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York.
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109
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Li C, Guo H, Zhai P, Yan M, Liu C, Wang X, Shi C, Li J, Tong T, Zhang Z, Ma H, Zhang J. Spatial and Single-Cell Transcriptomics Reveal a Cancer-Associated Fibroblast Subset in HNSCC That Restricts Infiltration and Antitumor Activity of CD8+ T Cells. Cancer Res 2024; 84:258-275. [PMID: 37930937 PMCID: PMC10790129 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-1448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Although immunotherapy can prolong survival in some patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), the response rate remains low. Clarification of the critical mechanisms regulating CD8+ T-cell infiltration and dysfunction in the tumor microenvironment could help maximize the benefit of immunotherapy for treating HNSCC. Here, we performed spatial transcriptomic analysis of HNSCC specimens with differing immune infiltration and single-cell RNA sequencing of five pairs of tumor and adjacent tissues, revealing specific cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) subsets related to CD8+ T-cell infiltration restriction and dysfunction. These CAFs exhibited high expression of CXCLs (CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL12) and MHC-I and enrichment of galectin-9 (Gal9). The proportion of MHC-IhiGal9+ CAFs was inversely correlated with abundance of a TCF1+GZMK+ subset of CD8+ T cells. Gal9 on CAFs induced CD8+ T-cell dysfunction and decreased the proportion of tumor-infiltrating TCF1+CD8+ T cells. Collectively, the identification of MHC-IhiGal9+ CAFs advances the understanding of the precise role of CAFs in cancer immune evasion and paves the way for more effective immunotherapy for HNSCC. SIGNIFICANCE Spatial analysis identifies IFN-induced MHC-IhiGal9+ CAFs that form a trap for CD8+ T cells, providing insights into the complex networks in the tumor microenvironment that regulate T-cell infiltration and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuwen Li
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- National Center for Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Center of Head and Neck Oncology Clinical and Translational Science, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Haiyan Guo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Peisong Zhai
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- National Center for Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Center of Head and Neck Oncology Clinical and Translational Science, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Yan
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- National Center for Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Center of Head and Neck Oncology Clinical and Translational Science, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Chun Liu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- National Center for Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Center of Head and Neck Oncology Clinical and Translational Science, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoning Wang
- Department of Oral Pathology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Chaoji Shi
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- National Center for Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Center of Head and Neck Oncology Clinical and Translational Science, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiang Li
- Department of Oral Pathology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Tong Tong
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiyuan Zhang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- National Center for Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Center of Head and Neck Oncology Clinical and Translational Science, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Research Unit of Oral and Maxillofacial Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Hailong Ma
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- National Center for Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Center of Head and Neck Oncology Clinical and Translational Science, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- College of Stomatology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- National Center for Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai Center of Head and Neck Oncology Clinical and Translational Science, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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110
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Brooks A, Zhang Y, Chen J, Zhao CX. Cancer Metastasis-on-a-Chip for Modeling Metastatic Cascade and Drug Screening. Adv Healthc Mater 2024:e2302436. [PMID: 38224141 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202302436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Microfluidic chips are valuable tools for studying intricate cellular and cell-microenvironment interactions. Traditional in vitro cancer models lack accuracy in mimicking the complexities of in vivo tumor microenvironment. However, cancer-metastasis-on-a-chip (CMoC) models combine the advantages of 3D cultures and microfluidic technology, serving as powerful platforms for exploring cancer mechanisms and facilitating drug screening. These chips are able to compartmentalize the metastatic cascade, deepening the understanding of its underlying mechanisms. This article provides an overview of current CMoC models, focusing on distinctive models that simulate invasion, intravasation, circulation, extravasation, and colonization, and their applications in drug screening. Furthermore, challenges faced by CMoC and microfluidic technologies are discussed, while exploring promising future directions in cancer research. The ongoing development and integration of these models into cancer studies are expected to drive transformative advancements in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Brooks
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5005, Australia
| | - Yali Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5005, Australia
| | - Jiezhong Chen
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5005, Australia
| | - Chun-Xia Zhao
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5005, Australia
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111
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Ghosh A, Mitra AK. Metastasis and cancer associated fibroblasts: taking it up a NOTCH. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 11:1277076. [PMID: 38269089 PMCID: PMC10806909 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1277076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is the least understood aspect of cancer biology. 90% of cancer related deaths occur due extensive metastatic burden in patients. Apart from metastasizing cancer cells, the pro-tumorigenic and pro-metastatic role of the tumor stroma plays a crucial part in this complex process often leading to disease relapse and therapy resistance. Cellular signaling processes play a crucial role in the process of tumorigenesis and metastasis when aberrantly turned on, not just in the cancer cells, but also in the cells of the tumor microenvironment (TME). One of the most conserved pathways includes the Notch signaling pathway that plays a crucial role in the development and progression of many cancers. In addition to its well documented role in cancer cells, recent evidence suggests crucial involvement of Notch signaling in the stroma as well. This review aims to highlight the current findings focusing on the oncogenic role of notch signaling in cancer cells and the TME, with a specific focus on cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which constitute a major part of the tumor stroma and are important for tumor progression. Recent efforts have focused on the development of anti-cancer and anti-metastatic therapies targeting TME. Understanding the importance of Notch signaling in the TME would help identify important drivers for stromal reprogramming, metastasis and importantly, drive future research in the effort to develop TME-targeted therapies utilizing Notch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Argha Ghosh
- Indiana University School of Medicine-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
- Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Anirban K. Mitra
- Indiana University School of Medicine-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
- Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
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112
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Mucciolo G, Araos Henríquez J, Jihad M, Pinto Teles S, Manansala JS, Li W, Ashworth S, Lloyd EG, Cheng PSW, Luo W, Anand A, Sawle A, Piskorz A, Biffi G. EGFR-activated myofibroblasts promote metastasis of pancreatic cancer. Cancer Cell 2024; 42:101-118.e11. [PMID: 38157863 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a dismal prognosis. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are recognized potential therapeutic targets, but poor understanding of these heterogeneous cell populations has limited the development of effective treatment strategies. We previously identified transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) as a main driver of myofibroblastic CAFs (myCAFs). Here, we show that epidermal growth factor receptor/Erb-B2 receptor (EGFR/ERBB2) signaling is induced by TGF-β in myCAFs through an autocrine process mediated by amphiregulin. Inhibition of this EGFR/ERBB2-signaling network in PDAC organoid-derived cultures and mouse models differentially impacts distinct CAF subtypes, providing insights into mechanisms underpinning their heterogeneity. Remarkably, EGFR-activated myCAFs promote PDAC metastasis in mice, unmasking functional significance in myCAF heterogeneity. Finally, analyses of other cancer datasets suggest that these processes might operate in other malignancies. These data provide functional relevance to myCAF heterogeneity and identify a candidate target for preventing tumor invasion in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Mucciolo
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Joaquín Araos Henríquez
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Muntadher Jihad
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Sara Pinto Teles
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Judhell S Manansala
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Wenlong Li
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Sally Ashworth
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Eloise G Lloyd
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Priscilla S W Cheng
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Weike Luo
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Akanksha Anand
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Ashley Sawle
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Anna Piskorz
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Giulia Biffi
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK.
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113
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Fontana GA, MacArthur MR, Rotankova N, Di Filippo M, Beer HD, Gahlon HL. The mitochondrial DNA common deletion as a potential biomarker of cancer-associated fibroblasts from skin basal and squamous cell carcinomas. Sci Rep 2024; 14:553. [PMID: 38177205 PMCID: PMC10766618 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50213-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are components of the tumor microenvironment and represent appealing therapeutic targets for translational studies. Conventional protein-based biomarkers for CAFs have been reported to be limited in their specificity, rendering difficult the identification of CAFs from normal fibroblasts (NFs) in clinical samples and dampening the development of CAF-targeted therapies to treat cancer. In this study, we propose the mitochondrial RNA and the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) common deletion (CD) as novel indicators of CAF identity. We found that cancer-activation correlated with decreased levels of the mtDNA CD, a condition not due to altered mitochondria count or cellular redox state, but potentially linked to the generalized overexpression of mtDNA maintenance genes in CAFs. Decreased mtDNA CD content in CAFs was associated with moderate to strong overexpression of mtDNA-encoded genes and to slightly improved mitochondrial function. We identified similar patterns of upregulation of mtDNA-encoded genes in independent single-cell RNA seq data obtained from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients. By using the identified nucleic acids-based indicators, identification of CAFs from NFs could be improved, leading to potential therapeutic benefits in advancing translational and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele A Fontana
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
- Cellvie AG, Technoparkstrasse 1, CH-8005 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Michael R MacArthur
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nadezhda Rotankova
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michela Di Filippo
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hans-Dietmar Beer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hailey L Gahlon
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
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114
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Sleeboom JJF, van Tienderen GS, Schenke-Layland K, van der Laan LJW, Khalil AA, Verstegen MMA. The extracellular matrix as hallmark of cancer and metastasis: From biomechanics to therapeutic targets. Sci Transl Med 2024; 16:eadg3840. [PMID: 38170791 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adg3840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is essential for cell support during homeostasis and plays a critical role in cancer. Although research often concentrates on the tumor's cellular aspect, attention is growing for the importance of the cancer-associated ECM. Biochemical and physical ECM signals affect tumor formation, invasion, metastasis, and therapy resistance. Examining the tumor microenvironment uncovers intricate ECM dysregulation and interactions with cancer and stromal cells. Anticancer therapies targeting ECM sensors and remodelers, including integrins and matrix metalloproteinases, and ECM-remodeling cells, have seen limited success. This review explores the ECM's role in cancer and discusses potential therapeutic strategies for cell-ECM interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelle J F Sleeboom
- Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Postbox 2040, 3000CA Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 2, 2628CD Delft, Netherlands
| | - Gilles S van Tienderen
- Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Postbox 2040, 3000CA Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Katja Schenke-Layland
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department for Medical Technologies and Regenerative Medicine, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University Tübingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies," Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Luc J W van der Laan
- Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Postbox 2040, 3000CA Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Antoine A Khalil
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Monique M A Verstegen
- Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Postbox 2040, 3000CA Rotterdam, Netherlands
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115
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Singh S, Singh AP, Mitra R. Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts: Major Co-Conspirators in Tumor Development. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:211. [PMID: 38201638 PMCID: PMC10778099 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16010211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a critical determinant of tumor progression, metastasis, and therapeutic outcomes [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubhangi Singh
- Department of International Studies (Global Health), College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
- Cancer Biology Program, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA
| | - Ajay P. Singh
- Cancer Biology Program, Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA
- Department of Pathology, Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36617, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36688, USA
| | - Ranjana Mitra
- Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Roseman University of Health Sciences, Las Vegas, NV 89135, USA
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116
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Gu Y, Chen Q, Yin H, Zeng M, Gao S, Wang X. Cancer-associated fibroblasts in neoadjuvant setting for solid cancers. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2024; 193:104226. [PMID: 38056580 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.104226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic approaches for cancer have become increasingly diverse in recent times. A comprehensive understanding of the tumor microenvironment (TME) holds great potential for enhancing the precision of tumor therapies. Neoadjuvant therapy offers the possibility of alleviating patient symptoms and improving overall quality of life. Additionally, it may facilitate the reduction of inoperable tumors and prevent potential preoperative micrometastases. Within the TME, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a prominent role as they generate various elements that contribute to tumor progression. Particularly, extracellular matrix (ECM) produced by CAFs prevents immune cell infiltration into the TME, hampers drug penetration, and diminishes therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, this review provides a summary of the heterogeneity and interactions of CAFs within the TME, with a specific focus on the influence of neoadjuvant therapy on the microenvironment, particularly CAFs. Finally, we propose several potential and promising therapeutic strategies targeting CAFs, which may efficiently eliminate CAFs to decrease stroma density and impair their functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Gu
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital and Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Interventional Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Qiangda Chen
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Hanlin Yin
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Mengsu Zeng
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital and Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shanshan Gao
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital and Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Xiaolin Wang
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital and Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Interventional Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University Shanghai, 200032, China.
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117
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Lyu Y, Xie F, Chen B, Shin WS, Chen W, He Y, Leung KT, Tse GMK, Yu J, To KF, Kang W. The nerve cells in gastrointestinal cancers: from molecular mechanisms to clinical intervention. Oncogene 2024; 43:77-91. [PMID: 38081962 PMCID: PMC10774121 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02909-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer is a formidable malignancy with significant morbidity and mortality rates. Recent studies have shed light on the complex interplay between the nervous system and the GI system, influencing various aspects of GI tumorigenesis, such as the malignance of cancer cells, the conformation of tumor microenvironment (TME), and the resistance to chemotherapies. The discussion in this review first focused on exploring the intricate details of the biological function of the nervous system in the development of the GI tract and the progression of tumors within it. Meanwhile, the cancer cell-originated feedback regulation on the nervous system is revealed to play a crucial role in the growth and development of nerve cells within tumor tissues. This interaction is vital for understanding the complex relationship between the nervous system and GI oncogenesis. Additionally, the study identified various components within the TME that possess a significant influence on the occurrence and progression of GI cancer, including microbiota, immune cells, and fibroblasts. Moreover, we highlighted the transformation relationship between non-neuronal cells and neuronal cells during GI cancer progression, inspiring the development of strategies for nervous system-guided anti-tumor drugs. By further elucidating the deep mechanism of various neuroregulatory signals and neuronal intervention, we underlined the potential of these targeted drugs translating into effective therapies for GI cancer treatment. In summary, this review provides an overview of the mechanisms of neuromodulation and explores potential therapeutic opportunities, providing insights into the understanding and management of GI cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Lyu
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Sir Y.K. Pao Cancer Center, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Institute of Digestive Disease, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- CUHK-Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fuda Xie
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Sir Y.K. Pao Cancer Center, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Institute of Digestive Disease, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- CUHK-Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bonan Chen
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Sir Y.K. Pao Cancer Center, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Institute of Digestive Disease, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- CUHK-Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wing Sum Shin
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Sir Y.K. Pao Cancer Center, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digestive Cancer Research, Digestive Diseases Center, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yulong He
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digestive Cancer Research, Digestive Diseases Center, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kam Tong Leung
- Department of Pediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Gary M K Tse
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Sir Y.K. Pao Cancer Center, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jun Yu
- Institute of Digestive Disease, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ka Fai To
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Sir Y.K. Pao Cancer Center, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wei Kang
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Sir Y.K. Pao Cancer Center, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
- Institute of Digestive Disease, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
- CUHK-Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China.
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Wang J, Chen T, Ruszaj DM, Mager DE, Straubinger RM. Integrated PK/PD Modeling Relates Smoothened Inhibitor Biomarkers to The Heterogeneous Intratumor Disposition of Cetuximab in Pancreatic Cancer Tumor Models. J Pharm Sci 2024; 113:72-84. [PMID: 37844759 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2023.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Therapeutic antibodies have shown little efficacy in the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC). Tumor desmoplasia, hypovascularity, and poor perfusion result in insufficient tumor cell exposure, contributing to treatment failure. Smoothened inhibitors of hedgehog signaling (sHHi) increase PDAC tumor permeability, perfusion, and drug delivery, and provide a tool to develop a quantitative, mechanistic understanding as to how the temporal dynamics of tumor priming can impact intratumor distribution of monoclonal antibodies (mAb). A linked pharmacokinetic (PK)/pharmacodynamic (PD) model was developed to integrate the plasma and tumor PK of a sHHi priming agent with its effects upon downstream stromal biomarkers Gli1, hyaluronic acid, and interstitial fluid pressure in PDAC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumors. In parallel, in situ tumor concentrations of cetuximab (CTX: anti-epidermal growth factor receptor; EGFR) were quantified as a marker for tumor delivery of mAb or antibody-drug conjugates. A minimal, physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (mPBPK) model was constructed to link sHHi effects upon mechanistic effectors of tumor barrier compromise with the intratumor distribution of CTX, and CTX occupancy of EGFR in tumors. Integration of the mPBPK model of mAb deposition and intratumor distribution with the PK/PD model of tumor responses to priming not only identified physiological parameters that are critical for tumor antibody distribution, but also provides insight into dosing regimens that could achieve maximal tumor disposition of therapeutic antibodies under conditions of transient PDAC tumor permeability barrier compromise that mechanistically-diverse tumor priming strategies may achieve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Ting Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Donna M Ruszaj
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Donald E Mager
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA; Enhanced Pharmacodynamics, LLC, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Robert M Straubinger
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA; Department of Cell Stress Biochemistry and Biophysics, Roswell Park Comprehenhsive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehenhsive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA.
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119
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Anajafi S, Paryan M, Khoshnazar A, Soleimani M, Mohammadi-Yeganeh S. miRNAs Delivery for Cancer-associated Fibroblasts' Activation and Drug Resistance in Cancer Microenvironment. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets 2024; 24:333-347. [PMID: 37612874 DOI: 10.2174/1871530323666230823094556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) as a major component of cancer stroma contribute to diverse procedures of most solid tumors and might be a targeted cancer therapy approach. Their specified features, related signaling pathways, distinct biomarkers, and sub-populations need to be deciphered. There is a need for CAF extraction or induction for in vitro investigations. Some miRNAs could activate CAF-like phenotype and they also interfere in CAF-mediated drug resistance, aggressiveness, and metastatic behaviors of several cancer cell types. Due to the complex relevance of miRNA and CAFs, these non-coding oligonucleotides may serve as attractive scope for anti-cancer targeted therapies, but the lack of an efficient delivery system is still a major hurdle. Here, we have summarized the investigated information on CAF features, isolation, and induction procedures, and highlighted the miRNA-CAF communications, providing special insight into nano-delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Anajafi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Paryan
- Department of Research and Development, Production and Research Complex, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amineh Khoshnazar
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masoud Soleimani
- Medical Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samira Mohammadi-Yeganeh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Medical Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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120
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Miari KE, Williams MTS. Stromal bone marrow fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells support acute myeloid leukaemia cells and promote therapy resistance. Br J Pharmacol 2024; 181:216-237. [PMID: 36609915 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The bone marrow (BM) is the primary site of adult haematopoiesis, where stromal elements (e.g. fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells [MSCs]) work in concert to support blood cell development. However, the establishment of an abnormal clone can lead to a blood malignancy, such as acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Despite our increased understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease, patient survival remains suboptimal, mainly driven by the development of therapy resistance. In this review, we highlight the importance of bone marrow fibroblasts and MSCs in health and acute myeloid leukaemia and their impact on patient prognosis. We discuss how stromal elements reduce the killing effects of therapies via a combination of contact-dependent (e.g. integrins) and contact-independent (i.e. secreted factors) mechanisms, accompanied by the establishment of an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Importantly, we underline the challenges of therapeutically targeting the bone marrow stroma to improve acute myeloid leukaemia patient outcomes, due to the inherent heterogeneity of stromal cell populations. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on Cancer Microenvironment and Pharmacological Interventions. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v181.2/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina E Miari
- Charles Oakley Laboratories, Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
| | - Mark T S Williams
- Charles Oakley Laboratories, Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
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Tang PC, Chan MK, Chung JY, Chan AS, Zhang D, Li C, Leung K, Ng CS, Wu Y, To K, Lan H, Tang PM. Hematopoietic Transcription Factor RUNX1 is Essential for Promoting Macrophage-Myofibroblast Transition in Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2302203. [PMID: 37967345 PMCID: PMC10767400 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202302203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Macrophage-myofibroblast transition (MMT) is a newly discovered pathway for mass production of pro-tumoral cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) in a TGF-β1/Smad3 dependent manner. Better understanding its regulatory signaling in tumor microenvironment (TME) may identify druggable target for the development of precision medicine. Here, by dissecting the transcriptome dynamics of tumor-associated macrophage at single-cell resolution, a crucial role of a hematopoietic transcription factor Runx1 in MMT formation is revealed. Surprisingly, integrative bioinformatic analysis uncovers Runx1 as a key regulator in the downstream of MMT-specific TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling. Stromal Runx1 level positively correlates with the MMT-derived CAF abundance and mortality in NSCLC patients. Mechanistically, macrophage-specific Runx1 promotes the transcription of genes related to CAF signatures in MMT cells at genomic level. Importantly, macrophage-specific genetic deletion and systemic pharmacological inhibition of TGF-β1/Smad3/Runx1 signaling effectively prevent MMT-driven CAF and tumor formation in vitro and in vivo, representing a potential therapeutic target for clinical NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Chiu‐Tsun Tang
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular PathologyState Key Laboratory of Translational OncologyThe Chinese University of Hong KongShatin999077Hong Kong
| | - Max Kam‐Kwan Chan
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular PathologyState Key Laboratory of Translational OncologyThe Chinese University of Hong KongShatin999077Hong Kong
| | - Jeff Yat‐Fai Chung
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular PathologyState Key Laboratory of Translational OncologyThe Chinese University of Hong KongShatin999077Hong Kong
| | - Alex Siu‐Wing Chan
- Department of Applied Social SciencesThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHunghom999077Hong Kong
| | - Dongmei Zhang
- College of PharmacyJinan UniversityGuangzhou510632China
| | - Chunjie Li
- Department of Head and Neck OncologyWest China Hospital of StomatologySichuan UniversityChengduSichuan610041China
| | - Kam‐Tong Leung
- Department of PaediatricsThe Chinese University of Hong KongShatin999077Hong Kong
| | - Calvin Sze‐Hang Ng
- Department of SurgeryThe Chinese University of Hong KongShatin999077Hong Kong
| | - Yi Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to DiseasesSchool of Basic Medical SciencesXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'an710061China
| | - Ka‐Fai To
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular PathologyState Key Laboratory of Translational OncologyThe Chinese University of Hong KongShatin999077Hong Kong
| | - Hui‐Yao Lan
- Department of Medicine and TherapeuticsLi Ka Shing Institute of Health SciencesThe Chinese University of Hong KongShatin999077Hong Kong
| | - Patrick Ming‐Kuen Tang
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular PathologyState Key Laboratory of Translational OncologyThe Chinese University of Hong KongShatin999077Hong Kong
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Carter EP, Yoneten KK, Gavara N, Tyler EJ, Gauthier V, Murray ER, ten Dijke P, Cameron AJ, Pearce O, Grose RP. Opposing roles for ADAMTS2 and ADAMTS14 in myofibroblast differentiation and function. J Pathol 2024; 262:90-104. [PMID: 37929635 PMCID: PMC10953099 DOI: 10.1002/path.6214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Crosstalk between cancer and stellate cells is pivotal in pancreatic cancer, resulting in differentiation of stellate cells into myofibroblasts that drives tumour progression. To assess cooperative mechanisms in a 3D context, we generated chimeric spheroids using human and mouse cancer and stellate cells. Species-specific deconvolution of bulk-RNA sequencing data revealed cell type-specific transcriptomes underpinning invasion. This dataset highlighted stellate-specific expression of transcripts encoding the collagen-processing enzymes ADAMTS2 and ADAMTS14. Strikingly, loss of ADAMTS2 reduced, while loss of ADAMTS14 promoted, myofibroblast differentiation and invasion independently of their primary role in collagen-processing. Functional and proteomic analysis demonstrated that these two enzymes regulate myofibroblast differentiation through opposing roles in the regulation of transforming growth factor β availability, acting on the protease-specific substrates, Serpin E2 and fibulin 2, for ADAMTS2 and ADAMTS14, respectively. Showcasing a broader complexity for these enzymes, we uncovered a novel regulatory axis governing malignant behaviour of the pancreatic cancer stroma. © 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward P Carter
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer InstituteQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
- Department of Life SciencesUniversity of BathBathUK
- Centre for Therapeutic Innovation, Faculty of ScienceUniversity of BathBathUK
| | - Kubra K Yoneten
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer InstituteQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Nuria Gavara
- Unitat de Biofísica i Bioenginyeria, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la SalutUniversitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Eleanor J Tyler
- Centre for Tumour Microenvironment, Barts Cancer InstituteQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Valentine Gauthier
- Centre for Tumour Microenvironment, Barts Cancer InstituteQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Elizabeth R Murray
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer InstituteQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Peter ten Dijke
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical BiologyLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Angus J Cameron
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer InstituteQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Oliver Pearce
- Centre for Tumour Microenvironment, Barts Cancer InstituteQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Richard P Grose
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer InstituteQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
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Thorlacius-Ussing J, Jensen C, Nissen NI, Cox TR, Kalluri R, Karsdal M, Willumsen N. The collagen landscape in cancer: profiling collagens in tumors and in circulation reveals novel markers of cancer-associated fibroblast subtypes. J Pathol 2024; 262:22-36. [PMID: 37728068 DOI: 10.1002/path.6207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) deposit and remodel collagens in the tumor stroma, impacting cancer progression and efficacy of interventions. CAFs are the focus of new therapeutics with the aim of normalizing the tumor microenvironment. To do this, a better understanding of CAF heterogeneity and collagen composition in cancer is needed. In this study, we sought to profile the expression of collagens at multiple levels with the goal of identifying cancer biomarkers. We investigated the collagen expression pattern in various cell types and CAF subtypes in a publicly available single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) dataset of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Next, we investigated the collagen expression profile in tumor samples across cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and evaluated if specific patterns of collagen expression were associated with prognosis. Finally, we profiled circulating collagen peptides using a panel of immunoassays to measure collagen fragments in the serum of cancer patients. We found that pancreatic stellate cells and fibroblasts were the primary producers of collagens in the pancreas. COL1A1, COL3A1, COL5A1, COL6A1 were expressed in all CAF subtypes, whereas COL8A1, COL10A1, COL11A1, COL12A1 were specific to myofibroblast CAFs (myCAF) and COL14A1 specific to inflammatory CAFs (iCAF). In TCGA database, myCAF collagens COL10A1 and COL11A1 were elevated across solid tumor types, and multiple associations between high expression and worse survival were found. Finally, circulating collagen biomarkers were elevated in the serum of patients with cancer relative to healthy controls with COL11A1 (myCAF) having the best diagnostic accuracy of the markers measured. In conclusion, CAFs express a noncanonical collagen profile with specific collagen subtypes associated with iCAFs and myCAFs in PDAC. These collagens are deregulated at the cellular, tumor, and systemic levels across different solid tumors and associate with survival. These findings could lead to new discoveries such as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. © 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeppe Thorlacius-Ussing
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, København N, Denmark
- Biomarkers & Research, Nordic Bioscience A/S, Herlev, Denmark
| | | | - Neel I Nissen
- Biomarkers & Research, Nordic Bioscience A/S, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Thomas R Cox
- Matrix and Metastasis Lab, Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Raghu Kalluri
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Morten Karsdal
- Biomarkers & Research, Nordic Bioscience A/S, Herlev, Denmark
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Zhao Y, Tang H, Kuai Y, Xu J, Sun B, Li Y. Identification of the function of FOSB in cholangiocarcinoma using bioinformatics analysis. Transl Cancer Res 2023; 12:3629-3640. [PMID: 38192979 PMCID: PMC10774044 DOI: 10.21037/tcr-23-829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Background Exploring the potential mechanism of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) metabolic reprogramming is significant for guiding clinical treatment. However, related research and exploration are still lacking. Therefore, we aimed to identify a reliable metabolism-related gene or biomarker of CCA using bioinformatics analysis. Methods The GSE26566, GSE45001, and GSE132305 datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differently expressed genes (DEGs) between CCA tissues and adjacent tissues were screened out. The key gene was identified through enrichment and functional analysis, and its immune and clinical correlation was investigated utilizing the Tumor Immune Evaluation Resource (TIMER2.0), the Tumor-Immune System Interactions Database (TISIDB), the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA2), and the Kaplan-Meier Plotter. Finally, immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to validate the results. Results By analysis, the expression of FBJ murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog B (FOSB) was significantly downregulated in CCA tissues when compared with adjacent tissues. Moreover, the expression levels of FOSB positively correlated with tumor-infiltrating immune cells in most tumors, and patients with high FOSB expression tended to have a better prognosis. The FOSB and SIRT3/HIF1A axes have similar expression trends and metabolic functions in CCA cells, and the correlation between of them was preliminarily explored by IHC experiments. Conclusions The expression levels of FOSB are closely related to the prognosis of CCA patients, which may be a predictive indicator for prognosis and immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihang Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Hong Tang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yaxian Kuai
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jianhua Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Bin Sun
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yang Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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Batra H, Ding Q, Pandurengan R, Ibarguen H, Rabassedas NB, Sahin A, Wistuba I, Parra ER, Raso MG. Exploration of cancer associated fibroblasts phenotypes in the tumor microenvironment of classical and pleomorphic Invasive Lobular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1281650. [PMID: 38192631 PMCID: PMC10772146 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1281650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
As the second most common subtype of breast carcinoma, Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC) microenvironment features have not been thoroughly explored. ILC has different histological subtypes and elucidating differences in their microenvironments could lead to a comprehensive development of cancer therapies. We designed a custom-made cancer associated fibroblast (CAFs) panel and used multiplex immunofluorescence to identify the differences in tumor microenvironment between Classic ILC and Pleomorphic ILC. Materials and methods Multiplex immunofluorescence were performed on formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissues using Opal-7 color kit. The antibodies used for phenotyping CAFs were Pan CK (AE1/AE3), CD45, A-SMA, FAP, S100, Thy-1 with optimized dilutions. The images were acquired and analyzed using Vectra 3.0 imaging system and InForm software respectively. Results We studied 19 different CAFs colocalized phenotypes in the tumor, stroma and overall tissue compartments between classic and pleomorphic ILC. Total A-SMA+, A-SMA+FAP+S100+ and A-SMA+S100+ CAFs demonstrated higher densities in classic ILC cases while FAP+S100+ and S-100+ CAFs were increased in the pleomorphic subtype samples. Conclusion Our study explores multiple CAFs phenotypes between classical and pleomorphic ILC. We showed that CAFs subset differ between Classic ILC and Pleomorphic ILC. A-SMA CAFs are more prevalent in the TME of classic ILCs whereas Pleomorphic ILCs are dominated by CAFs without A-SMA expression. This also iterates the importance of exploring this particular type of breast carcinoma in more detail, paving the way for meaningful translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harsh Batra
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Qingqing Ding
- Department of Pathology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Renganayaki Pandurengan
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Heladio Ibarguen
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Neus Bota Rabassedas
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Aysegul Sahin
- Department of Pathology, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Ignacio Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Edwin Roger Parra
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Maria Gabriela Raso
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
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Papadas A, Huang Y, Cicala A, Dou Y, Fields M, Gibbons A, Hong D, Lagal DJ, Quintana V, Rizo A, Zomalan B, Asimakopoulos F. Emerging roles for tumor stroma in antigen presentation and anti-cancer immunity. Biochem Soc Trans 2023; 51:2017-2028. [PMID: 38031753 PMCID: PMC10754280 DOI: 10.1042/bst20221083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Advances in immunotherapy in the last decade have revolutionized treatment paradigms across multiple cancer diagnoses. However, only a minority of patients derive durable benefit and progress with traditional approaches, such as cancer vaccines, remains unsatisfactory. A key to overcoming these barriers resides with a deeper understanding of tumor antigen presentation and the complex and dynamic heterogeneity of tumor-infiltrating antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Reminiscent of the 'second touch' hypothesis proposed by Klaus Ley for CD4+ T cell differentiation, the acquisition of full effector potential by lymph node- primed CD8+ T cells requires a second round of co-stimulation at the site where the antigen originated, i.e. the tumor bed. The tumor stroma holds a prime role in this process by hosting specialized APC niches, apparently distinct from tertiary lymphoid structures, that support second antigenic touch encounters and CD8+ T cell effector proliferation and differentiation. We propose that APC within second-touch niches become licensed for co-stimulation through stromal-derived instructive signals emulating embryonic or wound-healing provisional matrix remodeling. These immunostimulatory roles of stroma contrast with its widely accepted view as a physical and functional 'immune barrier'. Stromal control of antigen presentation makes evolutionary sense as the host stroma-tumor interface constitutes the prime line of homeostatic 'defense' against the emerging tumor. In this review, we outline how stroma-derived signals and cells regulate tumor antigen presentation and T-cell effector differentiation in the tumor bed. The re-definition of tumor stroma as immune rheostat rather than as inflexible immune barrier harbors significant untapped therapeutic opportunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athanasios Papadas
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
| | - Yun Huang
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
| | - Alexander Cicala
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
| | - Yaling Dou
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
| | - Matteo Fields
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alicia Gibbons
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
| | - Duncan Hong
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
| | - Daniel J. Lagal
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
| | - Victoria Quintana
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
| | - Alejandro Rizo
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
| | - Brolyn Zomalan
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
| | - Fotis Asimakopoulos
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, U.S.A
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Melchionna R, Trono P, Di Carlo A, Di Modugno F, Nisticò P. Transcription factors in fibroblast plasticity and CAF heterogeneity. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:347. [PMID: 38124183 PMCID: PMC10731891 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02934-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, research focused on the multifaceted landscape and functions of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) aimed to reveal their heterogeneity and identify commonalities across diverse tumors for more effective therapeutic targeting of pro-tumoral stromal microenvironment. However, a unified functional categorization of CAF subsets remains elusive, posing challenges for the development of targeted CAF therapies in clinical settings.The CAF phenotype arises from a complex interplay of signals within the tumor microenvironment, where transcription factors serve as central mediators of various cellular pathways. Recent advances in single-cell RNA sequencing technology have emphasized the role of transcription factors in the conversion of normal fibroblasts to distinct CAF subtypes across various cancer types.This review provides a comprehensive overview of the specific roles of transcription factor networks in shaping CAF heterogeneity, plasticity, and functionality. Beginning with their influence on fibroblast homeostasis and reprogramming during wound healing and fibrosis, it delves into the emerging insights into transcription factor regulatory networks. Understanding these mechanisms not only enables a more precise characterization of CAF subsets but also sheds light on the early regulatory processes governing CAF heterogeneity and functionality. Ultimately, this knowledge may unveil novel therapeutic targets for cancer treatment, addressing the existing challenges of stromal-targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Melchionna
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.
| | - Paola Trono
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IBBC), National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Di Carlo
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Di Modugno
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Nisticò
- Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
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Liang G, Oh TG, Hah N, Tiriac H, Shi Y, Truitt ML, Antal CE, Atkins AR, Li Y, Fraser C, Ng S, Pinto AFM, Nelson DC, Estepa G, Bashi S, Banayo E, Dai Y, Liddle C, Yu RT, Hunter T, Engle DD, Han H, Von Hoff DD, Downes M, Evans RM. Inhibiting stromal Class I HDACs curbs pancreatic cancer progression. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7791. [PMID: 38057326 PMCID: PMC10700526 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42178-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic lesions in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) hijack the epigenetic machinery in stromal components to establish a desmoplastic and therapeutic resistant tumor microenvironment (TME). Here we identify Class I histone deacetylases (HDACs) as key epigenetic factors facilitating the induction of pro-desmoplastic and pro-tumorigenic transcriptional programs in pancreatic stromal fibroblasts. Mechanistically, HDAC-mediated changes in chromatin architecture enable the activation of pro-desmoplastic programs directed by serum response factor (SRF) and forkhead box M1 (FOXM1). HDACs also coordinate fibroblast pro-inflammatory programs inducing leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) expression, supporting paracrine pro-tumorigenic crosstalk. HDAC depletion in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and treatment with the HDAC inhibitor entinostat (Ent) in PDAC mouse models reduce stromal activation and curb tumor progression. Notably, HDAC inhibition (HDACi) enriches a lipogenic fibroblast subpopulation, a potential precursor for myofibroblasts in the PDAC stroma. Overall, our study reveals the stromal targeting potential of HDACi, highlighting the utility of this epigenetic modulating approach in PDAC therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaoyang Liang
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Tae Gyu Oh
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Department of Oncology Science, OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73117, USA
| | - Nasun Hah
- Next Generation Sequencing Core, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Hervé Tiriac
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Yu Shi
- Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Bristol Myer Squibb, 10300 Campus Point Drive, Suite 100, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Morgan L Truitt
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Corina E Antal
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Annette R Atkins
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Yuwenbin Li
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Cory Fraser
- HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center and Shea Medical Center, Scottsdale, AZ, 85260, USA
| | - Serina Ng
- Molecular Medicine Division, The Translational Genomic Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Antonio F M Pinto
- Mass Spectrometry Core, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Dylan C Nelson
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Gabriela Estepa
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Senada Bashi
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Ester Banayo
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Yang Dai
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Christopher Liddle
- Storr Liver Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research and Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia
| | - Ruth T Yu
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Tony Hunter
- Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Dannielle D Engle
- Regulatory Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Haiyong Han
- Molecular Medicine Division, The Translational Genomic Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Daniel D Von Hoff
- HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center and Shea Medical Center, Scottsdale, AZ, 85260, USA
- Molecular Medicine Division, The Translational Genomic Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Michael Downes
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
| | - Ronald M Evans
- Gene Expression Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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Liu Z, Zhang Y, Wu C. Single-cell sequencing in pancreatic cancer research: A deeper understanding of heterogeneity and therapy. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 168:115664. [PMID: 37837881 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs), is a malignant tumor with characteristics of tumor-stroma interactions. Patients often have a poor prognosis and a poor long-term survival rate. In recent years, rapidly-developing single-cell sequencing techniques have been used to analyze cell populations at a single-cell resolution, so that it is now possible to have a more in-depth and clearer understanding of the genetic composition of pancreatic cancer. In this review, we provide an overview of the current single-cell sequencing techniques and their applications in the exploration of intratumoral heterogeneity, the tumor microenvironment, therapy resistance, and novel treatments. Our hope is to provide new insight into the potential of precision therapy, which will perhaps one day lead to significant advances in PDAC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuomiao Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yalin Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Chunli Wu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
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130
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Bartman CR, Faubert B, Rabinowitz JD, DeBerardinis RJ. Metabolic pathway analysis using stable isotopes in patients with cancer. Nat Rev Cancer 2023; 23:863-878. [PMID: 37907620 PMCID: PMC11161207 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-023-00632-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic reprogramming is central to malignant transformation and cancer cell growth. How tumours use nutrients and the relative rates of reprogrammed pathways are areas of intense investigation. Tumour metabolism is determined by a complex and incompletely defined combination of factors intrinsic and extrinsic to cancer cells. This complexity increases the value of assessing cancer metabolism in disease-relevant microenvironments, including in patients with cancer. Stable-isotope tracing is an informative, versatile method for probing tumour metabolism in vivo. It has been used extensively in preclinical models of cancer and, with increasing frequency, in patients with cancer. In this Review, we describe approaches for using in vivo isotope tracing to define fuel preferences and pathway engagement in tumours, along with some of the principles that have emerged from this work. Stable-isotope infusions reported so far have revealed that in humans, tumours use a diverse set of nutrients to supply central metabolic pathways, including the tricarboxylic acid cycle and amino acid synthesis. Emerging data suggest that some activities detected by stable-isotope tracing correlate with poor clinical outcomes and may drive cancer progression. We also discuss current challenges in isotope tracing, including comparisons of in vivo and in vitro models, and opportunities for future discovery in tumour metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline R Bartman
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Brandon Faubert
- Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Joshua D Rabinowitz
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Ralph J DeBerardinis
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Children's Research Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
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Afshar K, Sanaei MJ, Ravari MS, Pourbagheri-Sigaroodi A, Bashash D. An overview of extracellular matrix and its remodeling in the development of cancer and metastasis with a glance at therapeutic approaches. Cell Biochem Funct 2023; 41:930-952. [PMID: 37665068 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is an inevitable part of tissues able to provide structural support for cells depending on the purpose of tissues and organs. The dynamic characteristics of ECM let this system fluently interact with the extrinsic triggers and get stiffed, remodeled, and/or degraded ending in maintaining tissue homeostasis. ECM could serve as the platform for cancer progression. The dysregulation of biochemical and biomechanical ECM features might take participate in some pathological conditions such as aging, tissue destruction, fibrosis, and particularly cancer. Tumors can reprogram how ECM remodels by producing factors able to induce protein synthesis, matrix proteinase expression, degradation of the basement membrane, growth signals and proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Therefore, targeting the ECM components, their secretion, and their interactions with other cells or tumors could be a promising strategy in cancer therapies. The present study initially introduces the physiological functions of ECM and then discusses how tumor-dependent dysregulation of ECM could facilitate cancer progression and ends with reviewing the novel therapeutic strategies regarding ECM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimiya Afshar
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad-Javad Sanaei
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehrnaz Sadat Ravari
- Research Center for Hydatid Disease in Iran, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Atieh Pourbagheri-Sigaroodi
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Davood Bashash
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Grierson PM, Suresh R, Tan B, Pedersen KS, Amin M, Park H, Trikalinos NA, Liu J, Boice N, Brown A, Bansod S, Wang-Gillam A, Lim KH. A Pilot Study of Paricalcitol plus Nanoliposomal Irinotecan and 5-FU/LV in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Patients after Progression on Gemcitabine-Based Therapy. Clin Cancer Res 2023; 29:4733-4739. [PMID: 37801295 PMCID: PMC11123290 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-1405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Vitamin D analogues remodel the desmoplastic stroma, and improve vascularity and efficacy of chemotherapy in preclinical pancreas cancer models. PATIENTS AND METHODS We conducted a pilot study to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of the vitamin D analogue paricalcitol in combination with nanoliposomal irinotecan (Nal-iri) plus 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (5-FU/LV) in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who had progressed on gemcitabine-based therapy. Two dose levels (DL) of paricalcitol were tested: fixed dose weekly (75 mcg, DL1) and weight-based weekly (7 mcg/kg, /DL2). The primary endpoint was safety, and secondary endpoints included overall response rate, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Correlative objectives aimed to identify molecular predictors of response and alterations in the tumor stroma. RESULTS Twenty patients (10 each in DL1 and DL2) enrolled between March 2019 and May 2021. No grade 3/4 adverse events related to paricalcitol were observed. The most common toxicities were nausea, diarrhea and fatigue, which were similar in both cohorts. Three patients discontinued study after one cycle and were not radiographically evaluable. Of the remaining 17 evaluable patients, 2 had partial response and 12 had stable disease. The median PFS for response-evaluable patients in DL1 was 4.14 months, for DL2 was 4.83 months. Intent-to-treat median OS was 6.15 and 6.66 months for DL1 and DL2, respectively. Correlative studies showed increased tumor vascularity in posttreatment samples in patients receiving the higher dose of paricalcitol (DL2). CONCLUSIONS Paricalcitol at 7 mcg/kg/week in combination with Nal-iri/ 5-FU/LV is safely tolerated, may increase tumor vascularity and warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M. Grierson
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rama Suresh
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Benjamin Tan
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Katrina S. Pedersen
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Manik Amin
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, NH
| | - Haeseong Park
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Nikolaos A Trikalinos
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Jingxia Liu
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery Washington University, St. Louis, MO
| | - Nicholas Boice
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Amberly Brown
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Sapana Bansod
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Andrea Wang-Gillam
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kian-Huat Lim
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Zhang G, Ji P, Xia P, Song H, Guo Z, Hu X, Guo Y, Yuan X, Song Y, Shen R, Wang D. Identification and targeting of cancer-associated fibroblast signature genes for prognosis and therapy in Cutaneous melanoma. Comput Biol Med 2023; 167:107597. [PMID: 37875042 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.107597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play pivotal roles in tumor invasion and metastasis. However, studies on CAF biomarkers in Cutaneous Melanoma (CM) are still scarce. This study aimed to explore the potential CAF biomarkers in CM, propose the potential therapeutic targets, and provide new insights for targeted therapy of CAFs in CM. METHODS We utilized weighted gene co-expression network analysis to identify CAF signature genes in CM, and conducted comprehensive bioinformatics analysis on the CAF risk score established by these genes. Moreover, single-cell sequencing analysis, spatial transcriptome analysis, and cell experiments were utilized for verifying the expression and distribution pattern of signature genes. Furthermore, molecular docking was employed to screen potential target drugs. RESULTS FBLN1 and COL5A1, two crucial CAF signature genes, were screened to establish the CAF risk score. Subsequently, a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of the CAF risk score revealed that high-risk score group was significantly enriched in pathways associated with tumor progression. Besides, CAF risk score was significantly negatively correlated with clinical prognosis, immunotherapy response, and tumor mutational burden in CM patients. In addition, FBLN1 and COL5A1 were further identified as CAF-specific biomarkers in CM by multi-omics analysis and experimental validation. Eventually, based on these two targets, Mifepristone and Dexamethasone were screened as potential anti-CAFs drugs. CONCLUSION The findings indicated that FBLN1 and COL5A1 were the CAF signature genes in CM, which were associated with the progression, treatment, and prognosis of CM. The comprehensive exploration of CAF signature genes is expected to provide new insight for clinical CM therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guokun Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Gansu, 730000, China.
| | - Pengfei Ji
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Gansu, 730000, China.
| | - Peng Xia
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Gansu, 730000, China.
| | - Haoyun Song
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Gansu, 730000, China.
| | - Zhao Guo
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Gansu, 730000, China.
| | - Xiaohui Hu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Gansu, 730000, China.
| | - Yanan Guo
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Gansu, 730000, China.
| | - Xinyi Yuan
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Gansu, 730000, China.
| | - Yanfeng Song
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Gansu, 730000, China.
| | - Rong Shen
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Gansu, 730000, China.
| | - Degui Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Gansu, 730000, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Therapy of Gastrointestinal Tumor, Gansu, 730000, China.
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Chen M, Xiao L, Jia H, Wang S, Jiang X, Lei X, Zhai Q, Lang J. Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy and FAPα-based cancer vaccine suppresses metastatic tumor growth in 4T1 mouse breast cancer. Radiother Oncol 2023; 189:109946. [PMID: 37806560 DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2023.109946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This study tested the hypothesis that a novel combination of stereotactic ablation radiotherapy (SABR) and a cancer vaccine against fibroblast activation protein-alpha (FAPα) can suppress established tumor growth and impede potential metastasis. METHODS The poorly immunogenic metastatic mouse mammary carcinoma 4T1 was used as a model. Mice were randomly assigned to five treatment groups: (1) untreated control, (2) FAPα-based cancer vaccine, (3) SABR, (4) SABR + pCDH (lentiviral control vector), (5) SABR + FAPα-based cancer vaccine (SABR/FAPα-Vax). FAPα-based cancer vaccine were administered subcutaneously every week for a total of three treatments. SABR was delivered to the primary tumor by 3 × 8 Gy after the first vaccination. RESULTS Consistent with the poorly immunogenic nature of 4T1, tumor-bearing mice receiving FAPα-based cancer vaccine or SABR monotherapy showed a modest reduction in tumor volume and increased animal lifespan. In contrast, SABR/FAPα-Vax was well-tolerated, significantly reduced tumor burden, and increased survival compared to monotherapy. The increased survival correlated with inhibition of extracellular matrix (ECM) production, tumor vascularization and lymphangiogenesis. SABR/FAPα-Vax also resulted in an abscopal effect capable of eliminating lung metastases. SABR/FAPα-Vax recruited and activated CD8 + T cells to attack tumor cells and FAPα + stromal cells, and initiated suppressor cell reprogramming, including facilitating macrophage polarization toward an anti-tumor (M1) state, as well as depleting myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs). CONCLUSION These findings provide a novel therapeutic combination of radiation and FAPα-based cancer vaccine with promising results against poorly immunogenic metastatic cancer. This study may pave the way to overcome the therapeutic resistance caused by FAPα + CAFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meihua Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| | - Ling Xiao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| | - Hongyuan Jia
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| | - Shubin Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| | - Xiao Jiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; Institute of Isotope, China Institute of Atomic Energy, Beijing, China.
| | - Xudan Lei
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| | - Qiming Zhai
- Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and Biomedical Sciences, Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering of Higher Education, Chongqing, China.
| | - Jinyi Lang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Radiation Oncology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital & Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
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Li Q, Zhang J, Xiao S, Hu M, Cheng J, Yao C, Zhuang Q. The impact of liver fibrosis on the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma via a hypoxia-immune-integrated prognostic model. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 125:111136. [PMID: 37935090 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.111136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
The impact of liver fibrosis on the deterioration of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial. We hope to explore this issue through establishing a fibrosis-hypoxia-glycolysis-immune related prognostic model. Liver fibrosis-related genes from Molecular Signatures Database were used to evaluate the degree of fibrosis in HCC patients from the TCGA database. The patients were divided into two groups using the fibrosis-related expression matrix based on the algorithm uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP) and evaluated for fibrosis by UMAP cluster and gene enrichment analysis. Prognostic model was constructed by differential analysis, LASSO, and multivariate regression analysis. Immune-infiltration analysis was performed by CIBERSORT. Quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry were performed to measure the gene expression levels in HCC patients from our hospital. In 365 HCC patients from the TCGA database, 111 HCC patients with high fibrosis score have a worse prognosis than those with low fibrosis based on 129 genes related to liver fibrosis, which may be caused by the interaction between fibrosis, angiogenesis, hypoxia, glycolysis, inflammatory response, and high immune infiltration. We constructed a Fibrosis-Hypoxia-Glycolysis-Immune Prognostic Model (FHGISig), which could significantly predict disease progression in HCC patients. Furthermore, we revealed a close correlation between FHGISig and immune cell infiltration level as well as immune checkpoints. Finally, PCR results found TFF3 mRNA was significantly lower in cirrhotic HCC patients compared with non-cirrhotic ones. Liver fibrosis is a poor-prognostic factor for HCC, and our FHGISig could significantly predict disease progression, which could also be a potential predictive marker for immunotherapy in HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianyuan Li
- Department of Hematology, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Junbo Zhang
- Transplantation Center, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Sheng Xiao
- Department of Pathology, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Min Hu
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570105, China
| | - Jie Cheng
- Department of Hematology, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Chenjiao Yao
- Department of General Medicine, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China.
| | - Quan Zhuang
- Transplantation Center, The 3rd Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China; Research Center of National Health Ministry on Transplantation Medicine, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China.
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136
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Takeuchi K, Tabe S, Takahashi K, Aoshima K, Matsuo M, Ueno Y, Furukawa Y, Yamaguchi K, Ohtsuka M, Morinaga S, Miyagi Y, Yamaguchi T, Tanimizu N, Taniguchi H. Incorporation of human iPSC-derived stromal cells creates a pancreatic cancer organoid with heterogeneous cancer-associated fibroblasts. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113420. [PMID: 37955987 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The aggressiveness of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is affected by the tumor microenvironment (TME). In this study, to recapitulate the PDAC TME ex vivo, we cocultured patient-derived PDAC cells with mesenchymal and vascular endothelial cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) to create a fused pancreatic cancer organoid (FPCO) in an air-liquid interface. FPCOs were further induced to resemble two distinct aspects of PDAC tissue. Quiescent FPCOs were drug resistant, likely because the TME consisted of abundant extracellular matrix proteins that were secreted from the various types of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) derived from hiPSCs. Proliferative FPCOs could re-proliferate after anticancer drug treatment, suggesting that this type of FPCO would be useful for studying PDAC recurrence. Thus, we generated PDAC organoids that recapitulate the heterogeneity of PDAC tissue and are a potential platform for screening anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Takeuchi
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Tabe
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Department of General Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Kenta Takahashi
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, Computational Biology and Medical Science, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
| | - Kenji Aoshima
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, Computational Biology and Medical Science, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
| | - Megumi Matsuo
- Department of General Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan; Department of Regenerative Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yasuharu Ueno
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoichi Furukawa
- Division of Clinical Genome Research, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kiyoshi Yamaguchi
- Division of Clinical Genome Research, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masayuki Ohtsuka
- Department of General Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Soichiro Morinaga
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yohei Miyagi
- Molecular Pathology and Genetics Division, Kanagawa Cancer Center Research Institute, Yokohama, Kangawa, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Yamaguchi
- School of Life Science, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoki Tanimizu
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Hideki Taniguchi
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Regenerative Medicine, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan; Division of Clinical Genome Research, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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137
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Mascharak S, Guo JL, Foster DS, Khan A, Davitt MF, Nguyen AT, Burcham AR, Chinta MS, Guardino NJ, Griffin M, Lopez DM, Miller E, Januszyk M, Raghavan SS, Longacre TA, Delitto DJ, Norton JA, Longaker MT. Desmoplastic stromal signatures predict patient outcomes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:101248. [PMID: 37865092 PMCID: PMC10694604 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is projected to become the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Hallmarks include desmoplasia with variable extracellular matrix (ECM) architecture and a complex microenvironment with spatially defined tumor, stromal, and immune populations. Nevertheless, the role of desmoplastic spatial organization in patient/tumor variability remains underexplored, which we elucidate using two technologies. First, we quantify ECM patterning in 437 patients, revealing architectures associated with disease-free and overall survival. Second, we spatially profile the cellular milieu of 78 specimens using codetection by indexing, identifying an axis of pro-inflammatory cell interactions predictive of poorer outcomes. We discover that clinical characteristics, including neoadjuvant chemotherapy status, tumor stage, and ECM architecture, correlate with differential stromal-immune organization, including fibroblast subtypes with distinct niches. Lastly, we define unified signatures that predict survival with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) of 0.872-0.903, differentiating survivorship by 655 days. Overall, our findings establish matrix ultrastructural and cellular organizations of fibrosis linked to poorer outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shamik Mascharak
- Hagey Laboratory of Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jason L Guo
- Hagey Laboratory of Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Deshka S Foster
- Hagey Laboratory of Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Anum Khan
- Cell Sciences Imaging Facility, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michael F Davitt
- Hagey Laboratory of Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Alan T Nguyen
- Hagey Laboratory of Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Austin R Burcham
- Hagey Laboratory of Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Malini S Chinta
- Hagey Laboratory of Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Nicholas J Guardino
- Hagey Laboratory of Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michelle Griffin
- Hagey Laboratory of Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - David M Lopez
- Hagey Laboratory of Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Elisabeth Miller
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Michael Januszyk
- Hagey Laboratory of Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Shyam S Raghavan
- Department of Pathology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Teri A Longacre
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Daniel J Delitto
- Hagey Laboratory of Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Norton
- Hagey Laboratory of Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Michael T Longaker
- Hagey Laboratory of Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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138
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Aguirre GA, Goulart MR, Dalli J, Kocher HM. Arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase-mediated production of Resolvin D5 n-3 DPA abrogates pancreatic stellate cell-induced cancer cell invasion. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1248547. [PMID: 38035115 PMCID: PMC10687150 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1248547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Activation of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) to cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) is responsible for the extensive desmoplastic reaction observed in PDAC stroma: a key driver of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) chemoresistance leading to poor prognosis. Specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) are prime modulators of inflammation and its resolution, traditionally thought to be produced by immune cells. Using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based lipid mediator profiling PSCs as well as primary human CAFs express enzymes and receptors to produce and respond to SPMs. Human PSC/CAF SPM secretion profile can be modulated by rendering these cells activated [transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)] or quiescent [all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)]. ATRA-induced nuclear translocation of arachidonate-15-lipoxygenase (ALOX15) was linked to increased production of n-3 docosapentaenoic acid-derived Resolvin D5 (RvD5n-3 DPA), among other SPMs. Inhibition of RvD5n-3 DPA formation increases cancer cell invasion, whereas addback of this molecule reduced activated PSC-mediated cancer cell invasion. We also observed that circulating concentrations of RvD5n-3 DPA levels were decreased in peripheral blood of metastatic PDAC patients when compared with those measured in plasma of non-metastatic PDAC patients. Together, these findings indicate that RvD5n-3 DPA may regulate cancer-stroma cross-talk and invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel A. Aguirre
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Jesmond Dalli
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, John Vane Science Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hemant M. Kocher
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, London, United Kingdom
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139
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Zheng Y, Zhou R, Cai J, Yang N, Wen Z, Zhang Z, Sun H, Huang G, Guan Y, Huang N, Shi M, Liao Y, Bin J, Liao W. Matrix Stiffness Triggers Lipid Metabolic Cross-talk between Tumor and Stromal Cells to Mediate Bevacizumab Resistance in Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases. Cancer Res 2023; 83:3577-3592. [PMID: 37610655 PMCID: PMC10618741 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-0025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Bevacizumab is an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody that plays an important role in the combination treatment of advanced colorectal cancer. However, resistance remains a major hurdle limiting bevacizumab efficacy, highlighting the importance of identifying a mechanism of antiangiogenic therapy resistance. Here, we investigated biophysical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) related to metabolic processes and acquired resistance to bevacizumab. Evaluation of paired pre- and posttreatment samples of liver metastases from 20 colorectal cancer patients treated with combination bevacizumab therapy, including 10 responders and 10 nonresponders, indicated that ECM deposition in liver metastases and a highly activated fatty acid oxidation (FAO) pathway were elevated in nonresponders after antiangiogenic therapy compared with responders. In mouse models of liver metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), anti-VEGF increased ECM deposition and FAO in colorectal cancer cells, and treatment with the FAO inhibitor etomoxir enhanced the efficacy of antiangiogenic therapy. Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) were essential for matrix stiffness-mediated FAO in colon cancer cells. Matrix stiffness activated lipolysis in HSCs via the focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/yes-associated protein (YAP) pathway, and free fatty acids secreted by HSCs were absorbed as metabolic substrates and activated FAO in colon cancer cells. Suppressing HSC lipolysis using FAK and YAP inhibition enhanced the efficacy of anti-VEGF therapy. Together, these results indicate that bevacizumab-induced ECM remodeling triggers lipid metabolic cross-talk between colon cancer cells and HSCs. This metabolic mechanism of bevacizumab resistance mediated by the physical tumor microenvironment represents a potential therapeutic target for reversing drug resistance. SIGNIFICANCE Extracellular matrix stiffening drives bevacizumab resistance by stimulating hepatic stellate cells to provide fuel for mCRC cells in the liver, indicating a potential metabolism-based therapeutic strategy for overcoming resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yannan Zheng
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Rui Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jianan Cai
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Nanyan Yang
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhaowei Wen
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhihua Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Huiying Sun
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Genjie Huang
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yijin Guan
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Na Huang
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Min Shi
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yulin Liao
- Department of Cardiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jianping Bin
- Department of Cardiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Wangjun Liao
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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140
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Giordano Attianese GMP, Ash S, Irving M. Coengineering specificity, safety, and function into T cells for cancer immunotherapy. Immunol Rev 2023; 320:166-198. [PMID: 37548063 DOI: 10.1111/imr.13252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive T-cell transfer (ACT) therapies, including of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and T cells gene-modified to express either a T cell receptor (TCR) or a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), have demonstrated clinical efficacy for a proportion of patients and cancer-types. The field of ACT has been driven forward by the clinical success of CD19-CAR therapy against various advanced B-cell malignancies, including curative responses for some leukemia patients. However, relapse remains problematic, in particular for lymphoma. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, relative limited efficacy has been demonstrated for ACT of non-hematological solid tumors. Indeed, in addition to pre-infusion challenges including lymphocyte collection and manufacturing, ACT failure can be attributed to several biological processes post-transfer including, (i) inefficient tumor trafficking, infiltration, expansion and retention, (ii) chronic antigen exposure coupled with insufficient costimulation resulting in T-cell exhaustion, (iii) a range of barriers in the tumor microenvironment (TME) mediated by both tumor cells and suppressive immune infiltrate, (iv) tumor antigen heterogeneity and loss, or down-regulation of antigen presentation machinery, (v) gain of tumor intrinsic mechanisms of resistance such as to apoptosis, and (vi) various forms of toxicity and other adverse events in patients. Affinity-optimized TCRs can improve T-cell function and innovative CAR designs as well as gene-modification strategies can be used to coengineer specificity, safety, and function into T cells. Coengineering strategies can be designed not only to directly support the transferred T cells, but also to block suppressive barriers in the TME and harness endogenous innate and adaptive immunity. Here, we review a selection of the remarkable T-cell coengineering strategies, including of tools, receptors, and gene-cargo, that have been developed in recent years to augment tumor control by ACT, more and more of which are advancing to the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Maria Paola Giordano Attianese
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Ash
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Melita Irving
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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141
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Gao D, Fang L, Liu C, Yang M, Yu X, Wang L, Zhang W, Sun C, Zhuang J. Microenvironmental regulation in tumor progression: Interactions between cancer-associated fibroblasts and immune cells. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 167:115622. [PMID: 37783155 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME), the "soil" on which tumor cells grow, has an important role in regulating the proliferation and metastasis of tumor cells as well as their response to treatment. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), as the most abundant stromal cells of the TME, can not only directly alter the immunosuppressive effect of the TME through their own metabolism, but also influence the aggregation and function of immune cells by secreting a large number of cytokines and chemokines, reducing the body's immune surveillance of tumor cells and making them more prone to immune escape. Our study provides a comprehensive review of fibroblast chemotaxis, malignant transformation, metabolic characteristics, and interactions with immune cells. In addition, the current small molecule drugs targeting CAFs have been summarized, including both natural small molecules and targeted drugs for current clinical therapeutic applications. A complete review of the role of fibroblasts in TME from an immune perspective is presented, which has important implications in improving the efficiency of immunotherapy by targeting fibroblasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Gao
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261000, China
| | - Liguang Fang
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, China
| | - Cun Liu
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261000, China
| | - Mengrui Yang
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261000, China
| | - Xiaoyun Yu
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261000, China
| | - Longyun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, 999078, Macao Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Wenfeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, 999078, Macao Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Changgang Sun
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261000, China; Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang 261000, China.
| | - Jing Zhuang
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang 261000, China.
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142
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Di Carlo SE, Raffenne J, Varet H, Ode A, Granados DC, Stein M, Legendre R, Tuckermann J, Bousquet C, Peduto L. Depletion of slow-cycling PDGFRα +ADAM12 + mesenchymal cells promotes antitumor immunity by restricting macrophage efferocytosis. Nat Immunol 2023; 24:1867-1878. [PMID: 37798557 PMCID: PMC10602852 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01642-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
The capacity to survive and thrive in conditions of limited resources and high inflammation is a major driver of tumor malignancy. Here we identified slow-cycling ADAM12+PDGFRα+ mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) induced at the tumor margins in mouse models of melanoma, pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer. Using inducible lineage tracing and transcriptomics, we demonstrated that metabolically altered ADAM12+ MSCs induced pathological angiogenesis and immunosuppression by promoting macrophage efferocytosis and polarization through overexpression of genes such as Gas6, Lgals3 and Csf1. Genetic depletion of ADAM12+ cells restored a functional tumor vasculature, reduced hypoxia and acidosis and normalized CAFs, inducing infiltration of effector T cells and growth inhibition of melanomas and pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer, in a process dependent on TGF-β. In human cancer, ADAM12 stratifies patients with high levels of hypoxia and innate resistance mechanisms, as well as factors associated with a poor prognosis and drug resistance such as AXL. Altogether, our data show that depletion of tumor-induced slow-cycling PDGFRα+ MSCs through ADAM12 restores antitumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selene E Di Carlo
- Stroma, Inflammation & Tissue Repair Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1224, Paris, France
| | - Jerome Raffenne
- INSERM U1037, Cancer Research Center of Toulouse (CRCT), Toulouse, France
| | - Hugo Varet
- Transcriptome and Epigenome Platform-Biomics Pole, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Anais Ode
- Stroma, Inflammation & Tissue Repair Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1224, Paris, France
| | - David Cabrerizo Granados
- Stroma, Inflammation & Tissue Repair Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1224, Paris, France
- Laboratory for Disease Mechanisms in Cancer, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Merle Stein
- Institute of Comparative Molecular Endocrinology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Rachel Legendre
- Transcriptome and Epigenome Platform-Biomics Pole, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Jan Tuckermann
- Institute of Comparative Molecular Endocrinology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Corinne Bousquet
- INSERM U1037, Cancer Research Center of Toulouse (CRCT), Toulouse, France
| | - Lucie Peduto
- Stroma, Inflammation & Tissue Repair Unit, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM U1224, Paris, France.
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143
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Xin Y, Li K, Huang M, Liang C, Siemann D, Wu L, Tan Y, Tang X. Biophysics in tumor growth and progression: from single mechano-sensitive molecules to mechanomedicine. Oncogene 2023; 42:3457-3490. [PMID: 37864030 PMCID: PMC10656290 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02844-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Evidence from physical sciences in oncology increasingly suggests that the interplay between the biophysical tumor microenvironment and genetic regulation has significant impact on tumor progression. Especially, tumor cells and the associated stromal cells not only alter their own cytoskeleton and physical properties but also remodel the microenvironment with anomalous physical properties. Together, these altered mechano-omics of tumor tissues and their constituents fundamentally shift the mechanotransduction paradigms in tumorous and stromal cells and activate oncogenic signaling within the neoplastic niche to facilitate tumor progression. However, current findings on tumor biophysics are limited, scattered, and often contradictory in multiple contexts. Systematic understanding of how biophysical cues influence tumor pathophysiology is still lacking. This review discusses recent different schools of findings in tumor biophysics that have arisen from multi-scale mechanobiology and the cutting-edge technologies. These findings range from the molecular and cellular to the whole tissue level and feature functional crosstalk between mechanotransduction and oncogenic signaling. We highlight the potential of these anomalous physical alterations as new therapeutic targets for cancer mechanomedicine. This framework reconciles opposing opinions in the field, proposes new directions for future cancer research, and conceptualizes novel mechanomedicine landscape to overcome the inherent shortcomings of conventional cancer diagnosis and therapies.
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Grants
- R35 GM150812 NIGMS NIH HHS
- This work was financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project no. 11972316, Y.T.), Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission (Project no. JCYJ20200109142001798, SGDX2020110309520303, and JCYJ20220531091002006, Y.T.), General Research Fund of Hong Kong Research Grant Council (PolyU 15214320, Y. T.), Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF18191421, Y.T.), Hong Kong Polytechnic University (1-CD75, 1-ZE2M, and 1-ZVY1, Y.T.), the Cancer Pilot Research Award from UF Health Cancer Center (X. T.), the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award number R35GM150812 (X. T.), the National Science Foundation under grant number 2308574 (X. T.), the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under award number FA9550-23-1-0393 (X. T.), the University Scholar Program (X. T.), UF Research Opportunity Seed Fund (X. T.), the Gatorade Award (X. T.), and the National Science Foundation REU Site at UF: Engineering for Healthcare (Douglas Spearot and Malisa Sarntinoranont). We are deeply grateful for the insightful discussions with and generous support from all members of Tang (UF)’s and Tan (PolyU)’s laboratories and all staff members of the MAE/BME/ECE/Health Cancer Center at UF and BME at PolyU.
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)
- Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xin
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Keming Li
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Miao Huang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Chenyu Liang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Dietmar Siemann
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Lizi Wu
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Youhua Tan
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
- Research Institute of Smart Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Xin Tang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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144
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Sun R, Sun Y, Wu C, Liu Y, Zhou M, Dong Y, Du G, Luo H, Shi B, Jiang H, Li Z. CXCR4-modified CAR-T cells suppresses MDSCs recruitment via STAT3/NF-κB/SDF-1α axis to enhance efficacy against pancreatic cancer. Mol Ther 2023; 31:3193-3209. [PMID: 37735875 PMCID: PMC10638076 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Claudin18.2 (CLDN18.2)-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) cells displayed limited efficacy in CLDN18.2-positive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Strategies are needed to improve the trafficking capacity of CLDN18.2-specific CAR-T cells. PDAC has a unique microenvironment that consists of abundant cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which could secrete stromal cell-derived factor 1α (SDF-1α), the ligand of CXCR4. Then, we constructed and explored CLDN18.2-targeted CAR-T cells with CXCR4 co-expression in treating immunocompetent mouse models of PDAC. The results indicated that CXCR4 could promote the infiltration of CAR-T cells and enhance their efficacy in vivo. Mechanistically, the activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling was impaired in CXCR4 CAR-T cells, which reduced the release of inflammatory factors, such as tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6, and IL-17A. Then, the lower release of inflammatory factors suppressed SDF-1α secretion in CAFs via the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway. Therefore, the decreased secretion of SDF-1α in feedback decreased the migration of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in tumor sites. Overall, our study demonstrated that CXCR4 CAR-T cells could traffic more into tumor sites and also suppress MDSC migration via the STAT3/NF-κB/SDF-1α axis to obtain better efficacy in treating CLDN18.2-positive pancreatic cancer. Our findings provide a theoretical rationale for CXCR4 CAR-T cell therapy in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixin Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200065, China
| | - Yansha Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Chuanlong Wu
- Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Yifan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Min Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yiwei Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Guoxiu Du
- CARsgen Therapeutics, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Hong Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Bizhi Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China; CARsgen Therapeutics, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Hua Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China; CARsgen Therapeutics, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Zonghai Li
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China; CARsgen Therapeutics, Shanghai 200032, China.
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145
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Shen C, Chai W, Han J, Zhang Z, Liu X, Yang S, Wang Y, Wang D, Wan F, Fan Z, Hu H. Identification and validation of a dysregulated TME-related gene signature for predicting prognosis, and immunological properties in bladder cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1213947. [PMID: 37965307 PMCID: PMC10641729 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1213947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background During tumor growth, tumor cells interact with their tumor microenvironment (TME) resulting in the development of heterogeneous tumors that promote tumor occurrence and progression. Recently, there has been extensive attention on TME as a possible therapeutic target for cancers. However, an accurate TME-related prediction model is urgently needed to aid in the assessment of patients' prognoses and therapeutic value, and to assist in clinical decision-making. As such, this study aimed to develop and validate a new prognostic model based on TME-associated genes for BC patients. Methods Transcriptome data and clinical information for BC patients were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and IMvigor210 databases, along with the MSigDB, were utilized to identify genes associated with TMEs (TMRGs). A consensus clustering approach was used to identify molecular clusters associated with TMEs. LASSO Cox regression analysis was conducted to establish a prognostic TMRG-related signature, with verifications being successfully conducted internally and externally. Gene ontology (GO), KEGG, and single-sample gene set enrichment analyses (ssGSEA) were performed to investigate the underlying mechanisms. The potential response to ICB therapy was estimated using the Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) algorithm and Immunophenoscore (IPS). Additionally, it was found that the expression level of certain genes in the model was significantly correlated with objective responses to anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 treatment in the IMvigor210, GSE111636, GSE176307, or Truce01 (registration number NCT04730219) cohorts. Finally, real-time PCR validation was performed on 10 paired tissue samples, and in vitro cytological experiments were also conducted on BC cell lines. Results In BC patients, 133 genes differentially expressed that were associated with prognosis in TME. Consensus clustering analysis revealed three distinct clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes. A novel prognostic model based on nine TMRGs (including C3orf62, DPYSL2, GZMA, SERPINB3, RHCG, PTPRR, STMN3, TMPRSS4, COMP) was identified, and a TMEscore for OS prediction was constructed, with its reliable predictive performance in BC patients being validated. MultiCox analysis showed that the risk score was an independent prognostic factor. A nomogram was developed to facilitate the clinical viability of TMEscore. Based on GO and KEGG enrichment analyses, biological processes related to ECM and collagen binding were significantly enriched among high-risk individuals. In addition, the low-risk group, characterized by a higher number of infiltrating CD8+ T cells and a lower burden of tumor mutations, demonstrated a longer survival time. Our study also found that TMEscore correlated with drug susceptibility, immune cell infiltration, and the prediction of immunotherapy efficacy. Lastly, we identified SERPINB3 as significantly promoting BC cells migration and invasion through differential expression validation and in vitro phenotypic experiments. Conclusion Our study developed a prognostic model based on nine TMRGs that accurately and stably predicted survival, guiding individual treatment for patients with BC, and providing new therapeutic strategies for the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Shen
- Department of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Tianjin, China
| | - Wang Chai
- Department of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Tianjin, China
| | - Jingwen Han
- Department of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Department of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuejing Liu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, Haidian Maternal & Child Health Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shaobo Yang
- Department of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Tianjin, China
| | - Yinlei Wang
- Department of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Tianjin, China
| | - Donghuai Wang
- Department of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Tianjin, China
| | - Fangxin Wan
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhenqian Fan
- Department of Endocrinology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Hailong Hu
- Department of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urology, Tianjin Institute of Urology, Tianjin, China
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Zarodniuk M, Steele A, Lu X, Li J, Datta M. CNS tumor stroma transcriptomics identify perivascular fibroblasts as predictors of immunotherapy resistance in glioblastoma patients. NPJ Genom Med 2023; 8:35. [PMID: 37884531 PMCID: PMC10603041 DOI: 10.1038/s41525-023-00381-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) is a hallmark of solid tumors; however, it remains poorly understood which cellular and molecular components contribute to the formation of ECM stroma in central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Here, we undertake a pan-CNS analysis of retrospective gene expression datasets to characterize inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity of ECM remodeling signatures in both adult and pediatric CNS disease. We find that CNS lesions - glioblastoma in particular - can be divided into two ECM-based subtypes (ECMhi and ECMlo) that are influenced by the presence of perivascular stromal cells resembling cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Ligand-receptor network analysis predicts that perivascular fibroblasts activate signaling pathways responsible for recruitment of tumor-associated macrophages and promotion of cancer stemness. Our analysis reveals that perivascular fibroblasts are correlated with unfavorable response to immune checkpoint blockade in glioblastoma and poor patient survival across a subset of CNS tumors. We provide insights into new stroma-driven mechanisms underlying immune evasion and immunotherapy resistance in CNS tumors like glioblastoma, and discuss how targeting these perivascular fibroblasts may prove an effective approach to improving treatment response and patient survival in a variety of CNS tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maksym Zarodniuk
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Alexander Steele
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Xin Lu
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Meenal Datta
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.
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147
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Cao J, Wu J, Yang P, Qian K, Cheng Y, Xu M, Sheng D, Meng R, Wang T, Li Y, Wei Y, Zhang Q. Dual Enzyme Cascade-Activated Popcorn-Like Nanoparticles Efficiently Remodeled Stellate Cells to Alleviate Pancreatic Desmoplasia. ACS NANO 2023; 17:19793-19809. [PMID: 37805928 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c03838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
In pancreatic cancer, excessive desmoplastic stroma severely impedes drug access to tumor cells. By reverting activated pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) to quiescence, all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) can attenuate their stromal synthesis and remodel the tumor-promoting microenvironment. However, its modulatory effects have been greatly weakened due to its limited delivery to PSCs. Therefore, we constructed a tripeptide RFC-modified gelatin/oleic acid nanoparticle (RNP@ATRA), which delivered ATRA in an enzyme-triggered popcorn-like manner and effectively resolved the delivery challenges. Specifically, surface RFC was cleaved by aminopeptidase N (APN) on the tumor endothelium to liberate l-arginine, generating nitric oxide (NO) for tumor-specific vasodilation. Then, massive nanoparticles were pushed from the vessels into tumors, showing 5.1- and 4.0-fold higher intratumoral accumulation than free ATRA and APN-inert nanoparticles, respectively. Subsequently, in the interstitium, matrix metalloproteinase-2-induced gelatin degradation caused RNP@ATRA to rapidly release ATRA, promoting its interstitial penetration and PSC delivery. Thus, activated PSCs were efficiently reverted to quiescence, and stroma secretion and vascular compression were reduced, thereby enhancing intratumoral delivery of small-molecule or nanosized chemotherapeutics. Ultimately, RNP@ATRA combined with chemotherapeutics markedly suppressed tumor growth and metastasis without causing additional toxicities. Overall, this work provides a potential nanoplatform for the efficient delivery of PSC-modifying agents in pancreatic cancer and other stroma-rich tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxu Cao
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
- School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430081, China
| | - Jing Wu
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Peng Yang
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Kang Qian
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yunlong Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Minjun Xu
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Dongyu Sheng
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ran Meng
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Tianying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yixian Li
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yan Wei
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Qizhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
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148
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Lau HSH, Tan VKM, Tan BKT, Sim Y, Quist J, Thike AA, Tan PH, Pervaiz S, Grigoriadis A, Sabapathy K. Adipose-enriched peri-tumoral stroma, in contrast to myofibroblast-enriched stroma, prognosticates poorer survival in breast cancers. NPJ Breast Cancer 2023; 9:84. [PMID: 37863888 PMCID: PMC10589339 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-023-00590-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite our understanding of the genetic basis of intra-tumoral heterogeneity, the role of stromal heterogeneity arising from an altered tumor microenvironment in affecting tumorigenesis is poorly understood. In particular, extensive study on the peri-tumoral stroma in the morphologically normal tissues surrounding the tumor is lacking. Here, we examine the heterogeneity in tumors and peri-tumoral stroma from 8 ER+/PR+/HER2- invasive breast carcinomas, through multi-region transcriptomic profiling by microarray. We describe the regional heterogeneity observed at the intrinsic molecular subtype, pathway enrichment, and cell type composition levels within each tumor and its peri-tumoral region, up to 7 cm from the tumor margins. Moreover, we identify a pro-inflammatory adipose-enriched peri-tumoral subtype which was significantly associated with poorer overall survival in breast cancer patients, in contrast to an adaptive immune cell- and myofibroblast-enriched subtype. These data together suggest that peri-tumoral heterogeneity may be an important determinant of the evolution and treatment of breast cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Si Hui Lau
- Divisions of Cellular & Molecular Research, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 168583, Singapore
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
- Cancer Bioinformatics, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Veronique Kiak Mien Tan
- Surgery and Surgical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 169610, Singapore
- Department of Breast Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, 168753, Singapore
| | - Benita Kiat Tee Tan
- Surgery and Surgical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 169610, Singapore
- Department of Breast Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, 168753, Singapore
- Department of General Surgery, Sengkang General Hospital, Singapore, 544886, Singapore
| | - Yirong Sim
- Surgery and Surgical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 169610, Singapore
- Department of Breast Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, 168753, Singapore
| | - Jelmar Quist
- Cancer Bioinformatics, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
- Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Aye Aye Thike
- Division of Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Puay Hoon Tan
- Division of Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Shazib Pervaiz
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
- NUS Centre for Cancer Research (N2CR), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
| | - Anita Grigoriadis
- Cancer Bioinformatics, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
- Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Kanaga Sabapathy
- Divisions of Cellular & Molecular Research, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 168583, Singapore.
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore.
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Vasiukov G, Zou Y, Senosain MF, Rahman JSM, Antic S, Young KM, Grogan EL, Kammer MN, Maldonado F, Reinhart-King CA, Massion PP. Cancer-associated fibroblasts in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma correlate with tumor aggressiveness. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17604. [PMID: 37848457 PMCID: PMC10582049 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43296-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the predominant type of lung cancer in the U.S. and exhibits a broad variety of behaviors ranging from indolent to aggressive. Identification of the biological determinants of LUAD behavior at early stages can improve existing diagnostic and treatment strategies. Extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and cancer-associated fibroblasts play a crucial role in the regulation of cancer aggressiveness and there is a growing need to investigate their role in the determination of LUAD behavior at early stages. We analyzed tissue samples isolated from patients with LUAD at early stages and used imaging-based biomarkers to predict LUAD behavior. Single-cell RNA sequencing and histological assessment showed that aggressive LUADs are characterized by a decreased number of ADH1B+ CAFs in comparison to indolent tumors. ADH1B+ CAF enrichment is associated with distinct ECM and immune cell signatures in early-stage LUADs. Also, we found a positive correlation between the gene expression of ADH1B+ CAF markers in early-stage LUADs and better survival. We performed TCGA dataset analysis to validate our findings. Identified associations can be used for the development of the predictive model of LUAD aggressiveness and novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgii Vasiukov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yong Zou
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Maria-Fernanda Senosain
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jamshedur S M Rahman
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sanja Antic
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Katherine M Young
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Eric L Grogan
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Michael N Kammer
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Fabien Maldonado
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Cynthia A Reinhart-King
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Pierre P Massion
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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150
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Ghorani E, Swanton C, Quezada SA. Cancer cell-intrinsic mechanisms driving acquired immune tolerance. Immunity 2023; 56:2270-2295. [PMID: 37820584 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Immune evasion is a hallmark of cancer, enabling tumors to survive contact with the host immune system and evade the cycle of immune recognition and destruction. Here, we review the current understanding of the cancer cell-intrinsic factors driving immune evasion. We focus on T cells as key effectors of anti-cancer immunity and argue that cancer cells evade immune destruction by gaining control over pathways that usually serve to maintain physiological tolerance to self. Using this framework, we place recent mechanistic advances in the understanding of cancer immune evasion into broad categories of control over T cell localization, antigen recognition, and acquisition of optimal effector function. We discuss the redundancy in the pathways involved and identify knowledge gaps that must be overcome to better target immune evasion, including the need for better, routinely available tools that incorporate the growing understanding of evasion mechanisms to stratify patients for therapy and trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Ghorani
- Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Unit, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK; Department of Medical Oncology, Imperial College London Hospitals, London, UK.
| | - Charles Swanton
- Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK; Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK; Department of Oncology, University College London Hospitals, London, UK
| | - Sergio A Quezada
- Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK; Cancer Immunology Unit, Research Department of Hematology, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK.
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