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Wei W, Lu Y, Zhang M, Guo J, Zhang H. Identifying polyamine related biomarkers in diagnosis and treatment of ulcerative colitis by integrating bulk and single-cell sequencing data. Sci Rep 2024; 14:18094. [PMID: 39103474 PMCID: PMC11300856 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-69322-6] [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: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the colon, and its pathogenesis remains unclear. Polyamine metabolic enzymes play a crucial role in UC. In this study, we aimed to identify pivotal polyamine-related genes (PRGs) and explore the underlying mechanism between PRGs and the disease status and therapeutic response of UC. We analyzed mRNA-sequencing data and clinical information of UC patients from the GEO database and identified NNMT, PTGS2, TRIM22, TGM2, and PPARG as key PRGs associated with active UC using differential expression analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WCGNA). Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) analysis confirmed the accuracy of these key genes in UC and colitis-associated colon cancer (CAC) diagnosis, and we validated their relationship with therapeutic response in external verification sets. Additionally, single-cell analysis revealed that the key PRGs were specific to certain immune cell types, emphasizing the vital role of intestinal tissue stem cells in active UC. The results were validated in vitro and in vivo experiments, including the colitis mice model and CAC mice model. In conclusion, these key PRGs effectively predict the progression of UC patients and could serve as new pharmacological biomarkers for the therapeutic response of UC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanhui Wei
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnosis of Hubei Province, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuanyuan Lu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Wuhan Third Hospital, Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mengjiao Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnosis of Hubei Province, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - JinKun Guo
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnosis of Hubei Province, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Heng Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnosis of Hubei Province, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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2
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He L, Lin J, Lu S, Li H, Chen J, Wu X, Yan Q, Liu H, Li H, Shi Y. CKB Promotes Mitochondrial ATP Production by Suppressing Permeability Transition Pore. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2403093. [PMID: 38896801 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202403093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Creatine kinases are essential for maintaining cellular energy balance by facilitating the reversible transfer of a phosphoryl group from ATP to creatine, however, their role in mitochondrial ATP production remains unknown. This study shows creatine kinases, including CKMT1A, CKMT1B, and CKB, are highly expressed in cells relying on the mitochondrial F1F0 ATP synthase for survival. Interestingly, silencing CKB, but not CKMT1A or CKMT1B, leads to a loss of sensitivity to the inhibition of F1F0 ATP synthase in these cells. Mechanistically, CKB promotes mitochondrial ATP but reduces glycolytic ATP production by suppressing mitochondrial calcium (mCa2+) levels, thereby preventing the activation of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) and ensuring efficient mitochondrial ATP generation. Further, CKB achieves this regulation by suppressing mCa2+ levels through the inhibition of AKT activity. Notably, the CKB-AKT signaling axis boosts mitochondrial ATP production in cancer cells growing in a mouse tumor model. Moreover, this study also uncovers a decline in CKB expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells with aging, accompanied by an increase in AKT signaling in these cells. These findings thus shed light on a novel signaling pathway involving CKB that directly regulates mitochondrial ATP production, potentially playing a role in both pathological and physiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le He
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Jianghua Lin
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Shaojuan Lu
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Hao Li
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Xinyi Wu
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Qixin Yan
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Hailiang Liu
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiology and Medical Innovation Center, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200123, China
| | - Hui Li
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Yufeng Shi
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
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3
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Yu X, Li S. Specific regulation of epigenome landscape by metabolic enzymes and metabolites. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:878-900. [PMID: 38174803 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13049] [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: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Metabolism includes anabolism and catabolism, which play an essential role in many biological processes. Chromatin modifications are post-translational modifications of histones and nucleic acids that play important roles in regulating chromatin-associated processes such as gene transcription. There is a tight connection between metabolism and chromatin modifications. Many metabolic enzymes and metabolites coordinate cellular activities with alterations in nutrient availability by regulating gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation and histone modifications. The dysregulation of gene expression by metabolism and epigenetic modifications may lead to diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Recent studies reveal that metabolic enzymes and metabolites specifically regulate chromatin modifications, including modification types, modification residues and chromatin regions. This specific regulation has been implicated in the development of human diseases, yet the underlying mechanisms are only beginning to be uncovered. In this review, we summarise recent studies of the molecular mechanisms underlying the metabolic regulation of histone and DNA modifications and discuss how they contribute to pathogenesis. We also describe recent developments in technologies used to address the key questions in this field. We hope this will inspire further in-depth investigations of the specific regulatory mechanisms involved, and most importantly will shed lights on the development of more effective disease therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xilan Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of High-throughput Drug Screening Technology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
| | - Shanshan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of High-throughput Drug Screening Technology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062, China
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4
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Huang H, Su L, Zhang R, Wu D, Ding C, Chen C, Zhu G, Cao P, Li X, Li Y, Liu H, Chen J. Pan-cancer analysis combined with experiments predicts NNMT as a therapeutic target for human cancers. Discov Oncol 2024; 15:196. [PMID: 38809277 PMCID: PMC11136932 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-024-01052-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The identification of effective therapeutic targets plays a pivotal role in advancing cancer treatment outcomes. We employed a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis, complemented by experimental validation, to explore the potential of Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) as a promising therapeutic strategy for human cancers. By analyzing large-scale transcriptomic datasets across various cancer types, we consistently observed upregulated expression of NNMT. Furthermore, elevated NNMT expression correlated with inferior overall survival in multiple cancer cohorts, underscoring its significance as a prognostic biomarker. Additionally, we investigated the relationship between NNMT expression and the tumor immune microenvironment, which plays a crucial role in regulating anti-tumor immune responses. To confirm the malignant functions of NNMT in tumor cells, we conducted a series of cell-based experiments, revealing that NNMT promotes cancer cell proliferation and invasion, indicative of its oncogenic properties. The integration of computational analysis and experimental validation in our study firmly establishes NNMT as a potential therapeutic target for human cancers. Specifically, targeting NNMT holds promise for the development of innovative and effective cancer treatments. Further investigations into NNMT's role in cancer pathogenesis could potentially pave the way for groundbreaking advancements in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Huang
- Department of Lung Cancer Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Lianchun Su
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, China
| | - Ruihao Zhang
- Department of Lung Cancer Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Di Wu
- Department of Lung Cancer Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Chen Ding
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Lung Cancer Metastasis and Tumor Microenvironment, Tianjin Lung Cancer Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Guangsheng Zhu
- Department of Lung Cancer Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Peijun Cao
- Department of Lung Cancer Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuanguang Li
- Department of Lung Cancer Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yongwen Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Lung Cancer Metastasis and Tumor Microenvironment, Tianjin Lung Cancer Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
| | - Hongyu Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Lung Cancer Metastasis and Tumor Microenvironment, Tianjin Lung Cancer Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of Lung Cancer Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University School of Medicine, Shihezi, China.
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Lung Cancer Metastasis and Tumor Microenvironment, Tianjin Lung Cancer Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
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Huang F, Wu X, Du Q, Lin J, Ma W, Liu J. Systematic Characterization of DNA Methyltransferases Family in Tumor Progression and Antitumor Immunity. Technol Cancer Res Treat 2024; 23:15330338241260658. [PMID: 38847740 PMCID: PMC11162131 DOI: 10.1177/15330338241260658] [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: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective: DNA methylation is an essential epigenetic marker governed by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), which can influence cancer onset and progression. However, few studies have provided an integrated analysis of the relevance of DNMT family genes to cell stemness, the tumor microenvironment (TME), and immunotherapy biomarkers across diverse cancers. Methods: This study investigated the impact of five DNMTs on transcriptional profiles, prognosis, and their association with Ki67 expression, epithelial-mesenchymal transition signatures, stemness scores, the TME, and immunological markers across 31 cancer types from recognized public databases. Results: The results indicated that DNMT1/DNMT3B/DNMT3A expression increased, whereas TRDMT1/DNMT3L expression decreased in most cancer types. DNMT family genes were identified as prognostic risk factors for numerous cancers, as well as being prominently associated with immune, stromal, and ESTIMATE scores, as well as with immune-infiltrating cell levels. Expression of the well-known immune checkpoints, PDCD1 and CILA4, was noticeably related to DNMT1/DNMT3A/DNMT3B expression. Finally, we validated the role of DNMT1 in MCF-7 and HepG2-C3A cell lines through its knockdown, whereafter a decrease in cell proliferation and migration ability in vitro was observed. Conclusion: Our study comprehensively expounded that DNMT family genes not only behave as promising prognostic factors but also have the potential to serve as therapeutic targets in cancer immunotherapy for various types of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengru Huang
- Department of Pharmacy, Department of Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinyi Wu
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiong Du
- Department of Pharmacy, Department of Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianghua Lin
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wencong Ma
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiyong Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Department of Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Liu Y, Zhao S, Chen Y, Ma W, Lu S, He L, Chen J, Chen X, Zhang X, Shi Y, Jiang X, Zhao K. Vimentin promotes glioma progression and maintains glioma cell resistance to oxidative phosphorylation inhibition. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2023; 46:1791-1806. [PMID: 37646965 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-023-00844-3] [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] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Glioma has been demonstrated as one of the most malignant intracranial tumors and currently there is no effective treatment. Based on our previous RNA-sequencing data for oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)-inhibition resistant and OXPHOS-inhibition sensitive cancer cells, we found that vimentin (VIM) is highly expressed in the OXPHOS-inhibition resistant cancer cells, especially in glioma cancer cells. Further study of VIM in the literature indicates that it plays important roles in cancer progression, immunotherapy suppression, cancer stemness and drug resistance. However, its role in glioma remains elusive. This study aims to decipher the role of VIM in glioma, especially its role in OXPHOS-inhibition sensitivity, which may provide a promising therapeutic target for glioma treatment. METHODS The expression of VIM in glioma and the normal tissue has been obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and further validated in Human Protein Atlas (HPA) and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA). And the single-cell sequencing data was obtained from TISCH2. The immune infiltration was calculated via Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), Estimation of Stromal and Immune Cells in Malignant Tumors using Expression Data (ESTIMATE) and ssGSEA, and the Immunophenoscore (IPS) was calculated via R package. The differentiated expressed genes were analyzed including GO/KEGG and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) between the VIM-high and -low groups. The methylation of VIM was checked at the EWAS and Methsurv. The correlation between VIM expression and cancer stemness was obtained from SangerBox. We also employed DepMap data and verified the role of VIM by knocking down it in VIM-high glioma cell and over-expressing it in VIM-low glioma cells to check the cell viability. RESULTS Vim is highly expressed in the glioma patients compared to normal samples and its high expression negatively correlates with patients' survival. The DNA methylation in VIM promoters in glioma patients is lower than that in the normal samples. High VIM expression positively correlates with the immune infiltration and tumor progression. Furthermore, Vim is expressed high in the OXPHOS-inhibition glioma cancer cells and low in the OXPHOS-inhibition sensitive ones and its expression maintains the OXPHOS-inhibition resistance. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, we comprehensively deciphered the role of VIM in the progression of glioma and its clinical outcomes. Thus provide new insights into targeting VIM in glioma cancer immunotherapy in combination with the current treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu'e Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200120, China
| | - Shu Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200120, China
| | - Yi Chen
- The China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Wencong Ma
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200120, China
| | - Shiping Lu
- Center for Translational Research in Infection and Inflammation, School of Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Le He
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200120, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200120, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Xiaoling Zhang
- National Joint Engineering Laboratory for Human Disease Animal Models, Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yufeng Shi
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, Clinical Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Research, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Xuan Jiang
- Department of Oncology, Huai'an Second People's Hospital, Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University, Huai'an, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Kaijun Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200120, China.
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Liu Y, Chen Y, Wang F, Lin J, Tan X, Chen C, Wu LL, Zhang X, Wang Y, Shi Y, Yan X, Zhao K. Caveolin-1 promotes glioma progression and maintains its mitochondrial inhibition resistance. Discov Oncol 2023; 14:161. [PMID: 37642765 PMCID: PMC10465474 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-023-00765-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glioma is a lethal brain cancer and lacking effective therapies. Challenges include no effective therapeutic target, intra- and intertumoral heterogeneity, inadequate effective drugs, and an immunosuppressive microenvironment, etc. Deciphering the pathogenesis of gliomas and finding out the working mechanisms are urgent and necessary for glioma treatment. Identification of prognostic biomarkers and targeting the biomarker genes will be a promising therapy. METHODS From our RNA-sequencing data of the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)-inhibition sensitive and OXPHOS-resistant cell lines, we found that the scaffolding protein caveolin 1 (CAV1) is highly expressed in the resistant group but not in the sensitive group. By comprehensive analysis of our RNA sequencing data, Whole Genome Bisulfite Sequencing (WGBS) data and public databases, we found that CAV1 is highly expressed in gliomas and its expression is positively related with pathological processes, higher CAV1 predicts shorter overall survival. RESULTS Further analysis indicated that (1) the differentiated genes in CAV1-high groups are enriched in immune infiltration and immune response; (2) CAV1 is positively correlated with tumor metastasis markers; (3) the methylation level of CAV1 promoters in glioma group is lower in higher stage than that in lower stage; (4) CAV1 is positively correlated with glioma stemness; (5) higher expression of CAV1 renders the glioma cells' resistant to oxidative phosphorylation inhibitors. CONCLUSION Therefore, we identified a key gene CAV1 and deciphered its function in glioma progression and prognosis, proposing that CAV1 may be a therapeutic target for gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu'e Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200120, China
| | - Yi Chen
- The China-US (Henan) Hormel Cancer Institute, Zhengzhou, 450000, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Pudong Medical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201399, China
| | - Jianghua Lin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200120, China
| | - Xiao Tan
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Chao Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Changhai Hospital, No. 168 Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Lei-Lei Wu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Xiaoling Zhang
- National Joint Engineering Laboratory for Human Disease Animal Models, First Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Medical Science and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yufeng Shi
- Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
- Clinical Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Research, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Xiaoli Yan
- Laboratory of Immunology and Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
| | - Kaijun Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200120, China.
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Emerging phagocytosis checkpoints in cancer immunotherapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:104. [PMID: 36882399 PMCID: PMC9990587 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01365-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy, mainly including immune checkpoints-targeted therapy and the adoptive transfer of engineered immune cells, has revolutionized the oncology landscape as it utilizes patients' own immune systems in combating the cancer cells. Cancer cells escape immune surveillance by hijacking the corresponding inhibitory pathways via overexpressing checkpoint genes. Phagocytosis checkpoints, such as CD47, CD24, MHC-I, PD-L1, STC-1 and GD2, have emerged as essential checkpoints for cancer immunotherapy by functioning as "don't eat me" signals or interacting with "eat me" signals to suppress immune responses. Phagocytosis checkpoints link innate immunity and adaptive immunity in cancer immunotherapy. Genetic ablation of these phagocytosis checkpoints, as well as blockade of their signaling pathways, robustly augments phagocytosis and reduces tumor size. Among all phagocytosis checkpoints, CD47 is the most thoroughly studied and has emerged as a rising star among targets for cancer treatment. CD47-targeting antibodies and inhibitors have been investigated in various preclinical and clinical trials. However, anemia and thrombocytopenia appear to be formidable challenges since CD47 is ubiquitously expressed on erythrocytes. Here, we review the reported phagocytosis checkpoints by discussing their mechanisms and functions in cancer immunotherapy, highlight clinical progress in targeting these checkpoints and discuss challenges and potential solutions to smooth the way for combination immunotherapeutic strategies that involve both innate and adaptive immune responses.
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