Targeting integrin αvβ3 with indomethacin inhibits patient-derived xenograft tumour growth and recurrence in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Ubiquitination and deubiquitination in cancer: from mechanisms to novel therapeutic approaches

Ubiquitination, a pivotal posttranslational modification of proteins, plays a fundamental role in regulating protein stability. The dysregulation of ubiquitinating and deubiquitinating enzymes is a common feature in various cancers, underscoring the imperative to investigate ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinases (DUBs) for insights into oncogenic processes and the development of therapeutic interventions. In this review, we discuss the contributions of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) in all hallmarks of cancer and progress in drug discovery. We delve into the multiple functions of the UPS in oncology, including its regulation of multiple cancer-associated pathways, its role in metabolic reprogramming, its engagement with tumor immune responses, its function in phenotypic plasticity and polymorphic microbiomes, and other essential cellular functions. Furthermore, we provide a comprehensive overview of novel anticancer strategies that leverage the UPS, including the development and application of proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) and molecular glues.

Relationship between aggressive features of oral squamous cell carcinoma and the immunoexpression of CX3CR1, CX3CL1 and ITGAV

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to describe the association between CX3CR1, CX3CL1, and ITGAV immunoexpression with PNI and adverse oncologic outcomes in patients with OSCC.

STUDY DESIGN

Expression CX3CR1, CX3CL1, and ITGAV was assessed by immunohistochemistry in a cohort of 50 paraffin-embedded resections of OSCC. Survival analysis, Cox, and binary logistic regressions were undertaken to determine the impact on patient survival and predictive value for PNI.

RESULTS

CX3CL1 positive nerves exhibited a significant association with tumor budding (TB) (P = .043), whereas nerves positive for ITGAV were associated with PNI (P = .021), T3-T4 tumor size (P = .029), and III-IV stage (P = .044). Cases with ITGAV-positive nerves exhibited an odds ratio of 9.603 (P = .008) for PNI, whereas cases with CX3CL1-positive nerves exhibited and odds ratio of 4.682 (P = .033) for TB. A trend toward decreased 5-year overall survival (P = .078) and 5-year disease-specific survival (P = .09) was observed in relation to ITGAV-positive nerves. However, no independent predictors for poor survival were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of ITGAV was associated with PNI and advanced disease, whereas the expression of CX3CL1 was related to TB, suggesting that ITGAV and CX3CL1 are involved in their respective developments. Therefore, further investigations are encouraged to assess the potential utility of targeted therapies against CX3CL1 receptors in OSCC.

T cell senescence: a new perspective on immunotherapy in lung cancer

T cell senescence is an indication of T cell dysfunction. The ability of senescent T cells to respond to cognate antigens is reduced and they are in the late stage of differentiation and proliferation; therefore, they cannot recognize and eliminate tumor cells in a timely and effective manner, leading to the formation of the suppressive tumor microenvironment. Establishing methods to reverse T cell senescence is particularly important for immunotherapy. Aging exacerbates profound changes in the immune system, leading to increased susceptibility to chronic, infectious, and autoimmune diseases. Patients with malignant lung tumors have impaired immune function with a high risk of recurrence, metastasis, and mortality. Immunotherapy based on PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4, and other immune checkpoints is promising for treating lung malignancies. However, T cell senescence can lead to low efficacy or unsuccessful treatment results in some immunotherapies. Efficiently blocking and reversing T cell senescence is a key goal of the enhancement of tumor immunotherapy. This study discusses the characteristics, mechanism, and expression of T cell senescence in malignant lung tumors and the treatment strategies.

Identifying the prognosis implication, immunotherapy response prediction value, and potential targeted compound inhibitors of integrin subunit α3 (ITGA3) in human cancers

The integrin subunit α3 (ITGA3) is a member of the integrin alpha chain protein family, which could promote progression, metastasis, and invasion in some cancers. Still, its function in the tumor microenvironment (TME), cancer prognosis, and immunotherapy remains unclear. A multifaceted analysis of ITGA3 in pan-cancer utilizing various databases and online web tools revealed ITGA3 was aberrantly expressed in tumor tissues and upregulated in most cancers, which may be related to ITGA3 genomic alterations and methylation modification. In addition, ITGA3 was significantly correlated with the poor or better prognosis of cancer patients, immune-related pathways in hallmark, immune infiltration, and immune checkpoints, revealing a biological function of ITGA3 in the tumor progression, tumor microenvironment, and tumor immunity. We also found that ITGA3 could predict the response to tumor immunotherapy based on cytokine-treated samples and immunotherapy cohorts. ITGA3 may participate in shaping and regulating the tumor microenvironment to affect the tumor immune response, which was a promising immunotherapy response predictive biomarker and potential therapeutic target to work synergistically with cancer immunotherapy to boost the response and efficacy. Finally, potential targeted compound inhibitors and sensitive drugs were screened using databases ConnectivityMap (CMap) and CellMiner, and AutoDock Tools was used for molecular docking.

Target discovery of bioactive natural products with native-compound-coupled CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B beads (NCCB): Applications, mechanisms and outlooks

Natural products (NPs) represent a treasure trove for drug discovery and development due to their chemical structural diversity and a broad spectrum of biological activities. Uncovering the biological targets and understanding their molecular mechanism of actions are crucial steps in the development of clinical therapeutics. However, the structural complexity of NPs and intricate nature of biological system present formidable challenges in target identification of NPs. Although significant advances have been made in the development of new chemical tools, these methods often require high levels of synthetic skills for preparing chemical probes. This can be costly and time-consuming relaying on operationally complicated procedures and instruments. In recent efforts, we and others have successfully developed an operationally simple and practical chemical tool known as native-compound-coupled CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B beads (NCCB) for NP target identification. In this approach, a native compound readily reacts with commercial CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B beads with a process that is easily performed in any biology laboratory. Based on NCCB, our group has identified the direct targets of more than 60 NPs. In this review, we will elucidate the application scopes, including flavonoids, quinones, terpenoids and others, characteristics, chemical mechanisms, procedures, advantages, disadvantages, and future directions of NCCB in specific target discovery.

Promising preclinical patient-derived organoid (PDO) and xenograft (PDX) models in upper gastrointestinal cancers: progress and challenges

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers (gastric cancer, oesophageal cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, etc.) are the most common cancers with the highest morbidity and mortality in the world. The therapy for most GI cancers is difficult and is associated with a poor prognosis. In China, upper GI cancers, mainly gastric cancer (GC) and oesophageal cancer (EC), are very common due to Chinese people's characteristics, and more than half of patients are diagnosed with distant metastatic or locally advanced disease. Compared to other solid cancers, such as lung cancer and breast cancer, personalized therapies, especially targeted therapy and immunotherapy, in GC and EC are relatively lacking, leading to poor prognosis. For a long time, most studies were carried out by using in vitro cancer cell lines or in vivo cell line-derived xenograft models, which are unable to reproduce the characteristics of tumours derived from patients, leading to the possible misguidance of subsequent clinical validation. The patient-derived models represented by patient-derived organoid (PDO) and xenograft (PDX) models, known for their high preservation of patient tumour features, have emerged as a very popular platform that has been widely used in numerous studies, especially in the research and development of antitumour drugs and personalized medicine. Herein, based on some of the available published literature, we review the research and application status of PDO and PDX models in GC and EC, as well as detail their future challenges and prospects, to promote their use in basic and translational studies or personalized therapy.

Patient-derived tumor models: a suitable tool for preclinical studies on esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer (EC) is the tenth most common cancer worldwide and has high morbidity and mortality. Its main subtypes include esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal adenocarcinoma, which are usually diagnosed during their advanced stages. The biological defects and inability of preclinical models to summarize completely the etiology of multiple factors, the complexity of the tumor microenvironment, and the genetic heterogeneity of tumors severely limit the clinical treatment of EC. Patient-derived models of EC not only retain the tissue structure, cell morphology, and differentiation characteristics of the original tumor, they also retain tumor heterogeneity. Therefore, compared with other preclinical models, they can better predict the efficacy of candidate drugs, explore novel biomarkers, combine with clinical trials, and effectively improve patient prognosis. This review discusses the methods and animals used to establish patient-derived models and genetically engineered mouse models, especially patient-derived xenograft models. It also discusses their advantages, applications, and limitations as preclinical experimental research tools to provide an important reference for the precise personalized treatment of EC and improve the prognosis of patients.

Experimental study of 131I-caerin 1.1 and 131I-c(RGD)2 for internal radiation therapy of esophageal cancer xenografts

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the therapeutic effects of 131I-caerin 1.1 and 131I-c(RGD)2 on TE-1 esophageal cancer cell xenografts.

METHODS

(1) The in vitro antitumor effects of the polypeptides caerin 1.1 and c(RGD)2 were verified by MTT and clonogenic assays. 131I-caerin 1.1 and 131I-c(RGD)2 were prepared by chloramine-T (Ch-T) direct labeling, and their basic properties were measured. The binding and elution of 131I-caerin 1.1, 131I-c(RGD)2, and Na131I (control group) in esophageal cancer TE-1 cells were studied through cell binding and elution assays. (2) The antiproliferative effect and cytotoxicity of 131I-caerin 1.1, 131I-c(RGD)2, Na131I, caerin 1.1 and c(RGD)2 on TE-1 cells were detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. (3) A nude mouse esophageal cancer (TE-1) xenograft model was established to study and compare the efficacy of 131I-caerin 1.1 and 131I-c(RGD)2 in internal radiation therapy for esophageal cancer.

RESULTS

(1) Caerin 1.1 inhibited the in vitro proliferation of TE-1 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, with an IC50 of 13.00 µg/mL. The polypeptide c(RGD)2 had no evident inhibitory effect on the in vitro proliferation of TE-1 cells. Therefore, the antiproliferative effects of caerin 1.1 and c(RGD)2 on esophageal cancer cells were significantly different (P < 0.05). The clonogenic assay showed that the clonal proliferation of TE-1 cells decreased as the concentration of caerin 1.1 increased. Compared with the control group (drug concentration of 0 µg/mL), the caerin 1.1 group showed significantly lower clonal proliferation of TE-1 cells (P < 0.05). (2) The CCK-8 assay showed that 131I-caerin 1.1 inhibited the in vitro proliferation of TE-1 cells, while 131I-c(RGD)2 had no evident inhibitory effect on proliferation. The two polypeptides showed significantly different antiproliferative effects on esophageal cancer cells at higher concentrations (P < 0.05). Cell binding and elution assays showed that 131I-caerin 1.1 stably bound to TE-1 cells. The cell binding rate of 131I-caerin 1.1 was 15.8 % ± 1.09 % at 24 h and 6.95 % ± 0.22 % after 24 h of incubation and elution. The cell binding rate of 131I-c(RGD)2 was 0.06 % ± 0.02 % at 24 h and 0.23 % ± 0.11 % after 24 h of incubation and elution. (3) In the in vivo experiment, 3 days after the last treatment, the tumor sizes of the phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) group, caerin 1.1 group, c(RGD)2 group, 131I group, 131I-caerin 1.1 group, and 131I-c(RGD)2 group were 68.29 ± 2.67 mm3, 61.78 ± 3.58 mm3, 56.67 ± 5.65 mm3, 58.88 ± 1.71 mm3, 14.40 ± 1.38 mm3, and 60.14 ± 0.47 mm3, respectively. Compared with the other treatment groups, the 131I-caerin 1.1 group had significantly smaller tumor sizes (P < 0.001). After treatment, the tumors were isolated and weighed. The tumor weights in the PBS group, caerin 1.1 group, c(RGD)2 group, 131I group, 131I-caerin 1.1 group, and 131I-c(RGD)2 group were 39.50 ± 9.54 mg, 38.25 ± 5.38 mg, 38.35 ± 9.53 mg, 28.25 ± 8.50 mg, 9.50 ± 4.43 mg, and 34.75 ± 8.06 mg, respectively. The tumor weights in the 131I-caerin 1.1 group were significantly lighter than those in the other groups (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

131I-caerin 1.1 has tumor-targeting properties, is capable of targeted binding to TE-1 esophageal cancer cells, can be stably retained in tumor cells, and has an evident cytotoxic killing effect, while 131I-c(RGD)2 has no evident cytotoxic effect. 131I-caerin 1.1 better suppressed tumor cell proliferation and tumor growth than pure caerin 1.1, 131I-c(RGD)2, and pure c(RGD)2.

Molecular Motifs in Vascular Morphogenesis: Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGFA) as the Leading Promoter of Angiogenesis

Tissular hypoxia stimulates vascular morphogenesis. Vascular morphogenesis shapes the cell and, consecutively, tissue growth. The development of new blood vessels is intermediated substantially through the tyrosine kinase pathway. There are several types of receptors inferred to be located in the blood vessel structures. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) is the leading protagonist of angiogenesis. VEGF-A's interactions with its receptors VEGFR1, VEGFR2, and VEGFR3, together with disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 1 (ADAMTS1), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and neuropilin-1 (NRP1), independently, are studied computationally. Peripheral artery disease (PAD), which results in tissue ischemia, is more prevalent in the senior population. Presently, medical curatives used to treat cases of PAD-antiplatelet and antithrombotic agents, statins, antihypertensive remedies with ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) impediments, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) or β- blockers, blood glucose control, and smoking cessation-are not effective. These curatives were largely established from the treatment of complaint cases of coronary disease. However, these medical curatives do not ameliorate lower limb perfusion in cases of PAD. Likewise, surgical or endovascular procedures may be ineffective in relieving symptoms. Eventually, after successful large vessel revascularization, the residual microvascular circulation may well limit the effectiveness of curatives in cases of PAD. It would thus feel rational to attempt to ameliorate perfusion in PAD by enhancing vascular rejuvenescence and function. Likewise, stimulating specific angiogenesis in these cases (PAD) can ameliorate the patient's symptomatology. Also, the quality of life of PAD patients can be improved by developing new vasodilative and angiogenetic molecules that stimulate the tyrosine kinase pathway. In this respect, the VEGFA angiogenetic pathway was explored computationally. Docking methodologies, molecular dynamics, and computational molecular design methodologies were used. VEGFA's interaction with its target was primarily studied. Common motifs in the vascular morphogenesis pathway are suggested using conformational energy and Riemann spaces. The results show that interaction with VEGFR2 and ADAMTS1 is pivotal in the angiogenetic process. Also, the informational content of two VEGFA complexes, VEGFR2 and ADAMTS1, is crucial in the angiogenesis process.

Mechanisms of esophageal cancer metastasis and treatment progress

Esophageal cancer is a prevalent tumor of the digestive tract worldwide. The detection rate of early-stage esophageal cancer is very low, and most patients are diagnosed with metastasis. Metastasis of esophageal cancer mainly includes direct diffusion metastasis, hematogenous metastasis, and lymphatic metastasis. This article reviews the metabolic process of esophageal cancer metastasis and the mechanisms by which M2 macrophages, CAF, regulatory T cells, and their released cytokines, including chemokines, interleukins, and growth factors, form an immune barrier to the anti-tumor immune response mediated by CD8+ T cells, impeding their ability to kill tumor cells during tumor immune escape. The effect of Ferroptosis on the metastasis of esophageal cancer is briefly mentioned. Moreover, the paper also summarizes common drugs and research directions in chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy for advanced metastatic esophageal cancer. This review aims to serve as a foundation for further investigations into the mechanism and management of esophageal cancer metastasis.

Integrins in cancer: Emerging mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities

Integrins are vital surface adhesion receptors that mediate the interactions between the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cells and are essential for cell migration and the maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Aberrant integrin activation promotes initial tumor formation, growth, and metastasis. Recently, many lines of evidence have indicated that integrins are highly expressed in numerous cancer types and have documented many functions of integrins in tumorigenesis. Thus, integrins have emerged as attractive targets for the development of cancer therapeutics. In this review, we discuss the underlying molecular mechanisms by which integrins contribute to most of the hallmarks of cancer. We focus on recent progress on integrin regulators, binding proteins, and downstream effectors. We highlight the role of integrins in the regulation of tumor metastasis, immune evasion, metabolic reprogramming, and other hallmarks of cancer. In addition, integrin-targeted immunotherapy and other integrin inhibitors that have been used in preclinical and clinical studies are summarized.

Extracellular matrix remodeling in tumor progression and immune escape: from mechanisms to treatments

The malignant tumor is a multi-etiological, systemic and complex disease characterized by uncontrolled cell proliferation and distant metastasis. Anticancer treatments including adjuvant therapies and targeted therapies are effective in eliminating cancer cells but in a limited number of patients. Increasing evidence suggests that the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in tumor development through changes in macromolecule components, degradation enzymes and stiffness. These variations are under the control of cellular components in tumor tissue via the aberrant activation of signaling pathways, the interaction of the ECM components to multiple surface receptors, and mechanical impact. Additionally, the ECM shaped by cancer regulates immune cells which results in an immune suppressive microenvironment and hinders the efficacy of immunotherapies. Thus, the ECM acts as a barrier to protect cancer from treatments and supports tumor progression. Nevertheless, the profound regulatory network of the ECM remodeling hampers the design of individualized antitumor treatment. Here, we elaborate on the composition of the malignant ECM, and discuss the specific mechanisms of the ECM remodeling. Precisely, we highlight the impact of the ECM remodeling on tumor development, including proliferation, anoikis, metastasis, angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, and immune escape. Finally, we emphasize ECM "normalization" as a potential strategy for anti-malignant treatment.

Repurposed pizotifen malate targeting NRF2 exhibits anti-tumor activity through inducing ferroptosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Targeted therapy attempts are needed to enhance esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients' overall survival and satisfaction of life. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), as a high-confidence cancer driver gene, controls the antioxidant response, metabolic balance and redox homeostasis in cancer and is regarded as a potent molecular target for cancer treatment. Here, we attempted to find a new NRF2 inhibitor and study the underlying molecular mechanism in ESCC. We found that up-regulated NRF2 protein was negatively correlated with patient prognosis and promoted tumor proliferation in ESCC. Moreover, Pizotifen malate (PZM), a FDA-approved medication, bound to the Neh1 domain of NRF2 and prevented NRF2 protein binding to the ARE motif of target genes, suppressing transcription activity of NRF2. PZM treatment suppressed tumor development in ESCC PDX model by inducing ferroptosis via down-regulating the transcription of GPX4, GCLC, ME1 and G6PD. Our study illustrates that the over expression of NRF2 indicates poor prognosis and promotes tumor proliferation in ESCC. PZM, as a novel NRF2 inhibitor, inhibits the tumor growth by inducing ferroptosis and elucidates a potent NRF2-based therapy strategy for patients with ESCC.

Tumor accomplice: T cell exhaustion induced by chronic inflammation

The development and response to treatment of tumor are modulated by inflammation, and chronic inflammation promotes tumor progression and therapy resistance. This article summarizes the dynamic evolution of inflammation from acute to chronic in the process of tumor development, and its effect on T cells from activation to the promotion of exhaustion. We review the mechanisms by which inflammatory cells and inflammatory cytokines regulate T cell exhaustion and methods for targeting chronic inflammation to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy. It is great significance to refer to the specific state of inflammation and T cells at different stages of tumor development for accurate clinical decision-making of immunotherapy and improving the efficiency of tumor immunotherapy.

Interactions of Analgesics with Cisplatin: Modulation of Anticancer Efficacy and Potential Organ Toxicity

Cisplatin (CDDP), one of the most eminent cancer chemotherapeutic agents, has been successfully used to treat more than half of all known cancers worldwide. Despite its effectiveness, CDDP might cause severe toxic adverse effects on multiple body organs during cancer chemotherapy, including the kidneys, heart, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and auditory system, as well as peripheral nerves causing severely painful neuropathy. The latter, among other pains patients feel during chemotherapy, is an indication for the use of analgesics during treatment with CDDP. Different types of analgesics, such as acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), and narcotic analgesics, could be used according to the severity of pain. Administered analgesics might modulate CDDP’s efficacy as an anticancer drug. NSAIDS, on one hand, might have cytotoxic effects on their own and few of them can potentiate CDDP’s anticancer effects via inhibiting the CDDP-induced cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme, or through COX-independent mechanisms. On the other hand, some narcotic analgesics might ameliorate CDDP’s anti-neoplastic effects, causing chemotherapy to fail. Concerning safety, some analgesics share the same adverse effects on normal tissues as CDDP, augmenting its potentially hazardous effects on organ impairment. This article offers an overview of the reported literature on the interactions between analgesics and CDDP, paying special attention to possible mechanisms that modulate CDDP’s cytotoxic efficacy and potential adverse reactions.