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Luo X, Gong Y, Gong Z, Fan K, Suo T, Liu H, Ni X, Ni X, Abudureyimu M, Liu H. Liver and bile duct organoids and tumoroids. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 178:117104. [PMID: 39024834 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.117104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 06/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Organoids refer to 3D cultures established to recapitulate histology, pathology, architecture, and genetic traits of various organs and tissues in the body, thereby replacing 2D cell cultures, xenograft, and animal models. Organoids form a 3D in vitro mimic of original tissues like the liver and are derived from embryonic or adult tissue stem cells. Liver and bile duct tumor organoids, also called, tumoroids capture genetic diversity, cellular, and pathophysiological properties of original tumors. Moreover, co-culture techniques along with genetic modulation of organoids allow for using tumoroids in liver and bile duct cancer research and drug screening/testing. Therefore, tumoroids are promising platforms for studying liver and bile duct cancer, which paves the way for the new era of personalized therapies. In the current review, we aimed to discuss liver and bile duct organoids with special emphasis on tumoroids and their applications, advantages, and shortcomings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanming Luo
- Department of Biliary Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Biliary Tract Disease Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Biliary Tract Disease Institute, Fudan University, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biliary Tract Minimal Invasive Surgery and Materials, China; Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuda Gong
- Department of Biliary Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Biliary Tract Disease Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Biliary Tract Disease Institute, Fudan University, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biliary Tract Minimal Invasive Surgery and Materials, China
| | - Zijun Gong
- Department of Biliary Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Biliary Tract Disease Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Biliary Tract Disease Institute, Fudan University, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biliary Tract Minimal Invasive Surgery and Materials, China
| | - Kun Fan
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tao Suo
- Department of Biliary Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Biliary Tract Disease Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Biliary Tract Disease Institute, Fudan University, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biliary Tract Minimal Invasive Surgery and Materials, China
| | - Han Liu
- Department of Biliary Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Biliary Tract Disease Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Biliary Tract Disease Institute, Fudan University, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biliary Tract Minimal Invasive Surgery and Materials, China
| | - Xiaoling Ni
- Department of Biliary Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Biliary Tract Disease Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Biliary Tract Disease Institute, Fudan University, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biliary Tract Minimal Invasive Surgery and Materials, China
| | - Xiaojian Ni
- Department of Biliary Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Biliary Tract Disease Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Biliary Tract Disease Institute, Fudan University, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biliary Tract Minimal Invasive Surgery and Materials, China
| | - Miyesaier Abudureyimu
- Cardiovascular Department, Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Houbao Liu
- Department of Biliary Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Biliary Tract Disease Center of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China; Biliary Tract Disease Institute, Fudan University, China; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biliary Tract Minimal Invasive Surgery and Materials, China; Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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2
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Nakanuma Y, Kakuda Y, Canh HN, Sasaki M, Harada K, Sugino T. Pathologic characterization of precursors and cholangiocarcinoma referring to peribiliary capillary plexus: a new pathologic approach to bile duct neoplasm. Virchows Arch 2024:10.1007/s00428-024-03859-9. [PMID: 39008118 DOI: 10.1007/s00428-024-03859-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
The peribiliary capillary plexus (PCP) regularly and densely lines the basal side of the lining epithelia of normal bile ducts. To determine the pathology of the PCP in high-grade biliary intraepithelial neoplasms (BilINs) and intraductal papillary neoplasms of the bile duct (IPNBs), a precursor of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), and CCA. Seventy-six cases of surgically resected high-grade BilIN and 83 cases of IPNB were histopathologically examined using endothelial immunostaining of PCP; all cases of high-grade BilIN and 40 cases of IPNB were associated with invasive CCA. Invasive and preinvasive neoplasms were pathologically examined referring to a two-layer pattern composed of biliary lining epithelia and underlying PCP unique to the bile duct. All high-grade BilIIN cases had an underlying single layer of capillaries, similar to PCP (PCP-like capillaries). In 43% of the 83 cases of IPNB, these capillaries were regularly distributed in almost all stalks and intervening stroma of intraluminal neoplastic components, while in the remaining 57% of IPNB, capillaries were sparsely or irregularly distributed in intraluminal components showing cribriform or solid growth patterns composed of striking atypical neoplastic epithelia. Invasive carcinomas associated with high-grade BilIN and IPNB were not lined with capillaries. The loss of PCP-like capillaries underlying high-grade BilIN and in stalks or stroma of IPNB may be involved in the malignant progression of these precursors. Immunostaining of PCP could be a new pathological tool for the evaluation of malignant progression and vascular supply in CCA and its precursors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuni Nakanuma
- Division of Pathology, Shizuoka Cancer Center, Shizuoka, Japan.
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Fukui Prefecture Saiseikai Hospital, Wadanakacho Funahashi 7-1, Fukui, 918-8503, Japan.
| | - Yuko Kakuda
- Division of Pathology, Shizuoka Cancer Center, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Hiep Nguyen Canh
- Department of Human Pathology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Motoko Sasaki
- Department of Human Pathology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Kenichi Harada
- Department of Human Pathology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Takashi Sugino
- Division of Pathology, Shizuoka Cancer Center, Shizuoka, Japan
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3
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Liang Y, Bu Q, You W, Zhang R, Xu Z, Gan X, Zhou J, Qiao L, Huang T, Lu L. Single-cell analysis reveals hypoxia-induced immunosuppressive microenvironment in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:167276. [PMID: 38844114 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
The role of hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) remains unclear. Here, we generated a comprehensive atlas of the entire tumor microenvironment and delineated the multifaceted cell-cell interactions to decipher hypoxia-induced pro-tumor immune suppression. We discovered hypoxia is significantly associated with iCCA progression via the activation of HIF1A expression. Moreover, hypoxia-dependent PPARγ-mediated fatty acid oxidation in APOE+ TAMs promoted M2 macrophage polarization by activating the HIF1A-PPARG-CD36 axis. These polarized APOE+ TAMs recruited Treg cell infiltration via the CCL3-CCR5 pair to form an immunosuppressive microenvironment. APOE+ TAMs tended to co-localize spatially with Treg cells in the malignant tissue based on spatial transcriptome data and immunofluorescence analysis results. We identified tumor-reactive CXCL13+ CD8-PreTex with specific high expression of ENTPD1 and ITGAE, which acted as precursors of CD8-Tex and had higher cytotoxicity, lower exhaustion, and more vigorous proliferation. Consequently, CXCL13+ CD8-PreTex functioned as a positive regulator of antitumor immunity by expressing the pro-inflammatory cytokines IFNG and TNF, associated with a better survival outcome. Our study reveals the mechanisms involved in hypoxia-induced immunosuppression and suggests that targeting precursor-exhausted CXCL13+CD8+ T cells might provide a pratical immunotherapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Liang
- School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China; Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, NHC Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Research Unit of Liver Transplantation and Transplant Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qingfa Bu
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, NHC Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Research Unit of Liver Transplantation and Transplant Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenhua You
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, NHC Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Research Unit of Liver Transplantation and Transplant Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zibo Xu
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, NHC Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Research Unit of Liver Transplantation and Transplant Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaojie Gan
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Jinren Zhou
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, NHC Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Research Unit of Liver Transplantation and Transplant Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lei Qiao
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, NHC Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Research Unit of Liver Transplantation and Transplant Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Tianning Huang
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, NHC Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Research Unit of Liver Transplantation and Transplant Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ling Lu
- School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China; Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, NHC Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Research Unit of Liver Transplantation and Transplant Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.
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4
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Zhong YJ, Luo XM, Liu F, He ZQ, Yang SQ, Ma WJ, Wang JK, Dai YS, Zou RQ, Hu YF, Lv TR, Li FY, Hu HJ. Integrative analyses of bulk and single-cell transcriptomics reveals the infiltration and crosstalk of cancer-associated fibroblasts as a novel predictor for prognosis and microenvironment remodeling in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. J Transl Med 2024; 22:422. [PMID: 38702814 PMCID: PMC11071156 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05238-z] [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: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a highly malignant neoplasm and characterized by desmoplastic matrix. The heterogeneity and crosstalk of tumor microenvironment remain incompletely understood. METHODS To address this gap, we performed Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) to identify and construct a cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) infiltration biomarker. We also depicted the intercellular communication network and important receptor-ligand complexes using the single-cell transcriptomics analysis of tumor and Adjacent normal tissue. RESULTS Through the intersection of TCGA DEGs and WGCNA module genes, 784 differential genes related to CAFs infiltration were obtained. After a series of regression analyses, the CAFs score was generated by integrating the expressions of EVA1A, APBA2, LRRTM4, GOLGA8M, BPIFB2, and their corresponding coefficients. In the TCGA-CHOL, GSE89748, and 107,943 cohorts, the high CAFs score group showed unfavorable survival prognosis (p < 0.001, p = 0.0074, p = 0.028, respectively). Additionally, a series of drugs have been predicted to be more sensitive to the high-risk group (p < 0.05). Subsequent to dimension reduction and clustering, thirteen clusters were identified to construct the single-cell atlas. Cell-cell interaction analysis unveiled significant enhancement of signal transduction in tumor tissues, particularly from fibroblasts to malignant cells via diverse pathways. Moreover, SCENIC analysis indicated that HOXA5, WT1, and LHX2 are fibroblast specific motifs. CONCLUSIONS This study reveals the key role of fibroblasts - oncocytes interaction in the remodeling of the immunosuppressive microenvironment in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Subsequently, it may trigger cascade activation of downstream signaling pathways such as PI3K-AKT and Notch in tumor, thus initiating tumorigenesis. Targeted drugs aimed at disrupting fibroblasts-tumor cell interaction, along with associated enrichment pathways, show potential in mitigating the immunosuppressive microenvironment that facilitates tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Jie Zhong
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Xi-Mei Luo
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Fei Liu
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang He
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Si-Qi Yang
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Wen-Jie Ma
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Jun-Ke Wang
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yu-Shi Dai
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Rui-Qi Zou
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Ya-Fei Hu
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Tian-Run Lv
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Fu-Yu Li
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
| | - Hai-Jie Hu
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China.
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Gilbert TM, Randle L, Quinn M, McGreevy O, O'leary L, Young R, Diaz-Neito R, Jones RP, Greenhalf B, Goldring C, Fenwick S, Malik H, Palmer DH. Molecular biology of cholangiocarcinoma and its implications for targeted therapy in patient management. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY 2024:108352. [PMID: 38653586 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejso.2024.108352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) remains a devastating malignancy and a significant challenge to treat. The majority of CCA patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, making the disease incurable in most cases. The advent of high-throughput genetic sequencing has significantly improved our understanding of the molecular biology underpinning cancer. The identification of 'druggable' genetic aberrations and the development of novel targeted therapies against them is opening up new treatment strategies. Currently, 3 targeted therapies are approved for use in CCA; Ivosidenib in patients with IDH1 mutations and Infigratinib/Pemigatinib in those with FGFR2 fusions. As our understanding of the biology underpinning CCA continues to improve it is highly likely that additional targeted therapies will become available in the near future. This is important, as it is thought up to 40 % of CCA patients harbour a potentially actionable mutation. In this review we provide an overview of the molecular pathogenesis of CCA and highlight currently available and potential future targeted treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- T M Gilbert
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS FT, Liverpool, UK; Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems Integrative and Molecular Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
| | - L Randle
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems Integrative and Molecular Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - M Quinn
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS FT, Liverpool, UK
| | - O McGreevy
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems Integrative and Molecular Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - L O'leary
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS FT, Liverpool, UK
| | - R Young
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS FT, Liverpool, UK; Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems Integrative and Molecular Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - R Diaz-Neito
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS FT, Liverpool, UK
| | - R P Jones
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS FT, Liverpool, UK; Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems Integrative and Molecular Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - B Greenhalf
- Liverpool Experimental Cancer Medicines Centre, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - C Goldring
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems Integrative and Molecular Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - S Fenwick
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS FT, Liverpool, UK
| | - H Malik
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS FT, Liverpool, UK
| | - D H Palmer
- Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, Liverpool, UK; Liverpool Experimental Cancer Medicines Centre, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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Cantallops Vilà P, Ravichandra A, Agirre Lizaso A, Perugorria MJ, Affò S. Heterogeneity, crosstalk, and targeting of cancer-associated fibroblasts in cholangiocarcinoma. Hepatology 2024; 79:941-958. [PMID: 37018128 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) comprises diverse tumors of the biliary tree and is characterized by late diagnosis, short-term survival, and chemoresistance. CCAs are mainly classified according to their anatomical location and include diverse molecular subclasses harboring inter-tumoral and intratumoral heterogeneity. Besides the tumor cell component, CCA is also characterized by a complex and dynamic tumor microenvironment where tumor cells and stromal cells crosstalk in an intricate network of interactions. Cancer-associated fibroblasts, one of the most abundant cell types in the tumor stroma of CCA, are actively involved in cholangiocarcinogenesis by participating in multiple aspects of the disease including extracellular matrix remodeling, immunomodulation, neo-angiogenesis, and metastasis. Despite their overall tumor-promoting role, recent evidence indicates the presence of transcriptional and functional heterogeneous CAF subtypes with tumor-promoting and tumor-restricting properties. To elucidate the complexity and potentials of cancer-associated fibroblasts as therapeutic targets in CCA, this review will discuss the origin of cancer-associated fibroblasts, their heterogeneity, crosstalk, and role during tumorigenesis, providing an overall picture of the present and future perspectives toward cancer-associated fibroblasts targeting CCA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aashreya Ravichandra
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum Rechts Der Isar, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Aloña Agirre Lizaso
- Department of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Biodonostia Research Institute, Donostia University Hospital, University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU), Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Maria J Perugorria
- Department of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Biodonostia Research Institute, Donostia University Hospital, University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU), Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
- CIBERehd, Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
| | - Silvia Affò
- August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
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Su DG, Schoenfeld DA, Ibrahim W, Cabrejo R, Djureinovic D, Baumann R, Rimm DL, Khan SA, Halaban R, Kluger HM, Olino K, Galan A, Clune J. Digital spatial proteomic profiling reveals immune checkpoints as biomarkers in lymphoid aggregates and tumor microenvironment of desmoplastic melanoma. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008646. [PMID: 38519058 PMCID: PMC10961546 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008646] [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] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Desmoplastic melanoma (DM) is a rare melanoma subtype characterized by dense fibrous stroma, a propensity for local recurrence, and a high response rate to programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade. Occult sentinel lymph node positivity is significantly lower in both pure and mixed DM than in conventional melanoma, underscoring the need for better prognostic biomarkers to inform therapeutic strategies. METHODS We assembled a tissue microarray comprising various cores of tumor, stroma, and lymphoid aggregates from 45 patients with histologically confirmed DM diagnosed between 1989 and 2018. Using a panel of 62 validated immune-oncology markers, we performed digital spatial profiling using the NanoString GeoMx platform and quantified expression in three tissue compartments defined by fluorescence colocalization (tumor (S100+/PMEL+/SYTO+), leukocytes (CD45+/SYTO+), and non-immune stroma (S100-/PMEL-/CD45-/SYTO+)). RESULTS We observed higher expression of immune checkpoints (lymphocyte-activation gene 3 [LAG-3] and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein-4 [CTLA-4]) and cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) markers (smooth muscle actin (SMA)) in the tumor compartments of pure DMs than mixed DMs. When comparing lymphoid aggregates (LA) to non-LA tumor cores, LAs were more enriched with CD20+B cells, but non-LA intratumoral leukocytes were more enriched with macrophage/monocytic markers (CD163, CD68, CD14) and had higher LAG-3 and CTLA-4 expression levels. Higher intratumoral PD-1 and LA-based LAG-3 expression appear to be associated with worse survival. CONCLUSIONS Our proteomic analysis reveals an intra-tumoral population of SMA+CAFs enriched in pure DM. Additionally, increased expressions of immune checkpoints (LAG-3 and PD-1) in LA and within tumor were associated with poorer prognosis. These findings might have therapeutic implications and help guide treatment selection in addition to informing potential prognostic significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Su
- Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - David A Schoenfeld
- Department of Medical Oncology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Wael Ibrahim
- Department of Pathology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Raysa Cabrejo
- Department of Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Dijana Djureinovic
- Department of Medical Oncology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Raymond Baumann
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - David L Rimm
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Sajid A Khan
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Ruth Halaban
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Harriet M Kluger
- Department of Medical Oncology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Kelly Olino
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Anjela Galan
- Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - James Clune
- Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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8
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Jo JH, Park SB, Chung J, Oh T, Lee HS, Chung MJ, Park JY, Bang S, Park SW, Jung DE, Song SY. Transgelin-2, a novel cancer stem cell-related biomarker, is a diagnostic and therapeutic target for biliary tract cancer. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:357. [PMID: 38509504 PMCID: PMC10953140 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12082-3] [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: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is a relatively rare but aggressive gastrointestinal cancer with a high mortality rate. Cancer stem cell (CSC) populations play crucial roles in tumor biology and are responsible for the low response to anti-cancer treatment and the high recurrence rate. This study investigated the role of Transgelin-2 (TAGLN2), overexpressed in CSC in BTC cells, and analyzed its expression in patient tissues and serum to identify potential new targets for BTC. METHODS TAGLN2 expression was suppressed by small-interfering or short hairpin RNAs, and its effects on tumor biology were assessed in several BTC cell lines. Furthermore, the effects of TAGLN2 silencing on gemcitabine-resistant BTC cells, differentially expressed genes, proteins, and sensitivity to therapeutics or radiation were assessed. TAGLN2 expression was also assessed using western blotting and immunohistochemistry in samples obtained from patients with BTC to validate its clinical application. RESULTS Suppression of TAGLN2 in BTC cell lines decreased cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumor size, in addition to a reduction in CSC features, including clonogenicity, radioresistance, and chemoresistance. TAGLN2 was highly expressed in BTC tissues, especially in cancer-associated fibroblasts in the stroma. Patients with a low stromal immunohistochemical index had prolonged disease-free survival compared to those with a high stromal immunohistochemical index (11.5 vs. 7.4 months, P = 0.013). TAGLN2 expression was higher in the plasma of patients with BTC than that in those with benign diseases. TAGLN2 had a higher area under the curve (0.901) than CA19-9, a validated tumor biomarker (0.799; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION TAGLN2 plays a critical role in promoting BTC cell growth and motility and is involved in regulating BTC stemness. Silencing TAGLN2 expression enhanced cell sensitivity to radiation and chemotherapeutic drugs. The expression of TAGLN2 in patient tissue and plasma suggests its potential to serve as a secretory biomarker for BTC. Overall, targeting TAGLN2 could be an appropriate therapeutic strategy against advanced cancer following chemotherapy failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung Hyun Jo
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Soo Been Park
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Joowon Chung
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nowon Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Taeyun Oh
- Cowell Biodigm Co., Ltd., Seoul, Korea
| | - Hee Seung Lee
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Moon Jae Chung
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jeong Youp Park
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seungmin Bang
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seung Woo Park
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Dawoon E Jung
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Si Young Song
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- Cowell Biodigm Co., Ltd., Seoul, Korea.
- Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
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9
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Thongchot S, Ferraresi A, Vidoni C, Salwa A, Vallino L, Kittirat Y, Loilome W, Namwat N, Isidoro C. Preclinical evidence for preventive and curative effects of resveratrol on xenograft cholangiocarcinogenesis. Cancer Lett 2024; 582:216589. [PMID: 38097133 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216589] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), the malignant tumor of bile duct epithelial cells, is a relatively rare yet highly lethal cancer. In this work, we tested the ability of Resveratrol (RV) to prevent and cure CCA xenograft in nude mice and investigated molecular mechanisms underpinning such anticancer effect. Human CCA cells were xenografted in mice that were or not treated prior to or after to transplantation with RV. Tumor growth was monitored and analyzed for the markers of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy. TCGA was interrogated for the molecules possibly targeted by RV. RV could inhibit the growth of human CCA xenograft when administered after implantation and could reduce the growth or even impair the implantation of the tumors when administered prior the transplantation. RV inhibited CCA cell proliferation, induced apoptosis with autophagy, and strongly reduced the presence of CAFs and production of IL-6. Interrogation of CCA dataset in TCGA database revealed that the expression of IL-6 Receptor (IL-6R) inversely correlated with that of MAP-LC3 and BECLIN-1, and that low expression of IL-6R and of MIK67, two pathways downregulated by RV, associated with better survival of CCA patients. Our data demonstrate that RV elicits a strong preventive and curative anticancer effect in CCA by limiting the formation of CAFs and their release of IL-6, and this results in up-regulation of autophagy and apoptosis in the cancer cells. These findings support the clinical use of RV as a primary line of prevention in patients exposed at risk and as an adjuvant therapeutics in CCA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suyanee Thongchot
- Department of Systems Biosciences and Computational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, 123 Mitraparp Highway, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand; Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Via Solaroli 17, 28100, Novara, Italy; Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand; Siriraj Center of Research Excellence for Cancer Immunotherapy (SiCORE-CIT), Research Department, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10700, Thailand
| | - Alessandra Ferraresi
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Via Solaroli 17, 28100, Novara, Italy
| | - Chiara Vidoni
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Via Solaroli 17, 28100, Novara, Italy
| | - Amreen Salwa
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Via Solaroli 17, 28100, Novara, Italy
| | - Letizia Vallino
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Via Solaroli 17, 28100, Novara, Italy
| | - Yingpinyapat Kittirat
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, 123 Mitraparp Highway, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand; Department of Medical Sciences, Regional Medical Sciences Center 2 Phitsanulok, Ministry of Public Health, Phitsanulok, Thailand
| | - Watcharin Loilome
- Department of Systems Biosciences and Computational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, 123 Mitraparp Highway, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand; Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, 123 Mitraparp Highway, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand
| | - Nisana Namwat
- Department of Systems Biosciences and Computational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, 123 Mitraparp Highway, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand; Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, 123 Mitraparp Highway, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.
| | - Ciro Isidoro
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Via Solaroli 17, 28100, Novara, Italy.
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10
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Wilbur HC, Soares HP, Azad NS. Neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy for biliary tract cancer: Advances and limitations. Hepatology 2024:01515467-990000000-00725. [PMID: 38266282 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are a rare and aggressive consortium of malignancies, consisting of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and gallbladder carcinoma. While most patients present with metastatic disease, a minority of patients with BTC are eligible for curative surgical resection at the time of presentation. However, these patients have poor 5-year overall survival rates and high rates of recurrence, necessitating the improvement of the neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment of BTC. In this review, we assess the neoadjuvant and adjuvant clinical trials for the treatment of BTC and discuss the challenges and limitations of clinical trials, as well as future directions for the treatment of BTC.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Catherine Wilbur
- Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Heloisa P Soares
- Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Nilofer S Azad
- Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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11
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Lu X, Wang Y, He M, Gou Z. Prognostic value and tumour microenvironment characteristics of the Glasgow Microenvironment Score in primary triple-negative breast cancer. J Clin Pathol 2024; 77:128-134. [PMID: 36600565 DOI: 10.1136/jcp-2022-208601] [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: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
AIMS The Glasgow Microenvironment Score (GMS) reflects the tumour microenvironment (TME) status by combining inflammatory cell infiltration and the tumour-stroma percentage. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value and TME characteristics of the GMS for patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). METHODS A total of 123 patients with stage I-III TNBC were enrolled in this study. The association between GMS and clinicopathological characteristics was examined using the Pearson's χ2 test or Fisher's exact test. Kaplan-Meier plots were used to compare survival among the three GMS groups. Cox regression analyses were conducted to test the HR. Microenvironment Cell Populations-counter algorithm was used to estimate the TME components of each case. RESULTS We found that higher GMS score tended to exhibit the lower nuclear grade (p=0.016), more positive lymph nodes (p=0.014) and later tumour, node, metastases stage (p=0.012). GMS was an independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival in TNBC, and GMS 2 showed the worst prognosis (HR=6.42, p=0.028). GMS 0 was more infiltrated with cytotoxic lymphocytes, including CD8+ T cells (p=0.037) and natural killer cells (p=0.005), while GMS 2 was enriched in more endothelial cells (p=0.014) and fibroblasts (p=0.008). CONCLUSION Our study suggested that the GMS is a prognostic indicator for patients with TNBC. As an accessible and effective index, the GMS may be a promising tool to help clinicians assess prognostic risk and TME for patients with TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xunxi Lu
- Department of Pathology, Sichuan University West China Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengting He
- West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Zongchao Gou
- Department of Breast Surgery, Sichuan University West China Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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12
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Islam K, Balasubramanian B, Venkatraman S, Thummarati P, Tunganuntarat J, Phueakphud N, Kanjanasirirat P, Khumpanied T, Kongpracha P, Kittirat Y, Tohtong R, Janvilisri T, Wongtrakoongate P, Borwornpinyo S, Namwat N, Suthiphongchai T. Upregulated LAMA3 modulates proliferation, adhesion, migration and epithelial‑to‑mesenchymal transition of cholangiocarcinoma cells. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22598. [PMID: 38114514 PMCID: PMC10730521 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48798-8] [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: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
A poor outcome for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) patients is still a clinical challenge. CCA is typically recognized by the desmoplastic nature, which accounts for its malignancy. Among various extracellular matrix proteins, laminin is the most potent inducer for CCA migration. Herein, we accessed the expression profiles of laminin gene family and explored the significance of the key laminin subunit on CCA aggressiveness. Of all 11 laminin genes, LAMA3, LAMA5, LAMB3 and LAMC2 were concordantly upregulated based on the analysis of multiple public transcriptomic datasets and also overexpressed in Thai CCA cell lines and patient tissues in which LAMA3A upregulated in the highest frequency (97%) of the cases. Differential expression genes (DEGs) analysis of low and high laminin signature groups revealed LAMA3 as the sole common DEG in all investigated datasets. Restratifying CCA samples according to LAMA3 expression indicated the association of LAMA3 in the focal adhesion pathway. Silencing LAMA3 revealed that it plays important roles in CCA cell proliferation, adhesion, migration and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Taken together, this research signifies the roles of dysregulated ECM homeostasis in CCA malignancy and highlights, for the first time, the potential usage of LAMA3 as the diagnostic biomarker and the therapeutic target to tackle the CCA stromal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kittiya Islam
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Brinda Balasubramanian
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Simran Venkatraman
- Graduate Program in Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Parichut Thummarati
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Janpen Tunganuntarat
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Nut Phueakphud
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Phongthon Kanjanasirirat
- Excellent Center for Drug Discovery (ECDD), Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Tanawadee Khumpanied
- Excellent Center for Drug Discovery (ECDD), Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Pornparn Kongpracha
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Yingpinyapat Kittirat
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand
- Department of Medical Sciences, Regional Medical Sciences Center 2, Ministry of Public Health, Phitsanulok, 65000, Thailand
| | - Rutaiwan Tohtong
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Tavan Janvilisri
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Patompon Wongtrakoongate
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Center for Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Suparerk Borwornpinyo
- Excellent Center for Drug Discovery (ECDD), Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Nisana Namwat
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand
- Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand
- Department of Systems Biosciences and Computational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand
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13
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Yang S, Zou R, Dai Y, Hu Y, Li F, Hu H. Tumor immune microenvironment and the current immunotherapy of cholangiocarcinoma (Review). Int J Oncol 2023; 63:137. [PMID: 37888583 PMCID: PMC10631767 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2023.5585] [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: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a highly heterogeneous malignancy originating from the epithelial system of the bile ducts, and its incidence in recent years is steadily increasing. The immune microenvironment of CCA is characterized by diversity and complexity, with a substantial presence of cancer‑associated fibroblasts and immune cell infiltration, which plays a key role in regulating the distinctive biological behavior of cholangiocarcinoma, including tumor growth, angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. Despite the notable success of immunotherapy in the treatment of solid tumors in recent years, patients with CCA have responded poorly to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. The interaction of tumor cells with cellular components of the immune microenvironment can regulate the activity and function of immune cells and form an immunosuppressive microenvironment, which may cause ineffective immunotherapy. Therefore, the components of the tumor immune microenvironment appear to be novel targets for immune therapies. Combination therapy focusing on immune checkpoint inhibitors is a promising and valuable first‑line or translational treatment approach for intractable biliary tract malignancies. The present review discusses the compositional characteristics and regulatory factors of the CCA immune microenvironment and the possible immune escape mechanisms. In addition, a summary of the advances in immunotherapy for CCA is also provided. It is hoped that the present review may function as a valuable reference for the development of novel immunotherapeutic strategies for CCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Yang
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Ruiqi Zou
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Yushi Dai
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Yafei Hu
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Fuyu Li
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Haijie Hu
- Division of Biliary Tract Surgery, Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
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14
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Bou Malham V, Benzoubir N, Vaquero J, Desterke C, Agnetti J, Song PX, Gonzalez-Sanchez E, Arbelaiz A, Jacques S, Di Valentin E, Rahmouni S, Tan TZ, Samuel D, Thiery JP, Sebagh M, Fouassier L, Gassama-Diagne A. Intrinsic cancer cell phosphoinositide 3-kinase δ regulates fibrosis and vascular development in cholangiocarcinoma. Liver Int 2023; 43:2776-2793. [PMID: 37804055 DOI: 10.1111/liv.15751] [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: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The class I- phosphatidylinositol-3 kinases (PI3Ks) signalling is dysregulated in almost all human cancers whereas the isoform-specific roles remain poorly investigated. We reported that the isoform δ (PI3Kδ) regulated epithelial cell polarity and plasticity and recent developments have heightened its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and solid tumour progression. However, its role in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) still lacks investigation. APPROACH & RESULTS Immunohistochemical analyses of CCA samples reveal a high expression of PI3Kδ in the less differentiated CCA. The RT-qPCR and immunoblot analyses performed on CCA cells stably overexpressing PI3Kδ using lentiviral construction reveal an increase of mesenchymal and stem cell markers and the pluripotency transcription factors. CCA cells stably overexpressing PI3Kδ cultured in 3D culture display a thick layer of ECM at the basement membrane and a wide single lumen compared to control cells. Similar data are observed in vivo, in xenografted tumours established with PI3Kδ-overexpressing CCA cells in immunodeficient mice. The expression of mesenchymal and stemness genes also increases and tumour tissue displays necrosis and fibrosis, along with a prominent angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, as in mice liver of AAV8-based-PI3Kδ overexpression. These PI3Kδ-mediated cell morphogenesis and stroma remodelling were dependent on TGFβ/Src/Notch signalling. Whole transcriptome analysis of PI3Kδ using the cancer cell line encyclopedia allows the classification of CCA cells according to cancer progression. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our results support the critical role of PI3Kδ in the progression and aggressiveness of CCA via TGFβ/src/Notch-dependent mechanisms and open new directions for the classification and treatment of CCA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Bou Malham
- INSERM, Unité 1193, Villejuif, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, UMR-S 1193, Villejuif, France
| | - Nassima Benzoubir
- INSERM, Unité 1193, Villejuif, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, UMR-S 1193, Villejuif, France
| | - Javier Vaquero
- Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine, CRSA, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Paris, France
- Centro de Investigación del Cáncer, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC-Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | | | - Jean Agnetti
- INSERM, Unité 1193, Villejuif, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, UMR-S 1193, Villejuif, France
| | - Pei Xuan Song
- INSERM, Unité 1193, Villejuif, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, UMR-S 1193, Villejuif, France
| | - Ester Gonzalez-Sanchez
- Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine, CRSA, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Paris, France
- TGF-β and Cancer Group, Oncobell Program, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain
- Oncology Program, CIBEREHD, National Biomedical Research Institute on Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Inovarion, Paris, France
| | - Ander Arbelaiz
- Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine, CRSA, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Jacques
- Laboratory of Animal Genomics, GIGA-Medical Genomics, GIGA-Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Emanuel Di Valentin
- Plateforme des vecteurs viraux, Université de Liège, GIGA B34, Liège, Belgium
| | - Souad Rahmouni
- Laboratory of Animal Genomics, GIGA-Medical Genomics, GIGA-Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Tuan Zea Tan
- Genomics and Data Analytics Core (GeDaC), Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Didier Samuel
- INSERM, Unité 1193, Villejuif, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, UMR-S 1193, Villejuif, France
- Centre Hepato-Biliaire, AP-HP Hôpital Paul Brousse, Villejuif, France
| | - Jean Paul Thiery
- Guangzhou Laboratory, International Biological Island Guangzhou, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mylène Sebagh
- INSERM, Unité 1193, Villejuif, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, UMR-S 1193, Villejuif, France
- Laboratoire d'Anatomopathologie, AP-HP Hôpital Paul-Brousse, Villejuif, France
| | - Laura Fouassier
- Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine, CRSA, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Ama Gassama-Diagne
- INSERM, Unité 1193, Villejuif, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, UMR-S 1193, Villejuif, France
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15
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Gao S, Sun W, Zhang Y, Wang F, Jin K, Qian X, Han J, Wang X, Dai Y, Sheng R, Zeng M. Correlation analysis of MR elastography and Ki-67 expression in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Insights Imaging 2023; 14:204. [PMID: 38001349 PMCID: PMC10673794 DOI: 10.1186/s13244-023-01559-7] [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: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is an aggressive primary liver cancer with dismal outcome, high Ki-67 expression is associated with active progression and poor prognosis of iCCA, the application of MRE in the prediction of iCCA Ki-67 expression has not yet been investigated until now. We aimed to evaluate the value of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) in assessing Ki-67 expression for iCCA. RESULTS In the whole cohort, 97 patients (57 high Ki-67 and 40 low Ki-67; 58 males, 39 females; mean age, 58.89 years, ranges 36-70 years) were included. At the multivariate analysis, tumor stiffness (odds ratio (OR) = 1.669 [95% CI: 1.307-2.131], p < 0.001) and tumor apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) (OR = 0.030 [95% CI: 0.002, 0.476], p = 0.013) were independent significant variables associated with Ki-67. Areas under the curve of tumor stiffness for the identification of high Ki-67 were 0.796 (95% CI 0.702, 0.871). Tumor stiffness was moderately correlated with Ki-67 level (r = 0.593, p < 0.001). When both predictive variables of tumor stiffness and ADC were integrated, the best performance was achieved with area under the curve values of 0.864 (95% CI 0.780-0.926). CONCLUSION MRE-based tumor stiffness correlated with Ki-67 in iCCA and could be investigated as a potential prognostic biomarker. The combined model incorporating both tumor stiffness and ADC increased the predictive performance. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT MRE-based tumor stiffness might be a surrogate imaging biomarker to predict Ki-67 expression in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients, reflecting tumor cellular proliferation. The combined model incorporating both tumor stiffness and apparent diffusion coefficient increased the predictive performance. KEY POINTS • MRE-based tumor stiffness shows a significant correlation with Ki-67. • The combined model incorporating tumor stiffness and apparent diffusion coefficient demonstrated an optimized predictive performance for Ki-67 expression. • MRE-based tumor stiffness could be investigated as a potential prognostic biomarker for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Gao
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Wei Sun
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yunfei Zhang
- Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Central Research Institute, United Imaging Healthcare, Shanghai, 201800, China
| | - Feihang Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Kaipu Jin
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xianling Qian
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jing Han
- Department of Pathology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xiaolin Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yongming Dai
- Central Research Institute, United Imaging Healthcare, Shanghai, 201800, China
| | - Ruofan Sheng
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital (Xiamen), Fudan University, Fujian, 361006, China.
| | - Mengsu Zeng
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Department of Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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16
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Ong KH, Hsieh YY, Lai HY, Sun DP, Chen TJ, Huang SKH, Tian YF, Chou CL, Shiue YL, Wu HC, Chan TC, Tsai HH, Li CF, Su PA, Kuo YH. Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein overexpression is an independent poor prognostic indicator in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17444. [PMID: 37838792 PMCID: PMC10576746 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43006-z] [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: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) interacts with various extracellular matrix proteins in tissues. Elevated COMP levels recently linked to worse overall survival in multiple cancer types. COMP's significance in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) remains uncertain. Here we report a retrospective study to explore COMP's impact on iCCA outcomes. We collected 182 patients' iCCA tumor tissues. COMP overexpression was associated with adverse factors like R1 resection (p = 0.008), advanced T stage (p < 0.001), large duct type (p = 0.004), and poorly differentiated histology (p = 0.002). COMP overexpression correlates with poorer DFS (HR, 3.651; p = 0.001), OS (HR, 1.827; p = 0.023), LRFS (HR, 4.077; p < 0.001), and MFS (HR, 3.718; p < 0.001). High COMP expression ties to worse overall survival (p = 0.0001), DSS (p < 0.0001), LRFS (p < 0.0001), and MFS (p < 0.0001). In conclusion, COMP overexpression links to poor prognosis and pathological features in iCCA, indicating its potential as a biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaa Hoo Ong
- Division of Gastroenterology and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, 710, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Medical Technology, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan, 717, Taiwan, ROC
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, 804, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yao-Yu Hsieh
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, 23561, Taiwan, ROC
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 11031, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Hong-Yue Lai
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, 404, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ding-Ping Sun
- Division of Gastroenterology and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, 710, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Tzu-Ju Chen
- Department of Medical Technology, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan, 717, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, 710, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Steven Kuan-Hua Huang
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, 710, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Medical Science Industries, College of Health Sciences, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, 711, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yu-Feng Tian
- Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, 710, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chia-Ling Chou
- Department of Medical Technology, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan, 717, Taiwan, ROC
- Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, 710, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yow-Ling Shiue
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, 804, Taiwan, ROC
- Institute of Precision Medicine, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, 804, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Hung-Chang Wu
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, 71004, Taiwan, ROC
- College of Pharmacy and Science, Chia Nan University, Tainan, 71710, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ti-Chun Chan
- Department of Medical Research, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, 710, Taiwan, ROC
- National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan, 704, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Hsin-Hwa Tsai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 404, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chien-Feng Li
- Institute of Precision Medicine, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, 804, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Medical Research, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, 710, Taiwan, ROC
- National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan, 704, Taiwan, ROC
- Trans-Omic Laboratory for Precision Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, 710, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Po-An Su
- Department of Infectious Disease, Chi Mei Medical Center, No.901, Zhonghua Rd. Yongkang Dist, Tainan City, 71004, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - Yu-Hsuan Kuo
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung, 804, Taiwan, ROC.
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, 71004, Taiwan, ROC.
- College of Pharmacy and Science, Chia Nan University, Tainan, 71710, Taiwan, ROC.
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17
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Cogliati B, Yashaswini CN, Wang S, Sia D, Friedman SL. Friend or foe? The elusive role of hepatic stellate cells in liver cancer. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 20:647-661. [PMID: 37550577 PMCID: PMC10671228 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-023-00821-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is a substantial risk factor for the development and progression of liver cancer, which includes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA). Studies utilizing cell fate mapping and single-cell transcriptomics techniques have identified quiescent perisinusoidal hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) as the primary source of activated collagen-producing HSCs and liver cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in HCC and liver metastasis, complemented in iCCA by contributions from portal fibroblasts. At the same time, integrative computational analysis of single-cell, single-nucleus and spatial RNA sequencing data have revealed marked heterogeneity among HSCs and CAFs, with distinct subpopulations displaying unique gene expression signatures and functions. Some of these subpopulations have divergent roles in promoting or inhibiting liver fibrogenesis and carcinogenesis. In this Review, we discuss the dual roles of HSC subpopulations in liver fibrogenesis and their contribution to liver cancer promotion, progression and metastasis. We review the transcriptomic and functional similarities between HSC and CAF subpopulations, highlighting the pathways that either promote or prevent fibrosis and cancer, and the immunological landscape from which these pathways emerge. Insights from ongoing studies will yield novel strategies for developing biomarkers, assessing prognosis and generating new therapies for both HCC and iCCA prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Cogliati
- Division of Liver Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Shuang Wang
- Division of Liver Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniela Sia
- Division of Liver Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Scott L Friedman
- Division of Liver Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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18
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Ilyas SI, Affo S, Goyal L, Lamarca A, Sapisochin G, Yang JD, Gores GJ. Cholangiocarcinoma - novel biological insights and therapeutic strategies. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2023; 20:470-486. [PMID: 37188899 PMCID: PMC10601496 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-023-00770-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
In the past 5 years, important advances have been made in the scientific understanding and clinical management of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). The cellular immune landscape of CCA has been characterized and tumour subsets with distinct immune microenvironments have been defined using molecular approaches. Among these subsets, the identification of 'immune-desert' tumours that are relatively devoid of immune cells emphasizes the need to consider the tumour immune microenvironment in the development of immunotherapy approaches. Progress has also made in identifying the complex heterogeneity and diverse functions of cancer-associated fibroblasts in this desmoplastic cancer. Assays measuring circulating cell-free DNA and cell-free tumour DNA are emerging as clinical tools for detection and monitoring of the disease. Molecularly targeted therapy for CCA has now become a reality, with three drugs targeting oncogenic fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) fusions and one targeting neomorphic, gain-of-function variants of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) obtaining regulatory approval. By contrast, immunotherapy using immune-checkpoint inhibitors has produced disappointing results in patients with CCA, underscoring the requirement for novel immune-based treatment strategies. Finally, liver transplantation for early stage intrahepatic CCA under research protocols is emerging as a viable therapeutic option in selected patients. This Review highlights and provides in-depth information on these advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumera I Ilyas
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Silvia Affo
- Liver, Digestive System and Metabolism Research, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lipika Goyal
- Department of Medicine, Mass General Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Angela Lamarca
- Department of Oncology, OncoHealth Institute, Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation, Manchester, UK
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Gonzalo Sapisochin
- Ajmera Transplant Program and HPB Surgical Oncology, Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ju Dong Yang
- Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gregory J Gores
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
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19
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D'Artista L, Moschopoulou AA, Barozzi I, Craig AJ, Seehawer M, Herrmann L, Minnich M, Kang TW, Rist E, Henning M, Klotz S, Heinzmann F, Harbig J, Sipos B, Longerich T, Eilers M, Dauch D, Zuber J, Wang XW, Zender L. MYC determines lineage commitment in KRAS-driven primary liver cancer development. J Hepatol 2023; 79:141-149. [PMID: 36906109 PMCID: PMC10330789 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.02.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Primary liver cancer (PLC) comprises hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), two frequent and lethal tumour types that differ regarding their tumour biology and responses to cancer therapies. Liver cells harbour a high degree of cellular plasticity and can give rise to either HCC or iCCA. However, little is known about the cell-intrinsic mechanisms directing an oncogenically transformed liver cell to either HCC or iCCA. The scope of this study was to identify cell-intrinsic factors determining lineage commitment in PLC. METHODS Cross-species transcriptomic and epigenetic profiling was applied to murine HCCs and iCCAs and to two human PLC cohorts. Integrative data analysis comprised epigenetic Landscape In Silico deletion Analysis (LISA) of transcriptomic data and Hypergeometric Optimization of Motif EnRichment (HOMER) analysis of chromatin accessibility data. Identified candidate genes were subjected to functional genetic testing in non-germline genetically engineered PLC mouse models (shRNAmir knockdown or overexpression of full-length cDNAs). RESULTS Integrative bioinformatic analyses of transcriptomic and epigenetic data pinpointed the Forkhead-family transcription factors FOXA1 and FOXA2 as MYC-dependent determination factors of the HCC lineage. Conversely, the ETS family transcription factor ETS1 was identified as a determinant of the iCCA lineage, which was found to be suppressed by MYC during HCC development. Strikingly, shRNA-mediated suppression of FOXA1 and FOXA2 with concomitant ETS1 expression fully switched HCC to iCCA development in PLC mouse models. CONCLUSIONS The herein reported data establish MYC as a key determinant of lineage commitment in PLC and provide a molecular explanation why common liver-damaging risk factors such as alcoholic or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis can lead to either HCC or iCCA. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Liver cancer is a major health problem and comprises hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), two frequent and lethal tumour types that differ regarding their morphology, tumour biology, and responses to cancer therapies. We identified the transcription factor and oncogenic master regulator MYC as a switch between HCC and iCCA development. When MYC levels are high at the time point when a hepatocyte becomes a tumour cell, an HCC is growing out. Conversely, if MYC levels are low at this time point, the result is the outgrowth of an iCCA. Our study provides a molecular explanation why common liver-damaging risk factors such as alcoholic or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis can lead to either HCC or iCCA. Furthermore, our data harbour potential for the development of better PLC therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luana D'Artista
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; iFIT Cluster of Excellence EXC 2180 'Image Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies', University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Athina Anastasia Moschopoulou
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; iFIT Cluster of Excellence EXC 2180 'Image Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies', University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Iros Barozzi
- Institute of Cancer Research, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Amanda J Craig
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marco Seehawer
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; iFIT Cluster of Excellence EXC 2180 'Image Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies', University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Lea Herrmann
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; iFIT Cluster of Excellence EXC 2180 'Image Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies', University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Martina Minnich
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Tae-Won Kang
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; iFIT Cluster of Excellence EXC 2180 'Image Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies', University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Elke Rist
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; iFIT Cluster of Excellence EXC 2180 'Image Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies', University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Melanie Henning
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; iFIT Cluster of Excellence EXC 2180 'Image Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies', University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Sabrina Klotz
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; iFIT Cluster of Excellence EXC 2180 'Image Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies', University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Florian Heinzmann
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; iFIT Cluster of Excellence EXC 2180 'Image Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies', University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Jule Harbig
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; iFIT Cluster of Excellence EXC 2180 'Image Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies', University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Bence Sipos
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Longerich
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Eilers
- Theodor Boveri Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biocenter, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Dauch
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; iFIT Cluster of Excellence EXC 2180 'Image Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies', University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Johannes Zuber
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria; Medical University of Vienna, Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Xin Wei Wang
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA; Liver Cancer Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lars Zender
- Department of Medical Oncology and Pneumology (Internal Medicine VIII), University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; iFIT Cluster of Excellence EXC 2180 'Image Guided and Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies', University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; German Cancer Research Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Tübingen, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
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20
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Parthasarathy G, Hirsova P, Kostallari E, Sidhu GS, Ibrahim SH, Malhi H. Extracellular Vesicles in Hepatobiliary Health and Disease. Compr Physiol 2023; 13:4631-4658. [PMID: 37358519 PMCID: PMC10798368 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c210046] [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] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound nanoparticles released by cells and are an important means of intercellular communication in physiological and pathological states. We provide an overview of recent advances in the understanding of EV biogenesis, cargo selection, recipient cell effects, and key considerations in isolation and characterization techniques. Studies on the physiological role of EVs have relied on cell-based model systems due to technical limitations of studying endogenous nanoparticles in vivo . Several recent studies have elucidated the mechanistic role of EVs in liver diseases, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, viral hepatitis, cholestatic liver disease, alcohol-associated liver disease, acute liver injury, and liver cancers. Employing disease models and human samples, the biogenesis of lipotoxic EVs downstream of endoplasmic reticulum stress and microvesicles via intracellular activation stress signaling are discussed in detail. The diverse cargoes of EVs including proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids can be enriched in a disease-specific manner. By carrying diverse cargo, EVs can directly confer pathogenic potential, for example, recruitment and activation of monocyte-derived macrophages in NASH and tumorigenicity and chemoresistance in hepatocellular carcinoma. We discuss the pathogenic role of EVs cargoes and the signaling pathways activated by EVs in recipient cells. We review the literature that EVs can serve as biomarkers in hepatobiliary diseases. Further, we describe novel approaches to engineer EVs to deliver regulatory signals to specific cell types, and thus use them as therapeutic shuttles in liver diseases. Lastly, we identify key lacunae and future directions in this promising field of discovery and development. © 2023 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 13:4631-4658, 2023.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Petra Hirsova
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Enis Kostallari
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Guneet S. Sidhu
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Samar H. Ibrahim
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Harmeet Malhi
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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21
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Liu S, Fan S, Wang Y, Chen R, Wang Z, Zhang Y, Jiang W, Chen Y, Xu X, Yu Y, Li C, Li X. ACSL4 serves as a novel prognostic biomarker correlated with immune infiltration in Cholangiocarcinoma. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:444. [PMID: 37193981 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-10903-5] [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: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cholangiocarcinoma (CHOL) is the second most common primary hepatic malignant tumor, following hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). CHOL is highly aggressive and heterogeneous resulting in poor prognosis. The diagnosis and prognosis of CHOL has not improved in the past decade. Acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) is reported to be associated with tumors, however, its role in CHOL has not been revealed. This study is mainly for exploring the prognostic values and potential function of ACSL4 in CHOL. METHODS We investigated the expression level and prognostic value of ACSL4 in CHOL based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. TIMER2.0, TISIDB and CIBERSORT databases were utilized to assess the associations between ACSL4 and immune infiltration cells in CHOL. Single-cell sequencing data from GSE138709 was analyzed to study the expression of ACSL4 in different types of cells. ACSL4 co-expressed genes were analyzed by Linkedomics. Additionally, Western Blot, qPCR, EdU assay, CCK8 assay, transwell assay and wound healing assay were performed to further confirm the roles of ACSL4 in the pathogenesis of CHOL. RESULTS We found that the level of ACSL4 was higher in CHOL and it was correlated with the diagnosis and prognosis of CHOL patients. Then, we observed that the infiltration level of immune cells was related to the level of ACSL4 in CHOL. Moreover, ACSL4 and its co-expressed genes were mainly enriched in metabolism-related pathway and ACSL4 is also a key pro-ferroptosis gene in CHOL. Finally, knockdown of ACSL4 could reverse the tumor-promoting effect of ACSL4 in CHOL. CONCLUSIONS The current findings demonstrated ACSL4 may as a novel biomarker for CHOL patients, which might regulate immune microenvironment and metabolism resulting in poor prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuochen Liu
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Shilong Fan
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Yirui Wang
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Ruixiang Chen
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Ziyi Wang
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yaodong Zhang
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Wangjie Jiang
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Yananlan Chen
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiao Xu
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue Yu
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China.
| | - Changxian Li
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China.
| | - Xiangcheng Li
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, China.
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22
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Conci S, Catalano G, Roman D, Zecchetto C, Lucin E, De Bellis M, Tripepi M, Guglielmi A, Milella M, Ruzzenente A. Current Role and Future Perspectives of Immunotherapy and Circulating Factors in Treatment of Biliary Tract Cancers. Int J Med Sci 2023; 20:858-869. [PMID: 37324191 PMCID: PMC10266048 DOI: 10.7150/ijms.82008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are a heterogenous group of malignancies arising from the epithelial cells of the biliary tree and the gallbladder. They are often locally advanced or already metastatic at the time of the diagnosis and therefore prognosis remains dismal. Unfortunately, the management of BTCs has been limited by resistance and consequent low response rate to cytotoxic systemic therapy. New therapeutic approaches are needed to improve the survival outcomes for these patients. Immunotherapy, one of the newest therapeutic options, is changing the approach to the oncological treatment. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are by far the most promising group of immunotherapeutic agents: they work by blocking the tumor-induced inhibition of the immune cellular response. Immunotherapy in BTCs is currently approved as second-line treatment for patients whose tumors have a peculiar molecular profile, such as high levels of microsatellites instability, PD-L1 overexpression, or high levels of tumor mutational burden. However, emerging data from ongoing clinical trials seem to suggest that durable responses can be achieved in other subsets of patients. The BTCs are characterized by a highly desmoplastic microenvironment that fuels the growth of cancer tissue, but tissue biopsies are often difficult to obtain or not feasible in BTCs. Recent studies have hence proposed to use liquid biopsy approaches to search the blood circulating tumor cells (CTCs) or circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to use as biomarkers in BTCs. So far studies are insufficient to promote their use in clinical management, however trials are still in progress with promising preliminary results. Analysis of blood samples for ctDNA to research possible tumor-specific genetic or epigenetic alterations that could be linked to treatment response or prognosis was already feasible. Although there are still few data available, ctDNA analysis in BTC is fast, non-invasive, and could also represent a way to diagnose BTC earlier and monitor tumor response to chemotherapy. The prognostic capabilities of soluble factors in BTC are not yet precisely determined and more studies are needed. In this review, we will discuss the different approaches to immunotherapy and tumor circulating factors, the progress that has been made so far, and the possible future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Conci
- Division of General and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Verona, University Hospital G.B. Rossi, Verona, Italy
| | - Giovanni Catalano
- Division of General and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Verona, University Hospital G.B. Rossi, Verona, Italy
| | - Diletta Roman
- Division of General and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Verona, University Hospital G.B. Rossi, Verona, Italy
| | - Camilla Zecchetto
- Digestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Verona, University Hospital G.B. Rossi, Verona, Italy
| | - Eleonora Lucin
- Digestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Verona, University Hospital G.B. Rossi, Verona, Italy
| | - Mario De Bellis
- Division of General and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Verona, University Hospital G.B. Rossi, Verona, Italy
| | - Marzia Tripepi
- Division of General and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Verona, University Hospital G.B. Rossi, Verona, Italy
| | - Alfredo Guglielmi
- Division of General and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Verona, University Hospital G.B. Rossi, Verona, Italy
| | - Michele Milella
- Digestive Molecular Clinical Oncology Research Unit, Section of Medical Oncology, University of Verona, University Hospital G.B. Rossi, Verona, Italy
| | - Andrea Ruzzenente
- Division of General and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Verona, University Hospital G.B. Rossi, Verona, Italy
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23
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Novruzov E, Mori Y, Novruzov F. The Diagnostic Value of Fibroblast Activation Protein Imaging in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Cholangiocellular Carcinoma. PET Clin 2023:S1556-8598(23)00024-X. [PMID: 37029060 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpet.2023.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy with worldwide high incidence and mortality. In more than 90% of cases, HCC arise from a cirrhotic liver that is mostly induced by viral diseases and especially in developed countries alcoholic steatohepatitis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. In contrast, cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCC) is a very rare cancer entity with a high mortality due to insidious onset. The only curative option for both cancer entities is a timely and definitive surgical therapy, which mandates an accurate early diagnosis. To this end, [18F]FDG PET/CT scan could demonstrate only little benefit, as there is an unmet clinical need for an alternative, pan-cancer agent for initial diagnostic work-up of CCC or evaluation of Milan criteria for HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emil Novruzov
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, University Hospital Dusseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, Dusseldorf 40225, Germany.
| | - Yuriko Mori
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, University Hospital Dusseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, Dusseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Fuad Novruzov
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Azerbaijan National Centre of Oncology, M. Xiyabani Street No. 137, Baku, Azerbaijan
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24
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Ritter AR, Miller ED. Intraoperative Radiation Therapy for Gastrointestinal Malignancies. Surg Oncol Clin N Am 2023; 32:537-552. [PMID: 37182991 DOI: 10.1016/j.soc.2023.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Despite improvements in definitive therapy, many patients with gastrointestinal malignancies experience local recurrences or have unresectable disease making subsequent management often challenging and morbid. Although higher doses of radiation may offer improved local control, the ability for dose escalation of external beam radiation therapy is often limited by adjacent radiosensitive structures. Intraoperative radiation therapy allows for additional radiotherapy to be delivered directly to the tumor or areas at highest risk for local recurrence while minimizing toxicity to adjacent structures, offering potentially improved outcomes for patients with unresectable disease or those with a high risk of local recurrence.
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25
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Zhao LM, Shi AD, Yang Y, Liu ZL, Hu XQ, Shu LZ, Tang YC, Zhang ZL. Advances in molecular and cell therapy for immunotherapy of cholangiocarcinoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1140103. [PMID: 37064120 PMCID: PMC10090456 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1140103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a highly malignant tumor of the hepatobiliary system that has failed to respond to many traditional therapies to a certain extent, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In recent years, the new therapeutic schemes based on immunology have fundamentally changed the systemic treatment of various malignant tumors to a certain extent. In view of the immunogenicity of CCA, during the occurrence and development of CCA, some immunosuppressive substances are released from cells and immunosuppressive microenvironment is formed to promote the escape immune response of its own cells, thus enhancing the malignancy of the tumor and reducing the sensitivity of the tumor to drugs. Some immunotherapy regimens for cholangiocarcinoma have produced good clinical effects. Immunotherapy has more precise characteristics and less adverse reactions compared with traditional treatment approaches. However, due to the unique immune characteristics of CCA, some patients with CCA may not benefit in the long term or not benefit at all after current immunotherapy. At present, the immunotherapy of CCA that have been clinically studied mainly include molecular therapy and cell therapy. In this article, we generalized and summarized the current status of immunotherapy strategies including molecular therapy and cell therapy in CCA in clinical studies, and we outlined our understanding of how to enhance the clinical application of these immunotherapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-ming Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - An-da Shi
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yan Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Shanxian Central Hospital, Heze, China
| | - Zeng-li Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiao-Qiang Hu
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Li-Zhuang Shu
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yong-chang Tang
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- *Correspondence: Yong-chang Tang, ; Zong-li Zhang,
| | - Zong-li Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- *Correspondence: Yong-chang Tang, ; Zong-li Zhang,
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26
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Christensen TD, Jensen C, Larsen O, Leerhøy B, Hansen CP, Madsen K, Høgdall D, Karsdal MA, Chen IM, Nielsen D, Johansen JS, Willumsen N. Blood-based tumor fibrosis markers as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in patients with biliary tract cancer. Int J Cancer 2023; 152:1036-1049. [PMID: 36455598 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is characterized by a desmoplastic extracellular matrix (ECM). We tested the diagnostic and prognostic use of seven circulating biomarkers of ECM remodeling: pro-peptides of type III collagen (PRO-C3), VI (PRO-C6) and XI (PRO-C11), matrix metalloprotease (MMP) degraded type III collagen (C3M) and type IV collagen (C4M) fragments, granzyme B degraded type IV collagen fragments (C4G) and MMP degraded and citrullinated vimentin (VICM) a marker of macrophage activation. The study included 269 patients with all stages of BTC and 49 patients with benign biliary tract diseases. Serum samples from BTC patients were collected before surgery, or before first- or second-line chemotherapy. C3M, C4M, PRO-C3, PRO-C6, PRO-C11 and VICM levels were elevated in patients with BTC compared to patients with benign disease. Receiver operating characteristics curve analyses identified PRO-C3 (area under curve [AUC] = 0.87) as the ECM marker with the best diagnostic performance. The ECM biomarkers correlated with inflammation biomarkers (C-reactive protein [CRP], interleukin-6 [IL-6] and YKL-40) but not with CA19-9. To investigate prognostic performance, patients were split into three cohorts (first-line, second-line and surgery). Elevated ECM biomarker levels were associated with short overall survival (OS), but only pretreatment PRO-C3 and PRO-C6 were associated with OS in both the first-line and second-line settings when adjusting for CA19-9, performance status and stage in a multivariate Cox-regression analyses. Our results indicate that collagen remodeling is increased in patients with BTC and associated with survival. The collagen pro-peptides (PRO-C3 and PRO-C6) could be used as novel biomarkers in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Troels D Christensen
- Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | | | - Ole Larsen
- Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Bonna Leerhøy
- Digestive Disease Center, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carsten P Hansen
- Department of Surgery, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kasper Madsen
- Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Dan Høgdall
- Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | | | - Inna M Chen
- Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Dorte Nielsen
- Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Julia S Johansen
- Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
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27
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van Tienderen GS, Rosmark O, Lieshout R, Willemse J, de Weijer F, Elowsson Rendin L, Westergren-Thorsson G, Doukas M, Groot Koerkamp B, van Royen ME, van der Laan LJ, Verstegen MM. Extracellular matrix drives tumor organoids toward desmoplastic matrix deposition and mesenchymal transition. Acta Biomater 2023; 158:115-131. [PMID: 36427688 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.11.038] [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: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Patient-derived tumor organoids have been established as promising tools for in vitro modelling of multiple tumors, including cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). However, organoids are commonly cultured in basement membrane extract (BME) which does not recapitulate the intricacies of the extracellular matrix (ECM). We combined CCA organoids (CCAOs) with native tumor and liver scaffolds, obtained by decellularization, to effectuate a model to study the interaction between epithelial tumor cells and their surrounding ECM. Decellularization resulted in removal of cells while preserving ECM structure and retaining important characteristics of the tissue origin, including stiffness and presence of desmoplasia. The transcriptome of CCAOs in a tumor scaffold much more resembled that of patient-paired CCA tissue in vivo compared to CCAOs cultured in BME or liver scaffolds. This was accompanied by an increase in chemoresistance to clinically-relevant chemotherapeutics. CCAOs in decellularized scaffolds revealed environment-dependent proliferation dynamics, driven by the occurrence of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Furthermore, CCAOs initiated an environment-specific desmoplastic reaction by increasing production of multiple collagen types. In conclusion, convergence of organoid-based models with native ECM scaffolds will lead to better understanding of the in vivo tumor environment. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The extracellular matrix (ECM) influences various facets of tumor behavior. Understanding the exact role of the ECM in controlling tumor cell fate is pertinent to understand tumor progression and develop novel therapeutics. This is particularly the case for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), whereby the ECM displays a distinct tumor environment, characterized by desmoplasia. However, current models to study the interaction between epithelial tumor cells and the environment are lacking. We have developed a fully patient-derived model encompassing CCA organoids (CCAOs) and human decellularized tumor and tumor-free liver ECM. The tumor ECM induced recapitulation of various aspects of CCA, including migration dynamics, transcriptome and proteome profiles, and chemoresistance. Lastly, we uncover that epithelial tumor cells contribute to matrix deposition, and that this phenomenon is dependent on the level of desmoplasia already present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles S van Tienderen
- Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Oskar Rosmark
- Lung Biology, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ruby Lieshout
- Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jorke Willemse
- Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Floor de Weijer
- Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Linda Elowsson Rendin
- Lung Biology, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Michail Doukas
- Department of Pathology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Bas Groot Koerkamp
- Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Martin E van Royen
- Department of Pathology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Luc Jw van der Laan
- Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Monique Ma Verstegen
- Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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28
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Tumor decellularization reveals proteomic and mechanical characteristics of the extracellular matrix of primary liver cancer. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2023; 146:213289. [PMID: 36724550 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2023.213289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Tumor initiation and progression are critically dependent on interaction of cancer cells with their cellular and extracellular microenvironment. Alterations in the composition, integrity, and mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) dictate tumor processes including cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Also in primary liver cancer, consisting of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), the dysregulation of the extracellular environment by liver fibrosis and tumor desmoplasia is pertinent. Yet, the exact changes occurring in liver cancer ECM remain uncharacterized and underlying tumor-promoting mechanisms remain largely unknown. Herein, an integrative molecular and mechanical approach is used to extensively characterize the ECM of HCC and CCA tumors by utilizing an optimized decellularization technique. We identified a myriad of proteins in both tumor and adjacent liver tissue, uncovering distinct malignancy-related ECM signatures. The resolution of this approach unveiled additional ECM-related proteins compared to large liver cancer transcriptomic datasets. The differences in ECM protein composition resulted in divergent mechanical properties on a macro- and micro-scale that are tumor-type specific. Furthermore, the decellularized tumor ECM was employed to create a tumor-specific hydrogel that supports patient-derived tumor organoids, which provides a new avenue for personalized medicine applications. Taken together, this study contributes to a better understanding of alterations to composition, stiffness, and collagen alignment of the tumor ECM that occur during liver cancer development.
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29
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A combination therapy of bortezomib, CXCR4 inhibitor, and checkpoint inhibitor is effective in cholangiocarcinoma in vivo. iScience 2023; 26:106095. [PMID: 36843847 PMCID: PMC9950944 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a biliary tree malignancy with a dismal prognosis. Tumor microenvironment (TME), including cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) has been shown to be involved in drug resistance. To model the interactions between cancer cells and the TME, we established CCA complex patient-derived organoids (cPDOs) to include epithelial PDO (ePDOs) and matched CAFs. While ePDOs were sensitive to bortezomib, we found the matched cPDOs were relatively resistant. Mechanistically, this resistance was correlated with over-expression of CXCR4 in the CAF component of cPDOs. In accord with the role of CXCR4 in the resistance to bortezomib, we found that a CXCR4 inhibitor can reverse the resistance to bortezomib in vivo. Furthermore, we found that the inhibition of CXCR4 allowed bortezomib to sensitize CCA to anti-PD1 treatment, with a significant reduction of tumor burden and long-term overall survival. This novel cancer/stroma/immune triple treatment holds great promise for the treatment of CCA.
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30
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Wang Z, Wu S, Wang G, Yang Z, Zhang Y, Zhu C, Qin X. ARHGAP21 Is Involved in the Carcinogenic Mechanism of Cholangiocarcinoma: A Study Based on Bioinformatic Analyses and Experimental Validation. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2023; 59:medicina59010139. [PMID: 36676763 PMCID: PMC9867224 DOI: 10.3390/medicina59010139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Rho GTPase-activating protein (RhoGAP) is a negative regulatory element of Rho GTPases and participates in tumorigenesis. Rho GTPase-activating protein 21 (ARHGAP21) is one of the RhoGAPs and its role in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) has never been disclosed in any publications. Materials and Methods: The bioinformatics public datasets were utilized to investigate the expression patterns and mutations of ARHGAP21 as well as its prognostic significance in CCA. The biological functions of ARHGAP21 in CCA cells (RBE and Hccc9810 cell) were evaluated by scratch assay, cell counting kit-8 assay (CCK8) assay, and transwell migration assay. In addition, the underlying mechanism of ARHGAP21 involved in CCA was investigated by the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, and the most significant signaling pathway was identified through gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and the Western blot method. The ssGSEA algorithm was further used to explore the immune-related mechanism of ARHGAP21 in CCA. Results: The ARHGAP21 expression in CCA tissue was higher than it was in normal tissue, and missense mutation was the main alteration of ARHGAP21 in CCA. Moreover, the expression of ARHGAP21 had obvious differences in patients with different clinical characteristics and it had great prognostic significance. Based on cell experiments, we further observed that the proliferation ability and migration ability of the ARHGAP21-knockdown group was reduced in CCA cells. Several pathological signaling pathways correlated with proliferation and migration were determined by GO and KEGG analysis. Furthermore, the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was the most significant one. GSEA analysis further verified that ARHGAP21 was highly enriched in PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and the results of Western blot suggested that the phosphorylated PI3K and Akt were decreased in the ARHGAP21-knockdown group. The drug susceptibility of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway targeted drugs were positively correlated with ARHGAP21 expression. Moreover, we also discovered that ARHGAP21 was correlated with neutrophil, pDC, and mast cell infiltration as well as immune-related genes in CCA. Conclusions: ARHGAP21 could promote the proliferation and migration of CCA cells by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and ARHGAP21 may participate in the immune modulating function of the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihuai Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213000, China
- Graduate School, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Siyuan Wu
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213000, China
- Graduate School, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Gaochao Wang
- Graduate School, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Zhen Yang
- Graduate School, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Yinjie Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213000, China
- Graduate School, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
| | - Chunfu Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213000, China
- Graduate School, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- Correspondence: (C.Z.); (X.Q.)
| | - Xihu Qin
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213000, China
- Graduate School, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- Correspondence: (C.Z.); (X.Q.)
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31
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The Tumor Microenvironment in Tumorigenesis and Therapy Resistance Revisited. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15020376. [PMID: 36672326 PMCID: PMC9856874 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15020376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumorigenesis is a complex and dynamic process involving cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions that allow tumor cell growth, drug resistance and metastasis. This review provides an updated summary of the role played by the tumor microenvironment (TME) components and hypoxia in tumorigenesis, and highlight various ways through which tumor cells reprogram normal cells into phenotypes that are pro-tumorigenic, including cancer associated- fibroblasts, -macrophages and -endothelial cells. Tumor cells secrete numerous factors leading to the transformation of a previously anti-tumorigenic environment into a pro-tumorigenic environment. Once formed, solid tumors continue to interact with various stromal cells, including local and infiltrating fibroblasts, macrophages, mesenchymal stem cells, endothelial cells, pericytes, and secreted factors and the ECM within the tumor microenvironment (TME). The TME is key to tumorigenesis, drug response and treatment outcome. Importantly, stromal cells and secreted factors can initially be anti-tumorigenic, but over time promote tumorigenesis and induce therapy resistance. To counter hypoxia, increased angiogenesis leads to the formation of new vascular networks in order to actively promote and sustain tumor growth via the supply of oxygen and nutrients, whilst removing metabolic waste. Angiogenic vascular network formation aid in tumor cell metastatic dissemination. Successful tumor treatment and novel drug development require the identification and therapeutic targeting of pro-tumorigenic components of the TME including cancer-associated- fibroblasts (CAFs) and -macrophages (CAMs), hypoxia, blocking ECM-receptor interactions, in addition to the targeting of tumor cells. The reprogramming of stromal cells and the immune response to be anti-tumorigenic is key to therapeutic success. Lastly, this review highlights potential TME- and hypoxia-centered therapies under investigation.
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32
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Posner A, Sivakumaran T, Pattison A, Etemadmoghadam D, Thio N, Wood C, Fisher K, Webb S, DeFazio A, Wilcken N, Gao B, Karapetis CS, Singh M, Collins IM, Richardson G, Steer C, Warren M, Karanth N, Fellowes A, Fox SB, Hicks RJ, Schofield P, Bowtell D, Prall OWJ, Tothill RW, Mileshkin L. Immune and genomic biomarkers of immunotherapy response in cancer of unknown primary. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:jitc-2022-005809. [PMID: 36720497 PMCID: PMC10098268 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) is a heterogeneous group of metastatic cancers where a primary tissue of origin (TOO) is uncertain. Most patients with CUP have limited treatment options and poor survival outcomes. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can be efficacious in some patients with CUP, but the optimal predictive biomarkers are unknown. We therefore assessed immune and genomic biomarkers as well as predicted TOO in patients with CUP, including a subset treated with ICIs. METHODS Patients with CUP were subject to gene-expression profiling (GEP) and DNA panel sequencing. Immune and stromal-related gene expression was explored by NanoString, including genes associated with immunotherapy response (IR) in other solid malignancies. ICI responsive cancer types were assigned based on Food and Drug Administration-approved indications, and either detection of a latent primary tumor or the TOO was suspected based on genomics informed pathology review. Tumor mutation burden (TMB) and gene mutations were also assessed. RESULTS A total of 219 patients with CUP were included, 215 assessed for TOO in a previous study, with the majority (163) receiving both RNA and DNA tests. Of GEP profiled cases, 33% (59/175) had a high IR gene-expression score. Of the DNA sequenced cases, 16% (32/203) had high TMB (>10 mutations/Mb), including two with mismatch repair deficiency. Low correlation was observed between TMB and an IR score (R=0.26, p<0.001). Among 110 CUPs with a latent primary or suspected TOO, 47% (52/110) belonged to ICI-responsive cancer types. More than half of the CUPs had at least one feature that may predict ICI response (high IR score, high TMB, ICI-responsive cancer type). Among patients with CUP treated with ICIs, 8/28 (29%) responded (2 complete responses and 6 partial responses). Among non-responders, 9 had stable and 11 had progressive disease. All responders had a high IR score (7/8) and/or high TMB (3/8), while most (5/8) belonged to ICI-responsive cancer types. These features were detected at a lower frequency in non-responders and mostly in patients with stable disease. CONCLUSIONS A significant fraction of CUP tumors had genomic features previously associated with ICI response. High IR score was the most sensitive predictive feature of ICI response, warranting evaluation in a larger patient series.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atara Posner
- Department of Clinical Pathology and Centre for Cancer Research, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tharani Sivakumaran
- Department of Medical Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew Pattison
- Department of Clinical Pathology and Centre for Cancer Research, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Niko Thio
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Colin Wood
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Krista Fisher
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Samantha Webb
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anna DeFazio
- Department of Gynaecological Oncology, and Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a joint venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nicholas Wilcken
- Department of Medical Oncology, Westmead Hospital The Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bo Gao
- Department of Medical Oncology, Westmead Hospital The Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Christos S Karapetis
- Department of Medical Oncology and Flinders Medical Centre, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Madhu Singh
- Department of Medical Oncology, Barwon Health Cancer Services, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ian M Collins
- Department of Medical Oncology and SouthWest HealthCare, Deakin University - Warrnambool Campus, Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gary Richardson
- Medical Oncology, Cabrini Health, Malvern, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christopher Steer
- Border Medical Oncology, Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre, Albury, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mark Warren
- Medical Oncology, Bendigo Health, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
| | - Narayan Karanth
- Division of Medicine, Top End Health and Hospital Services, Alan Walker Cancer Centre, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Andrew Fellowes
- Department of Pathology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephen B Fox
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Pathology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rodney J Hicks
- St Vincent's Hospital Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Penelope Schofield
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Behavioural Sciences Unit, Health Services Research and Implementation Sciences, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - David Bowtell
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Owen W J Prall
- Department of Pathology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Richard William Tothill
- Department of Clinical Pathology and Centre for Cancer Research, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia .,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Linda Mileshkin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia .,Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Elevated ITGA2 expression promotes collagen type I-induced clonogenic growth of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Sci Rep 2022; 12:22429. [PMID: 36575207 PMCID: PMC9794692 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26747-1] [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: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) arises along the peripheral bile ducts and is often accompanied by a tumor microenvironment (TME) high in extracellular matrices (ECMs). In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether an ECM-rich TME favors iCCA progression. We identified ITGA2, which encodes collagen-binding integrin α2, to be differentially-expressed in iCCA tumors compared with adjacent normal tissues. Elevated ITGA2 is also positively-correlated with its ligand, collagen type I. Increased ITGA2 expression and its role in collagen type I binding was validated in vitro using four iCCA cell lines, compared with a non-cancerous, cholangiocyte cell line. Robust interaction of iCCA cells with collagen type I was abolished by either ITGA2 depletion or integrin α2β1-selective inhibitor treatment. In a phenotypic study, collagen type I significantly enhances clonogenic growth of HuCCA-1 and HuCCT-1 cells by three and sixfold, respectively. Inhibition of integrin α2 expression or its activity significantly blocks collagen type I-induced colony growth in both cell lines. Taken together, our data provide mechanistic evidence that collagen type I promotes growth of iCCA colonies through integrin α2 suggesting that the collagen type I-integrin α2 axis could be a promising target for cancer prevention and a therapeutic opportunity for this cancer.
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Ho J, Fiocco C, Spencer K. Treating Biliary Tract Cancers: New Targets and Therapies. Drugs 2022; 82:1629-1647. [DOI: 10.1007/s40265-022-01808-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Mancarella S, Gigante I, Serino G, Pizzuto E, Dituri F, Valentini MF, Wang J, Chen X, Armentano R, Calvisi DF, Giannelli G. Crenigacestat blocking notch pathway reduces liver fibrosis in the surrounding ecosystem of intrahepatic CCA viaTGF-β inhibition. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2022; 41:331. [PMID: 36443822 PMCID: PMC9703776 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02536-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is a highly malignant tumor characterized by an intensive desmoplastic reaction due to the exaggerated presence of the extracellular (ECM) matrix components. Liver fibroblasts close to the tumor, activated by transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and expressing high levels of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), become cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). CAFs are deputed to produce and secrete ECM components and crosstalk with cancer cells favoring tumor progression and resistance to therapy. Overexpression of Notch signaling is implicated in CCA development and growth. The study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the Notch inhibitor, Crenigacestat, on the surrounding microenvironment of iCCA. METHODS We investigated Crenigacestat's effectiveness in a PDX model of iCCA and human primary culture of CAFs isolated from patients with iCCA. RESULTS In silico analysis of transcriptomic profiling from PDX iCCA tissues treated with Crenigacestat highlighted "liver fibrosis" as one of the most modulated pathways. In the iCCA PDX model, Crenigacestat treatment significantly (p < 0.001) reduced peritumoral liver fibrosis. Similar results were obtained in a hydrodynamic model of iCCA. Bioinformatic prediction of the upstream regulators related to liver fibrosis in the iCCA PDX treated with Crenigacestat revealed the involvement of the TGF-β1 pathway as a master regulator gene showing a robust connection between TGF-β1 and Notch pathways. Consistently, drug treatment significantly (p < 0.05) reduced TGF-β1 mRNA and protein levels in tumoral tissue. In PDX tissues, Crenigacestat remarkably inhibited TGF-β signaling and extracellular matrix protein gene expression and reduced α-SMA expression. Furthermore, Crenigacestat synergistically increased Gemcitabine effectiveness in the iCCA PDX model. In 31 iCCA patients, TGF-β1 and α-SMA were upregulated in the tumoral compared with peritumoral tissues. In freshly isolated CAFs from patients with iCCA, Crenigacestat significantly (p < 0.001) inhibited Notch signaling, TGF-β1 secretion, and Smad-2 activation. Consequently, Crenigacestat also inactivated CAFs reducing (p < 0.001) α-SMA expression. Finally, CAFs treated with Crenigacestat produced less (p < 005) ECM components such as fibronectin, collagen 1A1, and collagen 1A2. CONCLUSIONS Notch signaling inhibition reduces the peritumoral desmoplastic reaction in iCCA, blocking the TGF-β1 canonical pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Mancarella
- grid.489101.50000 0001 0162 6994National Institute of Gastroenterology “S. De Bellis” Research Hospital, Via Turi 27, 70013 Castellana Grotte, BA Italy
| | - Isabella Gigante
- grid.489101.50000 0001 0162 6994National Institute of Gastroenterology “S. De Bellis” Research Hospital, Via Turi 27, 70013 Castellana Grotte, BA Italy
| | - Grazia Serino
- grid.489101.50000 0001 0162 6994National Institute of Gastroenterology “S. De Bellis” Research Hospital, Via Turi 27, 70013 Castellana Grotte, BA Italy
| | - Elena Pizzuto
- grid.489101.50000 0001 0162 6994National Institute of Gastroenterology “S. De Bellis” Research Hospital, Via Turi 27, 70013 Castellana Grotte, BA Italy
| | - Francesco Dituri
- grid.489101.50000 0001 0162 6994National Institute of Gastroenterology “S. De Bellis” Research Hospital, Via Turi 27, 70013 Castellana Grotte, BA Italy
| | - Maria F. Valentini
- grid.7644.10000 0001 0120 3326Department of Emergency and Organ Transplant, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy
| | - Jingxiao Wang
- grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143 USA
| | - Xin Chen
- grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Liver Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143 USA
| | - Raffaele Armentano
- grid.489101.50000 0001 0162 6994National Institute of Gastroenterology “S. De Bellis” Research Hospital, Via Turi 27, 70013 Castellana Grotte, BA Italy
| | - Diego F. Calvisi
- grid.7727.50000 0001 2190 5763Institute of Pathology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Gianluigi Giannelli
- grid.489101.50000 0001 0162 6994National Institute of Gastroenterology “S. De Bellis” Research Hospital, Via Turi 27, 70013 Castellana Grotte, BA Italy
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Montori M, Scorzoni C, Argenziano ME, Balducci D, De Blasio F, Martini F, Buono T, Benedetti A, Marzioni M, Maroni L. Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Cholangiocarcinoma: Current Knowledge and Possible Implications for Therapy. J Clin Med 2022; 11:6498. [PMID: 36362726 PMCID: PMC9654416 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11216498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an aggressive neoplasia with an increasing incidence and mortality. It is characterized by a strong desmoplastic stroma surrounding cancer cells. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the main cell type of CCA stroma and they have an important role in modulating cancer microenvironments. CAFs originate from multiple lines of cells and mainly consist of fibroblasts and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) positive myofibroblast-like cells. The continuous cross-talking between CCA cells and desmoplastic stroma is permitted by CAF biochemical signals, which modulate a number of pathways. Stromal cell-derived factor-1 expression increases CAF recruitment to the tumor reactive stroma and influences apoptotic pathways. The Bcl-2 family protein enhances susceptibility to CAF apoptosis and PDGFRβ induces fibroblast migration and stimulates tumor lymphangiogenesis. Many factors related to CAFs may influence CCA prognosis. For instance, a better prognosis is associated with IL-33 expression and low stromal IL-6 (whose secretion is stimulated by microRNA). In contrast, a worst prognosis is given by the expression of PDGF-D, podoplanin, SDF-1, α-SMA high expression, and periostin. The maturity phenotype has a prognostic relevance too. New therapeutic strategies involving CAFs are currently under study. Promising results are obtained with anti-PlGF therapy, nintedanib (BIBF1120), navitoclax, IPI-926, resveratrol, and controlled hyperthermia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Montori
- Clinic of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Emergency Digestive Endoscopy, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy
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Gu S, Jiang M, Zhang B. Microcystin-LR in Primary Liver Cancers: An Overview. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14100715. [PMID: 36287983 PMCID: PMC9611980 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14100715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The cyanobacterial blooms produced by eutrophic water bodies have become a serious environmental issue around the world. After cellular lysing or algaecide treatment, microcystins (MCs), which are regarded as the most frequently encountered cyanobacterial toxins in fresh water, are released into water. Among all the variants of MCs, MC-LR has been widely studied due to its severe hepatotoxicity. Since 1992, various studies have identified the important roles of MC-LR in the origin and progression of primary liver cancers (PLCs), although few reviews have focused on it. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the major achievements and shortcomings observed in the past few years. Based on the available literature, the mechanisms of how MC-LR induces or promotes PLCs are elucidated in this review. This review aims to enhance our understanding of the role that MC-LR plays in PLCs and provides a rational approach for future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shen Gu
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China
- Translational Medicine Research Center, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-0571-56007664
| | - Mingxuemei Jiang
- Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310001, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China
- Translational Medicine Research Center, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China
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Jiang J, Tekin B, Yuan L, Armasu S, Winham SJ, Goode EL, Liu H, Huang Y, Guo R, Wang C. Computational tumor stroma reaction evaluation led to novel prognosis-associated fibrosis and molecular signature discoveries in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:994467. [PMID: 36160147 PMCID: PMC9490262 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.994467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background As one of the key criteria to differentiate benign vs. malignant tumors in ovarian and other solid cancers, tumor-stroma reaction (TSR) is long observed by pathologists and has been found correlated with patient prognosis. However, paucity of study aims to overcome subjective bias or automate TSR evaluation for enabling association analysis to a large cohort. Materials and methods Serving as positive and negative sets of TSR studies, H&E slides of primary tumors of high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) (n = 291) and serous borderline ovarian tumor (SBOT) (n = 15) were digitally scanned. Three pathologist-defined quantification criteria were used to characterize the extents of TSR. Scores for each criterion were annotated (0/1/2 as none-low/intermediate/high) in the training set consisting of 18,265 H&E patches. Serial of deep learning (DL) models were trained to identify tumor vs. stroma regions and predict TSR scores. After cross-validation and independent validations, the trained models were generalized to the entire HGSOC cohort and correlated with clinical characteristics. In a subset of cases tumor transcriptomes were available, gene- and pathway-level association studies were conducted with TSR scores. Results The trained models accurately identified the tumor stroma tissue regions and predicted TSR scores. Within tumor stroma interface region, TSR fibrosis scores were strongly associated with patient prognosis. Cancer signaling aberrations associated 14 KEGG pathways were also found positively correlated with TSR-fibrosis score. Conclusion With the aid of DL, TSR evaluation could be generalized to large cohort to enable prognostic association analysis and facilitate discovering novel gene and pathways associated with disease progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Jiang
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Burak Tekin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Lin Yuan
- Pathology Center, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Sebastian Armasu
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Stacey J. Winham
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Ellen L. Goode
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Hongfang Liu
- Department of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
- Hongfang Liu,
| | - Yajue Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
- Yajue Huang,
| | - Ruifeng Guo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
- Ruifeng Guo,
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
- *Correspondence: Chen Wang,
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Talaat IM, Kim B. A brief glimpse of a tangled web in a small world: Tumor microenvironment. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:1002715. [PMID: 36045917 PMCID: PMC9421133 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1002715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A tumor is a result of stepwise accumulation of genetic and epigenetic alterations. This notion has deepened the understanding of cancer biology and has introduced the era of targeted therapies. On the other hand, there have been a series of attempts of using the immune system to treat tumors, dating back to ancient history, to sporadic reports of inflamed tumors undergoing spontaneous regression. This was succeeded by modern immunotherapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors. The recent breakthrough has broadened the sight to other players within tumor tissue. Tumor microenvironment is a niche or a system orchestrating reciprocal and dynamic interaction of various types of cells including tumor cells and non-cellular components. The output of this complex communication dictates the functions of the constituent elements present within it. More complicated factors are biochemical and biophysical settings unique to TME. This mini review provides a brief guide on a range of factors to consider in the TME research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iman M. Talaat
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Byoungkwon Kim
- Department of Pathology, H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Specialty Hospital, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
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Limitations of Nerve Fiber Density as a Prognostic Marker in Predicting Oncological Outcomes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14092237. [PMID: 35565366 PMCID: PMC9103173 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been shown that the presence and density of nerve fibers (NFs; NFD) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) may play an important prognostic role in predicting long-term oncological outcomes in various malignancies. However, the role of NFD in the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is yet to be explored. To this end, we aimed to investigate the impact of NFs on oncological outcomes in a large European single-center cohort of HCC patients. In total, 153 HCC patients who underwent partial hepatectomy in a curative-intent setting between 2010 and 2021 at our university hospital were included in this study. Group comparisons between patients with and without NFs were conducted and the association of recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) with the presence of NFs and other clinico-pathological variables were determined by univariate and multivariable Cox regression models. Patients with NFs in the TME presented with a median OS of 66 months (95% CI: 30−102) compared to 42 months (95% CI: 20−63) for patients without NFs (p = 0.804 log-rank). Further, RFS was 26 months (95% CI: 12−40) for patients with NFs compared to 18 months (95% CI: 9−27) for patients without NFs (p = 0.666 log-rank). In a subgroup analysis, patients with NFD ≤ 5 showed a median OS of 54 months (95% CI: 11−97) compared to 48 months (95% CI: 0−106) for the group of patients with NFD > 5 (p = 0.787 log-rank). Correspondingly, the RFS was 26 months (95% CI: 10−42) in patients with NFD ≤ 5 and 29 months (95% CI: 14−44) for the subcohort with NFD > 5 (p = 0.421 log-rank). Further, group comparisons showed no clinico-pathological differences between patients with NFs (n = 76) and without NFs (n = 77) and NFs were not associated with OS (p = 0.806) and RFS (p = 0.322) in our Cox regression models. In contrast to observations in various malignancies, NFs in the TME and NFD are not associated with long-term oncological outcomes in HCC patients undergoing surgery.
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Tan X, Bednarsch J, Rosin M, Appinger S, Liu D, Wiltberger G, Garcia Vallejo J, Lang SA, Czigany Z, Boroojerdi S, Gaisa NT, Boor P, Bülow RD, De Vos-Geelen J, Valkenburg-van Iersel L, Clahsen-van Groningen MC, de Jong EJM, Groot Koerkamp B, Doukas M, Rocha FG, Luedde T, Klinge U, Sivakumar S, Neumann UP, Heij LR. PD-1+ T-Cells Correlate with Nerve Fiber Density as a Prognostic Biomarker in Patients with Resected Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14092190. [PMID: 35565318 PMCID: PMC9103905 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092190] [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: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Recent studies have identified Nerve Fiber Density (NFD) as a prognostic biomarker for Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). In the field of CCA treatment with checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) is increasing but not all patients respond. Good biomarkers to predict response to ICI are lacking. The present study investigates the immune cell composition and expression of checkpoint molecules in relation to NFD in perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) patients. Our study identified NFD to correlate with PD-1+ T cells as a biomarker indicative for a good prognosis. Abstract Background and Aims: Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) is a hepatobiliary malignancy, with a dismal prognosis. Nerve fiber density (NFD)—a novel prognostic biomarker—describes the density of small nerve fibers without cancer invasion and is categorized into high numbers and low numbers of small nerve fibers (high vs low NFD). NFD is different than perineural invasion (PNI), defined as nerve fiber trunks invaded by cancer cells. Here, we aim to explore differences in immune cell populations and survival between high and low NFD patients. Approach and Results: We applied multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) on 47 pCCA patients and investigated immune cell composition in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of high and low NFD. Group comparison and oncological outcome analysis was performed. CD8+PD-1 expression was higher in the high NFD than in the low NFD group (12.24 × 10−6 vs. 1.38 × 10−6 positive cells by overall cell count, p = 0.017). High CD8+PD-1 expression was further identified as an independent predictor of overall (OS; Hazard ratio (HR) = 0.41; p = 0.031) and recurrence-free survival (RFS; HR = 0.40; p = 0.039). Correspondingly, the median OS was 83 months (95% confidence interval (CI): 18–48) in patients with high CD8+PD-1+ expression compared to 19 months (95% CI: 5–93) in patients with low CD8+PD-1+ expression (p = 0.018 log rank). Furthermore, RFS was significantly lower in patients with low CD8+PD-1+ expression (14 months (95% CI: 6–22)) compared to patients with high CD8+PD-1+ expression (83 months (95% CI: 17–149), p = 0.018 log rank). Conclusions: PD-1+ T-cells correlate with high NFD as a prognostic biomarker and predict good survival; the biological pathway needs to be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuxiang Tan
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (X.T.); (J.B.); (M.R.); (S.A.); (D.L.); (G.W.); (S.A.L.); (Z.C.); (S.B.); (U.K.); (U.P.N.)
- NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Bednarsch
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (X.T.); (J.B.); (M.R.); (S.A.); (D.L.); (G.W.); (S.A.L.); (Z.C.); (S.B.); (U.K.); (U.P.N.)
| | - Mika Rosin
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (X.T.); (J.B.); (M.R.); (S.A.); (D.L.); (G.W.); (S.A.L.); (Z.C.); (S.B.); (U.K.); (U.P.N.)
| | - Simone Appinger
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (X.T.); (J.B.); (M.R.); (S.A.); (D.L.); (G.W.); (S.A.L.); (Z.C.); (S.B.); (U.K.); (U.P.N.)
| | - Dong Liu
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (X.T.); (J.B.); (M.R.); (S.A.); (D.L.); (G.W.); (S.A.L.); (Z.C.); (S.B.); (U.K.); (U.P.N.)
| | - Georg Wiltberger
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (X.T.); (J.B.); (M.R.); (S.A.); (D.L.); (G.W.); (S.A.L.); (Z.C.); (S.B.); (U.K.); (U.P.N.)
| | - Juan Garcia Vallejo
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, VU University Medical Center, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Sven Arke Lang
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (X.T.); (J.B.); (M.R.); (S.A.); (D.L.); (G.W.); (S.A.L.); (Z.C.); (S.B.); (U.K.); (U.P.N.)
| | - Zoltan Czigany
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (X.T.); (J.B.); (M.R.); (S.A.); (D.L.); (G.W.); (S.A.L.); (Z.C.); (S.B.); (U.K.); (U.P.N.)
| | - Shiva Boroojerdi
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (X.T.); (J.B.); (M.R.); (S.A.); (D.L.); (G.W.); (S.A.L.); (Z.C.); (S.B.); (U.K.); (U.P.N.)
| | - Nadine T. Gaisa
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (N.T.G.); (P.B.); (R.D.B.)
| | - Peter Boor
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (N.T.G.); (P.B.); (R.D.B.)
| | - Roman David Bülow
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (N.T.G.); (P.B.); (R.D.B.)
| | - Judith De Vos-Geelen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands; (J.D.V.-G.); (L.V.-v.I.); (E.J.M.d.J.)
| | - Liselot Valkenburg-van Iersel
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands; (J.D.V.-G.); (L.V.-v.I.); (E.J.M.d.J.)
| | | | - Evelien J. M. de Jong
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, GROW School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands; (J.D.V.-G.); (L.V.-v.I.); (E.J.M.d.J.)
| | - Bas Groot Koerkamp
- Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands;
| | - Michail Doukas
- Department of Pathology, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (M.C.C.-v.G.); (M.D.)
| | - Flavio G. Rocha
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
| | - Tom Luedde
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Duesseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany;
| | - Uwe Klinge
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (X.T.); (J.B.); (M.R.); (S.A.); (D.L.); (G.W.); (S.A.L.); (Z.C.); (S.B.); (U.K.); (U.P.N.)
| | - Shivan Sivakumar
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FY, UK;
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Ulf Peter Neumann
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (X.T.); (J.B.); (M.R.); (S.A.); (D.L.); (G.W.); (S.A.L.); (Z.C.); (S.B.); (U.K.); (U.P.N.)
- Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC), 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Lara Rosaline Heij
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (X.T.); (J.B.); (M.R.); (S.A.); (D.L.); (G.W.); (S.A.L.); (Z.C.); (S.B.); (U.K.); (U.P.N.)
- NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (N.T.G.); (P.B.); (R.D.B.)
- Department of Pathology, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (M.C.C.-v.G.); (M.D.)
- Correspondence:
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SLC1A1-mediated cellular and mitochondrial influx of R-2-hydroxyglutarate in vascular endothelial cells promotes tumor angiogenesis in IDH1-mutant solid tumors. Cell Res 2022; 32:638-658. [PMID: 35459936 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-022-00650-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutant isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (mIDH1) drives tumorigenesis via producing oncometabolite R-2-hydroxyglutarate (R-2-HG) across various tumor types. However, mIDH1 inhibitors appear only effective in hematological tumors. The therapeutic benefit in solid tumors remains elusive, likely due to the complex tumor microenvironment. In this study, we discover that R-2-HG produced by IDH1-mutant tumor cells is preferentially imported into vascular endothelial cells and remodels mitochondrial respiration to promote tumor angiogenesis, conferring a therapeutic vulnerability in IDH1-mutant solid tumors. Mechanistically, SLC1A1, a Na+-dependent glutamate transporter that is preferentially expressed in endothelial cells, facilitates the influx of R-2-HG from the tumor microenvironment into the endothelial cells as well as the intracellular trafficking of R-2-HG from cytoplasm to mitochondria. R-2-HG hijacks SLC1A1 to promote mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ exchange, which activates the mitochondrial respiratory chain and fuels vascular endothelial cell migration in tumor angiogenesis. SLC1A1 deficiency in mice abolishes mIDH1-promoted tumor angiogenesis as well as the therapeutic benefit of mIDH1 inhibitor in solid tumors. Moreover, we report that HH2301, a newly discovered mIDH1 inhibitor, shows promising efficacy in treating IDH1-mutant cholangiocarcinoma in preclinical models. Together, we identify a new role of SLC1A1 as a gatekeeper of R-2-HG-mediated crosstalk between IDH1-mutant tumor cells and vascular endothelial cells, and demonstrate the therapeutic potential of mIDH1 inhibitors in treating IDH1-mutant solid tumors via disrupting R-2-HG-promoted tumor angiogenesis.
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Yang Y, Zou X, Zhou W, Yuan G, Hu D, Shen Y, Xie Q, Zhang Q, Kuang D, Hu X, Li Z. DWI-based radiomic signature: potential role for individualized adjuvant chemotherapy in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma after partial hepatectomy. Insights Imaging 2022; 13:37. [PMID: 35244793 PMCID: PMC8897536 DOI: 10.1186/s13244-022-01179-7] [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: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives To develop a diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) based radiomic signature for predicting early recurrence (ER) (i.e., recurrence within 1 year after surgery), and to explore the potential value for individualized adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods A total of 124 patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) were randomly divided into the training (n = 87) and the validation set (n = 37). Radiomic signature was built using radiomic features extracted from DWI with random forest. An integrated radiomic nomogram was constructed with multivariate logistic regression analysis to demonstrate the incremental value of the radiomic signature beyond clinicopathological-radiographic factors. A clinicopathological-radiographic (CPR) model was constructed as a reference. Results The radiomic signature showed a comparable discrimination performance for predicting ER to CPR model in the validation set (AUC, 0.753 vs. 0.621, p = 0.274). Integrating the radiomic signature with clinicopathological-radiographic factors further improved prediction performance compared with CPR model, with an AUC of 0.821 (95%CI 0.684–0.959) in the validation set (p = 0.01). The radiomic signature succeeded to stratify patients into distinct survival outcomes according to their risk index of ER, and remained an independent prognostic factor in multivariable analysis (disease-free survival (DFS), p < 0.0001; overall survival (OS), p = 0.029). Furthermore, adjuvant chemotherapy improved prognosis in high-risk patients defined by the radiomic signature (DFS, p = 0.029; OS, p = 0.088) and defined by the nomogram (DFS, p = 0.031; OS, p = 0.023), whereas poor chemotherapy efficacy was detected in low-risk patients. Conclusions The preoperative DWI-based radiomic signature could improve prognostic prediction and help to identify ICC patients who may benefit from postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13244-022-01179-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Qiaokou District, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Xianlun Zou
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Qiaokou District, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Qiaokou District, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Guanjie Yuan
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Qiaokou District, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Daoyu Hu
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Qiaokou District, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Yaqi Shen
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Qiaokou District, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Qingguo Xie
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430074, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Qingpeng Zhang
- School of Data Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Dong Kuang
- Department of Pathology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Qiaokou District, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
| | - Xuemei Hu
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Qiaokou District, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
| | - Zhen Li
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Qiaokou District, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
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Mayr C, Kiesslich T, Modest DP, Stintzing S, Ocker M, Neureiter D. Chemoresistance and resistance to targeted therapies in biliary tract cancer: What have we learned? Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2022; 31:221-233. [PMID: 35098846 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2022.2034785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Biliary tract cancer (BTC), including intra- and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder cancer, is a rare and highly difficult to manage human malignancy. Besides late diagnosis and associated unresectability, frequently observed unresponsiveness towards and recurrence following chemotherapy or targeted therapy essentially contribute to the dismal prognosis of BTC patients. AREAS COVERED The review provides an update on individual mechanisms involved resistance of BTC towards conventional chemotherapy as well as targeted therapies. We review the distinct mechanisms of pharmacoresistance (MPRs) which have been defined in BTC cells on a molecular basis and examine the specific consequences for the various approaches of chemo-, targeted or immunomodulatory therapies. EXPERT OPINION Based on currently available experimental and clinical data, the present knowledge about these MPRs in BTCs are summarized. While some possible tactics for overcoming these mechanisms of resistance have been investigated, a BTC-specific and efficient approach based on comprehensive in vitro and in vivo experimental systems is not yet available. Additionally, a reliable monitoring of therapy-relevant cellular changes needs to be established which allows for choosing the optimal drug (combination) before and/or during pharmacological therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Mayr
- Center for Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biophysics - Salzburg and Nuremberg, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austrial.,Department of Internal Medicine I, Paracelsus Medical University/University Hospital Salzburg (SALK), 5020 Salzburg, Austrial
| | - Tobias Kiesslich
- Center for Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biophysics - Salzburg and Nuremberg, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Paracelsus Medical University, 5020 Salzburg, Austrial.,Department of Internal Medicine I, Paracelsus Medical University/University Hospital Salzburg (SALK), 5020 Salzburg, Austrial
| | - Dominik Paul Modest
- Medical Department, Division of Hematology,Oncology,and Tumor Immunology (Campus Charité Mitte), Charité University Medicine Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sebastian Stintzing
- Medical Department, Division of Hematology,Oncology,and Tumor Immunology (Campus Charité Mitte), Charité University Medicine Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias Ocker
- Charité University Medicine Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany.,Translational Medicine & Clinical Pharmacology, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, 55216 Ingelheim, Germany
| | - Daniel Neureiter
- Institute of Pathology, Paracelsus Medical University/University Hospital Salzburg (SALK), 5020 Salzburg, Austria.,Cancer Cluster Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
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45
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Yang T, Deng Z, Xu L, Li X, Yang T, Qian Y, Lu Y, Tian L, Yao W, Wang J. Macrophages-aPKC ɩ-CCL5 Feedback Loop Modulates the Progression and Chemoresistance in Cholangiocarcinoma. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2022; 41:23. [PMID: 35033156 PMCID: PMC8760815 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-02235-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent data indicated that macrophages may mutually interact with cancer cells to promote tumor progression and chemoresistance, but the interaction in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is obscure. METHODS 10x Genomics single-cell sequencing technology was used to identified the role of macrophages in CCA. Then, we measured the expression and prognostic role of macrophage markers and aPKCɩ in 70 human CCA tissues. Moreover, we constructed monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) generated from peripheral blood monocytes (PBMCs) and polarized them into M1/M2 macrophages. A co-culture assay of the human CCA cell lines (TFK-1, EGI-1) and differentiated PBMCs-macrophages was established, and functional studies in vitro and in vivo was performed to explore the interaction between cancer cells and M2 macrophages. Furthermore, we established the cationic liposome-mediated co-delivery of gemcitabine and aPKCɩ-siRNA and detect the antitumor effects in CCA. RESULTS M2 macrophage showed tumor-promoting properties in CCA. High levels of aPKCɩ expression and M2 macrophage infiltration were associated with metastasis and poor prognosis in CCA patients. Moreover, CCA patients with low M2 macrophages infiltration or low aPKCɩ expression benefited from postoperative gemcitabine-based chemotherapy. Further studies showed that M2 macrophages-derived TGFβ1 induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and gemcitabine resistance in CCA cells through aPKCɩ-mediated NF-κB signaling pathway. Reciprocally, CCL5 was secreted more by CCA cells undergoing aPKCɩ-induced EMT and consequently modulated macrophage recruitment and polarization. Furthermore, the cationic liposome-mediated co-delivery of GEM and aPKCɩ-siRNA significantly inhibited macrophages infiltration and CCA progression. CONCLUSION our study demonstrates the role of Macrophages-aPKCɩ-CCL5 Feedback Loop in CCA, and proposes a novel therapeutic strategy of aPKCɩ-siRNA and GEM co-delivered by liposomes for CCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Yang
- Department of Biliary and Pancreatic Surgery/Cancer Research Center Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.,Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, Hubei, China
| | - Zhengdong Deng
- Department of Biliary and Pancreatic Surgery/Cancer Research Center Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Department of Biliary and Pancreatic Surgery/Cancer Research Center Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Xiangyu Li
- Department of Biliary and Pancreatic Surgery/Cancer Research Center Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Tan Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei, China
| | - Yawei Qian
- Department of General Surgery, Jiangsu Province Hospital and Nanjing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yun Lu
- Department of Biliary and Pancreatic Surgery/Cancer Research Center Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Li Tian
- Department of Biliary and Pancreatic Surgery/Cancer Research Center Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Wei Yao
- Department of Biliary and Pancreatic Surgery/Cancer Research Center Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China. .,Department of Oncology Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
| | - Jianming Wang
- Department of Biliary and Pancreatic Surgery/Cancer Research Center Affiliated Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China. .,Affiliated Tianyou Hospital, Wuhan University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, 430064, China.
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Cho MT, Gholami S, Gui D, Tejaswi SL, Fananapazir G, Abi-Jaoudeh N, Jutric Z, Samarasena JB, Li X, Valerin JB, Mercer J, Dayyani F. Optimizing the Diagnosis and Biomarker Testing for Patients with Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:392. [PMID: 35053557 PMCID: PMC8773504 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14020392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a heterogenous group of malignancies originating in the biliary tree, and associated with poor prognosis. Until recently, treatment options have been limited to surgical resection, liver-directed therapies, and chemotherapy. Identification of actionable genomic alterations with biomarker testing has revolutionized the treatment paradigm for these patients. However, several challenges exist to the seamless adoption of precision medicine in patients with CCA, relating to a lack of awareness of the importance of biomarker testing, hurdles in tissue acquisition, and ineffective collaboration among the multidisciplinary team (MDT). To identify gaps in standard practices and define best practices, multidisciplinary hepatobiliary teams from the University of California (UC) Davis and UC Irvine were convened; discussions of the meeting, including optimal approaches to tissue acquisition for diagnosis and biomarker testing, communication among academic and community healthcare teams, and physician education regarding biomarker testing, are summarized in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- May T. Cho
- University of California Irvine Health, Orange, CA 92868, USA; (N.A.-J.); (Z.J.); (J.B.S.); (X.L.); (J.B.V.); (F.D.)
| | - Sepideh Gholami
- University of California Davis Health, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; (S.G.); (D.G.)
| | - Dorina Gui
- University of California Davis Health, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; (S.G.); (D.G.)
| | | | | | - Nadine Abi-Jaoudeh
- University of California Irvine Health, Orange, CA 92868, USA; (N.A.-J.); (Z.J.); (J.B.S.); (X.L.); (J.B.V.); (F.D.)
| | - Zeljka Jutric
- University of California Irvine Health, Orange, CA 92868, USA; (N.A.-J.); (Z.J.); (J.B.S.); (X.L.); (J.B.V.); (F.D.)
| | - Jason B. Samarasena
- University of California Irvine Health, Orange, CA 92868, USA; (N.A.-J.); (Z.J.); (J.B.S.); (X.L.); (J.B.V.); (F.D.)
| | - Xiaodong Li
- University of California Irvine Health, Orange, CA 92868, USA; (N.A.-J.); (Z.J.); (J.B.S.); (X.L.); (J.B.V.); (F.D.)
| | - Jennifer B. Valerin
- University of California Irvine Health, Orange, CA 92868, USA; (N.A.-J.); (Z.J.); (J.B.S.); (X.L.); (J.B.V.); (F.D.)
| | - Jacob Mercer
- Helsinn Therapeutics (U.S.), Inc., Iselin, NJ 08830, USA;
| | - Farshid Dayyani
- University of California Irvine Health, Orange, CA 92868, USA; (N.A.-J.); (Z.J.); (J.B.S.); (X.L.); (J.B.V.); (F.D.)
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Matricellular proteins in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Adv Cancer Res 2022; 156:249-281. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2022.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Ravichandra A, Bhattacharjee S, Affò S. Cancer-associated fibroblasts in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma progression and therapeutic resistance. Adv Cancer Res 2022; 156:201-226. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2022.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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49
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Lin Y, Cai Q, Chen Y, Shi T, Liu W, Mao L, Deng B, Ying Z, Gao Y, Luo H, Yang X, Huang X, Shi Y, He R. CAFs shape myeloid-derived suppressor cells to promote stemness of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma through 5-lipoxygenase. Hepatology 2022; 75:28-42. [PMID: 34387870 DOI: 10.1002/hep.32099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS We previously demonstrated that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) promote tumor growth through recruitment of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) is highly expressed in myeloid cells and is critical for synthesizing leukotriene B4 (LTB4), which is involved in tumor progression by activating its receptor leukotriene B4 receptor type 2 (BLT2). In this study, we investigated whether and how CAFs regulate MDSC function to enhance cancer stemness, the driving force of the cancer aggressiveness and chemotherapy refractoriness, in highly desmoplastic intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). APPROACH AND RESULTS RNA-sequencing analysis revealed enriched metabolic pathways but decreased inflammatory pathways in cancer MDSCs compared with blood MDSCs from patients with ICC. Co-injection of ICC patient-derived CAFs promoted cancer stemness in an orthotopic ICC model, which was blunted by MDSC depletion. Conditioned media (CM) from CAF-educated MDSCs drastically promoted tumorsphere formation efficiency and stemness marker gene expression in ICC cells. CAF-CM stimulation increased expression and activity of 5-LO in MDSCs, while 5-LO inhibitor impaired the stemness-enhancing capacity of MDSCs in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, IL-6 and IL-33 primarily expressed by CAFs mediated hyperactivated 5-LO metabolism in MDSCs. We identified the LTB4-BLT2 axis as the critical downstream metabolite signaling of 5-LO in promoting cancer stemness, as treatment with LTB4 was elevated in CAF-educated MDSCs, or blockade of BLT2 (which was preferentially expressed in stem-like ICC cells) significantly reduced stemness-enhancing effects of CAF-educated MDSCs. Finally, BLT2 blockade augmented chemotherapeutic efficacy in ICC patient-derived xenograft models. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals a role for CAFs in orchestrating the optimal cancer stemness-enhancing microenvironment by educating MDSCs, and suggests the 5-LO/LTB4-BLT2 axis as promising therapeutic targets for ICC chemoresistance by targeting cancer stemness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuli Lin
- Department of Immunology and Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministries of Education and Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qian Cai
- Department of Immunology and Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministries of Education and Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Immunology and Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministries of Education and Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tiancong Shi
- Department of Immunology and Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministries of Education and Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weiren Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Mao
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Bo Deng
- Division of Nephrology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen Ying
- Department of Immunology and Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministries of Education and Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Department of Immunology and Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministries of Education and Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haoyang Luo
- Department of Immunology and Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministries of Education and Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuguang Yang
- Department of Oncology, Cancer Institute, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaowu Huang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Yinghong Shi
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui He
- Department of Immunology and Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministries of Education and Health, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Aoki T, Nishida N, Kudo M. Current Perspectives on the Immunosuppressive Niche and Role of Fibrosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and the Development of Antitumor Immunity. J Histochem Cytochem 2022; 70:53-81. [PMID: 34751050 PMCID: PMC8721576 DOI: 10.1369/00221554211056853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have become the mainstay of treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, they are ineffective in some cases. Previous studies have reported that genetic alterations in oncogenic pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin are the important triggers in HCC for primary refractoriness. T-cell exhaustion has been reported in various tumors and is likely to play a prominent role in the emergence of HCC due to chronic inflammation and cirrhosis-associated immune dysfunction. Immunosuppressive cells including regulatory T-cells and tumor-associated macrophages infiltrating the tumor are associated with hyperprogressive disease in the early stages of immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment. In addition, stellate cells and tumor-associated fibroblasts create an abundant desmoplastic environment by producing extracellular matrix. This strongly contributes to epithelial to mesenchymal transition via signaling activities including transforming growth factor beta, Wnt/β-catenin, and Hippo pathway. The abundant desmoplastic environment has been demonstrated in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma to suppress cytotoxic T-cell infiltration, PD-L1 expression, and neoantigen expression, resulting in a highly immunosuppressive niche. It is possible that a similar immunosuppressive environment is created in HCC with advanced fibrosis in the background liver. Although sufficient understanding is required for the establishment of immune therapies of HCC, further investigations are still required in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Aoki
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Kindai University, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Naoshi Nishida
- Naoshi Nishida, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Kindai University, 377-2 Ohno-higashi, Osaka-Sayama 589-8511, Japan. E-mail:
| | - Masatoshi Kudo
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Kindai University, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
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