1
|
Zhang K, Shi Y, Jin Z, He J. Advances in tumor vascular growth inhibition. Clin Transl Oncol 2024; 26:2084-2096. [PMID: 38504070 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-024-03432-5] [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: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Tumor growth and metastasis require neovascularization, which is dependent on a complex array of factors, such as the production of various pro-angiogenic factors by tumor cells, intercellular signaling, and stromal remodeling. The hypoxic, acidic tumor microenvironment is not only conducive to tumor cell proliferation, but also disrupts the equilibrium of angiogenic factors, leading to vascular heterogeneity, which further promotes tumor development and metastasis. Anti-angiogenic strategies to inhibit tumor angiogenesis has, therefore, become an important focus for anti-tumor therapy. The traditional approach involves the use of anti-angiogenic drugs to inhibit tumor neovascularization by targeting upstream and downstream angiogenesis-related pathways or pro-angiogenic factors, thereby inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis. This review explores the mechanisms involved in tumor angiogenesis and summarizes currently used anti-angiogenic drugs, including monoclonal antibody, and small-molecule inhibitors, as well as the progress and challenges associated with their use in anti-tumor therapy. It also outlines the opportunities and challenges of treating tumors using more advanced anti-angiogenic strategies, such as immunotherapy and nanomaterials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keyong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, National Center for International Research of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Targeting Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi, China
| | - Yuanyuan Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, National Center for International Research of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Targeting Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi, China
| | - Ze Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, National Center for International Research of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Targeting Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi, China
| | - Jian He
- State Key Laboratory of Targeting Oncology, National Center for International Research of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Bio-Targeting Theranostics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Targeting Tumor Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Vanli S, Kurtoglu F, Alan BS, Akcakavak G, Ozdemir O. Investigation of the effects of Theranekron and Sorafenib treatments on carcinogenesis, apoptosis and biochemical profile in hepatocellular carcinoma in rats. Toxicol Mech Methods 2024; 34:750-760. [PMID: 38577837 DOI: 10.1080/15376516.2024.2332909] [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: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effects of Tarantula cubensis alcohol extract (TCAE, Theranekron) and Sorafenib (S) treatments on carcinogenesis, apoptosis and biochemical profile of rats with experimentally induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the presented study, 58 male rats were divided into 7 groups; Negative Control (NC, n = 6), NC + TCAE (NCT, n = 6), NC + Sorafenib (NCS, n = 6), Positive Control (PC, n = 10), Positive Control + TCAE (PCT, n = 10), Positive Control + Sorafenib (PCS, n = 10), Positive Control + TCAE + Sorafenib (PCTS, n = 10). The active ingredients Diethylnitrosamine (DEN, 120 mg/kg, single dose) and Nitrosomorpholine (NMOR, 50 ppm, 21 weeks orally) were used to induce HCC in rats. At the end of the experiment, the animals were euthanized under appropriate conditions and samples were collected for biochemical and pathological investigations. In the PC group, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) levels were higher (p < 0.001) and urea levels were lower (p < 0.001) compared to all other groups. Treatment groups reorganized the relevant markers (ALT, AST, GGT, and urea). A significant increase was detected in Caspase-10, Caspase-3 and Granzyme-B (GrzB) (p < 0.001) in blood and Caspase-10 and GrzB (p < 0.05) in liver tissue in PCT, PCS and PCTS groups compared to the PC group. Histopathological examination revealed that the PC group showed cancer morphology, and the treatment groups caused a decrease in tumor incidence and size. Our current findings suggest that the mechanism of action of TCAE in HCC is through the NKs/CTLs-GrzB-Casp10-Casp3 signaling pathway and can be used in combination with chemotherapy drugs for the development of future drug designs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Serdar Vanli
- Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ilgin District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, Konya, Turkey
| | - Firuze Kurtoglu
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
| | - Beyza S Alan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
| | - Gokhan Akcakavak
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Yozgat Bozok University, Yozgat, Turkey
| | - Ozgur Ozdemir
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Shang Y, Liu T, Wang W. The potential of lenvatinib in breast cancer therapy. Med Oncol 2024; 41:233. [PMID: 39172293 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-024-02477-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Breast cancer, as a highly prevalent cancer among women, is one of the main causes of female mortality due to cancer. There is a need for more treatment options to improve the survival time of breast cancer patients. Metastasis to distant organs is a standard indicator of advanced breast cancer and a primary cause of breast cancer mortality, making the control of breast cancer metastasis crucial. Targeted therapy, with its advantages of precision, high effectiveness, and minimal side effects, has garnered significant attention as a hot research topic in breast cancer treatment. Among these therapies, anti-angiogenic therapy aim to inhibit tumor angiogenesis, control tumor growth, and reduce metastasis. Additionally, anti-angiogenic therapy can restructure the tumor vasculature, enhancing the effectiveness of other anti-cancer drugs. Lenvatinib, an orally available small molecule multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, exerts its anti-tumor effects mainly by inhibiting tumor angiogenesis and tumor cell proliferation. It has been approved for the treatment of thyroid cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Due to its multi-targeted nature, lenvatinib not only has direct anti-tumor effects but also possesses immunomodulatory activity, which can enhance the tumor immune response. This makes it a promising candidate for a broad range of cancers. Recent studies have explored the role of lenvatinib in breast cancer, including its various mechanisms of action and its use as a monotherapy or in combination to control breast cancer progression. This review will summarize the molecular mechanisms and research progress of lenvatinib in breast cancer treatment, discussing its potential applications and therapeutic prospects in managing breast cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuefeng Shang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Tumor Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China
- Department of Breast Surgery, Tumor Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Tong Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Tumor Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China
- Department of Breast Surgery, Tumor Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenjing Wang
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Yao Y, Zhang M, Liu D, Liu X, Li Q, Wang X. Changes in systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) predict the prognosis of patients with hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma treated with lenvatinib plus PD-1 inhibitors. Clin Transl Oncol 2024:10.1007/s12094-024-03596-0. [PMID: 39153177 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-024-03596-0] [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: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of changes in inflammatory markers in patients with Hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC) treated with first-line lenvatinib plus a programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor. METHODS This study retrospectively included 117 HBV-HCC patients treated with first-line lenvatinib in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor. Independent factors affecting progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were explored based on baseline indicators and inflammatory markers changes after one treatment cycle. RESULTS Multivariate analysis revealed that an alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level ⩾ 400 ng/mL [hazard ratio (HR), 1.69; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.11-2.58; P = 0.01] was identified as an independent risk factor, platelet-to-neutrophil ratio (PNR) ⩽ 65.43 (HR 0.50; 95% CI 0.30-0.84; P < 0.01 ) and SII ⩽ 539.47 (HR 0.54; 95% CI 0.30-0.96; P = 0.03) were identified as independent protective factors for PFS. Additionally, multivariate analysis demonstrated that AFP ⩾ 400 ng/mL, HBV-HCC patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), and SII > 303.66 were independent risk factors of OS. The patients whose SII had increased after one cycle of treatment showed a poorer PFS (HR 1.61; 95 %CI 1.10-2.37; P = 0.015) and OS (HR 1.76; 95 % CI 1.15-2.70; P = 0.009) than patients whose SII had decreased. The objective response rate (ORR) was higher in the SII-decreased patients (47.5% vs 32.5%, P = 0.11). Mann-Whitney test found a significant difference in therapeutic response between the SII-increased patients and the SII-decreased patients (P = 0.04). CONCLUSION SII can be associated with outcomes in patients with HBV-HCC treated with first-line lenvatinib plus PD-1 inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yao
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 8 Xi Tou Tiao, You An Men Wai, Feng Tai District, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Minyue Zhang
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 8 Xi Tou Tiao, You An Men Wai, Feng Tai District, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Di Liu
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 8 Xi Tou Tiao, You An Men Wai, Feng Tai District, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Xiaoni Liu
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 8 Xi Tou Tiao, You An Men Wai, Feng Tai District, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Quanwei Li
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 8 Xi Tou Tiao, You An Men Wai, Feng Tai District, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Xiaojun Wang
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 8 Xi Tou Tiao, You An Men Wai, Feng Tai District, Beijing, 100069, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Fan FM, Fleishman JS, Chen J, Chen ZS, Dong HH. New insights into the mechanism of resistance to lenvatinib and strategies for lenvatinib sensitization in hepatocellular carcinoma. Drug Discov Today 2024; 29:104069. [PMID: 38936692 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2024.104069] [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: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Lenvatinib is a multikinase inhibitor that suppresses vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR), platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα), as well as the proto-oncogenes RET and KIT. Lenvatinib has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the first-line treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) due to its superior efficacy when compared to sorafenib. Unfortunately, the development of drug resistance to lenvatinib is becoming increasingly common. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify the factors that lead to drug resistance and ways to mitigate it. We summarize the molecular mechanisms that lead to lenvatinib resistance (LR) in HCC, which involve programmed cell death (PCD), translocation processes, and changes in the tumor microenvironment (TME), and provide strategies to reverse resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fei-Mu Fan
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China; Clinical Medicine Research Center for Hepatic Surgery of Hubei Province, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Joshua S Fleishman
- College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Jin Chen
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China; Clinical Medicine Research Center for Hepatic Surgery of Hubei Province, Wuhan 430000, China.
| | - Zhe-Sheng Chen
- College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA.
| | - Han-Hua Dong
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, China; Clinical Medicine Research Center for Hepatic Surgery of Hubei Province, Wuhan 430000, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Qin Y, Han S, Yu Y, Qi D, Ran M, Yang M, Liu Y, Li Y, Lu L, Liu Y, Li Y. Lenvatinib in hepatocellular carcinoma: Resistance mechanisms and strategies for improved efficacy. Liver Int 2024; 44:1808-1831. [PMID: 38700443 DOI: 10.1111/liv.15953] [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: 01/07/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most prevalent and destructive causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, approximately 70% of patients with HCC exhibit advanced disease at diagnosis, limiting the potential for radical treatment. For such patients, lenvatinib, a long-awaited alternative to sorafenib for first-line targeted therapy, has become a key treatment. Unfortunately, despite some progress, the prognosis for advanced HCC remains poor because of drug resistance development. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying lenvatinib resistance and ways to relief drug resistance in HCC are largely unknown and lack of systematic summary; thus, this review not only aims to explore factors contributing to lenvatinib resistance in HCC, but more importantly, summary potential methods to conquer or mitigate the resistance. The results suggest that abnormal activation of pathways, drug transport, epigenetics, tumour microenvironment, cancer stem cells, regulated cell death, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and other mechanisms are involved in the development of lenvatinib resistance in HCC and subsequent HCC progression. To improve the therapeutic outcomes of lenvatinib, inhibiting acquired resistance, combined therapies, and nano-delivery carriers may be possible approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yongqing Qin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai Clinical Medical College of Jinan University (Zhuhai People's Hospital), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Shisong Han
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai Clinical Medical College of Jinan University (Zhuhai People's Hospital), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Yahan Yu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai Clinical Medical College of Jinan University (Zhuhai People's Hospital), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Ding Qi
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai Clinical Medical College of Jinan University (Zhuhai People's Hospital), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Mengnan Ran
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai Clinical Medical College of Jinan University (Zhuhai People's Hospital), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
- School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Mingqi Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai Clinical Medical College of Jinan University (Zhuhai People's Hospital), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Yanyan Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai Clinical Medical College of Jinan University (Zhuhai People's Hospital), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Yunyi Li
- Department of Nephrology, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ligong Lu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai Clinical Medical College of Jinan University (Zhuhai People's Hospital), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai Clinical Medical College of Jinan University (Zhuhai People's Hospital), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Yong Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment, Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai Clinical Medical College of Jinan University (Zhuhai People's Hospital), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Song F, Hu B, Liang X, Cheng J, Wang C, Wang P, Wang T, Tang P, Sun H, Guo W, Zhou J, Fan J, Chen Z, Yang X. Anlotinib potentiates anti-PD1 immunotherapy via transferrin receptor-dependent CD8 + T-cell infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Transl Med 2024; 14:e1738. [PMID: 39095323 PMCID: PMC11296886 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1738] [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: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The therapeutic potential of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) extends across various cancers; however, its effectiveness in treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is frequently curtailed by both inherent and developed resistance. OBJECTIVE This research explored the effectiveness of integrating anlotinib (a broad-spectrum tyrosine kinase inhibitor) with programmed death-1 (PD-1) blockade and offers mechanistic insights into more effective strategies for treating HCC. METHODS Using patient-derived organotypic tissue spheroids and orthotopic HCC mouse models, we assessed the effectiveness of anlotinib combined with PD-1 blockade. The impact on the tumour immune microenvironment and underlying mechanisms were assessed using time-of-flight mass cytometry, RNA sequencing, and proteomics across cell lines, mouse models, and HCC patient samples. RESULTS The combination of anlotinib with an anti-PD-1 antibody enhanced the immune response against HCC in preclinical models. Anlotinib remarkably suppressed the expression of transferrin receptor (TFRC) via the VEGFR2/AKT/HIF-1α signaling axis. CD8+ T-cell infiltration into the tumour microenvironment correlated with low expression of TFRC. Anlotinib additionally increased the levels of the chemokine CXCL14, crucial for attracting CD8+ T cells. CXCL14 emerged as a downstream effector of TFRC, exhibiting elevated expression following the silencing of TFRC. Importantly, low TFRC expression was also associated with a better prognosis, enhanced sensitivity to combination therapy, and a favourable response to anti-PD-1 therapy in patients with HCC. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight anlotinib's potential to augment the efficacy of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in HCC by targeting TFRC and enhancing CXCL14-mediated CD8+ T-cell infiltration. This study contributes to developing novel therapeutic strategies for HCC, emphasizing the role of precision medicine in oncology. HIGHLIGHTS Synergistic effects of anlotinib and anti-PD-1 immunotherapy demonstrated in HCC preclinical models. Anlotinib inhibits TFRC expression via the VEGFR2/AKT/HIF-1α pathway. CXCL14 upregulation via TFRC suppression boosts CD8+ T-cell recruitment. TFRC emerges as a potential biomarker for evaluating prognosis and predicting response to anti-PD-1-based therapies in advanced HCC patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fei Song
- Department of Liver Surgery & TransplantationLiver Cancer InstituteZhongshan HospitalFudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of EducationShanghaiP. R. China
- Department of Hepatobiliary SurgeryAffiliated Hospital of Nantong UniversityNantongP. R. China
| | - Bo Hu
- Department of Liver Surgery & TransplantationLiver Cancer InstituteZhongshan HospitalFudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of EducationShanghaiP. R. China
| | - Xiao‐Liang Liang
- Department of Hepatobiliary SurgeryAffiliated Hospital of Nantong UniversityNantongP. R. China
| | - Jian‐Wen Cheng
- Department of Liver Surgery & TransplantationLiver Cancer InstituteZhongshan HospitalFudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of EducationShanghaiP. R. China
| | - Cheng‐Gui Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary SurgeryAffiliated Hospital of Nantong UniversityNantongP. R. China
| | - Peng‐Xiang Wang
- Department of Liver Surgery & TransplantationLiver Cancer InstituteZhongshan HospitalFudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of EducationShanghaiP. R. China
| | - Tian‐Lun Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary SurgeryAffiliated Hospital of Nantong UniversityNantongP. R. China
| | - Peng‐Ju Tang
- Department of Hepatobiliary SurgeryAffiliated Hospital of Nantong UniversityNantongP. R. China
| | - Hai‐Xiang Sun
- Department of Liver Surgery & TransplantationLiver Cancer InstituteZhongshan HospitalFudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of EducationShanghaiP. R. China
| | - Wei Guo
- Department of Laboratory MedicineZhongshan HospitalFudan UniversityShanghaiP. R. China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery & TransplantationLiver Cancer InstituteZhongshan HospitalFudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of EducationShanghaiP. R. China
- Institutes of Biomedical SciencesFudan UniversityShanghaiP. R. China
| | - Jia Fan
- Department of Liver Surgery & TransplantationLiver Cancer InstituteZhongshan HospitalFudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of EducationShanghaiP. R. China
- Institutes of Biomedical SciencesFudan UniversityShanghaiP. R. China
| | - Zhong Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary SurgeryAffiliated Hospital of Nantong UniversityNantongP. R. China
| | - Xin‐Rong Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery & TransplantationLiver Cancer InstituteZhongshan HospitalFudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of EducationShanghaiP. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Kim JH, Kim YH, Nam HC, Kim CW, Yoo JS, Han JW, Jang JW, Choi JY, Yoon SK, Chun HJ, Oh JS, Kim S, Lee SH, Sung PS. Consistent efficacy of hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy irrespective of PD‑L1 positivity in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncol Lett 2024; 28:388. [PMID: 38966587 PMCID: PMC11223005 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2024.14521] [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: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Atezolizumab/bevacizumab is the first line of treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), combining immune checkpoint inhibitor and anti-VEGF monoclonal antibodies. Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) is administered when the above-described combination fails to confer sufficient clinical benefit. The present study aimed to explore the association between tumor programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) positivity and HAIC response. A total of 40 patients with HCC who had undergone HAIC with available biopsy samples obtained between January 2020 and May 2023 were retrospectively enrolled. Tumor response, progression-free survival (PFS), disease control rate (DCR) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. PD-L1 expression in tumor samples was assessed using a combined positivity score. The response rates of HAIC-treated patients with advanced HCC after failure of atezolizumab/bevacizumab combination therapy were recorded. OS (P=0.9717) and PFS (P=0.4194) did not differ between patients with and without PD-L1 positivity. The objective response rate (P=0.7830) and DCR (P=0.7020) also did not differ based on PD-L1 status. In conclusion, the current findings highlight the consistent efficacy of HAIC, regardless of PD-L1 positivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ji Hoon Kim
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi 11765, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Hoon Kim
- Department of Pathology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee-Chul Nam
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi 11765, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Wook Kim
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi 11765, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Sung Yoo
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Won Han
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Won Jang
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Young Choi
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Kew Yoon
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho Jong Chun
- Department of Radiology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Suk Oh
- Department of Radiology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Suho Kim
- Department of Radiology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Hak Lee
- Department of Pathology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| | - Pil Soo Sung
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Chen S, Shuangyan T, Shi F, Cai H, Wu Z, Wang L, Ma P, Zhou Y, Mai Q, Wang F, Lai J, Chen X, Chen H, Guo W. TACE plus lenvatinib and tislelizumab for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma beyond up-to-11 criteria: a multicenter cohort study. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1430571. [PMID: 39131156 PMCID: PMC11310062 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1430571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Intermediate-stage (BCLC-B) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) beyond the up-to-11 criteria represent a significant therapeutic challenge due to high and heterogeneous tumor burden. This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in combination with lenvatinib and tislelizumab for these patients. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, patients with unresectable intermediate-stage HCC beyond the up-to-11 criteria were enrolled and divided into TACE monotherapy (T), TACE combined with lenvatinib (TL), or TACE plus lenvatinib and tislelizumab (TLT) group based on the first-line treatment, respectively. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). The secondary outcomes included progression-free survival (PFS), tumor response according to RESIST1.1 and modified RECIST, and adverse events (AEs). Results There were 38, 45, and 66 patients in the T, TL, and TLT groups, respectively. The TLT group exhibited significantly higher ORR and DCR than the other two groups, as assessed by either mRECIST or RECIST 1.1 (all P<0.05). Median PFS and OS were significantly longer in the TLT group compared with the T group (PFS: 8.5 vs. 4.4 months; OS: 31.5 vs. 18.5 months; all P<0.001) and TL group (PFS: 8.5 vs. 5.5 months; OS: 31.5 vs. 20.5 months; all P<0.05). The incidence of TRAEs was slightly higher in the TLT and TL groups than in the T group, while all the toxicities were tolerable. No treatment-related death occurred in all groups. Conclusions TACE combined with lenvatinib and tislelizumab significantly improved the survival benefit compared with TACE monotherapy and TACE plus lenvatinib in patients with intermediate-stage HCC beyond the up-to-11 criteria, with an acceptable safety profile.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Humans
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/therapy
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/mortality
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/drug therapy
- Liver Neoplasms/therapy
- Liver Neoplasms/mortality
- Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy
- Quinolines/therapeutic use
- Quinolines/administration & dosage
- Quinolines/adverse effects
- Male
- Female
- Middle Aged
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/therapeutic use
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/administration & dosage
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/adverse effects
- Chemoembolization, Therapeutic/methods
- Phenylurea Compounds/therapeutic use
- Phenylurea Compounds/administration & dosage
- Phenylurea Compounds/adverse effects
- Retrospective Studies
- Aged
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/adverse effects
- Adult
- Neoplasm Staging
- Treatment Outcome
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Song Chen
- Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Therapy, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tang Shuangyan
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feng Shi
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongjie Cai
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiqiang Wu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liguang Wang
- Department of Hepatopancreatic Surgery, The First People’s Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, China
| | - Ping Ma
- Department of Oncology, The Twelfth People’s Hospital of Guangzhou, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuanmin Zhou
- Center of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qicong Mai
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiaming Lai
- Center of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoming Chen
- Department of Interventional Radiology, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huanwei Chen
- Department of Hepatopancreatic Surgery, The First People’s Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, China
| | - Wenbo Guo
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Wang Y, Lau W, Li Y, Tian Y, Lei Y, Xia F, Wang J. Efficacy comparison of immune combination therapies in subgroups for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients: Systematic review and network meta-analysis. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0306869. [PMID: 39038010 PMCID: PMC11262675 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a lack of precision in the immunotherapy strategy tailored for patients exhibiting diverse clinical characteristics. This study aims to employ a rigorous network meta-analysis (NMA) approach to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of immune-combination therapies among patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, taking into account their varying clinico-characteristics. METHODS Studies were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases. The included first-line phase III studies were categorized into three types: immunotherapy combined with anti-angiogenetic agents, immunotherapy combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and dual immunotherapy, with sorafenib serving as the control group. The primary endpoint used to assess efficacy was overall survival (OS), facilitating a comparative analysis among the three treatment modalities. Furthermore, subgroup analyses were conducted to evaluate the varying effectiveness for patients with diverse clinico-characteristics. Secondary outcome measures included progression-free survival, objective response rate, and toxicity assessment. RESULTS A total of 6 studies were included in the NMA, encompassing a cohort of 3840 patients. The results revealed that immunotherapy combined with anti-angiogenetic agents exhibited a significantly enhanced therapeutic effect in terms of improving OS compared to sorafenib (HR = 0.61, 95% CrI, 0.42-0.90). Furthermore, based on various clinicopathological features, this combination therapy demonstrated superior OS responses in specific patient subgroups: BCLC C (HR = 0.63, 95% CrI, 0.42-0.93), ECOG 1 (HR = 0.57, 95% CrI, 0.36-0.91), with extrahepatic spread (EHS) (HR = 0.59, 95% CrI, 0.37-0.92), alpha fetoprotein (AFP)<400ng/ml (HR = 0.56, 95% CrI, 0.33-0.94) and viral hepatitis positivity (HR = 0.56, 95% CrI, 0.39-0.77) (especially HBV (HR = 0.58, 95% CrI, 0.40-0.85)). Importantly, the advantage of this combination therapy was even more pronounced in patients with viral hepatitis positivity. Also, the adverse events associated with immunotherapy combined with antiangiogenic drugs were moderate. CONCLUSIONS Immunotherapy combined with anti-angiogenetic agents could represent the most effective first-line intervention for achieving improved OS, particularly in patients with viral hepatitis positivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yani Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wanyee Lau
- Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Yafei Li
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Preventive Medicine, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Yichen Tian
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yongrong Lei
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Feng Xia
- Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Southwest Hospital, the First Hospital Affiliated to AMU (Southwest Hospital), Chongqing, China
| | - Jianhua Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Jiang Z, Fang Z, Hong D, Wang X. Cancer Immunotherapy with "Vascular-Immune" Crosstalk as Entry Point: Associated Mechanisms, Therapeutic Drugs and Nano-Delivery Systems. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:7383-7398. [PMID: 39050878 PMCID: PMC11268745 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s467222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor vessels characterized by abnormal functions and structures hinder the infiltration and immune antigen presentation of immune cells by inducing the formation of an immunosuppressive microenvironment ("cold" environment). Vascular-targeted therapy has been proven to enhance immune stimulation and the effectiveness of immunotherapy by modulating the "cold" microenvironment, such as hypoxia and an acidic microenvironment. Notably, a therapeutic strategy based on "vascular-immune" crosstalk can achieve dual regulation of tumor vessels and the immune system by reprogramming the tumor microenvironment (TME), thus forming a positive feedback loop between tumor vessels and the immune microenvironment. From this perspective, we discuss the factors of tumor angiogenesis and "cold" TME formation. Building on this foundation, some vascular-targeted therapeutic drugs will be elaborated upon in detail to achieve dual regulation of tumor vessels and immunity. More importantly, we focus on cutting-edge nanotechnology in view of "vascular-immune" crosstalk and discuss the rational fabrication of tailor-made nanosystems for efficiently enhancing immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhijie Jiang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhujun Fang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dongsheng Hong
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaojuan Wang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310000, People’s Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Li Z, Yu X, Yuan Z, Li L, Yin P. New horizons in the mechanisms and therapeutic strategies for PD-L1 protein degradation in cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189152. [PMID: 38992509 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189152] [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: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) has become a crucial focus in cancer immunotherapy considering it is found in many different cells. Cancer cells enhance the suppressive impact of programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) through elevating PD-L1 expression, which allows them to escape immune detection. Although there have been significant improvements, the effectiveness of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment is still limited to a specific group of patients. An important advancement in cancer immunotherapy involves improving the PD-L1 protein degradation. This review thoroughly examined the processes by which PD-L1 breaks down, including the intracellular pathways of ubiquitination-proteasome and autophagy-lysosome. In addition, the analysis revealed changes that affect PD-L1 stability, such as phosphorylation and glycosylation. The significant consequences of these procedures on cancer immunotherapy and their potential role in innovative therapeutic approaches are emphasised. Our future efforts will focus on understanding new ways in which PD-L1 degradation is controlled and developing innovative treatments, such as proteolysis-targeting chimeras designed specifically to degrade PD-L1. It is crucial to have a thorough comprehension of these pathways in order to improve cancer immunotherapy strategies and hopefully improve therapeutic effectiveness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Li
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China; Department of General surgery, Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Umbilical Cord Blood Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, China
| | - Xi Yu
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Zeting Yuan
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China.
| | - Lei Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China.
| | - Peihao Yin
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Rousset P, Nardin C, Maubec E, Heidelberger V, Picard A, Troin L, Gerard E, Kramkimel N, Steff-Naud M, Quéreux G, Gaudy-Marqueste C, Lesage C, Mignard C, Jeudy G, Jouary T, Saint-Jean M, Baroudjian B, Archier E, Mortier L, Lebbe C, Montaudié H. Real-world outcomes of combined lenvatinib and anti-PD-1 in advanced melanoma: the Lenvamel study, a multicenter retrospective study of the French Group of Skin Cancers (Groupe de Cancérologie Cutanée). Oncologist 2024:oyae145. [PMID: 38956747 DOI: 10.1093/oncolo/oyae145] [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: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Currently, treatment options for patients with advanced melanoma who experience failed immunotherapy or targeted therapy are lacking. Recent studies suggest the antitumor activity of combined pembrolizumab and lenvatinib in patients with advanced melanoma progressing on immunotherapy. Herein, we report the clinical outcomes of combined lenvatinib and a programmed cell death protein-1 inhibitor (PD-1) in this population. MATERIALS AND METHODS This French multicenter real-world study was conducted between September 2020 and July 2023. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR) according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (version 1.1). Secondary variables were treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and duration of response (DOR). RESULTS Of the 67 patients included (median age, 69 years; median follow-up, 5.0 months), 85% had stage IV-M1c or M1d disease. The overall ORR was 28.4% (95% CI, 18%-41%), including 3 complete (4.5%) and 16 partial (23.9%) responses. Median DOR was 3.1 (interquartile range, 1.3-4.3) months. Median PFS and OS were 3.1 (95% CI, 2.5-3.7) and 9.8 (95% CI, 5.6-13.9) months, respectively. Grades 3-5 TRAEs occurred in 16 (24%) patients; common TRAEs were fatigue (43.3%), nausea/vomiting (26.8%), diarrhea (20.9%), and hypertension (20.9%). No treatment-related deaths occurred. CONCLUSION Our real-world study demonstrates an interesting response rate and acceptable safety profile in a population with poor prognostic factors. Our data support this treatment option for refractory melanoma, as it is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration or European Medicines Agency, and highlight the need for new strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Perrine Rousset
- Dermatology Department, University Hospital of Nice, Nice, France
| | - Charlée Nardin
- Dermatology Department, University Hospital of Besançon, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Eve Maubec
- AP-HP, Dermatology Department, Avicenne Hospital, Bobigny, France
| | | | - Alexandra Picard
- Dermatology Department, University Hospital of Nice, Nice, France
| | - Laura Troin
- Dermatology Department, University Hospital of Nice, Nice, France
| | - Emilie Gerard
- Dermatology Department, University Hospital of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Nora Kramkimel
- AP-HP, Dermatology Department, Cochin Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Maud Steff-Naud
- Dermatology Department, CHI Aulnay-Sous-Bois, Aulnay-Sous-Bois, France
| | - Gaëlle Quéreux
- Dermatology Department, University Hospital of Nantes, Nantes, France
| | | | - Candice Lesage
- Dermatology Department, University Hospital of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Claire Mignard
- Dermatology Department, University Hospital of Rouen, Rouen, France
| | - Géraldine Jeudy
- Dermatology Department, University Hospital of Dijon, Dijon, France
| | - Thomas Jouary
- Dermatology Department, University Hospital of Pau, Pau, France
| | - Mélanie Saint-Jean
- Oncology Department, Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest, Saint-Herblain, France
| | - Barouyr Baroudjian
- AP-HP, Oncodermatology Department, Saint-Louis Hospital, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Elodie Archier
- AP-HM, Dermatology Department, Hôpital Saint-Joseph, Marseille, France
| | | | - Céleste Lebbe
- AP-HP, Oncodermatology Department, Saint-Louis Hospital, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Henri Montaudié
- Dermatology Department, University Hospital of Nice, Nice, France
- INSERM U1065, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Chen J, Feng W, Sun M, Huang W, Wang G, Chen X, Yin Y, Chen X, Zhang B, Nie Y, Fan D, Wu K, Xia L. TGF-β1-Induced SOX18 Elevation Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression and Metastasis Through Transcriptionally Upregulating PD-L1 and CXCL12. Gastroenterology 2024; 167:264-280. [PMID: 38417530 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2024.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by an immune-suppressive microenvironment, which contributes to tumor progression, metastasis, and immunotherapy resistance. Identification of HCC-intrinsic factors regulating the immunosuppressive microenvironment is urgently needed. Here, we aimed to elucidate the role of SYR-Related High-Mobility Group Box 18 (SOX18) in inducing immunosuppression and to validate novel combination strategies for SOX18-mediated HCC progression and metastasis. METHODS The role of SOX18 in HCC was investigated in orthotopic allografts and diethylinitrosamine/carbon tetrachloride-induced spontaneous models by using murine cell lines, adeno-associated virus 8, and hepatocyte-specific knockin and knockout mice. The immune cellular composition in the HCC microenvironment was evaluated by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence. RESULTS SOX18 overexpression promoted the infiltration of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs) while diminishing cytotoxic T cells to facilitate HCC progression and metastasis in cell-derived allografts and chemically induced HCC models. Mechanistically, transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) upregulated SOX18 expression by activating the Smad2/3 complex. SOX18 transactivated chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) to induce the immunosuppressive microenvironment. CXCL12 knockdown significantly attenuated SOX18-induced TAMs and Tregs accumulation and HCC dissemination. Antagonism of chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), the cognate receptor of CXCL12, or selective knockout of CXCR4 in TAMs or Tregs likewise abolished SOX18-mediated effects. TGFβR1 inhibitor Vactosertib or CXCR4 inhibitor AMD3100 in combination with anti-PD-L1 dramatically inhibited SOX18-mediated HCC progression and metastasis. CONCLUSIONS SOX18 promoted the accumulation of immunosuppressive TAMs and Tregs in the microenvironment by transactivating CXCL12 and PD-L1. CXCR4 inhibitor or TGFβR1 inhibitor in synergy with anti-PD-L1 represented a promising combination strategy to suppress HCC progression and metastasis.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Animals
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/immunology
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism
- Liver Neoplasms/pathology
- Liver Neoplasms/immunology
- Liver Neoplasms/genetics
- Liver Neoplasms/metabolism
- SOXF Transcription Factors/metabolism
- SOXF Transcription Factors/genetics
- B7-H1 Antigen/metabolism
- B7-H1 Antigen/genetics
- Tumor Microenvironment/immunology
- Humans
- Receptors, CXCR4/metabolism
- Receptors, CXCR4/genetics
- Transforming Growth Factor beta1/metabolism
- Mice
- Disease Progression
- Chemokine CXCL12/metabolism
- Chemokine CXCL12/genetics
- Up-Regulation
- Cyclams/pharmacology
- Benzylamines/pharmacology
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/metabolism
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Tumor-Associated Macrophages/metabolism
- Tumor-Associated Macrophages/immunology
- Mice, Knockout
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Signal Transduction
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Diethylnitrosamine/toxicity
- Male
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China; State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Weibo Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Mengyu Sun
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Wenjie Huang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Clinical Medicine Research Center for Hepatic Surgery of Hubei Province; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Guodong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Xilang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Yue Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Xiaoping Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Clinical Medicine Research Center for Hepatic Surgery of Hubei Province; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Bixiang Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology; Clinical Medicine Research Center for Hepatic Surgery of Hubei Province; Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yongzhan Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Daiming Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Kaichun Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Limin Xia
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China; State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Li Q, Guo W, Qian Y, Li S, Li L, Zhu Z, Wang F, Tong Y, Xia Q, Liu Y. Protein O-fucosyltransferase 1 promotes PD-L1 stability to drive immune evasion and directs liver cancer to immunotherapy. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008917. [PMID: 38908854 PMCID: PMC11328658 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2024-008917] [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] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an essential role in cancer progression and immunotherapy response. Despite the considerable advancements in cancer immunotherapy, the limited response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major challenge for its clinical implications. Here, we investigated the molecular basis of the protein O-fucosyltransferase 1 (POFUT1) that drives HCC immune evasion and explored a potential therapeutic strategy for enhancing ICB efficacy. METHODS De novo MYC/Trp53-/- liver tumor and the xenograft tumor models were used to evaluate the function of POFUT1 in immune evasion. Biochemical assays were performed to elucidate the underlying mechanism of POFUT1-mediated immune evasion. RESULTS We identified POFUT1 as a crucial promoter of immune evasion in liver cancer. Notably, POFUT1 promoted HCC progression and inhibited T-cell infiltration in the xenograft tumor and de novo MYC/Trp53-/- mouse liver tumor models. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that POFUT1 stabilized programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) protein by preventing tripartite motif containing 21-mediated PD-L1 ubiquitination and degradation independently of its protein-O-fucosyltransferase activity. In addition, we further demonstrated that PD-L1 was required for the tumor-promoting and immune evasion effects of POFUT1 in HCC. Importantly, inhibition of POFUT1 could synergize with anti-programmed death receptor 1 therapy by remodeling TME in the xenograft tumor mouse model. Clinically, POFUT1 high expression displayed a lower response rate and worse clinical outcome to ICB therapies. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate that POFUT1 functions as a novel regulator of tumor immune evasion and inhibition of POFUT1 may be a potential therapeutic strategy to enhance the efficacy of immune therapy in HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qianyu Li
- Department of Liver Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Renji-Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenyun Guo
- Department of Liver Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Renji-Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yifei Qian
- Department of Liver Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Renji-Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Songling Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering & Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Linfeng Li
- Renji-Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zijun Zhu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Renji-Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Fan Wang
- Renji-Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Tong
- Renji-Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Xia
- Department of Liver Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Transplantation and Immunology, Shanghai Institute of Transplantation, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanfeng Liu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Transplantation and Immunology, Shanghai Institute of Transplantation, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Hamamoto S, Tasaki Y, Morikawa T, Naiki T, Etani T, Taguchi K, Iwatsuki S, Unno R, Takeda T, Nagai T, Kawase K, Mimura Y, Sugiyama Y, Okada A, Furukawa-Hibi Y, Yasui T. Efficacy and Safety of Immuno-Oncology Plus Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors as Late-Line Combination Therapy for Patients with Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma. J Clin Med 2024; 13:3365. [PMID: 38929893 PMCID: PMC11204304 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13123365] [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: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Immuno-oncology plus tyrosine kinase inhibitor (IO+TKI) combination therapy is an essential first-line therapy for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, reports of its efficacy and safety as late-line therapy are lacking. This study aimed to examine the efficacy and safety of IO+TKI combination therapy as a late-line therapy for patients with RCC. Methods: We retrospectively examined 17 patients with RCC who received IO+TKI combination therapy as a second-line therapy or beyond (pembrolizumab plus axitinib, n = 10; avelumab plus axitinib, n = 5; nivolumab plus cabozantinib, n = 2). Results: The overall response and disease control rates of IO+TKI combination therapy were 29.4% and 64.7%, respectively. The median overall survival was not attained. Progression-free survival was 552 days, and 94.1% of patients (n = 16) experienced adverse effects (AEs) of any grade; moreover, 41.2% of patients (n = 7) experienced grade ≥ 3 immuno-related AEs. Conclusions: IO+TKI combination therapy may be a late-line therapy option for RCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuzo Hamamoto
- Department of Nephro-Urology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (T.M.); (T.N.); (T.E.); (K.T.); (S.I.); (R.U.); (T.T.); (T.N.); (K.K.); (A.O.); (T.Y.)
| | - Yoshihiko Tasaki
- Department of Clinical Pharmaceutics, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (Y.T.); (Y.M.); (Y.S.); (Y.F.-H.)
| | - Toshiharu Morikawa
- Department of Nephro-Urology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (T.M.); (T.N.); (T.E.); (K.T.); (S.I.); (R.U.); (T.T.); (T.N.); (K.K.); (A.O.); (T.Y.)
| | - Taku Naiki
- Department of Nephro-Urology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (T.M.); (T.N.); (T.E.); (K.T.); (S.I.); (R.U.); (T.T.); (T.N.); (K.K.); (A.O.); (T.Y.)
| | - Toshiki Etani
- Department of Nephro-Urology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (T.M.); (T.N.); (T.E.); (K.T.); (S.I.); (R.U.); (T.T.); (T.N.); (K.K.); (A.O.); (T.Y.)
| | - Kazumi Taguchi
- Department of Nephro-Urology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (T.M.); (T.N.); (T.E.); (K.T.); (S.I.); (R.U.); (T.T.); (T.N.); (K.K.); (A.O.); (T.Y.)
| | - Shoichiro Iwatsuki
- Department of Nephro-Urology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (T.M.); (T.N.); (T.E.); (K.T.); (S.I.); (R.U.); (T.T.); (T.N.); (K.K.); (A.O.); (T.Y.)
| | - Rei Unno
- Department of Nephro-Urology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (T.M.); (T.N.); (T.E.); (K.T.); (S.I.); (R.U.); (T.T.); (T.N.); (K.K.); (A.O.); (T.Y.)
| | - Tomoki Takeda
- Department of Nephro-Urology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (T.M.); (T.N.); (T.E.); (K.T.); (S.I.); (R.U.); (T.T.); (T.N.); (K.K.); (A.O.); (T.Y.)
| | - Takashi Nagai
- Department of Nephro-Urology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (T.M.); (T.N.); (T.E.); (K.T.); (S.I.); (R.U.); (T.T.); (T.N.); (K.K.); (A.O.); (T.Y.)
| | - Kengo Kawase
- Department of Nephro-Urology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (T.M.); (T.N.); (T.E.); (K.T.); (S.I.); (R.U.); (T.T.); (T.N.); (K.K.); (A.O.); (T.Y.)
| | - Yoshihisa Mimura
- Department of Clinical Pharmaceutics, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (Y.T.); (Y.M.); (Y.S.); (Y.F.-H.)
| | - Yosuke Sugiyama
- Department of Clinical Pharmaceutics, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (Y.T.); (Y.M.); (Y.S.); (Y.F.-H.)
| | - Atsushi Okada
- Department of Nephro-Urology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (T.M.); (T.N.); (T.E.); (K.T.); (S.I.); (R.U.); (T.T.); (T.N.); (K.K.); (A.O.); (T.Y.)
| | - Yoko Furukawa-Hibi
- Department of Clinical Pharmaceutics, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (Y.T.); (Y.M.); (Y.S.); (Y.F.-H.)
| | - Takahiro Yasui
- Department of Nephro-Urology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan; (T.M.); (T.N.); (T.E.); (K.T.); (S.I.); (R.U.); (T.T.); (T.N.); (K.K.); (A.O.); (T.Y.)
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Luo J, Ng W, Liu Y, Wang L, Gong C, Zhou Y, Fang C, Zhu S, Yao C. Rocaglamide promotes infiltration and differentiation of T cells and coordinates with PD-1 inhibitor to overcome checkpoint resistance in multiple tumor models. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2024; 73:137. [PMID: 38833034 PMCID: PMC11150362 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03706-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) deficiency is the most conspicuous obstacle to limit the cancer immunotherapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as anti-PD-1 antibody, have achieved great success in clinical practice. However, due to the limitation of response rates of ICIs, some patients fail to benefit from monotherapy. Thus, novel combination therapy that could improve the response rates emerges as new strategies for cancer treatment. Here, we reported that the natural product rocaglamide (RocA) increased tumor-infiltrating T cells and promoted Th17 differentiation of CD4+ TILs. Despite RocA monotherapy upregulated PD-1 expression of TILs, which was considered as the consequence of T cell activation, combining RocA with anti-PD-1 antibody significantly downregulated the expression of PD-1 and promoted proliferation of TILs. Taken together, these findings demonstrated that RocA could fuel the T cell anti-tumor immunity and revealed the remarkable potential of RocA as a therapeutic candidate when combining with the ICIs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiaojiao Luo
- Department of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, School of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Wanyi Ng
- Department of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, School of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yangli Liu
- Department of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, School of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Lixin Wang
- Department of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, School of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Chenyuan Gong
- Department of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, School of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yufu Zhou
- Department of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, School of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Cheng Fang
- Department of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, School of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Shiguo Zhu
- Department of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, School of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Chao Yao
- Department of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, School of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Zhang P, Yue L, Leng Q, Chang C, Gan C, Ye T, Cao D. Targeting FGFR for cancer therapy. J Hematol Oncol 2024; 17:39. [PMID: 38831455 PMCID: PMC11149307 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-024-01558-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The FGFR signaling pathway is integral to cellular activities, including proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Dysregulation of this pathway is implicated in numerous human cancers, positioning FGFR as a prominent therapeutic target. Here, we conduct a comprehensive review of the function, signaling pathways and abnormal alterations of FGFR, as well as its role in tumorigenesis and development. Additionally, we provide an in-depth analysis of pivotal phase 2 and 3 clinical trials evaluating the performance and safety of FGFR inhibitors in oncology, thereby shedding light on the current state of clinical research in this field. Then, we highlight four drugs that have been approved for marketing by the FDA, offering insights into their molecular mechanisms and clinical achievements. Our discussion encompasses the intricate landscape of FGFR-driven tumorigenesis, current techniques for pinpointing FGFR anomalies, and clinical experiences with FGFR inhibitor regimens. Furthermore, we discuss the inherent challenges of targeting the FGFR pathway, encompassing resistance mechanisms such as activation by gatekeeper mutations, alternative pathways, and potential adverse reactions. By synthesizing the current evidence, we underscore the potential of FGFR-centric therapies to enhance patient prognosis, while emphasizing the imperative need for continued research to surmount resistance and optimize treatment modalities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pei Zhang
- Division of Abdominal Tumor Multimodality Treatment, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Lin Yue
- Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Liver Disease, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - QingQing Leng
- Division of Abdominal Tumor Multimodality Treatment, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Chen Chang
- Division of Abdominal Tumor Multimodality Treatment, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Cailing Gan
- Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Liver Disease, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Tinghong Ye
- Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Cancer and Liver Disease, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Dan Cao
- Division of Abdominal Tumor Multimodality Treatment, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Zhong J, Hua Y, Zou S, Wang B. Juglone triggers apoptosis of non-small cell lung cancer through the reactive oxygen species -mediated PI3K/Akt pathway. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299921. [PMID: 38814975 PMCID: PMC11139338 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, and oxidative stress plays a crucial role in its development. Juglone, a naturally occurring naphthoquinone in J. mandshurica, exhibits significant cytotoxic activity against various cancer cell lines. However, whether the anticancer activity of juglone is associated with oxidative stress remains unexplored. In this study, mouse Lewis lung cancer (LLC) and human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells were used to explore the anticancer mechanisms of juglone. Juglone inhibited LLC and A549 cells viability, with IC50 values of 10.78 μM and 9.47 μM, respectively, for 24 h, and substantially suppressed the migration and invasion of these two lung cancer cells. Additionally, juglone arrested the cell cycle, induced apoptosis, increased the cleavage of caspase 3 and the protein expression of Bax and Cyt c, and decreased the protein expression of Bcl-2 and caspase-3. Furthermore, juglone treatment considerably increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, but suppressed glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. It also inhibited the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway, which was attenuated by 1,3-diCQA (an activator of PI3K/Akt). Moreover, N-acetylcysteine (a ROS scavenger) partially reversed the positive effects of juglone in terms of migration, invasion, ROS production, apoptosis, and PI3K/Akt pathway-associated protein expression. Finally, in tumor-bearing nude mouse models, juglone inhibited tumor growth without any apparent toxicity and significantly induced apoptosis in NSCLC cells. Collectively, our findings suggest that juglone triggers apoptosis via the ROS-mediated PI3K/Akt pathway. Therefore, juglone may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of NSCLC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhong
- Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Yongzhi Hua
- Digestive Department, Nanjing Lishui District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Shuting Zou
- Digestive Department, Nanjing Lishui District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Bo Wang
- Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Jiang M, Li L, Liu H, Xie H. Multidisciplinary treatment of esophageal cancer with hepatocellular carcinoma: A case report. SAGE Open Med Case Rep 2024; 12:2050313X241252743. [PMID: 38803361 PMCID: PMC11129564 DOI: 10.1177/2050313x241252743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer remains a major cause of death globally. Esophageal cancer is one of the most aggressive malignancies and has limited treatment options, thus resulting in high morbidity and mortality. We reported the case of a 65-year-old patient who came to the hospital for abdominal distension and loss of appetite. The patient's endoscopy before admission indicated the possibility of esophageal cancer. After admission, an enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest and abdomen revealed esophageal stenosis and a liver tumor. The patient's final diagnosis was esophageal cancer concurrent with liver cancer, and a series of treatments were administered. However, esophageal cancer with liver cancer is rare. The patient was treated with targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization simultaneously. Then, regular follow-up was performed at 1 month, and at 3 months, the patient was discharged after immunotherapy. We hope that through this case, we can improve the clinical understanding of these two types of tumors and thereby contribute to their treatment. Research and collaboration among health-care professionals are essential for improving tumor diagnosis and treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hongjie Liu
- Department of Oncology, Xuancheng Hospital Affiliated to Wannan Medical College, Anhui Province, China
| | - Hua Xie
- Department of Oncology, Xuancheng Hospital Affiliated to Wannan Medical College, Anhui Province, China
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Wladis EJ, Rothschild MI, Bohnak CE, Adam AP. New therapies for unresectable or metastatic cutaneous eyelid and orbital melanoma. Orbit 2024:1-7. [PMID: 38796755 DOI: 10.1080/01676830.2024.2351514] [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: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Newer treatment options offer the promise of improved outcomes for metastatic and unresectable melanoma. This investigation was performed to review these modalities for cutaneous eyelid and orbital disease. METHODS A search for articles that were related to this subject was performed in the PubMed database, and the bibliographies of these manuscripts were reviewed to ensure capture of the appropriate literature. Data was abstracted and analyzed. RESULTS Historically, patients who suffer from melanoma of the ocular adnexa have fared poorly. Approaches that employ BRAF and mitogen-associated protein kinase inhibitors, immunotherapy, and novel cellular therapies improve outcomes and survival rates, although the side effect profiles of these agents are problematic. Most of the existing strategies have not explored ocular adnexal disease specifically, and treatment plans are generally adapted from the general cutaneous oncology literature. CONCLUSIONS Thanks to advances in our comprehension of the cellular biology of the disease, the management of unresectable and metastatic melanoma has evolved considerably over the past several years. Newer modalities will likely continue to improve survival and reduce adverse events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Edward J Wladis
- Department of Ophthalmology, Lions Eye Institute, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Michael I Rothschild
- Department of Ophthalmology, Lions Eye Institute, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Carisa E Bohnak
- Department of Ophthalmology, Lions Eye Institute, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Alejandro P Adam
- Department of Ophthalmology, Lions Eye Institute, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA
- Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Lang X, Wang X, Han M, Guo Y. Nanoparticle-Mediated Synergistic Chemoimmunotherapy for Cancer Treatment. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:4533-4568. [PMID: 38799699 PMCID: PMC11127654 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s455213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Until now, there has been a lack of effective strategies for cancer treatment. Immunotherapy has high potential in treating several cancers but its efficacy is limited as a monotherapy. Chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) holds promise to be widely used in cancer treatment. Therefore, identifying their involvement and potential synergy in CIT approaches is decisive. Nano-based drug delivery systems (NDDSs) are ideal delivery systems because they can simultaneously target immune cells and cancer cells, promoting drug accumulation, and reducing the toxicity of the drug. In this review, we first introduce five current immunotherapies, including immune checkpoint blocking (ICB), adoptive cell transfer therapy (ACT), cancer vaccines, oncolytic virus therapy (OVT) and cytokine therapy. Subsequently, the immunomodulatory effects of chemotherapy by inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD), promoting tumor killer cell infiltration, down-regulating immunosuppressive cells, and inhibiting immune checkpoints have been described. Finally, the NDDSs-mediated collaborative drug delivery systems have been introduced in detail, and the development of NDDSs-mediated CIT nanoparticles has been prospected.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxue Lang
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiangtao Wang
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Meihua Han
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yifei Guo
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of New Drug Discovery Based on Classic Chinese Medicine Prescription, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Discovery of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Natural Medicine) and Translational Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Fan L, Qin Z, Wu D, Yang Y, Zhang Y, Xie B, Qian J, Wei J, Wang Z, Yang P, Qian Z, Yuan M, Zhu Z, Tan Y, Tan Y. LARS1 is a Prognostic Biomarker and Exhibits a Correlation with Immune Infiltrates in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Gen Med 2024; 17:2203-2221. [PMID: 38774724 PMCID: PMC11107939 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s457577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose To study the relationship between LARS1 expression and immune infiltration and prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients and Methods The clinical characteristics together with LARS1 expression levels were obtained from the TCGA database. Immunohistochemistry confirmed LARS1 expression levels in paraneoplastic and tumor tissues. To investigate LARS1-related downstream molecules, a network of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) and the Gene Ontology (GO)/Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were built. Furthermore, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to analyze the pathways associated with LARS1 expression, whereas Single-sample GSEA (ssGSEA) was applied to perform an association study between immune infiltration and LARS1 gene expression. The TISCH Database and the TISIDB database were used to compare the difference of LARS1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma and immunomodulators. Results In comparison to that in normal tissues, the LARS1 expression level was elevated in tumor tissues. LARS1 expression exhibited substantial correlation with AFP, Histologic grade, pathologic stage, Residual tumor, and Vascular invasion in HCC. Higher LARS1 expression in HCC was linked to lower progression-free survival (PFS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and overall survival (OS). According to the GO/KEGG study, the important biological process (neutral lipid metabolic process), cellular component (triglyceride-rich plasma lipoprotein), molecular functions (lipase inhibitor activity), and KEGG pathway (cholesterol metabolism) could be a probable function mechanism in promoting HCC. Various pathways as per GSEA revealed that they were enriched in samples with elevated LARS1 expression. The expression level of LARS1 in malignant tumor cells after immunotherapy was significantly higher than that before immunotherapy. LARS1 was also remarkably linked to the infiltration level and the immunomodulators. Conclusion LARS1 can be used as a biomarker of HCC, which is associated to immune infiltration of HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Longfei Fan
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhongqiang Qin
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Di Wu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yunchuan Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yigang Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bo Xie
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jingyu Qian
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianzhu Wei
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhaoying Wang
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Peipei Yang
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhen Qian
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mu Yuan
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ziyi Zhu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yulin Tan
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yi Tan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, 233000, People’s Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Huang F, Shi X, Hu M, Yan H, Li X, Ding Y, Zheng X, Cai X, Dai S, Xia Q, Cai Y. Blocking of FGFR4 signaling by F30 inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation through HMOX1-dependent ferroptosis pathway. Eur J Pharmacol 2024; 970:176493. [PMID: 38484925 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176493] [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: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Excessive activation of FGF19/fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) signaling is associated with poor survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). FGFR4 inhibitors show promise for HCC treatment. F30, an indazole derivative designed through computer-aided drug design targeting FGFR4, demonstrated anti-HCC activity as described in our previous studies. However, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying F30's anticancer effects remain largely unexplored. We report here that F30 could effectively induce ferroptosis in HCC cells. The concentrations of cellular ferrous iron, the peroxidation of cell membranes and the homeostasis of reduced glutathione (GSH)/oxidized glutathione disulfide (GSSG) were dysregulated by F30, thereby affecting cellular redox status. Induction of ferroptosis in HCC by F30 was inhibited by specific ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1. F30 upregulates various ferroptosis-related genes, including the heme oxygenase enzymes 1 (HMOX1), a key mediator of redox regulation. Surprisingly, F30-induced ferroptosis in HCC is dependent on HMOX1. The dysregulation of cellular ferrous iron concentrations and cell membrane peroxidation was rescued when knocking down HMOX1 with specific small interfering RNA. These findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying FGFR4-targeting F30's anti-HCC effects and suggest that FGFR4 inactivation could be beneficial for HCC treatment involving ferroptosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fengyu Huang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Xueqin Shi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Meng Hu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Hang Yan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Xiaohui Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Yujie Ding
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Xinxin Zheng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Xiaojun Cai
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Shijie Dai
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Qinqin Xia
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Yuepiao Cai
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Feng J, Zhao Y, Zhai L, Zhou J. Efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization combined with targeted therapy and immunotherapy versus with targeted monotherapy in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e38037. [PMID: 38701263 PMCID: PMC11062670 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000038037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The application of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in combination with targeted therapy and immunotherapy (TACE-T-I) for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has gained increasing attention. However, there are variations in the efficacy and safety outcomes between TACE-T-I versus TACE combined with targeted drugs (TACE-T). This study aims to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of TACE-T-I versus TACE-T in unresectable HCC. METHODS PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched from inception to August 21, 2023, for comparative studies on TACE-T-I versus TACE-T for unresectable HCC. Outcome measures included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR) and the incidence of treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). OS was the primary outcome of this study. Weighted mean difference (WMD) or hazard ratio (HR) was used as the pooled statistic for OS and PFS. Relative risk (RR) was employed as the pooled statistic for ORR, DCR and the incidence of TRAEs. And 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for all effect measures. Data analysis was conducted using Stata 14.0 software. RESULTS The meta-analysis included 14 studies with 2144 patients. The pooled results showed that compared with patients in the TACE-T group, patients in the TACE-T-I group had higher ORR (RR = 1.61; 95%CI: 1.38-1.89) and DCR (RR = 1.17; 95%CI: 1.09-1.26). Patients in the TACE-T-I group experienced prolonged PFS (WMD = 3.08; 95%CI: 2.63-3.53) and OS (WMD = 5.76; 95%CI: 4.68-6.84). And the risk of disease progression (HR = 0.45; 95%CI: 0.37-0.55) and death (HR = 0.43; 95%CI: 0.38-0.49) was lower in the TACE-T-I group. Common TRAEs included fever, pain, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, elevated ALT, elevated AST, hypertension, hand-foot syndrome, proteinuria, and diarrhea. The incidence and severity of TRAEs in the TACE-T-I group were similar to those in the TACE-T group, with no significant differences (P > .05). CONCLUSION Current evidence suggests that, on the basis of TACE combined with targeted therapy, the addition of immunotherapy provides better clinical efficacy and survival benefits for unresectable HCC patients, with good tolerability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Feng
- The First Clinical School of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi Zhao
- Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Zhai
- The First Clinical School of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingxu Zhou
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Kumagai S, Itahashi K, Nishikawa H. Regulatory T cell-mediated immunosuppression orchestrated by cancer: towards an immuno-genomic paradigm for precision medicine. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2024; 21:337-353. [PMID: 38424196 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-024-00870-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates that aberrant signalling stemming from genetic abnormalities in cancer cells has a fundamental role in their evasion of antitumour immunity. Immune escape mechanisms include enhanced expression of immunosuppressive molecules, such as immune-checkpoint proteins, and the accumulation of immunosuppressive cells, including regulatory T (Treg) cells, in the tumour microenvironment. Therefore, Treg cells are key targets for cancer immunotherapy. Given that therapies targeting molecules predominantly expressed by Treg cells, such as CD25 or GITR, have thus far had limited antitumour efficacy, elucidating how certain characteristics of cancer, particularly genetic abnormalities, influence Treg cells is necessary to develop novel immunotherapeutic strategies. Hence, Treg cell-targeted strategies based on the particular characteristics of cancer in each patient, such as the combination of immune-checkpoint inhibitors with molecularly targeted agents that disrupt the immunosuppressive networks mediating Treg cell recruitment and/or activation, could become a new paradigm of cancer therapy. In this Review, we discuss new insights on the mechanisms by which cancers generate immunosuppressive networks that attenuate antitumour immunity and how these networks confer resistance to cancer immunotherapy, with a focus on Treg cells. These insights lead us to propose the concept of 'immuno-genomic precision medicine' based on specific characteristics of cancer, especially genetic profiles, that correlate with particular mechanisms of tumour immune escape and might, therefore, inform the optimal choice of immunotherapy for individual patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shogo Kumagai
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Chiba, Japan
- Division of Cellular Signalling, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kota Itahashi
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Nishikawa
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan.
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Chiba, Japan.
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Shen KY, Zhu Y, Xie SZ, Qin LX. Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and immunotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma: current status and prospectives. J Hematol Oncol 2024; 17:25. [PMID: 38679698 PMCID: PMC11057182 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-024-01549-2] [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: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major health concern worldwide, with limited therapeutic options and poor prognosis. In recent years, immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have made great progress in the systemic treatment of HCC. The combination treatments based on ICIs have been the major trend in this area. Recently, dual immune checkpoint blockade with durvalumab plus tremelimumab has also emerged as an effective treatment for advanced HCC. However, the majority of HCC patients obtain limited benefits. Understanding the immunological rationale and exploring novel ways to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy has drawn much attention. In this review, we summarize the latest progress in this area, the ongoing clinical trials of immune-based combination therapies, as well as novel immunotherapy strategies such as chimeric antigen receptor T cells, personalized neoantigen vaccines, oncolytic viruses, and bispecific antibodies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ke-Yu Shen
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ying Zhu
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Sun-Zhe Xie
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Lun-Xiu Qin
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China.
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Wang Q, Ji X, Sun J, Zhang A, Jia J, Zhang T, Li W, Duan X. Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Combined With Lenvatinib With or Without PD-1 Inhibitors as Initial Treatment for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2024:S0360-3016(24)00452-8. [PMID: 38583495 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2024.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this study was to compare the clinical benefit and safety of the triple combination of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), lenvatinib, and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors with the dual combination of SBRT and lenvatinib in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). METHODS AND MATERIALS Patients with uHCC who received SBRT in combination with lenvatinib and PD-1 inhibitors or SBRT in combination with lenvatinib alone as first-line treatment from October 2018 to July 2022 were reviewed in this study. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints were intrahepatic PFS, extrahepatic PFS, and objective remission rate. In addition, safety profiles were assessed by analyzing treatment-related adverse events between the two groups to assess safety profiles. RESULTS In total, 214 patients with uHCC who received combination therapy were included in this retrospective study. Among them, 146 patients received triple combination therapy of SBRT, lenvatinib, and PD-1 inhibitors (SBRT-L-P group), and 68 patients received dual therapy of SBRT and lenvatinib (SBRT-L group). The median OS times of the 2 groups were 31.2 months and 17.4 months, respectively (P < .001). The median PFS time was significantly longer in the SBRT-L-P group than in the SBRT-L group (15.6 months vs 8.8 months, P < .001). Additionally, the median intrahepatic PFS (17.5 vs 9.9 months, P < .001) and extrahepatic PFS (20.9 vs 11.6 months, P < .001) were significantly longer in the SBRT-L-P group than in the SBRT-L group. The objective remission rate in the SBRT-L-P group was higher than in the SBRT-L group (63.0 vs 39.7%, P = .002). The incidence and severity of treatment-related adverse events in the SBRT-L-P group were comparable to those in the SBRT-L group. CONCLUSION The use of both lenvatinib and PD-1 inhibitors with SBRT in patients with uHCC was associated with improved overall survival compared with lenvatinib and SBRT alone with a manageable safety profile.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Quan Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Senior Department of Oncology, the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoquan Ji
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Senior Department of Oncology, the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China; The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Sun
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Senior Department of Oncology, the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Aimin Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Senior Department of Oncology, the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Jia
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Senior Department of Oncology, the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Teng Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Senior Department of Oncology, the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Wengang Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Senior Department of Oncology, the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
| | - Xuezhang Duan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Senior Department of Oncology, the Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China; The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Cai M, Huang W, Liang W, Guo Y, Liang L, Lin L, Xie L, Zhou J, Chen Y, Cao B, Wu J, Zhu K. Lenvatinib, sintilimab plus transarterial chemoembolization for advanced stage hepatocellular carcinoma: A phase II study. Liver Int 2024; 44:920-930. [PMID: 38291865 DOI: 10.1111/liv.15831] [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: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Our retrospective study has suggested encouraging outcomes of lenvatinib combined with PD-1 inhibitor and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) on advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This phase II trial was conducted to prospectively investigate the efficacy and safety of lenvatinib, sintilimab (a PD-1 inhibitor) plus TACE (Len-Sin-TACE) in patients with advanced stage HCC. METHODS This was a single-arm phase II trial. Patients with BCLC stage C HCC were recruited. They received lenvatinib (bodyweight ≥60 kg, 12 mg; bodyweight <60 kg, 8 mg) orally once daily, sintilimab (200 mg) intravenously once every 3 weeks, and on demand TACE. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) per mRECIST. RESULTS Thirty patients were enrolled. The primary endpoint was met with a median PFS of 8.0 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.1-9.8) months per mRECIST, which was the same as that per RECIST 1.1. The objective response rate was 60.0% per mRECIST and 30.0% per RECIST 1.1. The disease control rate was 86.7% per mRECIST/RECIST 1.1. The median duration of response was 7.4 (95% CI: 6.6-8.2) months per mRECIST (n = 18) and 4.3 (95% CI: 4.0-4.6) months per RECIST 1.1 (n = 9). The median overall survival was 18.4 (95% CI: 14.5-22.3) months. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 28 patients (93.3%) and grade 3 TRAEs were observed in 12 patients (40.0%). There were no grade 4/5 TRAEs. CONCLUSIONS Len-Sin-TACE showed promising antitumour activities with a manageable safety profile in patients with advanced stage HCC. The preliminary results need to be further evaluated with phase III randomized trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mingyue Cai
- Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Interventional Oncology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Radiology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wensou Huang
- Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Interventional Oncology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Radiology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Liang
- Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Interventional Oncology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Interventional Radiology, the First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, China
| | - Yongjian Guo
- Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Interventional Oncology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Radiology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Licong Liang
- Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Interventional Oncology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Radiology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liteng Lin
- Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Interventional Oncology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Radiology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lulu Xie
- Radiology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingwen Zhou
- Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Interventional Oncology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Radiology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ye Chen
- Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Interventional Oncology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Radiology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bihui Cao
- Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Interventional Oncology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Radiology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingqiang Wu
- Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Interventional Oncology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Radiology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kangshun Zhu
- Department of Minimally Invasive Interventional Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Interventional Oncology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Radiology Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Maltseva A, Kalinchuk A, Chernorubashkina N, Sisakyan V, Lots I, Gofman A, Anzhiganova Y, Martynova E, Zukov R, Aleksandrova E, Kolomiets L, Tashireva L. Predicting Response to Immunotargeted Therapy in Endometrial Cancer via Tumor Immune Microenvironment: A Multicenter, Observational Study. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3933. [PMID: 38612743 PMCID: PMC11011874 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073933] [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: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Only one-third of patients with advanced MSS/pMMR endometrial cancer exhibit a lasting response to the combination treatment of Pembrolizumab and Lenvatinib. The combined administration of these two drugs is based on Lenvatinib's ability to modulate the tumor microenvironment, enabling Pembrolizumab to exert its effect. These findings underscore the importance of exploring tumor microenvironment parameters to identify markers that can accurately select candidates for this type of therapy. An open non-randomized observational association study was conducted at six clinical centers, involving a total of 28 patients with advanced MSS/pMMR endometrial cancer who received Pembrolizumab and Lenvatinib therapy. Using TSA-associated multiplex immunofluorescence, we analyzed the proportion of CD8+ T lymphocytes, CD20+ B lymphocytes, FoxP3+ T regulatory lymphocytes, and CD163+ macrophages in tumor samples prior to immunotargeted therapy. The percentage of CD20+ B lymphocytes and the CD8-to-CD20 lymphocytes ratio was significantly higher in patients who responded to treatment compared to non-responders (responders vs. non-responders: 0.24 (0.1-1.24)% vs. 0.08 (0.00-0.15)%, p = 0.0114; 1.44 (0.58-2.70) arb. unit vs. 19.00 (3.80-34.78) arb. unit, p = 0.0031). The sensitivity and specificity of these biomarkers were 85.71% and 70.59%, and 85.71% and 85.71%, respectively. The proportion of CD20+ B lymphocytes and the CD8-to-CD20 lymphocytes ratio in the stroma of endometrial cancer serves as both a prognostic marker of response to immunotargeted therapy and a prognostic factor for progression-free survival in patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Maltseva
- Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk 634050, Russia; (A.M.); (A.K.); (L.K.)
| | - Anna Kalinchuk
- Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk 634050, Russia; (A.M.); (A.K.); (L.K.)
| | | | - Virab Sisakyan
- Novosibirsk Regional Clinical Oncology Center, 2 Plakhotnogo St., Novosibirsk 630108, Russia; (V.S.); (I.L.)
| | - Igor Lots
- Novosibirsk Regional Clinical Oncology Center, 2 Plakhotnogo St., Novosibirsk 630108, Russia; (V.S.); (I.L.)
| | - Alina Gofman
- Altai Regional Oncological Dispensary, 110 Zmeinogorsky tr., Barnaul 656000, Russia;
| | - Yulia Anzhiganova
- Krasnoyarsk Regional Clinical Oncological Dispensary Named after A. I. Kryzhanovsky, 16 1-ya Smolenskaya St., Krasnoyarsk 660133, Russia; (Y.A.); (R.Z.)
| | - Elizaveta Martynova
- Krasnoyarsk Regional Clinical Oncological Dispensary Named after A. I. Kryzhanovsky, 16 1-ya Smolenskaya St., Krasnoyarsk 660133, Russia; (Y.A.); (R.Z.)
| | - Ruslan Zukov
- Krasnoyarsk Regional Clinical Oncological Dispensary Named after A. I. Kryzhanovsky, 16 1-ya Smolenskaya St., Krasnoyarsk 660133, Russia; (Y.A.); (R.Z.)
| | - Elena Aleksandrova
- Yakut Republican Oncology Center, Build. 1, 81 Stadukhina St., Yakutsk 677005, Russia
| | - Larisa Kolomiets
- Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk 634050, Russia; (A.M.); (A.K.); (L.K.)
| | - Liubov Tashireva
- Cancer Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk 634050, Russia; (A.M.); (A.K.); (L.K.)
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Suzuki H, Iwamoto H, Tanaka T, Sakaue T, Imamura Y, Masuda A, Nakamura T, Koga H, Hoshida Y, Kawaguchi T. Fibroblast growth factor inhibition by molecular-targeted agents mitigates immunosuppressive tissue microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatol Int 2024; 18:610-622. [PMID: 37864726 PMCID: PMC11014819 DOI: 10.1007/s12072-023-10603-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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Combination immunotherapy refers to the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and molecular-targeted agents (MTA), which have recently been approved for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Owing to its relatively low antitumor effect (up to 30%), sequential therapy following ICIs treatment is required in patients with HCC. This study aimed to determine the impact of MTAs on the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). METHODS We established immune syngeneic orthotopic HCC mouse models using Hep-55.1C and Hep-53.4, and treated them with MTAs (lenvatinib, sorafenib, regorafenib, cabozantinib, and DC101 as anti-vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 antibodies, and AZD4547 as a fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)-1/2/3/4 inhibitor) for 2 weeks. Subsequently, alterations in the TIME caused by MTAs were evaluated using immunohistochemistry (antibodies for CD3, CD8, Foxp3, Granzyme B, Arginase-1, NK1.1, F4/80, CD11c, PD-1, and PD-L1). We conducted RNA-seq analysis using lenvatinib- and AZD4547-treated tumors. To confirm the clinical relevance of these findings, we analyzed the transcriptome data of human HCC cells (MHCC-97H) treated with various concentrations of lenvatinib for 24 h using RNA-seq data from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. RESULTS The number of Foxp3- and F4/80-positive cells in the TIME was decreased in many MTAs. Cabozantinib increased the numbers in NK1.1-, Granzyme B, and CD11c-positive cells. Lenvatinib and AZD4547 increased the number of CD8, Granzyme B, and PD-L1-positive cells. Gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that lipid metabolism-related genes were downregulated by lenvatinib and AZD4547. In total, 161 genes downregulated by FGFR inhibition in rodent models overlapped with those downregulated by lenvatinib in human HCC cells. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we showed that cabozantinib activated the innate immune system, and lenvatinib and AZD4547, which commonly inhibit FGFR signaling, altered TIME to a hot immune state by downregulating lipid metabolism-related genes. These findings support the therapeutic use of combination immunotherapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Suzuki
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan.
- Liver Cancer Research Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan.
| | - Hideki Iwamoto
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan.
- Liver Cancer Research Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan.
- Iwamoto Internal Medicine Clinic, Kitakyushu, 802-0832, Japan.
| | - Toshimitsu Tanaka
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
- Liver Cancer Research Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
| | - Takahiko Sakaue
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
- Liver Cancer Research Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
| | - Yasuko Imamura
- Liver Cancer Research Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
| | - Atsutaka Masuda
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
- Liver Cancer Research Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
| | - Toru Nakamura
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
- Liver Cancer Research Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
| | - Hironori Koga
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
- Liver Cancer Research Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
| | - Yujin Hoshida
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Takumi Kawaguchi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Long T, Wu W, Wang X, Chen M. TPR is a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target associated with immune infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma. Mol Clin Oncol 2024; 20:27. [PMID: 38414509 PMCID: PMC10895467 DOI: 10.3892/mco.2024.2725] [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: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer. In the present study, it was demonstrated that translocated promoter region (TPR) was upregulated in tumor tissues and associated with prognosis and immune infiltration in HCC. The clinical outcome of patients with HCC with aberrant expression of TPR was examined using multiple databases, including Gene Expression Omnibus, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression, Kaplan-Meier (KM) Plotter and Xiantao tool. The clinicopathologic characteristics of patients from TCGA database that were associated with overall survival were assessed using Cox regression and KM analysis. The potential hallmarks associated with TPR expression were further predicted by Metascape and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, and the relationship between TPR and immune infiltration was explored using the Tumor-Immune System Interactions Database and the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource. The results demonstrated that TPR expression was higher in HCC and its overexpression was associated with a worse prognosis, alongside a correlation with several clinical features. Furthermore, cell differentiation, a prospective new hallmark of cancer, was differentially enriched in the high TPR expression phenotype pathway. Moreover, TPR may also modulate the tumor immune microenvironment as it was significantly associated with immunoregulators and chemokines, as well as different tumor infiltration immune cells. According to the in vitro experiments, TPR silencing inhibited the phosphorylation of AKT and the proliferation of HCC cells. In summary, TPR may be a new marker and target for HCC therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Teng Long
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
| | - Weijie Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
| | - Xin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
| | - Minshan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Liu H, Gan XM, Sun JM, Yang Q, Zhang DZ, Zuo YQ, Liu FL, Li B, Tan QL, Zhang J. Transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation combined with lenvatinib and cabozantinib in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 130:111510. [PMID: 38422766 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.111510] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect and prognosis of transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation (TACE) combined with lenvatinib and cabozantinib in the treatment of advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) and identify the predictors of prognosis related to cellular inflammation and body mass index (BMI). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the efficacy and prognosis of TACE combined with lenvatinib and cabozantinib in patients with uHCC and propose the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) as predictors of response and survival outcomes in this context. METHODS The clinicopathologic data of 217 patients with advanced uHCC who underwent TACE combined with systemic therapy (lenvatinib mesylate + cabozantinib) in the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Dazhou Central Hospital between October 2017 and February 2020 were collected retrospectively, and the relevant parameters were analysed and compared. RESULTS Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that BMI, NLR, PLR and prothrombin time were independent factors for the objective response rate (ORR) of transformed therapy for uHCC (OR = 0.812 vs 1,290.68 vs 1.067 vs 0.626, 95 % CI: 0.719-0.897 vs 108.081-11,541.137 vs 1.037-1.099 vs 0.414-0.946, respectively, p < 0.05). The results showed that BMI, NLR and PLR had certain predictive values for the ORR in patients with liver cancer undergoing translational therapy (p < 0.05); the combined predictive effect of the three was the best, and the area under the curve (AUC) of BMI + NLR + PLR for predicting the ORR in patients with liver cancer undergoing translational therapy was 0.951 (95 % CI: 0.921, 0.964). A total of 181 patients experienced adverse reactions at different grades, including 104 cases at grade 1, 50 cases at grade 2, 22 cases at grade 3 and 5 cases at grade 4. There was a significant difference in overall survival (OS) between low- and high-NLR groups, low- and high-PLR groups and low- and high-BMI groups (χ2 = 9.644, 8.313 and 10.314, respectively, p < 0.05). There was a significant difference in progression-free survival (PFS) between the low- and high-NLR groups, the low- and high-PLR groups and the low- and high-BMI groups (χ2 = 8.965, 9.783 and 6.343, respectively, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION Transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation combined with lenvatinib and cabozantinib is safe and effective in the treatment of advanced uHCC, with controllable adverse reactions. High NLR and PLR and low BMI values before treatment were independent risk factors for the ORR. Body mass index, NLR and PLR predicted responses to triple switch therapy and survival outcomes in uHCC. Patients with pretreatment NLR ≥ 2.96 and PLR ≥ 184.41 had worse OS and PFS rates. Patients with pretreatment BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2 had improved OS and a reduced risk of death.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hong Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Dazhou Central Hospital, Dazhou 635000, China; Department of General Surgery (Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery), The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, No.25, Taiping Street, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Xue-Mei Gan
- Department of Hepatology, Dazhou Central Hospital, Dazhou 635000, China
| | - Jian-Ming Sun
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Dazhou Central Hospital, Dazhou 635000, China
| | - Qin Yang
- Department of Hepatology, Dazhou Central Hospital, Dazhou 635000, China
| | - Dai-Zhong Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Dazhou Central Hospital, Dazhou 635000, China
| | - Yong-Qing Zuo
- Department of Hepatology, Dazhou Central Hospital, Dazhou 635000, China
| | - Feng-Ling Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Dazhou Central Hospital, Dazhou 635000, China
| | - Bo Li
- Department of General Surgery (Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery), The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, No.25, Taiping Street, Luzhou 646000, China
| | - Qi-Liang Tan
- Department of Hepatology, Dazhou Central Hospital, Dazhou 635000, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Dazhou Central Hospital, Dazhou 635000, China.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Li ZC, Wang J, Liu HB, Zheng YM, Huang JH, Cai JB, Zhang L, Liu X, Du L, Yang XT, Chai XQ, Jiang YH, Ren ZG, Zhou J, Fan J, Yu DC, Sun HC, Huang C, Liu F. Proteomic and metabolomic features in patients with HCC responding to lenvatinib and anti-PD1 therapy. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113877. [PMID: 38421869 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Combination therapy (lenvatinib/programmed death-1 inhibitor) is effective for treating unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). We reveal that responders have better overall and progression-free survival, as well as high tumor mutation burden and special somatic variants. We analyze the proteome and metabolome of 82 plasma samples from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; n = 51) and normal controls (n = 15), revealing that individual differences outweigh treatment differences. Responders exhibit enhanced activity in the alternative/lectin complement pathway and higher levels of lysophosphatidylcholines (LysoPCs), predicting a favorable prognosis. Non-responders are enriched for immunoglobulins, predicting worse outcomes. Compared to normal controls, HCC plasma proteins show acute inflammatory response and platelet activation, while LysoPCs decrease. Combination therapy increases LysoPCs/phosphocholines in responders. Logistic regression/random forest models using metabolomic features achieve good performance in the prediction of responders. Proteomic analysis of cancer tissues unveils molecular features that are associated with side effects in responders receiving combination therapy. In conclusion, our analysis identifies plasma features associated with uHCC responders to combination therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhong-Chen Li
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Hepatic Oncology, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, the International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical of Sciences, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - He-Bin Liu
- Shanghai Omicsolution Co., Ltd., 28 Yuanwen Road, Shanghai 201199, China
| | - Yi-Min Zheng
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jian-Hang Huang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, the International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical of Sciences, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jia-Bin Cai
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Institutes of Biomedical of Sciences, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xin Liu
- Department of Central Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 274 Zhijiang Road, Shanghai 200071, China
| | - Ling Du
- Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, the International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical of Sciences, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xue-Ting Yang
- Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, the International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical of Sciences, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xiao-Qiang Chai
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Ying-Hua Jiang
- Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, the International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical of Sciences, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zheng-Gang Ren
- Department of Hepatic Oncology, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jia Fan
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - De-Cai Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Division of Hepatobiliary and Transplantation Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing 210008, China.
| | - Hui-Chuan Sun
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Cheng Huang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Feng Liu
- Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, and the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, the International Co-laboratory of Medical Epigenetics and Metabolism, Ministry of Science and Technology, Institutes of Biomedical of Sciences, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai 200032, China.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Duan XP, Qin BD, Jiao XD, Liu K, Wang Z, Zang YS. New clinical trial design in precision medicine: discovery, development and direction. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:57. [PMID: 38438349 PMCID: PMC10912713 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01760-0] [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: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
In the era of precision medicine, it has been increasingly recognized that individuals with a certain disease are complex and different from each other. Due to the underestimation of the significant heterogeneity across participants in traditional "one-size-fits-all" trials, patient-centered trials that could provide optimal therapy customization to individuals with specific biomarkers were developed including the basket, umbrella, and platform trial designs under the master protocol framework. In recent years, the successive FDA approval of indications based on biomarker-guided master protocol designs has demonstrated that these new clinical trials are ushering in tremendous opportunities. Despite the rapid increase in the number of basket, umbrella, and platform trials, the current clinical and research understanding of these new trial designs, as compared with traditional trial designs, remains limited. The majority of the research focuses on methodologies, and there is a lack of in-depth insight concerning the underlying biological logic of these new clinical trial designs. Therefore, we provide this comprehensive review of the discovery and development of basket, umbrella, and platform trials and their underlying logic from the perspective of precision medicine. Meanwhile, we discuss future directions on the potential development of these new clinical design in view of the "Precision Pro", "Dynamic Precision", and "Intelligent Precision". This review would assist trial-related researchers to enhance the innovation and feasibility of clinical trial designs by expounding the underlying logic, which be essential to accelerate the progression of precision medicine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Peng Duan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bao-Dong Qin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao-Dong Jiao
- Department of Medical Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ke Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhan Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan-Sheng Zang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Cheng Y, Song Z, Chen J, Tang Z, Wang B. Molecular basis, potential biomarkers, and future prospects of OSCC and PD-1/PD-L1 related immunotherapy methods. Heliyon 2024; 10:e25895. [PMID: 38380036 PMCID: PMC10877294 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25895] [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: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) affects a large number of individuals worldwide. Despite advancements in surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, satisfactory outcomes have not been achieved. In recent years, the success of drugs targeting programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) has led to breakthroughs in cancer treatment, but systematic summaries on their effectiveness against OSCC are lacking. This article reviews the latest research on the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway and the potential of combination therapy based on this pathway in OSCC. Further, it explores the mechanisms involved in the interaction of this pathway with exosomes and protein-protein interactions, and concludes with potential future OSCC therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuxi Cheng
- Xiangya Stomatological Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
- Xiangya School of Stomatology, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
- Clinical Research Center of Oral Major Diseases and Oral Health, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Zhengzheng Song
- Xiangya Stomatological Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
- Xiangya School of Stomatology, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
- Clinical Research Center of Oral Major Diseases and Oral Health, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Juan Chen
- Xiangya Stomatological Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
- Xiangya School of Stomatology, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
- Clinical Research Center of Oral Major Diseases and Oral Health, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Zhangui Tang
- Xiangya Stomatological Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
- Xiangya School of Stomatology, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
- Clinical Research Center of Oral Major Diseases and Oral Health, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Baisheng Wang
- Xiangya Stomatological Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
- Xiangya School of Stomatology, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
- Clinical Research Center of Oral Major Diseases and Oral Health, 410008, Hunan, China
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Guo Y, Chai B, Zhang H, Chai X, Chen Y, Xu J, Qin L, Chai Y. RARRES1 inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma progression and increases its sensitivity to lenvatinib through interaction with SPINK2. Biol Direct 2024; 19:15. [PMID: 38388961 PMCID: PMC10885466 DOI: 10.1186/s13062-024-00459-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lenvatinib is an oral small molecule inhibitor approved for treating patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide. Increasing cell sensitivity to lenvatinib would be an effective method of improving therapeutic efficacy. METHODS High throughput methods was used to scan the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to lenvatinib sensitivity in HCC cells. Gain- and loss-function experiments were used to explore the functions of these DEGs in HCC and lenvatinib sensitivity. CO-IP assay and rescue experiments were utilized to investigate the mechanism. RESULTS We identified that RAR responder protein 1 (RARRES1), a podocyte-specific growth arrest gene, was among significantly upregulated DEGs in HCC cells following lenvatinib treatment. Functional analysis showed that ectopic RARRES1 expression decreased HCC progression in vitro and in vivo, as well as improving tumor sensitivity to lenvatinib, while RARRES1 silencing increased HCC cell proliferation and migration. Mechanistically, co-immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that RARRES1 interacted with serine protease inhibitor Kazal-type 2 (SPINK2) in HCC cells. Further, SPINK2 overexpression suppressed HCC cell proliferation and migration, as well as increasing sensitivity to lenvatinib whereas SPINK2 knockdown promoted cell progression and decreased lenvatinib sensitivity. The mRNA and protein levels of RARRES1 and SPINK2 were low in HCC tissue samples, relative to those in normal liver tissue. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlighted that RARRES1 can inhibit HCC progression and regulate HCC sensitivity to lenvatinib by interacting SPINK2, representing a new tumor suppressor RARRES1/SPINK2 axis in HCC that modulates sensitivity to lenvatinib.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yarong Guo
- Department of Digestive System Oncology, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030032, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030001, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Bao Chai
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030032, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Hezhao Zhang
- Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030001, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Xinhao Chai
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030001, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030001, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Jun Xu
- Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 030001, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.
| | - Liwei Qin
- Shanxi Medical University, 030001, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Yuting Chai
- Shanxi Medical University, 030001, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Tang X, Shang Y, Yang H, Song Y, Li S, Qin Y, Song J, Chen K, Liu Y, Zhang D, Chen L. Targeted delivery of Fc-fused PD-L1 for effective management of acute and chronic colitis. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1673. [PMID: 38396052 PMCID: PMC10891058 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46025-0] [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: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The PD-1/PD-L1 pathway in mucosal immunity is currently actively explored and considered as a target for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatment. However, systemic PD-L1 administration may cause unpredictable adverse effects due to immunosuppression. Here we show that reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive nanoparticles enhance the efficacy and safety of PD-L1 in a mouse colitis model. The nanoparticles control the accumulation and release of PD-L1 fused to Fc (PD-L1-Fc) at inflammatory sites in the colon. The nanotherapeutics shows superiority in alleviating inflammatory symptoms over systemic PD-L1-Fc administration and mitigates the adverse effects of PD-L1-Fc administration. The nanoparticles-formulated PD-L1-Fc affects production of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, attenuates the infiltration of macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells, increases the frequencies of Treg, Th1 and Tfh cells, reshapes the gut microbiota composition; and increases short-chain fatty acid production. In summary, PD-L1-Fc-decorated nanoparticles may provide an effective and safe strategy for the targeted treatment of IBD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xudong Tang
- Institute of Gastroenterology of PLA, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Yangyang Shang
- Institute of Gastroenterology of PLA, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
- Department of Chemistry, College of Basic Medicine, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Hong Yang
- Institute of Gastroenterology of PLA, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Yalan Song
- Institute of Gastroenterology of PLA, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Shan Li
- Institute of Gastroenterology of PLA, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Yusi Qin
- Institute of Gastroenterology of PLA, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Jingyi Song
- Institute of Gastroenterology of PLA, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Kang Chen
- Institute of Gastroenterology of PLA, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Laboratory Animal Science, College of Basic Medicine, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Dinglin Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, College of Basic Medicine, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China.
| | - Lei Chen
- Institute of Gastroenterology of PLA, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Liu Y, Wu J, Hao H. Antitumor immunostimulatory activity of the traditional Chinese medicine polysaccharide on hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1369110. [PMID: 38455058 PMCID: PMC10917928 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1369110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent malignancy, often associated with compromised immune function in affected patients. This can be attributed to the secretion of specific factors by liver cancer cells, which hinder the immune response and lead to a state of immune suppression. Polysaccharides derived from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are valuable constituents known for their immunomodulatory properties. This review aims to look into the immunomodulatory effects of TCM polysaccharides on HCC. The immunomodulatory effects of TCM polysaccharides are primarily manifested through the activation of effector T lymphocytes, dendritic cells, NK cells, and macrophages against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) both in vivo and in vitro settings. Furthermore, TCM polysaccharides have demonstrated remarkable adjuvant antitumor immunomodulatory effects on HCC in clinical settings. Therefore, the utilization of TCM polysaccharides holds promising potential for the development of novel therapeutic agents or adjuvants with advantageous immunomodulatory properties for HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, China
- Basic Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, China
| | - Jiawen Wu
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, China
- Basic Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, China
| | - Huiqin Hao
- College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, China
- Basic Laboratory of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong, China
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
You Q, Li R, Yao J, Zhang YC, Sui X, Xiao CC, Zhang JB, Xiao JQ, Chen HT, Li H, Zhang J, Zheng J, Yang Y. Insights into lenvatinib resistance: mechanisms, potential biomarkers, and strategies to enhance sensitivity. Med Oncol 2024; 41:75. [PMID: 38381181 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-02295-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Lenvatinib is a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor capable of promoting apoptosis, suppressing angiogenesis, inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, and modulating the immune response. In multiple cancer types, lenvatinib has presented manageable safety and is currently approved as an effective first-line therapy. However, with the gradual increase in lenvatinib application, the inevitable progression of resistance to lenvatinib is becoming more prevalent. A series of recent researches have reported the mechanisms underlying the development of lenvatinib resistance in tumor therapy, which are related to the regulation of cell death or proliferation, histological transformation, metabolism, transport processes, and epigenetics. In this review, we aim to outline recent discoveries achieved in terms of the mechanisms and potential predictive biomarkers of lenvatinib resistance as well as to summarize untapped approaches available for improving the therapeutic efficacy of lenvatinib in patients with various types of cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiang You
- Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University; Organ Transplantation Research Center of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Transplantation Medicine, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Research, Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Biotherapy and Translational Medicine of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Rong Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Research, Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Biotherapy and Translational Medicine of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Jia Yao
- Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University; Organ Transplantation Research Center of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Transplantation Medicine, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Research, Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Biotherapy and Translational Medicine of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Ying-Cai Zhang
- Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University; Organ Transplantation Research Center of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Transplantation Medicine, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Research, Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Biotherapy and Translational Medicine of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Xin Sui
- Surgical ICU of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Cui-Cui Xiao
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Jie-Bin Zhang
- Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University; Organ Transplantation Research Center of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Transplantation Medicine, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Research, Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Biotherapy and Translational Medicine of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Jia-Qi Xiao
- Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University; Organ Transplantation Research Center of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Transplantation Medicine, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Research, Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Biotherapy and Translational Medicine of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Hai-Tian Chen
- Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University; Organ Transplantation Research Center of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Transplantation Medicine, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Research, Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Biotherapy and Translational Medicine of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Hua Li
- Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University; Organ Transplantation Research Center of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Transplantation Medicine, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Research, Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Biotherapy and Translational Medicine of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University; Organ Transplantation Research Center of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Transplantation Medicine, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Research, Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Biotherapy and Translational Medicine of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Jun Zheng
- Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University; Organ Transplantation Research Center of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Transplantation Medicine, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China.
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Research, Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Biotherapy and Translational Medicine of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China.
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Hepatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University; Organ Transplantation Research Center of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Province Engineering Laboratory for Transplantation Medicine, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong, China.
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Research, Key Laboratory of Liver Disease Biotherapy and Translational Medicine of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Pan D, Liu HN, Qu PF, Ma X, Ma LY, Chen XX, Wang YQ, Qin XB, Han ZX. Progress in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with immune combination therapy. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2024; 16:273-286. [PMID: 38425407 PMCID: PMC10900147 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v16.i2.273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a severe malignancy that poses a serious threat to human health. Owing to challenges in early diagnosis, most patients lose the opportunity for radical treatment when diagnosed. Nonetheless, recent advancements in cancer immunotherapy provide new directions for the treatment of HCC. For instance, monoclonal antibodies against immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as programmed cell death protein 1/death ligand-1 inhibitors and cytotoxic t-lymphocyte associated antigen-4 significantly improved the prognosis of patients with HCC. However, tumor cells can evade the immune system through various mechanisms. With the rapid development of genetic engineering and molecular biology, various new immunotherapies have been used to treat HCC, including ICIs, chimeric antigen receptor T cells, engineered cytokines, and certain cancer vaccines. This review summarizes the current status, research progress, and future directions of different immunotherapy strategies in the treatment of HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Di Pan
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221000, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Hao-Nan Liu
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221000, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Peng-Fei Qu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221000, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiao Ma
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221000, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Lu-Yao Ma
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221000, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiao-Xiao Chen
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221000, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yu-Qin Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221000, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiao-Bing Qin
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221000, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zheng-Xiang Han
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221000, Jiangsu Province, China
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Wang H, Huang H, Liu T, Chen Y, Li J, He M, Peng J, Liang E, Li J, Liu W. Peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets predict the efficacy of TACE with or without PD-1 inhibitors in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective clinical study. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1325330. [PMID: 38404585 PMCID: PMC10884244 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1325330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Although peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets, particularly PD-1+ T cells, are promising prognostic indicators for patients with cancer. However, their clinical significance remains unclear. Methods We prospectively enrolled 157 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined with or without PD-1 inhibitors. Twenty peripheral lymphocyte subsets and cytokines were analyzed. We analyzed the differences in PD-1+ T cells between patients treated with and without PD-1 inhibitors and their associations with tumor response, survival prognosis, and clinical features. Results We found that the baseline CD8+PD-1+ and CD4+PD-1+ T-cell frequencies in patients who had received PD-1 inhibitors were lower than those in patients who had not received PD-1 inhibitors (p < 0.001). In the former patients, there were no differences in PD-1+ T-cell frequencies between the responder and non-responder subgroups (p > 0.05), whereas in the latter patients, the levels of CD8+PD-1+ T cells, CD4+PD-1+ T cells, and CD8+PD-1+/CD4+PD-1+ ratio did not predict tumor response, progression-free survival (PFS), or overall survival (OS) (p>0.05). Furthermore, in multivariate analysis of patients treated with or without PD-1 inhibitors revealed that the levels of CD8+CD38+ T cells (OR = 2.806, p = 0.006) were associated with tumor response, whereas those of CD8+CD28+ T cells (p = 0.038, p = 0.001) and natural killer (NK) cells (p = 0.001, p = 0.027) were associated with PFS and OS. Although, these independent prognostic factors were associated with progressive tumor characteristics (p<0.05), with the exception of CD8+CD28+ T cells, changes in these factors before and after treatment were unassociated with tumor response (p > 0.05). Conclusion Circulating CD8+CD38+ T cells, CD8+CD28+ T cells, and NK cells were identified as potential prognostic factors for tumor response and survival in patients with HCC. Contrastingly, although PD-1 inhibitors can effectively block the T cell PD-1 receptor, the baseline PD-1+ T-cell frequencies and changes in the frequency of these cells have limited prognostic value.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongyu Wang
- Department of Interventional Therapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key laboratory of Chinese Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of Refractory Chronic Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huijie Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ting Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yaoming Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinwei Li
- Department of Interventional Therapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Min He
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianxin Peng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Enyu Liang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiaping Li
- Department of Interventional Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wendao Liu
- Department of Interventional Therapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Kudo M, Ueshima K, Saeki I, Ishikawa T, Inaba Y, Morimoto N, Aikata H, Tanabe N, Wada Y, Kondo Y, Tsuda M, Nakao K, Ito T, Hosaka T, Kawamura Y, Kuzuya T, Nojiri S, Ogawa C, Koga H, Hino K, Ikeda M, Moriguchi M, Hisai T, Yoshimura K, Furuse J, Arai Y. A Phase 2, Prospective, Multicenter, Single-Arm Trial of Transarterial Chemoembolization Therapy in Combination Strategy with Lenvatinib in Patients with Unresectable Intermediate-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma: TACTICS-L Trial. Liver Cancer 2024; 13:99-112. [PMID: 38344448 PMCID: PMC10857829 DOI: 10.1159/000531377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the standard treatment for unresectable intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but recurrence after TACE is common. The present phase 2, prospective, multicenter, single-arm trial, the TACTICS-L trial, investigated the efficacy and safety of TACE plus lenvatinib (LEN), a drug that more strongly promotes vascular normalization and has a better objective response rate (ORR) than sorafenib (jRCTs031180074). METHODS Participants were patients with HCC who had not previously received systemic therapy, hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy, or immunotherapy and who were ineligible for resection or percutaneous ablation therapy. LEN was to be administered 14-21 days before the first TACE, stopped 2 days before TACE, and resumed 3 days after TACE. Key inclusion criteria were unresectable HCC, Child-Pugh A liver function, 0-2 prior TACE sessions, tumor size ≤10 cm, number of tumors ≤10, and ECOG performance status 0-1. Key exclusion criteria were vascular invasion and extrahepatic spread. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) by RECICL, and secondary endpoints were time to untreatable progression, ORR, overall survival (OS), and safety. RESULTS A total of 62 HCC patients were enrolled in this trial. The median age was 72 years, 77.4% of patients were men, and 95.2% had PS 0. The primary endpoint of median PFS was 28.0 months (90% confidence interval [CI] 25.1-31.0) after a minimum 24 months of follow-up. The secondary endpoint of median OS was not reached (90% CI 35.5 months-NR). LEN-TACE achieved a high response rate and high complete response (CR) rate (4 weeks after the first TACE: ORR 79.0%, CR rate 53.2%; best response: ORR 88.7%, CR rate 67.7%) by RECICL. Exploratory subgroup analyses showed that the characteristics of responders/nonresponders (ORR and CR rate) were similar and that LEN-TACE would be effective in all subgroups, including the population in whom TACE alone would be less likely to be curative (e.g., patients with the non-simple nodular type or a high tumor burden). The relative dose intensity of LEN before the first TACE was important for achieving higher CR rate/ORR by LEN-TACE. No new safety concerns were observed. CONCLUSION The results of this trial provide encouraging evidence, supporting the efficacy and favorable safety profile of LEN-TACE in patients who are ineligible for locoregional therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masatoshi Kudo
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Kazuomi Ueshima
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
| | - Issei Saeki
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Japan
| | - Toru Ishikawa
- Department of Gastroenterology, Saiseikai Niigata Hospital, Niigata, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Inaba
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Naoki Morimoto
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Aikata
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hiroshima Prefectural Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Nobukazu Tanabe
- Department of Gastroenterology, National Hospital Organisation Sendai Medical Center, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Wada
- Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Clinical Research Institute, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yasuteru Kondo
- Department of Hepatology, Sendai Kousei Hospital, Sendai, Japan
| | - Masahiro Tsuda
- Department of Gastroenterological Oncology, Hyogo Cancer Center, Akashi, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Nakao
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Takanori Ito
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Hosaka
- Department of Hepatology, Toranomon Hospital Kajigaya, Kawasaki, Japan
| | | | - Teiji Kuzuya
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Nojiri
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Chikara Ogawa
- Department of Gastroenterology, Takamatsu Red Cross Hospital, Takamatsu, Japan
| | - Hironori Koga
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
| | - Keisuke Hino
- Digestive Disease Center, Shunan Memorial Hospital, Kudamatsu, Japan
| | - Masafumi Ikeda
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Michihisa Moriguchi
- Department of Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takashi Hisai
- Eisai Co. Ltd., Oncology Department, Medical HQs, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenichi Yoshimura
- Medical Center for Translational and Clinical Research, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Junji Furuse
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yasuaki Arai
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Lu JC, Wu LL, Sun YN, Huang XY, Gao C, Guo XJ, Zeng HY, Qu XD, Chen Y, Wu D, Pei YZ, Meng XL, Zheng YM, Liang C, Zhang PF, Cai JB, Ding ZB, Yang GH, Ren N, Huang C, Wang XY, Gao Q, Sun QM, Shi YH, Qiu SJ, Ke AW, Shi GM, Zhou J, Sun YD, Fan J. Macro CD5L + deteriorates CD8 +T cells exhaustion and impairs combination of Gemcitabine-Oxaliplatin-Lenvatinib-anti-PD1 therapy in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Nat Commun 2024; 15:621. [PMID: 38245530 PMCID: PMC10799889 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44795-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Intratumoral immune status influences tumor therapeutic response, but it remains largely unclear how the status determines therapies for patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Here, we examine the single-cell transcriptional and TCR profiles of 18 tumor tissues pre- and post- therapy of gemcitabine plus oxaliplatin, in combination with lenvatinib and anti-PD1 antibody for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. We find that high CD8 GZMB+ and CD8 proliferating proportions and a low Macro CD5L+ proportion predict good response to the therapy. In patients with a poor response, the CD8 GZMB+ and CD8 proliferating proportions are increased, but the CD8 GZMK+ proportion is decreased after the therapy. Transition of CD8 proliferating and CD8 GZMB+ to CD8 GZMK+ facilitates good response to the therapy, while Macro CD5L+-CD8 GZMB+ crosstalk impairs the response by increasing CTLA4 in CD8 GZMB+. Anti-CTLA4 antibody reverses resistance of the therapy in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Our data provide a resource for predicting response of the combination therapy and highlight the importance of CD8+T-cell status conversion and exhaustion induced by Macro CD5L+ in influencing the response, suggesting future avenues for cancer treatment optimization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Cheng Lu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Lei-Lei Wu
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Yi-Ning Sun
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Xiao-Yong Huang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Chao Gao
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xiao-Jun Guo
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Hai-Ying Zeng
- Department of Pathology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xu-Dong Qu
- Department of Intervention Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Dong Wu
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yan-Zi Pei
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xian-Long Meng
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yi-Min Zheng
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Chen Liang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Peng-Fei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jia-Bin Cai
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Zhen-Bin Ding
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Guo-Huan Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ning Ren
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xiao-Ying Wang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Qiang Gao
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Qi-Man Sun
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ying-Hong Shi
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Shuang-Jian Qiu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ai-Wu Ke
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Guo-Ming Shi
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Clinical Research Unit, Institute of Clinical Science, Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University, 200032, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Yi-Di Sun
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
| | - Jia Fan
- Department of Liver Surgery and Transplantation, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Liver cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Hou W, Gad SA, Ding X, Dhanarajan A, Qiu W. Focal adhesion kinase confers lenvatinib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma via the regulation of lysine-deficient kinase 1. Mol Carcinog 2024; 63:173-189. [PMID: 37787401 PMCID: PMC10842616 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Lenvatinib is a clinically effective multikinase inhibitor approved for first-line therapy of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although resistance against lenvatinib often emerges and limits its antitumor activity, the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in endogenous and acquired resistance remain elusive. In this study, we identified focal adhesion kinase (FAK) as a critical contributor to lenvatinib resistance in HCC. The elevated expression and phosphorylation of FAK were observed in both acquired and endogenous lenvatinib-resistant (LR) HCC cells. Furthermore, inhibition of FAK reversed lenvatinib resistance in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, FAK promoted lenvatinib resistance through regulating lysine-deficient kinase 1 (WNK1). Phosphorylation of WNK1 was significantly increased in LR-HCC cells. Further, WNK1 inhibitor WNK463 resensitized either established or endogenous LR-HCC cells to lenvatinib treatment. In addition, overexpression of WNK1 desensitized parental HCC cells to lenvatinib treatment. Conclusively, our results establish a crucial role and novel mechanism of FAK in lenvatinib resistance and suggest that targeting the FAK/WNK1 axis is a promising therapeutic strategy in HCC patients showing lenvatinib resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Hou
- Department of Surgery, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | - Shaimaa A Gad
- Department of Surgery, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Center, Egypt
| | - Xianzhong Ding
- Department of Pathology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | - Asha Dhanarajan
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | - Wei Qiu
- Department of Surgery, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Mu L, Qi L, Long H, Huang J, Zhong Z, Shi X, Chen C, Ye Q. Photothermal Fibrous Chitosan/Polydopamine Sponge for Intraoperative Hemostasis and Prevention of Tumor Recurrence in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Resection. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2304053. [PMID: 38029340 PMCID: PMC10797464 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202304053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Hepatectomy, a surgical procedure for liver cancer, is often plagued by high recurrence rates worldwide. The recurrence of liver cancer is primarily attributed to microlesions in the liver, changes in the immune microenvironment, and circulating tumor cells in the bloodstream. To address this issue, a novel intervention method that combines intraoperative hemostasis with mild photothermal therapy is proposed, which has the potential to ablate microlesions and improve the immune microenvironment simultaneously. Specifically, the integrated strategy is realized based on the fibrous chitosan/polydopamine sponge (CPDS), which is constructed from shearing-flow-induced oriented hybrid chitosan fibers and subsequent self-assembly of polydopamine. The CPDS demonstrates high elasticity, excellent water absorption, and photothermal conversion performance. The results confirm the efficient hemostatic properties of the fibrous CPDS in various bleeding models. Notably, in subcutaneous and orthotopic postoperative recurrence and metastasis models of hepatocellular carcinoma, the fibrous CPDS significantly inhibits local tumor recurrence and distant metastasis. Moreover, the combination with lenvatinib can substantially enhance the antitumor effect. This comprehensive treatment strategy offers new insights into hepatectomy of liver cancer, representing a promising approach for clinical management.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lanxin Mu
- National Quality Control Center for Donated Organ ProcurementHubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on TransplantationHubei Clinical Research Center for Natural Polymer Biological LiverHubei Engineering Center of Natural Polymer‐based Medical Materials, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversityInstitute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Transplant Center of Wuhan UniversityWuhan430071China
| | - Luhe Qi
- School of Resource and Environmental ScienceHubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Sustainable Resource and EnergyHubei Engineering Center of Natural Polymers‐Based Medical MaterialsHubei Biomass‐Resource Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology Key LaboratoryWuhan UniversityWuhan430079China
| | - Haitao Long
- National Quality Control Center for Donated Organ ProcurementHubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on TransplantationHubei Clinical Research Center for Natural Polymer Biological LiverHubei Engineering Center of Natural Polymer‐based Medical Materials, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversityInstitute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Transplant Center of Wuhan UniversityWuhan430071China
| | - Jing Huang
- School of Resource and Environmental ScienceHubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Sustainable Resource and EnergyHubei Engineering Center of Natural Polymers‐Based Medical MaterialsHubei Biomass‐Resource Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology Key LaboratoryWuhan UniversityWuhan430079China
| | - Zibiao Zhong
- National Quality Control Center for Donated Organ ProcurementHubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on TransplantationHubei Clinical Research Center for Natural Polymer Biological LiverHubei Engineering Center of Natural Polymer‐based Medical Materials, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversityInstitute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Transplant Center of Wuhan UniversityWuhan430071China
| | - Xiaowen Shi
- School of Resource and Environmental ScienceHubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Sustainable Resource and EnergyHubei Engineering Center of Natural Polymers‐Based Medical MaterialsHubei Biomass‐Resource Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology Key LaboratoryWuhan UniversityWuhan430079China
| | - Chaoji Chen
- School of Resource and Environmental ScienceHubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Sustainable Resource and EnergyHubei Engineering Center of Natural Polymers‐Based Medical MaterialsHubei Biomass‐Resource Chemistry and Environmental Biotechnology Key LaboratoryWuhan UniversityWuhan430079China
| | - Qifa Ye
- National Quality Control Center for Donated Organ ProcurementHubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on TransplantationHubei Clinical Research Center for Natural Polymer Biological LiverHubei Engineering Center of Natural Polymer‐based Medical Materials, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversityInstitute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Transplant Center of Wuhan UniversityWuhan430071China
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Guo C, Zhou N, Lu Y, Mu M, Li Z, Zhang X, Tu L, Du J, Li X, Huang D, Xu Q, Zheng X. FGF19/FGFR4 signaling contributes to hepatocellular carcinoma survival and immune escape by regulating IGF2BP1-mediated expression of PD-L1. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 170:115955. [PMID: 38048735 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115955] [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: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune-checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies have been widely used in clinical treatment of cancer patients, but only 20-30% of patients benefit from immunotherapy. Therefore, it is important to decipher the molecular mechanism of resistance to ICB and develop new combined treatment strategies. PD-L1 up-regulation in tumor cells contributes to the occurrence of immune escape. Increasing evidence shows that its transcription level is affected by multiple factors, which limits the objective response rate of ICB. Fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19), a member of the fibroblast growth factor family, is widely involved in the malignant progression of many tumors by binding to fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4). In this study, we confirmed that FGF19 acts as a driver gene in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression by binding to FGFR4. The up-regulation of FGF19 and FGFR4 in HCC is associated with poor prognosis. We found that FGF19/FGFR4 promoted the proliferation and invasion of HCC cells by driving IGF2BP1 to promote PD-L1 expression. Knockdown of FGFR4 significantly reduced the expression of IGF2BP1/PD-L1 and inhibited the proliferation and invasion of HCC cells. These biological effects are achieved by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT pathway. The combination of FGFR4 knockdown and anti-PD-1 antibody greatly suppressed tumor growth and enhanced the sensitivity of immunotherapy, highlighting the clinical significance of FGF19/FGFR4 activation in immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chaoqin Guo
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Nana Zhou
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Yisong Lu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Mingshan Mu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Zilin Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Linglan Tu
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Bioengineering, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Jingyang Du
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Xiangyu Li
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Bioengineering, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Dongsheng Huang
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, China.
| | - Qiuran Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, China.
| | - Xiaoliang Zheng
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Bioengineering, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310053, China; Zhejiang Provincial Laboratory of Experimental Animal's & Nonclinical Laboratory Studies, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310053, China.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Guo J, Zhao J. USP22-JMJD8 axis promotes Lenvatinib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2024; 1871:119617. [PMID: 37898375 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2023.119617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Lenvatinib is the first-line treatment for patients with advanced HCC, however, drug resistance cannot be avoided during the treatment process, limiting the efficacy of Lenvatinib. We constructed drug-resistant HCC cells by gradually increasing the dose of Lenvatinib. The study found for the first time that USP22 and JMJD8 are upregulated in Lenvatinib resistant HCC cells. In addition, the expression level of stemness related proteins (CD133, C-MYC, BMI1, β-CATENIN) in drug-resistant cells was higher than that in wild-type HCC cells. Knockdown of USP22 in drug-resistant HCC cells could reduce the invasion, migration and stemness of cells. Next, we explored the mechanism of USP22 in Lenvatinib resistance of HCC cells. Under the treatment of Lenvatinib, USP22 knockdown inhibited the cell viability of drug-resistant HCC cells and promoted the apoptosis of drug-resistant cells. Animal experiments in nude mice further demonstrated the important role of USP22 in inducing the resistance of HCC to Lenvatinib in vivo. More importantly, we found that USP22 and JMJD8 constitute a functional axis regulating the drug resistance of Lenvatinib in HCC. In the rescue experiment, the overexpression of JMJD8 could reduce the apoptosis induced by USP22 knockdown. In general, this study shows that USP22-JMJD8 is a drug design target for the mechanism of Lenvatinib resistance in HCC, which may improve the long-term efficacy of Lenvatinib.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinhui Guo
- Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Jie Zhao
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Shen B, Shi JP, Zhu ZX, He ZD, Liu SY, Shi W, Zhang YX, Ying HY, Wang J, Xu RF, Fang F, Chang HX, Chen Z, Zhang NN. EGFR Inhibition Overcomes Resistance to FGFR4 Inhibition and Potentiates FGFR4 Inhibitor Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Mol Cancer Ther 2023; 22:1479-1492. [PMID: 37710057 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-23-0096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant activation of the FGF19-FGFR4 signaling pathway plays an essential role in the tumorigenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As such, FGFR4 inhibition has emerged as a novel therapeutic option for the treatment of HCC and has shown preliminary efficacy in recent clinical trials for patients exhibiting aberrant FGF19 expression. Resistance to kinase inhibitors is common in oncology, presenting a major challenge in the clinical treatment process. Hence, we investigated the potential mechanisms mediating and causing resistance to FGFR4 inhibition in HCC. Upon the successful establishment of a battery of cellular models developing resistance to FGFR4 inhibitors, we have identified the activation of EGFR, MAPK, and AKT signaling as the primary mechanisms mediating the acquired resistance. Combination of inhibitors against EGFR or its downstream components restored sensitivity to FGFR4 inhibitors. In parental HCC cell lines, EGF treatment also resulted in resistance to FGFR4 inhibitors. This resistance was effectively reverted by inhibitors of the EGFR signaling pathway, suggesting that EGFR activation is a potential cause of intrinsic resistance. We further confirmed the above findings in vivo in mouse xenograft tumor models. Genomic analysis of patient samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas confirmed that a segment of patients with HCC harboring FGF19 overexpression indeed exhibited increased activation of EGFR signaling. These findings conclusively indicate that both induced and innate activation of EGFR could mediate resistance to FGFR4 inhibition, suggesting that dual blockade of EGFR and FGFR4 may be a promising future therapeutic strategy for the treatment of FGF19-FGFR4 altered HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bin Shen
- Abbisko Therapeutics Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | | | | | - Zhi-Dong He
- Abbisko Therapeutics Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | | | - Wan Shi
- Abbisko Therapeutics Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | | | | | - Jie Wang
- Abbisko Therapeutics Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Rui-Feng Xu
- Abbisko Therapeutics Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Fang
- Abbisko Therapeutics Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | | | - Zhui Chen
- Abbisko Therapeutics Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Kou L, Xie X, Chen X, Li B, Li J, Li Y. The progress of research on immune checkpoint inhibitor resistance and reversal strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2023; 72:3953-3969. [PMID: 37917364 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-023-03568-3] [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: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in humans, which is prone to recurrence and metastasis and has a poor prognosis. The occurrence and progression of HCC are closely related to immune elimination, immune homeostasis, and immune escape of the immune system. In recent years, immunotherapy, represented by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), has shown powerful anti-tumor capabilities in HCC patients. However, there are still some HCC patients who cannot benefit from ICIs treatment due to their innate or acquired drug resistance. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to explore the possible mechanisms of resistance to ICIs in HCC and to use them as a target to design strategies to reverse resistance, to overcome drug resistance in HCC and to improve the prognosis of patients. This article summarizes the possible primary (tumor microenvironment alteration, and signaling pathways, etc.) and acquired (immune checkpoint upregulation) resistance mechanisms in patients with HCC treated with ICIs, and based on this, discusses the status and effectiveness of combination drug strategy to reverse drug resistance, to provide a reference for subsequent related studies and decisions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liqiu Kou
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xiaolu Xie
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xiu Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China.
| | - Yaling Li
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China.
| |
Collapse
|