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Yang P, Jiang Y, Chen R, Yang J, Liu M, Huang X, Xu G, Hao R. Prognostic and immune infiltration implications of SIGLEC9 in SKCM. Diagn Pathol 2024; 19:112. [PMID: 39153970 PMCID: PMC11330613 DOI: 10.1186/s13000-024-01536-8] [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: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The occurrence and progression of skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is strongly associated with immune cells infiltrating the tumor microenvironment (TME). This study examined the expression, prognosis, and immune relevance of SIGLEC9 in SKCM using multiple online databases. Analysis of the GEPIA2 and Ualcan databases revealed that SIGLEC9 is highly expressed in SKCM, and patients with high SIGLEC9 expression had improved overall survival (OS). Furthermore, the mutation rate of SIGLEC9 in SKCM patients was found to be 5.41%, the highest observed. The expression of SIGLEC9 was positively correlated with macrophages, neutrophils and B cells, CD8 + T cells, CD4 + T cells, and dendritic cells, according to TIMER. Based on TCGA-SKCM data, we verified that high SIGLEC9 expression is closely associated with a good prognosis for SKCM patients, including overall survival, progression-free interval, and disease-specific survival. This positive prognosis could be due to the infiltration of immune cells into the TME. Additionally, our analysis of single-cell transcriptome data revealed that SIGLEC9 not only played a role in the normal skin immune microenvironment, but is also highly expressed in immune cell subpopulations of SKCM patients, regulating the immune response to tumors. Our findings suggest that the close association between SIGLEC9 and SKCM prognosis is primarily mediated by its effect on the tumor immune microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peipei Yang
- Department of Dermatology, Jingmen People'S Hospital &, Jingchu University of Technology Affiliated Central Hospital, Jingmen, 448000, China
| | - Yunhui Jiang
- Department of Pathology, Jingmen People'S Hospital &, Jingchu University of Technology Affiliated Central Hospital, Jingmen, 448000, China
| | - Rong Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Jingmen People'S Hospital &, Jingchu University of Technology Affiliated Central Hospital, Jingmen, 448000, China
| | - Junhan Yang
- Department of Dermatology, Jingmen People'S Hospital &, Jingchu University of Technology Affiliated Central Hospital, Jingmen, 448000, China
| | - Mengting Liu
- Department of Dermatology, Jingmen People'S Hospital &, Jingchu University of Technology Affiliated Central Hospital, Jingmen, 448000, China
| | - Xieping Huang
- Department of Dermatology, Jingmen People'S Hospital &, Jingchu University of Technology Affiliated Central Hospital, Jingmen, 448000, China
| | - Ganglin Xu
- Department of Dermatology, Jingmen People'S Hospital &, Jingchu University of Technology Affiliated Central Hospital, Jingmen, 448000, China.
| | - Rui Hao
- Department of Oncology, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, 441021, China.
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Wu M, Xiao Y, Wu R, Lei J, Li T, Zheng Y. Aggregable gold nanoparticles for cancer photothermal therapy. J Mater Chem B 2024. [PMID: 39046068 DOI: 10.1039/d4tb00403e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an important non-invasive cancer treatment method. Enhancing the photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) of photothermal agents (PTAs) and prolonging their tumor accumulation and retention are effective strategies to enhance the efficiency of cancer PTT. Recently, tremendous progress has been made in developing stimuli-responsive aggregable gold nanoparticles as effective PTAs for PTT. In this review, we discuss the chemical principles underlying gold nanoparticle aggregation and highlight the progress in gold nanoparticle aggregation triggered by different stimuli, especially tumor microenvironment-related factors, for cancer PTT. Covalent condensation reactions, click cycloaddition reactions, chelation reactions, and Au-S bonding, as well as non-covalent electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and van der Waals forces play key roles in the aggregation of gold nanoparticles. Enzymes, pH, reactive oxygen species, small molecules, salts, and light drive the occurrence of gold nanoparticle aggregation. Targeted aggregation of gold nanoparticles prolongs tumor accumulation and retention of PTAs and improves PCE, resulting in enhanced tumor PTT. Moreover, the major challenges of aggregable gold nanoparticles as PTAs are pointed out and the promising applications are also prospected at the end. With the deepening of research, we expect aggregable gold nanoparticles to become essential PTAs for tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyu Wu
- Basic Medicine Research Innovation Center for Cardiometabolic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
| | - Yao Xiao
- Basic Medicine Research Innovation Center for Cardiometabolic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
| | - Rongkun Wu
- Basic Medicine Research Innovation Center for Cardiometabolic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
| | - Jiaojiao Lei
- Basic Medicine Research Innovation Center for Cardiometabolic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
| | - Tian Li
- Basic Medicine Research Innovation Center for Cardiometabolic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
| | - Youkun Zheng
- Basic Medicine Research Innovation Center for Cardiometabolic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
- School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
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3
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Sadeghirad H, Monkman J, Tan CW, Liu N, Yunis J, Donovan ML, Moradi A, Jhaveri N, Perry C, Adams MN, O'Byrne K, Warkiani ME, Ladwa R, Hughes BGM, Kulasinghe A. Spatial dynamics of tertiary lymphoid aggregates in head and neck cancer: insights into immunotherapy response. J Transl Med 2024; 22:677. [PMID: 39049036 PMCID: PMC11267849 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05409-y] [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: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) generally has a poor prognosis for patients with limited treatment options. While incorporating immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has now become the standard of care, the efficacy is variable, with only a subset of patients responding. The complexity of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the role of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) have emerged as critical determinants for immunotherapeutic response. METHODS In this study, we analyzed two independently collected R/M HNSCC patient tissue cohorts to better understand the role of TLS in response to ICIs. Utilizing a multi-omics approach, we first performed targeted proteomic profiling using the Nanostring GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler to quantify immune-related protein expression with spatial resolution. This was further characterized by spatially resolved whole transcriptome profiling of TLSs and germinal centers (GCs). Deeper single-cell resolved proteomic profiling of the TLSs was performed using the Akoya Biosciences Phenocycler Fusion platform. RESULTS Our proteomic analysis revealed the presence of T lymphocyte markers, including CD3, CD45, and CD8, expressing cells and upregulation of immune checkpoint marker PD-L1 within tumor compartments of patients responsive to ICIs, indicative of 'hot tumor' phenotypes. We also observed the presence of antigen-presenting cells marked by expression of CD40, CD68, CD11c, and CD163 with upregulation of antigen-presentation marker HLA-DR, in patients responding to ICIs. Transcriptome analysis of TLS and GCs uncovered a marked elevation in the expression of genes related to immune modulation, diverse immune cell recruitment, and a potent interferon response within the TLS structure. Notably, the distribution of TLS-tumor distance was found to be significantly different across response groups (H = 9.28, p = 0.026). The proximity of TLSs to tumor cells was found to be a critical indicator of ICI response, implying that patients with TLSs located further from tumor cells have worse outcomes. CONCLUSION The study underscores the multifaceted role of TLSs in modulating the immunogenic landscape of the TME in R/M HNSCC, likely influencing the efficacy of ICIs. Spatially resolved multi-omics approaches offer valuable insights into potential biomarkers for ICI response and highlight the importance of profiling the TME complexity when developing therapeutic strategies and patient stratification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Habib Sadeghirad
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland, 37 Kent Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - James Monkman
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland, 37 Kent Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Chin Wee Tan
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland, 37 Kent Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
- Bioinformatics Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Ning Liu
- Bioinformatics Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
- South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute, The University of Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Joseph Yunis
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland, 37 Kent Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
- Ian Frazer Centre for Children's Immunotherapy Research, Children's Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Meg L Donovan
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland, 37 Kent Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
- Queensland Spatial Biology Centre, Wesley Research Institute, The Wesley Hospital, Auchenflower, QLD, Australia
| | - Afshin Moradi
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland, 37 Kent Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Niyati Jhaveri
- Discovery Applications, Akoya Biosciences, The Spatial Biology Company, Marlborough, MA, USA
| | - Chris Perry
- The Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
| | - Mark N Adams
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Ken O'Byrne
- The Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Rahul Ladwa
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland, 37 Kent Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
- The Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
| | - Brett G M Hughes
- The Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD, Australia
- School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Arutha Kulasinghe
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland, 37 Kent Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia.
- Queensland Spatial Biology Centre, Wesley Research Institute, The Wesley Hospital, Auchenflower, QLD, Australia.
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Yaghoubi Naei V, Monkman J, Sadeghirad H, Mehdi A, Blick T, Mullally W, O'Byrne K, Warkiani ME, Kulasinghe A. Spatial proteomic profiling of tumor and stromal compartments in non-small-cell lung cancer identifies signatures associated with overall survival. Clin Transl Immunology 2024; 13:e1522. [PMID: 39026528 PMCID: PMC11257771 DOI: 10.1002/cti2.1522] [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: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Objectives Non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is the most prevalent and lethal form of lung cancer. The need for biomarker-informed stratification of targeted therapies has underpinned the need to uncover the underlying properties of the tumor microenvironment (TME) through high-plex quantitative assays. Methods In this study, we profiled resected NSCLC tissues from 102 patients by targeted spatial proteomics of 78 proteins across tumor, immune activation, immune cell typing, immune-oncology, drug targets, cell death and PI3K/AKT modules to identify the tumor and stromal signatures associated with overall survival (OS). Results Survival analysis revealed that stromal CD56 (HR = 0.384, P = 0.06) and tumoral TIM3 (HR = 0.703, P = 0.05) were associated with better survival in univariate Cox models. In contrast, after adjusting for stage, BCLXL (HR = 2.093, P = 0.02) and cleaved caspase 9 (HR = 1.575, P = 0.1) negatively influenced survival. Delta testing indicated the protective effect of TIM-3 (HR = 0.614, P = 0.04) on OS. In multivariate analysis, CD56 (HR = 0.172, P = 0.001) was associated with better survival in the stroma, while B7.H3 (HR = 1.72, P = 0.008) was linked to poorer survival in the tumor. Conclusions Deciphering the TME using high-plex spatially resolved methods is giving us new insights into compartmentalised tumor and stromal protein signatures associated with clinical endpoints in NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahid Yaghoubi Naei
- School of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of Technology SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of MedicineThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQLDAustralia
| | - James Monkman
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of MedicineThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQLDAustralia
| | - Habib Sadeghirad
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of MedicineThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQLDAustralia
| | - Ahmed Mehdi
- Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation (QCIF) LtdThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQLDAustralia
| | - Tony Blick
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of MedicineThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQLDAustralia
| | | | - Ken O'Byrne
- The Princess Alexandra HospitalBrisbaneQLDAustralia
| | | | - Arutha Kulasinghe
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of MedicineThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQLDAustralia
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Kamaraj R, Ghosh S, Das S, Sen S, Kumar P, Majumdar M, Dasgupta R, Mukherjee S, Das S, Ghose I, Pavek P, Raja Karuppiah MP, Chuturgoon AA, Anand K. Targeted Protein Degradation (TPD) for Immunotherapy: Understanding Proteolysis Targeting Chimera-Driven Ubiquitin-Proteasome Interactions. Bioconjug Chem 2024. [PMID: 38990186 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.4c00253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation or TPD, is rapidly emerging as a treatment that utilizes small molecules to degrade proteins that cause diseases. TPD allows for the selective removal of disease-causing proteins, including proteasome-mediated degradation, lysosome-mediated degradation, and autophagy-mediated degradation. This approach has shown great promise in preclinical studies and is now being translated to treat numerous diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, infectious diseases, and cancer. This review discusses the latest advances in TPD and its potential as a new chemical modality for immunotherapy, with a special focus on the innovative applications and cutting-edge research of PROTACs (Proteolysis TArgeting Chimeras) and their efficient translation from scientific discovery to technological achievements. Our review also addresses the significant obstacles and potential prospects in this domain, while also offering insights into the future of TPD for immunotherapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajamanikkam Kamaraj
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University in Prague, Heyrovskeho 1203, 50005 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Subhrojyoti Ghosh
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
| | - Souvadra Das
- Department of Biotechnology, Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata 700107, India
| | - Shinjini Sen
- Department of Biotechnology, Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata 700107, India
| | - Priyanka Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata 700107, India
| | - Madhurima Majumdar
- Department of Biotechnology, Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata 700107, India
| | - Renesa Dasgupta
- Department of Biotechnology, Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata 700107, India
| | - Sampurna Mukherjee
- Department of Biotechnology, Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata 700107, India
| | - Shrimanti Das
- Department of Biotechnology, Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata 700107, India
| | - Indrilla Ghose
- Department of Biotechnology, Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata 700107, India
| | - Petr Pavek
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University in Prague, Heyrovskeho 1203, 50005 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Muruga Poopathi Raja Karuppiah
- Department of Chemistry, School of Physical Sciences, Central University of Kerala, Tejaswini Hills, Periye, Kasaragod District, Kerala 671320, India
| | - Anil A Chuturgoon
- Discipline of Medical Biochemistry, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Howard College Campus, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
| | - Krishnan Anand
- Department of Chemical Pathology, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, Free State 9300, South Africa
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Alqathama A. Natural products as promising modulators of breast cancer immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1410300. [PMID: 39050852 PMCID: PMC11266008 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1410300] [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: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy among women and is considered a major global health challenge worldwide due to its high incidence and mortality rates. Treatment strategies for BC is wide-ranging and include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted hormonal therapy and immunotherapy. Immunotherapy has gained popularity recently and is often integrated as a component of personalized cancer care because it aims to strengthen the immune system and enable it to recognize and eradicate transformed cells. It has fewer side-effects and lower toxicity than other treatment strategies, such as chemotherapy. Many natural products are being investigated for a wide range of therapeutic pharmacological properties, such as immune system modulation and activity against infection, auto-immune disease, and cancer. This review presents an overview of the major immune response-related pathways in BC, followed by detailed explanation of how natural compounds can act as immunomodulatory agents against biomolecular targets. Research has been carried out on many forms of natural products, including extracts, isolated entities, synthetic derivatives, nanoparticles, and combinations of natural compounds. Findings have shown significant regulatory effects on immune cells and immune cytokines that lead to immunogenic cancer cell death, as well as upregulation of macrophages and CD+8 T cells, and increased natural killer cell and dendritic cell activity. Natural products have also been found to inhibit some immuno-suppressive cells such as Treg and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and to decrease immunosuppressive factors such as TGF-β and IL-10. Also, some natural compounds have been found to target and hinder immune checkpoints such as PD-L1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aljawharah Alqathama
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
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7
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Chen L, Yin G, Wang Z, Liu Z, Sui C, Chen K, Song T, Xu W, Qi L, Li X. A predictive radiotranscriptomics model based on DCE-MRI for tumor immune landscape and immunotherapy in cholangiocarcinoma. Biosci Trends 2024; 18:263-276. [PMID: 38853000 DOI: 10.5582/bst.2024.01121] [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] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
This study aims to determine the predictive role of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) derived radiomic model in tumor immune profiling and immunotherapy for cholangiocarcinoma. To perform radiomic analysis, immune related subgroup clustering was first performed by single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). Second, a total of 806 radiomic features for each phase of DCE-MRI were extracted by utilizing the Python package Pyradiomics. Then, a predictive radiomic signature model was constructed after a three-step features reduction and selection, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was employed to evaluate the performance of this model. In the end, an independent testing cohort involving cholangiocarcinoma patients with anti-PD-1 Sintilimab treatment after surgery was used to verify the potential application of the established radiomic model in immunotherapy for cholangiocarcinoma. Two distinct immune related subgroups were classified using ssGSEA based on transcriptome sequencing. For radiomic analysis, a total of 10 predictive radiomic features were finally identified to establish a radiomic signature model for immune landscape classification. Regarding to the predictive performance, the mean AUC of ROC curves was 0.80 in the training/validation cohort. For the independent testing cohort, the individual predictive probability by radiomic model and the corresponding immune score derived from ssGSEA was significantly correlated. In conclusion, radiomic signature model based on DCE-MRI was capable of predicting the immune landscape of chalangiocarcinoma. Consequently, a potentially clinical application of this developed radiomic model to guide immunotherapy for cholangiocarcinoma was suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Cancer, Liver Cancer Research Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Guotao Yin
- Department of Radiology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Ziyang Wang
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tianjin Cancer Hospital Airport Hospital, Tianjin, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Zifan Liu
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Chunxiao Sui
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Kun Chen
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Tianqiang Song
- Department of Hepatobiliary Cancer, Liver Cancer Research Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Wengui Xu
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Lisha Qi
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaofeng Li
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
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8
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Dvir K, Giordano S, Leone JP. Immunotherapy in Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7517. [PMID: 39062758 PMCID: PMC11276856 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25147517] [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: 06/12/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is a disease encompassing a spectrum of molecular subtypes and clinical presentations, each with distinct prognostic implications and treatment responses. Breast cancer has traditionally been considered an immunologically "cold" tumor, unresponsive to immunotherapy. However, clinical trials in recent years have found immunotherapy to be an efficacious therapeutic option for select patients. Breast cancer is categorized into different subtypes ranging from the most common positive hormone receptor (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative type, to less frequent HER2- positive breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), highlighting the necessity for tailored treatment strategies aimed at maximizing patient outcomes. Despite notable progress in early detection and new therapeutic modalities, breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death in the USA. Moreover, in recent decades, breast cancer incidence rates have been increasing, especially in women younger than the age of 50. This has prompted the exploration of new therapeutic approaches to address this trend, offering new therapeutic prospects for breast cancer patients. Immunotherapy is a class of therapeutic agents that has revolutionized the treatment landscape of many cancers, namely melanoma, lung cancer, and gastroesophageal cancers, amongst others. Though belatedly, immunotherapy has entered the treatment armamentarium of breast cancer, with the approval of pembrolizumab in combination with chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) in the neoadjuvant and advanced settings, thereby paving the path for further research and integration of immune checkpoint inhibitors in other subtypes of breast cancer. Trials exploring various combination therapies to harness the power of immunotherapy in symbiosis with various chemotherapeutic agents are ongoing in hopes of improving response rates and prolonging survival for breast cancer patients. Biomarkers and precise patient selection for the utilization of immunotherapy remain cardinal and are currently under investigation, with some biomarkers showing promise, such as Program Death Lignat-1 (PDL-1) Combined Positive Score, Tumor Mutation Burden (TMB), and Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs). This review will present the current landscape of immunotherapy, particularly checkpoint inhibitors, in different types of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Dvir
- Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (K.D.)
- St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Sara Giordano
- Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (K.D.)
- St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, USA
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Garlisi B, Lauks S, Aitken C, Ogilvie LM, Lockington C, Petrik D, Eichhorn JS, Petrik J. The Complex Tumor Microenvironment in Ovarian Cancer: Therapeutic Challenges and Opportunities. Curr Oncol 2024; 31:3826-3844. [PMID: 39057155 PMCID: PMC11275383 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol31070283] [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: 05/15/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) in ovarian cancer (OC) has much greater complexity than previously understood. In response to aggressive pro-angiogenic stimulus, blood vessels form rapidly and are dysfunctional, resulting in poor perfusion, tissue hypoxia, and leakiness, which leads to increased interstitial fluid pressure (IFP). Decreased perfusion and high IFP significantly inhibit the uptake of therapies into the tumor. Within the TME, there are numerous inhibitor cells, such as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), tumor association macrophages (TAMs), regulatory T cells (Tregs), and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) that secrete high numbers of immunosuppressive cytokines. This immunosuppressive environment is thought to contribute to the lack of success of immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. This review discusses the components of the TME in OC, how these characteristics impede therapeutic efficacy, and some strategies to alleviate this inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jim Petrik
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (B.G.); (S.L.); (C.A.); (L.M.O.); (C.L.); (D.P.); (J.S.E.)
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10
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Eichhorn JS, Petrik J. Thetumor microenvironment'sinpancreatic cancer:Effects onimmunotherapy successandnovel strategiestoovercomethehostile environment. Pathol Res Pract 2024; 259:155370. [PMID: 38815507 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2024.155370] [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: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Cancer is a significant global health issue that poses a considerable burden on both patients and healthcare systems. Many different types of cancers exist that often require unique treatment approaches and therapies. A hallmark of tumor progression is the creation of an immunosuppressive environment, which poses complex challenges for current treatments. Amongst the most explored characteristics is a hypoxic environment, high interstitial pressure, and immunosuppressive cells and cytokines. Traditional cancer treatments involve radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgical procedures. The advent of immunotherapies was regarded as a promising approach with hopes of greatly increasing patients' survival and outcome. Although some success is seen with various immunotherapies, the vast majority of monotherapies are unsuccessful. This review examines how various aspects of the tumor microenvironment (TME) present challenges that impede the success of immunotherapies. Subsequently, we review strategies to manipulate the TME to facilitate the success of immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Sören Eichhorn
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - Jim Petrik
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1 Canada.
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Kuznetsova AV, Glukhova XA, Popova OP, Beletsky IP, Ivanov AA. Contemporary Approaches to Immunotherapy of Solid Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2270. [PMID: 38927974 PMCID: PMC11201544 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16122270] [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: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the arrival of the immunotherapy industry has introduced the possibility of providing transformative, durable, and potentially curative outcomes for various forms of malignancies. However, further research has shown that there are a number of issues that significantly reduce the effectiveness of immunotherapy, especially in solid tumors. First of all, these problems are related to the protective mechanisms of the tumor and its microenvironment. Currently, major efforts are focused on overcoming protective mechanisms by using different adoptive cell therapy variants and modifications of genetically engineered constructs. In addition, a complex workforce is required to develop and implement these treatments. To overcome these significant challenges, innovative strategies and approaches are necessary to engineer more powerful variations of immunotherapy with improved antitumor activity and decreased toxicity. In this review, we discuss recent innovations in immunotherapy aimed at improving clinical efficacy in solid tumors, as well as strategies to overcome the limitations of various immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alla V. Kuznetsova
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Russian University of Medicine (Formerly A.I. Evdokimov Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry), Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Bld 4, Dolgorukovskaya Str, 1127006 Moscow, Russia; (A.V.K.); (O.P.P.)
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 26 Vavilov Street, 119334 Moscow, Russia
| | - Xenia A. Glukhova
- Onni Biotechnologies Ltd., Aalto University Campus, Metallimiehenkuja 10, 02150 Espoo, Finland; (X.A.G.); (I.P.B.)
| | - Olga P. Popova
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Russian University of Medicine (Formerly A.I. Evdokimov Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry), Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Bld 4, Dolgorukovskaya Str, 1127006 Moscow, Russia; (A.V.K.); (O.P.P.)
| | - Igor P. Beletsky
- Onni Biotechnologies Ltd., Aalto University Campus, Metallimiehenkuja 10, 02150 Espoo, Finland; (X.A.G.); (I.P.B.)
| | - Alexey A. Ivanov
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Russian University of Medicine (Formerly A.I. Evdokimov Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry), Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Bld 4, Dolgorukovskaya Str, 1127006 Moscow, Russia; (A.V.K.); (O.P.P.)
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12
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Li Z, Yin S, Yang K, Zhang B, Wu X, Zhang M, Gao D. CircRNA Regulation of T Cells in Cancer: Unraveling Potential Targets. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6383. [PMID: 38928088 PMCID: PMC11204142 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126383] [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: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
T lymphocytes play a critical role in antitumor immunity, but their exhaustion poses a significant challenge for immune evasion by malignant cells. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), characterized by their covalently closed looped structure, have emerged as pivotal regulators within the neoplastic landscape. Recent studies have highlighted their multifaceted roles in cellular processes, including gene expression modulation and protein function regulation, which are often disrupted in cancer. In this review, we systematically explore the intricate interplay between circRNAs and T cell modulation within the tumor microenvironment. By dissecting the regulatory mechanisms through which circRNAs impact T cell exhaustion, we aim to uncover pathways crucial for immune evasion and T cell dysfunction. These insights can inform innovative immunotherapeutic strategies targeting circRNA-mediated molecular pathways. Additionally, we discuss the translational potential of circRNAs as biomarkers for therapeutic response prediction and as intervention targets. Our comprehensive analysis aims to enhance the understanding of immune evasion dynamics in the tumor microenvironment by facilitating the development of precision immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zelin Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, China; (Z.L.); (B.Z.)
- The First Clinical Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, China; (S.Y.); (X.W.)
| | - Shuanshuan Yin
- The First Clinical Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, China; (S.Y.); (X.W.)
| | - Kangping Yang
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, China;
| | - Baojie Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, China; (Z.L.); (B.Z.)
| | - Xuanhuang Wu
- The First Clinical Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, China; (S.Y.); (X.W.)
| | - Meng Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, China; (Z.L.); (B.Z.)
| | - Dian Gao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, China; (Z.L.); (B.Z.)
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Yan SY, Fan JG. Application of immune checkpoint inhibitors and microsatellite instability in gastric cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2024; 30:2734-2739. [PMID: 38899328 PMCID: PMC11185298 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i21.2734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
In this editorial we comment on the article by Li published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Gastroenterology. We focus specifically on the application of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and microsatellite instability (MSI) in gastric cancer (GC). The four pillars of GC management have long been considered, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapy. However, immunotherapy has recently emerged as a "fifth pillar", and its use is rapidly expanding. There are four principal strategies for tumor immunotherapy: ICIs, tumor vaccines, adoptive immunotherapy and nonspecific immunomodulators. Of them, ICIs are the most advanced and widespread type of cancer immunotherapy for GC. Recent breakthrough results for ICIs have paved the way to a new era of cancer immunotherapy. In particular, inhibition of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis with ICIs, including nivolumab and pembrolizumab, has emerged as a novel treatment strategy for advanced GC. Unfortunately, these therapies are sometimes associated with often subtle, potentially fatal immune-related adverse events (irAEs), including dermatitis, diarrhea, colitis, endocrinopathy, hepatotoxicity, neuropathy and pneumonitis. We must be aware of these irAEs and improve the detection of these processes to prevent inappropriate discharges, emergency department revisits, and downstream complications. Recent studies have revealed that MSI-high or mismatch- repair-deficient tumors, regardless of their primary site, have a promising response to ICIs. So, it is important to detect MSI before applying ICIs for treatment of GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Yan Yan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jian-Gao Fan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
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Ma J, Lang B, Wang L, Zhou Y, Fu C, Tian C, Xue L. Pan-Cancer Analysis and Experimental Validation of CEND1 as a Prognostic and Immune Infiltration-Associated Biomarker for Gliomas. Mol Biotechnol 2024:10.1007/s12033-024-01197-4. [PMID: 38836983 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-024-01197-4] [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: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Cell cycle exit and neuronal differentiation 1 (CEND1), highly expressed in the brain, is a specific transmembrane protein which plays a tumor suppressor role. This study is performed to investigate the role of CEND1 in various cancers through pan-cancer analysis, and further investigate its functions in gliomas by cell experiments. The expression and subcellular localization of CEND1 in different cancer types were analyzed utilizing the data from the GEPIA, UCSC, UALCAN and HPA databases. Relationships of CEND1 expression with prognosis, immunomodulation-related genes, immune checkpoint genes, microsatellite instability (MSI), tumor mutation burden (TMB) and RNA modifications were analyzed based on the TCGA database. The ESTIMATE algorithm was utilized to evaluate tumors' StromalScore, Immune Score, and ESTIMATES Score. The cBioPortal database was employed to analyze the categories and frequencies of CEND1 gene alterations. Biological functions and co-expression patterns of CEND1 in gliomas were explored using the LinkedOmics database, and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were conducted. The interactions between CEND1 and drugs were explored employing the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database and molecular docking technology. Cell experiments were conducted to analyze triptonide's effects on glioma cells through CCK-8, flow cytometry and qRT-PCR. CEND1 was lowly expressed in gliomas, and high CEND1 expression was correlated to better overall survival of glioma patients (HR = 0.65, P = 0.02). Deep deletion was the main type of hereditary change of CEND1 mutation. CEND1 expression was markedly associated with immune infiltration, TMB, MSI, and RNA modification in various tumors (r > 0.3, P < 0.05). CEND1 co-expressed genes in gliomas were markedly correlated with immune responses and cell cycle (FDR < 0.05). Triptonide could bind well to CEND1 (-5.0 kcal/mol), and triptonide could facilitate CEND1 expression in glioma cells and cell apoptosis, and block the cell cycle progression (P < 0.05). CEND1 serves as a potential biomarker for pan-cancer. Particularly in gliomas, CEND1 is a key regulator of cell apoptosis and cell cycle, and a potential target for glioma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyang Ma
- Department of Neurology, The First College of Clinical Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University & Yichang Central People's Hospital, Yichang, 443003, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Bojuan Lang
- Department of Pathology, The First College of Clinical Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University & Yichang Central People's Hospital, Yichang, 443003, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First College of Clinical Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University & Yichang Central People's Hospital, Yichang, 443003, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
| | - Youdong Zhou
- Department of Neurology, The First College of Clinical Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University & Yichang Central People's Hospital, Yichang, 443003, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Changtao Fu
- Department of Neurology, The First College of Clinical Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University & Yichang Central People's Hospital, Yichang, 443003, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunlei Tian
- Department of Neurology, The First College of Clinical Medical Sciences, China Three Gorges University & Yichang Central People's Hospital, Yichang, 443003, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Lixin Xue
- Department of Neurosurgery, Zhijiang Branch of Yichang Central People's Hospital, Yichang, 443003, Hubei, People's Republic of China
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15
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Yang Z, Zhang X, Zhan N, Lin L, Zhang J, Peng L, Qiu T, Luo Y, Liu C, Pan C, Hu J, Ye Y, Jiang Z, Liu X, Sun M, Zhang Y. Exosome-related lncRNA score: A value-based individual treatment strategy for predicting the response to immunotherapy in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Cancer Med 2024; 13:e7308. [PMID: 38808948 PMCID: PMC11135019 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.7308] [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: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exosomes play a crucial role in intercellular communication in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), while the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are implicated in tumorigenesis and progression. AIMS The purpose of this study is to construction a exosomes-related lncRNA score and a ceRNA network to predict the response to immunotherapy and potential targeted drug in ccRCC. METHODS Data of ccRCC patients were obtained from the TCGA database. Pearson correlation analysis was used to identify eExosomes-related lncRNAs (ERLRs) from Top10 exosomes-related genes that have been screened. The entire cohort was randomly divided into a training cohort and a validation cohort in equal scale. LASSO regression and multivariate cox regression was used to construct the ERLRs-based score. Differences in clinicopathological characteristics, immune microenvironment, immune checkpoints, and drug susceptibility between the high- and low-risk groups were also investigated. Finally, the relevant ceRNA network was constructed by machine learning to analyze their potential targets in immunotherapy and drug use of ccRCC patients. RESULTS A score consisting of 4ERLRs was identified, and patients with higher ERLRs-based score tended to have a worse prognosis than those with lower ERLRs-based score. ROC curves and multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the score could be considered as a risk factor for prognosis in both training and validation cohorts. Moreover, patients with high scores are predisposed to experience poor overall survival, a larger prevalence of advanced stage (III-IV), a greater tumor mutational burden, a higher infiltration of immunosuppressive cells, and a greater likelihood of responding favorably to immunotherapy. The importance of EMX2OS was determined by mechanical learning, and the ceRNA network was constructed, and EMX2OS may be a potential therapeutic target, possibly exerting its function through the EMX2OS/hsa-miR-31-5p/TLN2 axis. CONCLUSIONS Based on machine learning, a novel ERLRs-based score was constructed for predicting the survival of ccRCC patients. The ERLRs-based score is a promising potential independent prognostic factor that is closely correlated with the immune microenvironment and clinicopathological characteristics. Meanwhile, we screened out key lncRNAEMX2OS and identified the EMX2OS/hsa-miR-31-5p/TLN2 axis, which may provide new clues for the targeted therapy of ccRCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhan Yang
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouZhejiang ProvinceChina
| | - Xiaoting Zhang
- Stomatology Hospital, School of StomatologyZhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouZhejiang ProvinceChina
| | - Ning Zhan
- Stomatology Hospital, School of StomatologyZhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouZhejiang ProvinceChina
| | - Lining Lin
- Stomatology Hospital, School of StomatologyZhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouZhejiang ProvinceChina
| | - Jingyu Zhang
- Stomatology Hospital, School of StomatologyZhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouZhejiang ProvinceChina
| | - Lianjie Peng
- Stomatology Hospital, School of StomatologyZhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouZhejiang ProvinceChina
| | - Tao Qiu
- Stomatology Hospital, School of StomatologyZhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouZhejiang ProvinceChina
| | - Yaxian Luo
- Stomatology Hospital, School of StomatologyZhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouZhejiang ProvinceChina
| | - Chundi Liu
- Stomatology Hospital, School of StomatologyZhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouZhejiang ProvinceChina
| | - Chaoran Pan
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouZhejiang ProvinceChina
| | - Junhao Hu
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouZhejiang ProvinceChina
| | - Yifan Ye
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouZhejiang ProvinceChina
| | - Zilong Jiang
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouZhejiang ProvinceChina
| | - Xinyu Liu
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouZhejiang ProvinceChina
| | - Mouyuan Sun
- Stomatology Hospital, School of StomatologyZhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Research of Zhejiang Province, Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Devices of Zhejiang ProvinceHangzhouZhejiang ProvinceChina
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouZhejiang ProvinceChina
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Nikolouzakis TK, Chrysos E, Docea AO, Fragkiadaki P, Souglakos J, Tsiaoussis J, Tsatsakis A. Current and Future Trends of Colorectal Cancer Treatment: Exploring Advances in Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1995. [PMID: 38893120 PMCID: PMC11171065 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16111995] [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: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer of the colon and rectum (CRC) has been identified among the three most prevalent types of cancer and cancer-related deaths for both sexes. Even though significant progress in surgical and chemotherapeutic techniques has markedly improved disease-free and overall survival rates in contrast to those three decades ago, recent years have seen a stagnation in these improvements. This underscores the need for new therapies aiming to augment patient outcomes. A number of emerging strategies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and adoptive cell therapy (ACT), have exhibited promising outcomes not only in preclinical but also in clinical settings. Additionally, a thorough appreciation of the underlying biology has expanded the scope of research into potential therapeutic interventions. For instance, the pivotal role of altered telomere length in early CRC carcinogenesis, leading to chromosomal instability and telomere dysfunction, presents a promising avenue for future treatments. Thus, this review explores the advancements in CRC immunotherapy and telomere-targeted therapies, examining potential synergies and how these novel treatment modalities intersect to potentially enhance each other's efficacy, paving the way for promising future therapeutic advancements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emmanuel Chrysos
- Department of General Surgery, University General Hospital of Heraklion, 71110 Heraklion, Greece; (T.K.N.); (E.C.)
| | - Anca Oana Docea
- Department of Toxicology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania
| | - Persefoni Fragkiadaki
- Department of Forensic Sciences and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece; (P.F.); (A.T.)
| | - John Souglakos
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Medical School, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, Greece;
| | - John Tsiaoussis
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, Greece;
| | - Aristidis Tsatsakis
- Department of Forensic Sciences and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece; (P.F.); (A.T.)
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Sun C, Wang J, Li H, Liu L, Lin Y, Zhang L, Zu X, Zhu Y, Shu Y, Shen D, Wang Q, Liu Y. METTL14 regulates CD8 +T-cell activation and immune responses to anti-PD-1 therapy in lung cancer. World J Surg Oncol 2024; 22:128. [PMID: 38725005 PMCID: PMC11083848 DOI: 10.1186/s12957-024-03402-9] [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: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification plays an important role in lung cancer. However, methyltransferase-like 14 (METTL14), which serves as the main component of the m6A complex, has been less reported to be involved in the immune microenvironment of lung cancer. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between METTL14 and the immune checkpoint inhibitor programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) in lung cancer. METHODS CCK-8, colony formation, transwell, wound healing, and flow cytometry assays were performed to explore the role of METTL14 in lung cancer progression in vitro. Furthermore, syngeneic model mice were treated with sh-METTL14 andan anti-PD-1 antibody to observe the effect of METTL14 on immunotherapy. Flow cytometry and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining were used to detect CD8 expression. RIP and MeRIP were performed to assess the relationship between METTL14 and HSD17B6. LLC cells and activated mouse PBMCs were cocultured in vitro to mimic immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment. ELISA was used to detect IFN-γ and TNF-α levels. RESULTS The online database GEPIA showed that high METTL14 expression indicated a poor prognosis in patients with lung cancer. In vitro assays suggested that METTL14 knockdown suppressed lung cancer progression. In vivo assays revealed that METTL14 knockdown inhibited tumor growth and enhanced the response to PD-1 immunotherapy. Furthermore, METTL14 knockdown enhanced CD8+T-cell activation and infiltration. More importantly, METTL14 knockdown increased the stability of HSD17B6 mRNA by reducing its m6A methylation. In addition, HSD17B6 overexpression promoted the activation of CD8+ T cells. CONCLUSION The disruption of METTL14 contributed to CD8+T-cell activation and the immunotherapy response to PD-1 via m6A modification of HSD17B6, thereby suppressing lung cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chongqi Sun
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Oncology, Wuxi Second Geriatric Hospital, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214174, China
| | - Huixing Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214023, China
| | - Luyao Liu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China
| | - Yu Lin
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215001, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Jintan Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, 213200, China
| | - Xianglong Zu
- Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China
| | - Yizhi Zhu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China
| | - Yongqian Shu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China
| | - Dong Shen
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Jiangyin Hospital of Nantong University, Jiangyin, Jiangsu, 214400, China
| | - Qiong Wang
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Jiangyin Hospital of Nantong University, Jiangyin, Jiangsu, 214400, China.
| | - Yiqian Liu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, China.
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Novotná K, Tenora L, Slusher BS, Rais R. Therapeutic resurgence of 6-diazo-5-oxo-l-norleucine (DON) through tissue-targeted prodrugs. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2024; 100:157-180. [PMID: 39034051 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2024.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
The recognition that rapidly proliferating cancer cells rely heavily on glutamine for their survival and growth has renewed interest in the development of glutamine antagonists for cancer therapy. Glutamine plays a pivotal role as a carbon source for synthesizing lipids and metabolites through the TCA cycle, as well as a nitrogen source for synthesis of amino acid and nucleotides. Numerous studies have explored the significance of glutamine metabolism in cancer, providing a robust rationale for targeting this metabolic pathway in cancer treatment. The glutamine antagonist 6-diazo-5-oxo-l-norleucine (DON) has been explored as an anticancer therapeutic for nearly six decades. Initial investigations revealed remarkable efficacy in preclinical studies and promising outcomes in early clinical trials. However, further advancement of DON was hindered due to dose-limiting gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities as the GI system is highly dependent on glutamine for regulating growth and repair. In an effort to repurpose DON and mitigate gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity concerns, prodrug strategies were utilized. These strategies aimed to enhance the delivery of DON to specific target tissues, such as tumors and the central nervous system (CNS), while sparing DON delivery to normal tissues, particularly the GI tract. When administered at low daily doses, optimized for metabolic inhibition, these prodrugs exhibit remarkable effectiveness without inducing significant toxicity to normal tissues. This approach holds promise for overcoming past challenges associated with DON, offering an avenue for its successful utilization in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kateřina Novotná
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic v.v.i., Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Organic Chemistry, Charles University, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Tenora
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Organic Chemistry, Charles University, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Barbara S Slusher
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
| | - Rana Rais
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
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Laberiano-Fernandez C, Gan Q, Wang SM, Tamegnon A, Wistuba I, Yoon E, Roy-Chowdhuri S, Parra ER. Exploratory pilot study to characterize the immune landscapes of malignant pleural effusions and their corresponding primary tumors from patients with breast carcinoma and lung adenocarcinoma. J Am Soc Cytopathol 2024; 13:161-173. [PMID: 38519275 DOI: 10.1016/j.jasc.2024.02.005] [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: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a frequent complication of advanced malignancies. In this pilot study, we characterized the immune landscapes of MPEs, compared them to their primary tumor (PT) samples from breast carcinoma (BC) and lung adenocarcinoma (LADC), and tested the utility of multiplexed image technology in cytological samples. MATERIALS AND METHODS We evaluated the immune contexture of 6 BC and 5 LADC MPEs and their PTs using 3 multiplex immunofluorescence panels. We explored the associations between sample characteristics and pleural effusion-free survival. RESULTS No MPE samples had positive programmed death-ligand 1 expression in malignant cells, although 3 of 11 PTs has positive programmed death-ligand 1 expression (more than 1% expression in malignant cells). Overall, in LADC samples, cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3)+ T cells and CD3+CD8+ cytotoxic T cells predominated (median percentages for MPEs versus PTs: 45.6% versus 40.7% and 4.7% versus 6.6%, respectively) compared with BC. CD68+ macrophages predominated in the BC samples (medians for MPEs 61.2% versus PTs for 57.1%) but not in the LADC samples. Generally in PTs, CD3+CD8+ forkhead box P3+ T cells and the median distances from the malignant cells to CD3+CD8+Ki67+ and CD3+ programmed cell death protein 1 + T cells correlated to earlier MPE after PT diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS The immune cell phenotypes in the MPEs and PTs were similar within each cancer type but different between BC versus LADC. An MPE analysis can potentially be used as a substitute for a PT analysis, but an expanded study of this topic is essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caddie Laberiano-Fernandez
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Qiong Gan
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Sophia Mei Wang
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Auriole Tamegnon
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Ignacio Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Esther Yoon
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Sinchita Roy-Chowdhuri
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Edwin Roger Parra
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
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20
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Alnassar N, Derry JMJ, Banna GL, Gorecki DC. Differential expression of DMD transcripts as a novel prognostic biomarker in histologically diverse mesotheliomas. Transl Lung Cancer Res 2024; 13:733-748. [PMID: 38736495 PMCID: PMC11082705 DOI: 10.21037/tlcr-24-28] [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: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Background The identification of prognostic biomarkers is crucial for guiding treatment strategies in mesothelioma patients. The Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) gene and its specific transcripts have been associated with patient survival in various tumours. In this study, we aimed to investigate the prognostic potential of DMD gene expression and its transcripts in mesothelioma patients. Methods We analysed The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) mesothelioma RNAseq, mutation, and clinical data to assess the association between DMD gene expression and its transcripts (Dp427, Dp71 splice variants) and mesothelioma survival. We also evaluated the specific Dp71 transcript as a unique prognostic biomarker across mesothelioma subtypes. Additionally, we performed differential gene expression analysis between high and low DMD gene/transcript expression groups. Results The analysis included 57 epithelioid, 23 biphasic, two sarcomatoid, and five not otherwise specified (NOS) histological subtypes of mesothelioma samples. Univariate analysis revealed that high expression of the DMD gene and its Dp71 transcript was significantly associated with shorter survival in mesothelioma patients (P=0.003 and P<0.001, respectively). In a multivariate analysis, the association between Dp71 expression and survival remained significant [hazard ratio (HR) 2.29, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.24-4.23, P=0.008] across all mesothelioma patients, and also among patients with mesotheliomas without deep CDKN2A deletions (HR 3.58, 95% CI: 1.31-9.80, P=0.01). Pathway analysis revealed enrichment of cell cycle (P=3.01×10-4) and homologous recombination (P=0.01) pathways in differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between high and low Dp71 groups. Furthermore, there were correlations between Dp71 transcript expression and tumour microenvironment (TME) cells, including a weak positive correlation with macrophages (R=0.32, P=0.002) specifically M2 macrophages (R=0.34, P=0.001). Conclusions Our findings indicate that the differential expression of specific DMD transcripts is associated with poor survival in mesothelioma patients. The specific Dp71 transcript can serve as a potential biomarker for predicting patient survival in diverse histological subtypes of mesothelioma. Further studies are needed to understand the role of specific dystrophin transcripts in cancer and TME cells, and their implications in the pathogenesis and progression of mesothelioma. Identifying patients at risk of poor survival based on DMD transcript expression can guide treatment strategies in mesothelioma, informing decisions regarding treatment intensity, follow-up schedules, eligibility for clinical trials, and ultimately, end-of-life care planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Alnassar
- Molecular Medicine Group, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | | | - Giuseppe Luigi Banna
- Molecular Medicine Group, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
- Department of Oncology, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, Cosham, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Dariusz C. Gorecki
- Molecular Medicine Group, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
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Kranjčević JK, Čonkaš J, Ozretić P. The Role of Estrogen and Estrogen Receptors in Head and Neck Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1575. [PMID: 38672656 PMCID: PMC11049451 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16081575] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common histological form of head and neck tumors (HNTs), which originate from the epithelium of the lips and oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, salivary glands, nasal cavity, and sinuses. The main risk factors include consumption of tobacco in all forms and alcohol, as well as infections with high-risk human papillomaviruses or the Epstein-Barr virus. Regardless of the etiological agent, the risk of developing different types of HNTs is from two to more than six times higher in males than in females. The reason for such disparities probably lies in a combination of both biological and psychosocial factors. Therefore, it is hypothesized that exposure to female sex hormones, primarily estrogen, provides women with protection against the formation and metastasis of HNTs. In this review, we synthesized available knowledge on the role of estrogen and estrogen receptors (ERs) in the development and progression of HNTs, with special emphasis on membrane ERs, which are much less studied. We can summarize that in addition to epidemiologic studies unequivocally pointing to the protective effect of estrogen in women, an increased expression of both nuclear ERs, ERα, and ERβ, and membrane ERs, ERα36, GPER1, and NaV1.2, was present in different types of HNSCC, for which anti-estrogens could be used as an effective therapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Petar Ozretić
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia (J.Č.)
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22
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Cui Z, Li H, Liu C, Wang J, Chen C, Hu S, Zhao X, Li G. Single-cell data revealed exhaustion of characteristic NK cell subpopulations and T cell subpopulations in hepatocellular carcinoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:6550-6565. [PMID: 38604154 PMCID: PMC11042964 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205723] [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: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The treatment and prognosis of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been a major medical challenge. Unraveling the landscape of tumor immune infiltrating cells (TIICs) in the immune microenvironment of HCC is of great significance to probe the molecular mechanisms. METHODS Based on single-cell data of HCC, the cell landscape was revealed from the perspective of TIICs. Special cell subpopulations were determined by the expression levels of marker genes. Differential expression analysis was conducted. The activity of each subpopulation was determined based on the highly expressed genes. CTLA4+ T-cell subpopulations affecting the prognosis of HCC were determined based on survival analysis. A single-cell regulatory network inference and clustering analysis was also performed to determine the transcription factor regulatory networks in the CTLA4+ T cell subpopulations. RESULTS 10 cell types were identified and NK cells and T cells showed high abundance in tumor tissues. Two NK cells subpopulations were present, FGFBP2+ NK cells, B3GNT7+ NK cells. Four T cells subpopulations were present, LAG3+ T cells, CTLA4+ T cells, RCAN3+ T cells, and HPGDS+ Th2 cells. FGFBP2+ NK cells, and CTLA4+ T cells were the exhaustive subpopulation. High CTLA4+ T cells contributed to poor prognostic outcomes and promoted tumor progression. Finally, a network of transcription factors regulated by NR3C1, STAT1, and STAT3, which were activated, was present in CTLA4+ T cells. CONCLUSION CTLA4+ T cell subsets in HCC exhibited functional exhaustion characteristics that probably inhibited T cell function through a transcription factor network dominated by NR3C1, STAT1, and STAT3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongfeng Cui
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Henan Provincial Infectious Disease Hospital, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Hongzhi Li
- Department of Tuberculosis, Henan Provincial Infectious Disease Hospital, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Chunli Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Henan Provincial Infectious Disease Hospital, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Juan Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Henan Provincial Infectious Disease Hospital, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Chunguang Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Henan Provincial Infectious Disease Hospital, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Shanlei Hu
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Henan Provincial Infectious Disease Hospital, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Xiaoli Zhao
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Henan Provincial Infectious Disease Hospital, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Guangming Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Henan Provincial Infectious Disease Hospital, Zhengzhou 450000, China
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23
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Yang S, Hu C, Chen X, Tang Y, Li J, Yang H, Yang Y, Ying B, Xiao X, Li SZ, Gu L, Zhu Y. Crosstalk between metabolism and cell death in tumorigenesis. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:71. [PMID: 38575922 PMCID: PMC10993426 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01977-1] [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: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
It is generally recognized that tumor cells proliferate more rapidly than normal cells. Due to such an abnormally rapid proliferation rate, cancer cells constantly encounter the limits of insufficient oxygen and nutrient supplies. To satisfy their growth needs and resist adverse environmental events, tumor cells modify the metabolic pathways to produce both extra energies and substances required for rapid growth. Realizing the metabolic characters special for tumor cells will be helpful for eliminating them during therapy. Cell death is a hot topic of long-term study and targeting cell death is one of the most effective ways to repress tumor growth. Many studies have successfully demonstrated that metabolism is inextricably linked to cell death of cancer cells. Here we summarize the recently identified metabolic characters that specifically impact on different types of cell deaths and discuss their roles in tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shichao Yang
- School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, P. R. China
| | - Caden Hu
- School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, P. R. China
| | - Xiaomei Chen
- School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, P. R. China
| | - Yi Tang
- Molecular Medicine Diagnostic and Testing Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China
- Department of Pathology, College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, P. R. China
| | - Juanjuan Li
- Department of breast and thyroid surgery, Renmin hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, P. R. China
| | - Hanqing Yang
- School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, P. R. China
| | - Yi Yang
- Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing, 400038, P. R. China
| | - Binwu Ying
- Department of Laboratory Medicine/Clinical Laboratory Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 610041, P. R. China.
| | - Xue Xiao
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China.
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China.
| | - Shang-Ze Li
- School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, P. R. China.
| | - Li Gu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine/Clinical Laboratory Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 610041, P. R. China.
| | - Yahui Zhu
- School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, P. R. China.
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24
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Sadeghirad H, Yaghoubi Naei V, O'Byrne K, Warkiani ME, Kulasinghe A. In situ characterization of the tumor microenvironment. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 86:103083. [PMID: 38382325 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103083] [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: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
The development of new therapies for cancer is underpinned by an increasing need to comprehensively characterize the tumor microenvironment (TME). While traditional approaches have relied on bulk or single-cell approaches, these are limited in their ability to provide cellular context. Deconvolution of the complex TME is fundamental to understanding tumor dynamics and treatment resistance. Spatially resolved characterization of the TME is likely to provide greater insights into the cellular architecture, tumor-immune cell interactions, receptor-ligand interactions, and cell niches. In turn, these aid in dictating the optimal way in which to target each patient's individual cancer. In this review, we discuss a number of cutting-edge in situ spatial profiling methods giving us new insights into tumor biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Habib Sadeghirad
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Vahid Yaghoubi Naei
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ken O'Byrne
- Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
| | - Majid E Warkiani
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Arutha Kulasinghe
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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Suryavanshi P, Bodas D. Knockout cancer by nano-delivered immunotherapy using perfusion-aided scaffold-based tumor-on-a-chip. Nanotheranostics 2024; 8:380-400. [PMID: 38751938 PMCID: PMC11093718 DOI: 10.7150/ntno.87818] [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: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a multifactorial disease produced by mutations in the oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, which result in uncontrolled cell proliferation and resistance to cell death. Cancer progresses due to the escape of altered cells from immune monitoring, which is facilitated by the tumor's mutual interaction with its microenvironment. Understanding the mechanisms involved in immune surveillance evasion and the significance of the tumor microenvironment might thus aid in developing improved therapies. Although in vivo models are commonly utilized, they could be better for time, cost, and ethical concerns. As a result, it is critical to replicate an in vivo model and recreate the cellular and tissue-level functionalities. A 3D cell culture, which gives a 3D architecture similar to that found in vivo, is an appropriate model. Furthermore, numerous cell types can be cocultured, establishing cellular interactions between TME and tumor cells. Moreover, microfluidics perfusion can provide precision flow rates, thus simulating tissue/organ function. Immunotherapy can be used with the perfused 3D cell culture technique to help develop successful therapeutics. Immunotherapy employing nano delivery can target the spot and silence the responsible genes, ensuring treatment effectiveness while minimizing adverse effects. This study focuses on the importance of 3D cell culture in understanding the pathophysiology of 3D tumors and TME, the function of TME in drug resistance, tumor progression, and the development of advanced anticancer therapies for high-throughput drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Suryavanshi
- Nanobioscience Group, Agharkar Research Institute, G.G. Agarkar Road, Pune 411 004 India
- Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind Road, Pune 411 007 India
| | - Dhananjay Bodas
- Nanobioscience Group, Agharkar Research Institute, G.G. Agarkar Road, Pune 411 004 India
- Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind Road, Pune 411 007 India
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26
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Chen Z, Du D, Li J, Zhang W, Shao J. Cuproptosis-related molecular classification and gene signature of hepatocellular carcinoma and experimental verification. Transl Cancer Res 2024; 13:1268-1289. [PMID: 38617510 PMCID: PMC11009816 DOI: 10.21037/tcr-23-1876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly heterogeneous malignancy with poor overall prognosis. Cuproptosis, a recently proposed mode of copper-dependent cell death, plays a critical role in the malignant progression of various tumors; however, the expression and prognostic value of cuproptosis-related regulatory genes in HCC remain unclear. Methods Genomic, genetic, and expression profiles of ten key cuproptosis-related regulatory genes were analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC) dataset and protein expression data from the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. Unsupervised clustering of HCC patients based on these ten key cuproptosis-related regulatory genes was used to identify different HCC subtypes and analyze the differences in clinical and immune characteristics among subtypes. Subsequently, univariate Cox and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox analyses were used to establish a cuproptosis-related prognostic signature, and the accuracy of prognostic signature prediction was internally validated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve in TCGA training and testing cohorts. The prognostic signature was externally validated using TCGA-LIHC entire cohort and International Cancer Genome Consortium Liver Cancer (ICGC-LIRI) cohorts. Finally, the expression landscape of cuproptosis-related regulatory genes in prognostic signature was explored by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC) experiments. Results Ten cuproptosis-related genes were differentially expressed in normal and HCC tissues. Unsupervised clustering identified two subtypes and HCC patients with these two subtypes had different clinical prognoses and immune characteristics, as well as different degrees of response to immunotherapy. Lipoyltransferase 1 (LIPT1), dihydrolipoamide s-acetyltransferase (DLAT), and cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) were selected to construct a prognostic signature, which significantly distinguished HCC patients with different survival periods in the TCGA training and testing cohorts and was well validated in both the TCGA-LIHC entire cohort and ICGC-LIRI cohort. The risk score of the prognostic signature was confirmed to be an independent prognostic factor, and nomograms were generated to effectively predict the probability of HCC patient survival. The qRT-PCR, western blotting and IHC results also revealed a significant imbalance in the expression of these cuproptosis-related genes in HCC. Conclusions The classification and prognostic signature based on cuproptosis-related regulatory genes helps to explain the heterogeneity of HCC, which may contribute to the individualized treatment of patients with the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehao Chen
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Province Engineering Research Center of Hepatobiliary Disease, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Dongnian Du
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Province Engineering Research Center of Hepatobiliary Disease, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jiajuan Li
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Province Engineering Research Center of Hepatobiliary Disease, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Wenming Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Province Engineering Research Center of Hepatobiliary Disease, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jianghua Shao
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Province Engineering Research Center of Hepatobiliary Disease, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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Agioti S, Zaravinos A. Immune Cytolytic Activity and Strategies for Therapeutic Treatment. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3624. [PMID: 38612436 PMCID: PMC11011457 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073624] [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] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Intratumoral immune cytolytic activity (CYT), calculated as the geometric mean of granzyme-A (GZMA) and perforin-1 (PRF1) expression, has emerged as a critical factor in cancer immunotherapy, with significant implications for patient prognosis and treatment outcomes. Immune checkpoint pathways, the composition of the tumor microenvironment (TME), antigen presentation, and metabolic pathways regulate CYT. Here, we describe the various methods with which we can assess CYT. The detection and analysis of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) using flow cytometry or immunohistochemistry provide important information about immune cell populations within the TME. Gene expression profiling and spatial analysis techniques, such as multiplex immunofluorescence and imaging mass cytometry allow the study of CYT in the context of the TME. We discuss the significant clinical implications that CYT has, as its increased levels are associated with positive clinical outcomes and a favorable prognosis. Moreover, CYT can be used as a prognostic biomarker and aid in patient stratification. Altering CYT through the different methods targeting it, offers promising paths for improving treatment responses. Overall, understanding and modulating CYT is critical for improving cancer immunotherapy. Research into CYT and the factors that influence it has the potential to transform cancer treatment and improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Agioti
- Cancer Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology Laboratory, Basic and Translational Cancer Research Center (BTCRC), 1516 Nicosia, Cyprus;
| | - Apostolos Zaravinos
- Cancer Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology Laboratory, Basic and Translational Cancer Research Center (BTCRC), 1516 Nicosia, Cyprus;
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus, 1516 Nicosia, Cyprus
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Chang CC, Chang CB, Chen CJ, Tung CL, Hung CF, Lai WH, Shen CH, Tsai CY, Lai YY, Lee MY, Wu SF, Chen PC. Increased Apolipoprotein A1 Expression Correlates with Tumor-Associated Neutrophils and T Lymphocytes in Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2024; 46:2155-2165. [PMID: 38534755 DOI: 10.3390/cimb46030139] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
An increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a poor prognostic biomarker in various types of cancer, because it reflects the inhibition of lymphocytes in the circulation and tumors. In urologic cancers, upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is known for its aggressive features and lack of T cell infiltration; however, the association between neutrophils and suppressed T lymphocytes in UTUC is largely unknown. In this study, we examined the relationship between UTUC-derived factors and tumor-associated neutrophils or T lymphocytes. The culture supernatant from UTUC tumor tissue modulated neutrophils to inhibit T cell proliferation. Among the dominant factors secreted by UTUC tumor tissue, apolipoprotein A1 (Apo-A1) exhibited a positive correlation with NLR. Moreover, tumor-infiltrating neutrophils were inversely correlated with tumor-infiltrating T cells. Elevated Apo-A1 levels in UTUC were also inversely associated with the population of tumor-infiltrating T cells. Our findings indicate that elevated Apo-A1 expression in UTUC correlates with tumor-associated neutrophils and T cells. This suggests a potential immunomodulatory effect on neutrophils and T cells within the tumor microenvironment, which may represent therapeutic targets for UTUC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Chia Chang
- Department of Radiation Therapy and Oncology, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 600566, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Bin Chang
- Department of Urology, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 600566, Taiwan
| | - Chiung-Ju Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 600566, Taiwan
- Department of Human Biobank, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 600566, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Liang Tung
- Department of Pathology, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 600566, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Feng Hung
- Department of Urology, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 600566, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Hong Lai
- Department of Urology, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 600566, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Huang Shen
- Department of Urology, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 600566, Taiwan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi 621301, Taiwan
| | - Chang-Yu Tsai
- Department of Urology, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 600566, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Yan Lai
- Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 600566, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Yang Lee
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 600566, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Fen Wu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Epigenomics and Human Disease Research Center, National Chung Cheng University, Minhsiung, Chiayi 621301, Taiwan
| | - Pi-Che Chen
- Department of Urology, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi 600566, Taiwan
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Fawzy RM, Abdel-Aziz AA, Bassiouny K, Fayed AM. Phytocompounds-based therapeutic approach: Investigating curcumin and green tea extracts on MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. J Genet Eng Biotechnol 2024; 22:100339. [PMID: 38494270 PMCID: PMC10980874 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgeb.2023.100339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer (BC) has transcended lung cancer as the most common cancer in the world. Due to the disease's aggressiveness, rapid growth, and heterogeneity, it is crucial to investigate different therapeutic approaches for treatment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Plant-based therapeutics continue to be utilized as safe/non-toxic complementary or alternative treatments for cancer, even in developed countries, regardless of how cutting-edge conventional therapies are. Despite their low bioavailability, curcumin (CUR) and green tea (GT) represent safer therapeutic options. Due to their potent molecular-modulating properties on various cancer-related molecules and signaling pathways, they are considered gold-standard therapeutic agents and have been incorporated into the development of one or more therapeutic strategies of BC treatment. METHODS We investigated the modulatory role of CUR and GT extracts on significant multi molecular targets in MCF-7 BC cell line to assess their potential as BC multi-targeting agents. We analyzed the phytocompounds in GT leaves using High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques. The mRNA expression levels of Raf-1, Telomerase, Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and Interleukin-8 (IL-8) genes in MCF-7 cells were quantified using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The cytotoxicity of the extracts was assessed by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and the released Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), a valuable marker for identifying the programmed necrosis (necroptosis). Additionally, the concentrations of the necroptosis-related proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-8) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS In contrast to the GT, the results showed the anticancer and cytotoxic properties of CUR against MCF-7 cells, with a relatively higher level of released LDH. The CUR extract downregulated the oncogenic Raf-1, suppressed the Telomerase and upregulated the TNF-α and IL-8 genes. Results from the ELISA showed a notable increase in IL-8 and TNF-α cytokines levels after CUR treatment, which culminated after 72 h. CONCLUSIONS Among both extracts, only CUR effectively modulated the understudy molecular targets, achieving multi-targeting anticancer activity against MCF-7 cells. Moreover, the applied dosage significantly increased levels of the proinflammatory cytokines, which represent a component of the cytokines-targeting-based therapeutic strategy. However, further investigations are recommended to validate this therapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radwa M Fawzy
- Department of Molecular Biology, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, University of Sadat City, Sadat City, Egypt.
| | - Amal A Abdel-Aziz
- Department of Molecular Biology, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, University of Sadat City, Sadat City, Egypt
| | - Khalid Bassiouny
- Department of Molecular Biology, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, University of Sadat City, Sadat City, Egypt
| | - Aysam M Fayed
- Department of Molecular Biology, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, University of Sadat City, Sadat City, Egypt
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Nagase H, Kato T, Yoshimoto T. State-of-the-Art Cancer Immunotherapies. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2532. [PMID: 38473780 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy is a type of cancer therapy utilizing the immune system to fight against tumors [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisashi Nagase
- Department of Parasitology, Shinshu University School of Medicine 3-1-1, Asahi, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan
| | - Takuma Kato
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu 514-8507, Japan
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Takayuki Yoshimoto
- Department of Immunoregulation, Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo Medical University, 6-1-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8402, Japan
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Demeule M, Currie JC, Charfi C, Zgheib A, Cousineau I, Lullier V, Béliveau R, Marsolais C, Annabi B. Sudocetaxel Zendusortide (TH1902) triggers the cGAS/STING pathway and potentiates anti-PD-L1 immune-mediated tumor cell killing. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1355945. [PMID: 38482021 PMCID: PMC10936008 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1355945] [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: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The anticancer efficacy of Sudocetaxel Zendusortide (TH1902), a peptide-drug conjugate internalized through a sortilin-mediated process, was assessed in a triple-negative breast cancer-derived MDA-MB-231 immunocompromised xenograft tumor model where complete tumor regression was observed for more than 40 days after the last treatment. Surprisingly, immunohistochemistry analysis revealed high staining of STING, a master regulator in the cancer-immunity cycle. A weekly administration of TH1902 as a single agent in a murine B16-F10 melanoma syngeneic tumor model demonstrated superior tumor growth inhibition than did docetaxel. A net increase in CD45 leukocyte infiltration within TH1902-treated tumors, especially for tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and tumor-associated macrophages was observed. Increased staining of perforin, granzyme B, and caspase-3 was suggestive of elevated cytotoxic T and natural killer cell activities. Combined TH1902/anti-PD-L1 treatment led to increases in tumor growth inhibition and median animal survival. TH1902 inhibited cell proliferation and triggered apoptosis and senescence in B16-F10 cells in vitro, while inducing several downstream effectors of the cGAS/STING pathway and the expression of MHC-I and PD-L1. This is the first evidence that TH1902 exerts its antitumor activity, in part, through modulation of the immune tumor microenvironment and that the combination of TH1902 with checkpoint inhibitors (anti-PD-L1) could lead to improved clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Alain Zgheib
- Laboratoire d’Oncologie Moléculaire, Département de Chimie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Isabelle Cousineau
- Laboratoire d’Oncologie Moléculaire, Département de Chimie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Véronique Lullier
- Laboratoire d’Oncologie Moléculaire, Département de Chimie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Richard Béliveau
- Laboratoire d’Oncologie Moléculaire, Département de Chimie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Borhane Annabi
- Laboratoire d’Oncologie Moléculaire, Département de Chimie, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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32
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Yoo W, Kim AK, Kook HU, Noh K. Comprehensive analysis on clinical significance and therapeutic targets of LDL receptor related protein 11 (LRP11) in liver hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1338929. [PMID: 38425648 PMCID: PMC10902445 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1338929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
LDL lipoprotein receptor-related protein 11 (LRP11) plays a role in several tumors. However, their roles in hepatocellular carcinoma remain unclear. The present study aimed to explore the expression profile and prognostic value of LRP11 in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) patients using various cancer databases and bioinformatic tools. In bioinformatics analysis, The Cancer Genome Atlas datasets showed increased LRP11 expression in tumor tissues compared to that in non-tumor tissues in various cancers. Moreover, patients with high expression LRP11 correlated with poor prognosis and clinical features. The LRP11 expression positively correlated with the infiltration of immune cells such as macrophages, neutrophils, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells and a combination of high LRP11 expression and high immune infiltrates was associated with the worst survival in LIHC tumors. Our results also indicated that LRP11 expression was closely associated with immune-modulate function, such as antigen presentation. In DNA methylation profiling, hypomethylation of LRP11 is widely observed in tumors and has prognostic value in LIHC patients. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that LIHC-specific LRP11 interacting genes are involved in protein binding, intracellular processing, and G-protein-related signaling pathways. Analyses of drug sensitivity and immune checkpoint inhibitor predict a number of drugs that could potentially be used to target LRP11. In addition, in vitro experiments verified the promoting effect of LRP11 on the migration, invasion, and colony formation capacity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Collectively, our results aided a better understanding of the clinical significance of LRP11 in gene expression, functional interactions, and epigenetic regulation in LIHC and suggested that it may be a useful prognostic biomarker for LIHC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wonbeak Yoo
- Personalized Genomic Medicine Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Ae-Kyeong Kim
- Bionanotechnology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae Un Kook
- Metabolic Regulation Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyunghee Noh
- Bionanotechnology Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Nanobiotechnology, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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Vitzthum von Eckstaedt H, Singh A, Reid P, Trotter K. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Lupus Erythematosus. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:252. [PMID: 38399467 PMCID: PMC10892070 DOI: 10.3390/ph17020252] [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: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are the standard of care for a growing number of malignancies. Unfortunately, they are associated with a broad range of unique toxicities that mimic the presentations of primary autoimmune conditions. These adverse events are termed immune-related adverse events (irAEs), of which ICI-lupus erythematosus (ICI-LE) constitutes a small percentage. Our review aims to describe the available literature on ICI-LE and ICI treatment for patients with pre-existing lupus. Most diagnoses of ICI-LE had findings of only cutaneous lupus; four diagnoses of ICI-LE had systemic lupus manifestations. Over 90% (27 of 29) of cases received anti-PD-1/PDL-1 monotherapy, 1 received combination therapy, and 1 received only anti-CTLA-4 treatment. About three-fourths (22 of 29 or 76%) of patients with ICI-lupus were managed with topical steroids, 13 (45%) received hydroxychloroquine, and 10 (34%) required oral corticosteroids. In our case series, none of the patients with pre-existing lupus receiving ICI therapy for cancer had a flare of their lupus, but few had de novo irAE manifestations, all of which were characterized as low-grade. The review of the literature yielded seven ICI-LE flares from a total of 27 patients with pre-existing lupus who received ICI. Most flares were manageable without need for ICI cessation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arohi Singh
- College of the University of Chicago, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA;
| | - Pankti Reid
- Committee on Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL 60637, USA;
| | - Kimberly Trotter
- Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL 60637, USA;
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Maurer K, Park CY, Mani S, Borji M, Penter L, Jin Y, Zhang JY, Shin C, Brenner JR, Southard J, Krishna S, Lu W, Lyu H, Abbondanza D, Mangum C, Olsen LR, Neuberg DS, Bachireddy P, Farhi SL, Li S, Livak KJ, Ritz J, Soiffer RJ, Wu CJ, Azizi E. Coordinated Immune Cell Networks in the Bone Marrow Microenvironment Define the Graft versus Leukemia Response with Adoptive Cellular Therapy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.09.579677. [PMID: 38405900 PMCID: PMC10888840 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.09.579677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Understanding how intra-tumoral immune populations coordinate to generate anti-tumor responses following therapy can guide precise treatment prioritization. We performed systematic dissection of an established adoptive cellular therapy, donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI), by analyzing 348,905 single-cell transcriptomes from 74 longitudinal bone-marrow samples of 25 patients with relapsed myeloid leukemia; a subset was evaluated by protein-based spatial analysis. In acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) responders, diverse immune cell types within the bone-marrow microenvironment (BME) were predicted to interact with a clonally expanded population of ZNF683 + GZMB + CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) which demonstrated in vitro specificity for autologous leukemia. This population, originating predominantly from the DLI product, expanded concurrently with NK and B cells. AML nonresponder BME revealed a paucity of crosstalk and elevated TIGIT expression in CD8+ CTLs. Our study highlights recipient BME differences as a key determinant of effective anti-leukemia response and opens new opportunities to modulate cell-based leukemia-directed therapy.
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35
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Jo W, Won T, Daoud A, Čiháková D. Immune checkpoint inhibitors associated cardiovascular immune-related adverse events. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1340373. [PMID: 38375475 PMCID: PMC10875074 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1340373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are specialized monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that target immune checkpoints and their ligands, counteracting cancer cell-induced T-cell suppression. Approved ICIs like cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4), programmed death-1 (PD-1), its ligand PD-L1, and lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3) have improved cancer patient outcomes by enhancing anti-tumor responses. However, some patients are unresponsive, and others experience immune-related adverse events (irAEs), affecting organs like the lung, liver, intestine, skin and now the cardiovascular system. These cardiac irAEs include conditions like myocarditis, atherosclerosis, pericarditis, arrhythmias, and cardiomyopathy. Ongoing clinical trials investigate promising alternative co-inhibitory receptor targets, including T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3 (Tim-3) and T cell immunoreceptor with immunoglobulin and ITIM domain (TIGIT). This review delves into the mechanisms of approved ICIs (CTLA-4, PD-1, PD-L1, and LAG-3) and upcoming options like Tim-3 and TIGIT. It explores the use of ICIs in cancer treatment, supported by both preclinical and clinical data. Additionally, it examines the mechanisms behind cardiac toxic irAEs, focusing on ICI-associated myocarditis and atherosclerosis. These insights are vital as ICIs continue to revolutionize cancer therapy, offering hope to patients, while also necessitating careful monitoring and management of potential side effects, including emerging cardiac complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wonyoung Jo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Whiting School of Engineering, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Taejoon Won
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Abdel Daoud
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Daniela Čiháková
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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36
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Ye L, Chu X, Ni J, Chu L, Yang X, Zhu Z. NGS-based Tissue-Blood TMB Comparison and Blood-TMB Monitoring in Stage-III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy. Cancer Invest 2024; 42:165-175. [PMID: 38390854 DOI: 10.1080/07357907.2024.2316297] [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: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
In this study, we analyzed the blood-based TMB (b-TMB) and its dynamic changes in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Baseline tissue and blood TMB from 15 patients showed a strong positive correlation (Pearson correlation = 0.937), and nearly all mutations were markedly reduced in the later course of treatment, indicating a treatment-related response. This study suggests that in patients with LA-NSCLC, b-TMB is a reliable biomarker, and its dynamic monitoring can help distinguish patients who might benefit most from the consolidated immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luxi Ye
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao Chu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianjiao Ni
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Chu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xi Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhengfei Zhu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Thoracic Oncology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Tu C, Kulasinghe A, Barbour A, Souza-Fonseca-Guimaraes F. Leveraging spatial omics for the development of precision sarcoma treatments. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2024; 45:134-144. [PMID: 38212196 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2023.12.006] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Sarcomas are rare and heterogeneous cancers that arise from bone or soft tissue, and are the second most prevalent solid cancer in children and adolescents. Owing to the complex nature of pediatric sarcomas, the development of therapeutics for pediatric sarcoma has seen little progress in the past decades. Existing treatments are largely limited to chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Limited knowledge of the sarcoma tumor microenvironment (TME) and of well-defined target antigens in the different subtypes necessitates an alternative investigative approach to improve treatments. Recent advances in spatial omics technologies have enabled a more comprehensive study of the TME in multiple cancers. In this opinion article we discuss advances in our understanding of the TME of some cancers enabled by spatial omics technologies, and we explore how these technologies might advance the development of precision treatments for sarcoma, especially pediatric sarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cui Tu
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Arutha Kulasinghe
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Andrew Barbour
- Frazer Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia; Department of Surgery, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia
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Altun I, Demirlenk YM, Atar D, Cevik E, Gunduz S, Albadawi H, Oklu R. Advances and Challenges in Interventional Immuno-Oncology Locoregional Therapies. J Vasc Interv Radiol 2024; 35:164-172. [PMID: 38272636 DOI: 10.1016/j.jvir.2023.10.009] [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: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Interventional immuno-oncology is making strides in locoregional therapies to address complex tumor microenvironments. Long-standing interventional radiology cancer therapies, such as tumor ablation and embolization, are being recharacterized in the context of immunotherapy. Intratumoral injections, such as those of genetically engineered or unaltered viruses, and the delivery of immune cells, antibodies, proteins, or cytokines into targeted tumors, along with advancements in delivery techniques, have produced promising results in preliminary studies, indicating their antitumor effectiveness. Emerging strategies using DNA scaffolding, polysaccharides, glycan, chitosan, and natural products are also showing promise in targeted cancer therapy. The future of interventional immuno-oncology lies in personalized immunotherapies that capitalize on individual immune profiles and tumor characteristics, along with the exploration of combination therapies. This study will review various interventional immuno-oncology strategies and emerging technologies to enhance delivery of therapeutics and response to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izzet Altun
- Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Yusuf M Demirlenk
- Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Laboratory for Patient Inspired Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona
| | - Dila Atar
- Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Laboratory for Patient Inspired Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona
| | - Enes Cevik
- Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Laboratory for Patient Inspired Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona
| | - Seyda Gunduz
- Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Laboratory for Patient Inspired Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona; Department of Medical Oncology, Istinye University Bahcesehir Liv Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Hassan Albadawi
- Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Laboratory for Patient Inspired Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona
| | - Rahmi Oklu
- Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Laboratory for Patient Inspired Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona.
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Savage SR, Wang Y, Chen L, Jewell S, Newton C, Dou Y, Li QK, Bathe OF, Robles AI, Omenn GS, Thiagarajan M, Zhang H, Hostetter G, Zhang B. Frozen tissue coring and layered histological analysis improves cell type-specific proteogenomic characterization of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Clin Proteomics 2024; 21:7. [PMID: 38291365 PMCID: PMC10826052 DOI: 10.1186/s12014-024-09450-3] [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: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Omics characterization of pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissue is complicated by the highly heterogeneous and mixed populations of cells. We evaluate the feasibility and potential benefit of using a coring method to enrich specific regions from bulk tissue and then perform proteogenomic analyses. METHODS We used the Biopsy Trifecta Extraction (BioTExt) technique to isolate cores of epithelial-enriched and stroma-enriched tissue from pancreatic tumor and adjacent tissue blocks. Histology was assessed at multiple depths throughout each core. DNA sequencing, RNA sequencing, and proteomics were performed on the cored and bulk tissue samples. Supervised and unsupervised analyses were performed based on integrated molecular and histology data. RESULTS Tissue cores had mixed cell composition at varying depths throughout. Average cell type percentages assessed by histology throughout the core were better associated with KRAS variant allele frequencies than standard histology assessment of the cut surface. Clustering based on serial histology data separated the cores into three groups with enrichment of neoplastic epithelium, stroma, and acinar cells, respectively. Using this classification, tumor overexpressed proteins identified in bulk tissue analysis were assigned into epithelial- or stroma-specific categories, which revealed novel epithelial-specific tumor overexpressed proteins. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates the feasibility of multi-omics data generation from tissue cores, the necessity of interval H&E stains in serial histology sections, and the utility of coring to improve analysis over bulk tissue data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara R Savage
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Yuefan Wang
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA
| | - Lijun Chen
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA
| | - Scott Jewell
- Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, 49503, USA
| | | | - Yongchao Dou
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Qing Kay Li
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA
| | - Oliver F Bathe
- Departments of Surgery and Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Ana I Robles
- Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Gilbert S Omenn
- Department of Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics, Internal Medicine, Human Genetics, and School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Mathangi Thiagarajan
- Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA
| | | | - Bing Zhang
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
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Adhikary S, Pathak S, Palani V, Acar A, Banerjee A, Al-Dewik NI, Essa MM, Mohammed SGAA, Qoronfleh MW. Current Technologies and Future Perspectives in Immunotherapy towards a Clinical Oncology Approach. Biomedicines 2024; 12:217. [PMID: 38255322 PMCID: PMC10813720 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12010217] [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: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy is now established as a potent therapeutic paradigm engendering antitumor immune response against a wide range of malignancies and other diseases by modulating the immune system either through the stimulation or suppression of immune components such as CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, B cells, monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells. By targeting several immune checkpoint inhibitors or blockers (e.g., PD-1, PD-L1, PD-L2, CTLA-4, LAG3, and TIM-3) expressed on the surface of immune cells, several monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal antibodies have been developed and already translated clinically. In addition, natural killer cell-based, dendritic cell-based, and CAR T cell therapies have been also shown to be promising and effective immunotherapeutic approaches. In particular, CAR T cell therapy has benefited from advancements in CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology, allowing the generation of several modified CAR T cells with enhanced antitumor immunity. However, the emerging SARS-CoV-2 infection could hijack a patient's immune system by releasing pro-inflammatory interleukins and cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, and IL-10, and IFN-γ and TNF-α, respectively, which can further promote neutrophil extravasation and the vasodilation of blood vessels. Despite the significant development of advanced immunotherapeutic technologies, after a certain period of treatment, cancer relapses due to the development of resistance to immunotherapy. Resistance may be primary (where tumor cells do not respond to the treatment), or secondary or acquired immune resistance (where tumor cells develop resistance gradually to ICIs therapy). In this context, this review aims to address the existing immunotherapeutic technologies against cancer and the resistance mechanisms against immunotherapeutic drugs, and explain the impact of COVID-19 on cancer treatment. In addition, we will discuss what will be the future implementation of these strategies against cancer drug resistance. Finally, we will emphasize the practical steps to lay the groundwork for enlightened policy for intervention and resource allocation to care for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhamay Adhikary
- Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chennai 603103, India
| | - Surajit Pathak
- Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chennai 603103, India
| | - Vignesh Palani
- Faculty of Medicine, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chennai 603103, India
| | - Ahmet Acar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Türkiye;
| | - Antara Banerjee
- Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chennai 603103, India
| | - Nader I. Al-Dewik
- Department of Pediatrics, Women’s Wellness and Research Center, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 00974, Qatar;
| | - Musthafa Mohamed Essa
- College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman
| | | | - M. Walid Qoronfleh
- Research & Policy Division, Q3 Research Institute (QRI), Ypsilanti, MI 48917, USA
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Liu J, Jiang Y, Chen L, Qian Z, Zhang Y. Associations between HIFs and tumor immune checkpoints: mechanism and therapy. Discov Oncol 2024; 15:2. [PMID: 38165484 PMCID: PMC10761656 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-023-00836-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia, which activates a variety of signaling pathways to enhance tumor cell growth and metabolism, is among the primary features of tumor cells. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) have a substantial impact on a variety of facets of tumor biology, such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition, metabolic reprogramming, angiogenesis, and improved radiation resistance. HIFs induce hypoxia-adaptive responses in tumor cells. Many academics have presented preclinical and clinical research targeting HIFs in tumor therapy, highlighting the potential applicability of targeted HIFs. In recent years, the discovery of numerous pharmacological drugs targeting the regulatory mechanisms of HIFs has garnered substantial attention. Additionally, HIF inhibitors have attained positive results when used in conjunction with traditional oncology radiation and/or chemotherapy, as well as with the very promising addition of tumor immunotherapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs), which are employed in a range of cancer treatments over the past decades, are essential in tumor immunotherapy. Nevertheless, the use of immunotherapy has been severely hampered by tumor resistance and treatment-related toxicity. According to research, HIF inhibitors paired with CPIs may be game changers for multiple malignancies, decreasing malignant cell plasticity and cancer therapy resistance, among other things, and opening up substantial new pathways for immunotherapy drug development. The structure, activation mechanisms, and pharmacological sites of action of the HIF family are briefly reviewed in this work. This review further explores the interactions between HIF inhibitors and other tumor immunotherapy components and covers the potential clinical use of HIF inhibitors in combination with CPIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayu Liu
- Department of Oncology, Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214002, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ying Jiang
- Department of Oncology, Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214002, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lingyan Chen
- Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 214000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhiwen Qian
- Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 214000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214002, Jiangsu, China.
- Wuxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 214000, Jiangsu, China.
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Lee H, Park S, Yun JH, Seo C, Ahn JM, Cha HY, Shin YS, Park HR, Lee D, Roh J, Heo HJ, Baek SE, Kim EK, Lee HS, Kim CH, Kim YH, Jang JY. Deciphering head and neck cancer microenvironment: Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics reveals human papillomavirus-associated differences. J Med Virol 2024; 96:e29386. [PMID: 38235919 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a major causative factor of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and the incidence of HPV- associated HNSCC is increasing. The role of tumor microenvironment in viral infection and metastasis needs to be explored further. We studied the molecular characteristics of primary tumors (PTs) and lymph node metastatic tumors (LNMTs) by stratifying them based on their HPV status. Eight samples for single-cell RNA profiling and six samples for spatial transcriptomics (ST), composed of matched primary tumors (PT) and lymph node metastases (LNMT), were collected from both HPV- negative (HPV- ) and HPV-positive (HPV+ ) patients. Using the 10x Genomics Visium platform, integrative analyses with single-cell RNA sequencing were performed. Intracellular and intercellular alterations were analyzed, and the findings were confirmed using experimental validation and publicly available data set. The HPV+ tissues were composed of a substantial amount of lymphoid cells regardless of the presence or absence of metastasis, whereas the HPV- tissue exhibited remarkable changes in the number of macrophages and plasma cells, particularly in the LNMT. From both single-cell RNA and ST data set, we discovered a central gene, pyruvate kinase muscle isoform 1/2 (PKM2), which is closely associated with the stemness of cancer stem cell-like populations in LNMT of HPV- tissue. The consistent expression was observed in HPV- HNSCC cell line and the knockdown of PKM2 weakened spheroid formation ability. Furthermore, we found an ectopic lymphoid structure morphology and clinical effects of the structure in ST slide of the HPV+ patients and verified their presence in tumor tissue using immunohistochemistry. Finally, the ephrin-A (EPHA2) pathway was detected as important signals in angiogenesis for HPV- patients from single-cell RNA and ST profiles, and knockdown of EPHA2 declined the cell migration. Our study described the distinct cellular composition and molecular alterations in primary and metastatic sites in HNSCC patients based on their HPV status. These results provide insights into HNSCC biology in the context of HPV infection and its potential clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hansong Lee
- Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University, Yangsan, South Korea
| | - Sohee Park
- Data Science Center, Insilicogen, Inc., Yongin-si, South Korea
| | - Ju Hyun Yun
- Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Chorong Seo
- Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Ji Mi Ahn
- Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Hyun-Young Cha
- Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Yoo Seob Shin
- Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Hae Ryoun Park
- Department of Periodontology and Dental Research Institute, Pusan National University Dental Hospital, Yangsan, South Korea
- Periodontal Disease Signaling Network Research Center, School of Dentistry, Pusan National University, Yangsan, South Korea
- Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Pusan National University, Yangsan, South Korea
| | - Dongjun Lee
- Department of Convergence Medicine, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, South Korea
| | - Jin Roh
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Hye Jin Heo
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, South Korea
| | - Seung Eun Baek
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, South Korea
| | - Eun Kyoung Kim
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, South Korea
| | - Hae Seul Lee
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, South Korea
| | - Chul-Ho Kim
- Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Yun Hak Kim
- Periodontal Disease Signaling Network Research Center, School of Dentistry, Pusan National University, Yangsan, South Korea
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, South Korea
| | - Jeon Yeob Jang
- Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ajou University Graduate School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Convergence Healthcare Medicine, Graduate School of Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea
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Duarte Mendes A, Freitas AR, Vicente R, Ferreira R, Martins T, Ramos MJ, Baptista C, Silva BM, Margarido I, Vitorino M, Silva M, Braga S. Beta-Adrenergic Blockade in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Receiving Immunotherapy: A Multicentric Study. Cureus 2024; 16:e52194. [PMID: 38348009 PMCID: PMC10859721 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.52194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The standard treatment of cancer has dramatically improved with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Despite their proven advantage, many patients fail to exhibit a meaningful and lasting response. The beta-adrenergic signalling pathway may hold significant promise due to its role in promoting an immunosuppressive milieu within the tumour microenvironment. Inhibiting β-adrenergic signalling could enhance ICI activity; however, blocking this pathway for this purpose has yielded conflicting results. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of beta-blocker use on overall survival and progression-free survival during ICI therapy. Methods A multicentric, retrospective, observational study was conducted in four Portuguese institutions. Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with ICIs between January 2018 and December 2019 were included. Those using beta blockers for non-oncological reasons were compared with non-users. Results Among the 171 patients included, 36 concomitantly received beta blockers and ICIs. No significant increase was found in progression-free survival among patients who took β-blockers (HR 0.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.48-1.12, p = 0.151), and no statistically significant difference was found in overall survival. An apparent trend was observed towards better outcomes in the beta-blocker group, with a median overall survival of 9.93 months in the group not taking β-blockers versus 14.90 months in the β-blocker group (p = 0.291) and a median progression-free survival of 5.37 in the group not taking β-blockers versus 10.87 months in the β-blocker group (p = 0.151). Nine (25%) patients in the beta-blocker group and 16 (12%) in the non-beta-blocker group were progressive disease-free at the end of follow-up. This difference between the two groups is statistically significant (p = 0.047). Conclusion Our study found no statistically significant evidence that beta blockers enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapy. Using adrenergic blockade to modulate the immune system shows promise, warranting the need to develop prospective clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Duarte Mendes
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca, Amadora, PRT
| | - Ana Rita Freitas
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca, Amadora, PRT
| | - Rodrigo Vicente
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca, Amadora, PRT
| | - Ricardo Ferreira
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca, Amadora, PRT
| | - Telma Martins
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca, Amadora, PRT
| | - Maria João Ramos
- Medical Oncology Department, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Santo António, Porto, PRT
| | - Carlota Baptista
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Loures, PRT
| | | | - Inês Margarido
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital da Luz Lisboa, Lisboa, PRT
| | - Marina Vitorino
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca, Amadora, PRT
| | - Michelle Silva
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca, Amadora, PRT
| | - Sofia Braga
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca, Amadora, PRT
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Jose R, Kaur J, Blanco T, Ehrlich S, Marcelin M. Pembrolizumab-Induced Colitis and Diarrhea in the Treatment of Sporadic Colorectal Cancer: A Case Report. Cureus 2024; 16:e52636. [PMID: 38374847 PMCID: PMC10876289 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.52636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Pembrolizumab is a programmed cell death receptor-1 (PD-1) blocking immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) that is a mainstay of cancer treatment. Pembrolizumab has a lower incidence of colitis and diarrhea compared to other ICIs. The current study presents the case of a 30-year-old female patient on pembrolizumab with stage IV colon cancer who presented with diarrhea (50 times a day) and symptoms of colitis. A computed tomography scan of the abdomen and pelvis suggested proctitis. Stool studies were negative for enteric pathogens, but stool white blood cell (WBC) was positive, and calprotectin was >10,000 ug/g. A colonoscopy showed pancolitis with small internal hemorrhoids. Histopathology showed cryptitis and crypt abscesses with mild focal architectural distortion, mucosal erosion/ulcer, and focal crypt atrophy from the cecum to the rectum. All ICIs were discontinued, and the patient was initially managed with IV fluids. The patient was subsequently started on methylprednisolone and loperamide after colonoscopy. The number of bowel movements decreased to six per day after the above management. The patient was then switched to oral prednisone and discharged with outpatient follow-up. This case reveals the importance of assessing immune-related adverse effects (irAEs) even though incidence rates associated with a specific ICI might be low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rejath Jose
- Internal Medicine, New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Jasveen Kaur
- Internal Medicine, Maimonides Medical Center, New York, USA
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Jung M, Bonavida B. Immune Evasion in Cancer Is Regulated by Tumor-Asociated Macrophages (TAMs): Targeting TAMs. Crit Rev Oncog 2024; 29:1-17. [PMID: 38989734 DOI: 10.1615/critrevoncog.2024053096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Recent advancements in cancer treatment have explored a variety of approaches to address the needs of patients. Recently, immunotherapy has evolved as an efficacious treatment for various cancers resistant to conventional therapies. Hence, significant milestones in immunotherapy were achieved clinically in a large subset of cancer patients. Unfortunately, some cancer types do not respond to treatment, and among the responsive cancers, some patients remain unresponsive to treatment. Consequently, there is a critical need to examine the mechanisms of immune resistance and devise strategies to target immune suppressor cells or factors, thereby allowing for tumor sensitivity to immune cytotoxic cells. M2 macrophages, also known as tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), are of interest due to their role in suppressing the immune system and influencing antitumor immune responses through modulating T cell activity and immune checkpoint expression. TAMs are associated with signaling pathways that modulate the tumor microenvironment (TME), contributing to immune evasion. One approach targets TAMs, focusing on preventing the polarization of M1 macrophages into the protumoral M2 phenotype. Other strategies focus on direct or indirect targeting of M2 macrophages through understanding the interaction of TAMs with immune factors or signaling pathways. Clinically, biomarkers associated with TAMs' immune resistance in cancer patients have been identified, opening avenues for intervention using pharmacological agents or immunotherapeutic approaches. Ultimately, these multifaceted approaches are promising in overcoming immune resistance and improving cancer treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Jung
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, & Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Johnson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90025-1747, USA
| | - Benjamin Bonavida
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, & Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Johnson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90025-1747, USA
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Kikuta S, Abe Y, Shinozaki K, Seki N, Kusukawa J. Pulmonary Tuberculosis Following Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment for Recurrent Maxillary Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cureus 2024; 16:e53203. [PMID: 38425601 PMCID: PMC10902606 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.53203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) like nivolumab and pembrolizumab are effective treatments for recurrent/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (R/M SCCHN). However, they can lead to immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and tuberculosis (TB) reactivation. We present a case of a 79-year-old male with recurrent maxillary squamous cell carcinoma treated with pembrolizumab, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil. The patient developed a fever, and pulmonary TB development was confirmed. Prolonged TB treatment was required, and ICI treatment was discontinued. The patient ultimately opted for palliative care due to aggressive tumor growth. TB development during ICI treatment is a rare but important concern, especially in TB-endemic areas. Vigilant monitoring and screening might be essential to manage this risk in cancer patients with R/M SCCHN receiving ICIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shogo Kikuta
- Dental and Oral Medical Center, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, JPN
| | - Yushi Abe
- Dental and Oral Medical Center, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, JPN
| | - Katsumi Shinozaki
- Dental and Oral Medical Center, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, JPN
| | - Naoko Seki
- Dental and Oral Medical Center, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, JPN
| | - Jingo Kusukawa
- Dental and Oral Medical Center, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, JPN
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Nenkov M, Shi Y, Ma Y, Gaßler N, Chen Y. Targeting Farnesoid X Receptor in Tumor and the Tumor Microenvironment: Implication for Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:6. [PMID: 38203175 PMCID: PMC10778939 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010006] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The farnesoid-X receptor (FXR), a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily, can be activated by bile acids (BAs). BAs binding to FXR activates BA signaling which is important for maintaining BA homeostasis. FXR is differentially expressed in human organs and exists in immune cells. The dysregulation of FXR is associated with a wide range of diseases including metabolic disorders, inflammatory diseases, immune disorders, and malignant neoplasm. Recent studies have demonstrated that FXR influences tumor cell progression and development through regulating oncogenic and tumor-suppressive pathways, and, moreover, it affects the tumor microenvironment (TME) by modulating TME components. These characteristics provide a new perspective on the FXR-targeted therapeutic strategy in cancer. In this review, we have summarized the recent research data on the functions of FXR in solid tumors and its influence on the TME, and discussed the mechanisms underlying the distinct function of FXR in various types of tumors. Additionally, the impacts on the TME by other BA receptors such as takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5), sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2 (S1PR2), and muscarinic receptors (CHRM2 and CHRM3), have been depicted. Finally, the effects of FXR agonists/antagonists in a combination therapy with PD1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors and other anti-cancer drugs have been addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miljana Nenkov
- Section Pathology of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany; (M.N.); (Y.M.); (N.G.)
| | - Yihui Shi
- California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, Sutter Bay Hospitals, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA;
| | - Yunxia Ma
- Section Pathology of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany; (M.N.); (Y.M.); (N.G.)
| | - Nikolaus Gaßler
- Section Pathology of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany; (M.N.); (Y.M.); (N.G.)
| | - Yuan Chen
- Section Pathology of the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany; (M.N.); (Y.M.); (N.G.)
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Ritu, Chandra P, Das A. Immune checkpoint targeting antibodies hold promise for combinatorial cancer therapeutics. Clin Exp Med 2023; 23:4297-4322. [PMID: 37804358 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-023-01201-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
Through improving the immune system's ability to recognize and combat tumor cells as well as its receptivity to changes in the tumor microenvironment, immunotherapy has emerged as a highly successful addition to the treatment of cancer. However, tumor heterogeneity poses a significant challenge in cancer therapy as it can undermine the anti-tumor immune response through the manipulation of the extracellular matrix. To address these challenges and improve targeted therapies and combination treatments, the food and drug administration has approved several immunomodulatory antibodies to suppress immunological checkpoints. Combinatorial therapies necessitate the identification of multiple targets that regulate the intricate communication between immune cells, cytokines, chemokines, and cellular responses within the tumor microenvironment. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the ongoing clinical trials involving immunomodulatory antibodies in various cancer types. It explores the potential of these antibodies to modulate the immune system and enhance anti-tumor responses. Additionally, it discusses the perspectives and prospects of immunomodulatory therapeutics in cancer treatment. Although immunotherapy shows great promise in cancer treatment, it is not exempt from side effects that can arise due to hyperactivity of the immune system. Therefore, understanding the intricate balance between immune activation and regulation is crucial for minimizing these adverse effects and optimizing treatment outcomes. This study aims to contribute to the growing body of knowledge surrounding immunomodulatory antibodies and their potential as effective therapeutic options in cancer treatment, ultimately paving the way for improved patient outcomes and deepening our perception of the intricate interactivity between the immune system and tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritu
- Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University, Main Bawana Road, New Delhi, 110042, India
| | - Prakash Chandra
- Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University, Main Bawana Road, New Delhi, 110042, India
| | - Asmita Das
- Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University, Main Bawana Road, New Delhi, 110042, India.
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Small A, Lowe K, Wechalekar MD. Immune checkpoints in rheumatoid arthritis: progress and promise. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1285554. [PMID: 38077329 PMCID: PMC10704353 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1285554] [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: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most prevalent autoimmune inflammatory conditions, and while the mechanisms driving pathogenesis are yet to be completely elucidated, self-reactive T cells and immune checkpoint pathways have a clear role. In this review, we provide an overview of the importance of checkpoint pathways in the T cell response and describe the involvement of these in RA development and progression. We discuss the relationship between immune checkpoint therapy in cancer and autoimmune adverse events, draw parallels with the involvement of immune checkpoints in RA pathobiology, summarise emerging research into some of the lesser-known pathways, and the potential of targeting checkpoint-related pathways in future treatment approaches to RA management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabelle Small
- Department of Rheumatology, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Katie Lowe
- Department of Rheumatology, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Mihir D Wechalekar
- Department of Rheumatology, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Department of Rheumatology, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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Sherekar S, Todankar CS, Viswanathan GA. Modulating the dynamics of NFκB and PI3K enhances the ensemble-level TNFR1 signaling mediated apoptotic response. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2023; 9:57. [PMID: 37973854 PMCID: PMC10654705 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-023-00318-0] [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: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell-to-cell variability during TNFα stimulated Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 1 (TNFR1) signaling can lead to single-cell level pro-survival and apoptotic responses. This variability stems from the heterogeneity in signal flow through intracellular signaling entities that regulate the balance between these two phenotypes. Using systematic Boolean dynamic modeling of a TNFR1 signaling network, we demonstrate that the signal flow path variability can be modulated to enable cells favour apoptosis. We developed a computationally efficient approach "Boolean Modeling based Prediction of Steady-state probability of Phenotype Reachability (BM-ProSPR)" to accurately predict the network's ability to settle into different phenotypes. Model analysis juxtaposed with the experimental observations revealed that NFκB and PI3K transient responses guide the XIAP behaviour to coordinate the crucial dynamic cross-talk between the pro-survival and apoptotic arms at the single-cell level. Model predicted the experimental observations that ~31% apoptosis increase can be achieved by arresting Comp1 - IKK* activity which regulates the NFκB and PI3K dynamics. Arresting Comp1 - IKK* activity causes signal flow path re-wiring towards apoptosis without significantly compromising NFκB levels, which govern adequate cell survival. Priming an ensemble of cancerous cells with inhibitors targeting the specific interaction involving Comp1 and IKK* prior to TNFα exposure could enable driving them towards apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubhank Sherekar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Chaitra S Todankar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Ganesh A Viswanathan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Powai, Mumbai, 400076, India.
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