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He Y, Xu H, Liu Y, Kempa S, Vechiatto C, Schmidt R, Yilmaz EY, Heidemann L, Schnorr J, Metzkow S, Schellenberger E, Häckel A, Patzak A, Müller DN, Savic LJ. The Effects of Hypoxia on the Immune-Metabolic Interplay in Liver Cancer. Biomolecules 2024; 14:1024. [PMID: 39199411 PMCID: PMC11352590 DOI: 10.3390/biom14081024] [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: 06/14/2024] [Revised: 07/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
M2-like macrophages promote tumor growth and cancer immune evasion. This study used an in vitro model to investigate how hypoxia and tumor metabolism affect macrophage polarization. Liver cancer cells (HepG2 and VX2) and macrophages (THP1) were cultured under hypoxic (0.1% O2) and normoxic (21% O2) conditions with varying glucose levels (2 g/L or 4.5 g/L). Viability assays and extracellular pH (pHe) measurements were conducted over 96 hours. Macrophages were exposed to the tumor-conditioned medium (TCM) from the cancer cells, and polarization was assessed using arginase and nitrite assays. GC-MS-based metabolic profiling quantified TCM meta-bolites and correlated them with M2 polarization. The results showed that pHe in TCMs decreased more under hypoxia than normoxia (p < 0.0001), independent of glucose levels. The arginase assay showed hypoxia significantly induced the M2 polarization of macrophages (control group: p = 0.0120,0.1%VX2-TCM group: p = 0.0149, 0.1%HepG2-TCM group: p < 0.0001, 0.1%VX2-TCMHG group: p = 0.0001, and 0.1%HepG2-TCMHG group: p < 0.0001). TCMs also induced M2 polarization under normoxic conditions, but the strongest M2 polarization occurred when both tumor cells and macrophages were incubated under hypoxia with high glucose levels. Metabolomics revealed that several metabolites, particularly lactate, were correlated with hypoxia and M2 polarization. Under normoxia, elevated 2-amino-butanoic acid (2A-BA) strongly correlated with M2 polarization. These findings suggest that targeting tumor hypoxia could mitigate immune evasion in liver tumors. Lactate drives acidity in hypoxic tumors, while 2A-BA could be a therapeutic target for overcoming immunosuppression in normoxic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yubei He
- Department of Radiology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität Zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (Y.H.); (H.X.); (Y.L.); (R.S.); (E.Y.Y.); (L.H.); (J.S.); (S.M.); (E.S.); (A.H.)
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, A Joint Cooperation of Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13125 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Han Xu
- Department of Radiology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität Zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (Y.H.); (H.X.); (Y.L.); (R.S.); (E.Y.Y.); (L.H.); (J.S.); (S.M.); (E.S.); (A.H.)
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Radiology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität Zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (Y.H.); (H.X.); (Y.L.); (R.S.); (E.Y.Y.); (L.H.); (J.S.); (S.M.); (E.S.); (A.H.)
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, A Joint Cooperation of Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13125 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Stefan Kempa
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 10115 Berlin, Germany; (S.K.); (C.V.)
| | - Carolina Vechiatto
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 10115 Berlin, Germany; (S.K.); (C.V.)
| | - Robin Schmidt
- Department of Radiology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität Zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (Y.H.); (H.X.); (Y.L.); (R.S.); (E.Y.Y.); (L.H.); (J.S.); (S.M.); (E.S.); (A.H.)
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, A Joint Cooperation of Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13125 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Emine Yaren Yilmaz
- Department of Radiology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität Zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (Y.H.); (H.X.); (Y.L.); (R.S.); (E.Y.Y.); (L.H.); (J.S.); (S.M.); (E.S.); (A.H.)
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, A Joint Cooperation of Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13125 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Luisa Heidemann
- Department of Radiology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität Zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (Y.H.); (H.X.); (Y.L.); (R.S.); (E.Y.Y.); (L.H.); (J.S.); (S.M.); (E.S.); (A.H.)
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, A Joint Cooperation of Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13125 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Jörg Schnorr
- Department of Radiology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität Zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (Y.H.); (H.X.); (Y.L.); (R.S.); (E.Y.Y.); (L.H.); (J.S.); (S.M.); (E.S.); (A.H.)
| | - Susanne Metzkow
- Department of Radiology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität Zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (Y.H.); (H.X.); (Y.L.); (R.S.); (E.Y.Y.); (L.H.); (J.S.); (S.M.); (E.S.); (A.H.)
| | - Eyk Schellenberger
- Department of Radiology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität Zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (Y.H.); (H.X.); (Y.L.); (R.S.); (E.Y.Y.); (L.H.); (J.S.); (S.M.); (E.S.); (A.H.)
| | - Akvile Häckel
- Department of Radiology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität Zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (Y.H.); (H.X.); (Y.L.); (R.S.); (E.Y.Y.); (L.H.); (J.S.); (S.M.); (E.S.); (A.H.)
| | - Andreas Patzak
- Institute of Translational Physiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Dominik N. Müller
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, A Joint Cooperation of Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13125 Berlin, Germany;
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association, 10115 Berlin, Germany; (S.K.); (C.V.)
| | - Lynn Jeanette Savic
- Department of Radiology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität Zu Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany; (Y.H.); (H.X.); (Y.L.); (R.S.); (E.Y.Y.); (L.H.); (J.S.); (S.M.); (E.S.); (A.H.)
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, A Joint Cooperation of Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13125 Berlin, Germany;
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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Mishra SK, Santana JG, Mihailovic J, Hyder F, Coman D. Transmembrane pH gradient imaging in rodent glioma models. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2024; 37:e5102. [PMID: 38263680 PMCID: PMC10987279 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.5102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
A unique feature of the tumor microenvironment is extracellular acidosis in relation to intracellular milieu. Metabolic reprogramming in tumors results in overproduction of H+ ions (and lactate), which are extruded from the cells to support tumor survival and progression. As a result, the transmembrane pH gradient (ΔpH), representing the difference between intracellular pH (pHi) and extracellular pH (pHe), is posited to be larger in tumors compared with normal tissue. Controlling the transmembrane pH difference has promise as a potential therapeutic target in cancer as it plays an important role in regulating drug delivery into cells. The current study shows successful development of an MRI/MRSI-based technique that provides ΔpH imaging at submillimeter resolution. We applied this technique to image ΔpH in rat brains with RG2 and U87 gliomas, as well as in mouse brains with GL261 gliomas. pHi was measured with Amine and Amide Concentration-Independent Detection (AACID), while pHe was measured with Biosensor Imaging of Redundant Deviation in Shifts (BIRDS). The results indicate that pHi was slightly higher in tumors (7.40-7.43 in rats, 7.39-7.47 in mice) compared with normal brain (7.30-7.38 in rats, 7.32-7.36 in mice), while pHe was significantly lower in tumors (6.62-6.76 in rats, 6.74-6.84 in mice) compared with normal tissue (7.17-7.22 in rats, 7.20-7.21 in mice). As a result, ΔpH was higher in tumors (0.64-0.81 in rats, 0.62-0.65 in mice) compared with normal brain (0.13-0.16 in rats, 0.13-0.16 in mice). This work establishes an MRI/MRSI-based platform for ΔpH imaging at submillimeter resolution in gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Kumar Mishra
- Yale University, Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | - Jelena Mihailovic
- Yale University, Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Fahmeed Hyder
- Yale University, Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Yale University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Daniel Coman
- Yale University, Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Yale University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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Schobert IT, Savic LJ. Current Trends in Non-Invasive Imaging of Interactions in the Liver Tumor Microenvironment Mediated by Tumor Metabolism. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:3645. [PMID: 34359547 PMCID: PMC8344973 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13153645] [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: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
With the increasing understanding of resistance mechanisms mediated by the metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells, there is a growing clinical interest in imaging technologies that allow for the non-invasive characterization of tumor metabolism and the interactions of cancer cells with the tumor microenvironment (TME) mediated through tumor metabolism. Specifically, tumor glycolysis and subsequent tissue acidosis in the realms of the Warburg effect may promote an immunosuppressive TME, causing a substantial barrier to the clinical efficacy of numerous immuno-oncologic treatments. Thus, imaging the varying individual compositions of the TME may provide a more accurate characterization of the individual tumor. This approach can help to identify the most suitable therapy for each individual patient and design new targeted treatment strategies that disable resistance mechanisms in liver cancer. This review article focuses on non-invasive positron-emission tomography (PET)- and MR-based imaging techniques that aim to visualize the crosstalk between tumor cells and their microenvironment in liver cancer mediated by tumor metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Theresa Schobert
- Department of Radiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Lynn Jeanette Savic
- Department of Radiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany;
- Berlin Institute of Health, 10178 Berlin, Germany
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Hyder F, Coman D. Imaging Extracellular Acidification and Immune Activation in Cancer. CURRENT OPINION IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2021; 18. [PMID: 33997581 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobme.2021.100278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Metabolism reveals pathways by which cells, in healthy and disease tissues, use nutrients to fuel their function and (re)growth. However, gene-centric views have dominated cancer hallmarks, relegating metabolic reprogramming that all cells in the tumor niche undergo as an incidental phenomenon. Aerobic glycolysis in cancer is well known, but recent evidence suggests that diverse symbolic traits of cancer cells are derived from oncogene-directed metabolism required for their sustenance and evolution. Cells in the tumor milieu actively metabolize different nutrients, but proficiently secrete acidic by-products using diverse mechanisms to create a hostile ecosystem for host cells, and where local immune cells suffer collateral damage. Since metabolic interactions between cancer and immune cells hold promise for future cancer therapies, here we focus on translational magnetic resonance methods enabling in vivo and simultaneous detection of tumor habitat acidification and immune activation - innovations for monitoring personalized treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahmeed Hyder
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Magnetic Resonance Research Center (MRRC), Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Quantitative Neuroimaging with Magnetic Resonance (QNMR) Research Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Daniel Coman
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Magnetic Resonance Research Center (MRRC), Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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