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Gupta P, Bermejo-Rodriguez C, Kocher H, Pérez-Mancera PA, Velliou EG. Chemotherapy Assessment in Advanced Multicellular 3D Models of Pancreatic Cancer: Unravelling the Importance of Spatiotemporal Mimicry of the Tumor Microenvironment. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2024; 8:e2300580. [PMID: 38327154 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202300580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a challenge for global health with very low survival rate and high therapeutic resistance. Hence, advanced preclinical models for treatment screening are of paramount importance. Herein, chemotherapeutic (gemcitabine) assessment on novel (polyurethane) scaffold-based spatially advanced 3D multicellular PDAC models is carried out. Through comprehensive image-based analysis at the protein level, and expression analysis at the mRNA level, the importance of stromal cells is confirmed, primarily activated stellate cells in the chemoresistance of PDAC cells within the models. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that, in addition to the presence of activated stellate cells, the spatial architecture of the scaffolds, i.e., segregation/compartmentalization of the cancer and stromal zones, affect the cellular evolution and is necessary for the development of chemoresistance. These results highlight that, further to multicellularity, mapping the tumor structure/architecture and zonal complexity in 3D cancer models is important for better mimicry of the in vivo therapeutic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Gupta
- Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, W1W 7TY, UK
| | - Camino Bermejo-Rodriguez
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Ashton Street, Liverpool, L69 3GE, UK
| | - Hemant Kocher
- Centre for Tumour Biology and Experimental Cancer Medicine, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Pedro A Pérez-Mancera
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Ashton Street, Liverpool, L69 3GE, UK
| | - Eirini G Velliou
- Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, W1W 7TY, UK
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2
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Lu KP, Zhou XZ. Pin1-catalyzed conformational regulation after phosphorylation: A distinct checkpoint in cell signaling and drug discovery. Sci Signal 2024; 17:eadi8743. [PMID: 38889227 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.adi8743] [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: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Protein phosphorylation is one of the most common mechanisms regulating cellular signaling pathways, and many kinases and phosphatases are proven drug targets. Upon phosphorylation, protein functions can be further regulated by the distinct isomerase Pin1 through cis-trans isomerization. Numerous protein targets and many important roles have now been elucidated for Pin1. However, no tools are available to detect or target cis and trans conformation events in cells. The development of Pin1 inhibitors and stereo- and phospho-specific antibodies has revealed that cis and trans conformations have distinct and often opposing cellular functions. Aberrant conformational changes due to the dysregulation of Pin1 can drive pathogenesis but can be effectively targeted in age-related diseases, including cancers and neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we review advances in understanding the roles of Pin1 signaling in health and disease and highlight conformational regulation as a distinct signal transduction checkpoint in disease development and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Ping Lu
- Departments of Biochemistry and Oncology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6G 2V4, Canada
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6G 2V4, Canada
| | - Xiao Zhen Zhou
- Departments of Biochemistry and Oncology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6G 2V4, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6G 2V4, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6G 2V4, Canada
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3
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Huang Q, Ge Y, He Y, Wu J, Tong Y, Shang H, Liu X, Ba X, Xia D, Peng E, Chen Z, Tang K. The Application of Nanoparticles Targeting Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:3333-3365. [PMID: 38617796 PMCID: PMC11012801 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s447350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) are the most abundant stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME), especially in solid tumors. It has been confirmed that it can not only interact with tumor cells to promote cancer progression and metastasis, but also affect the infiltration and function of immune cells to induce chemotherapy and immunotherapy resistance. So, targeting CAF has been considered an important method in cancer treatment. The rapid development of nanotechnology provides a good perspective to improve the efficiency of targeting CAF. At present, more and more researches have focused on the application of nanoparticles (NPs) in targeting CAF. These studies explored the effects of different types of NPs on CAF and the multifunctional nanomedicines that can eliminate CAF are able to enhance the EPR effect which facilitate the anti-tumor effect of themselves. There also exist amounts of studies focusing on using NPs to inhibit the activation and function of CAF to improve the therapeutic efficacy. The application of NPs targeting CAF needs to be based on an understanding of CAF biology. Therefore, in this review, we first summarized the latest progress of CAF biology, then discussed the types of CAF-targeting NPs and the main strategies in the current. The aim is to elucidate the application of NPs in targeting CAF and provide new insights for engineering nanomedicine to enhance immune response in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiu Huang
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yue Ge
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yu He
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jian Wu
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yonghua Tong
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, People’s Republic of China
| | - Haojie Shang
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiao Liu
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaozhuo Ba
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ding Xia
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ejun Peng
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhiqiang Chen
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, People’s Republic of China
| | - Kun Tang
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, People’s Republic of China
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Wang Y, Chen K, Liu G, Du C, Cheng Z, Wei D, Li F, Li C, Yang Y, Zhao Y, Nie G. Disruption of Super-Enhancers in Activated Pancreatic Stellate Cells Facilitates Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2308637. [PMID: 38417121 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202308637] [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: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
One major obstacle in the drug treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is its highly fibrotic tumor microenvironment, which is replete with activated pancreatic stellate cells (a-PSCs). These a-PSCs generate abundant extracellular matrix and secrete various cytokines to form biophysical and biochemical barriers, impeding drug access to tumor tissues. Therefore, it is imperative to develop a strategy for reversing PSC activation and thereby removing the barriers to facilitate PDAC drug treatment. Herein, by integrating chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-seq, Assays for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin (ATAC)-seq, and RNA-seq techniques, this work reveals that super-enhancers (SEs) promote the expression of various genes involved in PSC activation. Disruption of SE-associated transcription with JQ1 reverses the activated phenotype of a-PSCs and decreases stromal fibrosis in both orthotopic and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. More importantly, disruption of SEs by JQ1 treatments promotes vascularization, facilitates drug delivery, and alters the immune landscape in PDAC, thereby improving the efficacies of both chemotherapy (with gemcitabine) and immunotherapy (with IL-12). In summary, this study not only elucidates the contribution of SEs of a-PSCs in shaping the PDAC tumor microenvironment but also highlights that targeting SEs in a-PSCs may become a gate-opening strategy that benefits PDAC drug therapy by removing stromal barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yazhou Wang
- Pancreas Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210000, China
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials & Nanosafety, CAS Center of Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Kai Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, 100034, China
| | - Gang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of the Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | - Chong Du
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Zhaoxia Cheng
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials & Nanosafety, CAS Center of Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Dan Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials & Nanosafety, CAS Center of Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Fenfen Li
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials & Nanosafety, CAS Center of Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Chen Li
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials & Nanosafety, CAS Center of Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Yinmo Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, 100034, China
| | - Ying Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials & Nanosafety, CAS Center of Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Guangjun Nie
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials & Nanosafety, CAS Center of Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
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Huang H, Lu W, Zhang X, Pan J, Cao F, Wen L. Fibroblast subtypes in pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis: from mechanisms to therapeutic strategies. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2024; 47:383-396. [PMID: 37721678 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-023-00874-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Excessive fibrosis is a predominant feature of pancreatic stroma and plays a crucial role in the development and progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and chronic pancreatitis (CP). Emerging evidence showed diversity and heterogeneity of fibroblasts play crucial and somewhat contradictory roles, the interactions between fibroblasts and pancreatic cells or infiltrating immune cells are of great importance during PDAC and CP progression, with some promising therapeutic strategies being tested. Therefore, in this review, we describe the classification of fibroblasts and their functions in PDAC and pancreatitis, the mechanisms by which fibroblasts mediate the development and progression of PDAC and CP through direct or indirect interaction between fibroblast and pancreatic parenchymal cells, or by remodeling the pancreatic immune microenvironment mediates the development and progression of PDAC and CP. Finally, we summarized the current therapeutic strategies and agents that directly target subtypes of fibroblasts or interfere with their essential functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huizhen Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai General Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wanyi Lu
- Center for Biomarker Discovery and Validation, National Infrastructures for Translational Medicine (PUMCH), Institute of Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Complex, Severe, and Rare Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiuli Zhang
- Center for Biomarker Discovery and Validation, National Infrastructures for Translational Medicine (PUMCH), Institute of Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Complex, Severe, and Rare Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jiachun Pan
- Center for Biomarker Discovery and Validation, National Infrastructures for Translational Medicine (PUMCH), Institute of Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Complex, Severe, and Rare Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Cao
- Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
| | - Li Wen
- Center for Biomarker Discovery and Validation, National Infrastructures for Translational Medicine (PUMCH), Institute of Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Complex, Severe, and Rare Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
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Nguyen HD, Lin CC. Viscoelastic stiffening of gelatin hydrogels for dynamic culture of pancreatic cancer spheroids. Acta Biomater 2024; 177:203-215. [PMID: 38354874 PMCID: PMC10958777 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2024.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a complex milieu of cellular and non-cellular components. Pancreatic cancer cells (PCC) and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) are two major cell types in PDAC TME, whereas the non-cellular components are enriched with extracellular matrices (ECM) that contribute to high stiffness and fast stress-relaxation. Previous studies have suggested that higher matrix rigidity promoted aggressive phenotypes of tumors, including PDAC. However, the effects of dynamic viscoelastic matrix properties on cancer cell fate remain largely unexplored. The focus of this work was to understand the effects of such dynamic matrix properties on PDAC cell behaviors, particularly in the context of PCC/CAF co-culture. To this end, we engineered gelatin-norbornene (GelNB) based hydrogels with a built-in mechanism for simultaneously increasing matrix elastic modulus and viscoelasticity. Two GelNB-based macromers, namely GelNB-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (GelNB-HPA) and GelNB-boronic acid (GelNB-BA), were modularly mixed and crosslinked with 4-arm poly(ethylene glycol)-thiol (PEG4SH) to form elastic hydrogels. Treating the hybrid hydrogels with tyrosinase not only increased the elastic moduli of the gels (due to HPA dimerization) but also concurrently produced 1,2-diols that formed reversible boronic acid-diol bonding with the BA groups on GelNB-BA. We employed patient-derived CAF and a PCC cell line COLO-357 to demonstrate the effect of increasing matrix stiffness and viscoelasticity on CAF and PCC cell fate. Our results indicated that in the stiffened environment, PCC underwent epithelial-mesenchymal transition. In the co-culture PCC and CAF spheroid, CAF enhanced PCC spreading and stimulated collagen 1 production. Through mRNA-sequencing, we further showed that stiffened matrices, regardless of the degree of stress-relaxation, heightened the malignant phenotype of PDAC cells. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The pancreatic cancer microenvironment is a complex milieu composed of various cell types and extracellular matrices. It has been suggested that stiffer matrices could promote aggressive behavior in pancreatic cancer, but the effect of dynamic stiffening and matrix stress-relaxation on cancer cell fate remains largely undefined. This study aimed to explore the impact of dynamic changes in matrix viscoelasticity on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell behavior by developing a hydrogel system capable of simultaneously increasing stiffness and stress-relaxation on demand. This is achieved by crosslinking two gelatin-based macromers through orthogonal thiol-norbornene photochemistry and post-gelation stiffening with mushroom tyrosinase. The results revealed that higher matrix stiffness, regardless of the degree of stress relaxation, exacerbated the malignant characteristics of PDAC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han D Nguyen
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Chien-Chi Lin
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue School of Engineering & Technology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
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Sun L, Zheng M, Gao Y, Brigstock DR, Gao R. Retinoic acid signaling pathway in pancreatic stellate cells: Insight into the anti-fibrotic effect and mechanism. Eur J Pharmacol 2024; 967:176374. [PMID: 38309676 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176374] [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: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) are activated following loss of cytoplasmic vitamin A (retinol)-containing lipid droplets, which is a key event in the process of fibrogenesis of chronic pancreatitis (CP) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDCA). PSCs are the major source of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) that produce stroma to induce PDAC cancer cell growth, invasion, and metastasis. As an active metabolite of retinol, retinoic acid (RA) can regulate target gene expression in PSCs through its nuclear receptor complex (RAR/RXR or RXR/RXR) or transcriptional intermediary factor. Additionally, RA also has extranuclear and non-transcriptional effects. In vitro studies have shown that RA induces PSC deactivation which reduces extracellular matrix production through multiple modes of action, such as inhibiting TβRⅡ, PDGFRβ, β-catenin and Wnt production, downregulating ERK1/2 and JNK phosphorylation and suppressing active TGF-β1 release. RA alone or in combination with other reagents have been demonstrated to have an effective anti-fibrotic effect on cerulein-induced mouse CP models in vivo studies. Clinical trial data have shown that repurposing all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) as a stromal-targeting agent for human pancreatic cancer is safe and tolerable, suggesting the possibility of using RA for the treatment of CP and PDCA in humans. This review focuses on RA signaling pathways in PSCs and the effects and mechanisms of RA in PSC-mediated fibrogenesis as well as the anti-fibrotic and anti-tumor effects of RA targeting PSCs or CAFs in vitro and in vivo, highlighting the potential therapies of RA against CP and PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Sun
- Department of Hepatic Biliary Pancreatic Medicine, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China; Department of Pathology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Meifang Zheng
- Department of Hepatic Biliary Pancreatic Medicine, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China; Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yanhang Gao
- Department of Hepatic Biliary Pancreatic Medicine, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China; Department of Infectious Diseases, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - David R Brigstock
- The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Runping Gao
- Department of Hepatic Biliary Pancreatic Medicine, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China; Department of Infectious Diseases, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
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Tilsed CM, Morales MLO, Zemek RM, Gordon BA, Piggott MJ, Nowak AK, Fisher SA, Lake RA, Lesterhuis WJ. Tretinoin improves the anti-cancer response to cyclophosphamide, in a model-selective manner. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:203. [PMID: 38350880 PMCID: PMC10865642 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-11915-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chemotherapy is included in treatment regimens for many solid cancers, but when administered as a single agent it is rarely curative. The addition of immune checkpoint therapy to standard chemotherapy regimens has improved response rates and increased survival in some cancers. However, most patients do not respond to treatment and immune checkpoint therapy can cause severe side effects. Therefore, there is a need for alternative immunomodulatory drugs that enhance chemotherapy. METHODS We used gene expression data from cyclophosphamide (CY) responders and non-responders to identify existing clinically approved drugs that could phenocopy a chemosensitive tumor microenvironment (TME), and tested combination treatments in multiple murine cancer models. RESULTS The vitamin A derivative tretinoin was the top predicted upstream regulator of response to CY. Tretinoin pre-treatment induced an inflammatory, interferon-associated TME, with increased infiltration of CD8 + T cells, sensitizing the tumor to subsequent chemotherapy. However, while combination treatment significantly improved survival and cure rate in a CD4+ and CD8+ T cell dependent manner in AB1-HA murine mesothelioma, this effect was model-selective, and could not be replicated using other cell lines. CONCLUSIONS Despite the promising data in one model, the inability to validate the efficacy of combination treatment in multiple cancer models deprioritizes tretinoin/cyclophosphamide combination therapy for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Tilsed
- National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases, 6009, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, 6009, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Institute for Respiratory Health, 6101, Perth, WA, Australia
| | | | - Rachael M Zemek
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, 6872, West Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Brianna A Gordon
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, 6009, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Matthew J Piggott
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, 6009, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Anna K Nowak
- National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases, 6009, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, 6009, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Institute for Respiratory Health, 6101, Perth, WA, Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, 6009, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Scott A Fisher
- National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases, 6009, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, 6009, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Institute for Respiratory Health, 6101, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Richard A Lake
- National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases, 6009, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, 6009, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Institute for Respiratory Health, 6101, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - W Joost Lesterhuis
- National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases, 6009, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, 6009, Crawley, WA, Australia.
- Institute for Respiratory Health, 6101, Perth, WA, Australia.
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, 6872, West Perth, WA, Australia.
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Yang W, Chen Z, Qu L, Zhang C, Chen H, Zheng J, Chen W, Tan X, Shi C. IR-780 Dye-based Targeting of Cancer-associated Fibroblasts Improves Cancer Immunotherapy by Increasing Intra-tumoral T Lymphocytes Infiltration. Curr Cancer Drug Targets 2024; 24:642-653. [PMID: 38310462 DOI: 10.2174/0115680096261142231018104854] [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: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) against programmed death (PD)-1/PD-L1 pathway immunotherapy have been demonstrated to be effective in only a subset of patients with cancer, while the rest may exhibit low response or may develop drug resistance after initially responding. Previous studies have indicated that extensive collagen-rich stroma secreted by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) within the tumor microenvironment is one of the key obstructions of the immunotherapy for some tumors by decreasing the infiltrating cytotoxic T cells. However, there is still a lack of effective therapeutic strategies to control the extracellular matrix by targeting CAFs. METHODS The enhanced uptake of IR-780 by CAFs was assessed by using in vivo or ex vivo nearinfrared fluorescence imaging, confocal NIR fluorescent imaging, and CAFs isolation testing. The fibrotic phenotype down-regulation effects and in vitro CAFs killing effect of IR-780 were tested by qPCR, western blot, and flow cytometry. The in vivo therapeutic enhancement of anti-PD-L1 by IR-780 was evaluated on EMT6 and MC38 subcutaneous xenograft mice models. RESULTS IR-780 has been demonstrated to be preferentially taken up by CAFs and accumulate in the mitochondria. Further results identified low-dose IR-780 to downregulate the fibrotic phenotype, while high-dose IR-780 could directly kill both CAFs and EMT6 cells in vitro. Moreover, IR-780 significantly inhibited extracellular matrix (ECM) protein deposition in the peri-tumoral stroma on subcutaneous EMT6 and MC38 xenografts, which increased the proportion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in the deep tumor and further promoted anti-PD-L1 therapeutic efficacy. CONCLUSION This work provides a unique strategy for the inhibition of ECM protein deposition in the tumor microenvironment by targeted regulating of CAFs, which destroys the T cell barrier and further promotes tumor response to PD-L1 monoclonal antibody. IR-780 has been proposed as a potential therapeutic small-molecule adjuvant to promote the effect of immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Yang
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
- Institute of Rocket Force Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Trauma and Chemical Poisoning, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Zelin Chen
- Institute of Rocket Force Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Trauma and Chemical Poisoning, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Langfan Qu
- Institute of Rocket Force Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Trauma and Chemical Poisoning, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Can Zhang
- Institute of Rocket Force Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Trauma and Chemical Poisoning, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Hongdan Chen
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, 401121, China
| | - Jiancheng Zheng
- Institute of Rocket Force Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Trauma and Chemical Poisoning, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Wanchao Chen
- Institute of Rocket Force Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Trauma and Chemical Poisoning, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Xu Tan
- Institute of Rocket Force Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Trauma and Chemical Poisoning, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Chunmeng Shi
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
- Institute of Rocket Force Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Trauma and Chemical Poisoning, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, 400038, China
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Aguirre GA, Goulart MR, Dalli J, Kocher HM. Arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase-mediated production of Resolvin D5 n-3 DPA abrogates pancreatic stellate cell-induced cancer cell invasion. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1248547. [PMID: 38035115 PMCID: PMC10687150 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1248547] [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: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Activation of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) to cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) is responsible for the extensive desmoplastic reaction observed in PDAC stroma: a key driver of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) chemoresistance leading to poor prognosis. Specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) are prime modulators of inflammation and its resolution, traditionally thought to be produced by immune cells. Using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based lipid mediator profiling PSCs as well as primary human CAFs express enzymes and receptors to produce and respond to SPMs. Human PSC/CAF SPM secretion profile can be modulated by rendering these cells activated [transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)] or quiescent [all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)]. ATRA-induced nuclear translocation of arachidonate-15-lipoxygenase (ALOX15) was linked to increased production of n-3 docosapentaenoic acid-derived Resolvin D5 (RvD5n-3 DPA), among other SPMs. Inhibition of RvD5n-3 DPA formation increases cancer cell invasion, whereas addback of this molecule reduced activated PSC-mediated cancer cell invasion. We also observed that circulating concentrations of RvD5n-3 DPA levels were decreased in peripheral blood of metastatic PDAC patients when compared with those measured in plasma of non-metastatic PDAC patients. Together, these findings indicate that RvD5n-3 DPA may regulate cancer-stroma cross-talk and invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel A. Aguirre
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Jesmond Dalli
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, John Vane Science Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hemant M. Kocher
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, London, United Kingdom
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11
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Hoeijmakers LL, Reijers ILM, Blank CU. Biomarker-Driven Personalization of Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in Melanoma. Cancer Discov 2023; 13:2319-2338. [PMID: 37668337 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-23-0352] [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: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
The introduction of immunotherapy has ushered in a new era of anticancer therapy for many cancer types including melanoma. Given the increasing development of novel compounds and combinations and the investigation in earlier disease stages, the need grows for biomarker-based treatment personalization. Stage III melanoma is one of the front-runners in the neoadjuvant immunotherapy field, facilitating quick biomarker identification by its immunogenic capacity, homogeneous patient population, and reliable efficacy readout. In this review, we discuss potential biomarkers for response prediction to neoadjuvant immunotherapy, and how the neoadjuvant melanoma platform could pave the way for biomarker identification in other tumor types. SIGNIFICANCE In accordance with the increasing rate of therapy development, the need for biomarker-driven personalized treatments grows. The current landscape of neoadjuvant treatment and biomarker development in stage III melanoma can function as a poster child for these personalized treatments in other tumors, assisting in the development of new biomarker-based neoadjuvant trials. This will contribute to personalized benefit-risk predictions to identify the most beneficial treatment for each patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lotte L Hoeijmakers
- Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Irene L M Reijers
- Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Christian U Blank
- Department of Medical Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, the Netherlands
- Molecular Oncology and Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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12
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Qin H, Chen J, Bouchekioua-Bouzaghou K, Meng YM, Griera JB, Jiang X, Kong X, Wang M, Xu Q, Wong PP. Immunization with a multi-antigen targeted DNA vaccine eliminates chemoresistant pancreatic cancer by disrupting tumor-stromal cell crosstalk. J Transl Med 2023; 21:702. [PMID: 37814317 PMCID: PMC10561406 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04519-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterised by limited responses to chemoimmunotherapy attributed to highly desmoplastic tumor microenvironment. Disrupting the tumor-stromal cell crosstalk is considered as an improved PDAC treatment strategy, whereas little progress has been made due to poor understanding of its underlying mechanism. Here, we examined the cellular role of melanoma associated antigen A isoforms (MAGEA) in regulating tumor-stromal crosstalk mediated chemoresistance. METHODS We used clinical samples to explore the correlation between MAGEA expression and patient prognosis in multiple cancers. We utilized cancer cell lines, patient derived organoids and orthotopic PDAC model to examine the function of MAGEA in chemoresistance. We performed biochemical, proteome profiler array and transcriptional analysis to uncover a mechanism that governs tumor-stromal crosstalk. We developed a multi-MAGEA antigen targeted DNA vaccine and tested its effect on PDAC tumor growth. RESULTS We establish MAGEA as a regulator of the tumor-stromal crosstalk in PDAC. We provide strong clinical evidence indicating that high MAGEA expression, including MAGEA2, MAGEA3 and MAGEA10, correlates with worse chemotherapeutic response and poor prognosis in multiple cancers, while their expression is up-regulated in chemoresistant PDAC patient derived organoids and cancer cell lines. Mechanistically, MAGEA2 prohibits gemcitabine-induced JNK-c-Jun-p53 mediated cancer cell apoptosis, while gemcitabine stimulated pancreatic stellate cells secretes GDF15 to further enhance the gemcitabine resistance of MAGEA2 expressing cells by activating GFRAL-RET mediated Akt and ERK1/2 dependent survival pathway. Strikingly, immunization with a DNA vaccine that targeting multiple MAGEA antigens, including MAGEA2, MAGEA3 and MAGEA10, elicits robust immune responses against the growth of gemcitabine resistant tumors. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that targeting MAGEA-mediated paracrine regulation of chemoresistance by immunotherapy can be an improved pancreatic cancer treatment strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongquan Qin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Jiali Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Katia Bouchekioua-Bouzaghou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Ya-Ming Meng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproductive Medicine; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Major Obstetric Diseases; Guangdong Provincial Clinical Reserach Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology; Guangdong-HongKong-Macao Greater Bay Area Higher Education Joint Laboratory of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510150, China
- Key Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine of Guangdong Province, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jordi Bach Griera
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Xue Jiang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Xiangzhan Kong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Minghui Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Qiuping Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
- Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
| | - Ping-Pui Wong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
- Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
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13
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Zhang H, Yue X, Chen Z, Liu C, Wu W, Zhang N, Liu Z, Yang L, Jiang Q, Cheng Q, Luo P, Liu G. Define cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment: new opportunities in cancer immunotherapy and advances in clinical trials. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:159. [PMID: 37784082 PMCID: PMC10544417 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01860-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite centuries since the discovery and study of cancer, cancer is still a lethal and intractable health issue worldwide. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have gained much attention as a pivotal component of the tumor microenvironment. The versatility and sophisticated mechanisms of CAFs in facilitating cancer progression have been elucidated extensively, including promoting cancer angiogenesis and metastasis, inducing drug resistance, reshaping the extracellular matrix, and developing an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Owing to their robust tumor-promoting function, CAFs are considered a promising target for oncotherapy. However, CAFs are a highly heterogeneous group of cells. Some subpopulations exert an inhibitory role in tumor growth, which implies that CAF-targeting approaches must be more precise and individualized. This review comprehensively summarize the origin, phenotypical, and functional heterogeneity of CAFs. More importantly, we underscore advances in strategies and clinical trials to target CAF in various cancers, and we also summarize progressions of CAF in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xinghai Yue
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhe Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chao Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Central Hospital of Zhuzhou, Zhuzhou, China
| | - Wantao Wu
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zaoqu Liu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Liping Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qing Jiang
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Quan Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Peng Luo
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Guodong Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
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14
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Ashina S, Masuda A, Yamakawa K, Hamada T, Tsujimae M, Tanaka T, Toyama H, Sofue K, Shiomi H, Sakai A, Kobayashi T, Abe S, Gonda M, Masuda S, Inomata N, Uemura H, Kohashi S, Nagao K, Harada Y, Miki M, Juri N, Irie Y, Kanzawa M, Itoh T, Inoue J, Imai T, Fukumoto T, Kodama Y. A comprehensive analysis of tumor-stromal collagen in relation to pathological, molecular, and immune characteristics and patient survival in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. J Gastroenterol 2023; 58:1055-1067. [PMID: 37477731 PMCID: PMC10522520 DOI: 10.1007/s00535-023-02020-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abundant collagen deposition is a hallmark of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs). This study clarified the interactive relationship between tumor-stromal collagen, molecular and immune characteristics, and tumor pr ogression in human PDAC. METHODS We performed a comprehensive examination using an integrative molecular pathological epidemiology database on 169 cases with resected PDAC . The amount of tumor-stromal collagen was quantified through digital imaging analysis for Elastica van Gieson-stained whole-section tumor slides. We analyzed the association of tumor-stromal collagen with gene alterations (KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A/p16, and SMAD4), immune parameters (CD4+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes [TILs], CD8+ TILs, FOXP3+ TILs, and tertiary lymphoid structures), and patient prognosis. RESULTS Low amounts of tumor-stromal collagen were associated with poor differentiation (multivariable OR = 3.82, 95%CI = 1.41-12.2, P = 0.008) and CDKN2A/p16 alteration (OR [95%CI] = 2.06 [1.08-4.02], P = 0.03). Tumors with low collagen levels had shorter overall survival (HR [95%CI] = 2.38 [1.59-3.56], P < 0.0001). In the S-1 and gemcitabine (GEM) treatment groups, low tumor-stromal collagen was linked to poor prognosis of patients with PDAC (S-1 group: multivariable HR [95%CI] = 2.76 [1.36-5.79], P = 0.005; GEM group: multivariate HR [95%CI] = 2.91 [1.34-6.71], P = 0.007). Additionally, low amounts of tumor-stromal collagen were also linked to low levels of CD4+ TILs (P = 0.046), CD8+ TILs (P = 0.09), and tertiary lymphoid structures (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Tumor-stromal collagen deposition may play a crucial role in modulating tumor-immune microenvironment and determining response to adjuvant chemotherapy and patient survival outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeto Ashina
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Atsuhiro Masuda
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan.
| | - Kohei Yamakawa
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Hamada
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Masahiro Tsujimae
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Takeshi Tanaka
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Hirochika Toyama
- Division of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Keitaro Sofue
- Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Shiomi
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1 Mukogawa-Cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Arata Sakai
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Takashi Kobayashi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Shohei Abe
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Masanori Gonda
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Shigeto Masuda
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Noriko Inomata
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Hisahiro Uemura
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Shinya Kohashi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Kae Nagao
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Harada
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Mika Miki
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Noriko Juri
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Yosuke Irie
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Maki Kanzawa
- Division of Diagnostic Pathology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Tomoo Itoh
- Division of Diagnostic Pathology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Jun Inoue
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Toshio Imai
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Takumi Fukumoto
- Division of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
| | - Yuzo Kodama
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0017, Japan
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15
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Zhou X, Zhang P, Liu N, Zhang X, Lv H, Xu W, Huo M. Enhancing chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer through efficient and sustained tumor microenvironment remodeling with a fibroblast-targeted nanosystem. J Control Release 2023; 361:161-177. [PMID: 37536546 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.07.061] [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: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) carries a poor prognosis among all malignancies and poses great challenges to clinical drug accessibility due to the severely fibrotic and hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME). Therein, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which are extremely abundant in PC, play a key role in forming the complex PC microenvironment. Therefore, a highly efficient TME reprogramming therapeutic paradigm that can specifically inhibit CAF function is urgently needed. Herein, we successfully developed a novel CAF-tailored nanosystem (Dex-GP-DOCA, DPD) loaded with a potent anti-fibrosis flavonoid compound (Quercetin, QUE), which possesses biological responsiveness to fibroblast activation protein alpha (FAP-α), prolonged TME remodeling and enhancement of clinical chemotherapeutics. Specifically, DPD/QUE allowed for extracellular matrix (ECM) reduction, vessel normalization, hypoxia-induced drug resistance reversal, and blockade of Wnt16 paracrine in CAFs. More importantly, this chemotherapy conducive microenvironment persisted for at least 8 days following treatment with DPD/QUE. It should also be noted that the effective and prolonged microenvironment modulation induced by DPD/QUE significantly improved the chemotherapy sensitivity of Abraxane and gemcitabine, the first-line chemotherapeutic drugs for PC, with inhibition rates increasing from 37.5% and 40.0% to 87.5% and 85.2%, respectively. Overall, our CAFs-targeted nanosystem showed promising prospects for remodeling the TME and facilitating chemotherapy for refractory pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyuan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Pan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Nan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Department of clinical pharmacy, Qianfoshan Hospital, The First Hospital Affiliation with Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250012, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Lv
- Department of clinical pharmacy, Qianfoshan Hospital, The First Hospital Affiliation with Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250012, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Xu
- Department of clinical pharmacy, Qianfoshan Hospital, The First Hospital Affiliation with Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250012, People's Republic of China.
| | - Meirong Huo
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China.
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16
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Coetzee AS, Carter EP, Rodríguez-Fernández L, Heward J, Wang Q, Karim SA, Boughetane L, Milton C, Uyulur F, Morton JP, Kocher HM, Grose RP. Nuclear FGFR1 promotes pancreatic stellate cell-driven invasion through up-regulation of Neuregulin 1. Oncogene 2023; 42:491-500. [PMID: 36357571 PMCID: PMC9918430 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02513-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) are key to the treatment-refractory desmoplastic phenotype of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and have received considerable attention as a stromal target for cancer therapy. This approach demands detailed understanding of their pro- and anti-tumourigenic effects. Interrogating PSC-cancer cell interactions in 3D models, we identified nuclear FGFR1 as critical for PSC-led invasion of cancer cells. ChIP-seq analysis of FGFR1 in PSCs revealed a number of FGFR1 interaction sites within the genome, notably NRG1, which encodes the ERBB ligand Neuregulin. We show that nuclear FGFR1 regulates transcription of NRG1, which in turn acts in autocrine fashion through an ERBB2/4 heterodimer to promote invasion. In support of this, recombinant NRG1 in 3D model systems rescued the loss of invasion incurred by FGFR inhibition. In vivo we demonstrate that, while FGFR inhibition does not affect the growth of pancreatic tumours in mice, local invasion into the pancreas is reduced. Thus, FGFR and NRG1 may present new stromal targets for PDAC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail S Coetzee
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Edward P Carter
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Lucía Rodríguez-Fernández
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - James Heward
- Centre for Cancer Genomics and Computational Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Qiaoying Wang
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Saadia A Karim
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Lina Boughetane
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Christopher Milton
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Firat Uyulur
- Centre for Cancer Genomics and Computational Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Jennifer P Morton
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - Hemant M Kocher
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK.
| | - Richard P Grose
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK.
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17
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Jenkins BH, Buckingham JF, Hanley CJ, Thomas GJ. Targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts: Challenges, opportunities and future directions. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 240:108231. [PMID: 35718294 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2022.108231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a common cell in the tumour microenvironment with diverse tumour-promoting functions. Their presence in tumours is commonly associated with poor prognosis making them attractive therapeutic targets, particularly in the context of immunotherapy where CAFs have been shown to promote resistance to checkpoint blockade. Previous attempts to inhibit CAFs clinically have not been successful, however, in part due to a lack of understanding of CAF heterogeneity and function, with some fibroblast populations potentially being tumour suppressive. Recent single-cell transcriptomic studies have advanced our understanding of fibroblast phenotypes in normal tissues and cancers, allowing for a more precise characterisation of CAF subsets and providing opportunities to develop new therapies. Here we review recent advances in the field, focusing on the evolving area of therapeutic CAF targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin H Jenkins
- School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, UK
| | | | | | - Gareth J Thomas
- School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, UK.
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18
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Neuzillet C, Nicolle R, Raffenne J, Tijeras‐Raballand A, Brunel A, Astorgues‐Xerri L, Vacher S, Arbateraz F, Fanjul M, Hilmi M, Samain R, Klein C, Perraud A, Rebours V, Mathonnet M, Bièche I, Kocher H, Cros J, Bousquet C. Periostin- and podoplanin-positive cancer-associated fibroblast subtypes cooperate to shape the inflamed tumor microenvironment in aggressive pancreatic adenocarcinoma. J Pathol 2022; 258:408-425. [PMID: 36102377 PMCID: PMC9828775 DOI: 10.1002/path.6011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are orchestrators of the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) microenvironment. Previously we described four CAF subtypes with specific molecular and functional features. Here, we have refined our CAF subtype signatures using RNAseq and immunostaining with the goal of defining bioinformatically the phenotypic stromal and tumor epithelial states associated with CAF diversity. We used primary CAF cultures grown from patient PDAC tumors, human data sets (in-house and public, including single-cell analyses), genetically engineered mouse PDAC tissues, and patient-derived xenografts (PDX) grown in mice. We found that CAF subtype RNAseq signatures correlated with immunostaining. Tumors rich in periostin-positive CAFs were significantly associated with shorter overall survival of patients. Periostin-positive CAFs were characterized by high proliferation and protein synthesis rates and low α-smooth muscle actin expression and were found in peri-/pre-tumoral areas. They were associated with highly cellular tumors and with macrophage infiltrates. Podoplanin-positive CAFs were associated with immune-related signatures and recruitment of dendritic cells. Importantly, we showed that the combination of periostin-positive CAFs and podoplanin-positive CAFs was associated with specific tumor microenvironment features in terms of stromal abundance and immune cell infiltrates. Podoplanin-positive CAFs identified an inflammatory CAF (iCAF)-like subset, whereas periostin-positive CAFs were not correlated with the published myofibroblastic CAF (myCAF)/iCAF classification. Taken together, these results suggest that a periostin-positive CAF is an early, activated CAF, associated with aggressive tumors, whereas a podoplanin-positive CAF is associated with an immune-related phenotype. These two subpopulations cooperate to define specific tumor microenvironment and patient prognosis and are of putative interest for future therapeutic stratification of patients. © 2022 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Neuzillet
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut CurieUniversité Versailles Saint‐Quentin, Paris SaclaySaint‐CloudFrance,UMR144, Institut CurieParisFrance
| | - Rémy Nicolle
- INSERM U1149, Centre de Recherche sur l'InflammationParisFrance
| | - Jérôme Raffenne
- INSERM UMR‐1037, Cancer Research Center of Toulouse (CRCT), Team ‘labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer’University of ToulouseToulouseFrance
| | | | - Alexia Brunel
- INSERM UMR‐1037, Cancer Research Center of Toulouse (CRCT), Team ‘labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer’University of ToulouseToulouseFrance
| | | | - Sophie Vacher
- Department of GeneticsInstitut Curie, PSL Research UniversityParisFrance
| | - Floriane Arbateraz
- Centre d'Histologie Imagerie et Cytométrie (CHIC), U1138 Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers (CRC)ParisFrance
| | - Marjorie Fanjul
- INSERM UMR‐1037, Cancer Research Center of Toulouse (CRCT), Team ‘labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer’University of ToulouseToulouseFrance
| | - Marc Hilmi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Institut CurieUniversité Versailles Saint‐Quentin, Paris SaclaySaint‐CloudFrance
| | - Rémi Samain
- INSERM UMR‐1037, Cancer Research Center of Toulouse (CRCT), Team ‘labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer’University of ToulouseToulouseFrance
| | - Christophe Klein
- Centre d'Histologie Imagerie et Cytométrie (CHIC), U1138 Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers (CRC)ParisFrance
| | - Aurélie Perraud
- Department of Digestive SurgeryUniversity Hospital of LimogesLimogesFrance,INSERM UMLR‐1308University of LimogesLimogesFrance
| | - Vinciane Rebours
- INSERM U1149, Centre de Recherche sur l'InflammationParisFrance,Department of PancreatologyBeaujon Hospital (APHP)Clichy‐La‐GarenneFrance
| | - Muriel Mathonnet
- Department of Digestive SurgeryUniversity Hospital of LimogesLimogesFrance,INSERM UMLR‐1308University of LimogesLimogesFrance
| | - Ivan Bièche
- Department of GeneticsInstitut Curie, PSL Research UniversityParisFrance
| | - Hemant Kocher
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute ‐ a CR‐UK Centre of ExcellenceQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Jérôme Cros
- INSERM U1149, Centre de Recherche sur l'InflammationParisFrance,Department of Pathology, Beaujon Hospital (APHP)Université de ParisParisFrance
| | - Corinne Bousquet
- INSERM UMR‐1037, Cancer Research Center of Toulouse (CRCT), Team ‘labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer’University of ToulouseToulouseFrance
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19
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Elrakaybi A, Ruess DA, Lübbert M, Quante M, Becker H. Epigenetics in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Impact on Biology and Utilization in Diagnostics and Treatment. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14235926. [PMID: 36497404 PMCID: PMC9738647 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14235926] [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: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive malignancies with high potential of metastases and therapeutic resistance. Although genetic mutations drive PDAC initiation, they alone do not explain its aggressive nature. Epigenetic mechanisms, including aberrant DNA methylation and histone modifications, significantly contribute to inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity, disease progression and metastasis. Thus, increased understanding of the epigenetic landscape in PDAC could offer new potential biomarkers and tailored therapeutic approaches. In this review, we shed light on the role of epigenetic modifications in PDAC biology and on the potential clinical applications of epigenetic biomarkers in liquid biopsy. In addition, we provide an overview of clinical trials assessing epigenetically targeted treatments alone or in combination with other anticancer therapies to improve outcomes of patients with PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmaa Elrakaybi
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Medical Center University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566, Egypt
| | - Dietrich A. Ruess
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Center of Surgery, Medical Center University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Partner Site Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Michael Lübbert
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Medical Center University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Partner Site Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Michael Quante
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Partner Site Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical Center University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Heiko Becker
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Medical Center University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Partner Site Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-761-270-36000
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20
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Xu M, Zhang T, Xia R, Wei Y, Wei X. Targeting the tumor stroma for cancer therapy. Mol Cancer 2022; 21:208. [PMID: 36324128 PMCID: PMC9628074 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-022-01670-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumors are comprised of both cancer cells and surrounding stromal components. As an essential part of the tumor microenvironment, the tumor stroma is highly dynamic, heterogeneous and commonly tumor-type specific, and it mainly includes noncellular compositions such as the extracellular matrix and the unique cancer-associated vascular system as well as a wide variety of cellular components including activated cancer-associated fibroblasts, mesenchymal stromal cells, pericytes. All these elements operate with each other in a coordinated fashion and collectively promote cancer initiation, progression, metastasis and therapeutic resistance. Over the past few decades, numerous studies have been conducted to study the interaction and crosstalk between stromal components and neoplastic cells. Meanwhile, we have also witnessed an exponential increase in the investigation and recognition of the critical roles of tumor stroma in solid tumors. A series of clinical trials targeting the tumor stroma have been launched continually. In this review, we introduce and discuss current advances in the understanding of various stromal elements and their roles in cancers. We also elaborate on potential novel approaches for tumor-stroma-based therapeutic targeting, with the aim to promote the leap from bench to bedside.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maosen Xu
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, 610041, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, 610041, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Ruolan Xia
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, 610041, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Yuquan Wei
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, 610041, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Xiawei Wei
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Sichuan University, No. 17, Block 3, Southern Renmin Road, 610041, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China.
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21
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Bryce AS, Dreyer SB, Froeling FEM, Chang DK. Exploring the Biology of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:5302. [PMID: 36358721 PMCID: PMC9659154 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14215302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal malignancy characterised by a stubbornly low 5-year survival which is essentially unchanged in the past 5 decades. Despite recent advances in chemotherapy and surgical outcomes, progress continues to lag behind that of other cancers. The PDAC microenvironment is characterised by a dense, fibrotic stroma of which cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are key players. CAFs and fibrosis were initially thought to be uniformly tumour-promoting, however this doctrine is now being challenged by a wealth of evidence demonstrating CAF phenotypic and functional heterogeneity. Recent technological advances have allowed for the molecular profiling of the PDAC tumour microenvironment at exceptional detail, and these technologies are being leveraged at pace to improve our understanding of this previously elusive cell population. In this review we discuss CAF heterogeneity and recent developments in CAF biology. We explore the complex relationship between CAFs and other cell types within the PDAC microenvironment. We discuss the potential for therapeutic targeting of CAFs, and we finally provide an overview of future directions for the field and the possibility of improving outcomes for patients with this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam S. Bryce
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Switchback Road, Bearsden G61 1BD, UK
- West of Scotland Pancreatic Unit, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, 84 Castle Street, Glasgow G4 0SF, UK
| | - Stephan B. Dreyer
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Switchback Road, Bearsden G61 1BD, UK
- West of Scotland Pancreatic Unit, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, 84 Castle Street, Glasgow G4 0SF, UK
| | - Fieke E. M. Froeling
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Switchback Road, Bearsden G61 1BD, UK
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
- Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, 1053 Great Western Rd, Glasgow G12 0YN, UK
| | - David K. Chang
- Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Switchback Road, Bearsden G61 1BD, UK
- West of Scotland Pancreatic Unit, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, 84 Castle Street, Glasgow G4 0SF, UK
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22
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Zhang T, Ren Y, Yang P, Wang J, Zhou H. Cancer-associated fibroblasts in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:897. [PMID: 36284087 PMCID: PMC9596464 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-05351-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal cancer with a prominent extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and poor prognosis. High levels of ECM proteins derived from tumour cells reduce the efficacy of conventional cancer treatment paradigms and contribute to tumour progression and metastasis. As abundant tumour-promoting cells in the ECM, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are promising targets for novel anti-tumour interventions. Nonetheless, related clinical trials are hampered by the lack of specific markers and elusive differences between CAF subtypes. Here, we review the origins and functional diversity of CAFs and show how they create a tumour-promoting milieu, focusing on the crosstalk between CAFs, tumour cells, and immune cells in the tumour microenvironment. Furthermore, relevant clinical advances and potential therapeutic strategies relating to CAFs are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyi Zhang
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China ,grid.450259.f0000 0004 1804 2516Key Laboratory of Space Radiobiology of Gansu Province & Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Radiation Biology and Medicine, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yanxian Ren
- grid.412643.60000 0004 1757 2902Department of General Surgery, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Pengfei Yang
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China ,grid.450259.f0000 0004 1804 2516Key Laboratory of Space Radiobiology of Gansu Province & Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Radiation Biology and Medicine, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jufang Wang
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China ,grid.450259.f0000 0004 1804 2516Key Laboratory of Space Radiobiology of Gansu Province & Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Radiation Biology and Medicine, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Heng Zhou
- grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China ,grid.450259.f0000 0004 1804 2516Key Laboratory of Space Radiobiology of Gansu Province & Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Radiation Biology and Medicine, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
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23
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Raja Arul GL, Toruner MD, Gatenby RA, Carr RM. Ecoevolutionary biology of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Pancreatology 2022; 22:730-740. [PMID: 35821188 DOI: 10.1016/j.pan.2022.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common histological subtype of pancreatic cancer, is an aggressive disease predicted to be the 2nd cause of cancer mortality in the US by 2040. While first-line therapy has improved, 5-year overall survival has only increased from 5 to ∼10%, and surgical resection is only available for ∼20% of patients as most present with advanced disease, which is invariably lethal. PDAC has well-established highly recurrent mutations in four driver genes including KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A, and SMAD4. Unfortunately, these genetic drivers are not currently therapeutically actionable. Despite extensive sequencing efforts, few additional significantly recurrent and druggable drivers have been identified. In the absence of targetable mutations, chemotherapy remains the mainstay of treatment for most patients. Further, the role of the above driver mutations on PDAC initiation and early development is well-established. However, these mutations alone cannot account for PDAC heterogeneity nor discern early from advanced disease. Taken together, management of PDAC is an example highlighting the shortcomings of the current precision medicine paradigm. PDAC, like other malignancies, represents an ecoevolutionary process. Better understanding the disease through this lens can facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies to better control and cure PDAC. This review aims to integrate the current understanding of PDAC pathobiology into an ecoevolutionary framework.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Merih D Toruner
- Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Robert A Gatenby
- Department of Integrated Mathematical Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Ryan M Carr
- Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
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24
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Integrated and dual-responsive lipopeptide nanovector with parallel effect to tumor and micro-environment regulation by efficient gene and drug co-delivery. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2022.107753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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25
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Osei-Bordom DC, Serifis N, Brown ZJ, Hewitt DB, Lawal G, Sachdeva G, Cloonan DJ, Pawlik TM. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: Emerging therapeutic strategies. Surg Oncol 2022; 43:101803. [PMID: 35830772 DOI: 10.1016/j.suronc.2022.101803] [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: 11/20/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The seventh leading cause of cancer-related death globally, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) involves the exocrine pancreas and constitutes greater than 90% of all pancreatic cancers. Surgical resection in combination with systemic chemotherapy with or without radiation remains the mainstay of treatment and the only potentially curative treatment option. While there has been improvement in systemic chemotherapy, long-term survival among patients with PDAC remains poor. Improvement in the understanding of tumorigenesis, genetic mutations, the tumor microenvironment (TME), immunotherapies, as well as targeted therapies continued to drive advances in PDAC treatment. We herein review the TME, genetic landscape, as well as various metabolic pathways associated with PDAC tumorigenesis relative to emerging therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Osei-Bordom
- Department of General Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University Hospitals Birmingham Queen Elizabeth, Birmingham, UK; Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, UK
| | - Nikolaos Serifis
- Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Zachary J Brown
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - D Brock Hewitt
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Gbemisola Lawal
- Department of Surgery, Arrowhead Regional Cancer Center, California University of Science and Medicine, Colton, CA, USA
| | - Gagandeep Sachdeva
- Department of General Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University Hospitals Birmingham Queen Elizabeth, Birmingham, UK
| | - Daniel J Cloonan
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Timothy M Pawlik
- Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
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26
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Menezes S, Okail MH, Jalil SMA, Kocher HM, Cameron AJM. Cancer-associated fibroblasts in pancreatic cancer: new subtypes, new markers, new targets. J Pathol 2022; 257:526-544. [PMID: 35533046 PMCID: PMC9327514 DOI: 10.1002/path.5926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have conflicting roles in the suppression and promotion of cancer. Current research focuses on targeting the undesirable properties of CAFs, while attempting to maintain tumour-suppressive roles. CAFs have been widely associated with primary or secondary therapeutic resistance, and strategies to modify CAF function have therefore largely focussed on their combination with existing therapies. Despite significant progress in preclinical studies, clinical translation of CAF targeted therapies has achieved limited success. Here we will review our emerging understanding of heterogeneous CAF populations in tumour biology and use examples from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma to explore why successful clinical targeting of protumourigenic CAF functions remains elusive. Single-cell technologies have allowed the identification of CAF subtypes with a differential impact on prognosis and response to therapy, but currently without clear consensus. Identification and pharmacological targeting of CAF subtypes associated with immunotherapy response offers new hope to expand clinical options for pancreatic cancer. Various CAF subtype markers may represent biomarkers for patient stratification, to obtain enhanced response with existing and emerging combinatorial therapeutic strategies. Thus, CAF subtyping is the next frontier in understanding and exploiting the tumour microenvironment for therapeutic benefit. © 2022 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinelle Menezes
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science CentreLondonUK
| | - Mohamed Hazem Okail
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science CentreLondonUK
| | - Siti Munira Abd Jalil
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science CentreLondonUK
| | - Hemant M Kocher
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science CentreLondonUK
- Barts and the London HPB Centre, The Royal London HospitalBarts Health NHS TrustLondonUK
| | - Angus J M Cameron
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science CentreLondonUK
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27
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Koltai T, Reshkin SJ, Carvalho TMA, Di Molfetta D, Greco MR, Alfarouk KO, Cardone RA. Resistance to Gemcitabine in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Physiopathologic and Pharmacologic Review. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:2486. [PMID: 35626089 PMCID: PMC9139729 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14102486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a very aggressive tumor with a poor prognosis and inadequate response to treatment. Many factors contribute to this therapeutic failure: lack of symptoms until the tumor reaches an advanced stage, leading to late diagnosis; early lymphatic and hematic spread; advanced age of patients; important development of a pro-tumoral and hyperfibrotic stroma; high genetic and metabolic heterogeneity; poor vascular supply; a highly acidic matrix; extreme hypoxia; and early development of resistance to the available therapeutic options. In most cases, the disease is silent for a long time, andwhen it does become symptomatic, it is too late for ablative surgery; this is one of the major reasons explaining the short survival associated with the disease. Even when surgery is possible, relapsesare frequent, andthe causes of this devastating picture are the low efficacy ofand early resistance to all known chemotherapeutic treatments. Thus, it is imperative to analyze the roots of this resistance in order to improve the benefits of therapy. PDAC chemoresistance is the final product of different, but to some extent, interconnected factors. Surgery, being the most adequate treatment for pancreatic cancer and the only one that in a few selected cases can achieve longer survival, is only possible in less than 20% of patients. Thus, the treatment burden relies on chemotherapy in mostcases. While the FOLFIRINOX scheme has a slightly longer overall survival, it also produces many more adverse eventsso that gemcitabine is still considered the first choice for treatment, especially in combination with other compounds/agents. This review discusses the multiple causes of gemcitabine resistance in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephan Joel Reshkin
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy; (T.M.A.C.); (D.D.M.); (M.R.G.); (R.A.C.)
| | - Tiago M. A. Carvalho
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy; (T.M.A.C.); (D.D.M.); (M.R.G.); (R.A.C.)
| | - Daria Di Molfetta
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy; (T.M.A.C.); (D.D.M.); (M.R.G.); (R.A.C.)
| | - Maria Raffaella Greco
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy; (T.M.A.C.); (D.D.M.); (M.R.G.); (R.A.C.)
| | - Khalid Omer Alfarouk
- Zamzam Research Center, Zamzam University College, Khartoum 11123, Sudan;
- Alfarouk Biomedical Research LLC, Temple Terrace, FL 33617, USA
| | - Rosa Angela Cardone
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy; (T.M.A.C.); (D.D.M.); (M.R.G.); (R.A.C.)
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28
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Masamune A, Hamada S. Editorial: Mechanisms of Inflammation and Fibrosis Interplays in the Digestive Diseases. Front Physiol 2022; 13:906742. [PMID: 35492620 PMCID: PMC9048022 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.906742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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29
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Murray ER, Menezes S, Henry JC, Williams JL, Alba-Castellón L, Baskaran P, Quétier I, Desai A, Marshall JJT, Rosewell I, Tatari M, Rajeeve V, Khan F, Wang J, Kotantaki P, Tyler EJ, Singh N, Reader CS, Carter EP, Hodivala-Dilke K, Grose RP, Kocher HM, Gavara N, Pearce O, Cutillas P, Marshall JF, Cameron AJM. Disruption of pancreatic stellate cell myofibroblast phenotype promotes pancreatic tumor invasion. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110227. [PMID: 35081338 PMCID: PMC8810397 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), differentiation of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) into myofibroblast-like cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) can both promote and suppress tumor progression. Here, we show that the Rho effector protein kinase N2 (PKN2) is critical for PSC myofibroblast differentiation. Loss of PKN2 is associated with reduced PSC proliferation, contractility, and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) stress fibers. In spheroid co-cultures with PDAC cells, loss of PKN2 prevents PSC invasion but, counter-intuitively, promotes invasive cancer cell outgrowth. PKN2 deletion induces a myofibroblast to inflammatory CAF switch in the PSC matrisome signature both in vitro and in vivo. Further, deletion of PKN2 in the pancreatic stroma induces more locally invasive, orthotopic pancreatic tumors. Finally, we demonstrate that a PKN2KO matrisome signature predicts poor outcome in pancreatic and other solid human cancers. Our data indicate that suppressing PSC myofibroblast function can limit important stromal tumor-suppressive mechanisms, while promoting a switch to a cancer-supporting CAF phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Murray
- Kinase Biology Laboratory, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Shinelle Menezes
- Kinase Biology Laboratory, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Jack C Henry
- Kinase Biology Laboratory, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Josie L Williams
- Kinase Biology Laboratory, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Lorena Alba-Castellón
- Kinase Biology Laboratory, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Priththivika Baskaran
- Kinase Biology Laboratory, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Ivan Quétier
- Kinase Biology Laboratory, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Ami Desai
- Kinase Biology Laboratory, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Jacqueline J T Marshall
- Protein Phosphorylation Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Ian Rosewell
- Transgenic Services, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Marianthi Tatari
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Vinothini Rajeeve
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Faraz Khan
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Jun Wang
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Panoraia Kotantaki
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Eleanor J Tyler
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Namrata Singh
- Kinase Biology Laboratory, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Claire S Reader
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Edward P Carter
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Richard P Grose
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Hemant M Kocher
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK; Barts and the London HPB Centre, The Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, Whitechapel, London E1 1BB, UK
| | - Nuria Gavara
- Unitat de Biofísica i Bioenginyeria, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Oliver Pearce
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Pedro Cutillas
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - John F Marshall
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Angus J M Cameron
- Kinase Biology Laboratory, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Centre, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK.
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30
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Hrabák P, Kalousová M, Krechler T, Zima T. Pancreatic stellate cells - rising stars in pancreatic pathologies. Physiol Res 2021. [DOI: 10.33549//physiolres.934783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pluripotent pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) receive growing interest in past decades. Two types of PSCs are recognized –vitamin A accumulating quiescent PSCs and activated PSCs- the main producents of extracellular matrix in pancreatic tissue. PSCs plays important role in pathogenesis of pancreatic fibrosis in pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis. PSCs are intensively studied as potential therapeutical target because of their important role in developing desmoplastic stroma in pancreatic cancer. There also exists evidence that PSC are involved in other pathologies like type-2 diabetes mellitus. This article brings brief characteristics of PSCs and recent advances in research of these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - M Kalousová
- 2Institute of Medical Biochemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic.
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31
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Carvalho TMA, Di Molfetta D, Greco MR, Koltai T, Alfarouk KO, Reshkin SJ, Cardone RA. Tumor Microenvironment Features and Chemoresistance in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Insights into Targeting Physicochemical Barriers and Metabolism as Therapeutic Approaches. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:6135. [PMID: 34885243 PMCID: PMC8657427 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13236135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, the median overall survival of PDAC patients rarely exceeds 1 year and has an overall 5-year survival rate of about 9%. These numbers are anticipated to worsen in the future due to the lack of understanding of the factors involved in its strong chemoresistance. Chemotherapy remains the only treatment option for most PDAC patients; however, the available therapeutic strategies are insufficient. The factors involved in chemoresistance include the development of a desmoplastic stroma which reprograms cellular metabolism, and both contribute to an impaired response to therapy. PDAC stroma is composed of immune cells, endothelial cells, and cancer-associated fibroblasts embedded in a prominent, dense extracellular matrix associated with areas of hypoxia and acidic extracellular pH. While multiple gene mutations are involved in PDAC initiation, this desmoplastic stroma plays an important role in driving progression, metastasis, and chemoresistance. Elucidating the mechanisms underlying PDAC resistance are a prerequisite for designing novel approaches to increase patient survival. In this review, we provide an overview of the stromal features and how they contribute to the chemoresistance in PDAC treatment. By highlighting new paradigms in the role of the stromal compartment in PDAC therapy, we hope to stimulate new concepts aimed at improving patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago M. A. Carvalho
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy; (D.D.M.); (M.R.G.); (S.J.R.); (R.A.C.)
| | - Daria Di Molfetta
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy; (D.D.M.); (M.R.G.); (S.J.R.); (R.A.C.)
| | - Maria Raffaella Greco
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy; (D.D.M.); (M.R.G.); (S.J.R.); (R.A.C.)
| | | | - Khalid O. Alfarouk
- Al-Ghad International College for Applied Medical Sciences, Al-Madinah Al-Munwarah 42316, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Stephan J. Reshkin
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy; (D.D.M.); (M.R.G.); (S.J.R.); (R.A.C.)
| | - Rosa A. Cardone
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy; (D.D.M.); (M.R.G.); (S.J.R.); (R.A.C.)
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Lu T, Prakash J. Nanomedicine Strategies to Enhance Tumor Drug Penetration in Pancreatic Cancer. Int J Nanomedicine 2021; 16:6313-6328. [PMID: 34552327 PMCID: PMC8450289 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s279192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most malignant tumors with one of the worst survival rates due to its insidious onset and resistance to therapies. Most therapeutics show a desired anticancer effect in vitro; however, very poor efficacy in vivo because of the limited drug delivery and penetration into pancreatic tumors attributed to the abundance of the tumor stroma, ie, the fibrotic tumor microenvironment surrounding the cancer cells. For a better understanding of the challenges posed by the pancreatic tumor stroma, we outline the key features of the tumor microenvironment. Then we highlight major strategies used to tackle the challenges to improve drug penetration into the tumor and achieve enhanced efficacy (pre)clinically. Furthermore, we describe nanomedicine strategies to modulate the tumor stroma, degrade the extracellular matrix, and co-deliver multi-functional drugs, to improve the chemotherapeutics delivery and penetration into pancreatic tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Lu
- Engineered Therapeutics Group, Department of Biomaterials Science and Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Jai Prakash
- Engineered Therapeutics Group, Department of Biomaterials Science and Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
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33
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The metabolic flexibility of quiescent CSC: implications for chemotherapy resistance. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:835. [PMID: 34482364 PMCID: PMC8418609 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-04116-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Quiescence has been observed in stem cells (SCs), including adult SCs and cancer SCs (CSCs). Conventional chemotherapies mostly target proliferating cancer cells, while the quiescent state favors CSCs escape to chemotherapeutic drugs, leaving risks for tumor recurrence or metastasis. The tumor microenvironment (TME) provides various signals that maintain resident quiescent CSCs, protect them from immune surveillance, and facilitates their recurrence potential. Since the TME has the potential to support and initiate stem cell-like programs in cancer cells, targeting the TME components may prove to be a powerful modality for the treatment of chemotherapy resistance. In addition, an increasing number of studies have discovered that CSCs exhibit the potential of metabolic flexibility when metabolic substrates are limited, and display increased robustness in response to stress. Accompanied by chemotherapy that targets proliferative cancer cells, treatments that modulate CSC quiescence through the regulation of metabolic pathways also show promise. In this review, we focus on the roles of metabolic flexibility and the TME on CSCs quiescence and further discuss potential treatments of targeting CSCs and the TME to limit chemotherapy resistance.
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34
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Delvecchio FR, Fincham REA, Spear S, Clear A, Roy-Luzarraga M, Balkwill FR, Gribben JG, Bombardieri M, Hodivala-Dilke K, Capasso M, Kocher HM. Pancreatic Cancer Chemotherapy Is Potentiated by Induction of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Mice. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021; 12:1543-1565. [PMID: 34252585 PMCID: PMC8529396 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2021.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The presence of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) may confer survival benefit to patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), in an otherwise immunologically inert malignancy. Yet, the precise role in PDAC has not been elucidated. Here, we aim to investigate the structure and role of TLSs in human and murine pancreatic cancer. METHODS Multicolor immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry were used to fully characterize TLSs in human and murine (transgenic [KPC (KrasG12D, p53R172H, Pdx-1-Cre)] and orthotopic) pancreatic cancer. An orthotopic murine model was developed to study the development of TLSs and the effect of the combined chemotherapy and immunotherapy on tumor growth. RESULTS Mature, functional TLSs are not ubiquitous in human PDAC and KPC murine cancers and are absent in the orthotopic murine model. TLS formation can be induced in the orthotopic model of PDAC after intratumoral injection of lymphoid chemokines (CXCL13/CCL21). Coadministration of systemic chemotherapy (gemcitabine) and intratumoral lymphoid chemokines into orthotopic tumors altered immune cell infiltration ,facilitating TLS induction and potentiating antitumor activity of chemotherapy. This resulted in significant tumor reduction, an effect not achieved by either treatment alone. Antitumor activity seen after TLS induction is associated with B cell-mediated dendritic cell activation. CONCLUSIONS This study provides supportive evidence that TLS induction may potentiate the antitumor activity of chemotherapy in a murine model of PDAC. A detailed understanding of TLS kinetics and their induction, owing to multiple host and tumor factors, may help design personalized therapies harnessing the potential of immune-oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca R Delvecchio
- Centre for Tumor Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Cancer Research UK Barts Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom; Centre for Experimental Medicine and Rheumatology, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel E A Fincham
- Centre for Tumor Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Cancer Research UK Barts Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Spear
- Centre for Tumor Micro-environment, Barts Cancer Institute, Cancer Research UK Barts Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Clear
- Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Cancer Research UK Barts Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marina Roy-Luzarraga
- Centre for Tumor Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Cancer Research UK Barts Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Frances R Balkwill
- Centre for Tumor Micro-environment, Barts Cancer Institute, Cancer Research UK Barts Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - John G Gribben
- Centre for Haemato-Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Cancer Research UK Barts Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michele Bombardieri
- Centre for Experimental Medicine and Rheumatology, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke
- Centre for Tumor Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Cancer Research UK Barts Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Melania Capasso
- Centre for Tumor Micro-environment, Barts Cancer Institute, Cancer Research UK Barts Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom; German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany
| | - Hemant M Kocher
- Centre for Tumor Biology, Barts Cancer Institute, Cancer Research UK Barts Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.
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35
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Hanley CJ, Thomas GJ. Targeting cancer associated fibroblasts to enhance immunotherapy: emerging strategies and future perspectives. Oncotarget 2021; 12:1427-1433. [PMID: 34262652 PMCID: PMC8274722 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.27936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer associated fibroblasts are a prominent component of the tumour microenvironment in most solid cancers. This heterogeneous population of cells are known to play an important role in tumour progression and recent studies have demonstrated that CAFs may confer resistance to checkpoint immunotherapy, suggesting that targeting these cells could improve response rates. However, effective clinical strategies for CAF targeting have yet to be identified. In this editorial, we highlight current limitations in our understanding of CAF heterogeneity, and discuss the potential and possible approaches for CAF-directed therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gareth J Thomas
- School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.,Cancer Research UK and NIHR Southampton Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre, Southampton, UK
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36
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Mhaidly R, Mechta‐Grigoriou F. Role of cancer-associated fibroblast subpopulations in immune infiltration, as a new means of treatment in cancer. Immunol Rev 2021; 302:259-272. [PMID: 34013544 PMCID: PMC8360036 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) has been identified as one of the driving factors of tumor progression and invasion. Within this microenvironment, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) have multiple tumor-promoting functions and play key roles in drug resistance, through multiple mechanisms, including extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, production of growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines, and modulation of metabolism and angiogenesis. More recently, a growing body of evidence has shown that CAF also modulate immune cell activity and suppress anti-tumor immune response. In this review, we describe the current knowledge on CAF heterogeneity in terms of identity and functions. Moreover, we analyze how distinct CAF subpopulations differentially interact with immune cells, with a particular focus on T lymphocytes. We address how specific CAF subsets contribute to cancer progression through induction of an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Finally, we highlight potential therapeutic strategies for targeting CAF subpopulations in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana Mhaidly
- Institut CurieStress and Cancer LaboratoryEquipe labelisée Ligue Nationale Contre le CancerPSL Research UniversityParisFrance
- U830, InsermParisFrance
| | - Fatima Mechta‐Grigoriou
- Institut CurieStress and Cancer LaboratoryEquipe labelisée Ligue Nationale Contre le CancerPSL Research UniversityParisFrance
- U830, InsermParisFrance
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37
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Goulart MR, Watt J, Siddiqui I, Lawlor RT, Imrali A, Hughes C, Saad A, ChinAleong J, Hurt C, Cox C, Salvia R, Mantovani A, Crnogorac-Jurcevic T, Mukherjee S, Scarpa A, Allavena P, Kocher HM. Pentraxin 3 is a stromally-derived biomarker for detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. NPJ Precis Oncol 2021; 5:61. [PMID: 34188166 PMCID: PMC8242009 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-021-00192-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), characterized by dense desmoplastic stroma laid down by pancreatic stellate cells (PSC), has no reliable diagnostic biomarkers for timely detection. A multi-center cohort of PDAC patients and controls (chronic pancreatitis, intra-ductal papillary neoplasms, gallstones and otherwise healthy) donated serum in an ethically approved manner. Serum PTX3 above 4.34 ng/mL has a higher sensitivity (86%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 65-97%) and specificity (86%, 95% CI: 79-91%), positive predictive value (97%) and likelihood ratio (6.05), and is superior when compared to serum CA19-9 and CEA for detection of PDAC. In vitro and ex vivo analyses of PTX3, in human PDAC samples, PSCs, cell lines and transgenic mouse model for PDAC, suggest that PTX3 originates from stromal cells, mainly PSC. In activated PSC, PTX3 secretion could be downregulated by rendering PSC quiescent using all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA). PTX3 organizes hyaluronan in conjunction with tumor necrosis factor-stimulated gene 6 (TSG-6) and facilitates stellate and cancer cell invasion. In SCALOP clinical trial (ISRCTN96169987) testing chemo-radiotherapy without stromal targeting, PTX3 had no prognostic or predictive role. However, in STARPAC clinical trial (NCT03307148), stromal modulation by ATRA even at first dose is accompanied with serum PTX3 response in patients who later go on to demonstrate disease control but not those in whom the disease progresses. PTX3 is a putative stromally-derived biomarker for PDAC which warrants further testing in prospective, larger, multi-center cohorts and within clinical trials targeting stroma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle R Goulart
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute - a CRUK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Jennifer Watt
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute - a CRUK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Barts and the London HPB Centre, The Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Imran Siddiqui
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center - IRCCS, via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, Italy
- Department of Oncology UNIL CHUV, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Rita T Lawlor
- ARC-NET Research Center for Applied Research on Cancer, and Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Section of Pathology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Ahmet Imrali
- Barts Pancreas Tissue Bank, Barts Cancer Institute- a CRUK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University London, London, UK
| | - Christine Hughes
- Barts Pancreas Tissue Bank, Barts Cancer Institute- a CRUK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University London, London, UK
| | - Amina Saad
- Barts Pancreas Tissue Bank, Barts Cancer Institute- a CRUK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University London, London, UK
| | - Joanne ChinAleong
- Barts and the London HPB Centre, The Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Chris Hurt
- Centre for Trials Research, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Catrin Cox
- Centre for Trials Research, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Roberto Salvia
- The Pancreas Institute and Department of Surgery, University and Hospital Trust of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Alberto Mantovani
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center - IRCCS, via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, Italy
- The William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London, UK
| | - Tatjana Crnogorac-Jurcevic
- Centre for Cancer Biomarkers and Biotherapeutics, Barts Cancer Institute - a CRUK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Somnath Mukherjee
- Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Churchill Hospital - Oxford Cancer Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Aldo Scarpa
- ARC-NET Research Center for Applied Research on Cancer, and Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, Section of Pathology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Paola Allavena
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center - IRCCS, via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, Italy
| | - Hemant M Kocher
- Centre for Tumour Biology, Barts Cancer Institute - a CRUK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
- Barts and the London HPB Centre, The Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK.
- Barts Pancreas Tissue Bank, Barts Cancer Institute- a CRUK Centre of Excellence, Queen Mary University London, London, UK.
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Pradhan RN, Krishnamurty AT, Fletcher AL, Turley SJ, Müller S. A bird's eye view of fibroblast heterogeneity: A pan-disease, pan-cancer perspective. Immunol Rev 2021; 302:299-320. [PMID: 34164824 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Fibroblasts, custodians of tissue architecture and function, are no longer considered a monolithic entity across tissues and disease indications. Recent advances in single-cell technologies provide an unrestricted, high-resolution view of fibroblast heterogeneity that exists within and across tissues. In this review, we summarize a compendium of single-cell transcriptomic studies and provide a comprehensive accounting of fibroblast subsets, many of which have been described to occupy specific niches in tissues at homeostatic and pathologic states. Understanding this heterogeneity is particularly important in the context of cancer, as the diverse cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) phenotypes in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are directly impacted by the expression phenotypes of their predecessors. Relationships between these heterogeneous populations often accompany and influence response to therapy in cancer and fibrosis. We further highlight the importance of integrating single-cell studies to deduce common fibroblast phenotypes across disease states, which will facilitate the identification of common signaling pathways, gene regulatory programs, and cell surface markers that are going to advance drug discovery and targeting.
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39
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Wu F, Yang J, Liu J, Wang Y, Mu J, Zeng Q, Deng S, Zhou H. Signaling pathways in cancer-associated fibroblasts and targeted therapy for cancer. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:218. [PMID: 34108441 PMCID: PMC8190181 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00641-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 251] [Impact Index Per Article: 83.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
To flourish, cancers greatly depend on their surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME), and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in TME are critical for cancer occurrence and progression because of their versatile roles in extracellular matrix remodeling, maintenance of stemness, blood vessel formation, modulation of tumor metabolism, immune response, and promotion of cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and therapeutic resistance. CAFs are highly heterogeneous stromal cells and their crosstalk with cancer cells is mediated by a complex and intricate signaling network consisting of transforming growth factor-beta, phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin, mitogen-activated protein kinase, Wnt, Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription, epidermal growth factor receptor, Hippo, and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells, etc., signaling pathways. These signals in CAFs exhibit their own special characteristics during the cancer progression and have the potential to be targeted for anticancer therapy. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of these signaling cascades in interactions between cancer cells and CAFs is necessary to fully realize the pivotal roles of CAFs in cancers. Herein, in this review, we will summarize the enormous amounts of findings on the signals mediating crosstalk of CAFs with cancer cells and its related targets or trials. Further, we hypothesize three potential targeting strategies, including, namely, epithelial-mesenchymal common targets, sequential target perturbation, and crosstalk-directed signaling targets, paving the way for CAF-directed or host cell-directed antitumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanglong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center of Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center of Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Junjiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center of Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Ye Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center of Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingtian Mu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center of Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingxiang Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center of Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuzhi Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center of Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongmei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center of Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
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Dzobo K, Dandara C. Architecture of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Tumor Microenvironment: Mapping Their Origins, Heterogeneity, and Role in Cancer Therapy Resistance. OMICS-A JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY 2021; 24:314-339. [PMID: 32496970 DOI: 10.1089/omi.2020.0023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The tumor stroma, a key component of the tumor microenvironment (TME), is a key determinant of response and resistance to cancer treatment. The stromal cells, extracellular matrix (ECM), and blood vessels influence cancer cell response to therapy and play key roles in tumor relapse and therapeutic outcomes. Of the stromal cells present in the TME, much attention has been given to cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) as they are the most abundant and important in cancer initiation, progression, and therapy resistance. Besides releasing several factors, CAFs also synthesize the ECM, a key component of the tumor stroma. In this expert review, we examine the role of CAFs in the regulation of tumor cell behavior and reveal how CAF-derived factors and signaling influence tumor cell heterogeneity and development of novel strategies to combat cancer. Importantly, CAFs display both phenotypic and functional heterogeneity, with significant ramifications on CAF-directed therapies. Principal anti-cancer therapies targeting CAFs take the form of: (1) CAFs' ablation through use of immunotherapies, (2) re-education of CAFs to normalize the cells, (3) cellular therapies involving CAFs delivering drugs such as oncolytic adenoviruses, and (4) stromal depletion via targeting the ECM and its related signaling. The CAFs' heterogeneity could be a result of different cellular origins and the cancer-specific tumor microenvironmental effects, underscoring the need for further multiomics and biochemical studies on CAFs and the subsets. Lastly, we present recent advances in therapeutic targeting of CAFs and the success of such endeavors or their lack thereof. We recommend that to advance global public health and personalized medicine, treatments in the oncology clinic should be combinatorial in nature, strategically targeting both cancer cells and stromal cells, and their interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Dzobo
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town, South Africa.,Division of Medical Biochemistry, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Collet Dandara
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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41
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Desbois M, Wang Y. Cancer-associated fibroblasts: Key players in shaping the tumor immune microenvironment. Immunol Rev 2021; 302:241-258. [PMID: 34075584 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapies have rapidly changed the therapeutic landscape for cancer. Nevertheless, most of the patients show innate or acquired resistance to these therapies. Studies conducted in recent years have highlighted an emerging role of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in immune regulation that shapes the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and influences response to cancer immunotherapies. In this review, we outline recent advances in the understanding of phenotypic and functional heterogeneity of CAFs. We will focus on emerging roles of CAFs in shaping the TIME, especially under a framework of tumor immunity continuum, and discuss current and future CAF-targeting therapeutic strategies in particular in the context of optimizing the success of immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Desbois
- Department of Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yulei Wang
- Department of Oncology Biomarker Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
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42
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Liu H, Shi Y, Qian F. Opportunities and delusions regarding drug delivery targeting pancreatic cancer-associated fibroblasts. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 172:37-51. [PMID: 33705881 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
A dense desmoplastic stroma formed by abundant extracellular matrix and stromal cells, including cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and immune cells, is a feature of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), one of the most lethal cancer types. As the dominant cellular component of the PDAC stroma, CAFs orchestrate intensive and biologically diverse crosstalk with pancreatic cancer cells and immune cells and contribute to a unique PDAC tumor microenvironment promoting cancer proliferation, metastasis, and resistance against both chemo- and immunotherapies. Therefore, CAFs and CAF-related mechanisms have emerged as promising targets for PDAC therapy. However, several clinical setbacks and accumulating knowledge of the PDAC stroma have revealed the heterogeneity and multifaceted biological roles of CAFs, and concerns regarding "what to deliver" and "how to deliver" have arisen when designing CAF-targeted drug delivery systems to specifically inhibit tumor-supporting CAFs without impairing tumor-restricting CAFs. In this review, we will discuss the complexity of CAFs in the PDAC stroma as well as the potential opportunities and common misconceptions regarding drug delivery efforts targeting PDAC CAFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiqin Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, and Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yu Shi
- Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - Feng Qian
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, and Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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Prediction of Tumor Cellularity in Resectable PDAC from Preoperative Computed Tomography Imaging. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13092069. [PMID: 33922981 PMCID: PMC8123300 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13092069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a devastating disease. However, variations in tumor biology influence individual patient outcomes greatly. We previously showed a strong association between magnetic resonance imaging-based tumor cell estimates and patient survival. In this study we aimed to transfer this finding to more broadly applied computed tomography (CT) imaging for non-invasive risk stratification. We correlated in vivo CT imaging with histopathological analyses and could show a strong association between regional Hounsfield Units (HU) and tumor cellularity. In conclusion, our study suggests CT-based tumor cell estimates as a widely applicable way of non-invasive tumor cellularity characterization in PDAC. Abstract Background: PDAC remains a tumor entity with poor prognosis and a 5-year survival rate below 10%. Recent research has revealed invasive biomarkers, such as distinct molecular subtypes, predictive for therapy response and patient survival. Non-invasive prediction of individual patient outcome however remains an unresolved task. Methods: Discrete cellularity regions of PDAC resection specimen (n = 43) were analyzed by routine histopathological work up. Regional tumor cellularity and CT-derived Hounsfield Units (HU, n = 66) as well as iodine concentrations were regionally matched. One-way ANOVA and pairwise t-tests were performed to assess the relationship between different cellularity level in conventional, virtual monoenergetic 40 keV (monoE 40 keV) and iodine map reconstructions. Results: A statistically significant negative correlation between regional tumor cellularity in histopathology and CT-derived HU from corresponding image regions was identified. Radiological differentiation was best possible in monoE 40 keV CT images. However, HU values differed significantly in conventional reconstructions as well, indicating the possibility of a broad clinical application of this finding. Conclusion: In this study we establish a novel method for CT-based prediction of tumor cellularity for in-vivo tumor characterization in PDAC patients.
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Abstract
The extracellular matrix is a fundamental, core component of all tissues and organs, and is essential for the existence of multicellular organisms. From the earliest stages of organism development until death, it regulates and fine-tunes every cellular process in the body. In cancer, the extracellular matrix is altered at the biochemical, biomechanical, architectural and topographical levels, and recent years have seen an exponential increase in the study and recognition of the importance of the matrix in solid tumours. Coupled with the advancement of new technologies to study various elements of the matrix and cell-matrix interactions, we are also beginning to see the deployment of matrix-centric, stromal targeting cancer therapies. This Review touches on many of the facets of matrix biology in solid cancers, including breast, pancreatic and lung cancer, with the aim of highlighting some of the emerging interactions of the matrix and influences that the matrix has on tumour onset, progression and metastatic dissemination, before summarizing the ongoing work in the field aimed at developing therapies to co-target the matrix in cancer and cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R Cox
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
- St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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45
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Hu X, Xia F, Lee J, Li F, Lu X, Zhuo X, Nie G, Ling D. Tailor-Made Nanomaterials for Diagnosis and Therapy of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2021; 8:2002545. [PMID: 33854877 PMCID: PMC8025024 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202002545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide due to its aggressiveness and the challenge to early diagnosis and treatment. In recent decades, nanomaterials have received increasing attention for diagnosis and therapy of PDAC. However, these designs are mainly focused on the macroscopic tumor therapeutic effect, while the crucial nano-bio interactions in the heterogeneous microenvironment of PDAC remain poorly understood. As a result, the majority of potent nanomedicines show limited performance in ameliorating PDAC in clinical translation. Therefore, exploiting the unique nature of the PDAC by detecting potential biomarkers together with a deep understanding of nano-bio interactions that occur in the tumor microenvironment is pivotal to the design of PDAC-tailored effective nanomedicine. This review will introduce tailor-made nanomaterials-enabled laboratory tests and advanced noninvasive imaging technologies for early and accurate diagnosis of PDAC. Moreover, the fabrication of a myriad of tailor-made nanomaterials for various PDAC therapeutic modalities will be reviewed. Furthermore, much preferred theranostic multifunctional nanomaterials for imaging-guided therapies of PDAC will be elaborated. Lastly, the prospects of these nanomaterials in terms of clinical translation and potential breakthroughs will be briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Hu
- Department of Clinical PharmacyZhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Drug Evaluation and Clinical Researchthe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhou310003China
| | - Fan Xia
- Institute of PharmaceuticsZhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti‐Cancer Drug ResearchHangzhou Institute of Innovative MedicineCollege of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | - Jiyoung Lee
- Institute of PharmaceuticsZhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti‐Cancer Drug ResearchHangzhou Institute of Innovative MedicineCollege of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | - Fangyuan Li
- Institute of PharmaceuticsZhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti‐Cancer Drug ResearchHangzhou Institute of Innovative MedicineCollege of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of the Ministry of EducationCollege of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument ScienceZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
| | - Xiaoyang Lu
- Department of Clinical PharmacyZhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Drug Evaluation and Clinical Researchthe First Affiliated HospitalZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhou310003China
| | - Xiaozhen Zhuo
- Department of Cardiologythe First Affiliated HospitalXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'an710061China
| | - Guangjun Nie
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and NanosafetyCAS Center for Excellence in NanoscienceNational Center for Nanoscience and TechnologyNo.11 Zhongguancun BeiyitiaoBeijing100190China
- GBA Research Innovation Institute for NanotechnologyGuangzhou510700China
| | - Daishun Ling
- Institute of PharmaceuticsZhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti‐Cancer Drug ResearchHangzhou Institute of Innovative MedicineCollege of Pharmaceutical SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of the Ministry of EducationCollege of Biomedical Engineering & Instrument ScienceZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
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46
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Targeting Lysyl Oxidase Family Meditated Matrix Cross-Linking as an Anti-Stromal Therapy in Solid Tumours. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13030491. [PMID: 33513979 PMCID: PMC7865543 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13030491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary To improve efficacy of solid cancer treatment, efforts have shifted towards targeting both the cancer cells and the surrounding tumour tissue they grow in. The lysyl oxidase (LOX) family of enzymes underpin the fibrotic remodeling of the tumour microenvironment to promote both cancer growth, spread throughout the body and modulate response to therapies. This review examines how the lysyl oxidase family is involved in tumour development, how they can be targeted, and their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in solid tumours. Abstract The lysyl oxidase (LOX) family of enzymes are a major driver in the biogenesis of desmoplastic matrix at the primary tumour and secondary metastatic sites. With the increasing interest in and development of anti-stromal therapies aimed at improving clinical outcomes of cancer patients, the Lox family has emerged as a potentially powerful clinical target. This review examines how lysyl oxidase family dysregulation in solid cancers contributes to disease progression and poor patient outcomes, as well as an evaluation of the preclinical landscape of LOX family targeting therapeutics. We also discuss the suitability of the LOX family as a diagnostic and/or prognostic marker in solid tumours.
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Linares J, Marín-Jiménez JA, Badia-Ramentol J, Calon A. Determinants and Functions of CAFs Secretome During Cancer Progression and Therapy. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 8:621070. [PMID: 33553157 PMCID: PMC7862334 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.621070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple lines of evidence are indicating that cancer development and malignant progression are not exclusively epithelial cancer cell-autonomous processes but may also depend on crosstalk with the surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME). Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are abundantly represented in the TME and are continuously interacting with cancer cells. CAFs are regulating key mechanisms during progression to metastasis and response to treatment by enhancing cancer cells survival and aggressiveness. The latest advances in CAFs biology are pointing to CAFs-secreted factors as druggable targets and companion tools for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Especially, extensive research conducted in the recent years has underscored the potential of several cytokines as actionable biomarkers that are currently evaluated in the clinical setting. In this review, we explore the current understanding of CAFs secretome determinants and functions to discuss their clinical implication in oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenniffer Linares
- Cancer Research Program, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan A. Marín-Jiménez
- Department of Medical Oncology, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) - L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Badia-Ramentol
- Cancer Research Program, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alexandre Calon
- Cancer Research Program, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
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Wu Y, Zhang C, Jiang K, Werner J, Bazhin AV, D'Haese JG. The Role of Stellate Cells in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Targeting Perspectives. Front Oncol 2021; 10:621937. [PMID: 33520728 PMCID: PMC7841014 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.621937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a gastrointestinal malignancy with a dismal clinical outcome. Accumulating evidence suggests that activated pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), the major producers of extracellular matrix (ECM), drive the severe stromal/desmoplastic reaction in PDAC. Furthermore, the crosstalk among PSCs, pancreatic cancer cells (PCCs) as well as other stroma cells can establish a growth-supportive tumor microenvironment (TME) of PDAC, thereby enhancing tumor growth, metastasis, and chemoresistance via various pathways. Recently, targeting stroma has emerged as a promising strategy for PDAC therapy, and several novel strategies have been proposed. The aim of our study is to give a profound review of the role of PSCs in PDAC progression and recent advances in stroma-targeting strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wu
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Chun Zhang
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Kuirong Jiang
- Pancreas Center and Pancreas Institute, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jens Werner
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexandr V Bazhin
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jan G D'Haese
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
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Kakwere H, Ingham ES, Tumbale SK, Ferrara KW. Gemcitabine-retinoid prodrug loaded nanoparticles display in vitro antitumor efficacy towards drug-resilient human PANC-1 pancreatic cancer cells. MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING. C, MATERIALS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS 2020; 117:111251. [PMID: 32919625 PMCID: PMC7684797 DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2020.111251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 03/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The treatment of pancreatic cancer with gemcitabine is hampered by its rapid metabolism in vivo, the dense stroma around the tumor site which prevents the drug from reaching the cancerous cells and drug resistance. To address these challenges, this study describes the preparation of a retinoid prodrug of gemcitabine, GemRA (gemcitabine conjugated to retinoic acid), and its formulation into a nanoparticulate system applicable for pancreatic cancer treatment. Retinoic acid targets stellate cells which are part of the stroma and can thus augment the delivery of gemcitabine. GemRA dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide presented efficacy towards PANC-1 (human) and mT4 (mouse) pancreatic cancer cell lines but its poor solubility in aqueous solution affects its applicability. Thus, the preparation of the nanoparticles was initially attempted through self-assembly of GemRA, which resulted in the formation of unstable aggregates that precipitated during preparation. As a result, encapsulation of the drug into micelles of polyethylene glycol-retinoic acid (PGRA) amphiphilic conjugates was accomplished and resulted in successful incorporation of GemRA into nanoparticles of ca. 33 nm by dynamic light scattering and 25 nm by transmission electron microscopy. The nanoparticles had good stability in aqueous media and protected gemcitabine from the enzymatic action of cytidine deaminase, which converts gemcitabine to its inactive metabolite upon circulation. Cellular uptake of the nanoparticles by PANC-1 cells was confirmed by fluorescence spectroscopy and flow cytometry. Treatment of PANC-1 cells in vitro with the prodrug-loaded nanoparticles resulted in a significant reduction in cell viability (IC50 ca. 5 μM) compared to treatment with gemcitabine (IC50 > 1000 μM). The ability of the GemRA-loaded nanoparticles to induce cellular apoptosis of treated PANC-1 cells was ascertained via a TUNEL assay suggesting these nanoparticles are effective in pancreatic cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamilton Kakwere
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Elizabeth S Ingham
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California (Davis), Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Spencer K Tumbale
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Katherine W Ferrara
- Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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50
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Jentzsch V, Davis JAA, Djamgoz MBA. Pancreatic Cancer (PDAC): Introduction of Evidence-Based Complementary Measures into Integrative Clinical Management. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E3096. [PMID: 33114159 PMCID: PMC7690843 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12113096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The most common form of pancreatic cancer is pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which comprises some 85% of all cases. Currently, this is the fourth highest cause of cancer mortality worldwide and its incidence is rising steeply. Commonly applied clinical therapies offer limited chance of a lasting cure and the five-year survival rate is one of the lowest of the commonly occurring cancers. This review cultivates the hypothesis that the best management of PDAC would be possible by integrating 'western' clinical medicine with evidence-based complementary measures. Protecting the liver, where PDAC frequently first spreads, is also given some consideration. Overall, the complementary measures are divided into three groups: dietary factors, nutraceutical agents and lifestyle. In turn, dietary factors are considered as general conditioners, multi-factorial foodstuffs and specific compounds. The general conditioners are alkalinity, low-glycemic index and low-cholesterol. The multi-factorial foodstuffs comprise red meat, fish, fruit/vegetables, dairy, honey and coffee. The available evidence for the beneficial effects of the specific dietary and nutraceutical agents was considered at four levels (in order of prominence): clinical trials, meta-analyses, in vivo tests and in vitro studies. Thus, 9 specific agents were identified (6 dietary and 3 nutraceutical) as acceptable for integration with gemcitabine chemotherapy, the first-line treatment for pancreatic cancer. The specific dietary agents were the following: Vitamins A, C, D and E, genistein and curcumin. As nutraceutical compounds, propolis, triptolide and cannabidiol were accepted. The 9 complementary agents were sub-grouped into two with reference to the main 'hallmarks of cancer'. Lifestyle factors covered obesity, diabetes, smoking, alcohol and exercise. An integrative treatment regimen was devised for the management of PDAC patients. This involved combining first-line gemcitabine chemotherapy with the two sub-groups of complementary agents alternately in weekly cycles. The review concludes that integrated management currently offers the best patient outcome. Opportunities to be investigated in the future include emerging modalities, precision medicine, the nerve input to tumors and, importantly, clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Jentzsch
- Department of Life Sciences, Neuroscience Solutions to Cancer Research Group, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK; (V.J.); (J.A.A.D.)
- Business School, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - James A. A. Davis
- Department of Life Sciences, Neuroscience Solutions to Cancer Research Group, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK; (V.J.); (J.A.A.D.)
| | - Mustafa B. A. Djamgoz
- Department of Life Sciences, Neuroscience Solutions to Cancer Research Group, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK; (V.J.); (J.A.A.D.)
- Biotechnology Research Centre, Cyprus International University, Haspolat, Nicosia, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey
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