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Monti M, Ferrari G, Gazzurelli L, Bugatti M, Facchetti F, Vermi W. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells at the forefront of anti-cancer immunity: rewiring strategies for tumor microenvironment remodeling. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:196. [PMID: 39020402 PMCID: PMC11253500 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-024-03121-9] [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: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are multifaceted immune cells executing various innate immunological functions. Their first line of defence consists in type I interferons (I-IFN) production upon nucleic acids sensing through endosomal Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7- and 9-dependent signalling pathways. Type I IFNs are a class of proinflammatory cytokines that have context-dependent functions on cancer immunosurveillance and immunoediting. In the last few years, different studies have reported that pDCs are also able to sense cytosolic DNA through cGAS-STING (stimulator of interferon genes) pathway eliciting a potent I-IFN production independently of TLR7/9. Human pDCs are also endowed with direct effector functions via the upregulation of TRAIL and production of granzyme B, the latter modulated by cytokines abundant in cancer tissues. pDCs have been detected in a wide variety of human malignant neoplasms, including virus-associated cancers, recruited by chemotactic stimuli. Although the role of pDCs in cancer immune surveillance is still uncompletely understood, their spontaneous activation has been rarely documented; moreover, their presence in the tumor microenvironment (TME) has been associated with a tolerogenic phenotype induced by immunosuppressive cytokines or oncometabolites. Currently tested treatment options can lead to pDCs activation and disruption of the immunosuppressive TME, providing a relevant clinical benefit. On the contrary, the antibody-drug conjugates targeting BDCA-2 on immunosuppressive tumor-associated pDCs (TA-pDCs) could be proposed as novel immunomodulatory therapies to achieve disease control in patients with advance stage hematologic malignancies or solid tumors. This Review integrate recent evidence on the biology of pDCs and their pharmacological modulation, suggesting their relevant role at the forefront of cancer immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matilde Monti
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Section of Pathology, University of Brescia, P.Le Spedali Civili 1, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giorgia Ferrari
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Section of Pathology, University of Brescia, P.Le Spedali Civili 1, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - Luisa Gazzurelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Section of Pathology, University of Brescia, P.Le Spedali Civili 1, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - Mattia Bugatti
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Section of Pathology, University of Brescia, P.Le Spedali Civili 1, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - Fabio Facchetti
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Section of Pathology, University of Brescia, P.Le Spedali Civili 1, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - William Vermi
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Section of Pathology, University of Brescia, P.Le Spedali Civili 1, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
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Ji Y, Heng Y, Zhu X, Zhang D, Tang D, Zhou J, Lin H, Ma J, Ding X, Tao L, Lu L. Increased tumor-infiltrating plasmacytoid dendritic cells express high levels of PD-L2 and affect CD8 + T lymphocyte infiltration in human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Transl Oncol 2024; 45:101936. [PMID: 38678970 PMCID: PMC11068930 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2024.101936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The infiltration and prognostic significance of tumor-infiltrating plasmacytoid dendritic cells (TI-pDC) have been elucidated in various human solid cancers. However, the infiltrating patterns and functional importance of TI-pDC in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) remain unknown. In this study, flow cytometric analyses were conducted to characterize the infiltration of dendritic cells and T lymphocytes, along with their respective subgroups in tumor tissues (TT), para-carcinoma tissues (PT), and peripheral blood (PB) from LSCC patients. Immunohistochemical staining for CD4 and CD8, as well as immunofluorescence staining for CD123, were performed on serial tissue sections to investigate the co-localization of TI-pDC and tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes (TIL) within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Our results demonstrated significantly lower percentages of all three DC subsets in PB compared to TT and PT. Notably, the pDC percentage was markedly higher in TT than in PT. Moreover, TI-pDC percentage was significantly elevated in N+ stage patients compared to those with N0 stage. The results of survival analysis consistently demonstrated that high levels of TI-pDC infiltration were indicative of a poor prognosis. Further investigation revealed a significant negative correlation between TI-pDC and CD8+ TILs; notably, pDCs expressed an inhibitory surface molecule PD-L2 rather than PD-L1 within PT. Collectively, our findings suggest that increased TI-pDC is associated with adverse outcomes in LSCC patients while exhibiting an inhibitory phenotype that may play a crucial role in suppressing CD8+ TILs within LSCC tumors. These results highlight the potential therapeutic strategy targeting PD-L2+ pDCs for immunotherapies against LSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangyang Ji
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Key Clinical Disciplines of otorhinolaryngology, Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai 200031, PR China
| | - Yu Heng
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Key Clinical Disciplines of otorhinolaryngology, Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai 200031, PR China
| | - Xiaoke Zhu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Key Clinical Disciplines of otorhinolaryngology, Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai 200031, PR China
| | - Duo Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Key Clinical Disciplines of otorhinolaryngology, Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai 200031, PR China
| | - Di Tang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Key Clinical Disciplines of otorhinolaryngology, Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai 200031, PR China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Key Clinical Disciplines of otorhinolaryngology, Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai 200031, PR China
| | - Hanqing Lin
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Fujian Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, PR China
| | - Jingyu Ma
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Key Clinical Disciplines of otorhinolaryngology, Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai 200031, PR China
| | - Xuping Ding
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, PR China
| | - Lei Tao
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shanghai Key Clinical Disciplines of otorhinolaryngology, Eye Ear Nose & Throat Hospital, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai 200031, PR China.
| | - Liming Lu
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, PR China.
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3
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Yang M, Song X, Zhang F, Li M, Chang W, Wang Z, Li M, Shan H, Li D. Spatial proteomic landscape of primary and relapsed hepatocellular carcinoma reveals immune escape characteristics in early relapse. Hepatology 2024:01515467-990000000-00923. [PMID: 38900411 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Surgical resection serves as the principal curative strategy for HCC, yet the incidence of postoperative recurrence remains alarmingly high. However, the spatial molecular structural alterations contributing to postoperative recurrence in HCC are still poorly understood. APPROACH AND RESULTS We employed imaging mass cytometry to profile the in situ expression of 33 proteins within 358,729 single cells of 92 clinically annotated surgical specimens from 46 patients who were treated with surgical resections for primary and relapsed tumors. We revealed the recurrence progression of HCC was governed by the dynamic spatial distribution and functional interplay of diverse cell types across adjacent normal, tumor margin, and intratumor regions. Our exhaustive analyses revealed an aggressive, immunosuppression-related spatial ecosystem in relapsed HCC. Additionally, we illustrated the prominent implications of the tumor microenvironment of tumor margins in association with relapse HCC. Moreover, we identified a novel subpopulation of dendritic cells (PDL1 + CD103 + DCs) enriched in the peritumoral area that correlated with early postoperative recurrence, which was further validated in an external cohort. Through the analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing data, we found the interaction of PDL1 + CD103 + DCs with regulatory T cells and exhausted T cells enhanced immunosuppression and immune escape through multiple ligand-receptor pathways. CONCLUSIONS We comprehensively depicted the spatial landscape of single-cell dynamics and multicellular architecture within primary and relapsed HCC. Our findings highlight spatial organization as a prominent determinant of HCC recurrence and provide valuable insight into the immune evasion mechanisms driving recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meilin Yang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Xiaoyi Song
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Fan Zhang
- Department of Head and Neck Oncology, Cancer Center, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Mingan Li
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wuguang Chang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Zheyan Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Man Li
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Department of Information Technology and Data Center, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Biobank of the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Hong Shan
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
- Center for Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Dan Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
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4
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Hansen FJ, David P, Weber GF. The Multifaceted Functionality of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells in Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Potential Therapeutic Target? Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2216. [PMID: 38927922 PMCID: PMC11201847 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16122216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) tumors pose a significant global health burden, necessitating the exploration of novel therapeutic approaches. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) play a crucial role in tumor immunity, exhibiting both anti-tumor and pro-tumor effects. This review aims to summarize the role of pDCs in different types of GI tumors and assess their potential as therapeutic targets. In gastric cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, increased infiltration of pDCs was associated with a worse outcome, whereas in esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer, pDC infiltration improved the outcome. Initial animal studies of gastric cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma showed that pDCs could be a successful therapeutic target. In conclusion, pDCs play a multifaceted role in GI tumors, influencing both anti-tumor immunity and tumor progression. Further research is needed to optimize their clinical application and explore combinatorial approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul David
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Medical Faculty of Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen, University Hospital Erlangen, 91054 Erlangen, Germany;
| | - Georg F. Weber
- Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Medical Faculty of Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen, University Hospital Erlangen, 91054 Erlangen, Germany;
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5
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Shen KY, Zhu Y, Xie SZ, Qin LX. Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and immunotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma: current status and prospectives. J Hematol Oncol 2024; 17:25. [PMID: 38679698 PMCID: PMC11057182 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-024-01549-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major health concern worldwide, with limited therapeutic options and poor prognosis. In recent years, immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have made great progress in the systemic treatment of HCC. The combination treatments based on ICIs have been the major trend in this area. Recently, dual immune checkpoint blockade with durvalumab plus tremelimumab has also emerged as an effective treatment for advanced HCC. However, the majority of HCC patients obtain limited benefits. Understanding the immunological rationale and exploring novel ways to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy has drawn much attention. In this review, we summarize the latest progress in this area, the ongoing clinical trials of immune-based combination therapies, as well as novel immunotherapy strategies such as chimeric antigen receptor T cells, personalized neoantigen vaccines, oncolytic viruses, and bispecific antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke-Yu Shen
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ying Zhu
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Sun-Zhe Xie
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Lun-Xiu Qin
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital & Cancer Metastasis Institute, Fudan University, 12 Urumqi Road (M), Shanghai, 200040, China.
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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6
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Tiberio L, Laffranchi M, Zucchi G, Salvi V, Schioppa T, Sozzani S, Del Prete A, Bosisio D. Inhibitory receptors of plasmacytoid dendritic cells as possible targets for checkpoint blockade in cancer. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1360291. [PMID: 38504978 PMCID: PMC10948453 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1360291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are the major producers of type I interferons (IFNs), which are essential to mount antiviral and antitumoral immune responses. To avoid exaggerated levels of type I IFNs, which pave the way to immune dysregulation and autoimmunity, pDC activation is strictly regulated by a variety of inhibitory receptors (IRs). In tumors, pDCs display an exhausted phenotype and correlate with an unfavorable prognosis, which largely depends on the accumulation of immunosuppressive cytokines and oncometabolites. This review explores the hypothesis that tumor microenvironment may reduce the release of type I IFNs also by a more pDC-specific mechanism, namely the engagement of IRs. Literature shows that many cancer types express de novo, or overexpress, IR ligands (such as BST2, PCNA, CAECAM-1 and modified surface carbohydrates) which often represent a strong predictor of poor outcome and metastasis. In line with this, tumor cells expressing ligands engaging IRs such as BDCA-2, ILT7, TIM3 and CD44 block pDC activation, while this blocking is prevented when IR engagement or signaling is inhibited. Based on this evidence, we propose that the regulation of IFN secretion by IRs may be regarded as an "innate checkpoint", reminiscent of the function of "classical" adaptive immune checkpoints, like PD1 expressed in CD8+ T cells, which restrain autoimmunity and immunopathology but favor chronic infections and tumors. However, we also point out that further work is needed to fully unravel the biology of tumor-associated pDCs, the neat contribution of pDC exhaustion in tumor growth following the engagement of IRs, especially those expressed also by other leukocytes, and their therapeutic potential as targets of combined immune checkpoint blockade in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Tiberio
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Mattia Laffranchi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory Affiliated to Institute Pasteur-Italia, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Zucchi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory Affiliated to Institute Pasteur-Italia, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Salvi
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Tiziana Schioppa
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvano Sozzani
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory Affiliated to Institute Pasteur-Italia, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, IS, Italy
| | - Annalisa Del Prete
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Bosisio
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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7
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Wang X, Yuan Z, Li Z, He X, Zhang Y, Wang X, Su J, Wu X, Li M, Du F, Chen Y, Deng S, Zhao Y, Shen J, Yi T, Xiao Z. Key oncogenic signaling pathways affecting tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma: basic principles and recent advances. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1354313. [PMID: 38426090 PMCID: PMC10902128 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1354313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks first among primary liver cancers, and its mortality rate exhibits a consistent annual increase. The treatment of HCC has witnessed a significant surge in recent years, with the emergence of targeted immune therapy as an adjunct to early surgical resection. Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) using tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) has shown promising results in other types of solid tumors. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the intricate interactions between different types of TILs and their impact on HCC, elucidate strategies for targeting neoantigens through TILs, and address the challenges encountered in TIL therapies along with potential solutions. Furthermore, this article specifically examines the impact of oncogenic signaling pathways activation within the HCC tumor microenvironment on the infiltration dynamics of TILs. Additionally, a concise overview is provided regarding TIL preparation techniques and an update on clinical trials investigating TIL-based immunotherapy in solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Zijun Yuan
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Zhengbo Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Longmatan District People’s Hospital, Luzhou, China
| | - Xinyu He
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Yinping Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xingyue Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jiahong Su
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xu Wu
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Mingxing Li
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Fukuan Du
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Shuai Deng
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Yueshui Zhao
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Jing Shen
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Tao Yi
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Zhangang Xiao
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
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8
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Li H, Hu J, Qiu L, Wu Y, Zhong B, Ye R, Xie B. Molecular mechanisms of HCG18 in the sorafenib resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma. Anticancer Drugs 2024; 35:55-62. [PMID: 37823256 DOI: 10.1097/cad.0000000000001539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Sorafenib has been approved for advance hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however, drug resistance often occurred. Therefore, it is of great significance to clarify the underlying mechanisms of sorafenib resistance and to find out the effective strategies to overcome sorafenib resistance. The expression of HCG18 was detected by qPCR, MTT, colony formation, flow cytometry and TUNEL assay were used to explore the function of HCG18 on sorafenib resistance in HCC. RNA pull-down, RNA immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence labeling, luciferase reporter assay, western blot and qPCR were used to investigate the mechanism of HCG18 regulating sorafenib resistance in HCC. Our results showed that HCG18 was significantly increased in HCC, which resulted in shorter 5-year survival for patients with HCC. Sorafenib can induce the expression of HCG18, suggesting HCG18 might be involved in sorafenib resistance in HCC. Further analysis showed that knockdown of HCG18 can reduce viability and increase apoptosis of HCC cells. Mechanistically, HCG18 can bind to USP15, further regulated the protein stability of p65, TAB2 and TAB3, and nuclear location of p65, which finally modulated the NF-κB signaling. Our findings showed that HCG18 played an important role in sorafenib resistance in HCC. And knockdown of HCG18 can promote the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib, inferring that targeting HCG18 might be an effective strategy to overcome sorafenib resistance in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heping Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou
| | - Jie Hu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou
| | - Lijie Qiu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou
| | - Yijiang Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University
| | - Baiyin Zhong
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University
| | - Rong Ye
- Department of General surgery III, the First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Binhui Xie
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University
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9
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Sun Z, Zhang L, Liu L. Reprogramming the lipid metabolism of dendritic cells in tumor immunomodulation and immunotherapy. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 167:115574. [PMID: 37757492 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115574] [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: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells in the human body. They detect and process environmental signals and communicate with T cells to bridge innate and adaptive immunity. Cell activation, function, and survival are closely associated with cellular metabolism. An increasing number of studies have revealed that lipid metabolism affects DC activation as well as innate and acquired immune responses. Combining lipid metabolic regulation with immunotherapy can strengthen the ability of antigen-presentation and T-cell activation of DCs, improve the existing anti-tumor therapy, and overcome the defects of DC-related therapies in the current stage, which has great potential in cancer therapy. This review summarizes the lipid metabolism of DCs under physiological conditions, analyzes the role of reprogramming the lipid metabolism of DCs in tumor immune regulation, and discusses potential immunotherapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanbo Sun
- Department of Radiology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Lingyun Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Lixian Liu
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China.
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10
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Zhao M, Huang H, He F, Fu X. Current insights into the hepatic microenvironment and advances in immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1188277. [PMID: 37275909 PMCID: PMC10233045 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1188277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer and shows high global incidence and mortality rates. The liver is an immune-tolerated organ with a specific immune microenvironment that causes traditional therapeutic approaches to HCC, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and molecular targeted therapy, to have limited efficacy. The dramatic advances in immuno-oncology in the past few decades have modified the paradigm of cancer therapy, ushering in the era of immunotherapy. Currently, despite the rapid integration of cancer immunotherapy into clinical practice, some patients still show no response to treatment. Therefore, a rational approach is to target the tumor microenvironment when developing the next generation of immunotherapy. This review aims to provide insights into the hepatic immune microenvironment in HCC and summarize the mechanisms of action and clinical usage of immunotherapeutic options for HCC, including immune checkpoint blockade, adoptive therapy, cytokine therapy, vaccine therapy, and oncolytic virus-based therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Feng He
- *Correspondence: Feng He, ; Xiangsheng Fu,
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11
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Donne R, Lujambio A. The liver cancer immune microenvironment: Therapeutic implications for hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatology 2023; 77:1773-1796. [PMID: 35989535 PMCID: PMC9941399 DOI: 10.1002/hep.32740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 141.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The liver is the sixth most common site of primary cancer in humans and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the world. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for 90% of liver cancers. HCC is a prevalent disease with a progression that is modulated by the immune system. Half of the patients with HCC receive systemic therapies, traditionally sorafenib or lenvatinib, as a first-line therapy. In the last few years, immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer therapy and have gained an increased interest in the treatment of HCC. In 2020, the combination of atezolizumab (anti-programmed death-ligand 1) and bevacizumab (anti-vascular endothelial growth factor) improved overall survival over sorafenib, resulting in Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced HCC. Despite these major advances, a better molecular and cellular characterization of the tumor microenvironment is still needed because it has a crucial role in the development and progression of HCC. Inflamed (hot) and noninflamed (cold) HCC tumors and genomic signatures have been associated with response to ICIs. However, there are no additional biomarkers to guide clinical decision-making. Other immune-targeting strategies, such as adoptive T-cell transfer, vaccination, and virotherapy, are currently under development. This review provides an overview on the HCC immune microenvironment, different cellular players, current available immunotherapies, and potential immunotherapy modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Donne
- Department of Oncological Sciences , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , New York , USA
- Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , Tisch Cancer Institute , New York , New York , USA
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , The Precision Immunology Institute , New York , New York , USA
| | - Amaia Lujambio
- Department of Oncological Sciences , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , New York , USA
- Liver Cancer Program, Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , Tisch Cancer Institute , New York , New York , USA
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , The Precision Immunology Institute , New York , New York , USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , New York , USA
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12
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Lv Z, Li H, Yuan Y, Wu Q. A novel inflammasome-related gene nomogram predicts survival in hepatocellular carcinoma. Medicine (Baltimore) 2023; 102:e33121. [PMID: 36827012 PMCID: PMC11309600 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000033121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammasomes are closely associated with the progression of multiple cancers. We established an inflammasome-related gene (IRG)-based model to predict the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The RNA-sequencing data and clinical information of HCC patients were downloaded from the cancer genome atlas-liver hepatocellular carcinoma database, and the differentially expressed inflammasome-related gene were screened. Seven prognostic differentially expressed inflammasome-related genes were identified by univariate Cox analysis and incorporated into the risk model using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator-Cox algorithm. The predictive accuracy of the risk model was evaluated through the Kaplan-Meier, receiver operating characteristic and Cox regression analyses. The performance of the model was verified in the International Cancer Genome Consortium-Liver Cancer - RIKEN, JP cohort. A nomogram was constructed to predict the 1-, 2-, 3- ,and 5-year survival of HCC patients, and its performance was evaluated using calibration curves. The significantly enriched gene ontology terms, Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathways and infiltrating immune cell populations associated with the IRG model were also analyzed to explore of the potential molecular mechanisms and immunotherapeutic targets. An independent and highly accurate prognostic model consisting of 7 IRGs was established and verified in 2 independent HCC cohorts. The IRG model was significantly associated with cell division and cell cycle. In addition, the high-risk group was more likely to have greater infiltration of immune cells and higher expression of immune checkpoint-related genes compared to the low-risk group. An IRG-based model was established to predict 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year survival rate in individual HCC patients, which provides new insights into the role of inflammasomes in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengqi Lv
- Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Heng Li
- Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, P.R. China
| | - Yiwen Yuan
- Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, P.R. China
| | - Qinghua Wu
- Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, P.R. China
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, P.R. China
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13
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Wei X, Zhou Z, Long M, Lin Q, Qiu M, Chen P, Huang Q, Qiu J, Jiang Y, Wen Q, Liu Y, Li R, Nong C, Guo Q, Yu H, Zhou X. A novel signature constructed by super-enhancer-related genes for the prediction of prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma and associated with immune infiltration. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1043203. [PMID: 36845708 PMCID: PMC9948016 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1043203] [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: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Super-enhancer (SE) refers to a regulatory element with super transcriptional activity, which can enrich transcription factors and drive gene expression. SE-related genes play an important role in the pathogenesis of malignant tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods The SE-related genes were obtained from the human super-enhancer database (SEdb). Data from the transcriptome analysis and related clinical information with HCC were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) database. The upregulated SE-related genes from TCGA-LIHC were identified by the DESeq2R package. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to construct a four-gene prognostic signature. According to the median risk score, HCC patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk group patients. Results The Kaplan-Meier (KM) curve showed that a significantly worse prognosis was found for the high-risk group (P<0.001). In the TCGA-LIHC dataset, the area under the curve (AUC) values were 0.737, 0.662, and 0.667 for the model predicting overall survival (OS) over 1-, 3-, and 5- years, respectively, indicating the good prediction ability of our prediction model. This model's prognostic value was further validated in the LIRI-JP dataset and HCC samples (n=65). Furthermore, we found that higher infiltration level of M0 macrophages and upregulated of CTLA4 and PD1 in the high-risk group, implying that immunotherapy could be effective for those patients. Conclusion These results provide further evidence that the unique SE-related gene model could accurately predict the prognosis of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyan Wei
- Department of Experimental Research, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China,Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Zihan Zhou
- Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Meiying Long
- Department of Experimental Research, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China,Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Qiuling Lin
- Department of Clinical Research, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Moqin Qiu
- Department of Respiratory Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Peiqin Chen
- Editorial Department of Chinese Journal of Oncology Prevention and Treatment, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Qiongguang Huang
- Department of Experimental Research, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China,Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Jialin Qiu
- Department of Experimental Research, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Yanji Jiang
- Scientific Research Department, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Qiuping Wen
- Department of Experimental Research, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Yingchun Liu
- Department of Experimental Research, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Runwei Li
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Cunli Nong
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The 4th Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University/Liuzhou Worker’s Hospital, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
| | - Qian Guo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The 4th Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University/Liuzhou Worker’s Hospital, Liuzhou, Guangxi, China
| | - Hongping Yu
- Department of Experimental Research, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China,Key Laboratory of Early Prevention and Treatment for Regional High-Frequency Tumor (Guangxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, Nanning, Guangxi, China,Key Cultivated Laboratory of Cancer Molecular Medicine, Health Commission of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, Guangxi, China,*Correspondence: Xianguo Zhou, ; Hongping Yu,
| | - Xianguo Zhou
- Department of Experimental Research, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, China,*Correspondence: Xianguo Zhou, ; Hongping Yu,
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14
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Zhang X, Xu Y, Zhao G, Liu R, Yu H. Sorafenib inhibits interferon production by plasmacytoid dendritic cells in hepatocellular carcinoma. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:1239. [PMID: 36451110 PMCID: PMC9710007 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-10356-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sorafenib is a multi-kinase inhibitor that shows antitumor activity in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Sorafenib exerts a regulatory effect on immune cells, including T cells, natural killer cells and dendritic cells. Studies have shown that plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are functionally impaired in cancer tissues or produce low type I interferon alpha (IFNα) in cancer microenvironments. However, the effects of sorafenib on the function of pDCs have not been evaluated in detail. METHODS Normal and patient PBMCs were stimulated with CpG-A to evaluate IFNα production with Flow cytometry and ELISA. RESULT We analyzed the production of IFNα by PBMCs in patients with advanced HCC under sorafenib treatment. We found that sorafenib-treated HCC patients produced less IFNα than untreated patients. Furthermore, we demonstrated that sorafenib suppressed the production of IFNα by PBMCs or pDCs from heathy donors in a concentration-dependent manner. CONCLUSION Sorafenib suppressed pDCs function. Given that sorafenib is a currently recommended targeted therapeutic agent against cancer, our results suggest that its immunosuppressive effect on pDCs should be considered during treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinning Zhang
- grid.414252.40000 0004 1761 8894Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China ,grid.488137.10000 0001 2267 2324Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China ,Key Laboratory of Digital Hepetobiliary Surgery, Chinese PLA, Beijing, China ,grid.414252.40000 0004 1761 8894Chinese PLA General Hospital and Chinese PLA Medical School, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Xu
- grid.414252.40000 0004 1761 8894Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China ,grid.488137.10000 0001 2267 2324Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China ,Key Laboratory of Digital Hepetobiliary Surgery, Chinese PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Guodong Zhao
- grid.414252.40000 0004 1761 8894Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China ,grid.488137.10000 0001 2267 2324Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China ,Key Laboratory of Digital Hepetobiliary Surgery, Chinese PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Rong Liu
- grid.414252.40000 0004 1761 8894Faculty of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China ,grid.488137.10000 0001 2267 2324Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China ,Key Laboratory of Digital Hepetobiliary Surgery, Chinese PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Haisheng Yu
- grid.410737.60000 0000 8653 1072Guangzhou Eighth People’s Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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15
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Seven Hub Genes Predict the Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and the Corresponding Competitive Endogenous RNA Network. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:3379330. [PMID: 36276270 PMCID: PMC9581604 DOI: 10.1155/2022/3379330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Purpose This study was aimed at identifying hub genes and ceRNA regulatory networks linked to prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to identify possible therapeutic targets. Methods Differential expression analyses were performed to detect the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the four datasets (GSE76427, GSE6764, GSE62232, and TCGA). The intersected DEmRNAs were identified to explore biological significance by enrichment analysis. We built a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network of lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA. The mRNAs of the ceRNA network were used to perform Cox and Kaplan-Meier analyses to obtain prognosis-related genes, followed by the selection of genes with an area under the curve >0.8 to generate the random survival forest model and obtain feature genes. Furthermore, the feature genes were subjected to least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and univariate Cox analyses were used to identify the hub genes. Finally, the infiltration status of immune cells in the HCC samples was determined. Results A total of 1923 intersected DEmRNAs were identified in four datasets and involved in cell cycle and carbon metabolism. ceRNA network was created using 10 lncRNAs, 67 miRNAs, and 1,923 mRNAs. LASSO regression model was performed to identify seven hub genes, SOCS2, MYOM2, FTCD, ADAMTSL2, TMEM106C, LARS, and KPNA2. Among them, TMEM106C, LARS, and KPNA2 had a poor prognosis. KPNA2 was considered a key gene base on LASSO and Cox analyses and involved in the ceRNA network. T helper 2 cells and T helper cells showed a higher degree of infiltration in HCC. Conclusion The findings revealed seven hub genes implicated in HCC prognosis and immune infiltration. A corresponding ceRNA network may help reveal their potential regulatory mechanism.
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16
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Zhang W, Wan Y, Zhang Y, Liu Q, Zhu X. CSTF2 Acts as a Prognostic Marker Correlated with Immune Infiltration in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancer Manag Res 2022; 14:2691-2709. [PMID: 36117731 PMCID: PMC9481280 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s359545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cleavage stimulation factor 2 (CSTF2) encodes a nuclear protein that is implicated in the development of various cancers. However, the role of CSTF2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been understood. This study aims to explore the function of CSTF2 in HCC. Methods The expression, diagnostic capability, prognostic value, and immune cell effect of CSTF2 in HCC were explored using various databases. The expression level of CSTF2 were validated in our cell lines. The effect of CSTF2 on hepatocarcinogenesis was explored by CSTF2 silencing. Results CSTF2 expression was significantly elevated in HCC and correlated with multiple clinicopathological characteristics. CSTF2 exhibited good diagnostic capability in discriminating HCC samples from nontumorous samples. High CSTF2 expression was significantly related to poor overall survival. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses suggested that CSTF2 expression was an independent risk factor for HCC. These results were validated in ICGC cohorts. In addition, the nomogram based on CSTF2 showed better predictive performance than the AJCC staging system in TCGA and ICGC cohorts. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that CSTF2-related genes were involved in DNA/RNA processing and the cell cycle. In addition, we found that CSTF2 expression was closely related to the levels of various infiltrating immune cells, especially neutrophils. Moreover, some immune checkpoints had positive relationships with CSTF2 expression. CSTF2 silencing inhibited proliferation, invasion and migration, and promoted apoptosis in HepG2 cells. Western blotting analysis revealed that CSTF2 silencing inactivated the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Conclusion High CSTF2 expression not only correlates with unfavorable outcomes but also affects immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint expression in HCC. CSTF2 silencing can alleviate the malignant phenotypes of hepatic cancer cell by inactivating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. These results indicate that CSTF2 can serve as a promising prognostic marker and therapeutic target for HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Zhang
- Departments of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yipeng Wan
- Departments of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Departments of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Liu
- Departments of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuan Zhu
- Departments of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
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17
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Lu Y, Ma S, Ding W, Sun P, Zhou Q, Duan Y, Sartorius K. Resident Immune Cells of the Liver in the Tumor Microenvironment. Front Oncol 2022; 12:931995. [PMID: 35965506 PMCID: PMC9365660 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.931995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The liver is a central immunomodulator that ensures a homeostatic balance between protection and immunotolerance. A hallmark of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the deregulation of this tightly controlled immunological network. Immune response in the liver involves a complex interplay between resident innate, innate, and adaptive immune cells. The immune response in the liver is modulated by its continuous exposure to toxic molecules and microorganisms that requires a degree of immune tolerance to protect normal tissue from damage. In HCC pathogenesis, immune cells must balance a dual role that includes the elimination of malignant cells, as well as the repair of damaged liver tissue to maintain homeostasis. Immune response in the innate and adaptive immune systems extends to the cross-talk and interaction involving immune-regulating non-hematopoietic cells, myeloid immune cells, and lymphoid immune cells. In this review, we discuss the different immune responses of resident immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Current FDA-approved targeted therapies, including immunotherapy options, have produced modest results to date for the treatment of advanced HCC. Although immunotherapy therapy to date has demonstrated its potential efficacy, immune cell pathways need to be better understood. In this review article, we summarize the roles of specific resident immune cell subsets and their cross-talk subversion in HCC pathogenesis, with a view to identifying potential new biomarkers and therapy options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunjie Lu
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chanozhou, China
| | - Shiying Ma
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chanozhou, China
| | - Wei Ding
- Department of General Surgery, Wujin Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Changzhou, China
| | - Pengcheng Sun
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chanozhou, China
| | - Qi Zhou
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chanozhou, China
- *Correspondence: Qi Zhou, ; Yunfei Duan, ; Kurt Sartorius,
| | - Yunfei Duan
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Chanozhou, China
- *Correspondence: Qi Zhou, ; Yunfei Duan, ; Kurt Sartorius,
| | - Kurt Sartorius
- Hepatitis Diversity Research Unit, School of Internal Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Africa Hepatopancreatobiliary Cancer Consortium (AHPBCC), Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
- University of Kwazulu-Natal Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Unit (UKZN/GICRC), Durban, South Africa
- *Correspondence: Qi Zhou, ; Yunfei Duan, ; Kurt Sartorius,
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18
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Bioinformatics Analysis for Constructing a Six-Immune-Related Long Noncoding RNA Signature as a Prognostic Model of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2022:2093437. [PMID: 35845962 PMCID: PMC9283041 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2093437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The present study was aimed at identifying the potential prognostic biomarkers of the immune-related long noncoding RNA (IRL) signature for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). RNA-sequencing data and clinical information about HCC were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The IRLs were determined with regard to the coexpression of immune-related genes and differentially expressed lncRNAs. The survival IRLs were obtained using the univariate Cox analysis. Subsequently, the prognosis model was constructed via the multivariate Cox analysis. Subsequently, functional annotation was conducted using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and principal component analysis (PCA). In total, 341 IRLs were identified, and 6 IRLs were found to have a highly significant association with the prognosis of patients with HCC. The immune prognosis model was constructed with these 6 IRLs (AC099850.4, negative regulator of antiviral response, AL031985.3, PRRT3-antisense RNA1, AL365203.2, and long intergenic nonprotein coding RNA 1224) using the multivariate Cox regression analysis. In addition, immune-related prognosis signatures were confirmed as an independent prognostic factor. The association between prognostic signatures and immune infiltration indicated that the 6 lncRNAs could reflect the immune status of the tumor. Collectively, the present study demonstrates that six-lncRNA signatures may be potential biomarkers to predict the prognosis of patients with HCC.
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19
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Ye T, Lin L, Cao L, Huang W, Wei S, Shan Y, Zhang Z. Novel Prognostic Signatures of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on Metabolic Pathway Phenotypes. Front Oncol 2022; 12:863266. [PMID: 35677150 PMCID: PMC9168273 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.863266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma is a disastrous cancer with an aberrant metabolism. In this study, we aimed to assess the role of metabolism in the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Ten metabolism-related pathways were identified to classify the hepatocellular carcinoma into two clusters: Metabolism_H and Metabolism_L. Compared with Metabolism_L, patients in Metabolism_H had lower survival rates with more mutated TP53 genes and more immune infiltration. Moreover, risk scores for predicting overall survival based on eleven differentially expressed metabolic genes were developed by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-Cox regression model in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, which was validated in the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) dataset. The immunohistochemistry staining of liver cancer patient specimens also identified that the 11 genes were associated with the prognosis of liver cancer patients. Multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that the differentially expressed metabolic gene-based risk score was also an independent prognostic factor for overall survival. Furthermore, the risk score (AUC = 0.767) outperformed other clinical variables in predicting overall survival. Therefore, the metabolism-related survival-predictor model may predict overall survival excellently for HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingbo Ye
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Hepato-Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Leilei Lin
- Department of Ultrasound, Wenzhou People's Hospital, Wenzhou, China
| | - Lulu Cao
- Department of Pathology, The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People's Hospital, Quzhou, China
| | - Weiguo Huang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Shengzhe Wei
- Department of Hand Surgery and Peripheral Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yunfeng Shan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zhongjing Zhang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
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Zhou Y, Tang W, Zhuo H, Zhu D, Rong D, Sun J, Song J. Cancer-associated fibroblast exosomes promote chemoresistance to cisplatin in hepatocellular carcinoma through circZFR targeting signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT3)/ nuclear factor -kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. Bioengineered 2022; 13:4786-4797. [PMID: 35139763 PMCID: PMC8973934 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2022.2032972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemoresistance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been found to be influenced by exosomal transport of circRNAs. However, the role of circZFR in HCC chemoresistance still remains unclear. In the present study, circZFR was highly expressed in cisplatin (DDP)-resistant HCC cell lines and could regulate DDP resistance of the HCC cells. Also, circZFR was highly expressed in cancer-associated fibroblast (CAFs) and the exosome of CAFs. In addition, supplementation of CAFs in culture medium could promote DDP resistance of HCC cells. In vivo tumor xenograft experiments showed that knockdown of circZFR inhibited tumor growth and weakened DDP resistance, while CAFs-derived exosomes incubation increased the expression of circZFR, inhibited the STAT3/NF-κB pathway, promoted tumor growth, and enhanced DDP resistance. In general, CAFs-derived exosomes deliver circZFR to HCC cells, inhibit the STAT3/NF-κB pathway, and promote HCC development and chemoresistance. The results provided a new sight for the prevention and treatment of chemoresistance in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Zhou
- Department of Ultrasonography, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Weiwei Tang
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Nhc Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Hepatobiliary Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Han Zhuo
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Nhc Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Hepatobiliary Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Deming Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Nhc Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Hepatobiliary Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Dawei Rong
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Nhc Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Hepatobiliary Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jin Sun
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jinhua Song
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Nhc Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Hepatobiliary Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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21
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Fan C, Wu J, Shen Y, Hu H, Wang Q, Mao Y, Ye B, Xiang M. Hypoxia promotes the tolerogenic phenotype of plasmacytoid dendritic cells in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer Med 2021; 11:922-930. [PMID: 34964283 PMCID: PMC8855917 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.4511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective We aim to review the roles of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and explore the effects of hypoxia on the tolerogenic transformation of pDCs. Background pDCs, best known as professional type I interferon‐secreting cells, play key roles in immune surveillance and antitumor immunity. Recently, pDCs have been shown to be tolerogenic and correlate with poor prognosis in a variety of cancers, including HNSCC. However, it remains unclear what drives the tolerogenic transformation of pDCs in the HNSCC microenvironment. Hypoxia, a prominent hallmark of the tumor microenvironment (TME) of HNSCC, can interfere with multiple immune cells and establish an immunosuppressive TME. Methods In this review, we summarize the antitumor and protumor functions of pDCs, explore the effects of hypoxia on the migration and maturation of pDCs, and discuss related mechanisms in HNSCC. Conclusions pDCs mainly display protumor functions in HNSCC. The hypoxic TME in HNSCC can enhance the migration of pDCs and inhibit the differentiation and maturation of pDCs, promoting the tolerogenic phenotype of pDCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cui Fan
- Department of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jichang Wu
- Department of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yilin Shen
- Department of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Haixia Hu
- Department of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Quan Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yufeng Mao
- Department of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Ye
- Department of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingliang Xiang
- Department of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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22
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Plasmacytoid dendritic cells recruited by HIF-1α/eADO/ADORA1 signaling induce immunosuppression in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Lett 2021; 522:80-92. [PMID: 34536555 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) play immunosuppressive roles in the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the recruitment and dysfunction of pDCs in the TME remain largely elusive, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we observed the accumulation of pDCs in the blood, tumor tissue, and ascitic fluid of HCC patients. A high density of tumor-infiltrating pDCs was correlated with poor prognosis in patients with HCC. Hypoxia-induced extracellular adenosine (eADO) significantly enhanced pDC recruitment into tumors via the adenosine A1 receptor (ADORA1). Mechanistically, hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) transcriptionally upregulated the expression of the ectonucleotidases CD39 and CD73 in HCC cells, both of which are essential for the generation of eADO. Moreover, eADO-stimulated pDCs promoted the induction of regulatory T cells and suppressed proliferation and cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells. Depletion of pDCs using a monoclonal antibody or an ADORA1 antagonist significantly improved antitumor immunity and suppressed HCC growth in the immunocompetent HCC mouse model. Thus, targeting pDC recruitment may serve as a potential adjuvant strategy for immunotherapies in HCC.
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23
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Gastrointestinal cancer drug resistance: the role of exosomal miRNAs. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 49:2421-2432. [PMID: 34850336 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-07007-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Resistance of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer cells to therapeutic agents are one of the major problems in treating this type of cancer. Although the exact mechanism of drug resistance has not yet been fully elucidated, various factors have been identified as contributing factors involved in this process. Several studies have revealed the role of exosomes, especially exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs), in GI tumorigenesis, invasion, angiogenesis, and drug resistance. Exosomes, a type of small extracellular vesicles (EVs), are originated from endosomes and are released into the extracellular environment and body fluids by different cell types. Exosomes mediate cell-cell communication by transferring different cargos, including miRNAs, between parent and recipient cells. Therefore, identifying these exosomal miRNAs and their functions in GI cancers might provide new clues to further explore the secret of this process and thus help in drug-resistance management. This review article will discuss the roles of exosomal miRNAs and their mechanisms of action in drug resistance of different types of GI cancer cells (e.g., stomach, esophagus, liver, pancreas, and colon) to therapeutic agents.
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24
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Zhou B, Lawrence T, Liang Y. The Role of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells in Cancers. Front Immunol 2021; 12:749190. [PMID: 34737750 PMCID: PMC8560733 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.749190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are a special subtype of dendritic cells with the morphology of plasma cells. pDCs produce massive amounts of type I interferon (IFN-I), which was originally found to play an extremely pivotal role in antiviral immunity. Interestingly, accumulated evidence indicates that pDCs can also play an important role in tumorigenesis. In the human body, most of the IFN-α is secreted by activated pDCs mediated by toll-like receptor (TLR) stimulation. In many types of cancer, tumors are infiltrated by a large number of pDCs, however, these pDCs exhibit no response to TLR stimulation, and reduced or absent IFN-α production. In addition, tumor-infiltrating pDCs promote recruitment of regulatory T cells (Tregs) into the tumor microenvironment, leading to immunosuppression and promoting tumor growth. In this review, we discuss recent insights into the development of pDCs and their roles in a variety of malignancies, with special emphasis on the basic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binhui Zhou
- Laboratory of Mouse Genetics, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Xinxiang Medical University, Henan, China.,Laboratory of Genetic Regulators in the Immune System, Henan Collaborative Innovation Center of Molecular Diagnosis and Laboratory Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Henan, China
| | - Toby Lawrence
- Henan Key Laboratory of Immunology and Targeted Therapy, School of Laboratory Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Henan, China.,Centre for Inflammation Biology and Cancer Immunology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yinming Liang
- Laboratory of Mouse Genetics, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Xinxiang Medical University, Henan, China.,Laboratory of Genetic Regulators in the Immune System, Henan Collaborative Innovation Center of Molecular Diagnosis and Laboratory Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Henan, China.,Henan Key Laboratory of Immunology and Targeted Therapy, School of Laboratory Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Henan, China
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25
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Yu J, Ma S, Tian S, Zhang M, Ding X, Liu Y, Yang F, Hu Y, Xuan G, Zhou X, Wang J, Han Y. Systematic Construction and Validation of a Prognostic Model for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on Immune-Related Genes. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:700553. [PMID: 34671598 PMCID: PMC8520962 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.700553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a highly aggressive tumor, has high incidence and mortality rates. Recently, immunotherapies have been shown to be a promising treatment in HCC. The results of either the CheckMate-040 or IMbrave 150 trials demonstrate the importance of immunotherapy in the systemic treatment of liver cancer. Thus, in this study, we tried to establish a reliable prognostic model for liver cancer based on immune-related genes (IRGs) and to provide a new insight for immunotherapy of HCC. In this study, we used four datasets that incorporated 851 HCC samples, including 340 samples with complete clinical information from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database, to establish an effective model for predicting the prognosis of HCC patients based on the differential expression of IRGs and validated the prognostic model using the data from International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC). The top 6 characteristic IRGs identified by protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, MMP9, FOS, CAT, ESR1, ANGPTL3, and KLKB1, were selected for further study. In addition, we assessed the correlations of the six characteristic IRGs with the tumor immune microenvironment, clinical stage, and sensitivity to anti-cancer drugs. We also explored whether the differential expression of the characteristic IRGs was specific to HCC or present in pan-cancer. The expression levels of the six characteristic IRGs were significantly different between most tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues. In addition, these characteristic IRGs showed a strong association with immune cell infiltration in HCC patients. We found that MMP9 and ESR1 were independent prognostic factors for HCC, while CAT, ESR1, and KLKB1 were associated with the clinical stage. We collected HCC paraffin sections from 24 patients from Xijing hospital to identify the differential expression of the five genes (MMP9, ESR1, CAT, FOS, and KLKB1). Finally, the results of decision curve analysis (DCA) and nomogram revealed that our models provided a prognostic benefit for most HCC patients and the predicted overall survival (OS) was consistent with the actual OS. In conclusion, we systemically constructed a novel prognostic model that provides new insights into HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shuoyi Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Siyuan Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Miao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaopeng Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yansheng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fangfang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yinan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Guoyun Xuan
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xinmin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jingbo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ying Han
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
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Immunological Markers, Prognostic Factors and Challenges Following Curative Treatments for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910271. [PMID: 34638613 PMCID: PMC8508906 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortalities worldwide. Patients with early-stage HCC are eligible for curative treatments, such as surgical resection, liver transplantation (LT) and percutaneous ablation. Although curative treatments provide excellent long-term survival, almost 70–80% of patients experience HCC recurrence after curative treatments. Tumor-related factors, including tumor size, number and differentiation, and underlying liver disease, are well-known risk factors for recurrence following curative therapies. Moreover, the tumor microenvironment (TME) also plays a key role in the recurrence of HCC. Many immunosuppressive mechanisms, such as an increase in regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells with a decrease in cytotoxic T cells, are implicated in HCC recurrence. These suppressive TMEs are also modulated by several factors and pathways, including mammalian target of rapamycin signaling, vascular endothelial growth factor, programmed cell death protein 1 and its ligand 1. Based on these mechanisms and the promising results of immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) in advanced HCC, there have been several ongoing adjuvant studies using a single or combination of ICB following curative treatments in HCC. In this review, we strive to provide biologic and immunological markers, prognostic factors, and challenges associated with clinical outcomes after curative treatments, including resection, LT and ablation.
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ABL1 Is a Prognostic Marker and Associated with Immune Infiltration in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2021; 2021:1379706. [PMID: 34484330 PMCID: PMC8413061 DOI: 10.1155/2021/1379706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Background The role of ABL1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still unclear. Therefore, this study aims to explore the potential role of ABL1 in the progression of HCC using bioinformatics methods. Methods We analyzed the expression, prognostic potential, and immune cell effect of ABL1 in HCC by using a variety of datasets. Results ABL1 is highly expressed in HCC and associated with unfavorable overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Functional network analysis revealed that ABL1 plays an important role in mitochondrial activity, ATP metabolism, protein translation and metabolism, various neurological diseases, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and notch signaling pathway. In addition, we found that ABL1 expression was closely correlated with B cells, CD8 + T cells, CD4 + T cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells. Furthermore, ABL1 expression was positively associated with the expression levels of immune checkpoint genes, such as PD-1L, TIM3, TIGIT, and CTLA4. Conclusion ABL1 is associated with immune infiltration and prognosis of HCC.
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Huang C, Jiang X, Huang Y, Zhao L, Li P, Liu F. Identifying Dendritic Cell-Related Genes Through a Co-Expression Network to Construct a 12-Gene Risk-Scoring Model for Predicting Hepatocellular Carcinoma Prognosis. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:636991. [PMID: 34109210 PMCID: PMC8181399 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.636991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The prognostic prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still challenging. Immune cells play a crucial role in tumor initiation, progression, and drug resistance. However, prognostic value of immune-related genes in HCC remains to be further clarified. In this study, the mRNA expression profiles and corresponding clinical information of HCC patients were downloaded from public databases. Then, we estimated the abundance of immune cells and identified the differentially infiltrated and prognostic immune cells. The weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to identify immune-related genes in TCGA cohort and GEO cohort. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression model was applied to establish a risk-scoring model in the TCGA cohort. HCC patients from the GSE14520 datasets were utilized for risk model validation. Our results found that high level of dendritic cell (DC) infiltration was associated with poor prognosis. Over half of the DC-related genes (58.2%) were robustly differentially expressed between HCC and normal specimens in the TCGA cohort. 17 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found to be significantly associated with overall survival (OS) by univariate Cox regression analysis. A 12-gene risk-scoring model was established to evaluate the prognosis of HCC. The high-risk group exhibits significantly lower OS rate of HCC patients than the low-risk group. The risk-scoring model shows benign predictive capacity in both GEO dataset and TCGA dataset. The 12-gene risk-scoring model may independently perform prognostic value for HCC patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of the risk-scoring model in GEO cohort and TCGA cohort performed well in predicting OS. Taken together, the 12-gene risk-scoring model could provide prognostic and potentially predictive information for HCC. SDC3, NCF2, BTN3A3, and WARS were noticed as a novel prognostic factor for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoyuan Huang
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaotao Jiang
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuancheng Huang
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lina Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peiwu Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fengbin Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
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Wu ZJ, Xie YF, Chang X, Zhang L, Wu HY, Liu JB, Zhang JX, Sun P. Type of Necrosis Influences Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma After the First Transarterial Chemoembolization. Med Sci Monit 2021; 27:e929884. [PMID: 33967266 PMCID: PMC8120908 DOI: 10.12659/msm.929884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common tumors. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the first choice of treatment for intermediate HCC and an important treatment option for advanced HCC. This retrospective study compared the prognosis between patients showing coagulative necrosis and patients showing liquefactive necrosis after the first TACE procedure. MATERIAL AND METHODS We divided 171 patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) Stage B or C HCC into 2 groups; a coagulative necrosis group (79 patients) and a liquefactive necrosis group (92 patients). The coagulative and liquefactive necroses were identified by computed tomography after the first TACE procedure. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to identify the differences in the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) between the 2 groups, and the associated risk factors and safety of TACE were analyzed. RESULTS The median OS durations were 23.27±1.40 months and 8.83±2.15 months (P=0.004) and the median PFS durations were 9.33±0.96 months and 3.70±0.44 months (P=0.002) in the coagulative necrosis and liquefactive necrosis groups, respectively. Intrahepatic in situ progression, new intrahepatic metastasis, and extrahepatic progression occurred significantly earlier in the liquefactive necrosis group (P<0.05). Univariate analysis and multivariate analyses showed liquefactive necrosis was the main risk factor for OS. There was no significant difference in the hepatic function impairment or post-embolism syndrome after TACE. CONCLUSIONS After the first TACE procedure, the patients with liquefactive necrosis experienced recurrence and metastasis earlier and had a worse prognosis. Therefore, these patients should be considered for earlier administration of targeted therapies or immunotherapies after TACE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Juan Wu
- Department of Geriatrics, Jinan Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China (mainland)
| | - Yin-Fa Xie
- Department of Interventional Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China (mainland)
| | - Xu Chang
- Department of Interventional Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China (mainland)
| | - Lin Zhang
- Department of Interventional Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China (mainland)
| | - Hui-Yong Wu
- Department of Interventional Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China (mainland)
| | - Ji-Bing Liu
- Department of Interventional Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China (mainland)
| | - Jian-Xin Zhang
- Department of Interventional Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China (mainland)
| | - Peng Sun
- Department of Interventional Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, China (mainland)
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Yan Q, Zheng W, Wang B, Ye B, Luo H, Yang X, Zhang P, Wang X. A prognostic model based on seven immune-related genes predicts the overall survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. BioData Min 2021; 14:29. [PMID: 33962640 PMCID: PMC8106157 DOI: 10.1186/s13040-021-00261-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a disease with a high incidence and a poor prognosis. Growing amounts of evidence have shown that the immune system plays a critical role in the biological processes of HCC such as progression, recurrence, and metastasis, and some have discussed using it as a weapon against a variety of cancers. However, the impact of immune-related genes (IRGs) on the prognosis of HCC remains unclear. METHODS Based on The Cancer Gene Atlas (TCGA) and Immunology Database and Analysis Portal (ImmPort) datasets, we integrated the ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing profiles of 424 HCC patients with IRGs to calculate immune-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Survival analysis was used to establish a prognostic model of survival- and immune-related DEGs. Based on genomic and clinicopathological data, we constructed a nomogram to predict the prognosis of HCC patients. Gene set enrichment analysis further clarified the signalling pathways of the high-risk and low-risk groups constructed based on the IRGs in HCC. Next, we evaluated the correlation between the risk score and the infiltration of immune cells, and finally, we validated the prognostic performance of this model in the GSE14520 dataset. RESULTS A total of 100 immune-related DEGs were significantly associated with the clinical outcomes of patients with HCC. We performed univariate and multivariate least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) regression analyses on these genes to construct a prognostic model of seven IRGs (Fatty Acid Binding Protein 6 (FABP6), Microtubule-Associated Protein Tau (MAPT), Baculoviral IAP Repeat Containing 5 (BIRC5), Plexin-A1 (PLXNA1), Secreted Phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1), Stanniocalcin 2 (STC2) and Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycan 5 (CSPG5)), which showed better prognostic performance than the tumour/node/metastasis (TNM) staging system. Moreover, we constructed a regulatory network related to transcription factors (TFs) that further unravelled the regulatory mechanisms of these genes. According to the median value of the risk score, the entire TCGA cohort was divided into high-risk and low-risk groups, and the low-risk group had a better overall survival (OS) rate. To predict the OS rate of HCC, we established a gene- and clinical factor-related nomogram. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, concordance index (C-index) and calibration curve showed that this model had moderate accuracy. The correlation analysis between the risk score and the infiltration of six common types of immune cells showed that the model could reflect the state of the immune microenvironment in HCC tumours. CONCLUSION Our IRG prognostic model was shown to have value in the monitoring, treatment, and prognostic assessment of HCC patients and could be used as a survival prediction tool in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Yan
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenjiang Zheng
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Boqing Wang
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Baoqian Ye
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huiyan Luo
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinqian Yang
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ping Zhang
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiongwen Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
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Huo J, Wu L, Zang Y. Development and Validation of a Metabolic-related Prognostic Model for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Clin Transl Hepatol 2021; 9:169-179. [PMID: 34007798 PMCID: PMC8111106 DOI: 10.14218/jcth.2020.00114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Growing evidence suggests that metabolic-related genes have a significant impact on the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the prognostic value of metabolic-related genes for HCC has not been fully revealed. METHODS mRNA sequencing and clinical data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the GTEx Genotype-Tissue Expression comprehensive database. Differentially expressed metabolic-related genes in tumor tissues (n=374) and normal tissues (n=160) were identified by the Wilcoxon test. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, univariate multivariate Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used to evaluate the predictive effectiveness and independence of the prognostic model. Two independent cohorts (International Cancer Genome Consortiums and GSE14520) were applied to verify the prognostic model. RESULTS Our study included a total of 793 patients with HCC. We constructed a risk score consisting of five metabolic-genes (BDH1, RRM2, CYP2C9, PLA2G7, and TXNRD1). For the overall survival rate, the low-risk group had a considerably higher rate than the high-risk group. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that the risk score was an independent predictor for the prognosis of HCC. CONCLUSIONS We constructed and validated a novel prognostic model, which may provide support for the precise treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Liqun Wu
- Correspondence to: Liqun Wu, Liver Disease Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 59 Haier Road, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China. Tel: +86-18661809789, Fax: +86-532-82913225, E-mail:
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Exosomes function as nanoparticles to transfer miR-199a-3p to reverse chemoresistance to cisplatin in hepatocellular carcinoma. Biosci Rep 2021; 40:225047. [PMID: 32463473 PMCID: PMC7341182 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20194026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2019] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a frequently seen malignant tumor globally. The occurrence of cisplatin (DDP) resistance is one of the main reasons for the high mortality of HCC patients. Therefore, it is of great theoretical significance and application value to explore the mechanism of chemotherapy resistance. Drug resistance can be modulated by exosomes containing mRNAs, micro RNAs (miRNAs) and other non-coding RNA (ncRNAs). Exosomal miR-199a-3p (Exo-miR-199a-3p) was subjected to extraction and verification. Whether exo-miR-199a-3p could make HCC cells sensitive to DDP in vitro was verified via flow cytometry, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, immunofluorescence assay and Transwell assay. Intravenous injection of exo-miR-199a-3p and intraperitoneal injection of DDP were carried out in vivo. Moreover, the possible targets of miR-199a-3p were screened through bioinformatics analysis, which were ascertained by Western blotting (WB). Then, miR-199a-3p levels in human normal liver epithelial cell line HL-7702 and HCC cell lines HuH7 and HuH7/DDP were elevated in a concentration-dependent manner. Exo-miR-199a-3p has abilities to adjust underlying targets and conjugate cells, to repress cells to invade, stimulate their apoptosis and abate their ability. Additionally, the caudal injection of exo-miR-199a-3p reversed the chemoresistance of tumors and slowed down their growth in the body owing to the up-regulation of miR-199a-3p and down-regulation of underlying target proteins in tumors. Finally, exo-miR-199a-3p was found to overturn the HCC’s resistance to DDP, and it may function in DDP-refractory HCC therapy as an underlying option in the future.
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Wang W, Zou R, Qiu Y, Liu J, Xin Y, He T, Qiu Z. Interaction Networks Converging on Immunosuppressive Roles of Granzyme B: Special Niches Within the Tumor Microenvironment. Front Immunol 2021; 12:670324. [PMID: 33868318 PMCID: PMC8047302 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.670324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Granzyme B is a renowned effector molecule primarily utilized by CTLs and NK cells against ill-defined and/or transformed cells during immunosurveillance. The overall expression of granzyme B within tumor microenvironment has been well-established as a prognostic marker indicative of priming immunity for a long time. Until recent years, increasing immunosuppressive effects of granzyme B are unveiled in the setting of different immunological context. The accumulative evidence confounded the roles of granzyme B in immune responses, thereby arousing great interests in characterizing detailed feature of granzyme B-positive niche. In this paper, the granzyme B-related regulatory effects of major suppressor cells as well as the tumor microenvironment that defines such functionalities were longitudinally summarized and discussed. Multiplex networks were built upon the interactions among different transcriptional factors, cytokines, and chemokines that regarded to the initiation and regulation of granzyme B-mediated immunosuppression. The conclusions and prospect may facilitate better interpretations of the clinical significance of granzyme B, guiding the rational development of therapeutic regimen and diagnostic probes for anti-tumor purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weinan Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Rui Zou
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Ye Qiu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Jishuang Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Yu Xin
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Tianzhu He
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China.,School of Basic Medical Sciences, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
| | - Zhidong Qiu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
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Tian S, Yan L, Fu L, Zhang Z, Zhang J, Meng G, Zhang W. A Comprehensive Investigation to Reveal the Relationship Between Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells and Breast Cancer by Multiomics Data Analysis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:640476. [PMID: 33869191 PMCID: PMC8047150 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.640476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) are an essential immune microenvironment component. They have been reported for crucial roles in linking the adaptive and immune systems. However, the prognostic role of the pDC in breast cancer (BRCA) was controversial. In this work, we collected large sample cohorts and did a comprehensive investigation to reveal the relationship between pDC and BRCA by multiomics data analysis. Elevated pDC levels were correlated with prolonged survival outcomes in BRCA patients. The distinct mutation landscape and lower burden of somatic copy number alterations (SCNA) and lower intratumoral heterogeneity were observed in the high pDC abundance group. Additionally, a more sensitive immune response and chemotherapies response were observed in the high pDC group, which implicates that patients with high pDC abundance can be benefited from the combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. In conclusion, the correlation between pDC abundance and BRCA patients' overall survival (OS) was found to be positive. We identified the molecular profiles of BRCA patients with pDC abundance. Our findings may be beneficial in aiding in the development of immunotherapy and elucidating on the precision treatment for BRCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saisai Tian
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Yan
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lu Fu
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinbo Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Rehabilitation and Recuperation Center, Joint Logistics Support Force, Tianjin, China
| | - Guofeng Meng
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Weidong Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Kießler M, Plesca I, Sommer U, Wehner R, Wilczkowski F, Müller L, Tunger A, Lai X, Rentsch A, Peuker K, Zeissig S, Seifert AM, Seifert L, Weitz J, Bachmann M, Bornhäuser M, Aust D, Baretton G, Schmitz M. Tumor-infiltrating plasmacytoid dendritic cells are associated with survival in human colon cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:jitc-2020-001813. [PMID: 33762320 PMCID: PMC7993360 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-001813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) play a key role in the induction and maintenance of antitumor immunity. Conversely, they can act as tolerogenic DCs by inhibiting tumor-directed immune responses. Therefore, pDCs may profoundly influence tumor progression. To gain novel insights into the role of pDCs in colon cancer, we investigated the frequency and clinical relevance of pDCs in primary tumor tissues from patients with colon cancer with different clinicopathological characteristics. Methods Immunohistochemical stainings were performed to explore the frequency of tumor-infiltrating BDCA-2+ pDCs in patients with colon cancer. Statistical analyses were conducted to determine an association between the pDC density and clinicopathological characteristics of the patients. Furthermore, we used multiplex immunofluorescence stainings to evaluate the localization and phenotype of pDCs in stroma and tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) of colon cancer tissues. Results An increased density of infiltrating pDCs was associated with lower Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) stages. Furthermore, a higher pDC frequency was significantly correlated with increased progression-free and overall survival of patients with colon cancer. Moreover, a lower number of coloncancer-infiltrating pDCs was significantly and independently linked to worse prognosis. In addition, we found that a proportion of pDCs shows a nuclear expression of the transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7), which is characteristic for an activated phenotype. In various tumor stroma regions, IRF7+ pDCs were located in the neighborhood of granzyme B-expressing CD8+ T cells. Moreover, pDCs were identified as a novel component of the T cell zone of colon cancer-associated TLS, which are major regulators of adaptive antitumor immunity. A proportion of TLS-associated pDCs displayed a nuclear IRF7 expression and was preferentially located close to CD4+ T cells. Conclusions These results indicate that higher densities of tumor-infiltrating pDCs are associated with prolonged survival of patients with colon cancer. Moreover, colon cancer-infiltrating pDCs may represent a novel prognostic factor. The colocalization of activated pDCs and T cells in tumor stroma and within TLS may contribute to the correlation between higher pDC densities and better prognosis. In addition, our findings may have implications for the design of novel immunotherapeutic strategies that are based on targeting colon cancer-infiltrating pDCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Kießler
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ioana Plesca
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ulrich Sommer
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Rebekka Wehner
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Friederike Wilczkowski
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Luise Müller
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Antje Tunger
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Xixi Lai
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anke Rentsch
- University Cancer Center, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Kenneth Peuker
- Department of Medicine I, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Sebastian Zeissig
- Department of Medicine I, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Adrian M Seifert
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lena Seifert
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jürgen Weitz
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael Bachmann
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,University Cancer Center, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz Center Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
| | - Martin Bornhäuser
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,University Cancer Center, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Medicine I, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Daniela Aust
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Tumor and normal tissue bank of the University Cancer Center, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Gustavo Baretton
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Tumor and normal tissue bank of the University Cancer Center, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marc Schmitz
- Institute of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany .,National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Huang H, Tan M, Zheng L, Yan G, Li K, Lu D, Cui X, He S, Lei D, Zhu B, Zhao J. Prognostic Implications of the Complement Protein C1Q and Its Correlation with Immune Infiltrates in Osteosarcoma. Onco Targets Ther 2021; 14:1737-1751. [PMID: 33707956 PMCID: PMC7943548 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s295063] [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: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most widespread bone tumour among childhood cancers, and distant metastasis is the dominant factor in poor prognosis for patients with OS. Therefore, it is necessary to identify new prognostic biomarkers for identifying patients with aggressive disease. METHODS Two OS datasets (GSE21257 and GSE33383) were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and subsequently subjected to weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and differential gene expression analysis (DGE) to screen candidate genes. A prognostic model was constructed using OS data derived from the Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) program to further screen key genes and perform gene ontology (GO) analysis. The prognostic values of key genes were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter. The GEO dataset was used for immune infiltration analysis and association analysis of key genes. In addition, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was employed to validate the expression levels of potentially crucial genes in OS cell lines. RESULTS In the present study, we found 114 genes with a highly significant correlation in the module and 44 downregulated genes; 25 candidate genes overlapped in the two parts of the genes. Among these, three key genes, C1QA, C1QB, and C1QC, were the most significant hub genes, which had the highest node degrees, were clustered into one group, and implicated in most significant biological processes (regulation of immune effector process). Moreover, these three key genes were negatively associated with the prognosis of OS and positively associated with three immune cells (follicular helper T cells, memory B cells, and CD8 T cells). Additionally, compared to non-metastatic OS cell lines, the expression of three key genes was significantly downregulated in metastatic OS cell lines. CONCLUSION Our results revealed that three key genes (C1QA, C1QB, and C1QC) were implicated in tumour immune infiltration and may be promising biomarkers for predicting metastasis and prognosis of patients with OS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanji Huang
- Guangxi Engineering Center in Biomedical Materials for Tissue and Organ Regeneration, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Manli Tan
- Guangxi Engineering Center in Biomedical Materials for Tissue and Organ Regeneration, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li Zheng
- Guangxi Engineering Center in Biomedical Materials for Tissue and Organ Regeneration, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- International Joint Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Regeneration of Bone and Soft Tissues, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guohua Yan
- Guangxi Engineering Center in Biomedical Materials for Tissue and Organ Regeneration, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Orthopaedics Trauma and Hand Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Kanglu Li
- Guangxi Engineering Center in Biomedical Materials for Tissue and Organ Regeneration, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Orthopaedics Trauma and Hand Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dejie Lu
- Guangxi Engineering Center in Biomedical Materials for Tissue and Organ Regeneration, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Orthopaedics Trauma and Hand Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaofei Cui
- Guangxi Engineering Center in Biomedical Materials for Tissue and Organ Regeneration, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Orthopaedics Trauma and Hand Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Si He
- Guangxi Engineering Center in Biomedical Materials for Tissue and Organ Regeneration, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Danqing Lei
- Pharmaceutical College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- The Medical and Scientific Research Center, Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bo Zhu
- Guangxi Engineering Center in Biomedical Materials for Tissue and Organ Regeneration, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jinmin Zhao
- Guangxi Engineering Center in Biomedical Materials for Tissue and Organ Regeneration, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- International Joint Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Regeneration of Bone and Soft Tissues, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Orthopaedics Trauma and Hand Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, People’s Republic of China
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Peng Y, Liu C, Li M, Li W, Zhang M, Jiang X, Chang Y, Liu L, Wang F, Zhao Q. Identification of a prognostic and therapeutic immune signature associated with hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Cell Int 2021; 21:98. [PMID: 33568167 PMCID: PMC7877064 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-021-01792-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent and inflammation-associated cancers. The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an essential role in HCC development and metastasis, leading to poor prognosis. The overall TME immune cells infiltration characterizations mediated by immune-related genes (IRGs) remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether immune-related genes could be indicators for the prognosis of HCC patients and TME cell infiltration characterization as well as responses to immunotherapy. Methods We obtained differentially expressed immune-related genes (DE IRGs) between normal liver tissues and liver cancer tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. To identify the prognostic genes and establish an immune risk signature, we performed univariable Cox regression survival analysis and the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selector Operation (LASSO) regression based on the DE IRGs by robust rank aggregation method. Cox regression analysis was used to identify independent prognostic factors in HCC. We estimated the immune cell infiltration in TME via CIBERSORT and immunotherapy response through TIDE algorithm. Results We constructed an immune signature and validated its predictive capability. The immune signature included 7 differentially expressed IRGs: BIRC5, CACYBP, NR0B1, RAET1E, S100A8, SPINK5, and SPP1. The univariate and multivariate cox analysis showed that the 7-IRGs signature was a robust independent prognostic factor in the overall survival of HCC patients. The 7-IRG signature was associated with some clinical features, including gender, vascular invasion, histological grade, clinical stage, T stage. We also found that the 7-IRG signature could reflect the infiltration characterization of different immunocytes in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and had a good correlation with immune checkpoint molecules, revealing that the poor prognosis might be partly due to immunosuppressive TME. The Tumour Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) analysis data showed that the 7-IRG signature had great potential for indicating the immunotherapy response in HCC patients. The mutation analysis demonstrated a significant difference in the tumor mutation burden (TMB) between the high- and low-risk groups, partially explaining this signature's predictive value. Conclusion In a word, we constructed and validated a novel, immune-related prognostic signature for HCC patients. This signature could effectively indicate HCC patients' survival and immunotherapy response. And it might act as potential immunotherapeutic targets for HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Peng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Obstetrics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mengting Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenjie Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China
| | - Mengna Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiang Jiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China
| | - Ying Chang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China
| | - Lan Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. .,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China.
| | - Qiu Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. .,Hubei Clinical Center and Key Lab of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China.
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Hu B, Yang XB, Sang XT. Development and Verification of the Hypoxia-Related and Immune-Associated Prognosis Signature for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2020; 7:315-330. [PMID: 33204664 PMCID: PMC7667586 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s272109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background It has been widely suggested that the association of hypoxia with the immune status within the microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is of great clinical significance. The present work was carried out aiming to establish the hypoxia-related and immune-associated gene signature to stratify the risks in HCC. Patients and Methods The ssGSEA and t-SNE algorithms were utilized to estimate the immune and hypoxia statuses, respectively, using the TCGA database-derived cohort transcriptome profiles. Different immune groups are distinguished according to the ssGSEA scores, while the hypoxia-high and -low groups are inferred based on the distinct overall survival (OS) of the two groups of patients. Moreover, prognostic genes were identified using the Cox regression model in combination with the LASSO approach, which were later used to establish the hypoxia-related and immune-associated gene signature. At the same time, an ICGC cohort was used for external validation. Results A total of 13 genes, namely, HAVCR1, PSRC1, CCNJL, PDSS1, MEX3A, EID3, EPO, PLOD2, KPNA2, CDCA8, ADAMTS5, SLC1A7 and PIGZ, were discovered by the LASSO approach for constructing a gene signature to stratify the risk of HCC. Those low-risk cases showed superior prognosis (OS) to the high-risk counterparts (p<0.05). Moreover, it was suggested by multivariate analysis that our constructed hypoxia-related and immune-associated prognosis signature might be used as the independent factor for prognosis prediction (p<0.001). Patients in high-risk groups had severe hypoxia, higher immune checkpoint expression such as PD-L1, and different immunocyte infiltration states (eg, higher infiltration of regulatory T cells in the high-risk group) compared with those low-risk patients. Conclusion Our as-constructed hypoxia-related and immune-associated prognosis signature can be used as an approach to stratify the risk of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Hu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Bo Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin-Ting Sang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, People's Republic of China
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Sachdeva M, Arora SK. Prognostic role of immune cells in hepatocellular carcinoma. EXCLI JOURNAL 2020; 19:718-733. [PMID: 32636725 PMCID: PMC7332804 DOI: 10.17179/excli2020-1455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with rising incidence rates, is the most commonly occurring malignancy of the liver that exerts a heavy disease burden particularly in developing countries. A dynamic cross-talk between immune cells and malignant cells in tumor microenvironment governs the hepatocarcinogenesis. Monitoring immune contexture as prognostic markers is quite relevant and essential to evaluate clinical outcomes and to envisage response to therapy. In this review, we present an overview of the prognostic value of various tumor infiltrating immune cells and the continually evolving immune checkpoints as novel biomarkers during HCC. Tumor infiltration by immune cells such as T cells, NK cells and dendritic cells is linked with improved prognosis and favorable outcome, while the intra-tumoral presence of regulatory T cells (Tregs) or myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) on the other hand is associated with poor clinical outcome. In addition to these, the overexpression of negative regulatory molecules on tumor cells also provides inhibitory signals to T cells and is associated with poor prognosis. The limitation of a single marker can be overcome by advanced prognostication models and algorithms that evaluate multiple prognostic factors and ultimately aid the clinician in improving the disease free and overall survival of HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meenakshi Sachdeva
- Department of Translational & Regenerative Medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India
| | - Sunil K Arora
- Department of Immunopathology & Department of Translational & Regenerative Medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India
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Ren H, Hu D, Mao Y, Su X. Identification of Genes with Prognostic Value in the Breast Cancer Microenvironment Using Bioinformatics Analysis. Med Sci Monit 2020; 26:e920212. [PMID: 32251269 PMCID: PMC7160604 DOI: 10.12659/msm.920212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stromal and immune cells play essential roles in the development of breast cancer (BC). This study was conducted to identify prognosis-related genes from the tumor microenvironment. MATERIAL AND METHODS The gene expression profiles of 622 BC samples were downloaded from TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) database. Stromal and immune scores were calculated by using the ESTIMATE (Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumours using Expression data) algorithm. Then, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the high score group and the low score group were screened. The intersecting DEGs were selected through Venn diagrams, and survival analysis was conducted. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the DAVID (Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery), and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed with the STRING database and Cytoscape. These genes were validated for prognostic value by use of the KM (Kaplan-Meier) plotter tool. RESULTS The low immune score group was associated with a poor prognosis. However, there was no difference in the prognosis between the high and low stromal score groups. A total of 248 intersecting DEGs were found in BC, and 61 genes were significantly associated with the prognosis of BC patients in the TCGA database. These genes were enriched in the immune response, components of the plasma membrane, and receptor activity. Furthermore, in the validation group, 31 of 61 genes were significantly associated with prognosis. CONCLUSIONS Our bioinformatics analysis identified 31 tumor microenvironment-related genes as potential prognostic predictors for breast cancer patients. Some of these genes that have not been widely investigated previously, such as CXCL9, GPR18, S1PR4, SASH3, and PYH1N1, might be additional predictive factors for BC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyu Ren
- Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China (mainland)
| | - Daixing Hu
- Department of Urology Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China (mainland)
| | - Yu Mao
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Zigong First People's Hospital, Zigong, Sichuan, China (mainland)
| | - Xinliang Su
- Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China (mainland)
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Hu B, Yang XB, Sang XT. Development of an immune-related prognostic index associated with hepatocellular carcinoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:5010-5030. [PMID: 32191631 PMCID: PMC7138589 DOI: 10.18632/aging.102926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC), an inflammation-associated cancer induced by a variety of etiological factors, is still one of the most prevalent and lethal cancers in human population. In this study, the expression profiles of immune-related genes (IRGs) were integrated with the overall survival (OS) of 378 LIHC patients based on the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. Moreover, the differentially expressed and survival related IRGs among LIHC patients were predicted through the computational difference algorithm and COX regression analysis. As a result, 7 genes, including HSPA4, S100A10, FABP6, CACYBP, HDAC1, FCGR2B and SHC1, were retrieved to construct a predictive model associated with the overall survival (OS) of LIHC patients. Typically, the as-constructed model performed moderately in predicting prognosis, which was also correlated with tumor grade. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the genes of high-risk group were actively involved in mRNA binding and the spliceosome pathway. Intriguingly, the prognostic index established based on IRGs reflected infiltration by multiple types of immunocytes. Our findings screen several IRGs with clinical significance, reveal the drivers of immune repertoire, and illustrate the importance of a personalized, IRG-based immune signature in LIHC recognition, surveillance, and prognosis prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Hu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100010, China
| | - Xiao-Bo Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100010, China
| | - Xin-Ting Sang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100010, China
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Wang WJ, Wang H, Hua TY, Song W, Zhu J, Wang JJ, Huang YQ, Ding ZL. Establishment of a Prognostic Model Using Immune-Related Genes in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Genet 2020; 11:55. [PMID: 32158466 PMCID: PMC7052339 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent neoplasms worldwide, particularly in China. Immune-related genes (IRGs) and immune infiltrating lymphocytes play specific roles in tumor growth. Considering how important immunotherapy has become for HCC treatment in the past decade, our objective was to establish a prognostic model by screening survival-related IRGs in patients with HCC. Using edgeR, we identified differentially expressed IRGs (DEIRGs), DEmiRNAs, and DElncRNAs. Functional enrichment analysis of DEIRGs was performed to investigate the biological functions of IRGs via gene ontology annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. Protein-protein interaction and competing endogenous RNA networks were established using Cytoscape. Survival-associated IRGs were selected via univariate COX regression analysis, a The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) prognostic model and GSE76427 validation model were developed using multivariate COX regression analysis test by AIC (Akaike Information Criterion). We identified 116 DEIRGs in patients with HCC; the “cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction” pathway was found to be the most enriched pathway. Via the prognostic model helped us classify patients into high- and low-risk score groups based on overall survival (OS); high risk score was associated with worse OS, and a positive correlation was observed between the prognostic model and immune cell infiltration. To summarize, we established a prognostic model using survival-related IRGs that provides sufficient information for prognosis prediction and immunotherapy of patients with HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Jie Wang
- Department of Radio-Oncology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Han Wang
- Department of Oncology, Jining Cancer Hospital, Jining, China
| | - Ting-Yan Hua
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Wei Song
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery II, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jie Zhu
- Department of Oncology, Changzhou Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital, Changzhou, China
| | - Jing-Jing Wang
- Department of Oncology, Taizhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Taizhou, China
| | - Yue-Qing Huang
- Department of General Medicine, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Liang Ding
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
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Wang Z, Zhu J, Liu Y, Liu C, Wang W, Chen F, Ma L. Development and validation of a novel immune-related prognostic model in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Transl Med 2020; 18:67. [PMID: 32046766 PMCID: PMC7011553 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02255-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Growing evidence has suggested that immune-related genes play crucial roles in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nevertheless, the utility of immune-related genes for evaluating the prognosis of HCC patients are still lacking. The study aimed to explore gene signatures and prognostic values of immune-related genes in HCC. Methods We comprehensively integrated gene expression data acquired from 374 HCC and 50 normal tissues in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analysis and univariate Cox regression analysis were performed to identify DEGs that related to overall survival. An immune prognostic model was constructed using the Lasso and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Furthermore, Cox regression analysis was applied to identify independent prognostic factors in HCC. The correlation analysis between immune-related signature and immune cells infiltration were also investigated. Finally, the signature was validated in an external independent dataset. Results A total of 329 differentially expressed immune‐related genes were detected. 64 immune‐related genes were identified to be markedly related to overall survival in HCC patients using univariate Cox regression analysis. Then we established a TF-mediated network for exploring the regulatory mechanisms of these genes. Lasso and multivariate Cox regression analyses were applied to construct the immune-based prognostic model, which consisted of nine immune‐related genes. Further analysis indicated that this immune-related prognostic model could be an independent prognostic indicator after adjusting to other clinical factors. The relationships between the risk score model and immune cell infiltration suggested that the nine-gene signature could reflect the status of tumor immune microenvironment. The prognostic value of this nine-gene prognostic model was further successfully validated in an independent database. Conclusions Together, our study screened potential prognostic immune-related genes and established a novel immune-based prognostic model of HCC, which not only provides new potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets, but also deepens our understanding of tumor immune microenvironment status and lays a theoretical foundation for immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Wenhua Xi Road 107, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Jie Zhu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Wenhua Xi Road 107, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Yongjuan Liu
- Shandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Education Institute, Jinan, 250000, Shandong, China
| | - Changhong Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, The First Hospital Affiliated With Shandong First Medical University, Jingshi Road 16766, Jinan, 250014, Shandong, China
| | - Wenqi Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, The First Hospital Affiliated With Shandong First Medical University, Jingshi Road 16766, Jinan, 250014, Shandong, China
| | - Fengzhe Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Wenhua Xi Road 107, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
| | - Lixian Ma
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Wenhua Xi Road 107, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
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Hu B, Lin JZ, Yang XB, Sang XT. Aberrant lipid metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma cells as well as immune microenvironment: A review. Cell Prolif 2020; 53:e12772. [PMID: 32003505 PMCID: PMC7106960 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.12772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary malignancy of the liver with a high worldwide prevalence and poor prognosis. Researches are urgently needed on its molecular pathogenesis and biological characteristics. Metabolic reprogramming for adaptation to the tumour microenvironment (TME) has been recognized as a hallmark of cancer. Dysregulation of lipid metabolism especially fatty acid (FA) metabolism, which involved in the alternations of the expression and activity of lipid‐metabolizing enzymes, is a hotspot in recent study, and it may be involved in HCC development and progression. Meanwhile, immune cells are also known as key players in the HCC microenvironment and show complicated crosstalk with cancer cells. Emerging evidence has shown that the functions of immune cells in TME are closely related to abnormal lipid metabolism. In this review, we summarize the recent findings of lipid metabolic reprogramming in TME and relate these findings to HCC progression. Our understanding of dysregulated lipid metabolism and associated signalling pathways may suggest a novel strategy to treat HCC by reprogramming cell lipid metabolism or modulating TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Hu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jian-Zhen Lin
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Bo Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Ting Sang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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