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Janani M, Poorkhani A, Amiriani T, Donyadideh G, Ahmadi F, Jorjanisorkhankalateh Y, Beheshti-Nia F, Kalaei Z, Roudbaraki M, Soltani M, Khori V, Alizadeh AM. Association of future cancer metastases with fibroblast activation protein-α: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1339050. [PMID: 38751814 PMCID: PMC11094201 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1339050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Fibroblast activation protein-α (FAP-α) is a vital surface marker of cancer-associated fibroblasts, and its high expression is associated with a higher tumor grade and metastasis. A systematic review and a meta-analysis were performed to associate future metastasis with FAP-α expression in cancer. Methods In our meta-analysis, relevant studies published before 20 February 2024 were systematically searched through online databases that included PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The association between FAP-α expression and metastasis, including distant metastasis, lymph node metastasis, blood vessel invasion, vascular invasion, and neural invasion, was evaluated. A pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was reported as the measure of association. Results A total of 28meta-analysis. The random-effects model for five parameters showed that a high FAP-α expression was associated with blood vessel invasion (OR: 3.04, 95% CI: 1.54-5.99, I 2 = 63%, P = 0.001), lymphovascular invasion (OR: 3.56, 95% CI: 2.14-5.93, I 2 = 0.00%, P < 0.001), lymph node metastasis (OR: 2.73, 95% CI: 1.96-3.81, I 2 = 65%, P < 0.001), and distant metastasis (OR: 2.59; 95% CI: 1.16-5.79, I 2 = 81%, P < 0.001). However, our analysis showed no statistically significant association between high FAP-α expression and neural invasion (OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 0.84-2.93, I 2 = 38%, P = 0.161). Conclusions This meta-analysis indicated that cancer cells with a high FAP-α expression have a higher risk of metastasis than those with a low FAP-α expression. These findings support the potential importance of FAP-α as a biomarker for cancer metastasis prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majid Janani
- Breast Disease Research Center, Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amirhoushang Poorkhani
- Ischemic Disorders Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Taghi Amiriani
- Ischemic Disorders Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Ghazaleh Donyadideh
- Metabolic Syndrome Research Center, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Farahnazsadat Ahmadi
- Ischemic Disorders Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | | | - Fereshteh Beheshti-Nia
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Zahra Kalaei
- Cancer Research Center, Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Morad Roudbaraki
- Laboratory of Cell Physiology, Inserm U1003, University of Lille, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
| | - Mahsa Soltani
- Breast Disease Research Center, Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Khori
- Ischemic Disorders Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Ali Mohammad Alizadeh
- Breast Disease Research Center, Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Cancer Research Center, Cancer Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Xu W, Cai J, Peng T, Meng T, Pang Y, Sun L, Wu H, Zhang J, Chen X, Chen H. Fibroblast Activation Protein-Targeted PET/CT with 18F-Fibroblast Activation Protein Inhibitor-74 for Evaluation of Gastrointestinal Cancer: Comparison with 18F-FDG PET/CT. J Nucl Med 2024; 65:40-51. [PMID: 37884330 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.123.266329] [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: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast activation protein is overexpressed in the stroma of several cancer types. 18F-fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI)-74 is a PET tracer with high selectivity for fibroblast activation protein and has shown high accumulation in human tumors in clinical studies. However, the use of 18F-FAPI-74 for PET imaging of gastrointestinal cancer has not been systematically investigated. Herein, we investigated the diagnostic accuracy of 18F-FAPI-74 (18F-LNC1005) PET/CT in gastric, liver, and pancreatic cancers and compared the results with those of 18F-FDG PET/CT. Methods: This prospective study analyzed patients with confirmed gastric, liver, or pancreatic malignancies who underwent concurrent 18F-FDG and 18F-FAPI-74 PET/CT between June 2022 and December 2022. PET/CT findings were confirmed by histopathology or radiographic follow-up. 18F-FDG and 18F-FAPI-74 uptake and tumor-to-background ratios were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The McNemar test was used to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the 2 scans. Results: Our cohort consisted of 112 patients: 49 with gastric cancer, 39 with liver cancer, and 24 with pancreatic cancer. Among them, 69 patients underwent PET/CT for initial staging and 43 for recurrence detection. Regarding lesion-based diagnostic accuracy, 18F-FAPI-74 PET/CT showed higher sensitivity than did 18F-FDG in the detection of primary tumors (gastric cancer, 88% [22/25] vs. 60% [15/25], P = 0.016; liver cancer, 100% [22/22] vs. 82% [18/22], P = 0.125; pancreatic cancer, 100% [22/22] vs. 86% [19/22], P = 0.250), local recurrence (92% [23/25] vs. 56% [14/25]; P = 0.021), involved lymph nodes (71% [41/58] vs. 40% [23/58]; P < 0.001), and bone and visceral metastases (98% [350/358] vs. 47% [168/358]; P < 0.001). Compared with 18F-FDG, 18F-FAPI-74 PET/CT upstaged 17 patients' TNM staging among all treatment-naïve patients (17/69, 25%) and changed the clinical management of 4 patients (4/43, 9%) in whom recurrence or metastases were detected. Conclusion: 18F-FAPI-74 PET/CT is superior to 18F-FDG PET/CT in detecting primary tumors, local recurrence, lymph node involvement, and bone and visceral metastases in gastric, pancreatic, and liver cancers, with higher uptake in most primary and metastatic lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weizhi Xu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Minnan PET Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Jiayu Cai
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Minnan PET Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Tianxing Peng
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Minnan PET Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Tinghua Meng
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Minnan PET Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yizhen Pang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Minnan PET Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Long Sun
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Minnan PET Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Hua Wu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Minnan PET Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore; and
| | - Xiaoyuan Chen
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore;
- Department of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Haojun Chen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China;
- Minnan PET Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Xiamen Key Laboratory of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
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Waki Y, Morine Y, Noma T, Takasu C, Teraoku H, Yamada S, Saito Y, Ikemoto T, Shimada M. Association between high expression of intratumoral fibroblast activation protein and survival in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. BMC Gastroenterol 2023; 23:415. [PMID: 38017374 PMCID: PMC10683315 DOI: 10.1186/s12876-023-03012-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been reported to exhibit protumorigenic effects. Among the well-known CAF markers such as smooth muscle actin (SMA) and fibroblast activation protein (FAP), high expression of SMA in the peritumoral stroma has been reported to be a prognostic factor in various cancers. However, the effect of high FAP expression in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC) has not been fully clarified. We evaluated the expression of CAF markers, focusing on FAP expression in the peripheral and intratumoral regions, to clarify the association with survival in patients with IHCC. METHODS The study cohort comprised 37 patients who underwent curative resection for IHCC. The FAP expressions were evaluated in the peripheral and intratumoral regions of the resected tissues. Clinicopathological factors and survival outcomes were investigated between patients with high versus low FAP expression. Uni- and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the prognostic factors for overall survival and relapse-free survival. RESULTS The median area percentages of FAP expression in the peripheral and intratumoral regions were 15.5% and 17.8%, respectively. High FAP expression in the intratumoral region was significantly associated with worse overall survival and disease-free survival than low FAP expression in the intratumoral region. Multivariate analysis identified high intratumoral FAP expression as a risk factor for worse overall survival (hazard ratio, 2.450; p = 0.049) and relapse-free survival (hazard ratio, 2.743; p = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS High intratumoral FAP expression was associated with worse survival, suggesting that intratumoral FAP expression represents malignant progression in patients with IHCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhei Waki
- Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, Tokushima University, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan
| | - Yuji Morine
- Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, Tokushima University, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan.
| | - Takayuki Noma
- Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, Tokushima University, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan
| | - Chie Takasu
- Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, Tokushima University, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan
| | - Hiroki Teraoku
- Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, Tokushima University, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Yamada
- Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, Tokushima University, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan
| | - Yu Saito
- Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, Tokushima University, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Ikemoto
- Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, Tokushima University, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan
| | - Mitsuo Shimada
- Department of Digestive and Transplant Surgery, Tokushima University, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan
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Kalaei Z, Manafi-Farid R, Rashidi B, Kiani FK, Zarei A, Fathi M, Jadidi-Niaragh F. The Prognostic and therapeutic value and clinical implications of fibroblast activation protein-α as a novel biomarker in colorectal cancer. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:139. [PMID: 37316886 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01151-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The identification of contributing factors leading to the development of Colorectal Cancer (CRC), as the third fatal malignancy, is crucial. Today, the tumor microenvironment has been shown to play a key role in CRC progression. Fibroblast-Activation Protein-α (FAP) is a type II transmembrane cell surface proteinase expressed on the surface of cancer-associated fibroblasts in tumor stroma. As an enzyme, FAP has di- and endoprolylpeptidase, endoprotease, and gelatinase/collagenase activities in the Tumor Microenvironment (TME). According to recent reports, FAP overexpression in CRC contributes to adverse clinical outcomes such as increased lymph node metastasis, tumor recurrence, and angiogenesis, as well as decreased overall survival. In this review, studies about the expression level of FAP and its associations with CRC patients' prognosis are reviewed. High expression levels of FAP and its association with clinicopathological factors have made as a potential target. In many studies, FAP has been evaluated as a therapeutic target and diagnostic factor into which the current review tries to provide a comprehensive insight. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Kalaei
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Reyhaneh Manafi-Farid
- Research Center for Nuclear Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bentolhoda Rashidi
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Fariba Karoon Kiani
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Asieh Zarei
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mehrdad Fathi
- Research Center for Integrative Medicine in Aging, Aging Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Farhad Jadidi-Niaragh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
- Research Center for Integrative Medicine in Aging, Aging Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
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Cai J, Yang D, Sun H, Xiao L, Han F, Zhang M, Zhou L, Jiang M, Jiang Q, Li Y, Nie H. A multifactorial analysis of FAP to regulate gastrointestinal cancers progression. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1183440. [PMID: 37325617 PMCID: PMC10262038 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1183440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is a cell-surface serine protease that has both dipeptidyl peptidase as well as endopeptidase activities and could cleave substrates at post-proline bond. Previous findings showed that FAP was hard to be detected in normal tissues but significantly up-regulated in remodeling sites like fibrosis, atherosclerosis, arthritis and embryonic tissues. Though increasing evidence has demonstrated the importance of FAP in cancer progression, no multifactorial analysis has been developed to investigate its function in gastrointestinal cancers until now. Methods By comprehensive use of datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC), scTIME Portal and Human Protein Atlas (HPA), we evaluated the carcinogenesis potential of FAP in gastrointestinal cancers, analyzing the correlation between FAP and poor outcomes, immunology in liver, colon, pancreas as well as stomach cancers. Then liver cancer was selected as example to experimentally validate the pro-tumor and immune regulative role of FAP in gastrointestinal cancers. Results FAP was abundantly expressed in gastrointestinal cancers, such as LIHC, COAD, PAAD and STAD. Functional analysis indicated that the highly-expressed FAP in these cancers could affect extracellular matrix organization process and interacted with genes like COL1A1, COL1A2, COL3A1 and POSTN. In addition, it was also observed that FAP was positively correlated to M2 macrophages infiltration across these cancers. To verify these findings in vitro, we used LIHC as example and over-expressed FAP in human hepatic stellate LX2 cells, a main cell type that produce FAP in tumor tissues, and then investigate its role on LIHC cells as well as macrophages. Results showed that the medium from FAP-over-expressed LX2 cells could significantly promote the motility of MHCC97H and SK-Hep1 LIHC cells, increase the invasion of THP-1 macrophages and induce them into pro-tumor M2 phenotype. Conclusion In summary, we employed bioinformatic tools and experiments to perform a comprehensive analysis about FAP. Up-regulation of FAP in gastrointestinal cancers was primarily expressed in fibroblasts and contributes to tumor cells motility, macrophages infiltration and M2 polarization, revealing the multifactorial role of FAP in gastrointestinal cancers progression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Qinghua Jiang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yu Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Huan Nie
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
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Dmochowska N, Milanova V, Mukkamala R, Chow KK, Pham NTH, Srinivasarao M, Ebert LM, Stait-Gardner T, Le H, Shetty A, Nelson M, Low PS, Thierry B. Nanoparticles Targeted to Fibroblast Activation Protein Outperform PSMA for MRI Delineation of Primary Prostate Tumors. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2204956. [PMID: 36840671 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202204956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Accurate delineation of gross tumor volumes remains a barrier to radiotherapy dose escalation and boost dosing in the treatment of solid tumors, such as prostate cancer. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of tumor targets has the power to enable focal dose boosting, particularly when combined with technological advances such as MRI-linear accelerator. Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is overexpressed in stromal components of >90% of epithelial carcinomas. Herein, the authors compare targeted MRI of prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) with FAP in the delineation of orthotopic prostate tumors. Control, FAP, and PSMA-targeting iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared with modification of a lymphotropic MRI agent (FerroTrace, Ferronova). Mice with orthotopic LNCaP tumors underwent MRI 24 h after intravenous injection of nanoparticles. FAP and PSMA nanoparticles produced contrast enhancement on MRI when compared to control nanoparticles. FAP-targeted MRI increased the proportion of tumor contrast-enhancing black pixels by 13%, compared to PSMA. Analysis of changes in R2 values between healthy prostates and LNCaP tumors indicated an increase in contrast-enhancing pixels in the tumor border of 15% when targeting FAP, compared to PSMA. This study demonstrates the preclinical feasibility of PSMA and FAP-targeted MRI which can enable targeted image-guided focal therapy of localized prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Dmochowska
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, 5095, Australia
| | - Valentina Milanova
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, 5095, Australia
| | - Ramesh Mukkamala
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Kwok Keung Chow
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, 5095, Australia
| | - Nguyen T H Pham
- Key Centre for Polymers and Colloids, School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Madduri Srinivasarao
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Lisa M Ebert
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia; SA Pathology; Cancer Clinical Trials Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital; Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
| | - Timothy Stait-Gardner
- Nanoscale Organisation and Dynamics Group, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2560, Australia
| | - Hien Le
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
| | - Anil Shetty
- Ferronova Pty Ltd, Mawson Lakes, South Australia, 5095, Australia
| | - Melanie Nelson
- Ferronova Pty Ltd, Mawson Lakes, South Australia, 5095, Australia
| | - Philip S Low
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Benjamin Thierry
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, 5095, Australia
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Zhang K, Yue B, Duan X, Chen W, Dai X, Chen Y, Li X, Lu J. Joint analysis identified FAP as a prognostic and diagnostic biomarker correlated immune infiltration in gastric cancer. Pathol Res Pract 2023; 245:154462. [PMID: 37068372 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.154462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Gastric cancer is one of the most malignant types of cancer in the digestive system because of its high incidence and mortality. There is a notable association between gastric cancer progression and the level and sort of immune cells infiltrating the tumor microenvironment. First, 41 up-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 91 down-regulated DEGs were identified from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Among the 21 core genes, prognosis biomarkers FAP, ASPN and CTHRC1 were identified for further study via Kaplan-Meier Plotter, with FAP having the highest prognostic value among them. In addition, the ROC curves of FAP (AUC=0.992), ASPN (AUC=0.955) and CTHRC1 (AUC=0.983) also showed high diagnostic value. Then the expression and mutation levels of the biomarkers were verified by GEPIA and cBioPortal. Their high expression levels were closely correlated to the clinical stages and metastasis status of gastric cancer. Furthermore, their expression was strongly relevant to immune infiltration and macrophage marker levels. In drug response analysis, gastric cancer cell lines with overexpression of FAP and ASPN were more sensitive to PI3K and MET inhibitors, respectively. Importantly, the meta-analysis showed that FAP had an overall positive rate of 68 % (63-73 %, 95 % CI; n = 382) and the patients with high expression of FAP showed a poor prognosis in terms of OS (HR=1.82, 1.33-2.48, 95 % CI) in gastric cancer. In short, FAP, ASPN and CTHRC1 were identified as potential prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers related with immunity and might be effective therapeutic targets of gastric cancer, and the significance of FAP for the prognosis was further assessed by meta-analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450001, PR China
| | - Bingtong Yue
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450001, PR China
| | - Xiaoxuan Duan
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450001, PR China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450001, PR China
| | - Xiaoshuo Dai
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450001, PR China
| | - Yihuan Chen
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450001, PR China
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450001, PR China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Province for Cancer Chemoprevention, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450001, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450052, PR China
| | - Jing Lu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450001, PR China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Province for Cancer Chemoprevention, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450001, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450052, PR China.
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Wang Z, Wang J, Lan T, Zhang L, Yan Z, Zhang N, Xu Y, Tao Q. Role and mechanism of fibroblast-activated protein-α expression on the surface of fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1135384. [PMID: 37006278 PMCID: PMC10064071 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1135384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast-activated protein-α (FAP) is a type II integrated serine protease expressed by activated fibroblasts during fibrosis or inflammation. Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovial sites abundantly and stably overexpress FAP and play important roles in regulating the cellular immune, inflammatory, invasion, migration, proliferation, and angiogenesis responses in the synovial region. Overexpression of FAP is regulated by the initial inflammatory microenvironment of the disease and epigenetic signaling, which promotes RA development by regulating FLSs or affecting the signaling cross-linking FLSs with other cells at the local synovium and inflammatory stimulation. At present, several treatment options targeting FAP are in the process of development. This review discusses the basic features of FAP expressed on the surface of FLSs and its role in RA pathophysiology and advances in targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihan Wang
- Traditional Chinese Medicine Department of Rheumatism, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
- Graduate school, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jinping Wang
- Traditional Chinese Medicine Department of Rheumatism, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Tianyi Lan
- Graduate school, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Liubo Zhang
- Graduate school, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Zeran Yan
- Traditional Chinese Medicine Department of Rheumatism, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Traditional Chinese Medicine Department of Rheumatism, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Xu
- Traditional Chinese Medicine Department of Rheumatism, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Yuan Xu, ; Qingwen Tao,
| | - Qingwen Tao
- Traditional Chinese Medicine Department of Rheumatism, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Yuan Xu, ; Qingwen Tao,
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Jiang Y, Tian Y, Feng B, Zhao T, Du L, Yu X, Zhao Q. A novel molecular imaging probe [ 99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-FAPI targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3700. [PMID: 36879039 PMCID: PMC9988823 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30806-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is higher expressed on cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in most malignant epithelial neoplasms, which is lower expressed in normal tissues. As a promising small molecular probe, FAP inhibitor (FAPI) shows the specific binding to FAP. This study aimed to explore a novel molecular probe [99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-FAPI targeting CAFs. The in vitro characteristics of the probe were also evaluated. The FAPI targeting FAP was designed, synthesized and conjugated with the chelator 6-hydrazinylnicotinic acid (HYNIC) for radiolabeling with 99mTc. The radiolabeling yield, radiochemical purity and stability were evaluated by Instant thin-layer chromatography (ITLC) and High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Lipophilicity was performed by the distribution coefficient test. The binding and migration ability of the probe was assessed using the FAP transfected tumor cell line. The radiolabeling yield of [99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-FAPI was (97.29 ± 0.46) %. The radiochemical purity was more than 90% and kept stable until 6 h. The radioligand was shown as lower lipophilicity, of which logD7.4 value was - 2.38 [Formula: see text] 0.13. In vitro experiments, the results indicated that the probe showed binding properties, and inhibited the migration of tumor cells. The novel [99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-FAPI probe was successfully radiosynthesized and exhibited good radiochemical purity, stability and in vitro binding ability to tumor cells. The [99mTc]Tc-HYNIC-FAPI will be a promising SPECT/CT imaging probe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanghongyan Jiang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 804 Shengli St, Yinchuan, 750004, China.,Graduate School of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - Yaxin Tian
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 804 Shengli St, Yinchuan, 750004, China.,Graduate School of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - Bei Feng
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 804 Shengli St, Yinchuan, 750004, China.,Graduate School of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - Tingting Zhao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 804 Shengli St, Yinchuan, 750004, China.,Graduate School of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - Liang Du
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 804 Shengli St, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - Xiaodong Yu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 804 Shengli St, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - Qian Zhao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 804 Shengli St, Yinchuan, 750004, China.
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Wei J, Wang M, Li G. Cancer-associated fibroblasts, and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1048922. [PMID: 36874089 PMCID: PMC9981791 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1048922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To systematically evaluate the relationship between cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of gastric cancer, so as to provide new directions and clinical evidence for the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and The Cochrane Library to identify studies on the correlation between tumor-associated fibroblasts and the diagnosis and prognosis of gastric cancer. Two researchers screened the literature independently to extract data, evaluated the quality of the included studies, and used the Review Manager 5.4 software to perform a meta-analysis. Results A total of 14 studies involving a total of 2,703 patients were included. The meta-analysis results showed that high expression of CAFs was associated with stage III-IV gastric cancer (relative risk ratio [RR]=1.59; 95% confidence interval [CI]: [1.24-2.04]; P=0.0003), lymph node metastasis (RR=1.51; 95% CI: [1.23-1.87]; P=0.0001), serosal infiltration (RR=1.56, 95% CI: [1.24-1.95]; P=0.0001), diffuse and mixed types in Lauren classification (RR=1.43; 95% CI: [1.18-1.74]; P=0.0003), vascular invasion (RR=1.99; 95% CI: [1.26-3.14]; P=0.003), and overall survival (hazard ratio [HR]=1.38; 95% CI: [1.22-1.56]; P<0.00001). However, the high expression of CAFs was not significantly correlated with poorly differentiated gastric cancer (RR=1.03; 95% CI: [0.96-1.10]; P=0.45) and gastric cancer with tumor diameter >5 cm (RR=1.34; 95% CI: [0.98-1.83]; P=0.07). Conclusion The findings of this meta-analysis demonstrated that high expression of CAFs is closely associated with the traditional pathological indicators related to poor prognosis in gastric cancer, and is a valuable prognostic factor in this setting. Systematic Review Registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42022358165.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinwu Wei
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Mingxia Wang
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Guixiang Li
- Cancer Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
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11
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Tong Y, Zhao Z, Zhang J, Wang W, Zhu Y. High expressions of CD10, FAP and GPR77 in CAFs are associated with chemoresistance and worse prognosis in gastric cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:984817. [PMID: 36387219 PMCID: PMC9650088 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.984817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION As neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) has been successfully introduced in gastric cancer (GC), more biomarkers are needed to evaluate the efficacy. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) is associated with chemoresistance and prognosis. Three biomarkers, CD10, fibroblast activation protein-α (FAP) and G-protein-coupled receptor 77 (GPR77), have been proved to express in CAFs. However, their predictive values for efficacy of NCT and prognosis in gastric cancer is unknown. METHODS Totally, specimens of 171 locally advanced gastric cancer patients who underwent NCT and D2 radical gastrectomy and matched preoperative biopsy specimens were retrospectively analyzed. Tumor regression grade (TRG) is reevaluated according to Mandard TRG. Expressions of CD10, FAP and GPR77 in CAFs before NCT (pre-) and after NCT (post-) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Survival curves on overall survival (OS) were obtained by Kaplan-Meier method, and differences were analyzed by log-rank test. Associations between categorical variables were explored by chi-square test or Fisher's exact method. Univariable and multivariate analyses were performed by logistic regression model and Cox proportional hazard regression model. RESULTS High expressions of post-CD10, post-FAP, post-GPR77 and pre-CD10 were related to worse TRG (all p<0.05). In multivariable analysis, post- and pre-FAP were independent predictive factors to TRG (p<0.010). Post-CD10 (p=0.032) and post-FAP (p=0.013) were related to OS in univariable analysis, but none of biomarkers were independent prognostic factors in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS Expressions of CD10, FAP and GPR77 in CAFs were related to chemoresistance and overall survival, and these biomarkers have predictive values for tumor regression and prognosis in locally advanced gastric cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Tong
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology (Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University), Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Zehua Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology (Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University), Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology (Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University), Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Wentao Wang
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology (Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University), Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Yanmei Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology (Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University), Shenyang, Liaoning, China
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12
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Sun H, Wang X, Wang X, Xu M, Sheng W. The role of cancer-associated fibroblasts in tumorigenesis of gastric cancer. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:874. [PMID: 36244987 PMCID: PMC9573863 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-05320-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Despite advances in anticancer therapy, the prognosis of gastric cancer (GC) remains unsatisfactory. Research in recent years has shown that the malignant behavior of cancer is not only attributable to tumor cells but is partly mediated by the activity of the cancer stroma and controlled by various molecular networks in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are one of the most abundant mesenchymal cell components of the stroma and extensively participate in the malignant development of GC malignancy. CAFs modulate the biological properties of tumor cells in multiple ways, including the secretion of various bioactive molecules that have effects through paracrine and autocrine signaling, the release of exosomes, and direct interactions, thereby affecting GC initiation and development. However, there is marked heterogeneity in the cellular origins, phenotypes, and functions of CAFs in the TME of GC. Furthermore, variations in factors, such as proteins, microRNAs, and lncRNAs, affect interactions between CAFs and GC cells, although, the potential molecular mechanisms are still poorly understood. In this review, we aim to describe the current knowledge of the cellular features and heterogeneity of CAFs and discuss how these factors are regulated in CAFs, with a focus on how they affect GC biology. This review provides mechanistic insight that could inform therapeutic strategies and improve the prognosis of GC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Sun
- grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 200032 Shanghai, China ,grid.11841.3d0000 0004 0619 8943Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
| | - Xu Wang
- grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 200032 Shanghai, China ,grid.11841.3d0000 0004 0619 8943Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Wang
- grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 200032 Shanghai, China ,grid.11841.3d0000 0004 0619 8943Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Institute of Pathology, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
| | - Midie Xu
- grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 200032 Shanghai, China ,grid.11841.3d0000 0004 0619 8943Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
| | - Weiqi Sheng
- grid.452404.30000 0004 1808 0942Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 200032 Shanghai, China ,grid.11841.3d0000 0004 0619 8943Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
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Li J, Han T, Wang X, Wang Y, Chen X, Chen W, Yang Q. H19 may regulate the immune cell infiltration in carcinogenesis of gastric cancer through miR-378a-5p/SERPINH1 signaling. World J Surg Oncol 2022; 20:295. [PMID: 36104825 PMCID: PMC9472414 DOI: 10.1186/s12957-022-02760-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Increasing studies have indicated that noncoding RNA (ncRNA)-mediated competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network serves as a significant role in cancer progression, but the underlying regulatory mechanisms of which in gastric cancer (GC) remain largely unclear. Methods Based on Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas datasets, potential biomarkers for GC were screened and validated by machine learning. Then, upstream regulatory ncRNA of potential biomarkers was identified to construct a novel ceRNA network in GC through means of stepwise reverse prediction and validation. Ultimately, tumor immune cell infiltration analysis was performed based on the EPIC algorithm. Results A total of 188 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened, and three candidate diagnostic biomarkers (FAP, PSAPL1, and SERPINH1) for GC were identified and validated. Subsequently, H19 and miR-378a-5p were identified as upstream regulatory ncRNAs that could potentially bind SERPINH1 in GC. Moreover, Immune infiltration analysis revealed that each component in the ceRNA network (H19/miR-378a-5p/SERPINH1) was significantly correlated with the infiltration abundances of diverse tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Conclusions H19 may regulate the immune cell infiltration in carcinogenesis of GC through miR-378a-5p/SERPINH1 signaling. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12957-022-02760-6.
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14
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Zhang L, Ying W, Sheng Z, Lv L, Gao J, Xue Y, Liu L. Bioluminescence imaging of fibroblast activation protein-alpha in vivo and human plasma with highly sensitive probe. Anal Biochem 2022; 655:114859. [PMID: 35988797 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2022.114859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Fibroblast activation protein-alpha (FAPα) has emerged as a biomarker of tumor stromal fibroblasts. FAP was overexpressed in stromal fibroblasts of human malignancies and positively correlated with the depth of tumor invasion, lymphatic metastasis, distant metastases, high TNM stage and poor prognosis. However, the circulating FAP levels in the plasma of gastric cancer patients and the relationship between FAP levels and gastric cancer remain unknown. Moreover, probes with super selectivity, extremely high sensitivity, and excellent performance in quantitative detection are still lacking. Herein, we developed the bioluminescent probe BL-FAP for sensitive detection and imaging of endogenous FAP in gastric cancer cells and tissues and plasma from gastric cancer patients. The probe exhibited the high signal-to-noise ratio (15000∼fold), the excellent selectivity (FAP/DPP IV ratio and FAP/PREP ratio = 50000∼ fold), and the high sensitivity (18.1 pg/mL). BL-FAP facilitates monitoring of endogenous FAP in living cells and nude mice bearing MGC-803-luc tumors. More importantly, this probe was successfully applied to the measurement of FAP activity levels in plasma from gastric cancer patients for the first time. A significant enhancement in FAP levels was observed in patients with gastric cancer, suggesting that the FAP level may be a potential diagnostic parameter for gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China.
| | - Weiwu Ying
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, PR China
| | - Zhijia Sheng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, PR China
| | - Li Lv
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, PR China
| | - Jian Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, PR China
| | - Yunsheng Xue
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, PR China
| | - Ling Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221002, PR China
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Zhou X, Zhang B, Zheng G, Zhang Z, Wu J, Du K, Zhang J. Novel Necroptosis-Related Gene Signature for Predicting Early Diagnosis and Prognosis and Immunotherapy of Gastric Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14163891. [PMID: 36010886 PMCID: PMC9405737 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14163891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Necroptosis plays an important role in the occurrence and development of many cancers. MLKL is an important component of necroptosis, and has been proved to be closely related to the prognosis of gastric cancer (GC). We determined an early diagnosis (FAP, CCT6A) and prognosis risk score (ZFP36, TP53I3, FAP, CCT6A) model of necroptosis-related genes (NRGs) in GC. Two models, respectively, can effectively predict the occurrence of GC and the prognosis of GC patients. The association between the prognostic risk score and the response to immunotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) was also analyzed. FAP was also identified as the core gene in the two models, and the relationship between its expression in GC and ICIs was analyzed. This discovery is the first time that NRGs were combined with immunotherapy for GC and provides a new target for immunotherapy for GC and a more accurate treatment scheme for GC patients. Abstract Necroptosis is a kind of programmed necrosis, which is different from apoptosis and pyroptosis. Its molecular mechanism has been described in inflammatory diseases. Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide with the third highest mortality. However, the role of necroptosis in the occurrence and progression of GC remains largely unexplored. Therefore, we investigated necroptosis-related genes (NRGs) by analyzing public transcriptomic data from GC samples. Our results indicate that 83 of 740 NRGs are dysregulated in GC tissues. Next, we identified necroptosis-associated early diagnosis and prognostic gene signatures for GC using machine learning. 2-NRGs (CCT6A and FAP) and 4-NRGs (ZFP36, TP53I3, FAP, and CCT6A), respectively, can effectively assess the risk of early GC (AUC = 0.943) and the prognosis of GC patients (AUC = 0.866). Through in-depth analysis, we were pleasantly surprised to find that there was a significant correlation between the 4-NRGs and GC immunotherapy effect and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), which could be used for the evaluation of immunosuppressants. Finally, we identified the core gene FAP, and established the relationship between FAP and ICIs in GC. These findings could provide a new target for immunotherapy for GC and a more effective treatment scheme for GC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozhu Zhou
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang 110042, China
| | - Baizhuo Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang 110042, China
| | - Guoliang Zheng
- Department of Gastric Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University (Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute), Shenyang 110042, China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang 110042, China
| | - Jiaoqi Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang 110042, China
| | - Ke Du
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang 110042, China
- Correspondence: (K.D.); (J.Z.); Tel.: +86-189-0091-1279 (J.Z.)
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang 110042, China
- Correspondence: (K.D.); (J.Z.); Tel.: +86-189-0091-1279 (J.Z.)
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Morris RM, Mortimer TO, O’Neill KL. Cytokines: Can Cancer Get the Message? Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14092178. [PMID: 35565306 PMCID: PMC9103018 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cytokines are important molecular players in cancer development, progression, and potential targets for treatment. Despite being small and overlooked, research has revealed that cytokines influence cancer biology in multiple ways. Cytokines are often found to contribute to immune function, cell damage, inflammation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and several other cellular processes important to tumor survival. Cytokines have also proven to have powerful effects on complex tumor microenvironment molecular biology and microbiology. Due to their heavy involvement in critical cancer-related processes, cytokines have also become attractive therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. In this review, we describe the relationship between several cytokines and crucial cancer-promoting processes and their therapeutic potential. Abstract Cytokines are small molecular messengers that have profound effects on cancer development. Increasing evidence shows that cytokines are heavily involved in regulating both pro- and antitumor activities, such as immune activation and suppression, inflammation, cell damage, angiogenesis, cancer stem-cell-like cell maintenance, invasion, and metastasis. Cytokines are often required to drive these cancer-related processes and, therefore, represent an important research area for understanding cancer development and the potential identification of novel therapeutic targets. Interestingly, some cytokines are reported to be related to both pro- and anti-tumorigenicity, indicating that cytokines may play several complex roles relating to cancer pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss some major cancer-related processes and their relationship with several cytokines.
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Lyu Z, Li Y, Zhu D, Wu S, Hu F, Zhang Y, Li Y, Hou T. Fibroblast Activation Protein-Alpha is a Prognostic Biomarker Associated With Ferroptosis in Stomach Adenocarcinoma. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:859999. [PMID: 35359436 PMCID: PMC8963861 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.859999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The potential role of fibroblast activation protein-alpha (FAP) in modulating the progression and invasion of stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) has not yet been comprehensively investigated. This study aimed to explore the role of FAP in STAD and the underlying association between FAP and the tumor microenvironment (TME) and ferroptosis.Methods: Overall survival was analyzed to evaluate the prognostic value of FAP based on gene expression data and clinical information on STAD. Associations between FAP expression, clinical parameters, and immune characteristics were comprehensively analyzed. The ferroptosis-related patterns of STAD samples were investigated based on 43 ferroptosis-related genes, and the correlations between these clusters and clinical characteristics were evaluated. The possible biological functions and pathways were explored using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA).Results: FAP was identified as a novel biomarker that significantly contributed to the poor prognosis of STAD (hazard ratio = 1.270, P = 0.013). The elevated level of FAP expression was related to a more advanced tumor stage in STAD. The close relationship between FAP and the TME was validated. Four distinct ferroptosis-related clusters (A–D) were evident. Evaluating ferroptosis-related clusters could illustrate the stages of STAD and patient prognosis. Cluster C displayed the lowest FAP expression and a better prognosis than the other clusters. The different clusters were linked to different biological mechanisms, including epithelial-mesenchymal transition and immune-relevant pathways.Conclusion: FAP is a promising biomarker to distinguish prognosis and is associated with the TME and ferroptosis in STAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zejian Lyu
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yafang Li
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Clinical Laboratory Center, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dandan Zhu
- Guangdong Clinical Laboratory Center, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sifan Wu
- Guangdong Clinical Laboratory Center, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fei Hu
- Guangdong Clinical Laboratory Center, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Medical Department, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Yu Zhang, ; Yong Li, ; Tieying Hou,
| | - Yong Li
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Clinical Laboratory Center, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Yu Zhang, ; Yong Li, ; Tieying Hou,
| | - Tieying Hou
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Clinical Laboratory Center, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
- Medical Department, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Yu Zhang, ; Yong Li, ; Tieying Hou,
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Tagirasa R, Yoo E. Role of Serine Proteases at the Tumor-Stroma Interface. Front Immunol 2022; 13:832418. [PMID: 35222418 PMCID: PMC8873516 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.832418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
During tumor development, invasion and metastasis, the intimate interaction between tumor and stroma shapes the tumor microenvironment and dictates the fate of tumor cells. Stromal cells can also influence anti-tumor immunity and response to immunotherapy. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern this complex and dynamic interplay, thus is important for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Proteolytic enzymes that are expressed and secreted by both cancer and stromal cells play important roles in modulating tumor-stromal interaction. Among, several serine proteases such as fibroblast activation protein, urokinase-type plasminogen activator, kallikrein-related peptidases, and granzymes have attracted great attention owing to their elevated expression and dysregulated activity in the tumor microenvironment. This review highlights the role of serine proteases that are mainly derived from stromal cells in tumor progression and associated theranostic applications.
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Song P, Pan Q, Sun Z, Zou L, Yang L. Fibroblast activation protein alpha: Comprehensive detection methods for drug target and tumor marker. Chem Biol Interact 2022; 354:109830. [PMID: 35104486 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.109830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Fibroblast activation protein alpha (FAP-α, EC3.4.2. B28), a type II transmembrane proteolytic enzyme for the serine protease peptidase family. It is underexpressed in normal tissues but increased significantly in disease states, especially in neoplasm, which is a potential biomarker to turmor diagnosis. The inhibition of FAP-α activity will retard tumor formation, which is expected to be a promising tumor therapeutic target. At present, although the FAP-α expression detection methods has diversification, a superlative detection means is necessary for the clinical diagnosis. This review covers the discovery and the latest advances in FAP-α, as well as the future research prospects. The tissue distribution, structural characteristics, small-molecule ligands and structure-activity relationship of major inhibitors of FAP-α were summarized in this review. Furthermore, a variety of detection methods including traditional detection methods and emerging probes detection were classified and compared, and the design strategy and kinetic parameters of these FAP-α probe substrates were summarized. In addition, these comprehensive information provides a series of practical and reliable assays for the optimal design principles of FAP-α probes, promoting the application of FAP-α as a disease marker in diagnosis, and a drug target in drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peifang Song
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Quisha Pan
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Liwei Zou
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Ling Yang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Rong X, Lv J, Liu Y, Wang Z, Zeng D, Li Y, Li S, Wu J, Shen Z, Shi M, Liao W, Wu Z, Wang C. PET/CT Imaging of Activated Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Predict Response to PD-1 Blockade in Gastric Cancer Patients. Front Oncol 2022; 11:802257. [PMID: 35155199 PMCID: PMC8825781 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.802257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Promising development in immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has shown remarkable results in the treatment of gastric cancer (GC). However, the objective response rate in GC remains unsatisfactory. Noninvasive imaging to predict responses to ICB therapy via tumor microenvironment (TME) assessment is needed. Accordingly, this study aimed to evaluate the role of 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT in the assessment of the immunosuppressive TME in GC and to cross-correlate imaging findings with responses to ICB therapy. Methods The correlation between fibroblast-activation-protein (FAP) expression and immunosuppressive cell infiltration was analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and GC tissue microarrays. To characterize the TME, TMEscores were calculated based on RNA-seq data from four GC patients. A total of 21 patients with GC underwent 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT before ICB treatment, and two of them were imaged after ICB therapy. Results FAP expression was found to be closely correlated with poor prognosis and infiltration of immunosuppressive cells, including myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), exhausted T cells, and regulatory T cells (Tregs) in GC. We also found a strong relationship (R2 = 0.9678, p = 0.0162) between 68Ga-FAPI-04 uptake and TMEscore. Further analyses indicated that high 68Ga-FAPI-04 uptake was correlated with reduced therapeutic benefits from ICB therapy. Conclusions 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT may be used to noninvasively image the cancer-associated fibroblasts immunosuppressive TME in vivo and also potentially serve as a predictive biomarker of survival and antitumor immune response among patients who received ICB therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiang Rong
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinyu Lv
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yantan Liu
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhaojun Wang
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dongqiang Zeng
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuedan Li
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shaowei Li
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianhua Wu
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zheyu Shen
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Min Shi
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wangjun Liao
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhenzhen Wu
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Zhenzhen Wu, ; Chunlin Wang,
| | - Chunlin Wang
- Department of Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Zhenzhen Wu, ; Chunlin Wang,
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21
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Senchukova MA. Issues of origin, morphology and clinical significance of tumor microvessels in gastric cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2021; 27:8262-8282. [PMID: 35068869 PMCID: PMC8717017 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v27.i48.8262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) remains a serious oncological problem, ranking third in the structure of mortality from malignant neoplasms. Improving treatment outcomes for this pathology largely depends on understanding the pathogenesis and biological characteristics of GC, including the identification and characterization of diagnostic, prognostic, predictive, and therapeutic biomarkers. It is known that the main cause of death from malignant neoplasms and GC, in particular, is tumor metastasis. Given that angiogenesis is a critical process for tumor growth and metastasis, it is now considered an important marker of disease prognosis and sensitivity to anticancer therapy. In the presented review, modern concepts of the mechanisms of tumor vessel formation and the peculiarities of their morphology are considered; data on numerous factors influencing the formation of tumor microvessels and their role in GC progression are summarized; and various approaches to the classification of tumor vessels, as well as the methods for assessing angiogenesis activity in a tumor, are highlighted. Here, results from studies on the prognostic and predictive significance of tumor microvessels in GC are also discussed, and a new classification of tumor microvessels in GC, based on their morphology and clinical significance, is proposed for consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina A Senchukova
- Department of Oncology, Orenburg State Medical University, Orenburg 460021, Russia
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22
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Heidari S, Kolahdouz-Mohammadi R, Khodaverdi S, Tajik N, Delbandi AA. Expression levels of MCP-1, HGF, and IGF-1 in endometriotic patients compared with non-endometriotic controls. BMC Womens Health 2021; 21:422. [PMID: 34930225 PMCID: PMC8686524 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-021-01560-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To study the concentrations of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in peritoneal fluid (PF) and serum, and to evaluate their expressions by PF and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PFMCs and PBMCs, respectively), and ectopic and eutopic endometrial stromal cells of patients with endometriosis (EESCs and EuESCs, respectively) compared with controls. METHODS The concentrations of mentioned cytokines in serum and PF, as well as their expression in PBMCs, PFMCs, EuESCs and EESCs from endometriosis patients and controls were assessed. RESULTS The levels of MCP-1, HGF, and IGF-1 in serum and PF in women with endometriosis were significantly higher than the controls (P < 0.05-P < 0.001). Gene expression of MCP-1 and IGF-1 in the PFMCs, PBMCs and EESCs also showed an increased level compared to controls (P < 0.05-P < 0.01). The protein expression of MCP-1 and IGF-1 by PFMCs was statistically higher in endometriotic women (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). The gene and protein expression of HGF in PFMCs and its gene expression by EESCs were significantly higher in endometriotic women compared to controls (P < 0.05-P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The higher concentrations of mentioned cytokines in serum and PF and their higher expression by PFMCs and EESCs in endometriosis patients may contribute to the development of endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahel Heidari
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Roya Kolahdouz-Mohammadi
- Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sepideh Khodaverdi
- Endometriosis Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nader Tajik
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali-Akbar Delbandi
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. .,Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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23
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Maghraby N, El Noweihi AM, El-Melegy NT, Mostafa NAM, Abbas AM, El-Deek HEM, Radwan E. Increased Expression of Fibroblast Activation Protein is Associated with Autophagy Dysregulation and Oxidative Stress in Obese Women with Uterine Fibroids. Reprod Sci 2021; 29:448-459. [PMID: 34845667 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-021-00810-0] [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: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Uterine fibroids (UF) represent an immense health burden throughout the world. Obesity is considered one of the risk factors for UF development; however, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. We investigated the effect of obesity on fibroblast activation and its association with inflammation, autophagy dysfunction, and oxidative stress in UF patients. Thirty-five pre-menopausal UF patients were included in this study and classified into non-obese group (BM1 ≤ 30 kg/m2, n = 15) and obese group (BMI > 30 kg/m2, n = 20). Tissue samples were collected from fibroids and adjacent normal myometrium. Our results showed increased expression of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) together with markers of autophagy, inflammation, and oxidative stress in UF patients, which were all more markedly upregulated in obese compared to non-obese patients. In addition, BMI was significantly positive correlated with FAP and autophagy markers. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that obesity-associated autophagy dysregulation together with increased FAP expression may increase the risk of UFs in obese women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nashwa Maghraby
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, 71515, Egypt
| | - Amira M El Noweihi
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, 71515, Egypt
| | - Nagla T El-Melegy
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, 71515, Egypt
| | - Nashwa A M Mostafa
- Department of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Ahmed M Abbas
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Heba E M El-Deek
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Eman Radwan
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, 71515, Egypt. .,Department of Biochemistry, Sphinx University, New Assiut City, Assiut 10, Egypt.
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24
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Xin L, Gao J, Zheng Z, Chen Y, Lv S, Zhao Z, Yu C, Yang X, Zhang R. Fibroblast Activation Protein-α as a Target in the Bench-to-Bedside Diagnosis and Treatment of Tumors: A Narrative Review. Front Oncol 2021; 11:648187. [PMID: 34490078 PMCID: PMC8416977 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.648187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast activation protein-α (FAP) is a type II integral serine protease that is specifically expressed by activated fibroblasts. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor stroma have an abundant and stable expression of FAP, which plays an important role in promoting tumor growth, invasion, metastasis, and immunosuppression. For example, in females with a high incidence of breast cancer, CAFs account for 50–70% of the cells in the tumor’s microenvironment. CAF overexpression of FAP promotes tumor development and metastasis by influencing extracellular matrix remodeling, intracellular signaling, angiogenesis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and immunosuppression. This review discusses the basic biological characteristics of FAP and its applications in the diagnosis and treatment of various cancers. We review the emerging basic and clinical research data regarding the use of nanomaterials that target FAP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Xin
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Jinfang Gao
- Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Taiyuan, China
| | - Ziliang Zheng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yiyou Chen
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Shuxin Lv
- Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Taiyuan, China
| | - Zhikai Zhao
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Chunhai Yu
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xiaotang Yang
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Ruiping Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
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25
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Abstract
Fibroblast activation protein-α (FAP) is a type-II transmembrane serine protease expressed almost exclusively to pathological conditions including fibrosis, arthritis, and cancer. Across most cancer types, elevated FAP is associated with worse clinical outcomes. Despite the clear association between FAP and disease severity, the biological reasons underlying these clinical observations remain unclear. Here we review basic FAP biology and FAP's role in non-oncologic and oncologic disease. We further explore how FAP may worsen clinical outcomes via its effects on extracellular matrix remodeling, intracellular signaling regulation, angiogenesis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and immunosuppression. Lastly, we discuss the potential to exploit FAP biology to improve clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison A Fitzgerald
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, 3870 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Louis M Weiner
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, 3870 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA.
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26
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Targeting Cancer Associated Fibroblasts in Liver Fibrosis and Liver Cancer Using Nanocarriers. Cells 2020; 9:cells9092027. [PMID: 32899119 PMCID: PMC7563527 DOI: 10.3390/cells9092027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAF) and the extracellular matrix (ECM) produced by them have been recognized as key players in cancer biology and emerged as important targets for cancer treatment and drug discovery. Apart from their presence in stroma rich tumors, such as biliary, pancreatic and subtypes of hepatocellular cancer (HCC), both CAF and certain ECM components are also present in cancers without an overt intra-tumoral desmoplastic reaction. They support cancer development, growth, metastasis and resistance to chemo- or checkpoint inhibitor therapy by a multitude of mechanisms, including angiogenesis, ECM remodeling and active immunosuppression by secretion of tumor promoting and immune suppressive cytokines, chemokines and growth factors. CAF resemble activated hepatic stellate cells (HSC)/myofibroblasts, expressing α-smooth muscle actin and especially fibroblast activation protein (FAP). Apart from FAP, CAF also upregulate other functional cell surface proteins like platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (PDGFRβ) or the insulin-like growth factor receptor II (IGFRII). Notably, if formulated with adequate size and zeta potential, injected nanoparticles home preferentially to the liver. Several nanoparticular formulations were tested successfully to deliver dugs to activated HSC/myofibroblasts. Thus, surface modified nanocarriers with a cyclic peptide binding to the PDGFRβ or with mannose-6-phosphate binding to the IGFRII, effectively directed drug delivery to activated HSC/CAF in vivo. Even unguided nanohydrogel particles and lipoplexes loaded with siRNA demonstrated a high in vivo uptake and functional siRNA delivery in activated HSC, indicating that liver CAF/HSC are also addressed specifically by well-devised nanocarriers with optimized physicochemical properties. Therefore, CAF have become an attractive target for the development of stroma-based cancer therapies, especially in the liver.
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27
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Wang N, Chang LL. Maspin suppresses cell invasion and migration in gastric cancer through inhibiting EMT and angiogenesis via ITGB1/FAK pathway. Hum Cell 2020; 33:663-675. [PMID: 32409959 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-020-00345-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to investigate how Maspin affects the EMT and angiogenesis of gastric cancer (GC) cells via ITGB1/FAK pathway. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the expressions of Maspin, ITGB1, FAK, E-cadherin, Vimentin, D2-40, and CD34 in GC and adjacent normal tissues from 160 patients. Then, the human GC cells with different degree of differentiation were transfected with Maspin CRISPR activation plasmid, ITGB1 siRNA and/or Maspin siRNA, followed by the following experiments, including qRT-PCR, western blotting, tube formation assay, Transwell assay and wound healing. GC tumor tissues manifested decreased Maspin with the activated ITGB1/FAK pathway. In tumor tissues, Maspin was negatively correlated with the expressions of ITGB1 and FAK, as well as Lauren's classification, differentiation degree, and TNM stage. Besides, Maspin was negatively related with lymphatic vessel density (LVD) and microvessel density (MVD), Vimentin and VEGF, but was positive correlated with E-cadherin. Maspin expression decreased, but ITGB1 and p-FAK expressions increased gradually in MKN-28 (well differentiated), SGC-7901 (moderate differentiated), and MKN-45 (poorly differentiated). Maspin CRISPR and ITGB1 siRNA increased E-cadherin with the decreased Vimentin, VEGF and bFGF, and the reductions of tube length. In comparison with the ITGB1 siRNA group, cells in the Maspin siRNA + ITGB1 siRNA group presented the more evident EMT and angiogenesis. Furthermore, ITGB1 siRNA reduced the malignancies of GC cells, which could be restored by Maspin siRNA. Maspin was downregulated in GC tissues, which could inhibit the EMT and angiogenesis by blocking the ITGB1/FAK pathway, thereby decreasing cell invasion and migration of GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, No. 1 Ward, ShiJiaZhuang No. 1 Hospital, No. 36, Fanxi Road, Chang'an District, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Li-Li Chang
- Department of Gastroenterology, No. 1 Ward, ShiJiaZhuang No. 1 Hospital, No. 36, Fanxi Road, Chang'an District, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China.
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28
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Meyer C, Dahlbom M, Lindner T, Vauclin S, Mona C, Slavik R, Czernin J, Haberkorn U, Calais J. Radiation Dosimetry and Biodistribution of 68Ga-FAPI-46 PET Imaging in Cancer Patients. J Nucl Med 2019; 61:1171-1177. [PMID: 31836685 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.119.236786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) has become an attractive goal for diagnostic imaging and therapy because they can constitute as much as 90% of a tumor mass. The serine protease fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is overexpressed selectively in CAFs, drawing interest in FAP as a stromal target. The quinoline-based FAP inhibitor (FAPI) PET tracer 68Ga-FAPI-04 has been previously shown to yield high tumor-to-background ratios (TBRs) in patients with various cancers. Recent developments toward an improved compound for therapeutic application have identified FAPI-46 as a promising agent because of an increased tumor retention time in comparison with FAPI-04. Here, we present a PET biodistribution and radiation dosimetry study of 68Ga-FAPI-46 in cancer patients. Methods: Six patients with different cancers underwent serial 68Ga-FAPI-46 PET/CT scans at 3 time points after radiotracer injection: 10 min, 1 h, and 3 h. The source organs consisted of the kidneys, bladder, liver, heart, spleen, bone marrow, uterus, and remainder of body. OLINDA/EXM software, version 1.1, was used to fit and integrate the kinetic organ activity data to yield total-body and organ time-integrated activity coefficients and residence times and, finally, organ-absorbed doses. SUVs and TBR were generated from the contoured tumor and source-organ volumes. Spheric volumes in muscle and blood pool were also obtained for TBR (tumor SUVmax/organ SUVmean). Results: At all time points, average SUVmax was highest in the liver. Tumor and organ SUVmean decreased over time, whereas TBRs in all organs but the uterus increased. The organs with the highest effective doses were bladder wall (2.41E-03 mSv/MBq), followed by ovaries (1.15E-03 mSv/MBq) and red marrow (8.49E-04 mSv/MBq). The average effective total-body dose was 7.80E-03 mSv/MBq. Conclusion: 68Ga-FAPI-46 PET/CT has a favorable dosimetry profile, with an estimated whole-body dose of 5.3 mSv for an administration of 200 MBq (5.4 mCi) of 68Ga-FAPI-46 (1.56 ± 0.26 mSv from the PET tracer and 3.7 mSv from 1 low-dose CT scan). The biodistribution study showed high TBRs increasing over time, suggesting high diagnostic performance and favorable tracer kinetics for potential therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Meyer
- Physics and Biology in Medicine Interdepartmental Graduate Program, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California.,Ahmanson Translational Theranostics Division, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
| | - Magnus Dahlbom
- Physics and Biology in Medicine Interdepartmental Graduate Program, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California.,Ahmanson Translational Theranostics Division, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
| | - Thomas Lindner
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Christine Mona
- Ahmanson Translational Theranostics Division, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
| | - Roger Slavik
- Physics and Biology in Medicine Interdepartmental Graduate Program, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California.,Ahmanson Translational Theranostics Division, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, UCLA, Los Angeles, California.,Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
| | - Johannes Czernin
- Ahmanson Translational Theranostics Division, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, UCLA, Los Angeles, California.,Institute of Urologic Oncology, UCLA, Los Angeles, California.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Nuclear Medicine, DKFZ Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; and
| | - Uwe Haberkorn
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Nuclear Medicine, DKFZ Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; and.,Translational Lung Research Center Heidelberg, German Center for Lung Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jeremie Calais
- Physics and Biology in Medicine Interdepartmental Graduate Program, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California .,Ahmanson Translational Theranostics Division, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, UCLA, Los Angeles, California.,Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, California.,Institute of Urologic Oncology, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
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29
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Tang L, Wen JB, Wen P, Li X, Gong M, Li Q. Long non-coding RNA LINC01314 represses cell migration, invasion, and angiogenesis in gastric cancer via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by down-regulating KLK4. Cancer Cell Int 2019; 19:94. [PMID: 31007611 PMCID: PMC6458728 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-019-0799-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In recent years, gastric cancer (GC) has become a major cause of mortality among various malignancies worldwide with high incidence rates. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs) may serve as oncogenes and tumor suppressors in cancers. Therefore, we investigated the effect of LINC01314 on the development of GC cells in relation to the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Methods Microarray data analysis was conducted to screen GC-related differentially expressed lncRNAs, followed by determination of the binding interaction between LINC01314 and kallikrein 4 (KLK4). Human GC cell line SGC-7901 was treated with over-expressed or silenced LINC01314 or KLK4 to investigate the mechanism LINC01314 affecting GC cellular activities. The levels of KLK4, Wnt-1, β-catenin, cyclin D1, N-cadherin and E-cadherin were measured, and cell invasion and migration were evaluated. Next, the tumor weight, micro-vessel density (MVD) and the expression of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 in transplanted tumors were measured. Results LINC01314 was poorly expressed in GC cells and KLK4 was revealed to be a direct target gene of LINC01314. Overexpressed LINC01314 or silencing of KLK4 led to inhibited GC cell migration and invasion, corresponding to decreased Wnt-1, β-catenin, cyclin D1 and N-cadherin while increased E-cadherin. Also, in response to over-expression of LINC01314 or silencing of KLK4, tumor weight and the MVD of transplanted tumors were reduced and angiogenesis was suppressed, which was indicated by down-regulated positive expression of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3. Conclusion The findings indicated that over-expression of LINC01314 down-regulated KLK4 to inhibit the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, thus suppressing migration, invasion, and angiogenesis in GC cells, which provides new insight for the treatment of GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Tang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangxi Pingxiang People's Hospital, No. 8, Wugongshan Middle Road, Pingxiang, 337000 Jiangxi People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Bo Wen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangxi Pingxiang People's Hospital, No. 8, Wugongshan Middle Road, Pingxiang, 337000 Jiangxi People's Republic of China
| | - Ping Wen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangxi Pingxiang People's Hospital, No. 8, Wugongshan Middle Road, Pingxiang, 337000 Jiangxi People's Republic of China
| | - Xing Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangxi Pingxiang People's Hospital, No. 8, Wugongshan Middle Road, Pingxiang, 337000 Jiangxi People's Republic of China
| | - Min Gong
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangxi Pingxiang People's Hospital, No. 8, Wugongshan Middle Road, Pingxiang, 337000 Jiangxi People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jiangxi Pingxiang People's Hospital, No. 8, Wugongshan Middle Road, Pingxiang, 337000 Jiangxi People's Republic of China
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Zeng J, Yan R, Pan H, You F, Cai T, Liu W, Zheng C, Zhao Z, Gong D, Chen L, Zhang Y. Weipixiao attenuate early angiogenesis in rats with gastric precancerous lesions. Altern Ther Health Med 2018; 18:250. [PMID: 30200948 PMCID: PMC6131880 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-018-2309-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Angiogenesis is a pathobiological hallmark of gastric cancer. However, rare studies focus on angiogenesis in gastric precancerous lesions (GPL). Weipixiao (WPX), a Chinese herbal preparation, is proved clinically effective in treating GPL. Here, we evaluated WPX's anti-angiogenic potential for GPL, and also investigated the possibility of its anti-angiogenic mechanisms. METHODS HPLC analysis was applied to screen the major chemical components of WPX. After modeling N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)-induced GPL in male Sprague-Dawley rats, different doses of WPX were administrated orally for 10 weeks. Next, we performed histopathological examination using routine H&E staining and HID-AB-PAS staining. In parallel, we assessed angiogenesis revealed by microvessel density (MVD) using CD34 immunostaining, and subsequently observe microvessel ultrastructure in gastric mucosa under Transmission Electron Microscope. Finally, we detect expression of angiogenesis-associated markers VEGF and HIF-1α using immunohistochemistry. Moreover, mRNA expressions of ERK1, ERK2, Cylin D1 as well as HIF-1α in gastric mucosa were determined by quantitative real-time reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS We observed the appearance of active angiogenesis in GPL rats, and demonstrated that WPX could reduce microvascular abnormalities and attenuate early angiogenesis in most of GPL specimens with a concomitant regression of most intestinal metaplasia (IM) and a portion of gastric epithelial dysplasia (GED). In parallel, WPX could suppress HIF-1α mRNA expression (P < 0.01) as well as protein expression (although without statistical significance), and could markedly inhibit VEGF protein expression in GPL rats. Mechanistically, WPX intervention, especially at low dose, caused a significant decrease in the ERK1 and Cylin D1 mRNA levels. However, WPX might probably have no regulatory effect on ERK2 amplification. CONCLUSIONS WPX could attenuate early angiogenesis and temper microvascular abnormalities in GPL rats. This might be partly achieved by inhibiting on the angiogenesis-associated markers HIF-1α and VEGF, and on the ERK1/Cylin D1 aberrant activation.
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Abstract
Palliative chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment of advanced gastric carcinoma (GC). Monoclonal antibodies including trastuzumab, ramucirumab, and pembrolizumab have been shown to provide additional benefits. However, the clinical outcomes are often unpredictable and they can vary widely among patients. Currently, no biomarker is available for predicting treatment response in the individual patient except human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) amplification and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression for effectiveness of trastuzumab and pembrolizumab, respectively. Multi-platform molecular analysis of cancer, including GC, may help identify predictive biomarkers to guide selection of therapeutic agents. Molecular classification of GC by The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network and the Asian Cancer Research Group is expected to identify therapeutic targets and predictive biomarkers. Complementary to molecular characterization of GC is molecular profiling by expression analysis and genomic sequencing of tumor DNA. Initial analysis of patients with gastroesophageal carcinoma demonstrates that the ratio of progression-free survival (PFS) on molecular profile (MP)-based treatment to PFS on treatment prior to molecular profiling exceeds 1.3, suggesting the potential value of MP in guiding selection of individualized therapy. Future strategies aiming to integrate molecular classification and profiling of tumors with therapeutic agents for achieving the goal of personalized treatment of GC are indicated.
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