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Ye X, Yu Y, Zheng X, Ma H. Clinical immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2024; 73:64. [PMID: 38430289 PMCID: PMC10908626 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03632-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer remains a challenging disease with limited treatment options, resulting in high mortality rates. The predominant approach to managing pancreatic cancer patients continues to be systemic cytotoxic chemotherapy. Despite substantial advancements in immunotherapy strategies for various cancers, their clinical utility in pancreatic cancer has proven less effective and durable. Whether administered as monotherapy, employing immune checkpoint inhibitors, tumor vaccines, chimeric antigen receptors T cells, or in combination with conventional chemoradiotherapy, the clinical outcomes remain underwhelming. Extensive preclinical experiments and clinical trials in the realm of pancreatic cancer have provided valuable insights into the complexities of immunotherapy. Chief among the hurdles are the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, limited immunogenicity, and the inherent heterogeneity of pancreatic cancer. In this comprehensive review, we provide an overview and critical analysis of current clinical immunotherapy strategies for pancreatic cancer, emphasizing their endeavors to overcome immunotherapy resistance. Particular focus is placed on strategies aimed at reshaping the immunosuppressive microenvironment and enhancing T cell-mediated tumor cell killing. Ultimately, through deeper elucidation of the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of pancreatic cancer and the refinement of therapeutic approaches, we anticipate breakthroughs that will pave the way for more effective treatments in this challenging disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaorong Ye
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Yu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xiaohu Zheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China.
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hongdi Ma
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at Microscale, The CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, Anhui Province, People's Republic of China.
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Chen S, Du W, Feng K, Liu K, Li C, Li S, Yin H. AMIGO2 is a pivotal therapeutic target related to M2 polarization of macrophages in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:1111-1127. [PMID: 38189855 PMCID: PMC10866418 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a common kind of lethal cancer, with low early diagnostic rate and poor prognosis. In this study, we identified and verified the AMIGO2 with significant diagnostic and prognostic value in PDAC through LASSO regression combined with multiple machines learning methods, including RVM-RFE and Random Forest in TCGA and GEO datasets. The relevance between the expression of AMIGO2 and M2 polarization of macrophages was identified through pancancer, normal tissue, and cell lines data in TCGA, GTEx and CCLE datasets. The relevance between AMIGO2 and M2 polarization was then further identified in our local PDAC cohort. Finally, the role of AMIGO2 as cancer promoter and pivotal factor enrolled in M2 polarization was verified through siRNA transfection and M2 macrophages induction. These findings could facilitate diagnosis and treatment of PDAC. In addition, further research was deemed necessary on the deep mechanism between AMIGO2 and M2 polarization of macrophages in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shensi Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Wujun Du
- Department of Emergency, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Ke Feng
- Department of Emergency, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Ke Liu
- Department of Emergency, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Cunji Li
- Department of Emergency, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Shengming Li
- Department of Emergency, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Hua Yin
- Department of Gastroenterology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China
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Rogers S, Charles A, Thomas RM. The Prospect of Harnessing the Microbiome to Improve Immunotherapeutic Response in Pancreatic Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5708. [PMID: 38136254 PMCID: PMC10741649 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15245708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cancer (PDAC) is projected to become the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States by 2030. Patients are often diagnosed with advanced disease, which explains the dismal 5-year median overall survival rate of ~12%. Immunotherapy has been successful in improving outcomes in the past decade for a variety of malignancies, including gastrointestinal cancers. However, PDAC is historically an immunologically "cold" tumor, one with an immunosuppressive environment and with restricted entry of immune cells that have limited the success of immunotherapy in these tumors. The microbiome, the intricate community of microorganisms present on and within humans, has been shown to contribute to many cancers, including PDAC. Recently, its role in tumor immunology and response to immunotherapy has generated much interest. Herein, the current state of the interaction of the microbiome and immunotherapy in PDAC is discussed with a focus on needed areas of study in order to harness the immune system to combat pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherise Rogers
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA;
| | - Angel Charles
- Department of Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA;
| | - Ryan M. Thomas
- Department of Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA;
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32603, USA
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Zhang W, Xie Y, Yu X, Liu C, Gao W, Xing W, Si T. ABHD17C, a metabolic and immune-related gene signature, predicts prognosis and anti-PD1 therapy response in pancreatic cancer. Discov Oncol 2023; 14:87. [PMID: 37273016 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-023-00690-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND PDAC is a highly malignant and immune-suppressive tumor, posing great challenges to therapy. METHODS In this study, we utilized multi-center RNA sequencing and non-negative matrix factorization clustering (NMF) to identify a group of metabolism-related genes that could effectively predict the immune status and survival (both disease-free survival and overall survival) of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients. Subsequently, through the integration of single cell sequencing and our center's prospective and retrospective cohort studies, we identified ABHD17C, which possesses metabolic and immune-related characteristics, as a potential biomarker for predicting the prognosis and response to anti-PD1 therapy in PDAC. We then demonstrated how ABHD17C participates in the regulation of the immune microenvironment through in vitro glycolytic function experiments and in vivo animal experiments. RESULTS Through screening for pancreatic cancer metabolic markers and immune status, we identified a critical molecule that inhibits pancreatic cancer survival and prognosis. Further flow cytometry analysis confirmed that ABHD17C is involved in the inhibition of the formation of the immune environment in PDAC. Our research found that ABHD17C participates in the metabolic process of tumor cells in in vitro and in vivo experiments, reshaping the immunosuppressive microenvironment by downregulating the pH value. Furthermore, through LDHA inhibition experiments, we demonstrated that ABHD17C significantly enhances glycolysis and inhibits the formation of the immune suppressive environment. In in vivo experiments, we also validated that ABHD17C overexpression significantly mediates resistance to anti-PD1 therapy and promotes the progression of pancreatic cancer. CONCLUSION Therefore, ABHD17C may be a novel and effective biomarker for predicting the metabolic status and immune condition of PDAC patients, and provide a potential predictive strategy for anti-PD1 therapy in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihao Zhang
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, People's Republic of China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China
| | - Yongjie Xie
- Department of Pancreatic Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Xin Yu
- Department of Pancreatic Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Changfu Liu
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, People's Republic of China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China
| | - Wei Gao
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, People's Republic of China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenge Xing
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, People's Republic of China
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China
| | - Tongguo Si
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, 300060, People's Republic of China.
- Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China.
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Dhanisha SS, Guruvayoorappan C. Pathological Implications of Mucin Signaling in Metastasis. Curr Cancer Drug Targets 2023; 23:585-602. [PMID: 36941808 DOI: 10.2174/1568009623666230320121332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
The dynamic mucosal layer provides a selective protective barrier for the epithelial cells lining the body cavities. Diverse human malignancies exploit their intrinsic role to protect and repair epithelia for promoting growth and survival. Aberrant expression of mucin has been known to be associated with poor prognosis of many cancers. However, the emergence of new paradigms in the study of metastasis recognizes the involvement of MUC1, MUC4, MUC5AC, MUC5B, and MUC16 during metastasis initiation and progression. Hence mucins can be used as an attractive target in future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. In this review, we discuss in detail about mucin family and its domains and the role of different mucins in regulating cancer progression and metastasis. In addition, we briefly discuss insights into mucins as a therapeutic agent.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chandrasekharan Guruvayoorappan
- Laboratory of Immunopharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Research, Regional Cancer Centre, Medical College Campus, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695011, India
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Mukherjee AG, Wanjari UR, Gopalakrishnan AV, Bradu P, Sukumar A, Patil M, Renu K, Dey A, Vellingiri B, George A, Ganesan R. Implications of cancer stem cells in diabetes and pancreatic cancer. Life Sci 2022; 312:121211. [PMID: 36414089 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.121211] [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: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
This review provides a detailed study of pancreatic cancer (PC) and the implication of different types of cancers concerning diabetes. The combination of anti-diabetic drugs with other anti-cancer drugs and phytochemicals can help prevent and treat this disease. PC cancer stem cells (CSCs) and how they migrate and develop into malignant tumors are discussed. A detailed explanation of the different mechanisms of diabetes development, which can enhance the pancreatic CSCs' proliferation by increasing the IGF factor levels, epigenetic modifications, DNA damage, and the influence of lifestyle factors like obesity, and inflammation, has been discussed. It also explains how cancer due to diabetes is associated with high mortality rates. One of the well-known diabetic drugs, metformin, can be combined with other anti-cancer drugs and prevent the development of PC and has been taken as one of the prime focus in this review. Overall, this paper provides insight into the relationship between diabetes and PC and the methods that can be employed to diagnose this disease at an earlier stage successfully.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anirban Goutam Mukherjee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Bio-Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Uddesh Ramesh Wanjari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Bio-Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Abilash Valsala Gopalakrishnan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Bio-Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India.
| | - Pragya Bradu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Bio-Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Aarthi Sukumar
- Department of Integrative Biology, School of Bio-Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Megha Patil
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Bio-Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India
| | - Kaviyarasi Renu
- Centre of Molecular Medicine and Diagnostics (COMManD), Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha Dental College & Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, 600077, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Abhijit Dey
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700073, India
| | - Balachandar Vellingiri
- Stem cell and Regenerative Medicine/Translational Research, Department of Zoology, School of Basic Sciences, Central University of Punjab (CUPB), Bathinda - 151401, Punjab, India
| | - Alex George
- Jubilee Centre for Medical Research, Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, Thrissur, 680005, Kerala, India
| | - Raja Ganesan
- Institute for Liver and Digestive Diseases, Hallym University, Chuncheon, 24252, Republic of Korea
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