1
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Du W, Tang Z, Du A, Yang Q, Xu R. Bidirectional crosstalk between the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and immunotherapy: A bibliometric study. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2024; 20:2328403. [PMID: 38502119 PMCID: PMC10956627 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2024.2328403] [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: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has recently attracted considerable attention. However, currently, a thorough analysis of the trends associated with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and immunotherapy is lacking. In this study, we used bibliometric tools to provide a comprehensive overview of the progress in EMT-immunotherapy research. A total of 1,302 articles related to EMT and immunotherapy were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC). The analysis indicated that in terms of the volume of research, China was the most productive country (49.07%, 639), followed by the United States (16.89%, 220) and Italy (3.6%, 47). The United States was the most influential country according to the frequency of citations and citation burstiness. The results also suggested that Frontiers in Immunotherapy can be considered as the most influential journal with respect to the number of articles and impact factors. "Immune infiltration," "bioinformatics analysis," "traditional Chinese medicine," "gene signature," and "ferroptosis" were found to be emerging keywords in EMT-immunotherapy research. These findings point to potential new directions that can deepen our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the combined effects of immunotherapy and EMT and help develop strategies for improving immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Du
- Department of Pathology, Changde Hospital, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University (The First People’s Hospital of Changde City), Changde, Hunan, China
| | - Zemin Tang
- Department of Pathology, Changde Hospital, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University (The First People’s Hospital of Changde City), Changde, Hunan, China
| | - Ashuai Du
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Qinglong Yang
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of General Surgery, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Rong Xu
- Department of Pathology, Changde Hospital, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University (The First People’s Hospital of Changde City), Changde, Hunan, China
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2
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Li M, Freeman S, Franco-Barraza J, Cai KQ, Kim A, Jin S, Cukierman E, Ye K. A bioprinted sea-and-island multicellular model for dissecting human pancreatic tumor-stroma reciprocity and adaptive metabolism. Biomaterials 2024; 310:122631. [PMID: 38815457 PMCID: PMC11186049 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2024.122631] [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: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) presents a formidable clinical challenge due to its intricate microenvironment characterized by desmoplasia and complex tumor-stroma interactions. Conventional models hinder studying cellular crosstalk for therapeutic development. To recapitulate key features of PDAC masses, this study creates a novel sea-and-island PDAC tumor construct (s&i PTC). The s&i PTC consists of 3D-printed islands of human PDAC cells positioned within an interstitial extracellular matrix (ECM) populated by human cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). This design closely mimics the in vivo desmoplastic architecture and nutrient-poor conditions. The model enables studying dynamic tumor-stroma crosstalk and signaling reciprocity, revealing both known and yet-to-be-discovered multicellular metabolic adaptations. Using the model, we discovered the orchestrated dynamic alterations of CAFs under nutrient stress, resembling critical in vivo human tumor niches, such as the secretion of pro-tumoral inflammatory factors. Additionally, nutrient scarcity induces dynamic alterations in the ECM composition and exacerbates poor cancer cell differentiation-features well-established in PDAC progression. Proteomic analysis unveiled the enrichment of proteins associated with aggressive tumor behavior and ECM remodeling in response to poor nutritional conditions, mimicking the metabolic stresses experienced by avascular pancreatic tumor cores. Importantly, the model's relevance to patient outcomes is evident through an inverse correlation between biomarker expression patterns in the s&i PTCs and PDAC patient survival rates. Key findings include upregulated MMPs and key ECM proteins (such as collagen 11 and TGFβ) under nutrient-avid conditions, known to be regulated by CAFs, alongside the concomitant reduction in E-cadherin expression associated with a poorly differentiated PDAC state under nutrient deprivation. Furthermore, elevated levels of hyaluronic acid (HA) and integrins in response to nutrient deprivation underscore the model's fidelity to the PDAC microenvironment. We also observed increased IL-6 and reduced α-SMA expression under poor nutritional conditions, suggesting a transition of CAFs from myofibroblastic to inflammatory phenotypes under a nutrient stress akin to in vivo niches. In conclusion, the s&i PTC represents a significant advancement in engineering clinically relevant 3D models of PDAC masses. It offers a promising platform for elucidating tumor-stroma interactions and guiding future therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine, Binghamton University, SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Sebastian Freeman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine, Binghamton University, SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Janusz Franco-Barraza
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Marvin and Concetta Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Lewis Katz Temple School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kathy Q Cai
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Marvin and Concetta Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Lewis Katz Temple School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amy Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine, Binghamton University, SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Sha Jin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine, Binghamton University, SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Edna Cukierman
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Marvin and Concetta Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Lewis Katz Temple School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Kaiming Ye
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine, Binghamton University, SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA.
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3
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Guo T, Xu J. Cancer-associated fibroblasts: a versatile mediator in tumor progression, metastasis, and targeted therapy. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2024; 43:1095-1116. [PMID: 38602594 PMCID: PMC11300527 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-024-10186-7] [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: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Tumor microenvironment (TME) has been demonstrated to play a significant role in tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the major component of TME and exhibit heterogeneous properties in their communication with tumor cells. This heterogeneity of CAFs can be attributed to various origins, including quiescent fibroblasts, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), adipocytes, pericytes, endothelial cells, and mesothelial cells. Moreover, single-cell RNA sequencing has identified diverse phenotypes of CAFs, with myofibroblastic CAFs (myCAFs) and inflammatory CAFs (iCAFs) being the most acknowledged, alongside newly discovered subtypes like antigen-presenting CAFs (apCAFs). Due to these heterogeneities, CAFs exert multiple functions in tumorigenesis, cancer stemness, angiogenesis, immunosuppression, metabolism, and metastasis. As a result, targeted therapies aimed at the TME, particularly focusing on CAFs, are rapidly developing, fueling the promising future of advanced tumor-targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianchen Guo
- Women's Reproductive Health Laboratory of Zhejiang Province, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, Zhejiang, China
| | - Junfen Xu
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, Zhejiang, China.
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4
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Hong WF, Zhang F, Wang N, Bi JM, Zhang DW, Wei LS, Song ZT, Mills GB, Chen MM, Li XX, Du SS, Yu M. Dynamic immunoediting by macrophages in homologous recombination deficiency-stratified pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Drug Resist Updat 2024; 76:101115. [PMID: 39002266 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2024.101115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal disease, notably resistant to existing therapies. Current research indicates that PDAC patients deficient in homologous recombination (HR) benefit from platinum-based treatments and poly-ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPi). However, the effectiveness of PARPi in HR-deficient (HRD) PDAC is suboptimal, and significant challenges remain in fully understanding the distinct characteristics and implications of HRD-associated PDAC. We analyzed 16 PDAC patient-derived tissues, categorized by their homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) scores, and performed high-plex immunofluorescence analysis to define 20 cell phenotypes, thereby generating an in-situ PDAC tumor-immune landscape. Spatial phenotypic-transcriptomic profiling guided by regions-of-interest (ROIs) identified a crucial regulatory mechanism through localized tumor-adjacent macrophages, potentially in an HRD-dependent manner. Cellular neighborhood (CN) analysis further demonstrated the existence of macrophage-associated high-ordered cellular functional units in spatial contexts. Using our multi-omics spatial profiling strategy, we uncovered a dynamic macrophage-mediated regulatory axis linking HRD status with SIGLEC10 and CD52. These findings demonstrate the potential of targeting CD52 in combination with PARPi as a therapeutic intervention for PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Feng Hong
- Department of Pancreas Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Department of Radiation Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou 310005, China; Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310005, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology, Hangzhou 310005, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- Department of Pancreas Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Nan Wang
- Cosmos Wisdom Biotech, co. ltd, Building 10, No. 617 Jiner Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jun-Ming Bi
- Department of Urology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ding-Wen Zhang
- Department of Pancreas Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Lu-Sheng Wei
- Department of Pancreas Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhen-Tao Song
- Mills Institute for Personalized Cancer Care, Fynn Biotechnologies Ltd. Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Gordon B Mills
- Division of Oncological Sciences, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, USA
| | - Min-Min Chen
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Xue-Xin Li
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna 17165, Sweden.
| | - Shi-Suo Du
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Min Yu
- Department of Pancreas Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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5
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Espona-Fiedler M, Patthey C, Lindblad S, Sarró I, Öhlund D. Overcoming therapy resistance in pancreatic cancer: New insights and future directions. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 229:116492. [PMID: 39153553 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116492] [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: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 08/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is predicted to become the second leading cause of cancer deaths by 2030 and this is mostly due to therapy failure. Limited treatment options and resistance to standard-of-care (SoC) therapies makes PDAC one of the cancer types with poorest prognosis and survival rates [1,2]. Pancreatic tumors are renowned for their poor response to therapeutic interventions including targeted therapies, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Herein, we review hallmarks of therapy resistance in PDAC and current strategies aiming to tackle escape mechanisms and to re-sensitize pancreatic cells to therapy. We will further provide insights on recent advances in the field of drug discovery, nanomedicine, and disease models that are setting the ground for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarita Espona-Fiedler
- Department of Diagnostic and Intervention, Umeå Universitet, Umeå, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå Universitet, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Cedric Patthey
- Department of Diagnostic and Intervention, Umeå Universitet, Umeå, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå Universitet, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Stina Lindblad
- Department of Diagnostic and Intervention, Umeå Universitet, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Irina Sarró
- Department of Diagnostic and Intervention, Umeå Universitet, Umeå, Sweden; Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Öhlund
- Department of Diagnostic and Intervention, Umeå Universitet, Umeå, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå Universitet, Umeå, Sweden.
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6
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Ruixin S, Yifan L, Yansha S, Min Z, Yiwei D, Xiaoli H, Bizhi S, Hua J, Zonghai L. Dual targeting chimeric antigen receptor cells enhance antitumour activity by overcoming T cell exhaustion in pancreatic cancer. Br J Pharmacol 2024. [PMID: 39129178 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16505] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Although our previous data indicated that claudin 18 isoform 2 (CLDN18.2)-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells displayed remarkable clinical efficacy in CLDN18.2-positive gastric cancer, their efficacy is limited in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The tumour microenvironment (TME) is one of the main obstacles to the efficacy of CAR-T and remodelling the TME may be a possible way to overcome this obstacle. The TME of PDAC is characterized by abundant cancer-related fibroblasts (CAFs), which hinder the infiltration and function of CLDN18.2-targeted CAR-T cells. The expression of fibroblast activation protein alpha (FAP) is an important feature of active CAFs, providing potential targets for eliminating CAFs. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH In this study, we generated 10 FAP/CLDN 18.2 dual-targeted CAR-T cells and evaluated their anti-tumour ability in vitro and in vivo. KEY RESULTS Compared with conventional CAR-T cells, some dual-targeted CAR-T cells showed improved therapeutic effects in mouse pancreatic cancers. Further, dual-targeted CAR-T cells with better anti-tumour effect could suppress the recruitment of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) to improve the immunosuppressive TME, which contributes to the survival of CD8+ T cells. Moreover, dual-targeted CAR-T cells reduced the exhaustion of T cells in transforming TGF-β dependent manner. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS The dual-targeted CAR-T cells obtained enhancement of T effector function, inhibition of T cell exhaustion, and improvement of tumour microenvironment. Our findings provide a theoretical rationale for dual-targeted FAP/CLDN 18.2 CAR-T cells therapy in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun Ruixin
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liu Yifan
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Sun Yansha
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhou Min
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Dong Yiwei
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hu Xiaoli
- CARsgen Therapeutics, Shanghai, China
| | - Shi Bizhi
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- CARsgen Therapeutics, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiang Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- CARsgen Therapeutics, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Zonghai
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- CARsgen Therapeutics, Shanghai, China
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7
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Tobe-Nishimoto A, Morita Y, Nishimura J, Kitahira Y, Takayama S, Kishimoto S, Matsumiya-Matsumoto Y, Matsunaga K, Imai T, Uzawa N. Tumor microenvironment dynamics in oral cancer: unveiling the role of inflammatory cytokines in a syngeneic mouse model. Clin Exp Metastasis 2024:10.1007/s10585-024-10306-1. [PMID: 39126553 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-024-10306-1] [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: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
The process of cervical lymph node metastasis is dependent on the phenotype of the tumor cells and their interaction with the host microenvironment and immune system; conventional research methods that focus exclusively on tumor cells are limited in their ability to elucidate the metastatic mechanism. In cancer tissues, a specialized environment called the tumor microenvironment (TME) is established around tumor cells, and inflammation in the TME has been reported to be closely associated with the development and progression of many types of cancer and with the response to anticancer therapy. In this study, to elucidate the mechanism of metastasis establishment, including the TME, in the cervical lymph node metastasis of oral cancer, we established a mouse-derived oral squamous cell carcinoma cervical lymph node highly metastatic cell line and generated a syngeneic orthotopic transplantation mouse model. In the established highly metastatic cells, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induction was enhanced compared to that in parental cells. In the syngeneic mouse model, lymph node metastasis was observed more frequently in tumors of highly metastatic cells than in parental cells, and Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and lymphatic vessels in primary tumor tissues were increased, suggesting that this model is highly useful. Moreover, in the established highly metastatic cells, EMT induction was enhanced compared to that in the parent cell line, and CCL5 and IL-6 secreted during inflammation further enhanced EMT induction in cancer cells. This suggests the possibility of a synergistic effect between EMT induction and inflammation. This model, which allows for the use of two types of cells with different metastatic and tumor growth potentials, is very useful for oral cancer research involving the interaction between cancer cells and the TME in tumor tissues and for further searching for new therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayano Tobe-Nishimoto
- Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Oncology and Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, 1-8 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Morita
- Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Oncology and Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, 1-8 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Junya Nishimura
- Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Oncology and Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, 1-8 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yukiko Kitahira
- Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Oncology and Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, 1-8 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shun Takayama
- Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Oncology and Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, 1-8 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Satoko Kishimoto
- Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Oncology and Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, 1-8 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yuka Matsumiya-Matsumoto
- Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Oncology and Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, 1-8 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kazuhide Matsunaga
- Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Oncology and Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, 1-8 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Imai
- Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Oncology and Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, 1-8 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Narikazu Uzawa
- Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Oncology and Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, 1-8 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
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8
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Zourelidis A, Trojanowicz B, Sunami Y, Hause G, Vieweg D, Kleeff J. Distance-depending transcriptome changes of pancreatic stellate cells in paracrine pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma co-culture models. Sci Rep 2024; 14:18030. [PMID: 39098880 PMCID: PMC11298529 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-68148-6] [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: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic stellate cells (PSC) are one source of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) and play, therefore, an essential role in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA). Paracrine signalling between PDA cells and CAF has been widely studied, yet external influences on paracrine crosstalk are poorly understood. This study aimed to gain a deeper insight into the communication of PSC and cancer cells under different co-culture conditions via analysis of PSC gene expression profiles. Two contactless co-culture models with tumor cells from the p48-Cre; lox-stop-lox-KrasG12D/+; lox-stop-lox-Trp53R172H/+ mouse model (KPC) and murine PSC separated through a microporous membrane and grown in different compartments (standard co-culture) or on different sides of the same membrane (inverse co-culture), were established. RNA-Sequencing analysis of PSC mRNA was performed 24 h and 72 h after co-culture with KPC cells. For selected genes, results were confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry. Standard co-culture displayed 19 differentially expressed genes (DEG) at 24 h and 52 DEG at 72 h. In inverse co-culture, 800 DEG at 24 h and 2213 DEG at 72 h were enriched. PSC showed great heterogeneity in their gene expression profiles; however, mutually regulated genes of both co-cultures, such as VCAN and CHST11, could be identified. VCAN-protein-protein interaction-network analysis revealed several shared genes between co-culture models, such as SDC4 and FN1. In conclusion, PSC show a varying susceptibility to cancer cell signals depending on the co-culture method, with intensified transcriptome changes with closer proximity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anais Zourelidis
- Department of Visceral, Vascular and Endocrine Surgery, University Hospital Halle, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany.
| | - Bogusz Trojanowicz
- Department of Visceral, Vascular and Endocrine Surgery, University Hospital Halle, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Yoshiaki Sunami
- Department of Visceral, Vascular and Endocrine Surgery, University Hospital Halle, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Gerd Hause
- Biocenter, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - David Vieweg
- Department of Visceral, Vascular and Endocrine Surgery, University Hospital Halle, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Jörg Kleeff
- Department of Visceral, Vascular and Endocrine Surgery, University Hospital Halle, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
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9
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Menche C, Schuhwerk H, Armstark I, Gupta P, Fuchs K, van Roey R, Mosa MH, Hartebrodt A, Hajjaj Y, Clavel Ezquerra A, Selvaraju MK, Geppert CI, Bärthel S, Saur D, Greten FR, Brabletz S, Blumenthal DB, Weigert A, Brabletz T, Farin HF, Stemmler MP. ZEB1-mediated fibroblast polarization controls inflammation and sensitivity to immunotherapy in colorectal cancer. EMBO Rep 2024; 25:3406-3431. [PMID: 38937629 PMCID: PMC11315988 DOI: 10.1038/s44319-024-00186-7] [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: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The EMT-transcription factor ZEB1 is heterogeneously expressed in tumor cells and in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in colorectal cancer (CRC). While ZEB1 in tumor cells regulates metastasis and therapy resistance, its role in CAFs is largely unknown. Combining fibroblast-specific Zeb1 deletion with immunocompetent mouse models of CRC, we observe that inflammation-driven tumorigenesis is accelerated, whereas invasion and metastasis in sporadic cancers are reduced. Single-cell transcriptomics, histological characterization, and in vitro modeling reveal a crucial role of ZEB1 in CAF polarization, promoting myofibroblastic features by restricting inflammatory activation. Zeb1 deficiency impairs collagen deposition and CAF barrier function but increases NFκB-mediated cytokine production, jointly promoting lymphocyte recruitment and immune checkpoint activation. Strikingly, the Zeb1-deficient CAF repertoire sensitizes to immune checkpoint inhibition, offering a therapeutic opportunity of targeting ZEB1 in CAFs and its usage as a prognostic biomarker. Collectively, we demonstrate that ZEB1-dependent plasticity of CAFs suppresses anti-tumor immunity and promotes metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantin Menche
- Georg-Speyer-Haus, Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Harald Schuhwerk
- Department of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center for Molecular Medicine, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Isabell Armstark
- Department of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center for Molecular Medicine, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Pooja Gupta
- Core Unit for Bioinformatics, Data Integration and Analysis, Center for Medical Information and Communication Technology, University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Kathrin Fuchs
- Department of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center for Molecular Medicine, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ruthger van Roey
- Department of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center for Molecular Medicine, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Mohammed H Mosa
- Georg-Speyer-Haus, Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Anne Hartebrodt
- Biomedical Network Science Lab, Department Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering (AIBE), FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Yussuf Hajjaj
- Department of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center for Molecular Medicine, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ana Clavel Ezquerra
- Department of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center for Molecular Medicine, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Manoj K Selvaraju
- Core Unit for Bioinformatics, Data Integration and Analysis, Center for Medical Information and Communication Technology, University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Carol I Geppert
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Stefanie Bärthel
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
- Chair of Translational Cancer Research and Institute of Experimental Cancer Therapy, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Dieter Saur
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
- Chair of Translational Cancer Research and Institute of Experimental Cancer Therapy, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Florian R Greten
- Georg-Speyer-Haus, Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
- German Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Simone Brabletz
- Department of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center for Molecular Medicine, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - David B Blumenthal
- Biomedical Network Science Lab, Department Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering (AIBE), FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Andreas Weigert
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Institute of Biochemistry I, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Thomas Brabletz
- Department of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center for Molecular Medicine, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Henner F Farin
- Georg-Speyer-Haus, Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
- German Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Marc P Stemmler
- Department of Experimental Medicine 1, Nikolaus-Fiebiger Center for Molecular Medicine, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
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10
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Coursier D, Calvo F. CAFs vs. TECs: when blood feuds fuel cancer progression, dissemination and therapeutic resistance. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2024; 47:1091-1112. [PMID: 38453816 PMCID: PMC11322395 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-024-00931-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Neoplastic progression involves complex interactions between cancer cells and the surrounding stromal milieu, fostering microenvironments that crucially drive tumor progression and dissemination. Of these stromal constituents, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) emerge as predominant inhabitants within the tumor microenvironment (TME), actively shaping multiple facets of tumorigenesis, including cancer cell proliferation, invasiveness, and immune evasion. Notably, CAFs also orchestrate the production of pro-angiogenic factors, fueling neovascularization to sustain the metabolic demands of proliferating cancer cells. Moreover, CAFs may also directly or indirectly affect endothelial cell behavior and vascular architecture, which may impact in tumor progression and responses to anti-cancer interventions. Conversely, tumor endothelial cells (TECs) exhibit a corrupted state that has been shown to affect cancer cell growth and inflammation. Both CAFs and TECs are emerging as pivotal regulators of the TME, engaging in multifaceted biological processes that significantly impact cancer progression, dissemination, and therapeutic responses. Yet, the intricate interplay between these stromal components and the orchestrated functions of each cell type remains incompletely elucidated. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the dynamic interrelationships between CAFs and TECs, discussing the challenges and prospects for leveraging their interactions towards therapeutic advancements in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane Coursier
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Cantabria), Santander, Spain
| | - Fernando Calvo
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Cantabria), Santander, Spain.
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11
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Buonvino S, Di Giuseppe D, Filippi J, Martinelli E, Seliktar D, Melino S. 3D Cell Migration Chip (3DCM-Chip): A New Tool toward the Modeling of 3D Cellular Complex Systems. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2400040. [PMID: 38739022 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202400040] [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: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
3D hydrogel-based cell cultures provide models for studying cell behavior and can efficiently replicate the physiologic environment. Hydrogels can be tailored to mimic mechanical and biochemical properties of specific tissues and allow to produce gel-in-gel models. In this system, microspheres encapsulating cells are embedded in an outer hydrogel matrix, where cells are able to migrate. To enhance the efficiency of such studies, a lab-on-a-chip named 3D cell migration-chip (3DCM-chip) is designed, which offers substantial advantages over traditional methods. 3DCM-chip facilitates the analysis of biochemical and physical stimuli effects on cell migration/invasion in different cell types, including stem, normal, and tumor cells. 3DCM-chip provides a smart platform for developing more complex cell co-cultures systems. Herein the impact of human fibroblasts on MDA-MB 231 breast cancer cells' invasiveness is investigated. Moreover, how the presence of different cellular lines, including mesenchymal stem cells, normal human dermal fibroblasts, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells, affects the invasive behavior of cancer cells is investigated using 3DCM-chip. Therefore, predictive tumoroid models with a more complex network of interactions between cells and microenvironment are here produced. 3DCM-chip moves closer to the creation of in vitro systems that can potentially replicate key aspects of the physiological tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Buonvino
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Davide Di Giuseppe
- Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Joanna Filippi
- Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Eugenio Martinelli
- Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Dror Seliktar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Sonia Melino
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, via della Ricerca Scientifica, Rome, 00133, Italy
- NAST Center- University of Rome Tor Vergata, via della ricerca scientifica, Rome, 00133, Italy
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12
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Yi L, Wen Y, Xiao M, Yuan J, Ke X, Zhang X, Khan L, Song Q, Yao Y. The proportion of tumour stroma predicts response to treatment of immune checkpoint inhibitor in combination with chemotherapy in patients with stage IIIB-IV non-small cell lung cancer. Histopathology 2024; 85:295-309. [PMID: 38660975 DOI: 10.1111/his.15202] [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: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
AIMS Immunotherapy has brought a new era to cancer treatment, yet we lack dependable predictors for its effectiveness. This study explores the predictive significance of intratumour stroma proportion (iTSP) for treatment success and prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing treatment with immune check-point inhibitors (ICIs) together with chemotherapy. METHODS AND RESULTS We retrospectively collected data from patients with unresectable stage IIIB-IV NSCLC who were treated with first-line ICIs and chemotherapy. Each patient received a confirmed pathological diagnosis, and the pathologist evaluated the iTSP on haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained sections of diagnostic tissue slides. Among the 102 H&E-stained biopsy samples, 61 (59.8%) were categorised as stroma-L (less than 50% iTSP), while 41 (40.2%) were classified as stroma-H (more than 50% iTSP). We observed that the stroma-L group exhibited a significantly better objective response rate (ORR) (72.1 versus 51.2%, P = 0.031) and deeper response depth (DpR) (-50.49 ± 28.79% versus -35.83 ± 29.91%, P = 0.015) compared to the stroma-H group. Furthermore, the stroma-L group showed longer median progression-free survival (PFS) (9.6 versus 6.0 months, P = 0.011) and overall survival (OS) (24.0 versus 12.2 months, P = 0.001) compared to the stroma-H group. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis indicated that iTSP was a highly significant prognostic factor for both PFS [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.713; P = 0.030] and OS (HR = 2.225; P = 0.003). CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that a lower iTSP corresponds to improved clinical outcomes and greater DpR in individuals with stage IIIB-IV NSCLC treated with first-line ICIs and chemotherapy. The iTSP could potentially serve as a predictive biomarker for ICIs therapy response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Yi
- Cancer Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yingmei Wen
- Cancer Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mengxia Xiao
- Department of Oncology, Yichun People's Hospital, Yichun, China
| | - Jingping Yuan
- Department of Pathology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaokang Ke
- Department of Pathology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiuyun Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Liaqat Khan
- Research Center, Benazir Bhutto Hospital of Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Qibin Song
- Cancer Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Provincial Research Center for Precision Medicine of Cancer, Wuhan, China
| | - Yi Yao
- Cancer Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Provincial Research Center for Precision Medicine of Cancer, Wuhan, China
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13
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Joy JD, Malacrida B, Laforêts F, Kotantaki P, Maniati E, Manchanda R, Annibaldi A, Hopkins S, Garrobo-Calleja I, Gautrot J, Balkwill FR. Human 3D Ovarian Cancer Models Reveal Malignant Cell-Intrinsic and -Extrinsic Factors That Influence CAR T-cell Activity. Cancer Res 2024; 84:2432-2449. [PMID: 38819641 PMCID: PMC11292204 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-3007] [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: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
In vitro preclinical testing of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells is mostly carried out in monolayer cell cultures. However, alternative strategies are needed to take into account the complexity and the effects of the tumor microenvironment. Here, we describe the modulation of CAR T-cell activity by malignant cells and fibroblasts in human three-dimensional (3D) in vitro cell models of increasing complexity. In models combining mucin-1 (MUC1) and TnMUC1 CAR T cells with human high-grade serous ovarian cancer cell spheroids, malignant cell-intrinsic resistance to CAR T-cell killing was due to defective death receptor signaling involving TNFα. Adding primary human fibroblasts to spheroids unexpectedly increased the ability of CAR T cells to kill resistant malignant cells as CCL2 produced by fibroblasts activated CCR2/4+ CAR T cells. However, culturing malignant cells and fibroblasts in collagen gels engendered production of a dense extracellular matrix that impeded CAR T-cell activity in a TGFβ-dependent manner. A vascularized microfluidic device was developed that allowed CAR T cells to flow through the vessels and penetrate the gels in a more physiological way, killing malignant cells in a TNFα-dependent manner. Complex 3D human cell models may provide an efficient way of screening multiple cytotoxic human immune cell constructs while also enabling evaluation of mechanisms of resistance involving cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, thus accelerating preclinical research on cytotoxic immune cell therapies in solid tumors. Significance: Three-dimensional in vitro models of increasing complexity uncover mechanisms of resistance to CAR T cells in solid tumors, which could help accelerate development of improved CAR T-cell constructs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joash D. Joy
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Beatrice Malacrida
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Florian Laforêts
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Panoraia Kotantaki
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Eleni Maniati
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Ranjit Manchanda
- Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Cancer Research UK, Barts Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.
- Department of Gynaecological Oncology, Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
| | | | - Sarah Hopkins
- GlaxoSmithKline Medicines Research Centre, Stevenage, United Kingdom.
| | | | - Julien Gautrot
- School of Engineering and Material Science, Centre for Bioengineering, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Frances R. Balkwill
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.
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14
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Chen Y, Liang Z, Lai M. Targeting the devil: Strategies against cancer-associated fibroblasts in colorectal cancer. Transl Res 2024; 270:81-93. [PMID: 38614213 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2024.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), as significant constituents of the tumor microenvironment (TME), play a pivotal role in the progression of cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). In this comprehensive review, we presented the origins and activation mechanisms of CAFs in CRC, elaborating on how CAFs drive tumor progression through their interactions with CRC cells, immune cells, vascular endothelial cells, and the extracellular matrix within the TME. We systematically outline the intricate web of interactions among CAFs, tumor cells, and other TME components, and based on this complex interplay, we summarize various therapeutic strategies designed to target CAFs in CRC. It is also essential to recognize that CAFs represent a highly heterogeneous group, encompassing various subtypes such as myofibroblastic CAF (myCAF), inflammatory CAF (iCAF), antigen-presenting CAF (apCAF), vessel-associated CAF (vCAF). Herein, we provide a summary of studies investigating the heterogeneity of CAFs in CRC and the characteristic expression patterns of each subtype. While the majority of CAFs contribute to the exacerbation of CRC malignancy, recent findings have revealed specific subtypes that exert inhibitory effects on CRC progression. Nevertheless, the comprehensive landscape of CAF heterogeneity still awaits exploration. We also highlight pivotal unanswered questions that need to be addressed before CAFs can be recognized as feasible targets for cancer treatment. In conclusion, the aim of our review is to elucidate the significance and challenges of advancing in-depth research on CAFs, while outlining the pathway to uncover the complex roles of CAFs in CRC and underscore their significant potential as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Chen
- Department of Pathology, and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Research Unit of Intelligence Classification of Tumor Pathology and Precision Therapy of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU042), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China; Department of Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Disease, Molecular Pathology Research Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China; Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Zhiyong Liang
- Department of Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Disease, Molecular Pathology Research Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Maode Lai
- Department of Pathology, and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Research Unit of Intelligence Classification of Tumor Pathology and Precision Therapy of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU042), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China; Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China.
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15
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Elhashani S, Glenn M, Raymant M, Schmid MC, Mielgo A. Expression of versican isoforms V0/V1 by pancreatic cancer associated fibroblasts increases fibroblast proliferation. Pancreatology 2024; 24:719-731. [PMID: 38719756 DOI: 10.1016/j.pan.2024.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Versican is a large extracellular matrix (ECM) proteoglycan with four isoforms V0-3. Elevated V0/V1 levels in breast cancer and glioma regulate cell migration and proliferation, but the role of versican in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclear. METHODS In this study, we evaluated the expression levels of versican isoforms, as well as their cellular source and interacting partners, in vivo, in human and mouse primary and metastatic PDAC tumours and in vitro, in pancreatic tumour cells and fibroblasts using immunostaining, confocal microscopy and qPCR techniques. We also investigated the effect of versican expression on fibroblast proliferation and migration using genetic and pharmacological approaches. RESULTS We found that versican V0/V1 is highly expressed by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in mouse and human primary and metastatic PDAC tumours. Our data also show that exposing fibroblasts to tumour-conditioned media upregulates V0 and V1 expressions, while Verbascoside (a CD44 inhibitor) downregulates V0/V1 expression. Importantly, V0/V1 knockdown significantly inhibits fibroblast proliferation. Mechanistically, we found that inhibiting hyaluronan synthesis does not affect versican co-localisation with CD44 in fibroblasts. CONCLUSION CAFs express high levels of versican V0/V1 in primary and liver metastatic PDAC tumours and versican V0/V1 supports fibroblast proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sufyan Elhashani
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Ashton Street, Liverpool, L69 3GE, UK
| | - Mark Glenn
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Ashton Street, Liverpool, L69 3GE, UK
| | - Meirion Raymant
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Ashton Street, Liverpool, L69 3GE, UK
| | - Michael C Schmid
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Ashton Street, Liverpool, L69 3GE, UK
| | - Ainhoa Mielgo
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Ashton Street, Liverpool, L69 3GE, UK.
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16
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Li E, Cheung HCZ, Ma S. CTHRC1 + fibroblasts and SPP1 + macrophages synergistically contribute to pro-tumorigenic tumor microenvironment in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17412. [PMID: 39075108 PMCID: PMC11286765 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-68109-z] [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: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an extremely lethal cancer that accounts for over 90% of all pancreatic cancer cases. With a 5-year survival rate of only 13%, PDAC has proven to be extremely desmoplastic and immunosuppressive to most current therapies, including chemotherapy and surgical resection. In recent years, focus has shifted to understanding the tumor microenvironment (TME) around PDAC, enabling a greater understanding of biological pathways and intercellular interactions that can ultimately lead to potential for future drug targets. In this study, we leverage a combination of single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to further identify cellular populations and interactions within the highly heterogeneous TME. We demonstrate that SPP1+APOE+ tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) and CTHRC1+GREM1+ cancer-associated myofibroblasts (myCAF) not only act synergistically to promote an immune-suppressive TME through active extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), but are spatially colocalized and correlated, leading to worse prognosis. Our results highlight the crosstalk between stromal and myeloid cells as a significant area of study for future therapeutic targets to treat cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Li
- Worcester Academy, Worcester, MA, USA.
| | | | - Shuangge Ma
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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17
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Agorku DJ, Bosio A, Alves F, Ströbel P, Hardt O. Colorectal cancer-associated fibroblasts inhibit effector T cells via NECTIN2 signaling. Cancer Lett 2024; 595:216985. [PMID: 38821255 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216985] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts play a crucial role within the tumor microenvironment. However, a comprehensive characterization of CAF in colorectal cancer (CRC) is still missing. We combined scRNA-seq and spatial proteomics to decipher fibroblast heterogeneity in healthy human colon and CRC at high resolution. Analyzing nearly 23,000 fibroblasts, we identified 11 distinct clusters and verified them by spatial proteomics. Four clusters, consisting of myofibroblastic CAF (myCAF)-like, inflammatory CAF (iCAF)-like and proliferating fibroblasts as well as a novel cluster, which we named "T cell-inhibiting CAF" (TinCAF), were primarily found in CRC. This new cluster was characterized by the expression of immune-interacting receptors and ligands, including CD40 and NECTIN2. Co-culture of CAF and T cells resulted in a reduction of the effector T cell compartment, impaired proliferation, and increased exhaustion. By blocking its receptor interaction, we demonstrated that NECTIN2 was the key driver of T cell inhibition. Analysis of clinical datasets showed that NECTIN2 expression is a poor prognostic factor in CRC and other tumors. In conclusion, we identified a new class of immuno-suppressive CAF with features rendering them a potential target for future immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Agorku
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany; University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), Institute of Pathology, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Andreas Bosio
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Frauke Alves
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany; University Medical Center Göttingen, Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Translational Molecular Imaging, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Philipp Ströbel
- University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), Institute of Pathology, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Olaf Hardt
- Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany.
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18
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Suzuki Y, Sato T, Sugimori M, Kanemaru Y, Onodera S, Tsuchiya H, Nakamori Y, Tsuyuki S, Ikeda A, Ikeda R, Goda Y, Kaneko H, Irie K, Sue S, Maeda S. Activation of STING in pancreatic cancer-associated fibroblasts exerts an antitumor effect by enhancing tumor immunity. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17071. [PMID: 39048609 PMCID: PMC11269671 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-68061-y] [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: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a high mortality rate; therefore, the development of effective treatments is a priority. The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway enhances tumor immunity by inducing the production of type 1 interferon (IFN) and proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines and promoting the infiltration of cytotoxic T cells. To assess the function of STING on pancreatic tumorigenesis, Ptf1aER-Cre/+ LSL-KrasG12D/+ p53loxP/loxP mice (KPC mice) and Ptf1aER-Cre/+ LSL-KrasG12D/+ p53loxP/loxP/STING-/- mice (KPCS mice) were generated. However, STING deletion did not affect pancreatic tumorigenesis in mice. Because STING is expressed not only in immune cells but also in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), we evaluated the STING function in PDAC CAFs. A mouse STING agonist 5,6-Dimethyl-9-oxo-9H-xanthene-4-acetic acid (DMXAA) was administered to KPC mice and CAFs from KPC mice and the resulting immune response was evaluated. DMXAA activated STING in PDAC CAFs in KPC mice, promoting cytotoxic T cell infiltration by secreting proinflammatory cytokines and enhancing tumor immunity. We next generated STING-deficient PDAC cells and subcutaneous tumors in which STING was expressed only in CAFs by performing bone marrow transplantation and assessed the antitumor effect of STING-activated CAFs. The administration of DMXAA to subcutaneous tumors expressing STING only in CAFs sustained the antitumor effect of DMXAA. About half of human PDACs lacked STING expression in the cancer stroma, suggesting that STING activation in PDAC CAFs exerts an antitumor effect, and STING agonists can be more effective in tumors with high than in those with low STING expression in the stroma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshimasa Suzuki
- Department of Gastroenterology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Takeshi Sato
- Department of Gastroenterology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Makoto Sugimori
- Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yushi Kanemaru
- Department of Gastroenterology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Sho Onodera
- Department of Gastroenterology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Hiromi Tsuchiya
- Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Nakamori
- Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Sho Tsuyuki
- Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Aya Ikeda
- Department of Gastroenterology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Ikeda
- Department of Gastroenterology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Goda
- Department of Gastroenterology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Kaneko
- Department of Gastroenterology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Kuniyasu Irie
- Department of Gastroenterology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Soichiro Sue
- Department of Gastroenterology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan
| | - Shin Maeda
- Department of Gastroenterology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan.
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Eskandari-Malayeri F, Rezeai M, Narimani T, Esmaeil N, Azizi M. Investigating the effect of Fusobacterium nucleatum on the aggressive behavior of cancer-associated fibroblasts in colorectal cancer. Discov Oncol 2024; 15:292. [PMID: 39030445 PMCID: PMC11264641 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-024-01156-0] [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: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Fusobacterium nucleatum, (F. nucleatum) as a known factor in inducing oncogenic, invasive, and inflammatory responses, can lead to an increase in the incidence and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) are also one of the key components of the tumor microenvironment (TME), which lead to resistance to treatment, metastasis, and disease recurrence with their markers, secretions, and functions. This study aimed to investigate the effect of F. nucleatum on the invasive phenotype and function of fibroblast cells isolated from normal and cancerous colorectal tissue. F. nucleatum bacteria were isolated from deep periodontal pockets and confirmed by various tests. CAF cells from tumor tissue and normal fibroblasts (NF) from a distance of 10 cm of tumor tissue were isolated from 5 patients by the explant method and were exposed to secretions and ghosts of F. nucleatum. The expression level of two markers, fibroblast activation protein (FAP), and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and the amount of production of two cytokines TGF-β and IL-6 from fibroblast cells were measured by flow cytometry and ELISA test, respectively before and after exposure to different bacterial components. The expression of the FAP marker was significantly higher in CAF cells compared to NF cells (P < 0.05). Also, the expression of IL-6 in CAF cells was higher than that of NF cells. In investigating the effect of bacterial components on the function of fibroblastic cells, after comparing the amount of IL-6 produced between the normal tissue of each patient and his tumoral tissue under 4 treated conditions, it was found that the amount of IL-6 production from the CAF cells of patients in the control group, treated with heat-killed ghosts and treated with paraformaldehyde-fixed ghosts had a significant increase compared to NF cells (P < 0.05). Due to the significant increase in FAP marker expression in fibroblast cells of tumor tissue compared to normal tissue, it seems that FAP can be used as a very good therapeutic marker, especially in patients with high levels of CAF cells. Various components of F. nucleatum could affect fibroblast cells differentially and at least part of the effect of this bacterium in the TME is mediated by CAF cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marzieh Rezeai
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Tahmineh Narimani
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Nafiseh Esmaeil
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mahdieh Azizi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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20
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Ferdous KU, Tesfay MZ, Cios A, Shelton RS, Hartupee C, Urbaniak A, Chamcheu JC, Mavros MN, Giorgakis E, Mustafa B, Simoes CC, Miousse IR, Basnakian AG, Moaven O, Post SR, Cannon MJ, Kelly T, Nagalo BM. Enhancing Neoadjuvant Virotherapy's Effectiveness by Targeting Stroma to Improve Resectability in Pancreatic Cancer. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1596. [PMID: 39062169 PMCID: PMC11275208 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12071596] [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: 06/24/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
About one-fourth of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are categorized as borderline resectable (BR) or locally advanced (LA). Chemotherapy and radiation therapy have not yielded the anticipated outcomes in curing patients with BR/LA PDAC. The surgical resection of these tumors presents challenges owing to the unpredictability of the resection margin, involvement of vasculature with the tumor, the likelihood of occult metastasis, a higher ratio of positive lymph nodes, and the relatively larger size of tumor nodules. Oncolytic virotherapy has shown promising activity in preclinical PDAC models. Unfortunately, the desmoplastic stroma within the PDAC tumor microenvironment establishes a barrier, hindering the infiltration of oncolytic viruses and various therapeutic drugs-such as antibodies, adoptive cell therapy agents, and chemotherapeutic agents-in reaching the tumor site. Recently, a growing emphasis has been placed on targeting major acellular components of tumor stroma, such as hyaluronic acid and collagen, to enhance drug penetration. Oncolytic viruses can be engineered to express proteolytic enzymes that cleave hyaluronic acid and collagen into smaller polypeptides, thereby softening the desmoplastic stroma, ultimately leading to increased viral distribution along with increased oncolysis and subsequent tumor size regression. This approach may offer new possibilities to improve the resectability of patients diagnosed with BR and LA PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khandoker Usran Ferdous
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (K.U.F.); (M.Z.T.); (A.C.); (C.C.S.); (S.R.P.); (T.K.)
- Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (M.N.M.); (M.J.C.)
| | - Mulu Z. Tesfay
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (K.U.F.); (M.Z.T.); (A.C.); (C.C.S.); (S.R.P.); (T.K.)
- Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (M.N.M.); (M.J.C.)
| | - Aleksandra Cios
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (K.U.F.); (M.Z.T.); (A.C.); (C.C.S.); (S.R.P.); (T.K.)
| | - Randal S. Shelton
- College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA;
| | - Conner Hartupee
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Louisiana State University (LSU) Health, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; (C.H.); (O.M.)
| | - Alicja Urbaniak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (A.U.); (I.R.M.)
| | - Jean Christopher Chamcheu
- Department of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, LA 70813, USA;
- Division of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Michail N. Mavros
- Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (M.N.M.); (M.J.C.)
- College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA;
- Department of Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA;
| | - Emmanouil Giorgakis
- Department of Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA;
| | - Bahaa Mustafa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA;
| | - Camila C. Simoes
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (K.U.F.); (M.Z.T.); (A.C.); (C.C.S.); (S.R.P.); (T.K.)
- Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (M.N.M.); (M.J.C.)
| | - Isabelle R. Miousse
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (A.U.); (I.R.M.)
| | - Alexei G. Basnakian
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA;
- Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, John L. McClellan Memorial VA Hospital, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Omeed Moaven
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Louisiana State University (LSU) Health, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; (C.H.); (O.M.)
- Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, Louisiana Cancer Research Center, Louisiana State University (LSU) Health, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Steven R. Post
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (K.U.F.); (M.Z.T.); (A.C.); (C.C.S.); (S.R.P.); (T.K.)
- Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (M.N.M.); (M.J.C.)
| | - Martin J. Cannon
- Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (M.N.M.); (M.J.C.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA
| | - Thomas Kelly
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (K.U.F.); (M.Z.T.); (A.C.); (C.C.S.); (S.R.P.); (T.K.)
- Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (M.N.M.); (M.J.C.)
| | - Bolni Marius Nagalo
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (K.U.F.); (M.Z.T.); (A.C.); (C.C.S.); (S.R.P.); (T.K.)
- Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA; (M.N.M.); (M.J.C.)
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21
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Struth E, Labaf M, Karimnia V, Liu Y, Cramer G, Dahl JB, Slack FJ, Zarringhalam K, Celli JP. Drug resistant pancreatic cancer cells exhibit altered biophysical interactions with stromal fibroblasts in imaging studies of 3D co-culture models. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.14.602133. [PMID: 39071263 PMCID: PMC11275726 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.14.602133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Interactions between tumor and stromal cells are well known to play a prominent roles in progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). As knowledge of stromal crosstalk in PDAC has evolved, it has become clear that cancer associated fibroblasts can play both tumor promoting and tumor suppressive roles through a combination of paracrine crosstalk and juxtacrine interactions involving direct physical contact. Another major contributor to dismal survival statistics for PDAC is development of resistance to chemotherapy drugs. Though less is known about how the acquisition of chemoresistance impacts upon tumor-stromal crosstalk. Here, we use 3D co-culture geometries to recapitulate juxtacrine interactions between epithelial and stromal cells. In particular, extracellular matrix (ECM) overlay cultures in which stromal cells (pancreatic stellate cells, or normal human fibroblasts) are placed adjacent to PDAC cells (PANC1), result in direct heterotypic cell adhesions accompanied by dramatic fibroblast contractility which leads to highly condensed macroscopic multicellular aggregates as detected using particle image velocimetry (PIV) analysis to quantify cell velocities over the course of time lapse movie sequences. To investigate how drug resistance impacts these juxtacrine interactions we contrast cultures in which PANC1 are substituted with a drug resistant subline (PANC1-OR) previously established in our lab. We find that heterotypic cell-cell interactions are highly suppressed in drug-resistant cells relative to the parental PANC1 cells. To investigate further we conduct RNA-seq and bioinformatics analysis to identify differential gene expression in PANC1 and PANC1-OR, which shows that negative regulation of cell adhesion molecules, consistent with increased epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), is also consistent with loss of hetrotypic cell-cell contact necessary for the contractile behavior observed in drug naïve cultures. Overall these findings elucidate the role of drug-resistance in inhibiting an avenue of stromal crosstalk which is associated with tumor suppression and also help to establish cell culture conditions useful for further mechanistic investigation.
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22
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Anandhan S, Herbrich S, Goswami S, Guan B, Chen Y, Macaluso MD, Jindal S, Natarajan SM, Andrewes SW, Xiong L, Nagarajan A, Basu S, Tang DN, Liu J, Min J, Maitra A, Sharma P. TSG-6+ cancer-associated fibroblasts modulate myeloid cell responses and impair anti-tumor response to immune checkpoint therapy in pancreatic cancer. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5291. [PMID: 38987547 PMCID: PMC11237123 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49189-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Resistance to immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) presents a growing clinical challenge. The tumor microenvironment (TME) and its components, namely tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), play a pivotal role in ICT resistance; however, the underlying mechanisms remain under investigation. In this study, we identify expression of TNF-Stimulated Factor 6 (TSG-6) in ICT-resistant pancreatic tumors, compared to ICT-sensitive melanoma tumors, both in mouse and human. TSG-6 is expressed by CAFs within the TME, where suppressive macrophages expressing Arg1, Mafb, and Mrc1, along with TSG-6 ligand Cd44, predominate. Furthermore, TSG-6 expressing CAFs co-localize with the CD44 expressing macrophages in the TME. TSG-6 inhibition in combination with ICT improves therapy response and survival in pancreatic tumor-bearing mice by reducing macrophages expressing immunosuppressive phenotypes and increasing CD8 T cells. Overall, our findings propose TSG-6 as a therapeutic target to enhance ICT response in non-responsive tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swetha Anandhan
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- The James P. Allison Institute, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shelley Herbrich
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- The James P. Allison Institute, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sangeeta Goswami
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- The James P. Allison Institute, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Baoxiang Guan
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- The James P. Allison Institute, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yulong Chen
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Marc Daniel Macaluso
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sonali Jindal
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Seanu Meena Natarajan
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Samuel W Andrewes
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- The James P. Allison Institute, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Liangwen Xiong
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- The James P. Allison Institute, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ashwat Nagarajan
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- The James P. Allison Institute, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sreyashi Basu
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Derek Ng Tang
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- The James P. Allison Institute, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jielin Liu
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- The James P. Allison Institute, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jimin Min
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Anirban Maitra
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Padmanee Sharma
- Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- The James P. Allison Institute, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
- Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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23
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Li Z, Sun S, Wang Y, Hua Y, Liu M, Zhou Y, Zhong L, Li T, Zhao H, Zhou X, Zeng X, Chen Q, Li J. PA28γ coordinates the cross-talk between cancer-associated fibroblasts and tumor cells to promote OSCC progression via HDAC1/E2F3/IGF2 signaling. Cancer Lett 2024; 594:216962. [PMID: 38768680 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216962] [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: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
PA28γ overexpression is aberrant and accompanied by poor patient prognosis in various cancers, the precise regulatory mechanism of this crucial gene in the tumor microenvironment remains incompletely understood. In this study, using oral squamous cell carcinoma as a model, we demonstrated that PA28γ exhibits high expression in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and its expression significantly correlates with the severity of clinical indicators of malignancy. Remarkably, we found that elevated levels of secreted IGF2 from PA28γ+ CAFs can enhance stemness maintenance and promote tumor cell aggressiveness through the activation of the MAPK/AKT pathway in a paracrine manner. Mechanistically, PA28γ upregulates IGF2 expression by stabilizing the E2F3 protein, a transcription factor of IGF2. Further mechanistic insights reveal that HDAC1 predominantly mediates the deacetylation and subsequent ubiquitination and degradation of E2F3. Notably, PA28γ interacts with HDAC1 and accelerates its degradation via a 20S proteasome-dependent pathway. Additionally, PA28γ+ CAFs exert an impact on the tumor immune microenvironment by secreting IGF2. Excitingly, our study suggests that targeting PA28γ+ CAFs or secreted IGF2 could increase the efficacy of PD-L1 therapy. Thus, our findings reveal the pivotal role of PA28γ in cell interactions in the tumor microenvironment and propose novel strategies for augmenting the effectiveness of immune checkpoint blockade in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaiye Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Silu Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yufei Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Ming Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Liang Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Taiwen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Hang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Xikun Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xin Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Qianming Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
| | - Jing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
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24
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Pereira BA, Ritchie S, Chambers CR, Gordon KA, Magenau A, Murphy KJ, Nobis M, Tyma VM, Liew YF, Lucas MC, Naeini MM, Barkauskas DS, Chacon-Fajardo D, Howell AE, Parker AL, Warren SC, Reed DA, Lee V, Metcalf XL, Lee YK, O’Regan LP, Zhu J, Trpceski M, Fontaine ARM, Stoehr J, Rouet R, Lin X, Chitty JL, Porazinski S, Wu SZ, Filipe EC, Cadell AL, Holliday H, Yang J, Papanicolaou M, Lyons RJ, Zaratzian A, Tayao M, Da Silva A, Vennin C, Yin J, Dew AB, McMillan PJ, Goldstein LD, Deveson IW, Croucher DR, Samuel MS, Sim HW, Batten M, Chantrill L, Grimmond SM, Gill AJ, Samra J, Jeffry Evans TR, Sasaki T, Phan TG, Swarbrick A, Sansom OJ, Morton JP, Pajic M, Parker BL, Herrmann D, Cox TR, Timpson P. Temporally resolved proteomics identifies nidogen-2 as a cotarget in pancreatic cancer that modulates fibrosis and therapy response. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl1197. [PMID: 38959305 PMCID: PMC11221519 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl1197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by increasing fibrosis, which can enhance tumor progression and spread. Here, we undertook an unbiased temporal assessment of the matrisome of the highly metastatic KPC (Pdx1-Cre, LSL-KrasG12D/+, LSL-Trp53R172H/+) and poorly metastatic KPflC (Pdx1-Cre, LSL-KrasG12D/+, Trp53fl/+) genetically engineered mouse models of pancreatic cancer using mass spectrometry proteomics. Our assessment at early-, mid-, and late-stage disease reveals an increased abundance of nidogen-2 (NID2) in the KPC model compared to KPflC, with further validation showing that NID2 is primarily expressed by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Using biomechanical assessments, second harmonic generation imaging, and birefringence analysis, we show that NID2 reduction by CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) in CAFs reduces stiffness and matrix remodeling in three-dimensional models, leading to impaired cancer cell invasion. Intravital imaging revealed improved vascular patency in live NID2-depleted tumors, with enhanced response to gemcitabine/Abraxane. In orthotopic models, NID2 CRISPRi tumors had less liver metastasis and increased survival, highlighting NID2 as a potential PDAC cotarget.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke A. Pereira
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Shona Ritchie
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Cecilia R. Chambers
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katie A. Gordon
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Astrid Magenau
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kendelle J. Murphy
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Max Nobis
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Intravital Imaging Expertise Center, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Victoria M. Tyma
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ying Fei Liew
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Morghan C. Lucas
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marjan M. Naeini
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Genomics and Inherited Disease Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Deborah S. Barkauskas
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- ACRF INCITe Intravital Imaging Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Diego Chacon-Fajardo
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Translational Oncology Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Anna E. Howell
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Amelia L. Parker
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sean C. Warren
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Daniel A. Reed
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Victoria Lee
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Xanthe L. Metcalf
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Young Kyung Lee
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Luke P. O’Regan
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jessie Zhu
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michael Trpceski
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Angela R. M. Fontaine
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- ACRF INCITe Intravital Imaging Centre, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Janett Stoehr
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Romain Rouet
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Immune Biotherapies Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Xufeng Lin
- Data Science Platform, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jessica L. Chitty
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sean Porazinski
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Translational Oncology Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sunny Z. Wu
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elysse C. Filipe
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Antonia L. Cadell
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Translational Oncology Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Holly Holliday
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jessica Yang
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michael Papanicolaou
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ruth J. Lyons
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Anaiis Zaratzian
- Histopathology Platform, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michael Tayao
- Histopathology Platform, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Andrew Da Silva
- Histopathology Platform, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Claire Vennin
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Division of Molecular Pathology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Julia Yin
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Translational Oncology Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alysha B. Dew
- Centre for Advanced Histology & Microscopy, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul J. McMillan
- Centre for Advanced Histology & Microscopy, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Biological Optical Microscopy Platform, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Leonard D. Goldstein
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Data Science Platform, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ira W. Deveson
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Genomics and Inherited Disease Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David R. Croucher
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Translational Oncology Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michael S. Samuel
- Centre for Cancer Biology, An Alliance of SA Pathology and University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woodville South, South Australia, Australia
| | - Hao-Wen Sim
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Marcel Batten
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lorraine Chantrill
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sean M. Grimmond
- Centre for Cancer Research and Department of Clinical Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anthony J. Gill
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- NSW Health Pathology, Department of Anatomical Pathology, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jaswinder Samra
- Department of Surgery, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Thomas R. Jeffry Evans
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Takako Sasaki
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita, Japan
| | - Tri G. Phan
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Precision Immunology Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alexander Swarbrick
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Owen J. Sansom
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jennifer P. Morton
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | | | | | - Marina Pajic
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
- Translational Oncology Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Benjamin L. Parker
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - David Herrmann
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Thomas R. Cox
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul Timpson
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
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25
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Belle JI, Sen D, Baer JM, Liu X, Lander VE, Ye J, Sells BE, Knolhoff BL, Faiz A, Kang LI, Qian G, Fields RC, Ding L, Kim H, Provenzano PP, Stewart SA, DeNardo DG. Senescence Defines a Distinct Subset of Myofibroblasts That Orchestrates Immunosuppression in Pancreatic Cancer. Cancer Discov 2024; 14:1324-1355. [PMID: 38683144 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-23-0428] [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: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) therapeutic resistance is largely attributed to a unique tumor microenvironment embedded with an abundance of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF). Distinct CAF populations were recently identified, but the phenotypic drivers and specific impact of CAF heterogeneity remain unclear. In this study, we identify a subpopulation of senescent myofibroblastic CAFs (SenCAF) in mouse and human PDAC. These SenCAFs are a phenotypically distinct subset of myofibroblastic CAFs that localize near tumor ducts and accumulate with PDAC progression. To assess the impact of endogenous SenCAFs in PDAC, we used an LSL-KRASG12D;p53flox;p48-CRE;INK-ATTAC (KPPC-IA) mouse model of spontaneous PDAC with inducible senescent cell depletion. Depletion of senescent stromal cells in genetic and pharmacologic PDAC models relieved immune suppression by macrophages, delayed tumor progression, and increased responsiveness to chemotherapy. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that SenCAFs promote PDAC progression and immune cell dysfunction. Significance: CAF heterogeneity in PDAC remains poorly understood. In this study, we identify a novel subpopulation of senescent CAFs that promotes PDAC progression and immunosuppression. Targeting CAF senescence in combination therapies could increase tumor vulnerability to chemo or immunotherapy. See related article by Ye et al., p. 1302.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jad I Belle
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Devashish Sen
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - John M Baer
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Xiuting Liu
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Varintra E Lander
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Jiayu Ye
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Blake E Sells
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Brett L Knolhoff
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Ahmad Faiz
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Liang-I Kang
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Guhan Qian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Ryan C Fields
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Li Ding
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Hyun Kim
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Paolo P Provenzano
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Sheila A Stewart
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - David G DeNardo
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
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26
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Tharp KM, Kersten K, Maller O, Timblin GA, Stashko C, Canale FP, Menjivar RE, Hayward MK, Berestjuk I, Ten Hoeve J, Samad B, Ironside AJ, di Magliano MP, Muir A, Geiger R, Combes AJ, Weaver VM. Tumor-associated macrophages restrict CD8 + T cell function through collagen deposition and metabolic reprogramming of the breast cancer microenvironment. NATURE CANCER 2024; 5:1045-1062. [PMID: 38831058 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-024-00775-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Tumor progression is accompanied by fibrosis, a condition of excessive extracellular matrix accumulation, which is associated with diminished antitumor immune infiltration. Here we demonstrate that tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) respond to the stiffened fibrotic tumor microenvironment (TME) by initiating a collagen biosynthesis program directed by transforming growth factor-β. A collateral effect of this programming is an untenable metabolic milieu for productive CD8+ T cell antitumor responses, as collagen-synthesizing macrophages consume environmental arginine, synthesize proline and secrete ornithine that compromises CD8+ T cell function in female breast cancer. Thus, a stiff and fibrotic TME may impede antitumor immunity not only by direct physical exclusion of CD8+ T cells but also through secondary effects of a mechano-metabolic programming of TAMs, which creates an inhospitable metabolic milieu for CD8+ T cells to respond to anticancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Tharp
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kelly Kersten
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- ImmunoX Initiative, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ori Maller
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Greg A Timblin
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Connor Stashko
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Fernando P Canale
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Rosa E Menjivar
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Mary-Kate Hayward
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ilona Berestjuk
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Johanna Ten Hoeve
- UCLA Metabolomics Center, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Bushra Samad
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- ImmunoX Initiative, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- UCSF CoLabs, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Marina Pasca di Magliano
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Cancer Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Alexander Muir
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Roger Geiger
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Alexis J Combes
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- ImmunoX Initiative, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- UCSF CoLabs, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Valerie M Weaver
- Center for Bioengineering and Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences and Department of Radiation Oncology, Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, and The Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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27
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McAndrews KM, Mahadevan KK, Kalluri R. Mouse Models to Evaluate the Functional Role of the Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer Progression and Therapy Responses. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2024; 14:a041411. [PMID: 38191175 PMCID: PMC11216184 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complex ecosystem of both cellular and noncellular components that functions to impact the evolution of cancer. Various aspects of the TME have been targeted for the control of cancer; however, TME composition is dynamic, with the overall abundance of immune cells, endothelial cells (ECs), fibroblasts, and extracellular matrix (ECM) as well as subsets of TME components changing at different stages of progression and in response to therapy. To effectively treat cancer, an understanding of the functional role of the TME is needed. Genetically engineered mouse models have enabled comprehensive insight into the complex interactions within the TME ecosystem that regulate disease progression. Here, we review recent advances in mouse models that have been employed to understand how the TME regulates cancer initiation, progression, metastasis, and response to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M McAndrews
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, USA
| | - Krishnan K Mahadevan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, USA
| | - Raghu Kalluri
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77251, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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28
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Mahadevan KK, Dyevoich AM, Chen Y, Li B, Sugimoto H, Sockwell AM, McAndrews KM, Sthanam LK, Wang H, Shalapour S, Watowich SS, Kalluri R. Type I conventional dendritic cells facilitate immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer. Science 2024; 384:eadh4567. [PMID: 38935717 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh4567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Inflammation and tissue damage associated with pancreatitis can precede or occur concurrently with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We demonstrate that in PDAC coupled with pancreatitis (ptPDAC), antigen-presenting type I conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s) are specifically activated. Immune checkpoint blockade therapy (iCBT) leads to cytotoxic CD8+ T cell activation and elimination of ptPDAC with restoration of life span even upon PDAC rechallenge. Using PDAC antigen-loaded cDC1s as a vaccine, immunotherapy-resistant PDAC was rendered sensitive to iCBT with elimination of tumors. cDC1 vaccination coupled with iCBT identified specific CDR3 sequences in the tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells with potential therapeutic importance. This study identifies a fundamental difference in the immune microenvironment in PDAC concurrent with, or without, pancreatitis and provides a rationale for combining cDC1 vaccination with iCBT as a potential treatment option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishnan K Mahadevan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Allison M Dyevoich
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yang Chen
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bingrui Li
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hikaru Sugimoto
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Amari M Sockwell
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kathleen M McAndrews
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lakshmi Kavitha Sthanam
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Huamin Wang
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shabnam Shalapour
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Stephanie S Watowich
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Raghu Kalluri
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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29
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Li X, González-Maroto C, Tavassoli M. Crosstalk between CAFs and tumour cells in head and neck cancer. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:303. [PMID: 38926351 PMCID: PMC11208506 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-02053-9] [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: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) are amongst the most aggressive, complex, and heterogeneous malignancies. The standard of care treatments for HNC patients include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or their combination. However, around 50% do not benefit while suffering severe toxic side effects, costing the individuals and society. Decades have been spent to improve HNSCC treatment outcomes with only limited success. Much of the research in HNSCC treatment has focused on understanding the genetics of the HNSCC malignant cells, but it has become clear that tumour microenvironment (TME) plays an important role in the progression as well as treatment response in HNSCC. Understanding the crosstalk between cancer cells and TME is crucial for inhibiting progression and treatment resistance. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the predominant component of stroma in HNSCC, serve as the primary source of extra-cellular matrix (ECM) and various pro-tumoral composites in TME. The activation of CAFs in HNSCC is primarily driven by cancer cell-secreted molecules, which in turn induce phenotypic changes, elevated secretive status, and altered ECM production profile. Concurrently, CAFs play a pivotal role in modulating the cell cycle, stemness, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and resistance to targeted and chemoradiotherapy in HNSCC cells. This modulation occurs through interactions with secreted molecules or direct contact with the ECM or CAF. Co-culture and 3D models of tumour cells and other TME cell types allows to mimic the HNSCC tumour milieu and enable modulating tumour hypoxia and reprograming cancer stem cells (CSC). This review aims to provide an update on the development of HNSCC tumour models comprising CAFs to obtain better understanding of the interaction between CAFs and tumour cells, and for providing preclinical testing platforms of current and combination with emerging therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyang Li
- Head and Neck Oncology Group, Centre for Host Microbiome Interaction, King's College London, Hodgkin Building, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Celia González-Maroto
- Head and Neck Oncology Group, Centre for Host Microbiome Interaction, King's College London, Hodgkin Building, London, SE1 1UL, UK
- Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Mahvash Tavassoli
- Head and Neck Oncology Group, Centre for Host Microbiome Interaction, King's College London, Hodgkin Building, London, SE1 1UL, UK.
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30
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Chen X, Cheng G, Zhu L, Liu T, Yang X, Liu R, Ou Z, Zhang S, Tan W, Lin D, Wu C. Alarmin S100A8 imparts chemoresistance of esophageal cancer by reprogramming cancer-associated fibroblasts. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101576. [PMID: 38776909 PMCID: PMC11228400 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101576] [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: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Chemotherapy remains the first-line treatment for advanced esophageal cancer. However, durable benefits are achieved by only a limited subset of individuals due to the elusive chemoresistance. Here, we utilize patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) from esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma to investigate chemoresistance mechanisms in preclinical settings. We observe that activated cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are enriched in the tumor microenvironment of PDXs resistant to chemotherapy. Mechanistically, we reveal that cancer-cell-derived S100A8 triggers the intracellular RhoA-ROCK-MLC2-MRTF-A pathway by binding to the CD147 receptor of CAFs, inducing CAF polarization and leading to chemoresistance. Therapeutically, we demonstrate that blocking the S100A8-CD147 pathway can improve chemotherapy efficiency. Prognostically, we found the S100A8 levels in peripheral blood can serve as an indicator of chemotherapy responsiveness. Collectively, our study offers a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying chemoresistance in esophageal cancer and highlights the potential value of S100A8 in the clinical management of esophageal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinjie Chen
- Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) and Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Beijing 100021, China
| | - Guoyu Cheng
- Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) and Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Beijing 100021, China
| | - Liang Zhu
- Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) and Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Beijing 100021, China
| | - Tianyuan Liu
- Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) and Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Beijing 100021, China
| | - Xinyu Yang
- Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) and Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Beijing 100021, China
| | - Rucheng Liu
- Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) and Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Beijing 100021, China
| | - Zhengjie Ou
- Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) and Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Beijing 100021, China
| | - Shaosen Zhang
- Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) and Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Beijing 100021, China
| | - Wen Tan
- Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) and Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Beijing 100021, China
| | - Dongxin Lin
- Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) and Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Beijing 100021, China; Key Laboratory of Cancer Genomic Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou 510060, China.
| | - Chen Wu
- Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) and Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Beijing 100021, China; Key Laboratory of Cancer Genomic Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; CAMS Oxford Institute, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100006, China.
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31
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Zhu Y, Xiang M, Brulois KF, Lazarus NH, Pan J, Butcher EC. Endothelial cell Notch signaling programs cancer-associated fibroblasts to promote tumor immune evasion. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4538031. [PMID: 38947054 PMCID: PMC11213189 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4538031/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Stromal cells within the tumor tissue promote immune evasion as a critical strategy for cancer development and progression, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we explore the role of endothelial cells (ECs) in the regulation of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Using mouse pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) models, we found that canonical Notch signaling in endothelial cells suppresses the recruitment of antitumor T cells and promotes tumor progression by inhibiting the pro-inflammatory functions of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Abrogation of endothelial Notch signaling modulates EC-derived angiocrine factors to enhance the pro-inflammatory activities of CAFs, which drive CXCL9/10-CXCR3-mediated T cell recruitment to inhibit tumor growth. Additionally, abrogation of endothelial Notch unleashed interferon gamma responses in the tumor microenvironment, upregulated PDL1 expression on tumor cells, and sensitized PDAC to PD1-based immunotherapy. Collectively, these data uncover a pivotal role of endothelial cells in shaping the immunosuppressive microenvironment, and suggest the potential of targeting EC-CAF interaction as a novel therapeutic modality to boost antitumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhu
- Laboratory of Immunology and Vascular Biology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Menglan Xiang
- Laboratory of Immunology and Vascular Biology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Kevin F. Brulois
- Laboratory of Immunology and Vascular Biology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Nicole H. Lazarus
- Laboratory of Immunology and Vascular Biology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Junliang Pan
- Laboratory of Immunology and Vascular Biology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Eugene C. Butcher
- Laboratory of Immunology and Vascular Biology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
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32
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Varveri A, Papadopoulou M, Papadovasilakis Z, Compeer EB, Legaki AI, Delis A, Damaskou V, Boon L, Papadogiorgaki S, Samiotaki M, Foukas PG, Eliopoulos AG, Hatzioannou A, Alissafi T, Dustin ML, Verginis P. Immunological synapse formation between T regulatory cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts promotes tumour development. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4988. [PMID: 38862534 PMCID: PMC11167033 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49282-1] [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: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have emerged as a dominant non-hematopoietic cell population in the tumour microenvironment, serving diverse functions in tumour progression. However, the mechanisms via which CAFs influence the anti-tumour immunity remain poorly understood. Here, using multiple tumour models and biopsies from cancer patients, we report that α-SMA+ CAFs can form immunological synapses with Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in tumours. Notably, α-SMA+ CAFs can phagocytose and process tumour antigens and exhibit a tolerogenic phenotype which instructs movement arrest, activation and proliferation in Tregs in an antigen-specific manner. Moreover, α-SMA+ CAFs display double-membrane structures resembling autophagosomes in their cytoplasm. Single-cell transcriptomic data showed an enrichment in autophagy and antigen processing/presentation pathways in α-SMA-expressing CAF clusters. Conditional knockout of Atg5 in α-SMA+ CAFs promoted inflammatory re-programming in CAFs, reduced Treg cell infiltration and attenuated tumour development. Overall, our findings reveal an immunosuppressive mechanism entailing the formation of synapses between α-SMA+ CAFs and Tregs in an autophagy-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athina Varveri
- Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery & Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation and Tolerance, Division of Basic Sciences, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Miranta Papadopoulou
- Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery & Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation and Tolerance, Division of Basic Sciences, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Zacharias Papadovasilakis
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation and Tolerance, Division of Basic Sciences, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Ewoud B Compeer
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Aigli-Ioanna Legaki
- Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery & Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Anastasios Delis
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Vasileia Damaskou
- 2nd Department of Pathology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | | | | | - Martina Samiotaki
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre Alexander Fleming, Vari, Athens, 166 72, Greece
| | - Periklis G Foukas
- 2nd Department of Pathology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Aristides G Eliopoulos
- Laboratory of Biology, School of Medicine, Medical School National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Aikaterini Hatzioannou
- Laboratory of Biology, School of Medicine, Medical School National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus of TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Themis Alissafi
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Laboratory of Biology, School of Medicine, Medical School National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Michael L Dustin
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Panayotis Verginis
- Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery & Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece.
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation and Tolerance, Division of Basic Sciences, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece.
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Heraklion, Greece.
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus of TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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Doldi V, Tortoreto M, Colecchia M, Maffezzini M, Percio S, Giammello F, Brandalise F, Gandellini P, Zaffaroni N. Repositioning of antiarrhythmics for prostate cancer treatment: a novel strategy to reprogram cancer-associated fibroblasts towards a tumor-suppressive phenotype. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:161. [PMID: 38858661 PMCID: PMC11165820 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-024-03081-0] [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: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a significant role in fueling prostate cancer (PCa) progression by interacting with tumor cells. A previous gene expression analysis revealed that CAFs up-regulate genes coding for voltage-gated cation channels, as compared to normal prostate fibroblasts (NPFs). In this study, we explored the impact of antiarrhythmic drugs, known cation channel inhibitors, on the activated state of CAFs and their interaction with PCa cells. METHODS The effect of antiarrhythmic treatment on CAF activated phenotype was assessed in terms of cell morphology and fibroblast activation markers. CAF contractility and migration were evaluated by 3D gel collagen contraction and scratch assays, respectively. The ability of antiarrhythmics to impair CAF-PCa cell interplay was investigated in CAF-PCa cell co-cultures by assessing tumor cell growth and expression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. The effect on in vivo tumor growth was assessed by subcutaneously injecting PCa cells in SCID mice and intratumorally administering the medium of antiarrhythmic-treated CAFs or in co-injection experiments, where antiarrhythmic-treated CAFs were co-injected with PCa cells. RESULTS Activated fibroblasts show increased membrane conductance for potassium, sodium and calcium, consistently with the mRNA and protein content analysis. Antiarrhythmics modulate the expression of fibroblast activation markers. Although to a variable extent, these drugs also reduce CAF motility and hinder their ability to remodel the extracellular matrix, for example by reducing MMP-2 release. Furthermore, conditioned medium and co-culture experiments showed that antiarrhythmics can, at least in part, reverse the protumor effects exerted by CAFs on PCa cell growth and plasticity, both in androgen-sensitive and castration-resistant cell lines. Consistently, the transcriptome of antiarrhythmic-treated CAFs resembles that of tumor-suppressive NPFs. In vivo experiments confirmed that the conditioned medium or the direct coinjection of antiarrhythmic-treated CAFs reduced the tumor growth rate of PCa xenografts. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, such data suggest a new therapeutic strategy for PCa based on the repositioning of antiarrhythmic drugs with the aim of normalizing CAF phenotype and creating a less permissive tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Doldi
- Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology, Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, 20133, Italy.
| | - Monica Tortoreto
- Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology, Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Maurizio Colecchia
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital and Scientific Institute, Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Massimo Maffezzini
- Department of Urology, Hospitals of Legnano and Magenta, Milan, 20013, Italy
| | - Stefano Percio
- Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology, Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | | | | | - Paolo Gandellini
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Nadia Zaffaroni
- Molecular Pharmacology Unit, Department of Experimental Oncology, Fondazione IRCSS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, 20133, Italy
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34
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Rahmat JN, Liu J, Chen T, Li Z, Zhang Y. Engineered biological nanoparticles as nanotherapeutics for tumor immunomodulation. Chem Soc Rev 2024; 53:5862-5903. [PMID: 38716589 DOI: 10.1039/d3cs00602f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Biological nanoparticles, or bionanoparticles, are small molecules manufactured in living systems with complex production and assembly machinery. The products of the assembly systems can be further engineered to generate functionalities for specific purposes. These bionanoparticles have demonstrated advantages such as immune system evasion, minimal toxicity, biocompatibility, and biological clearance. Hence, bionanoparticles are considered the new paradigm in nanoscience research for fabricating safe and effective nanoformulations for therapeutic purposes. Harnessing the power of the immune system to recognize and eradicate malignancies is a viable strategy to achieve better therapeutic outcomes with long-term protection from disease recurrence. However, cancerous tissues have evolved to become invisible to immune recognition and to transform the tumor microenvironment into an immunosuppressive dwelling, thwarting the immune defense systems and creating a hospitable atmosphere for cancer growth and progression. Thus, it is pertinent that efforts in fabricating nanoformulations for immunomodulation are mindful of the tumor-induced immune aberrations that could render cancer nanotherapy inoperable. This review systematically categorizes the immunosuppression mechanisms, the regulatory immunosuppressive cellular players, and critical suppressive molecules currently targeted as breakthrough therapies in the clinic. Finally, this review will summarize the engineering strategies for affording immune moderating functions to bionanoparticles that tip the tumor microenvironment (TME) balance toward cancer elimination, a field still in the nascent stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juwita N Rahmat
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117585, Singapore
- Department of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119074, Singapore
| | - Jiayi Liu
- Department of Oncology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Taili Chen
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - ZhiHong Li
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, The City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR.
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35
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Loffredo LF, Savage TM, Ringham OR, Arpaia N. Treg-tissue cell interactions in repair and regeneration. J Exp Med 2024; 221:e20231244. [PMID: 38668758 PMCID: PMC11046849 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20231244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T (Treg) cells are classically known for their critical immunosuppressive functions that support peripheral tolerance. More recent work has demonstrated that Treg cells produce pro-repair mediators independent of their immunosuppressive function, a process that is critical to repair and regeneration in response to numerous tissue insults. These factors act on resident parenchymal and structural cells to initiate repair in a tissue-specific context. This review examines interactions between Treg cells and tissue-resident non-immune cells-in the context of tissue repair, fibrosis, and cancer-and discusses areas for future exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas F. Loffredo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Thomas M. Savage
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Olivia R. Ringham
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicholas Arpaia
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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36
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Rhodes JD, Goldenring JR, Lee SH. Regulation of metaplasia and dysplasia in the stomach by the stromal microenvironment. Exp Mol Med 2024; 56:1322-1330. [PMID: 38825636 PMCID: PMC11263556 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-024-01240-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Research on the microenvironment associated with gastric carcinogenesis has focused on cancers of the stomach and often underestimates premalignant stages such as metaplasia and dysplasia. Since epithelial interactions with T cells, macrophages, and type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) are indispensable for the formation of precancerous lesions in the stomach, understanding the cellular interactions that promote gastric precancer warrants further investigation. Although various types of immune cells have been shown to play important roles in gastric carcinogenesis, it remains unclear how stromal cells such as fibroblasts influence epithelial transformation in the stomach, especially during precancerous stages. Fibroblasts exist as distinct populations across tissues and perform different functions depending on the expression patterns of cell surface markers and secreted factors. In this review, we provide an overview of known microenvironmental components in the stroma with an emphasis on fibroblast subpopulations and their roles during carcinogenesis in tissues including breast, pancreas, and stomach. Additionally, we offer insights into potential targets of tumor-promoting fibroblasts and identify open areas of research related to fibroblast plasticity and the modulation of gastric carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared D Rhodes
- Program in Cancer Biology, Nashville, TN, USA
- Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - James R Goldenring
- Program in Cancer Biology, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Section of Surgical Sciences, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Nashville VA Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Su-Hyung Lee
- Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Section of Surgical Sciences, Nashville, TN, USA.
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37
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LeBleu VS, Kanasaki K, Lovisa S, Alge JL, Kim J, Chen Y, Teng Y, Gerami-Naini B, Sugimoto H, Kato N, Revuelta I, Grau N, Sleeman JP, Taduri G, Kizu A, Rafii S, Hochedlinger K, Quaggin SE, Kalluri R. Genetic reprogramming with stem cells regenerates glomerular epithelial podocytes in Alport syndrome. Life Sci Alliance 2024; 7:e202402664. [PMID: 38561223 PMCID: PMC10985218 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202402664] [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: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Glomerular filtration relies on the type IV collagen (ColIV) network of the glomerular basement membrane, namely, in the triple helical molecules containing the α3, α4, and α5 chains of ColIV. Loss of function mutations in the genes encoding these chains (Col4a3, Col4a4, and Col4a5) is associated with the loss of renal function observed in Alport syndrome (AS). Precise understanding of the cellular basis for the patho-mechanism remains unknown and a specific therapy for this disease does not currently exist. Here, we generated a novel allele for the conditional deletion of Col4a3 in different glomerular cell types in mice. We found that podocytes specifically generate α3 chains in the developing glomerular basement membrane, and that its absence is sufficient to impair glomerular filtration as seen in AS. Next, we show that horizontal gene transfer, enhanced by TGFβ1 and using allogenic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, rescues Col4a3 expression and revive kidney function in Col4a3-deficient AS mice. Our proof-of-concept study supports that horizontal gene transfer such as cell fusion enables cell-based therapy in Alport syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie S LeBleu
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Division of Matrix Biology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Kellogg School of Management, Chicago, IL, USA
- https://ror.org/02pttbw34 Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Keizo Kanasaki
- Division of Matrix Biology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sara Lovisa
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Joseph L Alge
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- https://ror.org/02pttbw34 Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jiha Kim
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yang Chen
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yingqi Teng
- Division of Matrix Biology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Behzad Gerami-Naini
- Division of Matrix Biology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hikaru Sugimoto
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Division of Matrix Biology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Noritoshi Kato
- Division of Matrix Biology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ignacio Revuelta
- Division of Matrix Biology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicole Grau
- Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jonathan P Sleeman
- Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Gangadhar Taduri
- Division of Matrix Biology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Akane Kizu
- Division of Matrix Biology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shahin Rafii
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Konrad Hochedlinger
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Susan E Quaggin
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine & Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Raghu Kalluri
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Division of Matrix Biology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- https://ror.org/02pttbw34 Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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38
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Qin Q, Yu R, Eriksson JE, Tsai HI, Zhu H. Cancer-associated fibroblasts in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma therapy: Challenges and opportunities. Cancer Lett 2024; 591:216859. [PMID: 38615928 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a solid organ malignancy with a high mortality rate. Statistics indicate that its incidence has been increasing as well as the associated deaths. Most patients with PDAC show poor response to therapies making the clinical management of this cancer difficult. Stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) contribute to the development of resistance to therapy in PDAC cancer cells. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the most prevalent stromal cells in the TME, promote a desmoplastic response, produce extracellular matrix proteins and cytokines, and directly influence the biological behavior of cancer cells. These multifaceted effects make it difficult to eradicate tumor cells from the body. As a result, CAF-targeting synergistic therapeutic strategies have gained increasing attention in recent years. However, due to the substantial heterogeneity in CAF origin, definition, and function, as well as high plasticity, majority of the available CAF-targeting therapeutic approaches are not effective, and in some cases, they exacerbate disease progression. This review primarily elucidates on the effect of CAFs on therapeutic efficiency of various treatment modalities, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. Strategies for CAF targeting therapies are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Qin
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China
| | - Rong Yu
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China
| | - John E Eriksson
- Cell Biology, Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, FI-20520 Finland
| | - Hsiang-I Tsai
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China; Department of Medical Imaging, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China.
| | - Haitao Zhu
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China; Department of Medical Imaging, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China.
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Curcio C, Mucciolo G, Roux C, Brugiapaglia S, Scagliotti A, Guadagnin G, Conti L, Longo D, Grosso D, Papotti MG, Hirsch E, Cappello P, Varner JA, Novelli F. PI3Kγ inhibition combined with DNA vaccination unleashes a B-cell-dependent antitumor immunity that hampers pancreatic cancer. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:157. [PMID: 38824552 PMCID: PMC11143614 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-024-03080-1] [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: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Phosphoinositide-3-kinase γ (PI3Kγ) plays a critical role in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) by driving the recruitment of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) into tumor tissues, leading to tumor growth and metastasis. MDSC also impair the efficacy of immunotherapy. In this study we verify the hypothesis that MDSC targeting, via PI3Kγ inhibition, synergizes with α-enolase (ENO1) DNA vaccination in counteracting tumor growth.Mice that received ENO1 vaccination followed by PI3Kγ inhibition had significantly smaller tumors compared to those treated with ENO1 alone or the control group, and correlated with i) increased circulating anti-ENO1 specific IgG and IFNγ secretion by T cells, ii) increased tumor infiltration of CD8+ T cells and M1-like macrophages, as well as up-modulation of T cell activation and M1-like related transcripts, iii) decreased infiltration of Treg FoxP3+ T cells, endothelial cells and pericytes, and down-modulation of the stromal compartment and T cell exhaustion gene transcription, iv) reduction of mature and neo-formed vessels, v) increased follicular helper T cell activation and vi) increased "antigen spreading", as many other tumor-associated antigens were recognized by IgG2c "cytotoxic" antibodies. PDA mouse models genetically devoid of PI3Kγ showed an increased survival and a pattern of transcripts in the tumor area similar to that of pharmacologically-inhibited PI3Kγ-proficient mice. Notably, tumor reduction was abrogated in ENO1 + PI3Kγ inhibition-treated mice in which B cells were depleted.These data highlight a novel role of PI3Kγ in B cell-dependent immunity, suggesting that PI3Kγ depletion strengthens the anti-tumor response elicited by the ENO1 DNA vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Curcio
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Piazza Nizza 44Bis, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Gianluca Mucciolo
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Piazza Nizza 44Bis, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Cecilia Roux
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Piazza Nizza 44Bis, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Silvia Brugiapaglia
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Piazza Nizza 44Bis, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandro Scagliotti
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Piazza Nizza 44Bis, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Giorgia Guadagnin
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Piazza Nizza 44Bis, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Laura Conti
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Piazza Nizza 44Bis, 10126, Turin, Italy
- Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Dario Longo
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging (IBB), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Turin, Italy
| | - Demis Grosso
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Piazza Nizza 44Bis, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Mauro Giulio Papotti
- Pathology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Torino, AOU Città Della Salute E Della Scienza Di Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Emilio Hirsch
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Piazza Nizza 44Bis, 10126, Turin, Italy
- Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Paola Cappello
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Piazza Nizza 44Bis, 10126, Turin, Italy
- Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Judith A Varner
- Moores Cancer Center, Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Francesco Novelli
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Piazza Nizza 44Bis, 10126, Turin, Italy.
- Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, Turin, Italy.
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Rademaekers M, Johansson EO, Johansson E, Roberg K, Wiechec E. Tumor-matched and unmatched cancer associated fibroblasts exhibit differential effect on proliferation and FMOD and MMP9 gene expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells when cocultured in spheroids. Cancer Cell Int 2024; 24:190. [PMID: 38822309 PMCID: PMC11143562 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-024-03388-0] [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: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the major cellular component of the tumor microenvironment and are known to affect tumor growth and response to various treatments. This study was undertaken to investigate the crosstalk between tumor-matched or unmatched CAFs and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells regarding tumor growth and treatment response. METHODS Three HNSCC cell lines (LK0412, LK0902 and LK0923), were cocultured in 2D or in 3D with their tumor-matched CAFs, site matched CAFs from other tumors or normal oral fibroblasts (NOFs). Cell proliferation was assessed as the amount of Ki67 positive cells/ spheroid area in formalin-fixed- paraffin-embedded 3D spheroids stained with Ki67 antibody. Viability after seven days of cisplatin treatment was measured with CellTiter-Glo 3D Viability Assay. The mRNA expression of CAF-associated markers (ACTA2, COL1A2, FAP, PDGFRα, PDGFRβ, PDPN, POSTN and S100A4) in CAFs before and after coculture with tumor cells as well as mRNA expression of CAF-induced genes (MMP1, MMP9 and FMOD) in tumor cells separated from CAFs after co-culture was measured with RT-qPCR. The expression of selected protein biomarkers was validated with immunohistochemistry based on previous mRNA expression results. RESULTS The proliferation of the LK0412 and LK0902 tumor spheroids varied significantly when cocultured with different CAFs and NOFs as shown by Ki-67 positive cells. RT‒qPCR analysis revealed different molecular profile of the analyzed HNSCC-derived CAFs concerning the expression of CAF-associated markers. The interaction between CAFs and HNSCC cells was more pronounced after coculture with unmatched CAFs as shown by changes in mRNA expression pattern of CAF-specific markers. Additionally, the unmatched CAFs significantly upregulated the mRNA expression of MMP1, MMP9 and FMOD in tumor cells compared to tumor-matched CAFs. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that tumor-matched CAFs are unique for each tumor and affect the proliferation and the gene/protein expression of tumor cells in a distinct manner. The interaction between tumor unmatched CAFs and HNSCC cells in the tumor spheroids is associated with significant changes in the mRNA expression of CAF-specific markers and significant increases in FMOD and MMP9 in tumor cells compared to when cocultured with tumor-matched CAFs. Taken together, our results show how important the selection of CAFs is to get a reliable in vitro model that mimics the patients' tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Rademaekers
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Region Östergötland, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Emil Oliver Johansson
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Ellen Johansson
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Region Östergötland, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Karin Roberg
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Region Östergötland, Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Emilia Wiechec
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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Tornaas S, Kleftogiannis D, Fromreide S, Smeland HYH, Aarstad HJ, Vintermyr OK, Akslen LA, Costea DE, Dongre HN. Development of a high dimensional imaging mass cytometry panel to investigate spatial organization of tissue microenvironment in formalin-fixed archival clinical tissues. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31191. [PMID: 38803925 PMCID: PMC11128903 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
To decipher the interactions between various components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and tumor cells in a preserved spatial context, a multiparametric approach is essential. In this pursuit, imaging mass cytometry (IMC) emerges as a valuable tool, capable of concurrently analyzing up to 40 parameters at subcellular resolution. In this study, a set of antibodies was selected to spatially resolve multiple cell types and TME elements, including a comprehensive panel targeted at dissecting the heterogeneity of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF), a pivotal TME component. This antibody panel was standardized and optimized using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPE) samples from different organs/lesions known to express the markers of interest. The final composition of the antibody panel was determined based on the performance of conjugated antibodies in both immunohistochemistry (IHC) and IMC. Tissue images were segmented employing the Steinbock framework. Unsupervised clustering of single-cell data was carried out using a bioinformatics pipeline developed in R program. This paper provides a detailed description of the staining procedure and analysis workflow. Subsequently, the panel underwent validation on clinical FFPE samples from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The panel and bioinformatics pipeline established here proved to be robust in characterizing different TME components of HNSCC while maintaining a high degree of spatial detail. The platform we describe shows promise for understanding the clinical implications of TMA heterogeneity in large patient cohorts with FFPE tissues available in diagnostic biobanks worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stian Tornaas
- Center for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO) and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Dimitrios Kleftogiannis
- Center for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO) and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway
- Computional Biology Unit, Department of Informatics, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Siren Fromreide
- Center for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO) and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Hilde Ytre-Hauge Smeland
- Center for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO) and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway
- Department of Pathology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Hans Jørgen Aarstad
- Department for Ear-Nose-and-Throat, Head and Neck Clinic, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Lars Andreas Akslen
- Center for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO) and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway
- Department of Pathology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Daniela Elena Costea
- Center for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO) and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway
- Department of Pathology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Harsh Nitin Dongre
- Center for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO) and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway
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Huang LM, Zhang MJ. Kinesin 26B modulates M2 polarization of macrophage by activating cancer-associated fibroblasts to aggravate gastric cancer occurrence and metastasis. World J Gastroenterol 2024; 30:2689-2708. [PMID: 38855156 PMCID: PMC11154681 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i20.2689] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The regulatory effects of KIF26B on gastric cancer (GC) have been confirmed, but the specific mechanism still needs further exploration. Pan-cancer analysis shows that the KIF26B expression is highly related to immune infiltration of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and CAFs promote macrophage M2 polarization and affect cancers' progression. AIM To investigate the regulatory functions of KIF26B on immune and metastasis of GC. METHODS We analyzed genes' mRNA levels by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Expression levels of target proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry, ELISA, and Western blotting. We injected AGS cells into nude mice for the establishment of a xenograft tumor model and observed the occurrence and metastasis of GC. The degree of inflammatory infiltration in pulmonary nodes was observed through hematoxylin-eosin staining. Transwell and wound healing assays were performed for the evaluation of cell invasion and migration ability. Tube formation assay was used for detecting angiogenesis. M2-polarized macrophages were estimated by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. RESULTS KIF26B was significantly overexpressed in cells and tissues of GC, and the higher expression of KIF26B was related to GC metastasis and prognosis. According to in vivo experiments, KIF26B promoted tumor formation and metastasis of GC. KIF26B expression was positively associated with CAFs' degree of infiltration. Moreover, CAFs could regulate M2-type polarization of macrophages, affecting GC cells' migration, angiogenesis, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition process. CONCLUSION KIF26B regulated M2 polarization of macrophage through activating CAFs, regulating the occurrence and metastasis of GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian-Meng Huang
- Department of General Surgery, The 901st Hospital of PLA, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, China
| | - Ming-Jin Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The 901st Hospital of PLA, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, China
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Ferraresi A, Girone C, Maheshwari C, Vallino L, Dhanasekaran DN, Isidoro C. Ovarian Cancer Cell-Conditioning Medium Induces Cancer-Associated Fibroblast Phenoconversion through Glucose-Dependent Inhibition of Autophagy. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5691. [PMID: 38891879 PMCID: PMC11171902 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115691] [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: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
One aspect of ovarian tumorigenesis which is still poorly understood is the tumor-stroma interaction, which plays a major role in chemoresistance and tumor progression. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the most abundant stromal cell type in the tumor microenvironment, influence tumor growth, metabolism, metastasis, and response to therapy, making them attractive targets for anti-cancer treatment. Unraveling the mechanisms involved in CAFs activation and maintenance is therefore crucial for the improvement of therapy efficacy. Here, we report that CAFs phenoconversion relies on the glucose-dependent inhibition of autophagy. We show that ovarian cancer cell-conditioning medium induces a metabolic reprogramming towards the CAF-phenotype that requires the autophagy-dependent glycolytic shift. In fact, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) strongly hampers such phenoconversion and, most importantly, induces the phenoreversion of CAFs into quiescent fibroblasts. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition (by proline) or autophagy gene knockdown (by siBECN1 or siATG7) promotes, while autophagy induction (by either 2DG or rapamycin) counteracts, the metabolic rewiring induced by the ovarian cancer cell secretome. Notably, the nutraceutical resveratrol (RV), known to inhibit glucose metabolism and to induce autophagy, promotes the phenoreversion of CAFs into normal fibroblasts even in the presence of ovarian cancer cell-conditioning medium. Overall, our data support the view of testing autophagy inducers for targeting the tumor-promoting stroma as an adjuvant strategy to improve therapy success rates, especially for tumors with a highly desmoplastic stroma, like ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Ferraresi
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy; (C.G.); (C.M.); (L.V.)
| | - Carlo Girone
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy; (C.G.); (C.M.); (L.V.)
| | - Chinmay Maheshwari
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy; (C.G.); (C.M.); (L.V.)
| | - Letizia Vallino
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy; (C.G.); (C.M.); (L.V.)
| | - Danny N. Dhanasekaran
- Stephenson Cancer Center, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA;
| | - Ciro Isidoro
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy; (C.G.); (C.M.); (L.V.)
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Wang Y, Zhang A, Li Q, Liu C. Modulating pancreatic cancer microenvironment: The efficacy of Huachansu in mouse models via TGF-β/Smad pathway. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 326:117872. [PMID: 38325667 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.117872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Huachansu (HCS) is a traditional Chinese medicine obtained from the dried skin glands of Bufo gargarizans and clinical uses of HCS have been approved in China to treat malignant tumors. The traditional Chinese medicine theory states that HCS relieves patients with cancer by promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis. Clinical observation found that local injection of HCS given to pancreatic cancer patients can significantly inhibit tumor progression and assist in enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapy. However, the material basis and underlying mechanism have not yet been elucidated. AIM OF THE STUDY To investigate the therapeutic potential of HCS for the treatment of pancreatic cancer in in situ transplanted tumor nude mouse model. Furthermore, this study sought to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying its efficacy and assess the impact of HCS on the microenvironment of pancreatic cancer. To identify the antitumor effect of HCS in in situ transplanted tumor nude mouse model and determine the Chemopreventive mechanism of HCS on tumor microenvironment (TME). METHODS Using the orthotopic transplantation nude mouse model with fluorescently labeled pancreatic cancer cell lines SW1990 and pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), we examined the effect of HCS on the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) microenvironment based on the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)/Smad pathway. The expression of TGF-β, smad2, smad3, smad4, collagen type-1 genes and proteins in nude mouse model were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot. RESULTS HCS significantly reduced tumor growth rate, increased the survival rate, and ameliorated the histopathological changes in the pancreas. It was found that HCS concentration-dependently reduced the expression of TGF-β1 and collagen type-1 genes and proteins, decreased the expression of Smad2 and Smad3 genes, and downregulated the phosphorylation level of Smad2/3. Additionally, the gene and protein expression of Smad4 were promoted by HCS. Further, the promoting effect gradually enhanced with the rise of HCS concentration. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrated HCS could regulate the activity of the TGF-β/Smad pathway in PDAC, improved the microenvironment of PDAC and delayed tumor progression. This study not only indicated that the protective mechanism of HCS on PDAC might be attributed partly to the inhibition of cytokine production and the TGF-β/Smad pathway, but also provided evidence for HCS as a potential medicine for PDAC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuehui Wang
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100105, China.
| | - Arun Zhang
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100105, China.
| | - Quanwang Li
- Oncology Department, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100078, China.
| | - Chuanbo Liu
- Oncology Department, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100078, China.
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Liu Y, Han X, Han Y, Bi J, Wu Y, Xiang D, Zhang Y, Bi W, Xu M, Li J. Integrated transcriptomic analysis systematically reveals the heterogeneity and molecular characterization of cancer-associated fibroblasts in osteosarcoma. Gene 2024; 907:148286. [PMID: 38367852 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Osteosarcoma (OS), with a peak incidence during the adolescent growth spurt, is correlated with poor prognosis for its high malignancy. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is highly complicated, with frequent interactions between tumor and stromal cells. The cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the TME have been considered to actively involve in the progression, metastasis, and drug resistance of OS. This study aimed to characterize cellular heterogeneity and molecular characterization in CAFs subtypes and explore the potential targeting therapeutic strategies to improve the prognosis of OS patients. METHODS The single-cell atlas of human OS tumor lesions were constructed from the GEO database. Then significant marker genes and potential biological functions for each CAFs subtype were identified and explored using the Seurat R package. Next, by performing the survival analyses and constructing the risk scores for CAFs subtypes, we aimed to identify and characterize the prognostic values of specific marker genes and different CAFs subtypes. Furthermore, we explored the therapeutic targets and innovative drugs targeting different CAFs subtypes based on the GDSC database. Finally, prognoses related CAFs subtypes were further validated through immunohistochemistry (IHC) on clinical OS specimens. RESULTS Overall, nine main cell clusters and five subtypes of CAFs were identified. The differentially expressed marker genes for each CAFs clusters were then identified. Moreover, through Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, we defined the CAFs_2 (upregulated CXCL14 and C3), which was closely related to leukocyte migration and chemotaxis, as inflammatory CAFs (iCAFs). Likewise, we defined the CAFs_4 (upregulated CD74, HLA-DRA and HLA-DRB1), which was closely related to antigen process and presentation, as antigen-presenting CAFs (apCAFs). Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier analyses showed that CAFs_2 and CAFs_4 were correlated with poor clinical prognosis of OS patients. Meanwhile, therapeutic drugs targeting CAFs_2 and CAFs_4, such as 17-AAG/Docetaxel/Bleomycin and PHA-793887/NG-25/KIN001-102, were also explored, respectively. Finally, IHC assay confirmed the abundant CAFs_2 and CAFs_4 subtypes infiltration in the OS microenvironment compared with adjacent tissues. CONCLUSION Our study revealed the diversity, complexity, and heterogeneity of CAFs in OS, and complemented the single-cell atlas in OS TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyang Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, 920th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force, Kunming 650032, Yunnan, China; Chinese PLA Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Center, Kunming, Yunnan 650032, China
| | - Xinli Han
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300074, China
| | - Yuchen Han
- Senior Department of Orthopedics, the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China; Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Jingyou Bi
- Senior Department of Orthopedics, the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Yanan Wu
- Senior Department of Orthopedics, the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Dongquan Xiang
- Senior Department of Orthopedics, the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Yinglong Zhang
- Senior Department of Orthopedics, the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Wenzhi Bi
- Senior Department of Orthopedics, the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China; School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300074, China; Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Meng Xu
- Senior Department of Orthopedics, the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China; Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100853, China.
| | - Jianxiong Li
- Senior Department of Orthopedics, the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China.
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Vendramini-Costa DB, Francescone R, Franco-Barraza J, Luong T, Graves M, de Aquino AM, Steele N, Gardiner JC, Dos Santos SAA, Ogier C, Malloy E, Borghaei L, Martinez E, Zhigarev DI, Tan Y, Lee H, Zhou Y, Cai KQ, Klein-Szanto AJ, Wang H, Andrake M, Dunbrack RL, Campbell K, Cukierman E. Netrin G1 Ligand is a new stromal immunomodulator that promotes pancreatic cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.15.594354. [PMID: 38798370 PMCID: PMC11118300 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.15.594354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Understanding pancreatic cancer biology is fundamental for identifying new targets and for developing more effective therapies. In particular, the contribution of the stromal microenvironment to pancreatic cancer tumorigenesis requires further exploration. Here, we report the stromal roles of the synaptic protein Netrin G1 Ligand (NGL-1) in pancreatic cancer, uncovering its pro-tumor functions in cancer-associated fibroblasts and in immune cells. We observed that the stromal expression of NGL-1 inversely correlated with patients' overall survival. Moreover, germline knockout (KO) mice for NGL-1 presented decreased tumor burden, with a microenvironment that is less supportive of tumor growth. Of note, tumors from NGL-1 KO mice produced less immunosuppressive cytokines and displayed an increased percentage of CD8 + T cells than those from control mice, while preserving the physical structure of the tumor microenvironment. These effects were shown to be mediated by NGL-1 in both immune cells and in the local stroma, in a TGF-β-dependent manner. While myeloid cells lacking NGL-1 decreased the production of immunosuppressive cytokines, NGL-1 KO T cells showed increased proliferation rates and overall polyfunctionality compared to control T cells. CAFs lacking NGL-1 were less immunosuppressive than controls, with overall decreased production of pro-tumor cytokines and compromised ability to inhibit CD8 + T cells activation. Mechanistically, these CAFs downregulated components of the TGF-β pathway, AP-1 and NFAT transcription factor families, resulting in a less tumor-supportive phenotype. Finally, targeting NGL-1 genetically or using a functionally antagonistic small peptide phenocopied the effects of chemotherapy, while modulating the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), rather than eliminating it. We propose NGL-1 as a new local stroma and immunomodulatory molecule, with pro-tumor roles in pancreatic cancer. Statement of Significance Here we uncovered the pro-tumor roles of the synaptic protein NGL-1 in the tumor microenvironment of pancreatic cancer, defining a new target that simultaneously modulates tumor cell, fibroblast, and immune cell functions. This study reports a new pathway where NGL-1 controls TGF-β, AP-1 transcription factor members and NFAT1, modulating the immunosuppressive microenvironment in pancreatic cancer. Our findings highlight NGL-1 as a new stromal immunomodulator in pancreatic cancer.
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Peng XL, Kharitonova EV, Xu Y, Kearney JF, Luan C, Chan PS, Hariharan A, McCabe IC, Leary JR, Morrison AB, Trembath HE, LaBella ME, Herera Loeza SG, Cliff A, Kim HJ, Belt BA, Panni RZ, Linehan DC, Damrauer JS, Iuga AC, Kim WY, Rashid NU, Yeh JJ. Determination of permissive and restraining cancer-associated fibroblast (DeCAF) subtypes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.14.594197. [PMID: 38798565 PMCID: PMC11118336 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.14.594197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) subpopulations in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have been identified using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) with divergent characteristics, but their clinical relevance remains unclear. We translate scRNAseq-derived CAF cell-subpopulation-specific marker genes to bulk RNAseq data, and develop a single- sample classifier, DeCAF, for the classification of clinically rest raining and perm issive CAF subtypes. We validate DeCAF in 19 independent bulk transcriptomic datasets across four tumor types (PDAC, mesothelioma, bladder and renal cell carcinoma). DeCAF subtypes have distinct histology features, immune landscapes, and are prognostic and predict response to therapy across cancer types. We demonstrate that DeCAF is clinically replicable and robust for the classification of CAF subtypes in patients for multiple tumor types, providing a better framework for the future development and translation of therapies against permissive CAF subtypes and preservation of restraining CAF subtypes. Significance We introduce a replicable and robust classifier, DeCAF, that delineates the significance of the role of permissive and restraining CAF subtypes in cancer patients. DeCAF is clinically tractable, prognostic and predictive of treatment response in multiple cancer types and lays the translational groundwork for the preclinical and clinical development of CAF subtype specific therapies.
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Musiu C, Lupo F, Agostini A, Lionetto G, Bevere M, Paiella S, Carbone C, Corbo V, Ugel S, De Sanctis F. Cellular collusion: cracking the code of immunosuppression and chemo resistance in PDAC. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1341079. [PMID: 38817612 PMCID: PMC11137177 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1341079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the efforts, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is still highly lethal. Therapeutic challenges reside in late diagnosis and establishment of peculiar tumor microenvironment (TME) supporting tumor outgrowth. This stromal landscape is highly heterogeneous between patients and even in the same patient. The organization of functional sub-TME with different cellular compositions provides evolutive advantages and sustains therapeutic resistance. Tumor progressively establishes a TME that can suit its own needs, including proliferation, stemness and invasion. Cancer-associated fibroblasts and immune cells, the main non-neoplastic cellular TME components, follow soluble factors-mediated neoplastic instructions and synergize to promote chemoresistance and immune surveillance destruction. Unveiling heterotypic stromal-neoplastic interactions is thus pivotal to breaking this synergism and promoting the reprogramming of the TME toward an anti-tumor milieu, improving thus the efficacy of conventional and immune-based therapies. We underscore recent advances in the characterization of immune and fibroblast stromal components supporting or dampening pancreatic cancer progression, as well as novel multi-omic technologies improving the current knowledge of PDAC biology. Finally, we put into context how the clinic will translate the acquired knowledge to design new-generation clinical trials with the final aim of improving the outcome of PDAC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Musiu
- Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Francesca Lupo
- Department of Engineering for Innovation Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Antonio Agostini
- Medical Oncology, Department of Translational Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
- Medical Oncology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriella Lionetto
- General and Pancreatic Surgery Unit, Pancreas Institute, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Michele Bevere
- ARC-Net Research Centre, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Salvatore Paiella
- General and Pancreatic Surgery Unit, Pancreas Institute, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Carmine Carbone
- Medical Oncology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Corbo
- Department of Engineering for Innovation Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Stefano Ugel
- Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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Sánchez-Ramírez D, Mendoza-Rodríguez MG, Alemán OR, Candanedo-González FA, Rodríguez-Sosa M, Montesinos-Montesinos JJ, Salcedo M, Brito-Toledo I, Vaca-Paniagua F, Terrazas LI. Impact of STAT-signaling pathway on cancer-associated fibroblasts in colorectal cancer and its role in immunosuppression. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2024; 16:1705-1724. [PMID: 38764833 PMCID: PMC11099434 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v16.i5.1705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the most commonly diagnosed and deadliest types of cancer worldwide. CRC displays a desmoplastic reaction (DR) that has been inversely associated with poor prognosis; less DR is associated with a better prognosis. This reaction generates excessive connective tissue, in which cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are critical cells that form a part of the tumor microenvironment. CAFs are directly involved in tumorigenesis through different mechanisms. However, their role in immunosuppression in CRC is not well understood, and the precise role of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) in mediating CAF activity in CRC remains unclear. Among the myriad chemical and biological factors that affect CAFs, different cytokines mediate their function by activating STAT signaling pathways. Thus, the harmful effects of CAFs in favoring tumor growth and invasion may be modulated using STAT inhibitors. Here, we analyze the impact of different STATs on CAF activity and their immunoregulatory role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damián Sánchez-Ramírez
- Unidad de Investigacion en Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Mónica G Mendoza-Rodríguez
- Unidad de Investigacion en Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Omar R Alemán
- Department of Biology, Facultad de Quimica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Fernando A Candanedo-González
- Department of Pathology, National Medical Center Century XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
| | - Miriam Rodríguez-Sosa
- Unidad de Investigacion en Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Juan José Montesinos-Montesinos
- Laboratorio de Células Troncales Mesenquimales, Unidad de Investigación Médica en Enfermedades Oncológicas, Hospital de Oncología Centro Medico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
| | - Mauricio Salcedo
- Unidad de Investigacion en Biomedicina y Oncologia Genomica, Instituto Mexciano del Seguro Social, Mexico City 07300, Mexico
| | - Ismael Brito-Toledo
- Servicio de Colon y Recto, Hospital de Oncología Centro Medico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
| | - Felipe Vaca-Paniagua
- Unidad de Investigacion en Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
- Laboratorio Nacional en Salud, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Luis I Terrazas
- Unidad de Investigacion en Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
- Laboratorio Nacional en Salud, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla 54090, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
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50
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Rauth S, Malafa M, Ponnusamy MP, Batra SK. Emerging Trends in Gastrointestinal Cancer Targeted Therapies: Harnessing Tumor Microenvironment, Immune Factors, and Metabolomics Insights. Gastroenterology 2024:S0016-5085(24)04917-5. [PMID: 38759843 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2024.05.005] [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: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are the leading cause of new cancer cases and cancer-related deaths worldwide. The treatment strategies for patients with GI tumors have focused on oncogenic molecular profiles associated with tumor cells. Recent evidence has demonstrated that the tumor cell functions are modulated by its microenvironment, compromising fibroblasts, extracellular matrices, microbiome, immune cells, and the enteric nervous system. Along with the tumor microenvironment components, alterations in key metabolic pathways have emerged as a hallmark of tumor cells. From these perspectives, this review will highlight the functions of different cellular components of the GI tumor microenvironment and their implications for treatment. Furthermore, we discuss the major metabolic reprogramming in GI tumor cells and how understanding metabolic rewiring could lead to new therapeutic strategies. Finally, we briefly summarize the targeted agents currently being studied in GI cancers. Understanding the complex interplay between tumor cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic factors during tumor progression is critical for developing new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanchita Rauth
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Mokenge Malafa
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida
| | - Moorthy P Ponnusamy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska; Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska.
| | - Surinder K Batra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska; Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska.
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