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Palma AM, Bushnell GG, Wicha MS, Gogna R. Tumor microenvironment interactions with cancer stem cells in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Adv Cancer Res 2023; 159:343-372. [PMID: 37268400 PMCID: PMC11218813 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2023.02.007] [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] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common type of pancreatic cancer in the United States. Additionally, the low survival rate makes PDAC the third-leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States, and it is projected that by 2030, it will become the second-leading cause of cancer mortality. Several biological factors contribute to PDAC aggressiveness, and their understanding will narrow the gap from biology to clinical care of PDAC, leading to earlier diagnoses and the development of better treatment options. In this review, we describe the origins of PDAC highlighting the role of cancer stem cells (CSC). CSC, also known as tumor initiating cells, which exhibit a unique metabolism that allows them to maintain a highly plastic, quiescent, immune- and therapy-evasive state. However, CSCs can exit quiescence during proliferation and differentiation, with the capacity to form tumors while constituting a small population in tumor tissues. Tumorigenesis depends on the interactions between CSCs and other cellular and non-cellular components in the microenvironment. These interactions are fundamental to support CSC stemness and are maintained throughout tumor development and metastasis. PDAC is characterized by a massive desmoplastic reaction, which result from the deposition of high amounts of extracellular matrix components by stromal cells. Here we review how this generates a favorable environment for tumor growth by protecting tumor cells from immune responses and chemotherapy and inducing tumor cell proliferation and migration, leading to metastasis formation ultimately leading to death. We emphasize the interactions between CSCs and the tumor microenvironment leading to metastasis formation and posit that better understanding and targeting of these interactions will improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Grace G Bushnell
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Max S Wicha
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
| | - Rajan Gogna
- VCU Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States; VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, United States.
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2
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Bärthel S, Falcomatà C, Rad R, Theis FJ, Saur D. Single-cell profiling to explore pancreatic cancer heterogeneity, plasticity and response to therapy. NATURE CANCER 2023; 4:454-467. [PMID: 36959420 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-023-00526-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal cancer entity characterized by a heterogeneous genetic landscape and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Recent advances in high-resolution single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics technologies have enabled an in-depth characterization of both malignant and host cell types and increased our understanding of the heterogeneity and plasticity of PDAC in the steady state and under therapeutic perturbation. In this Review we outline single-cell analyses in PDAC, discuss their implications on our understanding of the disease and present future perspectives of multimodal approaches to elucidate its biology and response to therapy at the single-cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Bärthel
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, German Cancer Research Center and German Cancer Consortium, Heidelberg, Germany
- 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, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Chiara Falcomatà
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, German Cancer Research Center and German Cancer Consortium, Heidelberg, Germany
- 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, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Roland Rad
- Center for Translational Cancer Research (TranslaTUM), School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Fabian J Theis
- Institute of Computational Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum München-German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- School of Computation, Information and Technology (CIT), Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Dieter Saur
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, German Cancer Research Center and German Cancer Consortium, Heidelberg, Germany.
- 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, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
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3
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Lansbergen MF, Khelil M, Etten-Jamaludin FSV, Bijlsma MF, van Laarhoven HWM. Poor-prognosis molecular subtypes in adenocarcinomas of pancreato-biliary and gynecological origin: A systematic review. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2023; 185:103982. [PMID: 37004743 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.103982] [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: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreato-biliary and gynecological adenocarcinomas need better tools to predict clinical outcome. Potential prognostic mesenchymal(-like) transcriptome-based subtypes have been identified in these cancers. In this systematic review, we include studies into molecular subtyping and summarize biological and clinical features of the subtypes within and across sites of origin, searching for suggestions to improve classification and prognostication. PubMed and Embase were searched for original research articles describing potential mesenchymal(-like) mRNA-based subtypes in pancreato-biliary or gynecological adenocarcinomas. Studies limited to supervised clustering were excluded. Fourty-four studies, discussing cholangiocarcinomas, gallbladder, ampullary, pancreatic, ovarian, and endometrial adenocarcinomas were included. There was overlap in molecular and clinical features in mesenchymal(-like) subtypes across all adenocarcinomas. Approaches including microdissection were more likely to identify prognosis-associating subtypes. To conclude, molecular subtypes in pancreato-biliary and gynecological adenocarcinomas share biological and clinical characteristics. Furthermore, separation of stromal and epithelial signals should be applied in future studies into biliary and gynecological adenocarcinomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjolein F Lansbergen
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Medical Oncology, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental Molecular Medicine, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Cancer Center Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Maryam Khelil
- University of Amsterdam, Spui 21, 1012 WX Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Faridi S van Etten-Jamaludin
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Research Support Medical Library, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maarten F Bijlsma
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Center for Experimental Molecular Medicine, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Cancer Center Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Oncode Institute, Jaarbeursplein 6, 3521 AL Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Hanneke W M van Laarhoven
- Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Medical Oncology, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Cancer Center Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1118, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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4
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Han S, Chen X, Li Z. Innate Immune Program in Formation of Tumor-Initiating Cells from Cells-of-Origin of Breast, Prostate, and Ovarian Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15030757. [PMID: 36765715 PMCID: PMC9913549 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15030757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor-initiating cells (TICs), also known as cancer stem cells (CSCs), are cancer cells that can initiate a tumor, possess self-renewal capacity, and can contribute to tumor heterogeneity. TICs/CSCs are developed from their cells-of-origin. In breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers, progenitor cells for mammary alveolar cells, prostate luminal (secretory) cells, and fallopian tube secretory cells are the preferred cellular origins for their corresponding cancer types. These luminal progenitors (LPs) express common innate immune program (e.g., Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling)-related genes. Microbes such as bacteria are now found in breast, prostate, and fallopian tube tissues and their corresponding cancer types, raising the possibility that their LPs may sense the presence of microbes and trigger their innate immune/TLR pathways, leading to an inflammatory microenvironment. Crosstalk between immune cells (e.g., macrophages) and affected epithelial cells (e.g., LPs) may eventually contribute to formation of TICs/CSCs from their corresponding LPs, in part via STAT3 and/or NFκB pathways. As such, TICs/CSCs can inherit expression of innate-immunity/TLR-pathway-related genes from their cells-of-origin; the innate immune program may also represent their unique vulnerability, which can be explored therapeutically (e.g., by enhancing immunotherapy via augmenting TLR signaling).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Han
- Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Xueqing Chen
- Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Zhe Li
- Division of Genetics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-617-525-4740
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Nallasamy P, Nimmakayala RK, Parte S, Are AC, Batra SK, Ponnusamy MP. Tumor microenvironment enriches the stemness features: the architectural event of therapy resistance and metastasis. Mol Cancer 2022; 21:225. [PMID: 36550571 PMCID: PMC9773588 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-022-01682-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer divergence has many facets other than being considered a genetic term. It is a tremendous challenge to understand the metastasis and therapy response in cancer biology; however, it postulates the opportunity to explore the possible mechanism in the surrounding tumor environment. Most deadly solid malignancies are distinctly characterized by their tumor microenvironment (TME). TME consists of stromal components such as immune, inflammatory, endothelial, adipocytes, and fibroblast cells. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) or cancer stem-like cells are a small sub-set of the population within cancer cells believed to be a responsible player in the self-renewal, metastasis, and therapy response of cancer cells. The correlation between TME and CSCs remains an enigma in understanding the events of metastasis and therapy resistance in cancer biology. Recent evidence suggests that TME dictates the CSCs maintenance to arbitrate cancer progression and metastasis. The immune, inflammatory, endothelial, adipocyte, and fibroblast cells in the TME release growth factors, cytokines, chemokines, microRNAs, and exosomes that provide cues for the gain and maintenance of CSC features. These intricate cross-talks are fueled to evolve into aggressive, invasive, migratory phenotypes for cancer development. In this review, we have abridged the recent developments in the role of the TME factors in CSC maintenance and how these events influence the transition of tumor progression to further translate into metastasis and therapy resistance in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palanisamy Nallasamy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5870, USA
| | - Rama Krishna Nimmakayala
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5870, USA
| | - Seema Parte
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5870, USA
| | - Abhirup C Are
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5870, USA
| | - Surinder K Batra
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5870, USA.
- Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
| | - Moorthy P Ponnusamy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5870, USA.
- Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
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6
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Perelló-Reus CM, Rubio-Tomás T, Cisneros-Barroso E, Ibargüen-González L, Segura-Sampedro JJ, Morales-Soriano R, Barceló C. Challenges in precision medicine in pancreatic cancer: A focus in cancer stem cells and microbiota. Front Oncol 2022; 12:995357. [PMID: 36531066 PMCID: PMC9751445 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.995357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal disease, with the lowest 5-years survival rate of all cancers due to late diagnosis. Despite the advance and success of precision oncology in gastrointestinal cancers, the frequency of molecular-informed therapy decisions in PDAC is currently neglectable. The reasons for this dismal situation are mainly the absence of effective early diagnostic biomarkers and therapy resistance. PDAC cancer stem cells (PDAC-SC), which are regarded as essential for tumor initiation, relapse and drug resistance, are highly dependent on their niche i.e. microanatomical structures of the tumor microenvironment. There is an altered microbiome in PDAC patients embedded within the highly desmoplastic tumor microenvironment, which is known to determine therapeutic responses and affecting survival in PDAC patients. We consider that understanding the communication network that exists between the microbiome and the PDAC-SC niche by co-culture of patient-derived organoids (PDOs) with TME microbiota would recapitulate the complexity of PDAC paving the way towards a precision oncology treatment-response prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catalina M. Perelló-Reus
- Translational Pancreatic Cancer Oncogenesis Group, Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Hospital Universitari Son Espases (HUSE), Palma de Mallorca, Spain,*Correspondence: Carles Barceló, ; Catalina M. Perelló-Reus,
| | | | | | - Lesly Ibargüen-González
- Translational Pancreatic Cancer Oncogenesis Group, Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Hospital Universitari Son Espases (HUSE), Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Juan José Segura-Sampedro
- Advanced Oncological Surgery, Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Palma de Mallorca, Spain,General and Digestive Surgery Unit, Hospital Universitari Son Espases, School of Medicine, Balearic Islands Health Research Institute, University of Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Rafael Morales-Soriano
- Advanced Oncological Surgery, Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Palma de Mallorca, Spain,General and Digestive Surgery Unit, Hospital Universitari Son Espases, School of Medicine, Balearic Islands Health Research Institute, University of Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Carles Barceló
- Translational Pancreatic Cancer Oncogenesis Group, Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Hospital Universitari Son Espases (HUSE), Palma de Mallorca, Spain,*Correspondence: Carles Barceló, ; Catalina M. Perelló-Reus,
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7
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Nayak A, Warrier NM, Kumar P. Cancer Stem Cells and the Tumor Microenvironment: Targeting the Critical Crosstalk through Nanocarrier Systems. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2022; 18:2209-2233. [PMID: 35876959 PMCID: PMC9489588 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-022-10426-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The physiological state of the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a central role in cancer development due to multiple universal features that transcend heterogeneity and niche specifications, like promoting cancer progression and metastasis. As a result of their preponderant involvement in tumor growth and maintenance through several microsystemic alterations, including hypoxia, oxidative stress, and acidosis, TMEs make for ideal targets in both diagnostic and therapeutic ventures. Correspondingly, methodologies to target TMEs have been investigated this past decade as stratagems of significant potential in the genre of focused cancer treatment. Within targeted oncotherapy, nanomedical derivates-nanocarriers (NCs) especially-have emerged to present notable prospects in enhancing targeting specificity. Yet, one major issue in the application of NCs in microenvironmental directed therapy is that TMEs are too broad a spectrum of targeting possibilities for these carriers to be effectively employed. However, cancer stem cells (CSCs) might portend a solution to the above conundrum: aside from being quite heavily invested in tumorigenesis and therapeutic resistance, CSCs also show self-renewal and fluid clonogenic properties that often define specific TME niches. Further scrutiny of the relationship between CSCs and TMEs also points towards mechanisms that underly tumoral characteristics of metastasis, malignancy, and even resistance. This review summarizes recent advances in NC-enabled targeting of CSCs for more holistic strikes against TMEs and discusses both the current challenges that hinder the clinical application of these strategies as well as the avenues that can further CSC-targeting initiatives. Central role of CSCs in regulation of cellular components within the TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aadya Nayak
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Neerada Meenakshi Warrier
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Praveen Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Karnataka, India.
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Falcomatà C, Saur D. Self-renewal equality in pancreas homeostasis, regeneration, and cancer. Cell Rep 2021; 37:110135. [PMID: 34910913 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Two studies by Lodestijn et al. in Cell Stem Cell and Cell Reports reveal a lack of stem cell hierarchies in acinar cell-derived tissue renewal and host instructed clonogenic growth of pancreatic cancer, thereby elucidating determinants of pancreas regeneration and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Falcomatà
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Chair of Translational Cancer Research and Institute of Experimental Cancer Therapy, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany.
| | - Dieter Saur
- Division of Translational Cancer Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Chair of Translational Cancer Research and Institute of Experimental Cancer Therapy, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany; Department of Medicine II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany.
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