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Zou Z, Li R, Huang X, Chen M, Tan J, Wu M. Identification and validation of immune-related methylated genes as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Head Neck 2024; 46:192-211. [PMID: 37929674 DOI: 10.1002/hed.27569] [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: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common malignancy occurring in the head and neck. Identification of immune-related methylated biomarkers might be helpful for NPC detection and prognostic evaluation. METHODS A co-methylation network based on WGCNA was constructed to identify modules associated with NPC and immune cells. In combination with differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and immune-related genes from ImmPort database, the candidate immune-related methylated genes (IRMGs) were obtained. RESULTS Our combined analysis identified 12 IRMGs. Among them, both the methylation and mRNA expression of CCL28, CSK, and PRKCB were correlated with the infiltration of B cells. CD1D, CR2, and GDF10 were favorable markers. Demethylation experiments validated that downregulation of GDF10, PRKCB, SLC40A1, and TGFBR3 in NPC resulted from promoter hypermethylation. Additionally, a diagnostic model was developed and exhibited high discriminative accuracy. CONCLUSIONS These results provided a group of immune-related methylated biomarkers that may help with the diagnosis and prognosis of NPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenning Zou
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Rujia Li
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xueshan Huang
- The First Clinical Medical College, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Mei Chen
- The First Clinical Medical College, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Jingyi Tan
- School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Minhua Wu
- School of Basic Medicine, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
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Zhang Q, Zhao M, Lin S, Han Q, Ye H, Peng F, Li L. Prediction of prognosis and immunotherapy response in lung adenocarcinoma based on CD79A, DKK1 and VEGFC. Heliyon 2023; 9:e18503. [PMID: 37534013 PMCID: PMC10392102 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is crucial for tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis; however, its relationship with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is unknown. Traditional predictive models screen for biomarkers that are too general and infrequently associated with immune genes. Methods RNA sequencing data of LUAD patients and immune-related gene sets were retrieved from public databases. Using the common genes shared by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Immunology Database and Analysis Portal (ImmPort), differential gene expression analysis, survival analysis, Lasso regression analysis, and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to generate a novel risk score model. LUAD cohort in International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), GSE68465 cohort in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and an immunohistochemical assay were used to validate the key genes constructed risk score. The LUAD-related prognosis, clinical indicators, immune infiltrate characteristics, response to immunotherapy, and response to chemotherapeutic agents in different risk groups were evaluated by CIBERSORT, ImmuCellAI, pRRophetic and other tools. Results The risk score model was constructed using CD79a molecule (CD79A), Dickkopf WNT signaling pathway inhibitor 1 (DKK1), and vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGFC). High risk score was identified as a negative predictor for overall survival (OS) in subgroup analyses with tumor stage, TNM classification, therapy outcome, and ESTIMATE scores (P < 0.05). Low risk score was positively associated with plasma cells, memory B cells, CD8 T cells, regulatory T cells and γδT cells (P < 0.05). In low-risk group, programmed cell death 1 receptor (PD1), cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA4), and lymphocyte activating 3 (LAG3) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) were more robustly expressed (P < 0.05). The treatment responses of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy and chemotherapy were likewise superior in low-risk group (P < 0.05). In immunohistochemical analysis, the tumor group had significantly higher levels of CD79A, DKK1, and VEGFC than the adjacent normal group (P < 0.01). Conclusions CD79A, DKK1 and VEGFC are important differential genes related to LUAD, risk score could reliably predict prognosis, composition of TIME and immunotherapy responses in LUAD patients. The excellent performance of the risk model shows its strong and broad application potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qilong Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310007, China
| | - Mingyuan Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310007, China
| | - Shuangyan Lin
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310007, China
| | - Qi Han
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310007, China
| | - He Ye
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310007, China
| | - Fang Peng
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310007, China
| | - Li Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310007, China
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Chen X, Ding Q, Lin T, Sun Y, Huang Z, Li Y, Hong W, Chen X, Wang D, Qiu S. An immune-related prognostic model predicts neoplasm-immunity interactions for metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1109503. [PMID: 37063853 PMCID: PMC10102363 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1109503] [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: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundThe prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has been recognized to improve immensely owing to radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy. However, patients with metastatic NPC have a poor prognosis. Immunotherapy has dramatically prolonged the survival of patients with NPC. Hence, further research on immune-related biomarkers is imperative to establish the prognosis of metastatic NPC.Methods10 NPC RNA expression profiles were generated from patients with or without distant metastasis after chemoradiotherapy from the Fujian Cancer Hospital. The differential immune-related genes were identified and validated by immunohistochemistry analysis. The method of least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)was used to further establish the immune-related prognostic model in an external GEO database (GSE102349, n=88). The immune microenvironment and signal pathways were evaluated in multiple dimensions at the transcriptome and single-cell levels.Results1328 differential genes were identified, out of which 520 were upregulated and 808 were downregulated. Notably, most of the immune genes and pathways were down-regulated in the metastasis group. A prognostic immune model involving nine hub genes. Patients in low-risk group were characterized by survival advantage, hot immune phenotype and benefit from immunotherapy. Compared with immune cells, malignant cell exhibited the most active levels of risk score by ssGSEA. Accordingly, intercellular communications including LT, CD70, CD40 and SPP1, and the like, between high-risk and low-risk were explored by the R package “Cellchat”.ConclusionWe have constructed a model based on immunity of metastatic NPC and determined its prognostic value. The model identified the level of immune cell infiltration, cell-cell communication, along with potential immunotherapy for metastatic NPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochuan Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Medicine, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Qin Ding
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Medicine, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ting Lin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Medicine, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yingming Sun
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Affiliated Sanming First Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Sanming, China
| | - Zongwei Huang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Medicine, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Medicine, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Wenquan Hong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Medicine, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Medicine, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Desheng Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Sufang Qiu, ; Desheng Wang,
| | - Sufang Qiu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Medicine, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Sufang Qiu, ; Desheng Wang,
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Single-Cell Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Different Immune Signatures in HPV- and HPV + Driven Human Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. J Immunol Res 2022; 2022:2079389. [PMID: 36157879 PMCID: PMC9507777 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2079389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a significant health problem and related to poor long-term outcomes, indicating more research to be done to deeply understand the underlying pathways. Objective This current study aimed in the assessment of the viral- (especially human papilloma virus [HPV]) and carcinogen-driven head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) microenvironment based on single-cell sequencing analysis. Methods Data were downloaded from GEO database (GSE139324), including 131224 cells from 18 HP- HNSCC patients and 8 HPV+ HNSCC patients. Following data normalization, all highly variable genes in single cells were identified, and batch correction was applied. Differentially expressed genes were identified using Wilcoxon rank sum test. A gene enrichment analysis was performed in each cell cluster using KEGG analysis. Single-cell pseudotime trajectories were constructed with MONOCLE (version 2.6.4). Cell-cell interactions were analyzed with CellChat R package. Additionally, cell-cell communication patterns in key signal pathways were compared in different tissue groups. A hidden Markov model (HMM) was used to predict gene expression states (on or off) throughout pseudotime. Five-year overall survival outcomes were compared in both HPV+ and HPV- subsets. Results 20,978 high-quality individual cells passed quality control. RNA-seq data were used from 522 HNSCC primary tumor samples. 1,137 differentially expressed genes between HPV+ and HPV- HNSCC patients were investigated. 96 differentially expressed genes were associated with overall survival and highly enriched in B cell associated biological process. Cell composition differed between types of samples. MHC-I, MHC-II, and MIF signaling pathways were found to be most relevant. Within these pathways, some cells were either signal receiver or signal sender, depending on sample type, respectively. Six genes were obtained, AREG and TGFBI (upregulation), CD27, CXCR3, MS4A1, and CD19 (downregulation), whose expression and HPV types were highly associated with worse overall survival. AREG and TGFBI were pDC marker genes, CXCR3 and CD27 were significantly expressed in T cell-related cells, while MS4A1 and CD19 were mainly expressed in B naïve cells. Conclusions This study revealed dynamic changes in cell percentage and heterogeneity of cell subtypes of HNSCC. AREG, TGFBI, CD27, CXCR3, MS4A1, and CD19 were associated with worse overall survival in HPV-related HNSCC. Especially B-cell related pathways were revealed as particularly relevant in HPV-related HNSCC. These findings are a basis for the development of biomarkers and therapeutic targets in respective patients.
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Jiang H, Sun J, Liu F, Wu X, Wen Z. An Immune-Related Long Noncoding RNA Pair as a New Biomarker to Predict the Prognosis of Patients in Breast Cancer. Front Genet 2022; 13:895200. [PMID: 35812755 PMCID: PMC9257047 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.895200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Immune-related long non-coding RNAs (irlncRNAs) might remodel the tumor immune microenvironment by changing the inherent properties of tumor cells and the expression of immune genes, which have been used to predict the efficacy of immunotherapy and the prognosis of various tumors. However, the value of irlncRNAs in breast cancer (BRCA) remains unclear.Materials and Methods: Initially, transcriptome data and immune-related gene sets were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The irlncRNAs were extracted from the Immunology Database and Analysis Portal (ImmPort) database. Differently expressed irlncRNAs (DEirlncRNAs) were further identified by utilizing the limma R package. Then, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were conducted to select the DEirlncRNAs associated with the prognosis of BRCA patients. In addition, the univariate and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression analyses were performed to determine the DEirlncRNA pairs with the independent prediction capability of prognosis in BRCA patients. Finally, the chosen DEirlncRNA pair would be evaluated in terms of survival time, clinicopathological characteristics, tumor-infiltrating immune cells, immune checkpoints (ICs), signaling pathways, and potential small-molecule drugs.Results: A total of 21 DEirlncRNA pairs were extracted, and among them, lncRNA MIR4435-2HG and lncRNA U62317.1 were chosen to establish a risk signature that served as an independent prognostic biomarker in BRCA patients. Patients in the high-risk group had a worse prognosis than those in the low-risk group, and they also had an abundance of infiltration of CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells to enhance the immune response to tumor cells. Furthermore, the risk signature showed a strong correlation with ICs, signaling pathways, and potential small-molecule drugs.Conclusion: Our research revealed that the risk signature independent of specific DEirlncRNA pair expression was closely associated with the prognosis and tumor immune microenvironment in BRCA patients and had the potential to function as an independent prognostic biomarker and a predictor of immunotherapy for BRCA patients, which would provide new insights for BRCA accurate treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanwen Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Brain Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Jingxian Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Fucong Liu
- Department of Neurology, Brain Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xincai Wu
- Department of Neurology, Brain Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Zhaohui Wen
- Department of Neurology, Brain Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- *Correspondence: Zhaohui Wen,
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Tumor cell-derived exosome RNF126 affects the immune microenvironment and promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression by regulating PTEN ubiquitination. Apoptosis 2022; 27:590-605. [PMID: 35717659 DOI: 10.1007/s10495-022-01738-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the role and regulatory mechanism of RNF126 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Firstly, the expression and prognosis of RNF126 were analyzed by TCGA database. The expression of RNF126 was further verified by NPC tissue samples and cells. An ectopic xenograft model was constructed to verify the regulatory role of RNF126 in NPC tumor progression. The regulatory effect of RNF126 on macrophage polarization and migration was verified by co-culture of tumor cells and THP-1 cells. The role of RNF126 in tumor exosomes involved in intercellular communication was further verified by nanoparticle tracking technology, western blotting and immunofluorescence assays. QRT-PCR, half-life assay and WB assay were used to verify the regulatory effect of RNF126 on PTEN ubiquitination and PI3K/AKT pathway. Finally, an in vivo assay was used to verify the regulation of exosomes on tumor growth and metastasis. In summary, we found for the first time that tumor-derived exosomal PTEN degrades PTEN through ubiquitination to regulate the tumor immune microenvironment and promote NPC growth and metastasis. These results provide the basis for the screening of early markers of NPC and targeted therapy.
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Barrientos-Robledo SG, Cebada-Ruiz JA, Rodríguez-Alba JC, Baltierra-Uribe SL, Díaz Y Orea MA, Romero-Ramírez H. CD38 a biomarker and therapeutic target in non-hematopoietic tumors. Biomark Med 2022; 16:387-400. [PMID: 35195042 DOI: 10.2217/bmm-2021-0575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The type II transmembrane glycoprotein CD38 has recently been implicated in regulating metabolism and the pathogenesis of multiple conditions, including aging, inflammation and cancer. CD38 is overexpressed in several tumor cells and microenvironment tumoral cells, associated to migration, angiogenesis, cell invasion and progression of the disease. Thus, CD38 has been used as a progression marker for different cancer types as well as in immunotherapy. This review focuses on describing the involvement of CD38 in various non-hematopoietic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana G Barrientos-Robledo
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Experimental, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Facultad de Medicina, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Jorge A Cebada-Ruiz
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Experimental, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Facultad de Medicina, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Juan C Rodríguez-Alba
- Unidad de Citometría de Flujo, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Shantal L Baltierra-Uribe
- Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Maria A Díaz Y Orea
- Laboratorio de Inmunología Experimental, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Facultad de Medicina, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Héctor Romero-Ramírez
- Departamento de Biomedicina Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados, Mexico City, Mexico
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Lin Z, Pang K, Li H, Zhang X, Wan J, Zheng T, Liu T, Peng W. Characterization of Immune-Related Long Non-coding RNAs to Construct a Novel Signature and Predict the Prognosis and Immune Landscape of Soft Tissue Sarcoma. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:709241. [PMID: 34631703 PMCID: PMC8497898 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.709241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Increasing evidence has demonstrated that immune-related long non-coding RNAs (irlncRNAs) are critically involved in tumor initiation and progression and associated with the prognosis of various cancers. However, their role in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) remains significantly uninvestigated. Materials and Methods: Gene expression profiles were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) for the identification of irlncRNAs. Univariate analysis and modified least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalized regression analysis were employed to determine differently expressed irlncRNA (DEirlncRNA) pairs of prognostic value, and subsequently, a risk signature based on DEirlncRNA pairs was established. Furthermore, Kaplan–Meier analysis and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were used to assess survival differences and the predictive accuracy of the risk signature, respectively. Lastly, the correlation of irlncRNAs with immune characteristics and chemosensitivity in patients with STS were further investigated. Results: A total of 1088 irlncRNAs were identified, and 311 irlncRNAs were distinguished as DEirlncRNAs. A total of 130 DEirlncRNA pairs were further identified as prognostic markers, and 14 pairs were selected for establishing a risk signature. The irlncRNA-based risk signature functioned as an independent prognostic marker for STS. Compared with the patients in the high-risk group, those in the low-risk group exhibited a better prognosis and were more sensitive to several chemotherapeutic agents. In addition, the irlncRNA-based risk signature was significantly associated with immune scores, infiltrating immune cells, and the expression of several immune checkpoints. Conclusion: In conclusion, our data revealed that the irlncRNA-based risk signature resulted in reliable prognosis, effectively predicted the immune landscape of patients with STS and was significantly correlated with chemosensitivity, thus providing insights into the potential role of irlncRNAs as prognostic biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets for STS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengjun Lin
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ke Pang
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hongli Li
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xianghong Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jia Wan
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Tao Zheng
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Tang Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Weijun Peng
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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Makowska A, Lelabi N, Nothbaum C, Shen L, Busson P, Tran TTB, Eble M, Kontny U. Radiotherapy Combined with PD-1 Inhibition Increases NK Cell Cytotoxicity towards Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells. Cells 2021; 10:2458. [PMID: 34572108 PMCID: PMC8470143 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in endemic regions and younger patients is characterized by a prominent lymphomononuclear infiltration. Radiation is the principal therapeutic modality for patients with NPC. Recent data suggest that the efficacy of radiotherapy in various cancers can be augmented when combined with immune checkpoint blockade. Here, we investigate the effect of radiotherapy on the killing of NPC cells by Natural Killer (NK) cells. METHODS NPC cell lines and a patient-derived xenograft were exposed to NK cells in the context of radiotherapy. Cytotoxicity was measured using the calcein-release assay. The contribution of the PD-L1/PD-1 checkpoint and signaling pathways to killing were analyzed using specific inhibitors. RESULTS Radiotherapy sensitized NPC cells to NK cell killing and upregulated expression of PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) in NPC cells and PD-1 receptor (PD-1) in NK cells. Blocking of the PD-L1/PD-1 checkpoint further increased the killing of NPC cells by NK cells in the context of radiotherapy. CONCLUSION Radiation boosts the killing of NPC cells by NK cells. Killing can be further augmented by blockade of the PD-L1/PD-1 checkpoint. The combination of radiotherapy with PD-L1/PD-1 checkpoint blockade could therefore increase the efficacy of radiotherapy in NPC tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Makowska
- Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Medical Faculty, Rhenish-Westphalian Technical University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (A.M.); (N.L.); (C.N.); (L.S.)
| | - Nora Lelabi
- Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Medical Faculty, Rhenish-Westphalian Technical University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (A.M.); (N.L.); (C.N.); (L.S.)
| | - Christina Nothbaum
- Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Medical Faculty, Rhenish-Westphalian Technical University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (A.M.); (N.L.); (C.N.); (L.S.)
| | - Lian Shen
- Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Medical Faculty, Rhenish-Westphalian Technical University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (A.M.); (N.L.); (C.N.); (L.S.)
| | - Pierre Busson
- CNRS UMR 8126, Gustave Roussy, Université Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 94805 Villejuif, France; (P.B.); (T.T.B.T.)
| | - Tram Thi Bao Tran
- CNRS UMR 8126, Gustave Roussy, Université Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 94805 Villejuif, France; (P.B.); (T.T.B.T.)
| | - Michael Eble
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical Faculty, Rhenish-Westphalian Technical University, 52074 Aachen, Germany;
| | - Udo Kontny
- Division of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Medical Faculty, Rhenish-Westphalian Technical University, 52074 Aachen, Germany; (A.M.); (N.L.); (C.N.); (L.S.)
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