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Vitale S, Calapà F, Colonna F, Luongo F, Biffoni M, De Maria R, Fiori ME. Advancements in 3D In Vitro Models for Colorectal Cancer. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2405084. [PMID: 38962943 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202405084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
The process of drug discovery and pre-clinical testing is currently inefficient, expensive, and time-consuming. Most importantly, the success rate is unsatisfactory, as only a small percentage of tested drugs are made available to oncological patients. This is largely due to the lack of reliable models that accurately predict drug efficacy and safety. Even animal models often fail to replicate human-specific pathologies and human body's complexity. These factors, along with ethical concerns regarding animal use, urge the development of suitable human-relevant, translational in vitro models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Vitale
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine (OMM), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, 00161, Italy
| | - Federica Calapà
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Colonna
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine (OMM), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, 00161, Italy
| | - Francesca Luongo
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Biffoni
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine (OMM), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, 00161, Italy
| | - Ruggero De Maria
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" - IRCCS, Largo F. Vito 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Micol E Fiori
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine (OMM), Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, Rome, 00161, Italy
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Gielen AHC, Melenhorst J, Breukink SO, Weijenberg MP, Bours MJL. The Relation of Lifestyle with Inflammation at the Time of Diagnosis in Patients with Colorectal Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4307. [PMID: 37686583 PMCID: PMC10486596 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15174307] [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: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common lifestyle-related types of cancer. The exact pathophysiologic mechanism in the relation between (visceral) adipose tissue, systemic inflammation and colorectal cancer remains unknown. This study aimed to assess the association of lifestyle with markers of systemic inflammation at the time of diagnosis in stage I-III colorectal cancer patients. Patients (n = 298) with stage I-III colorectal cancer from three Dutch hospitals were included at diagnosis. Several lifestyle-related variables (MUST nutritional status score, WCRF/AICR healthy lifestyle score, active smoking, alcohol consumption and BMI) and inflammatory markers (plasma levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNFα and 'high sensitive' hsCRP) were measured at the time of diagnosis. Confounder-adjusted multivariable linear regression models were used to analyse how the lifestyle variables were associated with the inflammatory markers. Statistically significant associations were found between a better WCRF/AICR lifestyle score and lower levels of IL-6 and hsCRP. A medium and high risk of malnutrition according to the MUST score was associated with elevated levels of both IL-8 and hsCRP. An overall unhealthier lifestyle indicated by a lower WCRF/AICR lifestyle score and a higher risk of malnutrition according to the MUST score at the time of diagnosis was associated with elevated levels of inflammatory markers. These findings can contribute to formulating lifestyle advice to improve treatment outcomes and prognosis in patients having CRC in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke H. C. Gielen
- Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
- School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jarno Melenhorst
- Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
- School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Stephanie O. Breukink
- Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre, 6229 HX Maastricht, The Netherlands
- School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Matty P. Weijenberg
- GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn J. L. Bours
- GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Epidemiology, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Grigoraș A, Amalinei C. Multi-Faceted Role of Cancer-Associated Adipocytes in Colorectal Cancer. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2401. [PMID: 37760840 PMCID: PMC10525260 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11092401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed types of cancer, especially in obese patients, and the second cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Based on these data, extensive research has been performed over the last decades to decipher the pivotal role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and its cellular and molecular components in CRC development and progression. In this regard, substantial progress has been made in the identification of cancer-associated adipocytes' (CAAs) characteristics, considering their active role in the CCR tumor niche, by releasing a panel of metabolites, growth factors, and inflammatory adipokines, which assist the cancer cells' development. Disposed in the tumor invasion front, CAAs exhibit a fibroblastic-like phenotype and establish a bidirectional molecular dialogue with colorectal tumor cells, which leads to functional changes in both cell types and contributes to tumor progression. CAAs also modulate the antitumor immune cells' response and promote metabolic reprogramming and chemotherapeutic resistance in colon cancer cells. This review aims to report recent cumulative data regarding the molecular mechanisms of CAAs' differentiation and their activity spectrum in the TME of CRC. A better understanding of CAAs and the molecular interplay between CAAs and tumor cells will provide insights into tumor biology and may open the perspective of new therapeutic opportunities in CRC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Grigoraș
- Department of Morphofunctional Sciences I, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
- Department of Histopathology, Institute of Legal Medicine, 700455 Iasi, Romania
| | - Cornelia Amalinei
- Department of Morphofunctional Sciences I, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
- Department of Histopathology, Institute of Legal Medicine, 700455 Iasi, Romania
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Basile D, Rosati G, Bergamo F, Garattini SK, Banzi M, Zampino M, Bozzarelli S, Marchetti P, Galli F, Galli F, Longarini R, Zaniboni A, Ferrari D, De Placido S, Frassineti LG, Nicolini M, Cinieri S, Priscindiaro M, Ziranu P, Caccialanza R, Pastorino A, Mosconi S, Aprile G. Prognostic Value of Body Mass Index in Stage II/III Colon Cancer: Posthoc Analysis From the TOSCA Trial. Clin Colorectal Cancer 2023; 22:190-198. [PMID: 36935327 DOI: 10.1016/j.clcc.2023.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High body mass index (BMI) plays a key role in the development of colon cancer (CC). Our post-hoc analysis from the TOSCA trial analyzed the association between BMI and survival outcomes in terms of relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in stage II/III CC patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients enrolled in the TOSCA trial between 2007-2013 with BMI data entered the study. The prognostic impact of BMI on survival outcomes was investigated through uni- and multivariable Cox regression analyses. RESULTS Overall, 1455 patients with stage II/III CC patients were included. The median follow-up was of 61.5 months; 16.1% of patients relapsed, 11.2% died and 19.5% patients relapsed or died. No impact of BMI on RFS was detected at univariate or multivariable analyses. By univariate analysis for OS, a significantly impact of a BMI > 30 kg/m2 was reported (HR [>30 vs <25] 1.57, 95% CI 1.00-2.47, p = 0.049; HR [>30 vs <30] 1.55, 95% CI 1.01-2.37, p = 0.045). Multivariable analyses did not confirm this data. In the subgroup of stage III patients, a negative survival impact of BMI was found in univariate and multivariable models both for RFS and for OS. CONCLUSIONS In our study, obesity with BMI > 30 kg/m2 was an independent prognostic factor for RFS and OS in CC patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, regardless of its duration (3 or 6 months). However, the prognostic impact of adiposity and body composition measurement should be considered to better classify patients with high visceral fat and refine their risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debora Basile
- Department of Medical Oncology, San Bortolo General Hospital, Vicenza, Italy
| | - Gerardo Rosati
- Medical Oncology Unit, San Carlo Hospital, Potenza, Italy
| | - Francesca Bergamo
- Medical Oncology Unit 1, Istituto Oncologico Veneto-IOV IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Silvio Ken Garattini
- Medical Oncology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Santa Maria della Misericordia, Udine, Italy
| | - Maria Banzi
- Medical Oncology Unit, AUSL-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Maria Zampino
- Division of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology and Neuroendocrine Tumors, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia-IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Silvia Bozzarelli
- Medical Oncology and Hematology Unit, Humanitas Cancer Center, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano (MI), Italy
| | - Paolo Marchetti
- Medical Oncology Unit Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome and IRCCS Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Galli
- Methodology for Clinical Research Laboratory, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Galli
- Methodology for Clinical Research Laboratory, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Daris Ferrari
- Medical Oncology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera San Paolo, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Luca Giovanni Frassineti
- Medical Oncology Unit IRCCS Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Meldola (FO), Italy
| | - Mario Nicolini
- Medical Oncology Unit Azienda USL Romagna, Cattolica, Rimini, Italy
| | - Saverio Cinieri
- Medical Oncology Unit Ospedale Antonio Perrino, Brindisi, Italy
| | - Michele Priscindiaro
- Medical Oncology Unit1, Fondazione Istituto Nazionale Tumori-IRCCS, Milano, Italy
| | - Pina Ziranu
- Medical Oncology, University Hospital and University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Riccardo Caccialanza
- Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | | | | | - Giuseppe Aprile
- Department of Medical Oncology, San Bortolo General Hospital, Vicenza, Italy.
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Chaplin A, Rodriguez RM, Segura-Sampedro JJ, Ochogavía-Seguí A, Romaguera D, Barceló-Coblijn G. Insights behind the Relationship between Colorectal Cancer and Obesity: Is Visceral Adipose Tissue the Missing Link? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:13128. [PMID: 36361914 PMCID: PMC9655590 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major health problem worldwide, with an estimated 1.9 million new cases and 915,880 deaths in 2020 alone. The etiology of CRC is complex and involves both genetic and lifestyle factors. Obesity is a major risk factor for CRC, and the mechanisms underlying this link are still unclear. However, the generalized inflammatory state of adipose tissue in obesity is thought to play a role in the association between CRC risk and development. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is a major source of proinflammatory cytokines and other factors that contribute to the characteristic systemic low-grade inflammation associated with obesity. VAT is also closely associated with the tumor microenvironment (TME), and recent evidence suggests that adipocytes within the TME undergo phenotypic changes that contribute to tumor progression. In this review, we aim to summarize the current evidence linking obesity and CRC, with a focus on the role of VAT in tumor etiology and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Chaplin
- Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa, Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands), 07120 Palma, Spain
- Consorcio CIBER, M.P. Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ramon Maria Rodriguez
- Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa, Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands), 07120 Palma, Spain
| | - Juan José Segura-Sampedro
- Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa, Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands), 07120 Palma, Spain
- General & Digestive Surgery Department, University Hospital Son Espases, 07120 Palma, Spain
- School of Medicine, University of the Balearic Islands, 07120 Palma, Spain
| | - Aina Ochogavía-Seguí
- General & Digestive Surgery Department, University Hospital Son Espases, 07120 Palma, Spain
| | - Dora Romaguera
- Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa, Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands), 07120 Palma, Spain
- Consorcio CIBER, M.P. Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gwendolyn Barceló-Coblijn
- Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Illes Balears (IdISBa, Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands), 07120 Palma, Spain
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Assumpção JAF, Pasquarelli-do-Nascimento G, Duarte MSV, Bonamino MH, Magalhães KG. The ambiguous role of obesity in oncology by promoting cancer but boosting antitumor immunotherapy. J Biomed Sci 2022; 29:12. [PMID: 35164764 PMCID: PMC8842976 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-022-00796-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity is nowadays considered a pandemic which prevalence's has been steadily increasingly in western countries. It is a dynamic, complex, and multifactorial disease which propitiates the development of several metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, as well as cancer. Excessive adipose tissue has been causally related to cancer progression and is a preventable risk factor for overall and cancer-specific survival, associated with poor prognosis in cancer patients. The onset of obesity features a state of chronic low-grade inflammation and secretion of a diversity of adipocyte-derived molecules (adipokines, cytokines, hormones), responsible for altering the metabolic, inflammatory, and immune landscape. The crosstalk between adipocytes and tumor cells fuels the tumor microenvironment with pro-inflammatory factors, promoting tissue injury, mutagenesis, invasion, and metastasis. Although classically established as a risk factor for cancer and treatment toxicity, recent evidence suggests mild obesity is related to better outcomes, with obese cancer patients showing better responses to treatment when compared to lean cancer patients. This phenomenon is termed obesity paradox and has been reported in different types and stages of cancer. The mechanisms underlying this paradoxical relationship between obesity and cancer are still not fully described but point to systemic alterations in metabolic fitness and modulation of the tumor microenvironment by obesity-associated molecules. Obesity impacts the response to cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy, and has been reported as having a positive association with immune checkpoint therapy. In this review, we discuss obesity's association to inflammation and cancer, also highlighting potential physiological and biological mechanisms underlying this association, hoping to clarify the existence and impact of obesity paradox in cancer development and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mariana Saldanha Viegas Duarte
- Immunology and Tumor Biology Program - Research Coordination, Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Martín Hernan Bonamino
- Immunology and Tumor Biology Program - Research Coordination, Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Vice - Presidency of Research and Biological Collections (VPPCB), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Kelly Grace Magalhães
- Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
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Hoy AJ, Nagarajan SR, Butler LM. Tumour fatty acid metabolism in the context of therapy resistance and obesity. Nat Rev Cancer 2021; 21:753-766. [PMID: 34417571 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-021-00388-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Fatty acid metabolism is known to support tumorigenesis and disease progression as well as treatment resistance through enhanced lipid synthesis, storage and catabolism. More recently, the role of membrane fatty acid composition, for example, ratios of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, in promoting cell survival while limiting lipotoxicity and ferroptosis has been increasingly appreciated. Alongside these insights, it has become clear that tumour cells exhibit plasticity with respect to fatty acid metabolism, responding to extratumoural and systemic metabolic signals, such as obesity and cancer therapeutics, to promote the development of aggressive, treatment-resistant disease. Here, we describe cellular fatty acid metabolic changes that are connected to therapy resistance and contextualize obesity-associated changes in host fatty acid metabolism that likely influence the local tumour microenvironment to further modify cancer cell behaviour while simultaneously creating potential new vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Hoy
- School of Medical Sciences, Charles Perkins Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Shilpa R Nagarajan
- School of Medical Sciences, Charles Perkins Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa M Butler
- Adelaide Medical School and Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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