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Zhang K, Zhu J, Wang P, Chen Y, Wang Z, Ge X, Wu J, Chen L, Lu Y, Xu P, Yao J. Plasma metabolites as mediators in immune cell-pancreatic cancer risk: insights from Mendelian randomization. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1402113. [PMID: 38933268 PMCID: PMC11199692 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1402113] [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: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Immune cells play a crucial role in the development and progression of pancreatic cancer, yet the causal relationship remains uncertain due to complex immune microenvironments and conflicting research findings. Mendelian randomization (MR), this study aims to delineate the causal relationships between immune cells and pancreatic cancer while identifying intermediary factors. Methods The genome-wide association study (GWAS) data on immune cells, pancreatic cancer, and plasma metabolites are derived from public databases. In this investigation, inverse variance weighting (IVW) as the primary analytical approach to investigate the causal relationship between exposure and outcome. Furthermore, this study incorporates MR-Egger, simple mode, weighted median, and weighted mode as supplementary analytical approaches. To ensure the reliability of our findings, we further assessed horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity and evaluated the stability of MR results using the Leave-one-out method. In conclusion, this study employed mediation analysis to elucidate the potential mediating effects of plasma metabolites. Results Our investigation revealed a causal relationship between immune cells and pancreatic cancer, highlighting the pivotal roles of CD11c+ monocytes (odds ratio, ORIVW=1.105; 95% confidence interval, 95%CI: 1.002-1.218; P=0.045), HLA DR+ CD4+ antigen-presenting cells (ORIVW=0.920; 95%CI: 0.873-0.968; P=0.001), and HLA DR+ CD8br T cells (ORIVW=1.058; 95%CI: 1.002-1.117; P=0.041) in pancreatic cancer progression. Further mediation analysis indicated that oxalate (proportion of mediation effect in total effect: -11.6%, 95% CI: -89.7%, 66.6%) and the mannose to trans-4-hydroxyproline ratio (-19.4, 95% CI: -136%, 96.8%) partially mediate the relationship between HLA DR+ CD8br T cells and pancreatic cancer in nature. In addition, our analysis indicates that adrenate (-8.39%, 95% CI: -18.3%, 1.54%) plays a partial mediating role in the association between CD11c+ monocyte and pancreatic cancer, while cortisone (-26.6%, 95% CI: 138%, -84.8%) acts as a partial mediator between HLA DR+ CD4+ AC and pancreatic cancer. Conclusion This MR investigation provides evidence supporting the causal relationship between immune cell and pancreatic cancer, with plasma metabolites serving as mediators. Identifying immune cell phenotypes with potential causal effects on pancreatic cancer sheds light on its underlying mechanisms and suggests novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Zhang
- Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Jie Zhu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital Affiliated Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital Affiliated Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yuan Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital Affiliated Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Zhengwang Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital Affiliated Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Xinyu Ge
- Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Junqing Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital Affiliated Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Long Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital Affiliated Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yipin Lu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital Affiliated Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Peng Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital Affiliated Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jie Yao
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital Affiliated Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
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Xu ZJ, Li JA, Cao ZY, Xu HX, Ying Y, Xu ZH, Liu RJ, Guo Y, Zhang ZX, Wang WQ, Liu L. Construction of S100 family members prognosis prediction model and analysis of immune microenvironment landscape at single-cell level in pancreatic adenocarcinoma: a tumor marker prognostic study. Int J Surg 2024; 110:3591-3605. [PMID: 38498399 PMCID: PMC11175822 DOI: 10.1097/js9.0000000000001293] [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: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma characterized by a mere 10% 5-year survival rate, poses a formidable challenge due to its specific anatomical location, making tumor tissue acquisition difficult. This limitation underscores the critical need for novel biomarkers to stratify this patient population. Accordingly, this study aimed to construct a prognosis prediction model centered on S100 family members. Leveraging six S100 genes and their corresponding coefficients, an S100 score was calculated to predict survival outcomes. The present study provided comprehensive internal and external validation along with power evaluation results, substantiating the efficacy of the proposed model. Additionally, the study explored the S100-driven potential mechanisms underlying malignant progression. By comparing immune cell infiltration proportions in distinct patient groups with varying prognoses, the research identified differences driven by S100 expression. Furthermore, the analysis explored significant ligand-receptor pairs between malignant cells and immune cells influenced by S100 genes, uncovering crucial insights. Notably, the study identified a novel biomarker capable of predicting the sensitivity of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, offering promising avenues for further research and clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-jin Xu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University
- Department of General Surgery, QingPu Branch of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
| | - Jian-ang Li
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University
| | - Ze-yuan Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hua-xiang Xu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University
| | - Ying Ying
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University
| | - Zhi-hang Xu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University
| | - Run-jie Liu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University
| | - Yuquan Guo
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University
| | - Zi-xin Zhang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University
| | - Wen-quan Wang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University
| | - Liang Liu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University
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Zhao G, Cai Y, Wang Y, Fang Y, Wang S, Li N. Genetically predicted blood metabolites mediate the association between circulating immune cells and pancreatic cancer: A Mendelian randomization study. J Gene Med 2024; 26:e3691. [PMID: 38757222 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.3691] [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: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic cancer is characterized by metabolic dysregulation and unique immunological profiles. Nevertheless, the comprehensive understanding of immune and metabolic dysregulation of pancreatic cancer remains unclear. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the causal relationship of circulating immune cells and pancreatic cancer and identify the blood metabolites as potential mediators. METHODS The exposure and outcome genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data used in the present study were obtained from the GWAS open-access database (https://gwas.mrcieu.ac.uk). The study used 731 circulating immune cell features, 1400 types of blood metabolites and pancreatic cancer from GWAS. We then performed bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to explore the causal relationships between the circulating immune cells and pancreatic cancer, and two-step MR to discover potential mediating blood metabolites in this process. All statistical analyses were performed in R software. The STROBE-MR (i.e. Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology using Mendelian Randomization) checklist for the reporting of MR studies was also used. RESULTS MR analysis identified seven types of circulating immune cells causally associated with pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, there was no strong evidence that genetically predicted pancreatic cancer had an effect on these seven types of circulating immune cells. Further two-step MR analysis found 10 types of blood metabolites were causally associated with pancreatic cancer and the associations between circulating CD39+CD8+ T cells and pancreatic cancer were mediated by blood orotates with proportions of 5.18% (p = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS The present study provides evidence supporting the causal relationships between various circulating immune cells, especially CD39+CD8+ T cells, and pancreatic cancer, with a potential effect mediated by blood orotates. Further research is needed on additional risk factors as potential mediators and establish a comprehensive immunity-metabolism network in pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo Zhao
- Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanting Cai
- Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yuning Wang
- Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Fang
- Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Shuhang Wang
- Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Ning Li
- Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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De Martino M, Rathmell JC, Galluzzi L, Vanpouille-Box C. Cancer cell metabolism and antitumour immunity. Nat Rev Immunol 2024:10.1038/s41577-024-01026-4. [PMID: 38649722 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-024-01026-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that metabolic rewiring in malignant cells supports tumour progression not only by providing cancer cells with increased proliferative potential and an improved ability to adapt to adverse microenvironmental conditions but also by favouring the evasion of natural and therapy-driven antitumour immune responses. Here, we review cancer cell-intrinsic and cancer cell-extrinsic mechanisms through which alterations of metabolism in malignant cells interfere with innate and adaptive immune functions in support of accelerated disease progression. Further, we discuss the potential of targeting such alterations to enhance anticancer immunity for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara De Martino
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jeffrey C Rathmell
- Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Lorenzo Galluzzi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Claire Vanpouille-Box
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
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Yang Z, Li H, Hao J, Mei H, Qiu M, Wang H, Gao M. EPYC functions as a novel prognostic biomarker for pancreatic cancer. Sci Rep 2024; 14:719. [PMID: 38184732 PMCID: PMC10771449 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51478-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) has become a worldwide challenge attributed to its difficult early diagnosis and rapid progression. Treatments continue to be limited besides surgical resection. Hence, we aimed to discover novel biological signatures as clinically effective therapeutic targets for PC via the mining of public tumor databases. We found that epiphycan (EPYC) could function as an independent risk factor to predict the poor prognosis in PC based on integrated bioinformatics analysis. We downloaded associated PC data profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) online websites, then applied the software Rstudio to filter out genes under the strict criteria. After the batch survival analysis using Log-rank test and univariate cox regression, we obtained 39 candidate genes. Subsequently, we narrowed the scope to 8 genes by establishing a Lasso regression model. Eventually, we focused on 2 genes (EPYC and MET) by further building a multivariate cox regression model. Given that the role of EPYC in PC remains obscure, we then performed a series of molecular functional experiments, including RT-qPCR, CCK8, EdU, colony formation, Transwell, western blot, cell live-dead staining, subcutaneous tumor formation, to enhance our insight into its underlying molecular mechanisms. The above results demonstrated that EPYC was highly expressed in PC cell lines and could promote the proliferation of PCs via PI3K-AKT signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro. We arrived at a conclusion that EPYC was expected to be a biological neo-biomarker for PC followed by being a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Yang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Tianjin Union Medical Center of Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
- The Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center of Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
| | - Honglin Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Dachuan District People's Hospital, Sichuan, China
| | - Jie Hao
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Tianjin Key Laboratory of General Surgery in Construction, Tianjin Union Medical Center of Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Hanwei Mei
- The Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center of Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Oncology, Tianjin Union Medical Center of Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Minghan Qiu
- The Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center of Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Oncology, Tianjin Union Medical Center of Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Huaqing Wang
- The Institute of Translational Medicine, Tianjin Union Medical Center of Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
- Department of Oncology, Tianjin Union Medical Center of Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
| | - Ming Gao
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Tianjin Key Laboratory of General Surgery in Construction, Tianjin Union Medical Center of Nankai University, Tianjin, China.
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Luo W, Wen T, Qu X. Tumor immune microenvironment-based therapies in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: time to update the concept. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:8. [PMID: 38167055 PMCID: PMC10759657 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02935-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal solid tumors. The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) formed by interactions among cancer cells, immune cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF), and extracellular matrix (ECM) components drives PDAC in a more immunosuppressive direction: this is a major cause of therapy resistance and poor prognosis. In recent years, research has advanced our understanding of the signaling mechanism by which TIME components interact with the tumor and the evolution of immunophenotyping. Through revolutionary technologies such as single-cell sequencing, we have gone from simply classifying PDACs as "cold" and "hot" to a more comprehensive approach of immunophenotyping that considers all the cells and matrix components. This is key to improving the clinical efficacy of PDAC treatments. In this review, we elaborate on various TIME components in PDAC, the signaling mechanisms underlying their interactions, and the latest research into PDAC immunophenotyping. A deep understanding of these network interactions will contribute to the effective combination of TIME-based therapeutic approaches, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), adoptive cell therapy, therapies targeting myeloid cells, CAF reprogramming, and stromal normalization. By selecting the appropriate integrated therapies based on precise immunophenotyping, significant advances in the future treatment of PDAC are possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Luo
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China
- Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drugs and Biotherapy of Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China
- Clinical Cancer Research Center of Shenyang, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors, Ministry of Education, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China
| | - Ti Wen
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China.
- Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drugs and Biotherapy of Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China.
- Clinical Cancer Research Center of Shenyang, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors, Ministry of Education, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China.
| | - Xiujuan Qu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China.
- Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drugs and Biotherapy of Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China.
- Clinical Cancer Research Center of Shenyang, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors, Ministry of Education, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China.
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