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Giuliani S, Paraboschi I, McNair A, Smith M, Rankin KS, Elson DS, Paleri V, Leff D, Stasiuk G, Anderson J. Monoclonal Antibodies for Targeted Fluorescence-Guided Surgery: A Review of Applicability across Multiple Solid Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1045. [PMID: 38473402 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16051045] [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: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
This study aims to review the status of the clinical use of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that have completed or are in ongoing clinical trials for targeted fluorescence-guided surgery (T-FGS) for the intraoperative identification of the tumor margins of extra-hematological solid tumors. For each of them, the targeted antigen, the mAb generic/commercial name and format, and clinical indications are presented, together with utility, doses, and the timing of administration. Based on the current scientific evidence in humans, the top three mAbs that could be prepared in a GMP-compliant bank ready to be delivered for surgical purposes are proposed to speed up the translation to the operating room and produce a few readily available "off-the-shelf" injectable fluorescent probes for safer and more effective solid tumor resection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Giuliani
- Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences, University College London, London W1W 7TY, UK
- Cancer Section, Developmental Biology and Cancer Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London WC1N 1EH, UK
- Department of Specialist Neonatal and Paediatric Surgery, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, London WC1N 3JH, UK
| | - Irene Paraboschi
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Science, University of Milano, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Angus McNair
- National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, Bristol Centre for Surgical Research, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2PS, UK
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol BS10 5NB, UK
| | - Myles Smith
- The Sarcoma, Melanoma and Rare Tumours Unit, The Royal Marsden Hospital, Institute Cancer of Research, London SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - Kenneth S Rankin
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
- North of England Bone and Soft Tissue Tumour Service, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4LP, UK
| | - Daniel S Elson
- Hamlyn Centre for Robotic Surgery, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Vinidh Paleri
- Head and Neck Unit, The Royal Marsden Hospitals, London SW3 6JJ, UK
| | - Daniel Leff
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Graeme Stasiuk
- Imaging Chemistry and Biology, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - John Anderson
- Cancer Section, Developmental Biology and Cancer Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London WC1N 1EH, UK
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Liu J, Lu J, Wang G, Gu L, Li W. Prognostic characteristics of a six-gene signature based on ssGSEA in sarcoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:1536-1554. [PMID: 38240704 PMCID: PMC10866427 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205443] [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: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sarcoma is a rare malignant tumor originating of the interstitial or connective tissue with a poor prognosis. Next-generation sequencing technology offers new opportunities for accurate diagnosis and treatment of sarcomas. There is an urgent need for new gene signature to predict prognosis and evaluate treatment outcomes. METHODS We used transcriptome data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) to explore the cancer hallmarks most associated with prognosis in sarcoma patients. Then, weighted gene coexpression network analysis, univariate COX regression analysis and random forest algorithm were used to construct prognostic gene characteristics. Finally, the prognostic value of gene markers was validated in the TCGA and Integrated Gene Expression (GEO) (GSE17118) datasets, respectively. RESULTS MYC targets V1 and V2 are the main cancer hallmarks affecting the overall survival (OS) of sarcoma patients. A six-gene signature including VEGFA, HMGB3, FASN, RCC1, NETO2 and BIRC5 were constructed. Kaplan-Meier analysis suggested that higher risk scores based on the six-gene signature associated with poorer OS (P < 0.001). The receiver Operating characteristic curve showed that the risk score based on the six-gene signature was a good predictor of sarcoma, with an area under the curve (AUC) greater than 0.73. In addition, the prognostic value of the six-gene signature was validated in GSE17118 with an AUC greater than 0.72. CONCLUSION This six-gene signature is an independent prognostic factor in patients with sarcoma and is expected to be a potential therapeutic target for sarcoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Dongguan Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Dongguan 523005, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, China
| | - Jianjun Lu
- Department of Quality Control and Evaluation, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Gefei Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, China
| | - Liming Gu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, China
| | - Wenli Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Dongguan Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Dongguan 523005, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, China
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Fayzullina D, Yakushov S, Kantserova K, Belyaeva E, Aniskin D, Tsibulnikov S, Fayzullina N, Kalinin S, Romantsova O, Timashev PS, Schroeder BA, Ulasov IV. Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors Induce Ferroptosis through Inhibition of AKT/FTH1 Signaling in Ewing Sarcoma Tumor Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5225. [PMID: 37958399 PMCID: PMC10650537 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15215225] [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: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Ewing sarcoma (ES) is one of the most frequent types of malignant tumors among children. The active metabolic state of ES cells presents a new potential target for therapeutic interventions. As a primary regulator of cellular homeostasis, carbonic anhydrases (CAs; EC 4.2.1.1) have emerged as promising molecular targets for the development of anticancer drugs. Within the present study, we tested the commercial drug acetazolamide and our previously discovered inhibitors to target the CAII isoform, which was overexpressed and positively correlated with ES patient relapse. We employed molecular biology tests to identify effective inhibitors of CAII that can induce ferroptosis by downregulating FTH1 expression in ES cells. In vitro, we have also demonstrated their ability to reduce cell proliferation, decrease invasion, and induce apoptosis- or autophagy-related cell death. Using Western blotting, we confirmed the induction of cathepsin B in cells treated with CA inhibitors. It was found that the suppression of cathepsin B expression during the treatment reduces the anticancer efficacy of selected CAII inhibitors. These experiments highlighted profound antitumor activity of CAII inhibitors attributive to their remarkable ability to trigger ferroptosis in Ewing sarcoma cells without causing substantial host damage. The obtained results suggest that cytosolic CAII may be a prospective target for ES treatment, and CAII inhibitors can be considered as potential single-agent or combination antitumor agents to be used in the treatment of ES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darya Fayzullina
- Group of Experimental Biotherapy and Diagnostics, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, World-Class Research Centre “Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare”, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (D.F.); (S.Y.); (K.K.); (E.B.); (D.A.); (S.T.)
| | - Semyon Yakushov
- Group of Experimental Biotherapy and Diagnostics, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, World-Class Research Centre “Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare”, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (D.F.); (S.Y.); (K.K.); (E.B.); (D.A.); (S.T.)
| | - Kamilla Kantserova
- Group of Experimental Biotherapy and Diagnostics, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, World-Class Research Centre “Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare”, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (D.F.); (S.Y.); (K.K.); (E.B.); (D.A.); (S.T.)
| | - Elizaveta Belyaeva
- Group of Experimental Biotherapy and Diagnostics, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, World-Class Research Centre “Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare”, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (D.F.); (S.Y.); (K.K.); (E.B.); (D.A.); (S.T.)
| | - Denis Aniskin
- Group of Experimental Biotherapy and Diagnostics, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, World-Class Research Centre “Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare”, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (D.F.); (S.Y.); (K.K.); (E.B.); (D.A.); (S.T.)
| | - Sergey Tsibulnikov
- Group of Experimental Biotherapy and Diagnostics, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, World-Class Research Centre “Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare”, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (D.F.); (S.Y.); (K.K.); (E.B.); (D.A.); (S.T.)
| | - Nafisa Fayzullina
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Stanislav Kalinin
- Department of Chemistry, Saint-Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint-Petersburg, Russia;
| | - Olga Romantsova
- Research Institute of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology at N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of Russia, 115478 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Peter S. Timashev
- World-Class Research Centre “Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare”, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Brett A. Schroeder
- National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA;
| | - Ilya V. Ulasov
- Group of Experimental Biotherapy and Diagnostics, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, World-Class Research Centre “Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare”, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (D.F.); (S.Y.); (K.K.); (E.B.); (D.A.); (S.T.)
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Forker LJ, Bibby B, Yang L, Lane B, Irlam J, Mistry H, Khan M, Valentine H, Wylie J, Shenjere P, Leahy M, Gaunt P, Billingham L, Seddon BM, Grimer R, Robinson M, Choudhury A, West C. Technical development and validation of a clinically applicable microenvironment classifier as a biomarker of tumour hypoxia for soft tissue sarcoma. Br J Cancer 2023; 128:2307-2317. [PMID: 37085598 PMCID: PMC10241814 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02265-3] [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: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare, heterogeneous tumours and biomarkers are needed to inform management. We previously derived a prognostic tumour microenvironment classifier (24-gene hypoxia signature). Here, we developed/validated an assay for clinical application. METHODS Technical performance of targeted assays (Taqman low-density array, nanoString) was compared in 28 prospectively collected formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) biopsies. The nanoString assay was biologically validated by comparing to HIF-1α/CAIX immunohistochemistry (IHC) in clinical samples. The Manchester (n = 165) and VORTEX Phase III trial (n = 203) cohorts were used for clinical validation. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). RESULTS Both assays demonstrated excellent reproducibility. The nanoString assay detected upregulation of the 24-gene signature under hypoxia in vitro, and 16/24 hypoxia genes were upregulated in tumours with high CAIX expression in vivo. Patients with hypoxia-high tumours had worse OS in the Manchester (HR 3.05, 95% CI 1.54-5.19, P = 0.0005) and VORTEX (HR 2.13, 95% CI 1.19-3.77, P = 0.009) cohorts. In the combined cohort, it was independently prognostic for OS (HR 2.24, 95% CI 1.42-3.53, P = 0.00096) and associated with worse local recurrence-free survival (HR 2.17, 95% CI 1.01-4.68, P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS This study comprehensively validates a microenvironment classifier befitting FFPE STS biopsies. Future uses include: (1) selecting high-risk patients for perioperative chemotherapy; and (2) biomarker-driven trials of hypoxia-targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J Forker
- Translational Radiobiology Group, Division of Cancer Sciences, The Oglesby Cancer Research Building, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, 555 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4GJ, UK.
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4BX, UK.
| | - Becky Bibby
- Translational Radiobiology Group, Division of Cancer Sciences, The Oglesby Cancer Research Building, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, 555 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4GJ, UK
| | - Lingjian Yang
- Translational Radiobiology Group, Division of Cancer Sciences, The Oglesby Cancer Research Building, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, 555 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4GJ, UK
| | - Brian Lane
- Translational Radiobiology Group, Division of Cancer Sciences, The Oglesby Cancer Research Building, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, 555 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4GJ, UK
| | - Joely Irlam
- Translational Radiobiology Group, Division of Cancer Sciences, The Oglesby Cancer Research Building, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, 555 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4GJ, UK
| | - Hitesh Mistry
- Translational Radiobiology Group, Division of Cancer Sciences, The Oglesby Cancer Research Building, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, 555 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4GJ, UK
| | - Mairah Khan
- Translational Radiobiology Group, Division of Cancer Sciences, The Oglesby Cancer Research Building, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, 555 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4GJ, UK
| | - Helen Valentine
- Translational Radiobiology Group, Division of Cancer Sciences, The Oglesby Cancer Research Building, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, 555 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4GJ, UK
| | - James Wylie
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4BX, UK
| | - Patrick Shenjere
- Department of Histopathology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4BX, UK
| | - Michael Leahy
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4BX, UK
| | - Piers Gaunt
- Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit, Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Lucinda Billingham
- Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit, Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Beatrice M Seddon
- Department of Oncology, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 1st Floor Central, 250 Euston Road, London, NW1 2PG, UK
| | - Rob Grimer
- Department of Orthopaedic Oncology, Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol Road South, Northfield, Birmingham, B31 2AP, UK
| | - Martin Robinson
- Department of Oncology, Academic Unit of Clinical Oncology (Cancer Clinical Trials Centre), Weston Park Hospital, Whitham Road, Sheffield, S10 2SJ, UK
| | - Ananya Choudhury
- Translational Radiobiology Group, Division of Cancer Sciences, The Oglesby Cancer Research Building, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, 555 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4GJ, UK
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4BX, UK
| | - Catharine West
- Translational Radiobiology Group, Division of Cancer Sciences, The Oglesby Cancer Research Building, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, 555 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4GJ, UK
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Boreel DF, Span PN, Kip A, Boswinkel M, Peters JPW, Adema GJ, Bussink J, Heskamp S. Quantitative Imaging of Hypoxic CAIX-Positive Tumor Areas with Low Immune Cell Infiltration in Syngeneic Mouse Tumor Models. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:2245-2255. [PMID: 36882391 PMCID: PMC10074386 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00045] [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] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Limited diffusion of oxygen in combination with increased oxygen consumption leads to chronic hypoxia in most solid malignancies. This scarcity of oxygen is known to induce radioresistance and leads to an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) is an enzyme functioning as a catalyzer for acid export in hypoxic cells and is an endogenous biomarker for chronic hypoxia. The aim of this study is to develop a radiolabeled antibody that recognizes murine CAIX to visualize chronic hypoxia in syngeneic tumor models and to study the immune cell population in these hypoxic areas. An anti-mCAIX antibody (MSC3) was conjugated to diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) and radiolabeled with indium-111 (111In). CAIX expression on murine tumor cells was determined using flow cytometry, and in vitro affinity of [111In]In-MSC3 was analyzed in a competitive binding assay. Ex vivo biodistribution studies were performed to determine in vivo radiotracer distribution. CAIX+ tumor fractions were determined by mCAIX microSPECT/CT, and the tumor microenvironment was analyzed using immunohistochemistry and autoradiography. We showed that [111In]In-MSC3 binds to CAIX-expressing (CAIX+) murine cells in vitro and accumulates in CAIX+ areas in vivo. We optimized the use of [111In]In-MSC3 for preclinical imaging such that it can be applied in syngeneic mouse models and showed that we can quantitatively distinguish between tumor models with varying CAIX+ fractions by ex vivo analyses and in vivo mCAIX microSPECT/CT. Analysis of the tumor microenvironment identified these CAIX+ areas as less infiltrated by immune cells. Together these data demonstrate that mCAIX microSPECT/CT is a sensitive technique to visualize hypoxic CAIX+ tumor areas that exhibit reduced infiltration of immune cells in syngeneic mouse models. In the future, this technique may enable visualization of CAIX expression before or during hypoxia-targeted or hypoxia-reducing treatments. Thereby, it will help optimize immuno- and radiotherapy efficacy in translationally relevant syngeneic mouse tumor models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daan F Boreel
- Radiotherapy and OncoImmunology Laboratory, Radiation Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 32, 6525GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Medical Imaging, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Paul N Span
- Radiotherapy and OncoImmunology Laboratory, Radiation Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 32, 6525GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Annemarie Kip
- Department of Medical Imaging, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Milou Boswinkel
- Department of Medical Imaging, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes P W Peters
- Radiotherapy and OncoImmunology Laboratory, Radiation Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 32, 6525GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Gosse J Adema
- Radiotherapy and OncoImmunology Laboratory, Radiation Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 32, 6525GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Johan Bussink
- Radiotherapy and OncoImmunology Laboratory, Radiation Oncology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 32, 6525GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sandra Heskamp
- Department of Medical Imaging, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Harris B, Saleem S, Cook N, Searle E. Targeting hypoxia in solid and haematological malignancies. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2022; 41:318. [PMID: 36320041 PMCID: PMC9628170 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02522-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Tumour hypoxia is a known and extensively researched phenomenon that occurs in both solid and haematological malignancies. As cancer cells proliferate, demand for oxygen can outstrip supply reducing tumour oxygenation. In solid tumours this is contributed to by disorganized blood vessel development. Tumour hypoxia is associated with resistance to treatment, more aggressive disease behaviour and an increased likelihood of metastatic progression. It can be measured using both invasive and non-invasive methods to varying degrees of accuracy. The presence of hypoxia stimulates a complex cellular network of downstream factors including Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1 (HIF1), C-X-C motif chemokine 4 (CXCR4) and Hypoxia‐inducible glycolytic enzyme hexokinase‐2 (HK2) amongst many others. They work by affecting different mechanisms including influencing angiogenesis, treatment resistance, immune surveillance and the ability to metastasize all of which contribute to a more aggressive disease pattern. Tumour hypoxia has been correlated with poorer outcomes and worse prognosis in patients. The correlation between hypoxic microenvironments and poor prognosis has led to an interest in trying to therapeutically target this phenomenon. Various methods have been used to target hypoxic microenvironments. Hypoxia-activated prodrugs (HAPs) are drugs that are only activated within hypoxic environments and these agents have been subject to investigation in several clinical trials. Drugs that target downstream factors of hypoxic environments including HIF inhibitors, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors and vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapies are also in development and being used in combination in clinical trials. Despite promising pre-clinical data, clinical trials of hypoxia targeting strategies have proven challenging. Further understanding of the effect of hypoxia and related molecular mechanisms in human rather than animal models is required to guide novel therapeutic strategies and future trial design. This review will discuss the currently available methods of hypoxia targeting and assessments that may be considered in planning future clinical trials. It will also outline key trials to date in both the solid and haemato-oncology treatment spheres and discuss the limitations that may have impacted on clinical success to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bill Harris
- grid.412917.80000 0004 0430 9259Experimental Cancer Medicine Team, Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Sana Saleem
- grid.412917.80000 0004 0430 9259Haematology Department, Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Natalie Cook
- grid.412917.80000 0004 0430 9259Experimental Cancer Medicine Team, Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK ,grid.5379.80000000121662407Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Emma Searle
- grid.412917.80000 0004 0430 9259Haematology Department, Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK ,grid.5379.80000000121662407Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Merry E, Thway K, Jones RL, Huang PH. Predictive and prognostic transcriptomic biomarkers in soft tissue sarcomas. NPJ Precis Oncol 2021; 5:17. [PMID: 33674685 PMCID: PMC7935908 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-021-00157-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare and heterogeneous tumours comprising over 80 different histological subtypes. Treatment options remain limited in advanced STS with high rates of recurrence following resection of localised disease. Prognostication in clinical practice relies predominantly on histological grading systems as well as sarcoma nomograms. Rapid developments in gene expression profiling technologies presented opportunities for applications in sarcoma. Molecular profiling of sarcomas has improved our understanding of the cancer biology of these rare cancers and identified potential novel therapeutic targets. In particular, transcriptomic signatures could play a role in risk classification in sarcoma to aid prognostication. Unlike other solid and haematological malignancies, transcriptomic signatures have not yet reached routine clinical use in sarcomas. Herein, we evaluate early developments in gene expression profiling in sarcomas that laid the foundations for transcriptomic signature development. We discuss the development and clinical evaluation of key transcriptomic biomarker signatures in sarcomas, including Complexity INdex in SARComas (CINSARC), Genomic Grade Index, and hypoxia-associated signatures. Prospective validation of these transcriptomic signatures is required, and prospective trials are in progress to evaluate reliability for clinical application. We anticipate that integration of these gene expression signatures alongside existing prognosticators and other Omics methodologies, including proteomics and DNA methylation analysis, could improve the identification of 'high-risk' patients who would benefit from more aggressive or selective treatment strategies. Moving forward, the incorporation of these transcriptomic prognostication signatures in clinical practice will undoubtedly advance precision medicine in the routine clinical management of sarcoma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve Merry
- Sarcoma Unit, The Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK
| | - Khin Thway
- Sarcoma Unit, The Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Robin L Jones
- Sarcoma Unit, The Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK
- Division of Clinical Studies, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Paul H Huang
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.
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Soft tissue sarcomas: IVIM and DKI correlate with the expression of HIF-1α on direct comparison of MRI and pathological slices. Eur Radiol 2021; 31:4669-4679. [PMID: 33416975 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-020-07526-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the correlation of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) parameters with the expression of HIF-1α in soft tissue sarcoma (STS). METHODS This prospective study was approved by the institutional ethics committee. Written informed consent was obtained from all patients. Forty patients with STS who underwent 3.0 T MRI, including IVIM and DKI, were included in the study. Standard apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), true ADC (Dslow), pseudo ADC (Dfast), perfusion fraction (f), mean kurtosis (MK), and mean diffusivity (MD) of each lesion were independently analyzed by two observers. An MRI-pathology control method was used to ensure correspondence between the MRI slices and the pathological sections. Spearman analysis, independent sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-squared test, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed. RESULTS Dslow and MD values showed a negative correlation with HIF-1α expression (r = - 0.469, - 0.588). MK and f values showed a positive correlation with HIF-1α expression (r = 0.779, 0.572). Dslow, MD, MK, and f values showed significant differences between the high- and low-expression groups. The MK value showed the best diagnostic ability. The optimal cut-off MK value of 0.604 was associated with 78.3% sensitivity and 88.2% specificity (area under the curve, 0.867). CONCLUSIONS This preliminary study demonstrated the association of IVIM and DKI parameters with the expression of HIF-1α in STS. KEY POINTS • IVIM and DKI parameters are correlated with the expression of HIF-1α in STS. • The MRI-pathology control method can be used in clinical studies to ensure correspondence between MRI slices and pathology sections.
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Pharmacological Inhibition of CA-IX Impairs Tumor Cell Proliferation, Migration and Invasiveness. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21082983. [PMID: 32340282 PMCID: PMC7215745 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21082983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbonic anhydrase IX (CA-IX) plays a pivotal role in regulation of pH in tumor milieu catalyzing carbonic acid formation by hydrating CO2. An acidification of tumor microenvironment contributes to tumor progression via multiple processes, including reduced cell-cell adhesion, increased migration and matrix invasion. We aimed to assess whether the pharmacological inhibition of CA-IX could impair tumor cell proliferation and invasion. Tumor epithelial cells from breast (MDA-MB-231) and lung (A549) cancer were used to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of sulfonamide CA-IX inhibitors. Two CA-IX enzyme blockers were tested, SLC-0111 (at present in phase Ib clinical trial) and AA-06-05. In these cells, the drugs inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion through shifting of the mesenchymal phenotype toward an epithelial one and by impairing matrix metalloprotease-2 (MMP-2) activity. The antitumor activity was elicited via apoptosis pathway activation. An upregulation of p53 was observed, which in turn regulated the activation of caspase-3. Inhibition of proteolytic activity was accompanied by upregulation of the endogenous tissue inhibitor TIMP-2. Collectively, these data confirm the potential use of CA-IX inhibitors, and in particular SLC-0111 and AA-06-05, as agents to be further developed, alone or in combination with other conventional anticancer drugs.
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de Gooyer JM, Versleijen-Jonkers YMH, Hillebrandt-Roeffen MHS, Frielink C, Desar IME, de Wilt JHW, Flucke U, Rijpkema M. Immunohistochemical selection of biomarkers for tumor-targeted image-guided surgery of myxofibrosarcoma. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2915. [PMID: 32076024 PMCID: PMC7031512 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59735-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Myxofibrosarcoma(MFS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma(STS) in elderly patients. Surgical resection remains the main treatment modality but tumor borders can be difficult to delineate with conventional clinical methods. Incomplete resections are a common problem and local recurrence remains a clinical issue. A technique that has shown great potential in improving surgical treatment of solid tumors is tumor targeted imaging and image-guided surgery with near-infrared fluorescence. To facilitate this technique, it is essential to identify a biomarker that is highly and homogenously expressed on tumor cells, while being absent on healthy non-malignant tissue. The purpose of this study was to identify suitable molecular targets for tumor-targeted imaging of myxofibrosarcoma. Ten potential molecular targets for tumor targeted imaging were investigated with immunohistochemical analysis in myxofibrosarcoma tissue (n = 34). Results were quantified according to the immunoreactive score(IRS). Moderate expression rates were found for uPAR, PDGFRa and EMA/MUC1. High expression rates of VEGF and TEM1 were seen. Strong expression was most common for TEM1 (88.2%). These results confirms that TEM1 is a suitable target for tumor-targeted imaging of myxofibrosarcoma. Keywords Image-guided surgery; Immunohistochemistry; Molecular imaging; Myxofibrosarcoma; Soft tissue sarcoma; Tumor endothelial marker 1(TEM1), Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Marie de Gooyer
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. .,Department of Surgery, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | | | | | - Cathelijne Frielink
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ingrid M E Desar
- Department of Medical Oncology, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Johannes H W de Wilt
- Department of Surgery, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Uta Flucke
- Department of Pathology, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Mark Rijpkema
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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11
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Figiel S, Pasqualin C, Bery F, Maupoil V, Vandier C, Potier-Cartereau M, Domingo I, Guibon R, Bruyere F, Maheo K, Fromont G. Functional Organotypic Cultures of Prostate Tissues: A Relevant Preclinical Model that Preserves Hypoxia Sensitivity and Calcium Signaling. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2019; 189:1268-1275. [PMID: 30954471 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2019.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In prostate cancer research, there is a lack of valuable preclinical models. Tumor cell heterogeneity and sensitivity to microenvironment signals, such as hypoxia or extracellular calcium concentration, are difficult to reproduce. Here, we developed and characterized an ex vivo tissue culture model preserving these properties. Prostate tissue slices from 26 patients were maintained ex vivo under optimized culture conditions. The expression of markers associated with proliferation, androgen-receptor signaling, and hypoxia was assessed by immunostaining. A macroscope was used to achieve real-time calcium fluorescence optical imaging. Tissue morphology was maintained successfully without necrosis for 5 days. Compared with native tumors and tissue cultured with androgens, androgen deprivation in the medium led to decreased expression of both androgen receptor and its target gene products, prostate specific antigen (PSA) and ETS-related gene (ERG). Ex vivo cultured slices also were sensitive to hypoxia because carbonic anhydrase IX and zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (Zeb1) protein levels increased in 1% oxygen. Exposure of slices to supraphysiological extracellular Ca2+ concentration induced a robust and rapid Ca2+ entry, with a greater response in tumor compared with nontumor tissue. This ex vivo model reproduces the morphologic and functional characteristics of human prostate cancer, including sensitivity to androgen deprivation and induced response to hypoxia and extracellular Ca2+. It therefore could become an attractive tool for drug response prediction studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Roseline Guibon
- Inserm UMR U1069, Tours, France; Department of Pathology, CHU-Universite de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Franck Bruyere
- Department of Urology, CHU-Universite de Tours, Tours, France
| | | | - Gaelle Fromont
- Inserm UMR U1069, Tours, France; Department of Pathology, CHU-Universite de Tours, Tours, France.
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12
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Low HIF-1α and low EGFR mRNA Expression Significantly Associate with Poor Survival in Soft Tissue Sarcoma Patients; the Proteins React Differently. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19123842. [PMID: 30513863 PMCID: PMC6321736 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19123842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In various tumors, the hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and the epidermal growth factor-receptor (EGFR) have an impact on survival. Nevertheless, the prognostic impact of both markers for soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is not well studied. We examined 114 frozen tumor samples from adult soft tissue sarcoma patients and 19 frozen normal tissue samples. The mRNA levels of HIF-1α, EGFR, and the reference gene hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) were quantified using a multiplex qPCR technique. In addition, levels of EGFR or HIF-1α protein were determined from 74 corresponding protein samples using ELISA techniques. Our analysis showed that a low level of HIF-1α or EGFR mRNA (respectively, relative risk (RR) = 2.8; p = 0.001 and RR = 1.9; p = 0.04; multivariate Cox´s regression analysis) is significantly associated with a poor prognosis in STS patients. The combination of both mRNAs in a multivariate Cox’s regression analysis resulted in an increased risk of early tumor-specific death of patients (RR = 3.1, p = 0.003) when both mRNA levels in the tumors were low. The EGFR protein level had no association with the survival of the patient’s cohort studied, and a higher level of HIF-1α protein associated only with a trend to significance (multivariate Cox’s regression analysis) to a poor prognosis in STS patients (RR = 1.9, p = 0.09). However, patients with low levels of HIF-1α protein and a high content of EGFR protein in the tumor had a three-fold better survival compared to patients without such constellation regarding the protein level of HIF-1α and EGFR. In a bivariate two-sided Spearman’s rank correlation, a significant correlation between the expression of HIF-1α mRNA and expression of EGFR mRNA (p < 0.001) or EGFR protein (p = 0.001) was found, additionally, EGFR mRNA correlated with EGFR protein level (p < 0.001). Our results show that low levels of HIF-1α mRNA or EGFR mRNA are negative independent prognostic markers for STS patients, especially after combination of both parameters. The protein levels showed a different effect on the prognosis. In addition, our analysis suggests a possible association between HIF-1α and EGFR expression in STS.
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Liang Y, Wang W, Li J, Guan Y, Que Y, Xiao W, Zhang X, Zhou Z. Combined Use of the Neutrophil-Lymphocyte and Platelet-Lymphocyte Ratios as a Prognostic Predictor in Patients with Operable Soft Tissue Sarcoma. J Cancer 2018; 9:2132-2139. [PMID: 29937932 PMCID: PMC6010672 DOI: 10.7150/jca.24871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are associated with poor prognosis in soft tissue sarcoma (STS). The aim of the present study is to determine whether the combination of NLR and PLR (CNP) can better predict patient survival after resection for STS. Methods: We included 310 STS patients in this retrospective study. Preoperative CNP was calculated as follows: patients with both elevated NLR (>2.51) and PLR (>191.1) were given a score of 2; patients showing an increase in one or neither were allocated a score of 1 or 0, respectively. Results: Cut-off values of 2.51 and 191.1 were defined as elevated NLR and PLR, respectively. Elevated CNP was significantly associated with older age (P=0.034), larger tumor size (P=0.025), deeper tumor location (P=0.044), higher tumor grade (P=0.028), a more advanced stage according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) (P=0.005), shorter overall survival (OS) (P=0.000) and shorter disease-free survival (DFS) (P=0.000). Multivariate analysis indicated CNP but not NLR or PLR to be an independent prognostic factor for OS and DFS (P=0.000 and P=0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Preoperative CNP is associated with tumor progression and can be considered an independent marker of postoperative survival in patients with STS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Gastric Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Gastric Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Medical Melanoma and Sarcoma, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuanxiang Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Gastric Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi Que
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Medical Melanoma and Sarcoma, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Medical Melanoma and Sarcoma, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Medical Melanoma and Sarcoma, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiwei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Gastric Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
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Yang L, West CM. Hypoxia gene expression signatures as predictive biomarkers for personalising radiotherapy. Br J Radiol 2018. [PMID: 29513038 DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20180036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia is a generic micro-environmental factor of solid tumours. High levels of hypoxia lead to resistance to radiotherapy, which can be targeted by adding hypoxia-modifying therapy to improve clinical outcomes. Not all patients benefit from hypoxia-modifying therapy, and there is a need for biomarkers to enable progression to biologically personalised radiotherapy. Gene expression signatures are a relatively new category of biomarkers that can reflect tumour hypoxia. This article reviews the published hypoxia gene signatures, summarising their development and validation. The challenges of gene signature derivation and development, and advantages and disadvantages in comparison with other hypoxia biomarkers are also discussed. Current evidence supports investment in gene signatures as a promising hypoxia biomarker approach for clinical utility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingjian Yang
- Translational Radiobiology Group, Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Catharine Ml West
- Translational Radiobiology Group, Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
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