NFκB1 is a suppressor of neutrophil-driven hepatocellular carcinoma

Therapeutic potential of kakkatin derivatives against hepatocellular carcinoma

In this article, we commented on the work done by Jiang et al, where they synthesized a kakkatin derivative, 6-(hept-6-yn-1-yloxy)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-7-methoxy-4H-chromen-4-one (HK), and investigated its antitumor activities and mechanism in gastric cancer MGC803 and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) SMMC-7721 cells. HK was evaluated for its antitumor activity as compared to kakkatin and cisplatin. This article focused on various risk factors of HCC, the mechanism of HCC progression and molecular targets of the kakkatin derivative, and limitations of available treatment options. HCC is a predominant form of primary liver cancer characterized by the accumulation of multiple gene modifications, overexpression of protooncogenes, altered immune microenvironment, and infiltration by immune cells. Puerariae flos (PF) has been used in traditional medicine in China, Korea, and Japan for lung clearing, spleen awakening, and relieving alcohol hangovers. PF exerts antitumor activity by inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. PF induces apoptosis in alcoholic HCC via the estrogen-receptor 1-extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 signaling pathway. Kakkatin isolated from PF is known as a hepatoprotective bioflavonoid. The kakkatin derivative, HK, exhibited anticancer activity against HCC cell lines by inhibiting cell proliferation and upregulating nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1 and phosphodiesterase 3B. However, further preclinical and clinical studies are required to establish its therapeutic potential against HCC.

Current and emerging strategies for the prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma

Liver cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, with incident cases expected to rise from 905,700 in 2020 to 1.4 million by 2040. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for about 80% of all primary liver cancers. Viral hepatitis and chronic excessive alcohol consumption are major risk factors for HCC, but metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease is also becoming a dominant cause. The increasing numbers of cases of HCC and changes in risk factors highlight the urgent need for updated and targeted prevention strategies. Preventive interventions encompass strategies to decrease the burden of chronic liver diseases and their progression to HCC. These strategies include nutritional interventions and medications that have shown promise in preclinical models. Although prevailing approaches focus on treating chronic liver disease, leveraging a wider range of interventions represents a promising area to safeguard at-risk populations. In this Review, we explore existing evidence for preventive strategies by highlighting established and potential paths to reducing HCC risk effectively and safely, especially in individuals with chronic liver diseases. We categorize the preventive strategies by the mechanism of action, including anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycaemic, lipid-lowering, nutrition and dietary, antiviral, and antifibrotic pathways. For each category, we discuss the efficacy and safety information derived from mechanistic, translational, observational and clinical trial data, pinpointing knowledge gaps and directions for future research.

Exposomal determinants of non-genetic plasticity in tumor initiation

The classical view of cancer as a genetically driven disease has been challenged by recent findings of oncogenic mutations in phenotypically healthy tissues, refocusing attention on non-genetic mechanisms of tumor initiation. In this context, gene-environment interactions take the stage, with recent studies showing how they unleash and redirect cellular and tissue plasticity towards protumorigenic states in response to the exposome, the ensemble of environmental factors impinging on tissue homeostasis. We conceptualize tumor-initiating plasticity as a phenotype-transforming force acting at three levels: cell-intrinsic, focusing on mutant epithelial cells' responses to environmental variation; reprogramming of non-neoplastic cells of the host, leading to protumor micro- and macroenvironments; and microbiome ecosystem dynamics. This perspective highlights cell, tissue, and organismal plasticity mechanisms underlying tumor initiation that are shaped by the exposome, and how their functional investigation may provide new opportunities to prevent, detect, and intercept cancer-promoting plasticity.

Mendelian Randomization and Colocalization Analysis Reveal New Drug Targets for Oral Ulcer: A Mendelian Randomization Analysis

Background and Aims

Oral ulcer (OU) is a complex issue with limited effective treatments. This study uses multi-omics data through summary Mendelian randomization (SMR) and colocalization analysis to identify specific gene associations with OU, aiming to find new therapeutic targets, repurpose existing drugs, and develop new treatment options.

Methods

Our study consists of two phases: first, extracting data from Genome-Wide Association Studies and using blood mQTL, eQTL, and pQTL data as exposure factors, then integrating these with OU gene data through SMR analysis. Then, we validate the results with UK Biobank data and perform colocalization analysis to confirm shared genetic variants.

Results

Genetically predicted levels of four circulating proteins are associated with OU. Under strong supportive evidence from mQTL, eQTL, and pQTL, genetically predicted levels of NFKB1 are negatively correlated with the risk of OU. With moderate supportive evidence from mQTL and pQTL, genetically predicted levels of FAIM3 are negatively correlated with the risk of OU. Meanwhile, under low supportive evidence from eQTL and pQTL, higher genetically predicted levels of JUND and lower levels of IL12β are associated with a higher risk of OU.

Conclusion

SMR approach employed in this study has pinpointed several proteins with tangible associations to the risk of OU. NFKB1, FAIM3, JUND, and IL12β stand out as promising therapeutic targets for OU, beckoning further exploration and research.

SenNet recommendations for detecting senescent cells in different tissues

Once considered a tissue culture-specific phenomenon, cellular senescence has now been linked to various biological processes with both beneficial and detrimental roles in humans, rodents and other species. Much of our understanding of senescent cell biology still originates from tissue culture studies, where each cell in the culture is driven to an irreversible cell cycle arrest. By contrast, in tissues, these cells are relatively rare and difficult to characterize, and it is now established that fully differentiated, postmitotic cells can also acquire a senescence phenotype. The SenNet Biomarkers Working Group was formed to provide recommendations for the use of cellular senescence markers to identify and characterize senescent cells in tissues. Here, we provide recommendations for detecting senescent cells in different tissues based on a comprehensive analysis of existing literature reporting senescence markers in 14 tissues in mice and humans. We discuss some of the recent advances in detecting and characterizing cellular senescence, including molecular senescence signatures and morphological features, and the use of circulating markers. We aim for this work to be a valuable resource for both seasoned investigators in senescence-related studies and newcomers to the field.

Integrated Single Cell Analysis Reveals An Atlas of Tumor Associated Macrophages in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most prevalent cancers globally, is closely associated with tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), including monocyte-derived macrophages and liver-resident Kupffer cells. Understanding TAM heterogeneity at the cellular level is crucial for developing effective HCC prevention and treatment strategies. In this study, we conducted an integrated single-cell analysis of four cohorts (GSE140228, GSE125449, GSE149614 and GSE156625) to elucidate the TAM landscape in HCC. We identified 284 gene markers, termed Panmyeloid markers, that characterize myeloid cells within this context. Our analysis distinguished six clusters of monocyte-derived macrophages (Macro1-Macro6) and four clusters of Kupffer cells (Kupffer1-Kupffer4). Notably, CXCL10 + macrophages and MT1G + Kupffer cells, predominantly located within tumor tissues, exhibited distinct functional characteristics relevant to HCC. We also explored cellular communication between TAMs and T cells, uncovering potential signaling pathways such as the CXCL10/CXCL11-CXCR3 and CXCL12-CXCR4 networks. These findings enhance our understanding of TAMs in HCC and open new avenues for targeted therapeutic interventions.

Drivergene.net: A Cytoscape app for the identification of driver nodes of large-scale complex networks and case studies in discovery of drug target genes

There are no tools to identify driver nodes of large-scale networks in approach of competition-based controllability. This study proposed a novel method for this computation of large-scale networks. It implemented the method in a new Cytoscape plug-in app called Drivergene.net. Experiments of the software on large-scale biomolecular networks have shown outstanding speed and computing power. Interestingly, 86.67% of the top 10 driver nodes found on these networks are anticancer drug target genes that reside mostly at the innermost K-cores of the networks. Finally, compared method with those of five other researchers and confirmed that the proposed method outperforms the other methods on identification of anticancer drug target genes. Taken together, Drivergene.net is a reliable tool that efficiently detects not only drug target genes from biomolecular networks but also driver nodes of large-scale complex networks. Drivergene.net with a user manual and example datasets are available https://github.com/tinhpd/Drivergene.git.

Aging induces changes in cancer formation and microbial content in a murine model of bladder cancer

Bladder cancer (BCa) incidence is tightly linked to aging. Older patients with BCa present with higher grade tumors and have worse outcomes on Bacillus-Calmette-Guerin (BCG) immunotherapy. Aging is also known to result in changes in the gut microbiome over mammalian lifespan, with recent studies linking alterations in the gut microbiome to changes in tumor immunity. There is limited information on the microbiome in BCa models though, despite known links to aging and immunotherapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how aging impacts tumor formation, inflammation, and the microbiome of mice given the model BCa carcinogen N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (BBN). We hypothesized old animals would have larger, more inflamed tumors and a shift in their fecal microbiome compared to their younger counterparts. Young (~8-week-old) or old (~78-week-old) C57Bl/6J animals were administered 0.05% BBN in drinking water for 16 weeks and then euthanized or allowed to progress for an additional 4 weeks. After 16 weeks of BBN, old mice had higher bladder to body weight ratio than young mice, and also muscle invasive tumors, which were not seen in their young counterparts. Old animals also had increased innate immune recruitment, but CD4+/CD8+ T cell recruitment did not appear different. BBN dramatically altered the microbiome in both sets of animals as measured by ß-diversity, including changes in multiple genera of bacteria. These data suggest old mice have a differential response to BBN-induced BCa. Given the median age of patients with BCa, understanding how the aged phenotype interacts with BCa is imperative.

Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis Detected by Neutrophilic Crown-Like Structures in Morbidly Obese Patients: A Multicenter and Clinicopathological Study

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is the progressive form of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and closely associated with a high risk of liver-related morbidity and mortality. Although enhanced neutrophil infiltration of the liver is a histological hallmark of MASH, the morphological pattern of hepatic neutrophils and their relevance to the definition of MASH remain unknown. This clinicopathological study aimed to determine the association of neutrophilic crown-like structures (CLSs) in liver biopsies and evaluate their relevance to the histological diagnosis of MASH. A total of 483 morbidly obese adults who underwent bariatric surgery were recruited. Neutrophilic CLSs in liver biopsies were detected by immunohistochemistry for neutrophil elastase and proteinase 3. All participants were classified into 4 histological subgroups: no MASLD (118, 24.4%), MASLD (76, 15.7%), borderline MASH (185, 38.3%), and definite MASH (104, 21.5%). In the discovery cohort (n = 379), the frequency of neutrophilic CLSs increased in line with the severity of liver disease. The number of neutrophilic CLSs was positively correlated with established histological characteristics of MASH. At a cutoff value of <0.3 per 20× microscopic field, the number of neutrophilic CLSs yielded a robust diagnostic accuracy to discriminate no MASLD and MASLD from borderline MASH and definite MASH; a cutoff at >1.3 per 20× microscopic field exhibited a statistically significant accuracy to distinguish definite MASH from other groups (no MASLD, MASLD, and borderline MASH). The significance of neutrophilic CLSs in identifying borderline MASH and definite MASH was confirmed in an external validation cohort (n = 104). The frequency of neutrophilic CLSs was significantly higher than that of macrophagic CLSs. In conclusion, neutrophilic CLSs in the liver represent a typical histological characteristic of MASH and may serve as a promising indicator to improve the diagnostic accuracy of MASH during histological assessment of liver biopsies.

Engineering and Targeting Neutrophils for Cancer Therapy

Neutrophils are the most abundant white blood cells in the circulation and act as the first line of defense against infections. Increasing evidence suggests that neutrophils possess heterogeneous phenotypes and functional plasticity in human health and diseases, including cancer. Neutrophils play multifaceted roles in cancer development and progression, and an N1/N2 paradigm of neutrophils in cancer is proposed, where N1 neutrophils exert anti-tumor properties while N2 neutrophils display tumor-supportive and immune-suppressive functions. Selective activation of beneficial neutrophil population and targeted inhibition or re-polarization of tumor-promoting neutrophils has shown an important potential in tumor therapy. In addition, due to the natural inflammation-responsive and physical barrier-crossing abilities, neutrophils and their derivatives (membranes and extracellular vesicles (EVs)) are regarded as advanced drug delivery carriers for enhanced tumor targeting and improved therapeutic efficacy. In this review, the recent advances in engineering neutrophils for drug delivery and targeting neutrophils for remodeling tumor microenvironment (TME) are comprehensively presented. This review will provide a broad understanding of the potential of neutrophils in cancer therapy.

Engineered Nanomaterials for Tumor Immune Microenvironment Modulation in Cancer Immunotherapy

Tumor immunotherapy, represented by immune checkpoint blocking and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, has achieved promising results in clinical applications. However, it faces challenges that hinder its further development, such as limited response rates and poor tumor permeability. The efficiency of tumor immunotherapy is also closely linked to the structure and function of the immune microenvironment where the tumor resides. Recently, nanoparticle-based tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) modulation strategies have attracted a great deal of attention in cancer immunotherapy. This is primarily due to the distinctive physical characteristics of nanoparticles, which enable them to effectively infiltrate the TIME and selectively modulate its key constituents. This paper reviews recent advances in nanoparticle engineering to improve anti-cancer immunotherapy. Emerging nanoparticle-based approaches for modulating immune cells, tumor stroma, cytokines and immune checkpoints are discussed, aiming to overcome current challenges in the clinic. In addition, integrating immunotherapy with various treatment modalities such as chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy can be facilitated through the utilization of nanoparticles, thereby enhancing the efficacy of cancer treatment. The future challenges and opportunities of using nanomaterials to reeducate the suppressive immune microenvironment of tumors are also discussed, with the aim of anticipating further advancements in this growing field.

Roles of reactive oxygen species in inflammation and cancer

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) constitute a spectrum of oxygenic metabolites crucial in modulating pathological organism functions. Disruptions in ROS equilibrium span various diseases, and current insights suggest a dual role for ROS in tumorigenesis and the immune response within cancer. This review rigorously examines ROS production and its role in normal cells, elucidating the subsequent regulatory network in inflammation and cancer. Comprehensive synthesis details the documented impacts of ROS on diverse immune cells. Exploring the intricate relationship between ROS and cancer immunity, we highlight its influence on existing immunotherapies, including immune checkpoint blockade, chimeric antigen receptors, and cancer vaccines. Additionally, we underscore the promising prospects of utilizing ROS and targeting ROS modulators as novel immunotherapeutic interventions for cancer. This review discusses the complex interplay between ROS, inflammation, and tumorigenesis, emphasizing the multifaceted functions of ROS in both physiological and pathological conditions. It also underscores the potential implications of ROS in cancer immunotherapy and suggests future research directions, including the development of targeted therapies and precision oncology approaches. In summary, this review emphasizes the significance of understanding ROS-mediated mechanisms for advancing cancer therapy and developing personalized treatments.

Dynamic network biomarker C1QTNF1 regulates tumor formation at the tipping point of hepatocellular carcinoma

Identifying the precise moment before the onset of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a significant challenge in the medical field. The existing biomarkers fall short of pinpointing the critical point preceding HCC formation. This study aimed to determine the exact tipping point for the transition from cirrhosis to HCC, identify the core Dynamic Network Biomarker (DNB), and elucidate its regulatory effects on HCC. A spontaneous HCC mouse model was established to mimic HCC formation in patients with chronic hepatitis. Using the DNB method, C1q and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) related 1 (C1QTNF1) protein was identified as the key DNB at the crucial tipping time of spontaneous HCC development. Both in vitro and in vivo studies showed that C1QTNF1 could inhibit tumor growth. Overexpression of C1QTNF1 before the tipping point effectively prevented HCC occurrence. Patients with elevated C1QTNF1 expression demonstrated improved overall survival (OS) (P = 0.03) and disease-free survival (DFS) (P = 0.03). The diagnostic value of C1QTNF1 was comparable to that of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.84; sensitivity 85%; specificity 80%). Furthermore, our research indicated that platelet-expressed C1QTNF1 is involved in cancer-associated signaling pathways. Our findings introduce a novel perspective by highlighting C1QTNF1 as the pivotal biomarker at the tipping point of primary HCC formation using DNB. We propose C1QTNF1 as a prognostic biomarker for HCC, potentially influencing tumor development through a platelet-related cancer signaling pathway.

Diethylnitrosamine Induction of Hepatocarcinogenesis in Mice

Diethylnitrosamine (DEN) is a chemical hepatocarcinogenic agent that triggers a large array of oncogenic mutations after a single injection. Initiated hepatocytes subsequently undergo clonal expansion within a proliferative environment, rendering the DEN model a comprehensive carcinogen. In rodent studies, DEN finds extensive utility in experimental liver cancer research, mimicking several aspects of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), including angiogenesis, metabolic reprogramming, immune exhaustion, and the ability to metastasize. Beyond the wealth of scientific insights gleaned from this model, the objective of this chapter is to review morphological, genomic, and immunological characteristics associated to DEN-induced HCC. Furthermore, this chapter provides a detailed procedural guide to effectively induce hepatocarcinogenesis in mice through a single intraperitoneal injection of DEN.

Construction and validation of a novel prognostic model of neutrophil‑related genes signature of lung adenocarcinoma

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains an incurable disease with a poor prognosis. This study aimed to explore neutrophil‑related genes (NRGs) and develop a prognostic signature for predicting the prognosis of LUAD. NRGs were obtained by intersecting modular genes identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) using bulk RNA-seq data and the marker genes of neutrophils identified from single-cell RNA-sequencing(scRNA-seq) data. Univariate Cox regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and multivariate Cox analyses were run to construct a prognostic signature, follow by delineation of risk groups, and external validation. Analyses of ESTIMAT, immune function, Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) scores, Immune cell Proportion Score (IPS), and immune checkpoint genes between high- and low-risk groups were performed, and then analyses of drug sensitivity to screen for sensitive anticancer drugs in high-risk groups. A total of 45 candidate NRGs were identified, of which PLTP, EREG, CD68, CD69, PLAUR, and CYP27A1 were considered to be significantly associated with prognosis in LUAD and were used to construct a prognostic signature. Correlation analysis showed significant differences in the immune landscape between high- and low-risk groups. In addition, our prognostic signature was important for predicting drug sensitivity in the high-risk group. Our study screened for NRGs in LUAD and constructed a novel and effective signature, revealing the immune landscape and providing more appropriate guidance protocols in LUAD treatment.

c-Rel-dependent Chk2 signaling regulates the DNA damage response limiting hepatocarcinogenesis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death. The NF-κB transcription factor family subunit c-Rel is typically protumorigenic; however, it has recently been reported as a tumor suppressor. Here, we investigated the role of c-Rel in HCC.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

Histological and transcriptional studies confirmed expression of c-Rel in human patients with HCC, but low c-Rel expression correlated with increased tumor cell proliferation and mutational burden and was associated with advanced disease. In vivo , global ( Rel-/- ) and epithelial specific ( RelAlb ) c-Rel knockout mice develop more tumors, with a higher proliferative rate and increased DNA damage, than wild-type (WT) controls 30 weeks after N-diethylnitrosamine injury. However, tumor burden was comparable when c-Rel was deleted in hepatocytes once tumors were established, suggesting c-Rel signaling is important for preventing HCC initiation after genotoxic injury, rather than for HCC progression. In vitro , Rel-/- hepatocytes were more susceptible to genotoxic injury than WT controls. ATM-CHK2 DNA damage response pathway proteins were suppressed in Rel-/- hepatocytes following genotoxic injury, suggesting that c-Rel is required for effective DNA repair. To determine if c-Rel inhibition sensitizes cancer cells to chemotherapy, by preventing repair of chemotherapy-induced DNA damage, thus increasing tumor cell death, we administered single or combination doxorubicin and IT-603 (c-Rel inhibitor) therapy in an orthotopic HCC model. Indeed, combination therapy was more efficacious than doxorubicin alone.

CONCLUSION

Hepatocyte c-Rel signaling limits genotoxic injury and subsequent HCC burden. Inhibiting c-Rel as an adjuvant therapy increased the effectiveness of DNA damaging agents and reduced HCC growth.

Harnessing neutrophil plasticity for HCC immunotherapy

Neutrophils, until recently, have typically been considered a homogeneous population of terminally differentiated cells with highly conserved functions in homeostasis and disease. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), tumour-associated neutrophils (TANs) are predominantly thought to play a pro-tumour role, promoting all aspects of HCC development and progression. Recent developments in single-cell technologies are now providing a greater insight and appreciation for the level of cellular heterogeneity displayed by TANs in the HCC tumour microenvironment, which we have been able to correlate with other TAN signatures in datasets for gastric cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). TANs with classical pro-tumour signatures have been identified as well as neutrophils primed for anti-tumour functions that, if activated and expanded, could become a potential therapeutic approach. In recent years, therapeutic targeting of neutrophils in HCC has been typically focused on impairing the recruitment of pro-tumour neutrophils. This has now been coupled with immune checkpoint blockade with the aim to stimulate lymphocyte-mediated anti-tumour immunity whilst impairing neutrophil-mediated immunosuppression. As a result, neutrophil-directed therapies are now entering clinical trials for HCC. Pharmacological targeting along with ex vivo reprogramming of neutrophils in HCC patients is, however, in its infancy and a greater understanding of neutrophil heterogeneity, with a view to exploit it, may pave the way for improved immunotherapy outcomes. This review will cover the recent developments in our understanding of neutrophil heterogeneity in HCC and how neutrophils can be harnessed to improve HCC immunotherapy.

New-Onset Age of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Cancer Risk

Importance

The onset age of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is decreasing, and whether earlier ages of NAFLD onset are associated with increased cancer risk is currently unclear.

Objective

To explore the association between NAFLD new-onset age and cancer risk.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study was conducted among 179 328 participants included in the Kailuan Cohort Study between 2006 and 2021. In total, 46 100 incident NAFLD cases were identified. For each case, a participant matched by age (older or younger by 1 year) and sex was randomly selected to create a new matched study cohort. Data were analyzed from December 2022 through April 2023.

Exposure

Onset of NAFLD.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The association between the onset age of NAFLD and the risk of different cancer types was evaluated using weighted Cox regression models. Population-attributable fractions (PAFs) were used to quantify the association of NAFLD with cancer risk at different ages.

Results

Among 63 696 participants (mean [SD] age, 51.37 [12.43] years; ‭10 932 females [17.2%] and ‭52 764 males [82.8%]), 31 848 individuals had NAFLD and 31 848 individuals were in the control group. During a median (IQR) follow-up of 10.16 (7.89-11.67) years, 2415 patients were diagnosed with cancer. Compared with the matched group, patients aged less than 45 years at NAFLD onset exhibited a higher risk of cancer (average hazard ratio [AHR], 1.52; 95% CI, 1.09-2.12), and as the onset age of NAFLD increased, the cancer risk decreased (ages 45-54 years: AHR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.15-1.97; ages 55-64 years: AHR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.97-1.33; ages >65 years: AHR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.45-1.27; P for interaction < .001). Among patients aged less than 45 years at NAFLD onset, cancers were mainly digestive system and lung cancers, with AHR values of 2.00 (95% CI, 1.08-3.47) and 2.14 (95% CI, 1.05-4.36), respectively. PAFs also showed that in patients aged less than 45 years at NAFLD onset, 17.83% (95% CI, 4.92%-29.86%) of cancer risk was attributable to NAFLD.‬‬‬‬.

Conclusions and Relevance

This study found that NAFLD was associated with increased cancer risk and there was an interaction with onset age, such that the younger the onset age of NAFLD, the greater the cancer risk.

The Clinical Significance and Role of CXCL1 Chemokine in Gastrointestinal Cancers

One area of cancer research is the interaction between cancer cells and immune cells, in which chemokines play a vital role. Despite this, a comprehensive summary of the involvement of C-X-C motif ligand 1 (CXCL1) chemokine (also known as growth-regulated gene-α (GRO-α), melanoma growth-stimulatory activity (MGSA)) in cancer processes is lacking. To address this gap, this review provides a detailed analysis of CXCL1's role in gastrointestinal cancers, including head and neck cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)), cholangiocarcinoma, pancreatic cancer (pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma), and colorectal cancer (colon cancer and rectal cancer). This paper presents the impact of CXCL1 on various molecular cancer processes, such as cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, lymph node metastasis, angiogenesis, recruitment to the tumor microenvironment, and its effect on immune system cells, such as tumor-associated neutrophils (TAN), regulatory T (T_reg) cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and macrophages. Furthermore, this review discusses the association of CXCL1 with clinical aspects of gastrointestinal cancers, including its correlation with tumor size, cancer grade, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, and patient prognosis. This paper concludes by exploring CXCL1's potential as a therapeutic target in anticancer therapy.

Comparative Analysis of Active Ingredients and Potential Bioactivities of Essential Oils from Artemisia argyi and A. verlotorum

Artemisia argyi H. Lév. and Vaniot is a variety of Chinese mugwort widely cultured in central China. A. verlotorum Lamotte, another variety of Chinese mugwort, has been used in the southern region of China since ancient times. Despite their similar uses in traditional medicine, little is known about the differences in their active ingredients and potential benefits. Herein, the chemical compositions of the essential oils (EOs) from both varieties were analyzed using chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A series of databases, such as the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database (TCMSP), SuperPred database and R tool, were applied to build a networking of the EOs. Our results revealed significant differences in the chemical compositions of the two Artemisia EOs. However, we found that they shared similar ingredient-target-pathway networking with diverse bioactivities, such as neuroprotective, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory. Furthermore, our protein connection networking analysis showed that transcription factor p65 (RELA), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit alpha (PIK3R1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) are crucial for the biological activity of Artemisia EOs. Our findings provided evidence for the use of A. verlotorum as Chinese mugwort in southern China.

Predictive Biomarkers for Immune-Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment Response in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has one of the highest mortality rates among solid cancers. Late diagnosis and a lack of efficacious treatment options contribute to the dismal prognosis of HCC. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based immunotherapy has presented a new milestone in the treatment of cancer. Immunotherapy has yielded remarkable treatment responses in a range of cancer types including HCC. Based on the therapeutic effect of ICI alone (programmed cell death (PD)-1/programmed death-ligand1 (PD-L)1 antibody), investigators have developed combined ICI therapies including ICI + ICI, ICI + tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), and ICI + locoregional treatment or novel immunotherapy. Although these regimens have demonstrated increasing treatment efficacy with the addition of novel drugs, the development of biomarkers to predict toxicity and treatment response in patients receiving ICI is in urgent need. PD-L1 expression in tumor cells received the most attention in early studies among various predictive biomarkers. However, PD-L1 expression alone has limited utility as a predictive biomarker in HCC. Accordingly, subsequent studies have evaluated the utility of tumor mutational burden (TMB), gene signatures, and multiplex immunohistochemistry (IHC) as predictive biomarkers. In this review, we aim to discuss the current state of immunotherapy for HCC, the results of the predictive biomarker studies, and future direction.

A Meta-Analysis of Preclinical Studies to Investigate the Effect of Panax ginseng on Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) has become a major global concern, but the development of effective drugs remains a challenge despite numerous preclinical and clinical pieces of research on the effects of natural compounds. To address this, a meta-analysis was conducted on the efficacy of Panax ginseng for ALD based on preclinical studies. We identified 18 relevant studies from PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library database and evaluated their methodological quality using the Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory animal Experimentation tool. We analyzed the data using I2, p-values, and fixed effects models to assess overall efficacy and heterogeneity. The results of the meta-analysis suggested that Panax ginseng treatment is effective in reducing the levels of inflammatory markers associated with hepatic injury caused by ALD in animal experiments. Additionally, the administration of Panax ginseng was found to down-regulate inflammatory cytokines and attenuate lipid metabolism in ALD. Moreover, Panax ginseng markedly improved the antioxidant systems in ALD. Therefore, we concluded that Panax ginseng has the potential to be a promising therapeutic agent for ALD. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and to determine the optimal dosage and duration of treatment for patients with ALD.

The hTERT-p50 homodimer inhibits PLEKHA7 expression to promote gastric cancer invasion and metastasis

Although accumulating evidence has highlighted the molecular mechanisms by which hTERT promotes tumour cell invasion and metastasis, the molecular mechanisms of the properties enabling hTERT to contribute to invasion and metastasis have not been clearly illustrated. Here, we report that hTERT promotes gastric cancer invasion and metastasis by recruiting p50 to synergistically inhibit PLEKHA7 expression. We observed that the expression of PLEKHA7 in gastric cancer was significantly negatively associated with the TNM stage and lymphatic metastasis and that decreased PLEKHA7 expression dramatically increased invasion and metastasis in gastric cancer cells. Further mechanistic research showed that hTERT directly regulates PLEKHA7 expression by binding p50 and recruiting the hTERT/p50 complex to the PLEKHA7 promoter. Increased hTERT dramatically decreased PLEKHA7 expression and promoted invasion and metastasis in gastric cancer cells. The hTERT-mediated invasion/metastasis properties at least partially depended on PLEKHA7. Our work uncovers a novel molecular mechanism underlying invasion/metastasis in gastric cancer orchestrated by hTERT and p50.

Hypoxic microenvironment in cancer: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic interventions

Having a hypoxic microenvironment is a common and salient feature of most solid tumors. Hypoxia has a profound effect on the biological behavior and malignant phenotype of cancer cells, mediates the effects of cancer chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy through complex mechanisms, and is closely associated with poor prognosis in various cancer patients. Accumulating studies have demonstrated that through normalization of the tumor vasculature, nanoparticle carriers and biocarriers can effectively increase the oxygen concentration in the tumor microenvironment, improve drug delivery and the efficacy of radiotherapy. They also increase infiltration of innate and adaptive anti-tumor immune cells to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy. Furthermore, drugs targeting key genes associated with hypoxia, including hypoxia tracers, hypoxia-activated prodrugs, and drugs targeting hypoxia-inducible factors and downstream targets, can be used for visualization and quantitative analysis of tumor hypoxia and antitumor activity. However, the relationship between hypoxia and cancer is an area of research that requires further exploration. Here, we investigated the potential factors in the development of hypoxia in cancer, changes in signaling pathways that occur in cancer cells to adapt to hypoxic environments, the mechanisms of hypoxia-induced cancer immune tolerance, chemotherapeutic tolerance, and enhanced radiation tolerance, as well as the insights and applications of hypoxia in cancer therapy.

Human VH-based chimeric antigen receptor T cells targeting glypican 3 eliminate tumors in preclinical models of HCC

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells for treating solid tumors, including HCC, remains a challenge. Nanobodies are emerging building blocks of CAR T cells due to their small size and high expression. Membrane proximal sites have been shown as attractive epitopes of CAR T cells. However, current CAR formats are not tailored toward nanobodies or targeting membrane distal epitopes.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

Using hYP7 Fv (membrane proximal) and HN3 VH nanobody (membrane distal) as GPC3 targeting elements, we sought to determine how hinges and transmembrane portions of varying structures and sizes affect CAR T-cell function. We generated multiple permutations of CAR T cells containing CD8, CD28, IgG4, and Fc domains. We show that engineered HN3 CAR T cells can be improved by 2 independent, synergistic changes in the hinge and transmembrane domains. The T cells expressing the HN3 CAR which contains the hinge region of IgG4 and the CD28 transmembrane domain (HN3-IgG4H-CD28TM) exhibited high cytotoxic activity and caused complete HCC tumor eradication in immunodeficient mice. HN3-IgG4H-CD28TM CAR T cells were enriched for cytotoxic-memory CD8+ T cells and NFAT signals, and reduced β catenin levels in HCC cells.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that altering the hinge and transmembrane domains of a nanobody-based CAR targeting a distal GPC3 epitope, in contrast to a membrane proximal epitope, lead to robust T-cell signaling and induce swift and durable eradication of HCC tumors.

Inflammatory processes involved in NASH-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In the recent years nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming a growing cause of HCCs and the incidence of NAFLD-related HCCs is expected to further dramatically increase by the next decade. Chronic inflammation is regarded as the driving force of NAFLD progression and a key factor in hepatic carcinogenesis. Hepatic inflammation in NAFLD results from the persistent stimulation of innate immunity in response to hepatocellular injury and gut dysbiosis as well as by the activation of adaptive immunity. However, the relative roles of innate and adaptive immunity in the processes leading to HCC are still incompletely characterized. This is due to the complex interplay between different liver cell populations, which is also strongly influenced by gut-derived bacterial products, metabolic/nutritional signals. Furthermore, carcinogenic mechanisms in NAFLD/NASH appear to involve the activation of signals mediated by hypoxia inducible factors. This review discusses recent data regarding the contribution of different inflammatory cells to NAFLD-related HCC and their possible impact on patient response to current treatments.

The prognostic significance of tumor-associated neutrophils and circulating neutrophils in glioblastoma (WHO CNS5 classification)

BACKGROUND

Tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) in the tumor microenvironment are prognostic biomarkers in many malignancies. However, it is unclear whether TANs can serve as a prognostic marker for clinical outcomes in patients with glioblastoma (GBM), as classified according to World Health Organization Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System, fifth edition (CNS5). In the present study, we analyzed correlations of TANs and peripheral blood neutrophils prior to radiotherapy with overall survival (OS) in GBM (CNS5).

METHODS

RNA-seq expression profiles of patients with newly diagnosed GBM (CNS5) were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and The Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA). TAN infiltration was inferred using CIBERSORTx algorithm. Neutrophil counts prior to radiotherapy in newly diagnosed GBM (CNS5) were obtained from the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. The prognostic value of TANs and peripheral blood neutrophils before radiotherapy was investigated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards models. The robustness of these findings was evaluated by sensitivity analysis, and E values were calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 146 and 173 individuals with GBM (CNS5) were identified from the TCGA and CGGA cohorts, respectively. High infiltration of TANs was of prognostic of poor OS in TCGA (HR = 1.621, 95% CI: 1.004-2.619) and CGGA (HR = 1.546, 95% CI: 1.029-2.323). Levels of peripheral blood neutrophils before radiotherapy (HR = 2.073, 95% CI: 1.077-3.990) were independently associated with poor prognosis. Sensitivity analysis determined that the E-value of high TANs infiltration was 2.140 and 2.465 in the TCGA and CGGA cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

TANs and peripheral blood neutrophil levels before radiotherapy are prognostic of poor outcomes in GBM (CNS5).

Anti-Cholestatic Therapy with Obeticholic Acid Improves Short-Term Memory in Bile Duct-Ligated Mice

Patients with cholestatic liver disease, including those with primary biliary cholangitis, can experience symptoms of impaired cognition or brain fog. This phenomenon remains unexplained and is currently untreatable. Bile duct ligation (BDL) is an established rodent model of cholestasis. In addition to liver changes, BDL animals develop cognitive symptoms early in the disease process (before development of cirrhosis and/or liver failure). The cellular mechanisms underpinning these cognitive symptoms are poorly understood. Herein, the study explored the neurocognitive symptom manifestations, and tested potential therapies, in BDL mice, and used human neuronal cell cultures to explore translatability to humans. BDL animals exhibited short-term memory loss and showed reduced astrocyte coverage of the blood-brain barrier, destabilized hippocampal network activity, and neuronal senescence. Ursodeoxycholic acid (first-line therapy for most human cholestatic diseases) did not reverse symptomatic or mechanistic aspects. In contrast, obeticholic acid (OCA), a farnesoid X receptor agonist and second-line anti-cholestatic agent, normalized memory function, suppressed blood-brain barrier changes, prevented hippocampal network deficits, and reversed neuronal senescence. Co-culture of human neuronal cells with either BDL or human cholestatic patient serum induced cellular senescence and increased mitochondrial respiration, changes that were limited again by OCA. These findings provide new insights into the mechanism of cognitive symptoms in BDL animals, suggesting that OCA therapy or farnesoid X receptor agonism could be used to limit cholestasis-induced neuronal senescence.

The Tumor Microenvironment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Untying an Intricate Immunological Network

HCC, the most prevalent form of primary liver cancer, is prototypically an inflammation-driven cancer developing after years of inflammatory insults. Consequently, the hepatic microenvironment is a site of complex immunological activities. Moreover, the tolerogenic nature of the liver can act as a barrier to anti-tumor immunity, fostering cancer progression and resistance to immunotherapies based on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICB). In addition to being a site of primary carcinogenesis, many cancer types have high tropism for the liver, and patients diagnosed with liver metastasis have a dismal prognosis. Therefore, understanding the immunological networks characterizing the tumor microenvironment (TME) of HCC will deepen our understanding of liver immunity, and it will underpin the dominant mechanisms controlling both spontaneous and therapy-induced anti-tumor immune responses. Herein, we discuss the contributions of the cellular and molecular components of the liver immune contexture during HCC onset and progression by underscoring how the balance between antagonistic immune responses can recast the properties of the TME and the response to ICB.

N1 versus N2 and PMN-MDSC: A critical appraisal of current concepts on tumor-associated neutrophils and new directions for human oncology

Research on tumor-associated neutrophils (TAN) currently surges because of the well-documented strong clinical relevance of tumor-infiltrating neutrophils. This relevance is illustrated by strong correlations between high frequencies of intratumoral neutrophils and poor outcome in the majority of human cancers. Recent high-dimensional analysis of murine neutrophils provides evidence for unexpected plasticity of neutrophils in murine models of cancer and other inflammatory non-malignant diseases. New analysis tools enable deeper insight into the process of neutrophil differentiation and maturation. These technological and scientific developments led to the description of an ever-increasing number of distinct transcriptional states and associated phenotypes in murine models of disease and more recently also in humans. At present, functional validation of these different transcriptional states and potential phenotypes in cancer is lacking. Current functional concepts on neutrophils in cancer rely mainly on the myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) concept and the dichotomous and simple N1-N2 paradigm. In this manuscript, we review the historic development of those concepts, critically evaluate these concepts against the background of our own work and provide suggestions for a refinement of current concepts in order to facilitate the transition of TAN research from experimental insight to clinical translation.

Circulating Cytokines Reflect the Etiology-Specific Immune Environment in Cirrhosis and HCC

Background and Aims: Chronic liver disease—from any etiology—can progress to fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The progression of liver cirrhosis to the end stages of disease is influenced by a variety of factors, including inflammatory cytokines. We pursued a study of cytokine-mediated inflammatory responses in hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients with liver cirrhosis. Methods: Immune profiles were determined through the serum multiplex profiling of >100 cytokines in a 188 cirrhotic patients, 35 healthy controls and 196 early-stage HCC patients. Results: Patients with liver cirrhosis exhibited a vast upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines (p < 0.0001), including those with pro-oncogenic features, when compared to healthy individuals. In contrast to prevailing assumptions, each etiological cause of cirrhosis exhibited a unique cytokine profile in blood. Regardless of antiviral therapy, HBV cirrhosis patients had the largest number of upregulated proinflammatory mediators, compared to HCV, ALD and NAFLD (p < 0.0001). To further evaluate the etiology-dependent modulation of cytokine response in relation to liver cancer, we studied cytokine profiles in early-stage HCC patients strictly stratified by underlying liver disease. We observed unique sets of differentially expressed cytokines in each cohort of early-stage HCC patients of different cirrhosis etiologies. Conclusions: Our findings, therefore, underscore the importance of stratification by the etiological cause of liver cirrhosis in immune-based studies.

C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1 induced by Hedgehog signaling promotes mouse extrahepatic bile duct repair after acute injury

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

In extrahepatic bile duct (EHBD) cholangiopathies, including primary sclerosing cholangitis, a reactive cholangiocyte phenotype is associated with inflammation and epithelial hyperproliferation. The signaling pathways involved in EHBD injury response are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the role of Hedgehog (HH) signaling and its downstream effectors in controlling biliary proliferation and inflammation after EHBD injury.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

Using mouse bile duct ligation as an acute EHBD injury model, we used inhibitory paradigms to uncover mechanisms promoting the proliferative response. HH signaling was inhibited genetically in Gli1-/- mice or by treating wild-type mice with LDE225. The role of neutrophils was tested using chemical (SB225002) and biological (lymphocyte antigen 6 complex locus G6D [Ly6G] antibodies) inhibitors of neutrophil recruitment. The cellular response was defined through morphometric quantification of proliferating cells and CD45+ and Ly6G+ immune cell populations. Key signaling component expression was measured and localized to specific EHBD cellular compartments by in situ hybridization, reporter strain analysis, and immunohistochemistry. Epithelial cell proliferation peaked 24 h after EHBD injury, preceded stromal cell proliferation, and was associated with neutrophil influx. Indian HH ligand expression in the biliary epithelium rapidly increased after injury. HH-responding cells and neutrophil chemoattractant C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1) expression mapped to EHBD stromal cells. Inhibition of HH signaling blocked CXCL1 induction, diminishing neutrophil recruitment and the biliary proliferative response to injury. Directly targeting neutrophils by inhibition of the CXCL1/C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 2/Ly6G signaling axis also decreased biliary proliferation.

CONCLUSIONS

HH-regulated CXCL1 orchestrates the early inflammatory response and biliary proliferation after EHBD injury through complex cellular crosstalk.

Circular RNA hsa_circ_0062682 Binds to YBX1 and Promotes Oncogenesis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been shown to play an important role in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). By implementing available transcriptomic analyses of HCC patients, we identified an upregulated circRNA hsa_circ_0062682. Stable perturbations of hsa_circ_0062682 in Huh-7 and SNU-449 cell lines influenced colony formation, migration, cell proliferation, sorafenib sensitivity, and additionally induced morphological changes in cell lines, indicating an important role of hsa_circ_0062682 in oncogenesis. Pathway enrichment analysis and gene set enrichment analysis of the transcriptome data from hsa_circ_0062682 knockdown explained the observed phenotypes and exposed transcription factors E2F1, Sp1, HIF-1α, and NFκB1 as potential downstream targets. Biotinylated oligonucleotide pulldown combined with proteomic analyses identified protein interaction partners of which YBX1, a known oncogene, was confirmed by RNA immunoprecipitation. Furthermore, we discovered a complex cell-type-specific phenotype in response to the oncogenic potential of hsa_circ_0062682. This finding is in line with different classes of HCC tumours, and more studies are needed to shed a light on the molecular complexity of liver cancer.

Bladder cancer, inflammageing and microbiomes

Ageing is correlated with elevated bladder cancer incidence, morbidity and mortality. Advanced age is also associated with elevated markers of chronic inflammation and perturbations in gut and urinary tract microbiota. One reason for the increased incidence and mortality of bladder cancer in the elderly might be that age-associated changes in multiple microbiomes induce systemic metabolic changes that contribute to immune dysregulation with potentially tumorigenic effects. The gut and urinary microbiomes could be dysregulated in bladder cancer, although the effect of these changes is poorly understood. Each of these domains - the immune system, gut microbiome and urinary microbiome - might also influence the response of patients with bladder cancer to treatment. Improved understanding of age-related alterations to the immune system and gut and urinary microbiomes could provide possible insight into the risk of bladder cancer development and progression in the elderly. In patients with bladder cancer, improved understanding of microbiota might also provide potential targets for therapeutic intervention.

Reactive Oxygen Species Bridge the Gap between Chronic Inflammation and Tumor Development

According to numerous animal studies, adverse environmental stimuli, including physical, chemical, and biological factors, can cause low-grade chronic inflammation and subsequent tumor development. Human epidemiological evidence has confirmed the close relationship between chronic inflammation and tumorigenesis. However, the mechanisms driving the development of persistent inflammation toward tumorigenesis remain unclear. In this study, we assess the potential role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and associated mechanisms in modulating inflammation-induced tumorigenesis. Recent reports have emphasized the cross-talk between oxidative stress and inflammation in many pathological processes. Exposure to carcinogenic environmental hazards may lead to oxidative damage, which further stimulates the infiltration of various types of inflammatory cells. In turn, increased cytokine and chemokine release from inflammatory cells promotes ROS production in chronic lesions, even in the absence of hazardous stimuli. Moreover, ROS not only cause DNA damage but also participate in cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis by modulating several transcription factors and signaling pathways. We summarize how changes in the redox state can trigger the development of chronic inflammatory lesions into tumors. Generally, cancer cells require an appropriate inflammatory microenvironment to support their growth, spread, and metastasis, and ROS may provide the necessary catalyst for inflammation-driven cancer. In conclusion, ROS bridge the gap between chronic inflammation and tumor development; therefore, targeting ROS and inflammation represents a new avenue for the prevention and treatment of cancer.

The Role of Myeloid Cells in GBM Immunosuppression

Gliomas are intrinsic brain tumors that originate from glial cells. Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive glioma type and resistant to immunotherapy, mainly due to its unique immune environment. Dimensional data analysis reveals that the intra-tumoral heterogeneity of immune cell populations in the glioma microenvironment is largely made up of cells of myeloid lineage. Conventional therapies of combined surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy have achieved limited improvements in the prognosis of glioma patients, as myeloid cells are prominent mediators of immune and therapeutic responses—like immunotherapy resistance—in glioma. Myeloid cells are frequently seen in the tumor microenvironment (TME), and they are polarized to promote tumorigenesis and immunosuppression. Reprogramming myeloid cells has emerged as revolutionary, new types of immunotherapies for glioma treatment. Here we detail the current advances in classifying epigenetic, metabolic, and phenotypic characteristics and functions of different populations of myeloid cells in glioma TME, including myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), glioma-associated microglia/macrophages (GAMs), glioma-associated neutrophils (GANs), and glioma-associated dendritic cells (GADCs), as well as the mechanisms underlying promotion of tumorigenesis. The final goal of this review will be to provide new insights into novel therapeutic approaches for specific targeting of myeloid cells to improve the efficacy of current treatments in glioma patients.

Roles of neutrophil reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in organ function impairment in sepsis

Sepsis is a condition of severe organ failure caused by the maladaptive response of the host to an infection. It is a severe complication affecting critically ill patients, which can progress to severe sepsis, septic shock, and ultimately death. As a vital part of the human innate immune system, neutrophils are essential in resisting pathogen invasion, infection, and immune surveillance. Neutrophil-produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a pivotal role in organ dysfunction related to sepsis. In recent years, ROS have received a lot of attention as a major cause of sepsis, which can progress to severe sepsis and septic shock. This paper reviews the existing knowledge on the production mechanism of neutrophil ROS in human organ function impairment because of sepsis.

Amygdalin Induced Mitochondria-Mediated Apoptosis of Lung Cancer Cells via Regulating NF[Formula: see text]B-1/NF[Formula: see text]B Signaling Cascade in Vitro and in Vivo

Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Amygdalin, a natural compound commonly distributed in plants of the Rosaceae species, owns anticancer activity, less side effects, wide source, and relatively low price. Although the apoptosis is a central process activated by amygdalin in cancer cells, the underlying molecular mechanisms through which amygdalin induces the apoptosis of lung cancer cells remain poorly understood. In this research work, amygdalin could suppress the proliferation of lung cancer A549 and PC9 cells by CCK8 assay. Amygdalin significantly promoted the apoptosis of lung cancer A549 and PC9 cells stained with Annexin V-FITC/PI by flow cytometry assay. Furthermore, amygdalin dose-dependently decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) with JC-1 dye by flow cytometry. To investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms through which amygdalin induced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis of cancer cells, the differentially-expressed genes with a fold change >2.0 and [Formula: see text] < 0.05 were acquired from the cDNA microarray analysis. The results of qRT-PCR further confirmed that the differentially-expressed level of the NF[Formula: see text]B-1 gene was most obviously enhanced in lung cancer cells treated with amygdalin. The results of immunofluorescence staining, Western blotting and siRNA knockdown indicated that amygdalin induced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis of lung cancer cells via enhancing the expression of NF[Formula: see text]B-1 and inactivating NF[Formula: see text]B signaling cascade and further changing the expressions of proteins (Bax, Bcl-2, cytochrome C, caspase 9, caspase 3 and PARP) related to apoptosis, which were further checked by in vivo study of the lung cancer cell xenograft mice model accompanying with immunohistochemical staining and TUNEL staining. Our results indicated that amygdalin might be a potential activator of NF[Formula: see text]B-1, which sheds more light on the molecular mechanism of anticancer effects of amygdalin. These results highlighted amygdalin as a potential therapeutic anticancer agent, which warrants its development as a therapy for lung cancer.

Gut-derived lipopolysaccharide promotes alcoholic hepatosteatosis and subsequent hepatocellular carcinoma by stimulating neutrophil extracellular traps through TLR4

Background/Aims

Binge drinking leads to many disorders, including alcoholic hepatosteatosis, which is characterized by intrahepatic neutrophil infiltration and increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Molecular mechanisms may involve the migration of bacterial metabolites from the gut to the liver and the activation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs).

Methods

Serum samples from both binge drinking and alcohol-avoiding patients were analyzed. Mouse models of chronic plus binge alcohol-induced hepatosteatosis and HCC models were used.

Results

A marker of NETs formation, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), was significantly higher in alcoholic hepatosteatosis and HCC patients and mice than in controls. Intrahepatic inflammation markers and HCC-related cytokines were decreased in mice with reduced NET formation due to neutrophil elastase (NE) deletion, and liver-related symptoms of alcohol were also alleviated in NE knockout mice. Removal of intestinal bacteria with antibiotics led to decreases in markers of NETs formation and inflammatory cytokines upon chronic alcohol consumption, and development of alcoholic hepatosteatosis and HCC was also attenuated. These functions were restored upon supplementation with the bacterial product LPS. When mice lacking toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) received chronic alcohol feeding, intrahepatic markers of NETs formation decreased, and hepatosteatosis and HCC were alleviated.

Conclusions

Formation of NETs following LPS stimulation of TLR4 upon chronic alcohol use leads to increased alcoholic steatosis and subsequent HCC.

Apoptosis-Associated Gene Expression Profiling Is One New Prognosis Risk Predictor of Human Rectal Cancer

Background. Prior research has revealed the predictive significance of a series of genetic markers in the prognosis of rectal cancer (RC), but the roles of apoptosis-associated genes in RC are rarely studied. Methods. The RNA-seq data as well as clinical data about patients with rectum adenocarcinoma (READ) were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project. Additionally, 87 apoptosis-associated genes were downloaded and acquired from Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis was carried out for deep exploration of the expression and prognostic significance of these genes. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed for the establishment of a risk scoring equation for the prognosis model and construction of a survival prognosis model. ROC curves were drawn for evaluating the accuracy of the model. A real-time quantitative PCR assay was conducted for quantification of apoptosis-associated proteins related to prognosis. Results. Eight genes were identified as hub genes associated with the prognosis of PFS. A risk model of prognosis prediction based on four gene signatures (CYCS, IKBKB, NFKB1, and TRADD) was constructed. According to further analysis of this model, the high-risk group experienced worse overall survival than the other. The prognosis model demonstrated a favorable predictive ability, with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) of 0.720, 0.641, and 0.677 in forecasting the 1-, 2-, and 3-year prognosis, respectively. In addition, CYCS and NFKB1 presented low expression, while IKBKB and TRADD presented high expression in TCGA and clinical tumor samples. Conclusions. A four-gene signature risk model for prognosis forecasting of RC has been constructed, which possesses favorable predictive ability, which offers ideas and breakthrough points to the apoptosis-associated development of RC.

Neutrophils as potential therapeutic targets in hepatocellular carcinoma

The success of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab treatment contributed to a shift in systemic therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) towards combinations that include cancer immunotherapeutic agents. Thus far, the principal focus of cancer immunotherapy has been on interrupting immune checkpoints that suppress antitumour lymphocytes. As well as lymphocytes, the HCC environment includes numerous other immune cell types, among which neutrophils are emerging as an important contributor to the pathogenesis of HCC. A growing body of evidence supports neutrophils as key mediators of the immunosuppressive environment in which some cancers develop, as well as drivers of tumour progression. If neutrophils have a similar role in HCC, approaches that target or manipulate neutrophils might have therapeutic benefits, potentially including sensitization of tumours to conventional immunotherapy. Several neutrophil-directed therapies for patients with HCC (and other cancers) are now entering clinical trials. This Review outlines the evidence in support of neutrophils as drivers of HCC and details their mechanistic roles in development, progression and metastasis, highlighting the reasons that neutrophils are well worth investigating despite the challenges associated with studying them. Neutrophil-modulating anticancer therapies entering clinical trials are also summarized.

Mechanistic insights into the interplays between neutrophils and other immune cells in cancer development and progression

Cancer is considered a major public health concern worldwide and is characterized by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells. The human immune system recognizes cancerous cells and induces innate immunity to destroy those cells. However, sustained tumors may protect themselves by developing immune escape mechanisms through multiple soluble and cellular mediators. Neutrophils are the most plenteous leukocytes in the human blood and are crucial for immune defense in infection and inflammation. Besides, neutrophils emancipate the antimicrobial contents, secrete different cytokines or chemokines, and interact with other immune cells to combat and successfully kill cancerous cells. Conversely, many clinical and experimental studies signpost that being a polarized and heterogeneous population with plasticity, neutrophils, particularly their subpopulations, act as a modulator of cancer development by promoting tumor metastasis, angiogenesis, and immunosuppression. Studies also suggest that tumor infiltrating macrophages, neutrophils, and other innate immune cells support tumor growth and survival. Additionally, neutrophils promote tumor cell invasion, migration and intravasation, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, survival of cancer cells in the circulation, seeding, and extravasation of tumor cells, and advanced growth and development of cancer cells to form metastases. In this manuscript, we describe and review recent studies on the mechanisms for neutrophil recruitment, activation, and their interplay with different immune cells to promote their pro-tumorigenic functions. Understanding the detailed mechanisms of neutrophil-tumor cell interactions and the concomitant roles of other immune cells will substantially improve the clinical utility of neutrophils in cancer and eventually may aid in the identification of biomarkers for cancer prognosis and the development of novel therapeutic approaches for cancer treatment.

Alcohol triggered bile acid disequilibrium by suppressing BSEP to sustain hepatocellular carcinoma progression

Bile acids (BAs), the most important components of bile, attribute predominately to maintain metabolic homeostasis. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, the BAs homeostasis was seriously disturbed, especially in those patients with alcohol-intake history. However, whether alcohol consumption could promote HCC progression via influencing BAs homeostasis and the precise mechanism underlying are still unclear. In our study, by collecting HCC specimens from both alcohol-drinkers (n = 15) and non-alcohol drinkers (n = 22), we found that compared to non-alcohol intake HCC patients, BAs homeostasis was disturbed in HCC patients who drank alcohol. Furthermore, ethanol treatment was also found to promote HCC progression by markedly activating oncogenes (RAS, MYC, MET, and HER2), while remarkably suppressing tumor suppressor genes (BRCA2 and APC). We evaluated 14 key functional genes that maintain the homeostasis of BAs and found that either in alcohol-intake HCC patients (n = 15), or in ethanol-treated mice, BSEP, rate-limiting transporter governing excreting BAs from liver into bile duct, was remarkably decreased when exposed to alcohol. Moreover, by screening for changes in the epigenetic landscape of liver cancer cells exposed to alcohol, we strikingly found that histone methyltransferases (RBBP-5, Suv39h1, ASH2L, and SET7/9) were increased, and KMT3B, KMT4, and KMT7 gene expression was also elevated, while histone demethyltransferases (JARID1a, JARID1b, JARID1c) were decreased. In summary, we found that alcohol could trigger BAs disequilibrium to initiate and promote HCC progression. Our study provided a novel and supplementary mechanism to determine the important role of alcohol-intake in HCC development regarding from the perspective of BAs homeostasis.

Telomere dysfunction in ageing and age-related diseases

Ageing organisms accumulate senescent cells that are thought to contribute to body dysfunction. Telomere shortening and damage are recognized causes of cellular senescence and ageing. Several human conditions associated with normal ageing are precipitated by accelerated telomere dysfunction. Here, we systematize a large body of evidence and propose a coherent perspective to recognize the broad contribution of telomeric dysfunction to human pathologies.

Chemokines as Regulators of Neutrophils: Focus on Tumors, Therapeutic Targeting, and Immunotherapy

Simple Summary

Neutrophils are the main leukocyte subset present in human blood and play a fundamental role in the defense against infections. Neutrophils are also an important component of the tumor stroma because they are recruited by selected chemokines produced by both cancer cells and other cells of the stroma. Even if their presence has been mostly associated with a bad prognosis, tumor-associated neutrophils are present in different maturation and activation states and can exert both protumor and antitumor activities. In addition, it is now emerging that chemokines not only induce neutrophil directional migration but also have an important role in their activation and maturation. For these reasons, chemokines and chemokine receptors are now considered targets to improve the antitumoral function of neutrophils in cancer immunotherapy.

Abstract

Neutrophils are an important component of the tumor microenvironment, and their infiltration has been associated with a poor prognosis for most human tumors. However, neutrophils have been shown to be endowed with both protumor and antitumor activities, reflecting their heterogeneity and plasticity in cancer. A growing body of studies has demonstrated that chemokines and chemokine receptors, which are fundamental regulators of neutrophils trafficking, can affect neutrophil maturation and effector functions. Here, we review human and mouse data suggesting that targeting chemokines or chemokine receptors can modulate neutrophil activity and improve their antitumor properties and the efficiency of immunotherapy.

CXCL1: Gene, Promoter, Regulation of Expression, mRNA Stability, Regulation of Activity in the Intercellular Space

CXCL1 is one of the most important chemokines, part of a group of chemotactic cytokines involved in the development of many inflammatory diseases. It activates CXCR2 and, at high levels, CXCR1. The expression of CXCL1 is elevated in inflammatory reactions and also has important functions in physiology, including the induction of angiogenesis and recruitment of neutrophils. Due to a lack of reviews that precisely describe the regulation of CXCL1 expression and function, in this paper, we present the mechanisms of CXCL1 expression regulation with a special focus on cancer. We concentrate on the regulation of CXCL1 expression through the regulation of CXCL1 transcription and mRNA stability, including the involvement of NF-κB, p53, the effect of miRNAs and cytokines such as IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-17, TGF-β and TNF-α. We also describe the mechanisms regulating CXCL1 activity in the extracellular space, including proteolytic processing, CXCL1 dimerization and the influence of the ACKR1/DARC receptor on CXCL1 localization. Finally, we explain the role of CXCL1 in cancer and possible therapeutic approaches directed against this chemokine.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma

ABSTRACT

The emergence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as the leading chronic liver disease worldwide raises some concerns. In particular, NAFLD is closely tied to sedentary lifestyle habits and associated with other metabolic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes. At the end of the disease spectrum, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) may progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), representing a serious health problem to modern society. Recently, an increasing number of HCC cases originating from this progressive disease spectrum have been identified, with different levels of severity and complications. Updating the current guidelines by placing a bigger focus on this emerging cause and highlighting some of its unique features is necessary. Since, the drivers of the disease are complex and multifactorial, in order to improve future outcomes, having a better understanding of NASH progression into HCC may be helpful. The risks that can promote disease progression and currently available management strategies employed to monitor and treat NASH-related HCC make up the bulk of this review.

Neutrophils: Driving inflammation during the development of hepatocellular carcinoma

The relationship between immune and inflammatory responses in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has garnered significant interest. In the peripheral blood and tumour microenvironment (TME), neutrophils, which are innate immune cells, crucially respond to various inflammatory factors, leading to tumour progression. To some extent, they affect the clinical treatment strategy and survival among HCC patients. A high circulating neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is a reliable factor that can be used to predict poor outcomes in HCC patients. However, the mechanisms underlying the protumoural effects of circulating neutrophils remain poorly understood. Besides, the distinct role and function of neutrophils at the site of HCC remain relatively unclear, which is partially attributed to their substantial heterogeneity compared with other immune cells. In this review, we firstly discuss the current information available, detailing distinct subsets, functional phenotypes, and the impact of circulating and tumour-infiltrating neutrophils on tumourigenesis in HCC. Furthermore, we describe recent pre-clinical and clinical studies concerning neutrophils for evaluating the feasibility of targeting diverse protumoural aspects to improve therapeutic efficacy, thus paving the way for neutrophil-based treatment, especially in combination with immunotherapy.