1
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Zhu H, Xie Z. Therapeutic potential of tLyp-1-EV-shCTCF in inhibiting liver cancer stem cell self-renewal and immune escape via SALL3 modulation in hepatocellular carcinoma. Transl Oncol 2024; 49:102048. [PMID: 39186862 PMCID: PMC11388803 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2024.102048] [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: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is influenced by disrupted metabolic processes, presenting challenges in prognostic outcomes. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, is closely associated with metabolic reprogramming and stem cell-like properties in liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs). This study explored the potential molecular mechanisms by which tLyP-1-modified extracellular vesicles (EVs) delivering CTCF shRNA (tLyp-1-EV-shCTCF) regulate mitochondrial DNA methylation-induced glycolytic metabolic reprogramming and LCSC self-renewal. Through a series of methods, including Western blot, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and immunofluorescence, we demonstrated the successful delivery and internalization of tLyp-1-EV in HCC cells. Our results identified SALL3 as a critical factor underexpressed in HCC and LCSCs, while CTCF was overexpressed. Overexpression of SALL3 inhibited LCSC self-renewal and immune evasion by blocking the CTCF-DNMT3A interaction, thus repressing DNMT3A methyltransferase activity and subsequent mitochondrial DNA methylation-mediated glycolytic metabolic reprogramming. In vivo experiments further supported these findings, showing that tLyp-1-EV-shCTCF treatment significantly reduced tumor growth by upregulating SALL3 expression, thereby inhibiting glycolytic metabolic reprogramming and enhancing the immune response against HCC cells. This study provides novel insights into the role of SALL3 and mitochondrial DNA methylation in HCC progression, offering potential therapeutic targets for combating HCC and its stem cell-like properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Zhu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Fourth People's Hospital of Jinan, No.50, Normal Road, Tianqiao District, Jinan, Shandong Province 250031, P R China.
| | - Zhihui Xie
- Department of infectious diseases, Zibo Central Hospital, Zibo 255000, P R China
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2
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Pan J, Wu S, Pan Q, Zhang Y, He L, Yao Q, Chen J, Li J, Xu Y. CHAC1 blockade suppresses progression of lung adenocarcinoma by interfering with glucose metabolism via hijacking PKM2 nuclear translocation. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:728. [PMID: 39368995 PMCID: PMC11455913 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-07114-6] [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: 05/26/2024] [Revised: 09/22/2024] [Accepted: 09/25/2024] [Indexed: 10/07/2024]
Abstract
Patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) generally have poor prognosis. Abnormal cellular energy metabolism is a hallmark of LUAD. Glutathione-specific gamma-glutamylcyclotransferase 1 (CHAC1) is a member of the γ-glutamylcyclotransferase family and an unfolded protein response pathway regulatory gene. Its biological function and molecular regulatory mechanism, especially regarding energy metabolism underlying LUAD, remain unclear. By utilizing tissue microarray and data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus, we found that CHAC1 expression was markedly higher in LUAD tissues than in non-tumor tissues, and was positively correlated with poor prognosis. Phenotypically, CHAC1 overexpression enhanced the proliferation, migration, invasion, tumor sphere formation, and glycolysis ability of LUAD cells, resulting in tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, through a shotgun mass spectrometry-based proteomic approach and high-throughput RNA sequencing, we found that CHAC1 acted as a bridge connecting UBA2 and PKM2, enhancing the SUMOylation of PKM2. The SUMOylated PKM2 then transferred from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, activating the expression of glycolysis-related genes and enhancing the Warburg effect. Lastly, E2F Transcription Factor 1 potently activated CHAC1 transcription by directly binding to the CHAC1 promoter in LUAD cells. The results of this study implied that CHAC1 regulates energy metabolism and promotes glycolysis in LUAD progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfan Pan
- Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Sixuan Wu
- Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Qihong Pan
- Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Liu He
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Qiwei Yao
- Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China.
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China.
| | - Jinyuan Chen
- The Central Laboratory, Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Cancer, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
| | - Jiancheng Li
- Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China.
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China.
| | - Yiquan Xu
- Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China.
- Department of Thoracic Oncology, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China.
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3
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Zhang X, Zhang Y, Liu Q, Zeng A, Song L. Glycolysis-associated lncRNAs in cancer energy metabolism and immune microenvironment: a magic key. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1456636. [PMID: 39346921 PMCID: PMC11437524 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1456636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/27/2024] [Indexed: 10/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The dependence of tumor cells on glycolysis provides essential energy and raw materials for their survival and growth. Recent research findings have indicated that long chain non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) have a key regulatory function in the tumor glycolytic pathway and offer new opportunities for cancer therapy. LncRNAs are analogous to a regulatory key during glycolysis. In this paper, we review the mechanisms of LncRNA in the tumor glycolytic pathway and their potential therapeutic strategies, including current alterations in cancer-related energy metabolism with lncRNA mediating the expression of key enzymes, lactate production and transport, and the mechanism of interaction with transcription factors, miRNAs, and other molecules. Studies targeting LncRNA-regulated tumor glycolytic pathways also offer the possibility of developing new therapeutic strategies. By regulating LncRNA expression, the metabolic pathways of tumor cells can be interfered with to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis, thus affecting the immune and drug resistance mechanisms of tumor cells. In addition, lncRNAs have the capacity to function as molecular markers and target therapies, thereby contributing novel strategies and approaches to the field of personalized cancer therapy and prognosis evaluation. In conclusion, LncRNA, as key molecules regulating the tumor glycolysis pathway, reveals a new mechanism of abnormal metabolism in cancer cells. Future research will more thoroughly investigate the specific mechanisms of LncRNA glycolysis regulation and develop corresponding therapeutic strategies, thereby fostering new optimism for the realization of precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Zhang
- School of Medical and Life Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yunchao Zhang
- School of Medical and Life Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qiong Liu
- School of Medical and Life Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Anqi Zeng
- Translational Chinese Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, Sichuan Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Linjiang Song
- School of Medical and Life Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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4
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Chen B, Liu J. Advances in ovarian tumor stem cells and therapy. Cell Biochem Biophys 2024; 82:1871-1892. [PMID: 38955927 DOI: 10.1007/s12013-024-01385-8] [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] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is considered the most lethal among all gynecological malignancies due to its early metastatic dissemination, extensive spread, and malignant ascites. The current standard of care for advanced ovarian cancer involves a combination of cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapy utilizing platinum-based and taxane-based agents. Although initial treatment yields clinical remission in 70-80% of patients, the majority eventually develop treatment resistance and tumor recurrence. A growing body of evidence indicates the existence of cancer stem cells within diverse solid tumors, including ovarian cancer, which function as a subpopulation to propel tumor growth and disease advancement by means of drug resistance, recurrence, and metastasis. The presence of ovarian cancer stem cells is widely considered to be a significant contributor to the unfavorable clinical outcomes observed in patients with ovarian cancer, as they play a crucial role in mediating chemotherapy resistance, recurrence, and metastasis. Ovarian cancer stem cells possess the capacity to reassemble within the entirety of the tumor following conventional treatment, thereby instigating the recurrence of ovarian cancer and inducing resistance to treatment. Consequently, the creation of therapeutic approaches aimed at eliminating ovarian cancer stem cells holds great potential for the management of ovarian cancer. These cells are regarded as one of the most auspicious targets and mechanisms for the treatment of ovarian cancer. There is a pressing need for a comprehensive comprehension of the fundamental mechanisms of ovarian cancer's recurrence, metastasis, and drug resistance, alongside the development of effective strategies to overcome chemoresistance, metastasis, and recurrence. The implementation of cancer stem cell therapies may potentially augment the tumor cells' sensitivity to existing chemotherapy protocols, thereby mitigating the risks of tumor metastasis and recurrence, and ultimately improving the survival rates of ovarian cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biqing Chen
- Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
| | - Jiaqi Liu
- Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
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5
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Liu J, Bai Y, Li Y, Li X, Luo K. Reprogramming the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment through nanomedicine: an immunometabolism perspective. EBioMedicine 2024; 107:105301. [PMID: 39178747 PMCID: PMC11388279 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105301] [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: 06/22/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence indicates that immunotherapy is hindered by a hostile tumor microenvironment (TME) featured with deprivation of critical nutrients and pooling of immunosuppressive metabolites. Tumor cells and immunosuppressive cells outcompete immune effector cells for essential nutrients. Meanwhile, a wide range of tumor cell-derived toxic metabolites exerts negative impacts on anti-tumor immune response, diminishing the efficacy of immunotherapy. Nanomedicine with excellent targetability offers a novel approach to improving cancer immunotherapy via metabolically reprogramming the immunosuppressive TME. Herein, we review recent strategies of enhancing immunotherapeutic effects through rewiring tumor metabolism via nanomedicine. Attention is drawn on immunometabolic tactics for immune cells and stromal cells in the TME via nanomedicine. Additionally, we discuss future directions of developing metabolism-regulating nanomedicine for precise and efficacious cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieyu Liu
- Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yinan Bai
- Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yinggang Li
- Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiaoling Li
- Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Kui Luo
- Department of Radiology, Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China; Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Key Laboratory of Transplant Engineering and Immunology, NHC, and Research Unit of Psychoradiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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6
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Qi Y, Rezaeian AH, Wang J, Huang D, Chen H, Inuzuka H, Wei W. Molecular insights and clinical implications for the tumor suppressor role of SCF FBXW7 E3 ubiquitin ligase. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189140. [PMID: 38909632 PMCID: PMC11390337 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189140] [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: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
FBXW7 is one of the most well-characterized F-box proteins, serving as substrate receptor subunit of SKP1-CUL1-F-box (SCF) E3 ligase complexes. SCFFBXW7 is responsible for the degradation of various oncogenic proteins such as cyclin E, c-MYC, c-JUN, NOTCH, and MCL1. Therefore, FBXW7 functions largely as a major tumor suppressor. In keeping with this notion, FBXW7 gene mutations or downregulations have been found and reported in many types of malignant tumors, such as endometrial, colorectal, lung, and breast cancers, which facilitate the proliferation, invasion, migration, and drug resistance of cancer cells. Therefore, it is critical to review newly identified FBXW7 regulation and tumor suppressor function under physiological and pathological conditions to develop effective strategies for the treatment of FBXW7-altered cancers. Since a growing body of evidence has revealed the tumor-suppressive activity and role of FBXW7, here, we updated FBXW7 upstream and downstream signaling including FBXW7 ubiquitin substrates, the multi-level FBXW7 regulatory mechanisms, and dysregulation of FBXW7 in cancer, and discussed promising cancer therapies targeting FBXW7 regulators and downstream effectors, to provide a comprehensive picture of FBXW7 and facilitate the study in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihang Qi
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Abdol-Hossein Rezaeian
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Jingchao Wang
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Daoyuan Huang
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Hong Chen
- Vascular Biology Program, Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hiroyuki Inuzuka
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Wenyi Wei
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
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7
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Huang J, Tan R. HMOX1: A pivotal regulator of prognosis and immune dynamics in ovarian cancer. BMC Womens Health 2024; 24:476. [PMID: 39210460 PMCID: PMC11363456 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-024-03309-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study investigates the intricate role of Heme Oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) in ovarian cancer, emphasizing its prognostic significance, influence on immune cell infiltration, and impact on the malignant characteristics of primary ovarian cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS Our research began with an analysis of HMOX1 expression and its prognostic implications using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, supported by immunohistochemical staining. Further analyses encompassed co-expression studies, Gene Ontology (GO) annotations, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment. We utilized the TIMER and TISIDB platforms to evaluate the immunotherapeutic potential of HMOX1. Additionally, in vitro studies that involved modulating HMOX1 levels in primary ovarian cancer cells were conducted to confirm its biological functions. RESULTS Our findings indicate a significant overexpression of HMOX1 in ovarian cancer, which correlates with increased tumor malignancy and poorer prognosis. HMOX1 was shown to significantly modulate the infiltration of immune cells, particularly neutrophils and macrophages. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis revealed that HMOX1 is predominantly expressed in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), with a positive correlation to chemokines and their receptors. An increase in HMOX1 levels was associated with heightened levels of immunoinhibitors, immunostimulators, and MHC molecules. Functional assays demonstrated that HMOX1 knockdown promotes apoptosis, attenuating cell proliferation and invasion, while its overexpression yields opposing effects. CONCLUSION HMOX1 emerges as a critical therapeutic target, intricately involved in immunomodulation, prognosis, and the malignant behavior of ovarian cancer. This highlights HMOX1 as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in the fight against ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinfa Huang
- Department of Gynecology, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People's Hospital of Shunde), Foshan, Guangdong, 528308, China
| | - Ruiwan Tan
- Department of Ultrasound, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People's Hospital of Shunde), Foshan, Guangdong, 528308, China.
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8
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Meng M, Zhong Z, Song L, Zhang Z, Yin X, Xie X, Tian L, Wu W, Yang Y, Deng Y, Peng H, Wu S, Ran G, Lin Y, Lai Q, Bi Q, Yan F, Ji Y, Wang Y, Li X, Yi P, Yu J, Deng Y. mTOR Signaling Promotes Rapid m6A mRNA Methylation to Regulate NK-Cell Activation and Effector Functions. Cancer Immunol Res 2024; 12:1039-1057. [PMID: 38640466 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-23-0339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
NK cells can be rapidly activated in response to cytokines during host defense against malignant cells or viral infection. However, it remains unclear what mechanisms precisely and rapidly regulate the expression of a large number of genes involved in activating NK cells. In this study, we discovered that NK-cell N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation levels were rapidly upregulated upon short-term NK-cell activation and were repressed in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Deficiency of methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) or METTL14 moderately influenced NK-cell homeostasis, while double-knockout of METTL3/14 more significantly impacted NK-cell homeostasis, maturation, and antitumor immunity. This suggests a cooperative role of METTL3 and METTL14 in regulating NK-cell development and effector functions. Using methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing, we demonstrated that genes involved in NK-cell effector functions, such as Prf1 and Gzmb, were directly modified by m6A methylation. Furthermore, inhibiting mTOR complex 1 activation prevented m6A methylation levels from increasing when NK cells were activated, and this could be restored by S-adenosylmethionine supplementation. Collectively, we have unraveled crucial roles for rapid m6A mRNA methylation downstream of the mTOR complex 1-S-adenosylmethionine signal axis in regulating NK-cell activation and effector functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Meng
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhaoyang Zhong
- The Fifth People's Hospital of Chongqing, Chongqing, China
| | - Liang Song
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhaohui Zhang
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaofeng Yin
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiqiang Xie
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lei Tian
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
- Hematologic Malignancies Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Wei Wu
- Thoracic Surgery Department, Southwest Hospital, The First Hospital Affiliated to Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yao Yang
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yafei Deng
- Pediatrics Research Institute of Hunan Province, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha, China
| | - Hongyan Peng
- Pediatrics Research Institute of Hunan Province, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha, China
| | - Shuting Wu
- Pediatrics Research Institute of Hunan Province, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha, China
| | - Guanghe Ran
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuqing Lin
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qiangqiang Lai
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qinghua Bi
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Fulin Yan
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yan Ji
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaohui Li
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ping Yi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jianhua Yu
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
- Hematologic Malignancies Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Youcai Deng
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy and Laboratory Medicine Science, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Luo Y, Lu J, Lei Z, Zhu H, Rao D, Wang T, Fu C, Zhang Z, Xia L, Huang W. Lysine methylation modifications in tumor immunomodulation and immunotherapy: regulatory mechanisms and perspectives. Biomark Res 2024; 12:74. [PMID: 39080807 PMCID: PMC11289998 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-024-00621-w] [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: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Lysine methylation is a crucial post-translational modification (PTM) that significantly impacts gene expression regulation. This modification not only influences cancer development directly but also has significant implications for the immune system. Lysine methylation modulates immune cell functions and shapes the anti-tumor immune response, highlighting its dual role in both tumor progression and immune regulation. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the intrinsic role of lysine methylation in the activation and function of immune cells, detailing how these modifications affect cellular processes and signaling pathways. We delve into the mechanisms by which lysine methylation contributes to tumor immune evasion, allowing cancer cells to escape immune surveillance and thrive. Furthermore, we discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting lysine methylation in cancer immunotherapy. Emerging strategies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, are being explored for their efficacy in modulating lysine methylation to enhance anti-tumor immune responses. By targeting these modifications, we can potentially improve the effectiveness of existing treatments and develop novel therapeutic approaches to combat cancer more effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Luo
- Hepatic Surgery Centre, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Junli Lu
- Hepatic Surgery Centre, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Zhen Lei
- Hepatic Surgery Centre, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - He Zhu
- Hepatic Surgery Centre, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Dean Rao
- Hepatic Surgery Centre, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Tiantian Wang
- Hepatic Surgery Centre, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Chenan Fu
- Hepatic Surgery Centre, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Zhiwei Zhang
- Hepatic Surgery Centre, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
- Clinical Medicine Research Center for Hepatic Surgery of Hubei Province, Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Limin Xia
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
| | - Wenjie Huang
- Hepatic Surgery Centre, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
- Clinical Medicine Research Center for Hepatic Surgery of Hubei Province, Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
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10
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Lotze MT, Olejniczak SH, Skokos D. CD28 co-stimulation: novel insights and applications in cancer immunotherapy. Nat Rev Immunol 2024:10.1038/s41577-024-01061-1. [PMID: 39054343 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-024-01061-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Substantial progress in understanding T cell signalling, particularly with respect to T cell co-receptors such as the co-stimulatory receptor CD28, has been made in recent years. This knowledge has been instrumental in the development of innovative immunotherapies for patients with cancer, including immune checkpoint blockade antibodies, adoptive cell therapies, tumour-targeted immunostimulatory antibodies, and immunostimulatory small-molecule drugs that regulate T cell activation. Following the failed clinical trial of a CD28 superagonist antibody in 2006, targeted CD28 agonism has re-emerged as a technologically viable and clinically promising strategy for cancer immunotherapy. In this Review, we explore recent insights into the molecular functions and regulation of CD28. We describe how CD28 is central to the success of current cancer immunotherapies and examine how new questions arising from studies of CD28 as a clinical target have enhanced our understanding of its biological role and may guide the development of future therapeutic strategies in oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T Lotze
- Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Scott H Olejniczak
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA.
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Khameneh SC, Razi S, Lashanizadegan R, Akbari S, Sayaf M, Haghani K, Bakhtiyari S. MicroRNA-mediated metabolic regulation of immune cells in cancer: an updated review. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1424909. [PMID: 39007129 PMCID: PMC11239499 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1424909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The study of immunometabolism, which examines how immune cells regulate their metabolism to maintain optimal performance, has become an important area of focus in cancer immunology. Recent advancements in this field have highlighted the intricate connection between metabolism and immune cell function, emphasizing the need for further research. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have gained attention for their ability to post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression and impact various biological processes, including immune function and cancer progression. While the role of miRNAs in immunometabolism is still being explored, recent studies have demonstrated their significant influence on the metabolic activity of immune cells, such as macrophages, T cells, B cells, and dendritic cells, particularly in cancer contexts. Disrupted immune cell metabolism is a hallmark of cancer progression, and miRNAs have been linked to this process. Understanding the precise impact of miRNAs on immune cell metabolism in cancer is essential for the development of immunotherapeutic approaches. Targeting miRNAs may hold potential for creating groundbreaking cancer immunotherapies to reshape the tumor environment and improve treatment outcomes. In summary, the recognition of miRNAs as key regulators of immune cell metabolism across various cancers offers promising potential for refining cancer immunotherapies. Further investigation into how miRNAs affect immune cell metabolism could identify novel therapeutic targets and lead to the development of innovative cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sara Razi
- Vira Ideators of Modern Science, Tehran, Iran
- Vira Pioneers of Modern Science (VIPOMS), Tehran, Iran
| | | | | | - Masoud Sayaf
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Azad University Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Karimeh Haghani
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
| | - Salar Bakhtiyari
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
- Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute, Northwestern University School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
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12
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Wang S, Qin W, Cheng T, Zeng C, Chen X, Xu Y. Suppression of P53 Pathway is an Important Factor Inducing Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease Through T Cell Activation Based on Bioinformatics Analysis. J Inflamm Res 2024; 17:4093-4104. [PMID: 38948198 PMCID: PMC11214571 DOI: 10.2147/jir.s458860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) poses a significant impediment to achieving a more favourable therapeutic outcome in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). The tumour suppressor p53 plays a pivotal role in preventing aGVHD development. However, whether P53 pathway which contains p53 family members and other related genes participates in aGVHD development remains an unsolved question. Patients and Methods Transcriptomic data was obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Gene set enrichment analysis was applied to determine the enrichment degree of signaling pathways. CIBERSORT and ssGSVA were used to evaluate immune cell compositions. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to examine the independent diagnostic variables. qRT-PCR was utilized to validate the genes expression levels in our cohort. Results A total number of 102 patients (42 aGVHD patients vs 60 non-aGVHD patients) were obtained after integrating two datasets in GEO database (GSE73809 and GSE4624). P53 pathway was remarkably suppressed in T cells from aGVHD patients and negatively associated with activated T cells as well as T cells activation related signaling pathways, including T-cell receptor (TCR), mTORC1, MYC and E2F target pathways. A risk model for aGVHD built by four genes (DDIT3, FBXW7, TPRKB and TOB1) in P53 pathway, exhibiting high differentiate and predictive value. DDIT3 and FBXW7 mRNA expression levels significantly decreased in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from aGVHD patients compared with non-aGVHD group in our patient cohort, consisting with bioinformatics analysis. Conclusion P53 pathway plays a potential role in impeding T cell activation through suppressing its related signaling pathways, thereby preventing aGVHD development. P53 pathway may emerge as a promising therapeutic target in aGVHD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Wang
- Department of Hematology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases (Xiangya Hospital), Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- Hunan Hematologic Neoplasms Clinical Medical Research Center, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei Qin
- Department of Hematology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases (Xiangya Hospital), Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- Hunan Hematologic Neoplasms Clinical Medical Research Center, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tingting Cheng
- Department of Hematology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases (Xiangya Hospital), Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- Hunan Hematologic Neoplasms Clinical Medical Research Center, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Cong Zeng
- Department of Hematology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases (Xiangya Hospital), Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- Hunan Hematologic Neoplasms Clinical Medical Research Center, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xu Chen
- Department of Hematology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases (Xiangya Hospital), Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- Hunan Hematologic Neoplasms Clinical Medical Research Center, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yajing Xu
- Department of Hematology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases (Xiangya Hospital), Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- Hunan Hematologic Neoplasms Clinical Medical Research Center, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
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13
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Zhao J, Jin D, Huang M, Ji J, Xu X, Wang F, Zhou L, Bao B, Jiang F, Xu W, Lu X, Xiao M. Glycolysis in the tumor microenvironment: a driver of cancer progression and a promising therapeutic target. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1416472. [PMID: 38933335 PMCID: PMC11199735 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1416472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Even with sufficient oxygen, tumor cells use glycolysis to obtain the energy and macromolecules they require to multiply, once thought to be a characteristic of tumor cells known as the "Warburg effect". In fact, throughout the process of carcinogenesis, immune cells and stromal cells, two major cellular constituents of the tumor microenvironment (TME), also undergo thorough metabolic reprogramming, which is typified by increased glycolysis. In this review, we provide a full-scale review of the glycolytic remodeling of several types of TME cells and show how these TME cells behave in the acidic milieu created by glucose shortage and lactate accumulation as a result of increased tumor glycolysis. Notably, we provide an overview of putative targets and inhibitors of glycolysis along with the viability of using glycolysis inhibitors in combination with immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Understanding the glycolytic situations in diverse cells within the tumor immunological milieu will aid in the creation of subsequent treatment plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junpeng Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dandan Jin
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Mengxiang Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jie Ji
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xuebing Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital and Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lirong Zhou
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Baijun Bao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Feng Jiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Weisong Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Nantong Rehabilitation Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaomin Lu
- Department of Oncology Affiliated Haian Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Mingbing Xiao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital and Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
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14
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Zhou L, Yu CW. Epigenetic modulations in triple-negative breast cancer: Therapeutic implications for tumor microenvironment. Pharmacol Res 2024; 204:107205. [PMID: 38719195 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype lacking estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and lacks HER2 overexpression. This absence of critical molecular targets poses significant challenges for conventional therapies. Immunotherapy, remarkably immune checkpoint blockade, offers promise for TNBC treatment, but its efficacy remains limited. Epigenetic dysregulation, including altered DNA methylation, histone modifications, and imbalances in regulators such as BET proteins, plays a crucial role in TNBC development and resistance to treatment. Hypermethylation of tumor suppressor gene promoters and the imbalance of histone methyltransferases such as EZH2 and histone deacetylases (HDACs) profoundly influence tumor cell proliferation, survival, and metastasis. In addition, epigenetic alterations critically shape the tumor microenvironment (TME), including immune cell composition, cytokine signaling, and immune checkpoint expression, ultimately contributing to immune evasion. Targeting these epigenetic mechanisms with specific inhibitors such as EZH2 and HDAC inhibitors in combination with immunotherapy represents a compelling strategy to remodel the TME, potentially overcoming immune evasion and enhancing therapeutic outcomes in TNBC. This review aims to comprehensively elucidate the current understanding of epigenetic modulation in TNBC, its influence on the TME, and the potential of combining epigenetic therapies with immunotherapy to overcome the challenges posed by this aggressive breast cancer subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Zhou
- Institute of Immunotherapy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China; School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Chen-Wei Yu
- Department of Statistics and Information Science, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
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15
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Shi Q, Xue C, Zeng Y, Yuan X, Chu Q, Jiang S, Wang J, Zhang Y, Zhu D, Li L. Notch signaling pathway in cancer: from mechanistic insights to targeted therapies. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:128. [PMID: 38797752 PMCID: PMC11128457 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01828-x] [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: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Notch signaling, renowned for its role in regulating cell fate, organ development, and tissue homeostasis across metazoans, is highly conserved throughout evolution. The Notch receptor and its ligands are transmembrane proteins containing epidermal growth factor-like repeat sequences, typically necessitating receptor-ligand interaction to initiate classical Notch signaling transduction. Accumulating evidence indicates that the Notch signaling pathway serves as both an oncogenic factor and a tumor suppressor in various cancer types. Dysregulation of this pathway promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition and angiogenesis in malignancies, closely linked to cancer proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Furthermore, the Notch signaling pathway contributes to maintaining stem-like properties in cancer cells, thereby enhancing cancer invasiveness. The regulatory role of the Notch signaling pathway in cancer metabolic reprogramming and the tumor microenvironment suggests its pivotal involvement in balancing oncogenic and tumor suppressive effects. Moreover, the Notch signaling pathway is implicated in conferring chemoresistance to tumor cells. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of these biological processes is crucial for developing innovative therapeutic strategies targeting Notch signaling. This review focuses on the research progress of the Notch signaling pathway in cancers, providing in-depth insights into the potential mechanisms of Notch signaling regulation in the occurrence and progression of cancer. Additionally, the review summarizes pharmaceutical clinical trials targeting Notch signaling for cancer therapy, aiming to offer new insights into therapeutic strategies for human malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingmiao Shi
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Chen Xue
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Yifan Zeng
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Xin Yuan
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Qingfei Chu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Shuwen Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Jinzhi Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Yaqi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Danhua Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
| | - Lanjuan Li
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
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16
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Zheng X, Dozmorov MG, Espinoza L, Bowes MM, Bastacky S, Sawalha AH. Inducible deletion of Ezh2 in CD4+ T cells inhibits kidney T cell infiltration and prevents interstitial nephritis in MRL/lpr lupus-prone mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.04.583401. [PMID: 38496595 PMCID: PMC10942296 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.04.583401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Systemic lupus erythematosus is a remitting relapsing autoimmune disease characterized by autoantibody production and multi-organ involvement. T cell epigenetic dysregulation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of lupus. We have previously demonstrated upregulation of the key epigenetic regulator EZH2 in CD4+ T cells isolated from lupus patients. To further investigate the role of EZH2 in the pathogenesis of lupus, we generated a tamoxifen-inducible CD4+ T cell Ezh2 conditional knockout mouse on the MRL/lpr lupus-prone background. We demonstrate that Ezh2 deletion abrogates lupus-like disease and prevents T cell differentiation. Single-cell analysis suggests impaired T cell function and activation of programed cell death pathways in EZH2-deficient mice. Ezh2 deletion in CD4+ T cells restricts TCR clonal repertoire and prevents kidney-infiltrating effector CD4+ T cell expansion and tubulointerstitial nephritis, which has been linked to end-stage renal disease in patients with lupus nephritis.
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17
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Chapman NM, Chi H. Metabolic rewiring and communication in cancer immunity. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:862-883. [PMID: 38428418 PMCID: PMC11177544 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2024.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
The immune system shapes tumor development and progression. Although immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment, its overall efficacy remains limited, underscoring the need to uncover mechanisms to improve therapeutic effects. Metabolism-associated processes, including intracellular metabolic reprogramming and intercellular metabolic crosstalk, are emerging as instructive signals for anti-tumor immunity. Here, we first summarize the roles of intracellular metabolic pathways in controlling immune cell function in the tumor microenvironment. How intercellular metabolic communication regulates anti-tumor immunity, and the impact of metabolites or nutrients on signaling events, are also discussed. We then describe how targeting metabolic pathways in tumor cells or intratumoral immune cells or via nutrient-based interventions may boost cancer immunotherapies. Finally, we conclude with discussions on profiling and functional perturbation methods of metabolic activity in intratumoral immune cells, and perspectives on future directions. Uncovering the mechanisms for metabolic rewiring and communication in the tumor microenvironment may enable development of novel cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Chapman
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Hongbo Chi
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
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18
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Shu G, Chen M, Liao W, Fu L, Lin M, Gui C, Cen J, Lu J, Chen Z, Wei J, Chen W, Wang Y, Zhu J, Zhao T, Liu X, Jing J, Liu GC, Pan Y, Luo J, Zhang J. PABPC1L Induces IDO1 to Promote Tryptophan Metabolism and Immune Suppression in Renal Cell Carcinoma. Cancer Res 2024; 84:1659-1679. [PMID: 38382068 PMCID: PMC11094425 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-2521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) in renal cell carcinomas (RCC) is marked by substantial immunosuppression and immune resistance despite having extensive T-cell infiltration. Elucidation of the mechanisms underlying immune evasion could help identify therapeutic strategies to boost the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in RCC. This study uncovered a mechanism wherein the polyadenylate-binding protein PABPC1L modulates indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), a prospective target for immunotherapy. PABPC1L was markedly upregulated in RCC, and high PABPC1L expression correlated with unfavorable prognosis and resistance to ICB. PABPC1L bolstered tryptophan metabolism by upregulating IDO1, inducing T-cell dysfunction and Treg infiltration. PABPC1L enhanced the stability of JAK2 mRNA, leading to increased JAK2-STAT1 signaling that induced IDO1 expression. Additionally, PABPC1L-induced activation of the JAK2-STAT1 axis created a positive feedback loop to promote PABPC1L transcription. Conversely, loss of PABPC1L diminished IDO1 expression, mitigated cytotoxic T-cell suppression, and enhanced responsiveness to anti-PD-1 therapy in patient-derived xenograft models. These findings reveal the crucial role of PABPC1L in facilitating immune evasion in RCC and indicate that inhibiting PABPC1L could be a potential immunotherapeutic approach in combination with ICB to improve patient outcomes. SIGNIFICANCE PABPC1L functions as a key factor in renal cell carcinoma immune evasion, enhancing IDO1 and impeding T-cell function, and represents a potential target to enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade therapy.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Humans
- Mice
- Carcinoma, Renal Cell/immunology
- Carcinoma, Renal Cell/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Renal Cell/pathology
- Carcinoma, Renal Cell/genetics
- Carcinoma, Renal Cell/drug therapy
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use
- Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase/metabolism
- Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase/genetics
- Janus Kinase 2/metabolism
- Kidney Neoplasms/immunology
- Kidney Neoplasms/metabolism
- Kidney Neoplasms/pathology
- Kidney Neoplasms/genetics
- Kidney Neoplasms/drug therapy
- STAT1 Transcription Factor/metabolism
- STAT1 Transcription Factor/genetics
- Tryptophan/metabolism
- Tumor Microenvironment/immunology
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
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Affiliation(s)
- Guannan Shu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Department of Urology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Minyu Chen
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Wuyuan Liao
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Liangmin Fu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Mingjie Lin
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Chengpeng Gui
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Junjie Cen
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Jun Lu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Zhenhua Chen
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Jinhuan Wei
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yinghan Wang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Jiangquan Zhu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Tianxin Zhao
- Department of Urology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Xiaonan Liu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Jiajia Jing
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Guo-chang Liu
- Department of Urology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yihui Pan
- Department of Urology, the Third Affiliated Hospital, Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, P.R. China
| | - Junhang Luo
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Jiaxing Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
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19
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Kumagai S, Itahashi K, Nishikawa H. Regulatory T cell-mediated immunosuppression orchestrated by cancer: towards an immuno-genomic paradigm for precision medicine. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2024; 21:337-353. [PMID: 38424196 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-024-00870-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates that aberrant signalling stemming from genetic abnormalities in cancer cells has a fundamental role in their evasion of antitumour immunity. Immune escape mechanisms include enhanced expression of immunosuppressive molecules, such as immune-checkpoint proteins, and the accumulation of immunosuppressive cells, including regulatory T (Treg) cells, in the tumour microenvironment. Therefore, Treg cells are key targets for cancer immunotherapy. Given that therapies targeting molecules predominantly expressed by Treg cells, such as CD25 or GITR, have thus far had limited antitumour efficacy, elucidating how certain characteristics of cancer, particularly genetic abnormalities, influence Treg cells is necessary to develop novel immunotherapeutic strategies. Hence, Treg cell-targeted strategies based on the particular characteristics of cancer in each patient, such as the combination of immune-checkpoint inhibitors with molecularly targeted agents that disrupt the immunosuppressive networks mediating Treg cell recruitment and/or activation, could become a new paradigm of cancer therapy. In this Review, we discuss new insights on the mechanisms by which cancers generate immunosuppressive networks that attenuate antitumour immunity and how these networks confer resistance to cancer immunotherapy, with a focus on Treg cells. These insights lead us to propose the concept of 'immuno-genomic precision medicine' based on specific characteristics of cancer, especially genetic profiles, that correlate with particular mechanisms of tumour immune escape and might, therefore, inform the optimal choice of immunotherapy for individual patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shogo Kumagai
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Chiba, Japan
- Division of Cellular Signalling, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kota Itahashi
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Nishikawa
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan.
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Chiba, Japan.
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
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Fu W, Feng Q, Tao R. Machine learning developed a fibroblast-related signature for predicting clinical outcome and drug sensitivity in ovarian cancer. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e37783. [PMID: 38640321 PMCID: PMC11030012 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000037783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OC) is the leading cause of gynecological cancer death. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) is involved in wound healing and inflammatory processes, tumor occurrence and progression, and chemotherapy resistance in OC. GSE184880 dataset was used to identify CAF-related genes in OC. CAF-related signature (CRS) was constructed using integrative 10 machine learning methods with the datasets from the Cancer Genome Atlas, GSE14764, GSE26193, GSE26712, GSE63885, and GSE140082. The performance of CRS in predicting immunotherapy benefits was verified using 3 immunotherapy datasets (GSE91061, GSE78220, and IMvigor210) and several immune calculating scores. The Lasso + StepCox[forward] method-based predicting model having a highest average C index of 0.69 was referred as the optimal CRS and it had a stable and powerful performance in predicting clinical outcome of OC patients, with the 1-, 3-, and 5-year area under curves were 0.699, 0.708, and 0.767 in the Cancer Genome Atlas cohort. The C index of CRS was higher than that of tumor grade, clinical stage, and many developed signatures. Low CRS score demonstrated lower tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion score, lower immune escape score, higher PD1&CTLA4 immunophenoscore, higher tumor mutation burden score, higher response rate and better prognosis in OC, suggesting a better immunotherapy response. OC patients with low CRS score had a lower half maximal inhibitory concentration value of some drugs (Gemcitabine, Tamoxifen, and Nilotinib, etc) and lower score of some cancer-related hallmarks (Notch signaling, hypoxia, and glycolysis, etc). The current study developed an optimal CRS in OC, which acted as an indicator for the prognosis, stratifying risk and guiding treatment for OC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Fu
- Department of Emergency, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Qian Feng
- Department of Emergency, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Ran Tao
- Department of Emergency, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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21
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Chen R, Zheng Y, Fei C, Ye J, Fei H. Machine learning developed a CD8 + exhausted T cells signature for predicting prognosis, immune infiltration and drug sensitivity in ovarian cancer. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5794. [PMID: 38461331 PMCID: PMC10925064 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55919-4] [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: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
CD8+ exhausted T cells (CD8+ Tex) played a vital role in the progression and therapeutic response of cancer. However, few studies have fully clarified the characters of CD8+ Tex related genes in ovarian cancer (OC). The CD8+ Tex related prognostic signature (TRPS) was constructed with integrative machine learning procedure including 10 methods using TCGA, GSE14764, GSE26193, GSE26712, GSE63885 and GSE140082 dataset. Several immunotherapy benefits indicators, including Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) score, immunophenoscore (IPS), TMB score and tumor escape score, were used to explore performance of TRPS in predicting immunotherapy benefits of OC. The TRPS constructed by Enet (alpha = 0.3) method acted as an independent risk factor for OC and showed stable and powerful performance in predicting clinical outcome of patients. The C-index of the TRPS was higher than that of tumor grade, clinical stage, and many developed signatures. Low TRPS score indicated a higher level of CD8+ T cell, B cell, macrophage M1, and NK cells, representing a relative immunoactivated ecosystem in OC. OC patients with low risk score had a higher PD1&CTLA4 immunophenoscore, higher TMB score, lower TIDE score and lower tumor escape score, suggesting a better immunotherapy response. Moreover, higher TRPS score indicated a higher score of cancer-related hallmarks, including angiogenesis, EMT, hypoxia, glycolysis, and notch signaling. Vitro experiment showed that ARL6IP5 was downregulated in OC tissues and inhibited tumor cell proliferation. The current study constructed a novel TRPS for OC, which could serve as an indicator for predicting the prognosis, immune infiltration and immunotherapy benefits for OC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rujun Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Fifth People's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yicai Zheng
- Department of Stomatology,Shanghai Fifth People's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Chen Fei
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Jun Ye
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Fifth People's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
| | - He Fei
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Fifth People's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
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22
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Kondo M, Kumagai S, Nishikawa H. Metabolic advantages of regulatory T cells dictated by cancer cells. Int Immunol 2024; 36:75-86. [PMID: 37837615 DOI: 10.1093/intimm/dxad035] [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: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells employ glycolysis for their survival and growth (the "Warburg effect"). Consequently, surrounding cells including immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are exposed to hypoglycemic, hypoxic, and low pH circumstances. Since effector T cells depend on the glycolysis for their survival and functions, the metabolically harsh TME established by cancer cells is unfavorable, resulting in the impairment of effective antitumor immune responses. By contrast, immunosuppressive cells such as regulatory T (Treg) cells can infiltrate, proliferate, survive, and exert immunosuppressive functions in the metabolically harsh TME, indicating the different metabolic dependance between effector T cells and Treg cells. Indeed, some metabolites that are harmful for effector T cells can be utilized by Treg cells; lactic acid, a harmful metabolite for effector T cells, is available for Treg cell proliferation and functions. Deficiency of amino acids such as tryptophan and glutamine in the TME impairs effector T cell activation but increases Treg cell populations. Furthermore, hypoxia upregulates fatty acid oxidation via hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) and promotes Treg cell migration. Adenosine is induced by the ectonucleotidases CD39 and CD73, which are strongly induced by HIF-1α, and reportedly accelerates Treg cell development by upregulating Foxp3 expression in T cells via A2AR-mediated signals. Therefore, this review focuses on the current views of the unique metabolism of Treg cells dictated by cancer cells. In addition, potential cancer combination therapies with immunotherapy and metabolic molecularly targeted reagents that modulate Treg cells in the TME are discussed to develop "immune metabolism-based precision medicine".
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Kondo
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Chiba 277-8577, Japan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Shogo Kumagai
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Chiba 277-8577, Japan
- Division of Cellular Signaling, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Hiroyoshi Nishikawa
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Research Institute, National Cancer Center, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
- Division of Cancer Immunology, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center (EPOC), National Cancer Center, Chiba 277-8577, Japan
- Department of Immunology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
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23
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Katopodi T, Petanidis S, Anestakis D, Charalampidis C, Chatziprodromidou I, Floros G, Eskitzis P, Zarogoulidis P, Koulouris C, Sevva C, Papadopoulos K, Dagher M, Karakousis VA, Varsamis N, Theodorou V, Mystakidou CM, Vlassopoulos K, Kosmidis S, Katsios NI, Farmakis K, Kosmidis C. Tumor cell metabolic reprogramming and hypoxic immunosuppression: driving carcinogenesis to metastatic colonization. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1325360. [PMID: 38292487 PMCID: PMC10824957 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1325360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
A significant factor in the antitumor immune response is the increased metabolic reprogramming of immunological and malignant cells. Increasing data points to the fact that cancer metabolism affects not just cancer signaling, which is essential for maintaining carcinogenesis and survival, but also the expression of immune cells and immune-related factors such as lactate, PGE2, arginine, IDO, which regulate the antitumor immune signaling mechanism. In reality, this energetic interaction between the immune system and the tumor results in metabolic competition in the tumor ecosystem, limiting the amount of nutrients available and causing microenvironmental acidosis, which impairs the ability of immune cells to operate. More intriguingly, different types of immune cells use metabolic reprogramming to keep the body and self in a state of homeostasis. The process of immune cell proliferation, differentiation, and performance of effector functions, which is crucial to the immune response, are currently being linked to metabolic reprogramming. Here, we cover the regulation of the antitumor immune response by metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells and immune cells as well as potential strategies for metabolic pathway targeting in the context of anticancer immunotherapy. We also discuss prospective immunotherapy-metabolic intervention combinations that might be utilized to maximize the effectiveness of current immunotherapy regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodora Katopodi
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Medical Biology and Genetics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Savvas Petanidis
- Department of Medicine, Laboratory of Medical Biology and Genetics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
- Department of Pulmonology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Doxakis Anestakis
- Department of Anatomy, Medical School, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | | | - George Floros
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece
| | | | - Paul Zarogoulidis
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Charilaos Koulouris
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Christina Sevva
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Papadopoulos
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Marios Dagher
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Nikolaos Varsamis
- Department of Surgery, Interbalkan Medical Center, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Vasiliki Theodorou
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Chrysi Maria Mystakidou
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Vlassopoulos
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Stylianos Kosmidis
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | | | - Konstantinos Farmakis
- Pediatric Surgery Clinic, General Hospital of Thessaloniki “G. Gennimatas”, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Christoforos Kosmidis
- Third Department of Surgery, “AHEPA” University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
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24
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Hua Y, Yang S, Zhang Y, Li J, Wang M, Yeerkenbieke P, Liao Q, Liu Q. Modulating ferroptosis sensitivity: environmental and cellular targets within the tumor microenvironment. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:19. [PMID: 38217037 PMCID: PMC10787430 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02925-5] [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: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Ferroptosis, a novel form of cell death triggered by iron-dependent phospholipid peroxidation, presents significant therapeutic potential across diverse cancer types. Central to cellular metabolism, the metabolic pathways associated with ferroptosis are discernible in both cancerous and immune cells. This review begins by delving into the intricate reciprocal regulation of ferroptosis between cancer and immune cells. It subsequently details how factors within the tumor microenvironment (TME) such as nutrient scarcity, hypoxia, and cellular density modulate ferroptosis sensitivity. We conclude by offering a comprehensive examination of distinct immunophenotypes and environmental and metabolic targets geared towards enhancing ferroptosis responsiveness within the TME. In sum, tailoring precise ferroptosis interventions and combination strategies to suit the unique TME of specific cancers may herald improved patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuze Hua
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 1# Shuaifuyuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Sen Yang
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 1# Shuaifuyuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Yalu Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 1# Shuaifuyuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
- Department of General Surgery, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Division of Life Science and Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Jiayi Li
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 1# Shuaifuyuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Mengyi Wang
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 1# Shuaifuyuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Palashate Yeerkenbieke
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 1# Shuaifuyuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China
- Department of General Surgery, Xinjiang Yili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture Friendship Hospital, Xinjiang, 835099, China
| | - Quan Liao
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 1# Shuaifuyuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Qiaofei Liu
- Department of General Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 1# Shuaifuyuan, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 100730, China.
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25
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Yu D, Zhang J, Li X, Xiao S, Xing J, Li J. Developing the novel diagnostic model and potential drugs by integrating bioinformatics and machine learning for aldosterone-producing adenomas. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 10:1308754. [PMID: 38239411 PMCID: PMC10794617 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1308754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Aldosterone-producing adenomas (APA) are a common cause of primary aldosteronism (PA), a clinical syndrome characterized by hypertension and electrolyte disturbances. If untreated, it may lead to serious cardiovascular complications. Therefore, there is an urgent need for potential biomarkers and targeted drugs for the diagnosis and treatment of aldosteronism. Methods: We downloaded two datasets (GSE156931 and GSE60042) from the GEO database and merged them by de-batch effect, then screened the top50 of differential genes using PPI and enriched them, followed by screening the Aldosterone adenoma-related genes (ARGs) in the top50 using three machine learning algorithms. We performed GSEA analysis on the ARGs separately and constructed artificial neural networks based on the ARGs. Finally, the Enrich platform was utilized to identify drugs with potential therapeutic effects on APA by tARGseting the ARGs. Results: We identified 190 differential genes by differential analysis, and then identified the top50 genes by PPI, and the enrichment analysis showed that they were mainly enriched in amino acid metabolic pathways. Then three machine learning algorithms identified five ARGs, namely, SST, RAB3C, PPY, CYP3A4, CDH10, and the ANN constructed on the basis of these five ARGs had better diagnostic effect on APA, in which the AUC of the training set is 1 and the AUC of the validation set is 0.755. And then the Enrich platform identified drugs tARGseting the ARGs with potential therapeutic effects on APA. Conclusion: We identified five ARGs for APA through bioinformatic analysis and constructed Artificial neural network (ANN) based on them with better diagnostic effects, and identified drugs with potential therapeutic effects on APA by tARGseting these ARGs. Our study provides more options for the diagnosis and treatment of APA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deshui Yu
- Department of Urology, Air Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
- China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Jinxuan Zhang
- Department of Urology, Air Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
- China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xintao Li
- Department of Urology, Air Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Shuwei Xiao
- Department of Urology, Air Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Jizhang Xing
- Department of Urology, Air Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Jianye Li
- Department of Urology, Air Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
- China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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26
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Zhang S, Zhang X, Yang H, Liang T, Bai X. Hurdle or thruster: Glucose metabolism of T cells in anti-tumour immunity. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189022. [PMID: 37993001 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.189022] [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: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Glucose metabolism is essential for the activation, differentiation and function of T cells and proper glucose metabolism is required to maintain effective T cell immunity. Dysregulation of glucose metabolism is a hallmark of cancer, and the tumour microenvironment (TME2) can create metabolic barriers in T cells that inhibit their anti-tumour immune function. Targeting glucose metabolism is a promising approach to improve the capacity of T cells in the TME. The efficacy of common immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs3) and adoptive cell transfer (ACT4), can be limited by T-cell function, and the treatment itself can affect T-cell metabolism. Therefore, understanding the relationship between immunotherapy and T cell glucose metabolism helps to achieve more effective anti-tumour therapy. In this review, we provide an overview of T cell glucose metabolism and how T cell metabolic reprogramming in the TME regulates anti-tumour responses, briefly describe the metabolic patterns of T cells during ICI and ACT therapies, which suggest possible synergistic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirui Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaozhen Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hanshen Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tingbo Liang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Xueli Bai
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China.
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27
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Wu J, Lu Z, Zhao H, Lu M, Gao Q, Che N, Wang J, Ma T. The expanding Pandora's toolbox of CD8 +T cell: from transcriptional control to metabolic firing. J Transl Med 2023; 21:905. [PMID: 38082437 PMCID: PMC10714647 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04775-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
CD8+ T cells are the executor in adaptive immune response, especially in anti-tumor immunity. They are the subset immune cells that are of high plasticity and multifunction. Their development, differentiation, activation and metabolism are delicately regulated by multiple factors. Stimuli from the internal and external environment could remodel CD8+ T cells, and correspondingly they will also make adjustments to the microenvironmental changes. Here we describe the most updated progresses in CD8+ T biology from transcriptional regulation to metabolism mechanisms, and also their interactions with the microenvironment, especially in cancer and immunotherapy. The expanding landscape of CD8+ T cell biology and discovery of potential targets to regulate CD8+ T cells will provide new viewpoints for clinical immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinghong Wu
- Cancer Research Center, Beijing Chest Hospital, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 101149, China
| | - Zhendong Lu
- Cancer Research Center, Beijing Chest Hospital, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 101149, China
| | - Hong Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Beijing Tuberculosis & Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 101149, China
| | - Mingjun Lu
- Cancer Research Center, Beijing Chest Hospital, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 101149, China
| | - Qing Gao
- Cancer Research Center, Beijing Chest Hospital, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 101149, China
| | - Nanying Che
- Department of Pathology, Beijing Tuberculosis & Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 101149, China
| | - Jinghui Wang
- Cancer Research Center, Beijing Chest Hospital, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 101149, China.
| | - Teng Ma
- Cancer Research Center, Beijing Chest Hospital, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 101149, China.
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28
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Li C, Liu FY, Shen Y, Tian Y, Han FJ. Research progress on the mechanism of glycolysis in ovarian cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1284853. [PMID: 38090580 PMCID: PMC10715264 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1284853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycolysis is the preferred energy metabolism pathway in cancer cells even when the oxygen content is sufficient. Through glycolysis, cancer cells convert glucose into pyruvic acid and then lactate to rapidly produce energy and promote cancer progression. Changes in glycolysis activity play a crucial role in the biosynthesis and energy requirements of cancer cells needed to maintain growth and metastasis. This review focuses on ovarian cancer and the significance of key rate-limiting enzymes (hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, and pyruvate kinase, related signaling pathways (PI3K-AKT, Wnt, MAPK, AMPK), transcription regulators (HIF-1a), and non-coding RNA in the glycolytic pathway. Understanding the relationship between glycolysis and these different mechanisms may provide new opportunities for the future treatment of ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan Li
- Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Fang-Yuan Liu
- Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Ying Shen
- Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yuan Tian
- Zhejiang University of Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Feng-Juan Han
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
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29
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Wei L, Zhang Y, Wang R, Liu S, Luo J, Ma Y, Wang H, Liu Y, Chen Y. Heteroantigen-assembled nanovaccine enhances the polyfunctionality of TILs against tumor growth and metastasis. Biomaterials 2023; 302:122297. [PMID: 37666102 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122297] [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: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
The dysfunction of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) directly correlates with out of control of tumor growth and metastasis. New approaches and insightful clarity for rescuing TILs dysfunction are urgently needed. Here, we design two heterogenous antigens based on MHC-I epitope and MHC-II epitope from tumor, and assemble heterogenous antigens by electrostatic interactions and π-π stacking into heteroantigen-assembled nanovaccine (HANV). HANV not only significantly increases the abundance of CD8+ and CD4+ TILs, but also elicits stronger polyfunctionality of CD8+ and CD4+ TILs in vivo. Enhanced polyfunctionality of CD8+ and CD4+ TILs positively correlate to suppression of tumor growth and metastasis in melanoma-bearing mouse models. We also validate that nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2) dominantly enhances anti-tumor capacity of TILs in a temporal immunoregulation manner. This work presents a new insight in developing HANV as a rational strategy to shape TILs polyfunctionality for tumor growth and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangnian Wei
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College; Kunming, Yunnan, 650000, China; State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Prenatal Diagnosis, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Nanjing Medical University; Nanjing 211166, China; Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immunological Environment and Disease, Key Laboratory of Human Functional Genomics of Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Personalized Cancer Medicine, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University; Nanjing 211166, China; Department of Epidemiology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, Center for Global Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Central Laboratory, The Affiliated Huai'an N0.1 People's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an, 223300, China
| | - Ye Zhang
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College; Kunming, Yunnan, 650000, China
| | - Ruixin Wang
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College; Kunming, Yunnan, 650000, China
| | - Shuai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Prenatal Diagnosis, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Nanjing Medical University; Nanjing 211166, China; Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immunological Environment and Disease, Key Laboratory of Human Functional Genomics of Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Personalized Cancer Medicine, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University; Nanjing 211166, China; Department of Epidemiology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, Center for Global Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Central Laboratory, The Affiliated Huai'an N0.1 People's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an, 223300, China
| | - Jia Luo
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College; Kunming, Yunnan, 650000, China
| | - Yunfei Ma
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College; Kunming, Yunnan, 650000, China
| | - Hao Wang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China.
| | - Ye Liu
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College; Kunming, Yunnan, 650000, China; State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Beijing, 100190, China; Key Laboratory of Pathogen Infection Prevention and Control (Peking Union Medical College), Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100190, China.
| | - Yun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Prenatal Diagnosis, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Nanjing Medical University; Nanjing 211166, China; Department of Immunology, Key Laboratory of Immunological Environment and Disease, Key Laboratory of Human Functional Genomics of Jiangsu Province, Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Personalized Cancer Medicine, Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University; Nanjing 211166, China; Department of Epidemiology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, Center for Global Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Central Laboratory, The Affiliated Huai'an N0.1 People's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an, 223300, China.
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30
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Wang L, Chen X, Song L, Zou H. Machine Learning Developed a Programmed Cell Death Signature for Predicting Prognosis, Ecosystem, and Drug Sensitivity in Ovarian Cancer. Anal Cell Pathol (Amst) 2023; 2023:7365503. [PMID: 37868825 PMCID: PMC10586435 DOI: 10.1155/2023/7365503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Ovarian cancer (OC) is the leading cause of gynecological cancer death and the fifth most common cause of cancer-related death in women in America. Programmed cell death played a vital role in tumor progression and immunotherapy response in cancer. Methods The prognostic cell death signature (CDS) was constructed with an integrative machine learning procedure, including 10 methods, using TCGA, GSE14764, GSE26193, GSE26712, GSE63885, and GSE140082 datasets. Several methods and single-cell analysis were used to explore the correlation between CDS and the ecosystem and therapy response of OC patients. Results The prognostic CDS constructed by the combination of StepCox (n = both) + Enet (alpha = 0.2) acted as an independent risk factor for the overall survival (OS) of OC patients and showed stable and powerful performance in predicting the OS rate of OC patients. Compared with tumor grade, clinical stage, and many developed signatures, the CDS had a higher C-index. OC patients with low CDS score had a higher level of CD8+ cytotoxic T, B cell, and M1-like macrophage, representing a related immunoactivated ecosystem. A low CDS score indicated a higher PD1 and CTLA4 immunophenoscore, higher tumor mutation burden score, lower tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion score, and lower tumor escape score in OC, demonstrating a better immunotherapy response. OC patients with high CDS score had a higher gene set score of cancer-related hallmarks, including angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, hypoxia, glycolysis, and notch signaling. Conclusion The current study constructed a novel CDS for OC, which could serve as an indicator for predicting the prognosis, ecosystem, and immunotherapy benefits of OC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Wang
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330000, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Emergency, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330000, China
| | - Lei Song
- Department of General Practice, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330000, China
| | - Hua Zou
- Department of Organ Transplantation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330000, China
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31
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Chen S, Leng P, Guo J, Zhou H. FBXW7 in breast cancer: mechanism of action and therapeutic potential. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2023; 42:226. [PMID: 37658431 PMCID: PMC10474666 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02767-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the frequent tumors that seriously endanger the physical and mental well-being in women. F-box and WD repeat domain-containing 7 (FBXW7) is a neoplastic repressor. Serving as a substrate recognition element for ubiquitin ligase, FBXW7 participates in the ubiquitin-proteasome system and is typically in charge of the ubiquitination and destruction of crucial oncogenic proteins, further performing a paramount role in cell differentiation, apoptosis and metabolic processes. Low levels of FBXW7 cause abnormal stability of pertinent substrates, mutations and/or deletions in the FBXW7 gene have been reported to correlate with breast cancer malignant progression and chemoresistance. Given the lack of an effective solution to breast cancer's clinical drug resistance dilemma, elucidating FBXW7's mechanism of action could provide a theoretical basis for targeted drug exploration. Therefore, in this review, we focused on FBXW7's role in a range of breast cancer malignant behaviors and summarized the pertinent cellular targets, signaling pathways, as well as the mechanisms regulating FBXW7 expression. We also proposed novel perspectives for the exploitation of alternative therapies and specific tumor markers for breast cancer by therapeutic strategies aiming at FBXW7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Chen
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sichuan-Chongqing Co-Construction for Diagnosisand, Treatment of Infectious Diseases Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, College of Medical Technology , Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Ping Leng
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sichuan-Chongqing Co-Construction for Diagnosisand, Treatment of Infectious Diseases Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, College of Medical Technology , Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Jinlin Guo
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sichuan-Chongqing Co-Construction for Diagnosisand, Treatment of Infectious Diseases Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, College of Medical Technology , Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
| | - Hao Zhou
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Sichuan-Chongqing Co-Construction for Diagnosisand, Treatment of Infectious Diseases Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, College of Medical Technology , Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.
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32
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Afra F, Mahboobipour AA, Salehi Farid A, Ala M. Recent progress in the immunotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma: Non-coding RNA-based immunotherapy may improve the outcome. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 165:115104. [PMID: 37393866 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most lethal cancer and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) significantly improved the prognosis of HCC; however, the therapeutic response remains unsatisfactory in a substantial proportion of patients or needs to be further improved in responders. Herein, other methods of immunotherapy, including vaccine-based immunotherapy, adoptive cell therapy, cytokine delivery, kynurenine pathway inhibition, and gene delivery, have been adopted in clinical trials. Although the results were not encouraging enough to expedite their marketing. A major proportion of human genome is transcribed into non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Preclinical studies have extensively investigated the roles of ncRNAs in different aspects of HCC biology. HCC cells reprogram the expression pattern of numerous ncRNAs to decrease the immunogenicity of HCC, exhaust the cytotoxic and anti-cancer function of CD8 + T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and M1 macrophages, and promote the immunosuppressive function of T Reg cells, M2 macrophages, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Mechanistically, cancer cells recruit ncRNAs to interact with immune cells, thereby regulating the expression of immune checkpoints, functional receptors of immune cells, cytotoxic enzymes, and inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Interestingly, prediction models based on the tissue expression or even serum levels of ncRNAs could predict response to immunotherapy in HCC. Moreover, ncRNAs markedly potentiated the efficacy of ICIs in murine models of HCC. This review article first discusses recent advances in the immunotherapy of HCC, then dissects the involvement and potential application of ncRNAs in the immunotherapy of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Afra
- Clinical Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Ali Mahboobipour
- Tracheal Diseases Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Salehi Farid
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Moein Ala
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Chen C, Shin JH, Fang Z, Brennan K, Horowitz NB, Pfaff KL, Welsh EL, Rodig SJ, Gevaert O, Gozani O, Uppaluri R, Sunwoo JB. Targeting KDM2A Enhances T-cell Infiltration in NSD1-Deficient Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cancer Res 2023; 83:2645-2655. [PMID: 37311054 PMCID: PMC10526980 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-22-3114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), a significant proportion of tumors have inactivating mutations in the histone methyltransferase NSD1. In these tumors, NSD1 inactivation is a driver of T-cell exclusion from the tumor microenvironment (TME). A better understanding of the NSD1-mediated mechanism regulating infiltration of T cells into the TME could help identify approaches to overcome immunosuppression. Here, we demonstrated that NSD1 inactivation results in lower levels of H3K36 dimethylation and higher levels of H3K27 trimethylation, the latter being a known repressive histone mark enriched on the promoters of key T-cell chemokines CXCL9 and CXCL10. HNSCC with NSD1 mutations had lower levels of these chemokines and lacked responses to PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade. Inhibition of KDM2A, the primary lysine demethylase that is selective for H3K36, reversed the altered histone marks induced by NSD1 loss and restored T-cell infiltration into the TME. Importantly, KDM2A suppression decreased growth of NSD1-deficient tumors in immunocompetent, but not in immunodeficient, mice. Together, these data indicate that KDM2A is an immunotherapeutic target for overcoming immune exclusion in HNSCC. SIGNIFICANCE The altered epigenetic landscape of NSD1-deficient tumors confers sensitivity to inhibition of the histone-modifying enzyme KDM2A as an immunotherapeutic strategy to stimulate T-cell infiltration and suppress tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - June Ho Shin
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Zhuoqing Fang
- Department of Anesthesia, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Kevin Brennan
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Informatics) and Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Nina B. Horowitz
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Kathleen L. Pfaff
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Emma L. Welsh
- Center for Immuno-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Scott J. Rodig
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Olivier Gevaert
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Informatics) and Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Or Gozani
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Ravindra Uppaluri
- Division of Otolaryngology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - John B. Sunwoo
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
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Tang X, Miao Y, Yang L, Ha W, Li Z, Mi D. Single-cell RNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq explore the prognostic value of exhausted T cells in hepatocellular carcinoma. IET Syst Biol 2023; 17:228-244. [PMID: 37431788 PMCID: PMC10439497 DOI: 10.1049/syb2.12072] [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: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a worldwide health problem. Mounting evidence indicates that exhausted T cells play a critical role in the progress and treatment of HCC. Therefore, a detailed characterisation of exhausted T cells and their clinical significance warrants further investigation in HCC. Based on the GSE146115, we presented a comprehensive single-cell Atlas in HCC. Pseudo-time analysis revealed that tumour heterogeneity progressively increased, and the exhausted T cells gradually appeared during tumour progression. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the evolutionary process of exhausted T cells mainly contained the pathway of cadherin binding, proteasome, cell cycle, and T cell receptor regulation of apoptosis. In the International Cancer Genome Consortium database, we divided patients into three clusters with the T cell evolution-associated genes. We found that the exhausted T cells are significantly related to poor outcomes through immunity and survival analysis. In The Cancer Genome Atlas database, the authors enrolled weighted gene co-expression network analysis, univariate Cox analysis, and Lasso Cox analysis, then screened the 19 core genes in T cells evolution and built a robust prognostic model. This study offers a fresh view on evaluating the patients' outcomes from an exhausted T cells perspective and might help clinicians develop therapeutic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Tang
- The First Clinical Medical CollegeLanzhou UniversityLanzhouChina
- The Second Department of Gastrointestinal SurgeryAffiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical CollegeNanchongChina
| | - Yandong Miao
- The First Clinical Medical CollegeLanzhou UniversityLanzhouChina
- Department of OncologyYantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical UniversityThe Second Clinical Medical College of Binzhou Medical UniversityYantaiChina
| | - Lixia Yang
- Gansu Academy of Traditional Chinese MedicineLanzhouChina
| | - Wuhua Ha
- The First Clinical Medical CollegeLanzhou UniversityLanzhouChina
| | - Zheng Li
- Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesLanzhouChina
| | - Denghai Mi
- The First Clinical Medical CollegeLanzhou UniversityLanzhouChina
- Gansu Academy of Traditional Chinese MedicineLanzhouChina
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Pickles OJ, Wanigasooriya K, Ptasinska A, Patel AJ, Robbins HL, Bryer C, Whalley CM, Tee L, Lal N, Pinna CM, Elzefzafy N, Taniere P, Beggs AD, Middleton GM. MHC Class II is Induced by IFNγ and Follows Three Distinct Patterns of Expression in Colorectal Cancer Organoids. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:1501-1513. [PMID: 37565053 PMCID: PMC10411481 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-23-0091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Tumor-specific MHC class II (tsMHC-II) expression impacts tumor microenvironmental immunity. tsMHC-II positive cancer cells may act as surrogate antigen-presenting cells and targets for CD4+ T cell-mediated lysis. In colorectal cancer, tsMHC-II negativity is common, in cell lines due to CIITA promoter methylation. To clarify mechanisms of tsMHC-II repression in colorectal cancer, we analyzed colorectal cancer organoids which are epigenetically faithful to tissue of origin. 15 primary colorectal cancer organoids were treated with IFNγ ± epigenetic modifiers: flow cytometry was used for tsMHC-II expression. qRT-PCR, total RNA sequencing, nanopore sequencing, bisulfite conversion/pyrosequencing, and Western blotting was used to quantitate CIITA, STAT1, IRF1, and JAK1 expression, mutations and promoter methylation and chromatin immunoprecipitation to quantitate H3K9ac, H3K9Me2, and EZH2 occupancy at CIITA. We define three types of response to IFNγ in colorectal cancer: strong, weak, and noninducibility. Delayed and restricted expression even with prolonged IFNγ exposure was due to IFNγ-mediated EZH2 occupancy at CIITA. tsMHC-II expression was enhanced by EZH2 and histone deacetylase inhibition in the weakly inducible organoids. Noninducibility is seen in three consensus molecular subtype 1 (CMS1) organoids due to JAK1 mutation. No organoid demonstrates CIITA promoter methylation. Providing IFNγ signaling is intact, most colorectal cancer organoids are class II inducible. Upregulation of tsMHC-II through targeted epigenetic therapy is seen in one of fifteen organoids. Our approach can serve as a blueprint for investigating the heterogeneity of specific epigenetic mechanisms of immune suppression across individual patients in other cancers and how these might be targeted to inform the conduct of future trials of epigenetic therapies as immune adjuvants more strategically in cancer. Significance Cancer cell expression of MHC class II significantly impacts tumor microenvironmental immunity. Previous studies investigating mechanisms of repression of IFNγ-inducible class II expression using cell lines demonstrate epigenetic silencing of IFN pathway genes as a frequent immune evasion strategy. Unlike cell lines, patient-derived organoids maintain epigenetic fidelity to tissue of origin. In the first such study, we analyze patterns, dynamics, and epigenetic control of IFNγ-induced class II expression in a series of colorectal cancer organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver J. Pickles
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Kasun Wanigasooriya
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Science, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Anetta Ptasinska
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Science, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Akshay J. Patel
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Helen L. Robbins
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Bryer
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Science, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Celina M. Whalley
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Science, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Louise Tee
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Science, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Neeraj Lal
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Science, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Claudia M.A. Pinna
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Science, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Nahla Elzefzafy
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Science, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Cancer Biology Department, NCI, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Philippe Taniere
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew D. Beggs
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Science, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Gary M. Middleton
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Zou W, Green DR. Beggars banquet: Metabolism in the tumor immune microenvironment and cancer therapy. Cell Metab 2023; 35:1101-1113. [PMID: 37390822 PMCID: PMC10527949 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2023.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic programming in the tumor microenvironment (TME) alters tumor immunity and immunotherapeutic response in tumor-bearing mice and patients with cancer. Here, we review immune-related functions of core metabolic pathways, key metabolites, and crucial nutrient transporters in the TME, discuss their metabolic, signaling, and epigenetic impact on tumor immunity and immunotherapy, and explore how these insights can be applied to the development of more effective modalities to potentiate the function of T cells and sensitize tumor cell receptivity to immune attack, thereby overcoming therapeutic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiping Zou
- Departments of Surgery and Pathology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Center of Excellence for Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Graduate Programs in Immunology and Cancer Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Douglas R Green
- Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
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He J, Yang L, Chang P, Yang S, Wang Y, Lin S, Tang Q, Zhang Y. Zika Virus Induces Degradation of the Numb Protein Required through Embryonic Neurogenesis. Viruses 2023; 15:1258. [PMID: 37376558 DOI: 10.3390/v15061258] [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: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus and causes an infection associated with congenital Zika syndrome and Guillain-Barre syndrome. The mechanism of ZIKV-mediated neuropathogenesis is not well understood. In this study, we discovered that ZIKV induces degradation of the Numb protein, which plays a crucial role in neurogenesis by allowing asymmetric cell division during embryonic development. Our data show that ZIKV reduced the Numb protein level in a time- and dose-dependent manner. However, ZIKV infection appears to have minimal effect on the Numb transcript. Treatment of ZIKV-infected cells with a proteasome inhibitor restores the Numb protein level, which suggests the involvement of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. In addition, ZIKV infection shortens the half-life of the Numb protein. Among the ZIKV proteins, the capsid protein significantly reduces the Numb protein level. Immunoprecipitation of the Numb protein co-precipitates the capsid protein, indicating the interaction between these two proteins. These results provide insights into the ZIKV-cell interaction that might contribute to its impact on neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia He
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Liping Yang
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Peixi Chang
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Shixing Yang
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Yu Wang
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Shaoli Lin
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Qiyi Tang
- Department of Microbiology, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, USA
| | - Yanjin Zhang
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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Yang J, Xu J, Wang W, Zhang B, Yu X, Shi S. Epigenetic regulation in the tumor microenvironment: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:210. [PMID: 37217462 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01480-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Over decades, researchers have focused on the epigenetic control of DNA-templated processes. Histone modification, DNA methylation, chromatin remodeling, RNA modification, and noncoding RNAs modulate many biological processes that are crucial to the development of cancers. Dysregulation of the epigenome drives aberrant transcriptional programs. A growing body of evidence suggests that the mechanisms of epigenetic modification are dysregulated in human cancers and might be excellent targets for tumor treatment. Epigenetics has also been shown to influence tumor immunogenicity and immune cells involved in antitumor responses. Thus, the development and application of epigenetic therapy and cancer immunotherapy and their combinations may have important implications for cancer treatment. Here, we present an up-to-date and thorough description of how epigenetic modifications in tumor cells influence immune cell responses in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and how epigenetics influence immune cells internally to modify the TME. Additionally, we highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting epigenetic regulators for cancer immunotherapy. Harnessing the complex interplay between epigenetics and cancer immunology to develop therapeutics that combine thereof is challenging but could yield significant benefits. The purpose of this review is to assist researchers in understanding how epigenetics impact immune responses in the TME, so that better cancer immunotherapies can be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin Xu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianjun Yu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Si Shi
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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Di Fiore R, Suleiman S, Drago-Ferrante R, Subbannayya Y, Suleiman S, Vasileva-Slaveva M, Yordanov A, Pentimalli F, Giordano A, Calleja-Agius J. The Role of FBXW7 in Gynecologic Malignancies. Cells 2023; 12:1415. [PMID: 37408248 DOI: 10.3390/cells12101415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The F-Box and WD Repeat Domain Containing 7 (FBXW7) protein has been shown to regulate cellular growth and act as a tumor suppressor. This protein, also known as FBW7, hCDC4, SEL10 or hAGO, is encoded by the gene FBXW7. It is a crucial component of the Skp1-Cullin1-F-box (SCF) complex, which is a ubiquitin ligase. This complex aids in the degradation of many oncoproteins, such as cyclin E, c-JUN, c-MYC, NOTCH, and MCL1, via the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). The FBXW7 gene is commonly mutated or deleted in numerous types of cancer, including gynecologic cancers (GCs). Such FBXW7 mutations are linked to a poor prognosis due to increased treatment resistance. Hence, detection of the FBXW7 mutation may possibly be an appropriate diagnostic and prognostic biomarker that plays a central role in determining suitable individualized management. Recent studies also suggest that, under specific circumstances, FBXW7 may act as an oncogene. There is mounting evidence indicating that the aberrant expression of FBXW7 is involved in the development of GCs. The aim of this review is to give an update on the role of FBXW7 as a potential biomarker and also as a therapeutic target for novel treatments, particularly in the management of GCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Di Fiore
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Sherif Suleiman
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta
| | | | - Yashwanth Subbannayya
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
| | - Sarah Suleiman
- Whipps Cross Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, Leytonstone, London E11 1NR, UK
| | - Mariela Vasileva-Slaveva
- Department of Breast Surgery, "Dr. Shterev" Hospital, 1330 Sofia, Bulgaria
- Research Institute, Medical University Pleven, 5800 Pleven, Bulgaria
- Bulgarian Breast and Gynecological Cancer Association, 1784 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Angel Yordanov
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Medical University Pleven, 5800 Pleven, Bulgaria
| | - Francesca Pentimalli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, LUM University "Giuseppe DeGennaro", 70010 Casamassima, Italy
| | - Antonio Giordano
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Jean Calleja-Agius
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta
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Li X, Yan X, Wang Y, Kaur B, Han H, Yu J. The Notch signaling pathway: a potential target for cancer immunotherapy. J Hematol Oncol 2023; 16:45. [PMID: 37131214 PMCID: PMC10155406 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-023-01439-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of the Notch signaling pathway, which is highly conserved across species, can drive aberrant epigenetic modification, transcription, and translation. Defective gene regulation caused by dysregulated Notch signaling often affects networks controlling oncogenesis and tumor progression. Meanwhile, Notch signaling can modulate immune cells involved in anti- or pro-tumor responses and tumor immunogenicity. A comprehensive understanding of these processes can help with designing new drugs that target Notch signaling, thereby enhancing the effects of cancer immunotherapy. Here, we provide an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of how Notch signaling intrinsically regulates immune cells and how alterations in Notch signaling in tumor cells or stromal cells extrinsically regulate immune responses in the tumor microenvironment (TME). We also discuss the potential role of Notch signaling in tumor immunity mediated by gut microbiota. Finally, we propose strategies for targeting Notch signaling in cancer immunotherapy. These include oncolytic virotherapy combined with inhibition of Notch signaling, nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with Notch signaling regulators to specifically target tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) to repolarize their functions and remodel the TME, combining specific and efficient inhibitors or activators of Notch signaling with immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) for synergistic anti-tumor therapy, and implementing a customized and effective synNotch circuit system to enhance safety of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) immune cells. Collectively, this review aims to summarize how Notch signaling intrinsically and extrinsically shapes immune responses to improve immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Li
- Xi'an Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Xianchun Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Yufeng Wang
- Cancer Institute, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - Balveen Kaur
- Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77225, USA
| | - Hua Han
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jianhua Yu
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, 1500 East Duarte, Los Angeles, CA, 91010, USA.
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Qiang N, Ao J, Nakamura M, Chiba T, Kusakabe Y, Kaneko T, Kurosugi A, Kogure T, Ma Y, Zhang J, Ogawa K, Kan M, Iwanaga T, Sakuma T, Kanayama K, Kanzaki H, Kojima R, Nakagawa R, Kondo T, Nakamoto S, Muroyama R, Kato J, Mimura N, Ma A, Jin J, Kato N. Alteration of the tumor microenvironment by pharmacological inhibition of EZH2 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 118:110068. [PMID: 37001386 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), a core component of polycomb repressive component 2 is overexpressed in a variety of cancers and recognized as a therapeutic target molecule. However, EZH2 possesses immunomodulatory functions in the tumor microenvironment (TME). The impact of EZH2 on TME of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using immunocompetent mouse model was evaluated in the present study. UNC1999, an EZH2 inhibitor, impaired growth of the murine HCC cells (H22 cells) and induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Although UNC1999 significantly inhibited the growth of H22 cells-derived and Hepa1-6 cells-derived tumors in nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency mice, its antitumor effect was diminished in allogenic BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. Flow cytometric analyses of TME cells in BALB/c mice demonstrated a significant decrease in the number of interferon‑γ+ CD8+ T cells and regulatory T cells and a significant increase in the number of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Administration of Gr-1 neutralizing antibody concomitant with UNC1999 restored antitumor effect accompanied by an increase in the number of CD8+ T cells followed by a decrease in the number of MDSCs. Chemokine antibody array demonstrated an enhanced expression of chemokines responsible for MDSCs recruitment such as C5a, CCL8, and CCL9. In conclusion, the study results demonstrated that EZH2 inhibitor contributed to attenuation of tumor immunity caused by TME arrangement. Combination therapy with EZH2 inhibitors and agents that reduce MDSCs might represent a novel therapeutic strategy for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Qiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Junjie Ao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Masato Nakamura
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan.
| | - Tetsuhiro Chiba
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yuko Kusakabe
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Kaneko
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Akane Kurosugi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tadayoshi Kogure
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yaojia Ma
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Jiaqi Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Keita Ogawa
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Motoyasu Kan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Terunao Iwanaga
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Takafumi Sakuma
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Kengo Kanayama
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Kanzaki
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Ryuta Kojima
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Ryo Nakagawa
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Takayuki Kondo
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Shingo Nakamoto
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Muroyama
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Jun Kato
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Naoya Mimura
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Cell Therapy, Chiba University Hospital, Chiba, Japan
| | - Anqi Ma
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Jian Jin
- Mount Sinai Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Oncological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Naoya Kato
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
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Ganjoo S, Gupta P, Corbali HI, Nanez S, Riad TS, Duong LK, Barsoumian HB, Masrorpour F, Jiang H, Welsh JW, Cortez MA. The role of tumor metabolism in modulating T-Cell activity and in optimizing immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1172931. [PMID: 37180129 PMCID: PMC10169689 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1172931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment and revitalized efforts to harness the power of the immune system to combat a variety of cancer types more effectively. However, low clinical response rates and differences in outcomes due to variations in the immune landscape among patients with cancer continue to be major limitations to immunotherapy. Recent efforts to improve responses to immunotherapy have focused on targeting cellular metabolism, as the metabolic characteristics of cancer cells can directly influence the activity and metabolism of immune cells, particularly T cells. Although the metabolic pathways of various cancer cells and T cells have been extensively reviewed, the intersections among these pathways, and their potential use as targets for improving responses to immune-checkpoint blockade therapies, are not completely understood. This review focuses on the interplay between tumor metabolites and T-cell dysfunction as well as the relationship between several T-cell metabolic patterns and T-cell activity/function in tumor immunology. Understanding these relationships could offer new avenues for improving responses to immunotherapy on a metabolic basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shonik Ganjoo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Priti Gupta
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Halil Ibrahim Corbali
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Medical Pharmacology, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Selene Nanez
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Thomas S. Riad
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Lisa K. Duong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Hampartsoum B. Barsoumian
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Fatemeh Masrorpour
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - James W. Welsh
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Maria Angelica Cortez
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
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43
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Noda H, Suzuki J, Matsuoka Y, Matsumoto A, Kuwahara M, Kamei Y, Takada Y, Yamashita M. The histone demethylase Utx controls CD8 + T-cell-dependent antitumor immunity via epigenetic regulation of the effector function. Cancer Sci 2023. [PMID: 37068788 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15814] [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: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
CD8+ T cells play a central role in antitumor immune responses. Epigenetic gene regulation is essential to acquire the effector function of CD8+ T cells. However, the role of Utx, a demethylase of histone H3K27, in antitumor immunity remains unclear. In this study, we examined the roles of Utx in effector CD8+ T-cell differentiation and the antitumor immune response. In a murine tumor-bearing model, an increased tumor size and decreased survival rate were observed in T-cell-specific Utx KO (Utx KO) mice compared with wild-type (WT) mice. The number of CD8+ T cells in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) was significantly decreased in Utx KO mice. We found that the acquisition of effector function was delayed and attenuated in Utx KO CD8+ T cells. RNA sequencing revealed that the expression of effector signature genes was decreased in Utx KO effector CD8+ T cells, while the expression of naïve or memory signature genes was increased. Furthermore, the expression of Cxcr3, which is required for the migration of effector CD8+ T cells to tumor sites, was substantially decreased in Utx KO CD8+ T cells. These findings suggest that Utx promotes CD8+ T-cell-dependent antitumor immune responses partially through epigenetic regulation of the effector function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruna Noda
- Breast Center, Ehime University Hospital, Toon, Japan
- Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery and Breast Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime University, Toon, Japan
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime University, Toon, Japan
| | - Junpei Suzuki
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime University, Toon, Japan
| | - Yuko Matsuoka
- Department of Translational Research Center, Ehime University Hospital, Toon, Japan
| | - Akira Matsumoto
- Department of Infections and Host Defenses, Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime University, Toon, Japan
| | - Makoto Kuwahara
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime University, Toon, Japan
| | - Yoshiaki Kamei
- Breast Center, Ehime University Hospital, Toon, Japan
- Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery and Breast Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime University, Toon, Japan
| | - Yasutsugu Takada
- Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery and Breast Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime University, Toon, Japan
| | - Masakatsu Yamashita
- Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime University, Toon, Japan
- Department of Infections and Host Defenses, Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime University, Toon, Japan
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Pan Y, Shu G, Fu L, Huang K, Zhou X, Gui C, Liu H, Jin X, Chen M, Li P, Cen J, Feng Z, Lu J, Chen Z, Li J, Xu Q, Wang Y, Liang H, Wang Z, Deng Q, Chen W, Luo J, Yang J, Zhang J, Wei J. EHBP1L1 Drives Immune Evasion in Renal Cell Carcinoma through Binding and Stabilizing JAK1. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2206792. [PMID: 36775874 PMCID: PMC10104659 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202206792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
High lymphocyte infiltration and immunosuppression characterize the tumor microenvironment (TME) in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). There is an urgent need to elucidate how tumor cells escape the immune attack and to develop novel therapeutic targets to enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in RCC. Overactivated IFN-γ-induced JAK/STAT signaling involves in such TME, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, EH domain-binding protein 1-like protein 1 (EHBP1L1) is identified as a crucial mediator of IFN-γ/JAK1/STAT1/PD-L1 signaling in RCC. EHBP1L1 is highly expressed in RCC, and high EHBP1L1 expression levels are correlated with poor prognosis and resistance to ICB. EHBP1L1 depletion significantly inhibits tumor growth, which is attributed to enhanced CD8+ T cell-mediated antitumor immunity. Mechanistically, EHBP1L1 interacts with and stabilizes JAK1. By competing with SOCS1, EHBP1L1 protects JAK1 from proteasomal degradation, which leads to elevated JAK1 protein levels and JAK1/STAT1/PD-L1 signaling activity, thereby forming an immunosuppressive TME. Furthermore, the combination of EHBP1L1 inhibition and ICB reprograms the immunosuppressive TME and prevents tumor immune evasion, thus significantly reinforcing the therapeutic efficacy of ICB in RCC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. These findings reveal the vital role of EHBP1L1 in immune evasion in RCC, which may be a potential complement for ICB therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihui Pan
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
- Department of UrologyThe Third Affiliated HospitalSoochow UniversityChangzhouJiangsu213003China
| | - Guannan Shu
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Liangmin Fu
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Kangbo Huang
- Sun Yat‐sen University Cancer CenterState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South ChinaCollaborative Innovation Center for Cancer MedicineGuangzhou510060China
- Department of UrologySun Yat‐sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhou510060China
| | - Xinwei Zhou
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Chengpeng Gui
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Huashan Liu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Colorectal and Pelvic Floor DiseasesThe Sixth Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510655China
| | - Xiaohan Jin
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Minyu Chen
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Pengju Li
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Junjie Cen
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Zihao Feng
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Jun Lu
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Zhenhua Chen
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Jiaying Li
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Quanhui Xu
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Yinghan Wang
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Hui Liang
- Department of UrologyAffiliated Longhua People's HospitalSouthern Medical UniversityShenzhen518109China
| | - Zhu Wang
- Department of UrologyAffiliated Longhua People's HospitalSouthern Medical UniversityShenzhen518109China
| | - Qiong Deng
- Department of UrologyAffiliated Longhua People's HospitalSouthern Medical UniversityShenzhen518109China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Junhang Luo
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Jiefeng Yang
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Jiaxing Zhang
- Department of OncologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
| | - Jinhuan Wei
- Department of UrologyThe First Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhou510080China
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Missiaen R, Lesner NP, Simon MC. HIF: a master regulator of nutrient availability and metabolic cross-talk in the tumor microenvironment. EMBO J 2023; 42:e112067. [PMID: 36808622 PMCID: PMC10015374 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022112067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
A role for hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) in hypoxia-dependent regulation of tumor cell metabolism has been thoroughly investigated and covered in reviews. However, there is limited information available regarding HIF-dependent regulation of nutrient fates in tumor and stromal cells. Tumor and stromal cells may generate nutrients necessary for function (metabolic symbiosis) or deplete nutrients resulting in possible competition between tumor cells and immune cells, a result of altered nutrient fates. HIF and nutrients in the tumor microenvironment (TME) affect stromal and immune cell metabolism in addition to intrinsic tumor cell metabolism. HIF-dependent metabolic regulation will inevitably result in the accumulation or depletion of essential metabolites in the TME. In response, various cell types in the TME will respond to these hypoxia-dependent alterations by activating HIF-dependent transcription to alter nutrient import, export, and utilization. In recent years, the concept of metabolic competition has been proposed for critical substrates, including glucose, lactate, glutamine, arginine, and tryptophan. In this review, we discuss how HIF-mediated mechanisms control nutrient sensing and availability in the TME, the competition for nutrients, and the metabolic cross-talk between tumor and stromal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rindert Missiaen
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nicholas P Lesner
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - M Celeste Simon
- Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Extracellular vesicles derived from M2-polarized tumor-associated macrophages promote immune escape in ovarian cancer through NEAT1/miR-101-3p/ZEB1/PD-L1 axis. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2023; 72:743-758. [PMID: 36319716 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-022-03305-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Evidence has been presented demonstrating that CD8+ T cells confer anti-cancer effects, which offers a promising approach to enhance immunotherapy. M2-polarized tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) could transfer RNA to cancer cells by secreting extracellular vesicles (EVs) and stimulate immune escape of cancer cells. Thus, the current study aimed at exploring how EVs derived from M2-polarized TAMs (M2-TAMs) affected the proliferation of ovarian cancer (OC) cells and apoptosis of CD8+ T cells. M2-TAMs were observed in OC tissues, which promoted proliferation of OC cells and CD8+ T cell apoptosis by secreting EVs. OC-associated differentially expressed gene NEAT1 was screened by bioinformatics analysis. The in vitro and in vivo effects of TAM-EVs-NEAT1 and its regulatory mechanism were assessed using gain- and loss-of-function assays in co-culture systems of TAMs-derived EVs, OC cells, and CD8+ T cells and in tumor-bearing mice. NEAT1 was highly expressed in M2-derived EVs and OC cells co-cultured with M2-derived EVs. NEAT1 sponged miR-101-3p to increase ZEB1 and PD-L1 expression. In vitro and in vivo assays confirmed the tumor-supporting effects of NEAT1 delivered by M2-derived EVs on OC cell proliferation and CD8+ T cell apoptosis as well as tumor growth. Collectively, M2-derived EVs containing NEAT1 exerted a tumor-promoting role in OC via the miR-101-3p/ZEB1/PD-L1 axis.
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Hou Y, Zak J, Shi Y, Pratumchai I, Dinner B, Wang W, Qin K, Weber E, Teijaro JR, Wu P. Transient EZH2 suppression by Tazemetostat during in vitro expansion maintains T cell stemness and improves adoptive T cell therapy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.07.527459. [PMID: 36798389 PMCID: PMC9934551 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.07.527459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
The histone methyltransferase enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2)-mediated epigenetic regulation of T cell differentiation in acute infection has been extensively investigated. However, the role of EZH2 in T cell exhaustion remains under-explored. Here, using in vitro exhaustion models, we demonstrated that transient inhibition of EZH2 in T cells before the phenotypic onset of exhaustion with a clinically approved inhibitor, Tazemetastat, delayed their dysfunctional progression and maintained T cell stemness and polyfunctionality while having no negative impact on cell proliferation. Tazemetestat induced T cell epigenetic reprogramming and increased the expression of the self-renewing T cell transcription factor TCF1 by reducing its promoter H3K27 methylation preferentially in rapidly dividing T cells. In a murine melanoma model, T cells pre-treated with tazemetastat exhibited a superior response to anti-PD-1 blockade therapy after adoptive transfer. Collectively, these data unveil the potential of transient epigenetic reprogramming as a potential intervention to be combined with checkpoint blockade for immune therapy.
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Mortezaee K, Majidpoor J, Najafi S, Tasa D. Bypassing anti-PD-(L)1 therapy: Mechanisms and management strategies. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 158:114150. [PMID: 36577330 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.114150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is a major issue of the current era in cancer immunotherapy. Immune evasion is a multi-factorial event, which occurs generally at a base of cold immunity. Despite advances in the field, there are still unsolved challenges about how to combat checkpoint hijacked by tumor cells and what are complementary treatment strategies to render durable anti-tumor outcomes. A point is that anti-programed death-1 receptor (PD-1)/anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is not the solo path of immune escape, and responses in many types of solid tumors to the PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors are not satisfactory. Thus, seeking mechanisms inter-connecting tumor with its immune ecosystem nearby unravel more about resistance mechanisms so as to develop methods for sustained reinvigoration of immune activity against cancer. In this review, we aimed to discuss about common and specific paths taken by tumor cells to evade immune surveillance, describing novel detection strategies, as well as suggesting some approaches to recover tumor sensitivity to the anti-PD-(L)1 therapy based on the current knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keywan Mortezaee
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.
| | - Jamal Majidpoor
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran
| | - Sajad Najafi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Davood Tasa
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Fellowship, Organ Transplantation Group, Massih Daneshvari Educational Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
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Wan S, Zhao E, Freeman D, Weissinger D, Krantz BA, Werba G, Khanna LG, Siolas D, Oberstein PE, Chattopadhyay PK, Simeone DM, Welling TH. Tumor infiltrating T cell states and checkpoint inhibitor expression in hepatic and pancreatic malignancies. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1067352. [PMID: 36798126 PMCID: PMC9927010 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1067352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepato-pancreatico-biliary (HPB) malignancies are difficult-to-treat and continue to to have a high mortality and significant therapeutic resistance to standard therapies. Immune oncology (IO) therapies have demonstrated efficacy in several solid malignancies when combined with chemotherapy, whereas response rates in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) are poor. While promising in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), there remains an unmet need to fully leverage IO therapies to treat HPB tumors. We therefore defined T cell subsets in the tumor microenvironment of HPB patients utilizing a novel, multiparameter flow cytometry and bioinformatics analysis. Our findings quantify the T cell phenotypic states in relation to checkpoint receptor expression. We demonstrate the presence of CD103+ tissue resident memory T cells (TRM), CCR7+ central memory T cells, and CD57+ terminally differentiated effector cells across all HPB cancers, while the anti-tumor function was dampened by expression of multiple co-inhibitory checkpoint receptors. Terminally exhausted T cells lacking co-stimulatory receptors were more prevalent in PDA, whereas partially exhausted T cells expressing both co-inhibitory and co-stimulatory receptors were most prevalent in HCC, especially in early stage. HCC patients had significantly higher TRM with a phenotype that could confer restored activation in response to immune checkpoint therapies. Further, we found a lack of robust alteration in T cell activation state or checkpoint expression in response to chemotherapy in PDA patients. These results support that HCC patients might benefit most from combined checkpoint therapies, whereas efforts other than cytotoxic chemotherapy will likely be necessary to increase overall T cell activation in CCA and PDA for future clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Wan
- Department of Surgery, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ende Zhao
- Department of Surgery, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
| | - Daniel Freeman
- Pathology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
| | - Daniel Weissinger
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
| | - Benjamin A. Krantz
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
- Internal Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
| | - Gregor Werba
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
| | - Lauren G. Khanna
- Internal Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
| | - Despina Siolas
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
- Internal Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
| | - Paul E. Oberstein
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
- Internal Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
| | - Pratip K. Chattopadhyay
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
- Pathology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
- Talon Biomarkers, Mendham, NJ, United States
| | - Diane M. Simeone
- Department of Surgery, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
- Pathology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
| | - Theodore H. Welling
- Department of Surgery, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, United States
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Fay CJ, Awh KC, LeBoeuf NR, Larocca CA. Harnessing the immune system in the treatment of cutaneous T cell lymphomas. Front Oncol 2023; 12:1071171. [PMID: 36713518 PMCID: PMC9878398 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1071171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous T cell lymphomas are a rare subset of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas with predilection for the skin with immunosuppressive effects that drive morbidity and mortality. We are now appreciating that suppression of the immune system is an important step in the progression of disease. It should come as no surprise that therapies historically and currently being used to treat these cancers have immune modulating functions that impact disease outcomes. By understanding the immune effects of our therapies, we may better develop new agents that target the immune system and improve combinatorial treatment strategies to limit morbidity and mortality of these cancers. The immune modulating effect of therapeutic drugs in use and under development for cutaneous T cell lymphomas will be reviewed.
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