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Gao Y, Qi Y, Shen Y, Zhang Y, Wang D, Su M, Liu X, Wang A, Zhang W, He C, Yang J, Dai M, Wang H, Cai H. Signatures of tumor-associated macrophages correlate with treatment response in ovarian cancer patients. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:207-225. [PMID: 38175687 PMCID: PMC10817412 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205362] [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: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OC) ranks as the second leading cause of death among gynecological cancers. Numerous studies have indicated a correlation between the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the clinical response to treatment in OC patients. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), a crucial component of the TME, exert influence on invasion, metastasis, and recurrence in OC patients. To delve deeper into the role of TAMs in OC, this study conducted an extensive analysis of single-cell data from OC patients. The aim is to develop a new risk score (RS) to characterize the response to treatment in OC patients to inform clinical treatment. We first identified TAM-associated genes (TAMGs) in OC patients and examined the protein and mRNA expression levels of TAMGs by Western blot and PCR experiments. Additionally, a scoring system for TAMGs was constructed, successfully categorizing patients into high and low RS subgroups. Remarkably, significant disparities were observed in immune cell infiltration and immunotherapy response between the high and low RS subgroups. The findings revealed that patients in the high RS group had a poorer prognosis but displayed greater sensitivity to immunotherapy. Another important finding was that patients in the high RS subgroup had a higher IC50 for chemotherapeutic agents. Furthermore, further experimental investigations led to the discovery that THEMIS2 could serve as a potential target in OC patients and is associated with EMT (epithelial-mesenchymal transition). Overall, the TAMGs-based scoring system holds promise for screening patients who would benefit from therapy and provides valuable information for the clinical treatment of OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Gao
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuwen Qi
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Yin Shen
- Department of Integrative Ultrasound Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yaxing Zhang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Dandan Wang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Min Su
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Xuelian Liu
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Anjin Wang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenwen Zhang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Can He
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Junyuan Yang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Mengyuan Dai
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Hongbing Cai
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
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Guo CH, Wang SY, Chung CH, Shih MY, Li WC, Chen PC, Lee SY, Hsia S. Selenium modulates AR/IGF-1R/EGFR and TROP2 signaling pathways and improves anticancer efficacy in murine mammary carcinoma 4T1. J Nutr Biochem 2023; 120:109417. [PMID: 37482256 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2023.109417] [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: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
The micronutrient selenium (Se) has been shown to exert potential anticancer properties. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Se (in Se yeast form) on the selenoproteins (SELENO), AR/IGF-1R/EGFR, PI3K/Akt/mTOR and Ras/Raf/ERK cascades, and immune checkpoint blockade in TNBC murine 4T1 cells. We also assessed the effects of combination treatment with chemotherapeutic doxorubicin and Se on trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP2) levels. Compared with the control groups, cells incubated with Se (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.5 µg Se/mL) have lower viability, raised intracellular Se concentrations and SELENO expression, and higher malondialdehyde products in a dose-dependent manner. Se induced the inactivation of AR/IGF-1R/EGFR and downregulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR and Ras/Raf/ERK signaling molecules. Se-treated cells also exhibited decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, reduced levels of the cell cycle regulatory protein cyclin D1, cancer stemness, metastatic and EMT-related markers, and increased apoptosis. Subsequently, Se treatment significantly suppressed PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 mRNA levels and proteins. Doxorubicin decreased 4T1 cell viability and TROP2 expression levels, but the addition of Se to doxorubicin contributed to further reductions. Similar responses to Se treatment were also observed in the human MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells. These results show that Se upregulates SELENO and anti-AR/IGF-1R/EGFR signaling in TNBC cells, thus inducing oxidative stress-dependent apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, stemness, EMT, and metastasis, as well as blocking the immune checkpoint molecules. TROP2 down-regulation with Se is also a potential anti-TNBC therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Hung Guo
- Micronutrition and Biomedical Nutrition Laboratories, Institute of Biomedical Nutrition, Hung-Kuang University, Taichung, Taiwan; Taiwan Nutraceutical Association, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Shiou-Yue Wang
- Micronutrition and Biomedical Nutrition Laboratories, Institute of Biomedical Nutrition, Hung-Kuang University, Taichung, Taiwan; Taiwan Nutraceutical Association, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Min-Yi Shih
- Taiwan Nutraceutical Association, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Chin Li
- Taiwan Nutraceutical Association, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Shih-Yu Lee
- Biotechnology, Health, and Innovation Research Center, Hung-Kuang University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Simon Hsia
- Taiwan Nutraceutical Association, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Genomic Diversity and Runs of Homozygosity in Bernese Mountain Dogs. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030650. [PMID: 36980922 PMCID: PMC10048372 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bernese mountain dogs are a large dog breed formed in the early 1900s in Switzerland. While originally farm dogs that were used for pulling carts, guarding, and driving cattle, today they are considered multi-purpose companion and family dogs. The breed is predisposed to several complex diseases, such as histiocytic sarcoma, degenerative myelopathy, or hip dysplasia. Using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data, we assessed the genomic architecture of 33 unrelated dogs from four countries: France, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. Analysis of runs of homozygosity (ROH) identified 12,643 ROH with an average length of 2.29 Mb and an average inbreeding coefficient of 0.395. Multidimensional scaling analysis of the genetic relatedness revealed limited clustering of European versus USA dogs, suggesting exchanges of breeding stock between continents. Furthermore, only two mtDNA haplotypes were detected in the 33 studied dogs, both of which are widespread throughout multiple dog breeds. WGS-based ROH analyses revealed several fixed or nearly fixed regions harboring discreet morphological trait-associated as well as disease-associated genetic variants. Several genes involved in the regulation of immune cells were found in the ROH shared by all dogs, which is notable in the context of the breed’s strong predisposition to hematopoietic cancers. High levels of inbreeding and relatedness, strongly exaggerated in the last 30 years, have likely led to the high prevalence of specific genetic disorders in this breed.
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Chen PM, Wong CN, Wong CN, Chu PY. Actin-like Protein 6A Expression Correlates with Cancer Stem Cell-like Features and Poor Prognosis in Ovarian Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032016. [PMID: 36768349 PMCID: PMC9916576 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032016] [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: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate among gynecological cancers, often diagnosed at the late stage and lacking an effective targeted therapy. Although the study of malignant features of cancer, considered to be cancer stem cells (CSCs), is emerging, the aim of this study was to predict and explore the possible mechanism and clinical value of genetic markers in the development of ovarian cancer from a combined database with CSCs features. The common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were selected in GSE185833 and GSE176246 datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The GSE185833 dataset was created to reveal gene expression profiles of peritoneal metastasis tissues using single-cell sequencing, and the GSE176246 dataset was determined from gene expression profiles of chemotherapy-refractory ovarian cancer cell lines compared with ovarian cancer cell lines by RNA-seq analysis. By analyzing the correlation between common DEGs and prognosis of ovarian cancer and its possible pathways and functions were predicted by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The expression levels of 11 genetic markers were significantly elevated in highly invasive and chemoresistant ovarian cancer. The expression of Actin-like protein 6A (ACTL6A) was found to be correlated with survival prognosis, and the total survival time of the patients with high expression of ACTL6A was shorter than those with low expression. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed that ACTL6A positively enriched the gene set of 'Cell cycle' and ACTL6A negatively enriched the gene set of focal adhesion. CP724714, a human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) inhibitor, could serve as a therapeutic option when ACTL6A levels are high in ovarian cancer cells. The high expression of ACTL6A is a poor prognostic factor in ovarian cancer and may serve as an effective biomarker for predicting treatment-refractory, metastasis, and prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer. The use of HER2 inhibitors is a promising therapeutic strategy against chemoresistant ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po-Ming Chen
- Research Assistant Center, Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan
| | - Chui-Nguk Wong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan
| | - Chui-Na Wong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Yi Chu
- Department of Post-Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan
- Department of Pathology, Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, Changhua 500, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei 242, Taiwan
- National Institute of Cancer Research, National Health Research Institute, Tainan 704, Taiwan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-4-7256166
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Ji C, He Y, Wang Y. Identification of necroptosis subtypes and development of necroptosis-related risk score model for in ovarian cancer. Front Genet 2022; 13:1043870. [PMID: 36568363 PMCID: PMC9773578 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1043870] [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: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: ith the ongoing development of targeted therapy, non-apoptotic cell death, including necroptosis, has become a popular topic in the field of prevention and treatment. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of necroptosis-related genes (NRGs) on the classification of ovarian cancer (OV) subtypes and to develop a necroptosis-related risk score (NRRS) classification system. Methods: 74 NRGs were obtained from the published studies, and univariate COX regression analysis was carried out between them and OV survival. Consensus clustering analysis was performed on OV samples according to the expression of NRGs related to prognosis. Furthermore, the NRRS model was developed by combining Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) with least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso)-penalized Cox regression and multivariate Cox regression analysis. And the decision tree model was constructed based on the principle of random forest screening factors principle. Results: According to the post-related NRGs, OV was divided into two necroptosis subtypes. Compared with Cluster 1 (C1), the overall survival (OS) of Cluster 2 (C2) was significantly shorter, stromal score and immune score, the infiltration level of tumor associated immune cells and the expression of 20 immune checkpoints were significantly higher. WGCNA identified the blue module most related to necroptosis subtype, and 12 genes in the module were used to construct NRRS. NRRS was an independent prognostic variable of OV. The OS of samples with lower NRRS was significantly longer, and tumor mutation burden and homologous recombination defect were more obvious. Conclusion: This study showed that necroptosis plays an important role in the classification, prognosis, immune infiltration and biological characteristics of OV subtypes. The evaluation of tumor necroptosis may provide a new perspective for OV treatment.
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Yao J, Hua X, Shi J, Hu X, Lui K, He K, Mai J, Lan T, Lu M. LncRNA THEMIS2-211, a tumor-originated circulating exosomal biomarker, promotes the growth and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma by functioning as a competing endogenous RNA. FASEB J 2022; 36:e22238. [PMID: 35224785 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101564r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major challenge for human health. Finding reliable diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for HCC is highly desired in the clinic. Currently, circulating exosomal lncRNA is a promising biomarker for the diagnosis of cancer and lncRNA is also a potential target in cancer therapy. Here, the diagnostic value of a panel based on exosomal lncRNA THEMIS2-211 and PRKACA-202, superior to that of AFP, was identified for diagnosing human HCC. Besides, the performance of exosomal lncRNA THEMIS2-211 alone exceeds that of AFP in diagnosing early-stage HCC patients (stage I). Furthermore, lncRNA THEMIS2-211 is highly expressed in HCC tissues and correlated with the poor prognosis of HCC patients. LncRNA THEMIS2-211 is upregulated and localized in the cytoplasm of HCC cells. LncRNA THEMIS2-211 exerts its biological function as an oncogene that promotes the proliferation, migration, invasion, EMT of HCC cells by physically interacting with miR-940 and therefore promoting SPOCK1 expressions. Rescue assays show the regulation of SPOCK1 by lncRNA THEMIS2-211 dependents on miR-940. The discovery of lncRNA THEMIS2-211 further illuminates the molecular pathogenesis of HCC and the THEMIS2-211/miR-940/SPOCK1 axis may act as a potential therapeutic target for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyou Yao
- Department of HBP SURGERY II, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuefeng Hua
- Department of HBP SURGERY II, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiewei Shi
- Department of HBP SURGERY II, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyuan Hu
- Department of HBP SURGERY II, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Kayin Lui
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Kaitao He
- Department of HBP SURGERY II, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jialuo Mai
- Department of HBP SURGERY II, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Tian Lan
- Guangdong Metabolic Disease Research Center of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Minqiang Lu
- Department of HBP SURGERY II, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
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