1
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Li P, Zhang H, Chen T, Zhou Y, Yang J, Zhou J. Cancer-associated fibroblasts promote proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis and immunosuppression in gastric cancer. Matrix Biol 2024; 132:59-71. [PMID: 38936680 DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2024.06.004] [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: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Despite advances in surgery, radiotherapy and immunotherapy, the mortality rate for gastric cancer remains one of the highest in the world. A large body of evidence has demonstrated that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), as core members of the stroma, can secrete cytokines, proteins and exosomes to create a tumour microenvironment that is conducive to cancer cell survival. CAFs can also interact with cancer cells to form a complex signalling network, enabling cancer cells to more easily metastasise to other organs and tissues in the body and develop metastatic foci. In this review, we provide an overview of the CAFs concept and activators. We focus on elucidating their effects on immune cells, intratumoural vasculature, extracellular matrix, as well as cancer cell activity, metastatic power and metabolism, and on enhancing the metastatic ability of cancer cells through activation of JAK/STAT, NF/κB and CXCL12/CXCR4. Various therapeutic agents targeting CAFs are also under development and are expected to improve the prognosis of gastric cancer in combination with existing treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiyuan Li
- Department of general surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Huan Zhang
- Department of general surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Tao Chen
- Department of general surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Yajing Zhou
- Department of general surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Jiaoyang Yang
- Department of general surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Jin Zhou
- Department of general surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, PR China.
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2
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Wen B, Chen J, Ding T, Mao Z, Jin R, Wang Y, Shi M, Zhao L, Yang A, Qin X, Chen X. Development and experimental validation of hypoxia-related gene signatures for osteosarcoma diagnosis and prognosis based on WGCNA and machine learning. Sci Rep 2024; 14:18734. [PMID: 39134603 PMCID: PMC11319349 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-69638-3] [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: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant tumour of the bone with high mortality. Here, we comprehensively analysed the hypoxia signalling in OS and further constructed novel hypoxia-related gene signatures for OS prediction and prognosis. This study employed Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) and Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analyses to identify Stanniocalcin 2 (STC2) and Transmembrane Protein 45A (TMEM45A) as the diagnostic biomarkers, which further assessed by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC), decision curve analysis (DCA), and calibration curves in training and test dataset. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to construct the prognostic model. STC2 and metastasis were devised to forge the OS risk model. The nomogram, risk score, Kaplan Meier plot, ROC, DCA, and calibration curves results certified the excellent performance of the prognostic model. The expression level of STC2 and TMEM45A was validated in external datasets and cell lines. In immune cell infiltration analysis, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) were significantly higher in the low-risk group. And the immune infiltration of CAFs was negatively associated with the expression of STC2 (P < 0.05). Pan-cancer analysis revealed that the expression level of STC2 was significantly higher in Esophageal carcinoma (ESCA), Head and Neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC), Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), and Stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD). Additionally, the higher expression of STC2 was associated with the poor outcome in those cancers. In summary, this study identified STC2 and TMEM45A as novel markers for the diagnosis and prognosis of osteosarcoma, and STC2 was shown to correlate with immune infiltration of CAFs negatively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wen
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, 300050, China
- Department of Orthopedics, No. 945 Hospital of the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Yaan, 625000, Sichuan, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, 300050, China
| | - Tianqi Ding
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, 300050, China
| | - Zhiyou Mao
- Department of Orthopedics, No. 945 Hospital of the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Yaan, 625000, Sichuan, China
| | - Rong Jin
- Department of Orthopedics, No. 945 Hospital of the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Yaan, 625000, Sichuan, China
| | - Yirui Wang
- Department of Cardiology, No. 945 Hospital of the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Yaan, 625000, Sichuan, China
| | - Meiqin Shi
- Department of Orthopedics, No. 945 Hospital of the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Yaan, 625000, Sichuan, China
| | - Lixun Zhao
- Department of Orthopedics, No. 945 Hospital of the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Yaan, 625000, Sichuan, China
| | - Asang Yang
- Department of Orthopedics, No. 945 Hospital of the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Yaan, 625000, Sichuan, China
| | - Xianyun Qin
- Department of Orthopedics, No. 945 Hospital of the PLA Joint Logistics Support Force, Yaan, 625000, Sichuan, China.
| | - Xuewei Chen
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin, 300050, China.
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3
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Zhou Y, Ma Y, Sheng J, Ma Y, Ding J, Zhou W. Breaking Down Barriers in Drug Delivery by Stromal Remodeling Approaches in Pancreatic Cancer. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:3764-3776. [PMID: 39049481 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.4c00329] [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] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer remains a formidable challenge in oncology due to its aggressive nature and limited treatment options. The dense stroma surrounding pancreatic tumors not only provides structural support but also presents a formidable barrier to effective therapy, hindering drug penetration and immune cell infiltration. This review delves into the intricate interplay between stromal components and cancer cells, highlighting their impact on treatment resistance and prognosis. Strategies for stromal remodeling, including modulation of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) activation states, and targeting extracellular matrix (ECM) components, are examined for their potential to enhance drug penetration and improve therapeutic efficacy. Integration of stromal remodeling with conventional therapies, such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy, is discussed along with the emerging field of intelligent nanosystems for targeted drug delivery. This comprehensive overview underscores the importance of stromal remodeling in pancreatic cancer treatment and offers insights into promising avenues for future research and clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhou
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Yunxiao Ma
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Jianwei Sheng
- China Quality Mark Certification (Shandong) Co., LTD, Jinan, Shandong 250100, China
| | - Yiran Ma
- Hunan Bainianyiren Chinese Traditional Medical Institute Co., LTD, Changsha, Hunan 410221, China
| | - Jinsong Ding
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Wenhu Zhou
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
- Key Laboratory of Biological Nanotechnology of National Health Commission, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
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4
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Qi K, Li G, Jiang Y, Tan X, Qiao Q. Stromal cell-expressed malignant gene patterns contribute to the progression of squamous cell carcinomas across different sites. Front Genet 2024; 15:1342306. [PMID: 39071777 PMCID: PMC11272565 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1342306] [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: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) across different anatomical locations possess common molecular features. Recent studies showed that stromal cells may contribute to tumor progression and metastasis of SCCs. Limited by current sequencing technology and analysis methods, it has been difficult to combine stroma expression profiles with a large number of clinical information. Methods With the help of transfer learning on the cell line, single-cell, and bulk tumor sequencing data, we identified and validated 2 malignant gene patterns (V1 and V5) expressed by stromal cells of SCCs from head and neck (HNSCC), lung (LUSC), cervix (CESC), esophagus, and breast. Results Pattern V5 reflected a novel malignant feature that explained the mixed signals of HNSCC molecular subtypes. Higher expression of pattern V5 was related to shorter PFI with gender and cancer-type specificity. The other stromal gene pattern V1 was associated with poor PFI in patients after surgery in all the three squamous cancer types (HNSCC p = 0.0055, LUSC p = 0.0292, CESC p = 0.0451). Cancer-associated fibroblasts could induce HNSCC cancer cells to express pattern V1. Adjuvant radiotherapy may weaken the effect of high V1 on recurrence and metastasis, depending on the tumor radiosensitivity. Conclusion Considering the prognostic value of stromal gene patterns and its universality, we suggest that the genetic subtype classification of SCCs may be improved to a new system that integrates both malignant and non-malignant components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyan Qi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Guangqi Li
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuanjun Jiang
- Department of Urology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xuexin Tan
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Qiao Qiao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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5
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Talia M, Cesario E, Cirillo F, Scordamaglia D, Di Dio M, Zicarelli A, Mondino AA, Occhiuzzi MA, De Francesco EM, Belfiore A, Miglietta AM, Di Dio M, Capalbo C, Maggiolini M, Lappano R. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) gene signatures predict outcomes in breast and prostate tumor patients. J Transl Med 2024; 22:597. [PMID: 38937754 PMCID: PMC11210052 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05413-2] [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: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over the last two decades, tumor-derived RNA expression signatures have been developed for the two most commonly diagnosed tumors worldwide, namely prostate and breast tumors, in order to improve both outcome prediction and treatment decision-making. In this context, molecular signatures gained by main components of the tumor microenvironment, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), have been explored as prognostic and therapeutic tools. Nevertheless, a deeper understanding of the significance of CAFs-related gene signatures in breast and prostate cancers still remains to be disclosed. METHODS RNA sequencing technology (RNA-seq) was employed to profile and compare the transcriptome of CAFs isolated from patients affected by breast and prostate tumors. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) characterizing breast and prostate CAFs were intersected with data from public datasets derived from bulk RNA-seq profiles of breast and prostate tumor patients. Pathway enrichment analyses allowed us to appreciate the biological significance of the DEGs. K-means clustering was applied to construct CAFs-related gene signatures specific for breast and prostate cancer and to stratify independent cohorts of patients into high and low gene expression clusters. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank tests were employed to predict differences in the outcome parameters of the clusters of patients. Decision-tree analysis was used to validate the clustering results and boosting calculations were then employed to improve the results obtained by the decision-tree algorithm. RESULTS Data obtained in breast CAFs allowed us to assess a signature that includes 8 genes (ITGA11, THBS1, FN1, EMP1, ITGA2, FYN, SPP1, and EMP2) belonging to pro-metastatic signaling routes, such as the focal adhesion pathway. Survival analyses indicated that the cluster of breast cancer patients showing a high expression of the aforementioned genes displays worse clinical outcomes. Next, we identified a prostate CAFs-related signature that includes 11 genes (IL13RA2, GDF7, IL33, CXCL1, TNFRSF19, CXCL6, LIFR, CXCL5, IL7, TSLP, and TNFSF15) associated with immune responses. A low expression of these genes was predictive of poor survival rates in prostate cancer patients. The results obtained were significantly validated through a two-step approach, based on unsupervised (clustering) and supervised (classification) learning techniques, showing a high prediction accuracy (≥ 90%) in independent RNA-seq cohorts. CONCLUSION We identified a huge heterogeneity in the transcriptional profile of CAFs derived from breast and prostate tumors. Of note, the two novel CAFs-related gene signatures might be considered as reliable prognostic indicators and valuable biomarkers for a better management of breast and prostate cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Talia
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, 87036, Italy
| | - Eugenio Cesario
- Department of Cultures, Education and Society, University of Calabria, Rende, 87036, Italy
| | - Francesca Cirillo
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, 87036, Italy
| | - Domenica Scordamaglia
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, 87036, Italy
| | - Marika Di Dio
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, 87036, Italy
| | - Azzurra Zicarelli
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, 87036, Italy
| | - Adelina Assunta Mondino
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, 87036, Italy
| | | | | | - Antonino Belfiore
- Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Garibaldi-Nesima Hospital, Catania, 95122, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Miglietta
- Breast and General Surgery Unit, Annunziata Hospital Cosenza, Cosenza, 87100, Italy
| | - Michele Di Dio
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Annunziata Hospital, Cosenza, 87100, Italy
| | - Carlo Capalbo
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, 87036, Italy
- Complex Operative Oncology Unit, Annunziata Hospital Cosenza, Cosenza, 87100, Italy
| | - Marcello Maggiolini
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, 87036, Italy.
| | - Rosamaria Lappano
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, Rende, 87036, Italy.
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6
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Li Y, Du Y, Li R, Zhong W, Zou X, Li L, Xu L, Wu L, Che X. Spatial transcriptomics in pancreatic cancer: Advances, prospects and challenges. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2024; 203:104430. [PMID: 38942220 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2024.104430] [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: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest malignancies with an overall 5-year survival rate of 13 %. This dismal fact can be partly attributed to currently limited understanding of tumor heterogeneity and immune microenvironment. Traditional bulk-sequencing techniques overlook the diversity of tumor cells, while single-cell sequencing disorganizes the position localizing of cells in tumor microenvironment. The advent of spatial transcriptomics (ST) presents a novel solution by integrating location and whole transcript expression information. This technology allows for detailed observation of spatio-temporal changes across various cell subtypes within the pancreatic tumor microenvironment, providing insights into their potential functions. This review offers an overview of recent studies implementing ST in pancreatic cancer research, highlighting its instrumental role in investigating the heterogeneity and functions of tumor cells, stromal cells, and immune cells. On the basis, we also prospected and summarized the clinical application scenarios, technical limitations and challenges of ST technology in pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlong Li
- Department of Pancreatic and Gastric Surgery, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Yongxing Du
- Department of Pancreatic and Gastric Surgery, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Rui Li
- BGI, Shenzhen 518083, China; BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China; Institute of Intelligent Medical Research (IIMR), BGI Genomics, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Wenhui Zhong
- Department of Pancreatic and Gastric Surgery, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Xuanxuan Zou
- BGI, Shenzhen 518083, China; BGI Research, Chongqing 401329, China; BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Liji Li
- College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Lin Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital and Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Liang Wu
- BGI, Shenzhen 518083, China; BGI Research, Chongqing 401329, China; BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China.
| | - Xu Che
- Department of Pancreatic and Gastric Surgery, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China; Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital and Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen 518172, China.
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7
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Lau R, Yu L, Roumeliotis TI, Stewart A, Pickard L, Choudhary JS, Banerji U. Secretome of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs) Influences Drug Sensitivity in Cancer Cells. J Proteome Res 2024; 23:2160-2168. [PMID: 38767394 PMCID: PMC11165579 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.4c00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Resistance is a major problem with effective cancer treatment and the stroma forms a significant portion of the tumor mass but traditional drug screens involve cancer cells alone. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major tumor stroma component and its secreted proteins may influence the function of cancer cells. The majority of secretome studies compare different cancer or CAF cell lines exclusively. Here, we present the direct characterization of the secreted protein profiles between CAFs and KRAS mutant-cancer cell lines from colorectal, lung, and pancreatic tissues using multiplexed mass spectrometry. 2573 secreted proteins were annotated, and differential analysis highlighted understudied CAF-enriched secreted proteins, including Wnt family member 5B (WNT5B), in addition to established CAF markers, such as collagens. The functional role of CAF secreted proteins was explored by assessing its effect on the response to 97 anticancer drugs since stromal cells may cause a differing cancer drug response, which may be missed on routine drug screening using cancer cells alone. CAF secreted proteins caused specific effects on each of the cancer cell lines, which highlights the complexity and challenges in cancer treatment and so the importance to consider stromal elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Lau
- Clinical
Pharmacology and Adaptive Therapy Group, The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation
Trust, London SM2 5PT, United
Kingdom
| | - Lu Yu
- Functional
Proteomics Group, Chester Beatty Laboratories,
The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, United Kingdom
| | - Theodoros I. Roumeliotis
- Functional
Proteomics Group, Chester Beatty Laboratories,
The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Stewart
- Clinical
Pharmacology and Adaptive Therapy Group, The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation
Trust, London SM2 5PT, United
Kingdom
| | - Lisa Pickard
- Clinical
Pharmacology and Adaptive Therapy Group, The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation
Trust, London SM2 5PT, United
Kingdom
| | - Jyoti S. Choudhary
- Functional
Proteomics Group, Chester Beatty Laboratories,
The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, United Kingdom
| | - Udai Banerji
- Clinical
Pharmacology and Adaptive Therapy Group, The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation
Trust, London SM2 5PT, United
Kingdom
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8
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Tornaas S, Kleftogiannis D, Fromreide S, Smeland HYH, Aarstad HJ, Vintermyr OK, Akslen LA, Costea DE, Dongre HN. Development of a high dimensional imaging mass cytometry panel to investigate spatial organization of tissue microenvironment in formalin-fixed archival clinical tissues. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31191. [PMID: 38803925 PMCID: PMC11128903 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31191] [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: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
To decipher the interactions between various components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and tumor cells in a preserved spatial context, a multiparametric approach is essential. In this pursuit, imaging mass cytometry (IMC) emerges as a valuable tool, capable of concurrently analyzing up to 40 parameters at subcellular resolution. In this study, a set of antibodies was selected to spatially resolve multiple cell types and TME elements, including a comprehensive panel targeted at dissecting the heterogeneity of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF), a pivotal TME component. This antibody panel was standardized and optimized using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPE) samples from different organs/lesions known to express the markers of interest. The final composition of the antibody panel was determined based on the performance of conjugated antibodies in both immunohistochemistry (IHC) and IMC. Tissue images were segmented employing the Steinbock framework. Unsupervised clustering of single-cell data was carried out using a bioinformatics pipeline developed in R program. This paper provides a detailed description of the staining procedure and analysis workflow. Subsequently, the panel underwent validation on clinical FFPE samples from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The panel and bioinformatics pipeline established here proved to be robust in characterizing different TME components of HNSCC while maintaining a high degree of spatial detail. The platform we describe shows promise for understanding the clinical implications of TMA heterogeneity in large patient cohorts with FFPE tissues available in diagnostic biobanks worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stian Tornaas
- Center for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO) and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Dimitrios Kleftogiannis
- Center for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO) and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway
- Computional Biology Unit, Department of Informatics, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Siren Fromreide
- Center for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO) and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Hilde Ytre-Hauge Smeland
- Center for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO) and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway
- Department of Pathology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Hans Jørgen Aarstad
- Department for Ear-Nose-and-Throat, Head and Neck Clinic, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Lars Andreas Akslen
- Center for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO) and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway
- Department of Pathology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Daniela Elena Costea
- Center for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO) and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway
- Department of Pathology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Harsh Nitin Dongre
- Center for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO) and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway
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9
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Kang J, Lee JH, Cha H, An J, Kwon J, Lee S, Kim S, Baykan MY, Kim SY, An D, Kwon AY, An HJ, Lee SH, Choi JK, Park JE. Systematic dissection of tumor-normal single-cell ecosystems across a thousand tumors of 30 cancer types. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4067. [PMID: 38744958 PMCID: PMC11094150 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48310-4] [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: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The complexity of the tumor microenvironment poses significant challenges in cancer therapy. Here, to comprehensively investigate the tumor-normal ecosystems, we perform an integrative analysis of 4.9 million single-cell transcriptomes from 1070 tumor and 493 normal samples in combination with pan-cancer 137 spatial transcriptomics, 8887 TCGA, and 1261 checkpoint inhibitor-treated bulk tumors. We define a myriad of cell states constituting the tumor-normal ecosystems and also identify hallmark gene signatures across different cell types and organs. Our atlas characterizes distinctions between inflammatory fibroblasts marked by AKR1C1 or WNT5A in terms of cellular interactions and spatial co-localization patterns. Co-occurrence analysis reveals interferon-enriched community states including tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) components, which exhibit differential rewiring between tumor, adjacent normal, and healthy normal tissues. The favorable response of interferon-enriched community states to immunotherapy is validated using immunotherapy-treated cancers (n = 1261) including our lung cancer cohort (n = 497). Deconvolution of spatial transcriptomes discriminates TLS-enriched from non-enriched cell types among immunotherapy-favorable components. Our systematic dissection of tumor-normal ecosystems provides a deeper understanding of inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junho Kang
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Hyeong Lee
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hongui Cha
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinhyeon An
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Joonha Kwon
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Division of Cancer Data Science, National Cancer Center, Bioinformatics Branch, Goyang, Republic of Korea
| | - Seongwoo Lee
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Seongryong Kim
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Mert Yakup Baykan
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - So Yeon Kim
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Dohyeon An
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Ah-Young Kwon
- Department of Pathology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee Jung An
- Department of Pathology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Se-Hoon Lee
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Samsung Advanced Institute of Health Science and Technology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jung Kyoon Choi
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
- Penta Medix Co., Ltd., Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jong-Eun Park
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
- Biomedical Research Center, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
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10
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Wang Z, Liu Z, Zhuang L, Yin W, Zhao Y, Dong M. Case report: [ 18F]FAPI-42 PET/CT visualize primary adenoid cystic carcinoma not detected by [ 18F]FDG. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR IMAGING 2024; 14:157-160. [PMID: 38737643 PMCID: PMC11087294 DOI: 10.62347/wsuv5599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare salivary gland cancer. Still, its growth and invasion progress is slow, and its hematogenous metastasis is ACC's most common distant metastasis. Because of the broad expression and low background uptake of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) in tumor stroma, FAPI is considered another potential tracer of ACC in addition to FDG. In this case, we report a patient who was diagnosed with metastatic ACC liver cancer by fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and underwent PET/CT examination of [18F]FDG and [18F]FAPI-42 to find the primary cancer lesion. Finally, the primary cancer lesion was found in the left submandibular gland and was pathologically confirmed as ACC after resection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehao Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Shenzhen HospitalShenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Shantou University Medical CollegeShantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zheng Liu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Shenzhen HospitalShenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Lulu Zhuang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Peking University Shenzhen HospitalShenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Shantou University Medical CollegeShantou, Guangdong, China
| | - Weihua Yin
- Department of Pathology, Peking University Shenzhen HospitalShenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yongsheng Zhao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Shenzhen HospitalShenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Mengjie Dong
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Shenzhen HospitalShenzhen, Guangdong, China
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11
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Zhao Y, Jia Y, Wang J, Chen X, Han J, Zhen S, Yin S, Lv W, Yu F, Wang J, Xu F, Zhao X, Liu L. circNOX4 activates an inflammatory fibroblast niche to promote tumor growth and metastasis in NSCLC via FAP/IL-6 axis. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:47. [PMID: 38459511 PMCID: PMC10921747 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01957-5] [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: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) orchestrate a supportive niche that fuels cancer metastatic development in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Due to the heterogeneity and plasticity of CAFs, manipulating the activated phenotype of fibroblasts is a promising strategy for cancer therapy. However, the underlying mechanisms of fibroblast activation and phenotype switching that drive metastasis remain elusive. METHODS The clinical implications of fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-positive CAFs (FAP+CAFs) were evaluated based on tumor specimens from NSCLC patients and bioinformatic analysis of online databases. CAF-specific circular RNAs (circRNAs) were screened by circRNA microarrays of primary human CAFs and matched normal fibroblasts (NFs). Survival analyses were performed to assess the prognostic value of circNOX4 in NSCLC clinical samples. The biological effects of circNOX4 were investigated by gain- and loss-of-function experiments in vitro and in vivo. Fluorescence in situ hybridization, luciferase reporter assays, RNA immunoprecipitation, and miRNA rescue experiments were conducted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of fibroblast activation. Cytokine antibody array, transwell coculture system, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were performed to investigate the downstream effectors that promote cancer metastasis. RESULTS FAP+CAFs were significantly enriched in metastatic cancer samples, and their higher abundance was correlated with the worse overall survival in NSCLC patients. A novel CAF-specific circRNA, circNOX4 (hsa_circ_0023988), evoked the phenotypic transition from NFs into CAFs and promoted the migration and invasion of NSCLC in vitro and in vivo. Clinically, circNOX4 correlated with the poor prognosis of advanced NSCLC patients. Mechanistically, circNOX4 upregulated FAP by sponging miR-329-5p, which led to fibroblast activation. Furthermore, the circNOX4/miR-329-5p/FAP axis activated an inflammatory fibroblast niche by preferentially inducing interleukin-6 (IL-6) and eventually promoting NSCLC progression. Disruption of the intercellular circNOX4/IL-6 axis significantly suppressed tumor growth and metastatic colonization in vivo. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals a role of the circRNA-induced fibroblast niche in tumor metastasis and highlights that targeting the circNOX4/FAP/IL-6 axis is a promising strategy for the intervention of NSCLC metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhao
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050035, China
- Department of Oncology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Yunlong Jia
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050035, China
| | - Jiali Wang
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050035, China
| | - Xiaolin Chen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Jingya Han
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Shuman Zhen
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050035, China
| | - Shuxian Yin
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050035, China
| | - Wei Lv
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050035, China
| | - Fan Yu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Jiaqi Wang
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050035, China
| | - Fan Xu
- Departments of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, 067000, China
| | - Xinming Zhao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China.
- Hebei Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Drug Resistance, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China.
| | - Lihua Liu
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050035, China.
- Cancer Research Institute of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China.
- International Cooperation Laboratory of Stem Cell Research, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China.
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12
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Guimarães JCM, Petrucci G, Prada J, Pires I, Queiroga FL. Immunohistochemical Expression and Prognostic Value of COX-2 and Alpha-Smooth Muscle Actin-positive Cancer-associated Fibroblasts in Feline Mammary Cancer. In Vivo 2024; 38:598-605. [PMID: 38418156 PMCID: PMC10905453 DOI: 10.21873/invivo.13478] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) and cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play an important role in the development and progression of tumor malignancy in humans and animals, showing that both can influence the tumor microenvironment. However, the impact of these two markers in feline mammary carcinogenesis has not yet been addressed. MATERIALS AND METHODS In the present study, the clinicopathological significance of COX-2 immunoexpression and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)-positive cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) was determined and correlated with disease-free and overall survival of 50 felines with malignant mammary tumors. RESULTS COX-2 overexpression was positively associated with mitotic index (p=0.031), degree of malignancy (p≤0.001), lymph node metastasis (p≤0.001), vascular invasion (p=0.002), disease recurrence (p=0.019) and distant metastasis (p=0.036). α-SMA-positive CAFs were associated with mitotic index (p=0.004), lymph node metastasis (p=0.027), vascular invasion (p=0.05), disease recurrence (p≤0.001) and distant metastasis (p≤0.001). Additionally, both markers were correlated with disease-free and overall survival, emerging as predictors of poor prognosis. CONCLUSION Our results indicate for the first time that the presence of two markers, COX-2 and α-SMA, is associated with carcinogenesis and worse prognosis in feline mammary cancer and that α-SMA-positive CAFs have a role in feline mammary tumorigenesis, cancer development, and clinical outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaynne C M Guimarães
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Gonçalo Petrucci
- Onevet, Veterinary Hospital of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Animal and Veterinary Department, University Institute of Health Sciences, CESPU, CRL, Gandra, Portugal
| | - Justina Prada
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
- CECAV, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Isabel Pires
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
- CECAV, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Felisbina L Queiroga
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal;
- CECAV, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
- Center for the Study of Animal Sciences, CECA-ICETA, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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13
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Wang B, Song B, Li Y, Zhao Q, Tan B. Mapping spatial heterogeneity in gastric cancer microenvironment. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 172:116317. [PMID: 38382329 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116317] [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: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) is difficult to characterize due to its heterogeneity, and the complicated heterogeneity leads to the difficulty of precisely targeted therapy. The spatially heterogeneous composition plays a crucial role in GC onset, progression, treatment efficacy, and drug resistance. In recent years, the technological advancements in spatial omics has shifted our understanding of the tumor microenvironment (TME) from cancer-centered model to a dynamic and variant whole. In this review, we concentrated on the spatial heterogeneity within the primary lesions and between the primary and metastatic lesions of GC through the TME heterogeneity including the tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs), the uniquely spatial organization. Meanwhile, the immune phenotype based on spatial distribution was also outlined. Furthermore, we recapitulated the clinical treatment in mediating spatial heterogeneity in GC, hoping to provide a systematic view of how spatial information could be integrated into anti-cancer immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingyu Wang
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, China
| | - Buyun Song
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, China
| | - Yong Li
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, China
| | - Qun Zhao
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Comprehensive Treatment of Gastric Cancer, Shijiazhuang 050011, China
| | - Bibo Tan
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050011, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Comprehensive Treatment of Gastric Cancer, Shijiazhuang 050011, China.
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14
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Cao L, Ouyang H. Intercellular crosstalk between cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts via exosomes in gastrointestinal tumors. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1374742. [PMID: 38463229 PMCID: PMC10920350 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1374742] [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: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) tumors are a significant global health threat, with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Exosomes contain various biologically active molecules like nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids and can serve as messengers for intercellular communication. They play critical roles in the exchange of information between tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME). The TME consists of mesenchymal cells and components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), with fibroblasts being the most abundant cell type in the tumor mesenchyme. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are derived from normal fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells that are activated in the TME. CAFs can secrete exosomes to modulate cell proliferation, invasion, migration, drug resistance, and other biological processes in tumors. Additionally, tumor cells can manipulate the function and behavior of fibroblasts through direct cell-cell interactions. This review provides a summary of the intercellular crosstalk between GI tumor cells and CAFs through exosomes, along with potential underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longyang Cao
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Peoples' Hospital of Hangzhou Linan District, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hong Ouyang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Peoples' Hospital of Hangzhou Linan District, Hangzhou, China
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15
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Bigos KJA, Quiles CG, Lunj S, Smith DJ, Krause M, Troost EGC, West CM, Hoskin P, Choudhury A. Tumour response to hypoxia: understanding the hypoxic tumour microenvironment to improve treatment outcome in solid tumours. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1331355. [PMID: 38352889 PMCID: PMC10861654 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1331355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia is a common feature of solid tumours affecting their biology and response to therapy. One of the main transcription factors activated by hypoxia is hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), which regulates the expression of genes involved in various aspects of tumourigenesis including proliferative capacity, angiogenesis, immune evasion, metabolic reprogramming, extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling, and cell migration. This can negatively impact patient outcomes by inducing therapeutic resistance. The importance of hypoxia is clearly demonstrated by continued research into finding clinically relevant hypoxia biomarkers, and hypoxia-targeting therapies. One of the problems is the lack of clinically applicable methods of hypoxia detection, and lack of standardisation. Additionally, a lot of the methods of detecting hypoxia do not take into consideration the complexity of the hypoxic tumour microenvironment (TME). Therefore, this needs further elucidation as approximately 50% of solid tumours are hypoxic. The ECM is important component of the hypoxic TME, and is developed by both cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and tumour cells. However, it is important to distinguish the different roles to develop both biomarkers and novel compounds. Fibronectin (FN), collagen (COL) and hyaluronic acid (HA) are important components of the ECM that create ECM fibres. These fibres are crosslinked by specific enzymes including lysyl oxidase (LOX) which regulates the stiffness of tumours and induces fibrosis. This is partially regulated by HIFs. The review highlights the importance of understanding the role of matrix stiffness in different solid tumours as current data shows contradictory results on the impact on therapeutic resistance. The review also indicates that further research is needed into identifying different CAF subtypes and their exact roles; with some showing pro-tumorigenic capacity and others having anti-tumorigenic roles. This has made it difficult to fully elucidate the role of CAFs within the TME. However, it is clear that this is an important area of research that requires unravelling as current strategies to target CAFs have resulted in worsened prognosis. The role of immune cells within the tumour microenvironment is also discussed as hypoxia has been associated with modulating immune cells to create an anti-tumorigenic environment. Which has led to the development of immunotherapies including PD-L1. These hypoxia-induced changes can confer resistance to conventional therapies, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the impact of hypoxia on the TME and its implications for therapy resistance. It also discusses the potential of hypoxia biomarkers as prognostic and predictive indictors of treatment response, as well as the challenges and opportunities of targeting hypoxia in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamilla JA. Bigos
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Conrado G. Quiles
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Sapna Lunj
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Danielle J. Smith
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Mechthild Krause
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Dresden and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- OncoRay – National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiooncology and Clinical Radiotherapy, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiation Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiooncology and Clinical Radiotherapy and Image-guided High Precision Radiotherapy, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiooncology and Clinical Radiotherapy and Image-guided High Precision Radiotherapy, Helmholtz Association / Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- School of Medicine, Technische Universitat Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Esther GC. Troost
- OncoRay – National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiation Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiooncology and Clinical Radiotherapy and Image-guided High Precision Radiotherapy, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiooncology and Clinical Radiotherapy and Image-guided High Precision Radiotherapy, Helmholtz Association / Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- School of Medicine, Technische Universitat Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Institute of Radiooncology – OncoRay, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Rossendorf, Germany
| | - Catharine M. West
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Christie Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Hoskin
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, Northwood, United Kingdom
| | - Ananya Choudhury
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, Germany
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16
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Fergatova A, Affara NI. The cellular triumvirate: fibroblasts entangled in the crosstalk between cancer cells and immune cells. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1337333. [PMID: 38313431 PMCID: PMC10835808 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1337333] [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: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
This review article will focus on subpopulations of fibroblasts that get reprogrammed by tumor cells into cancer-associated fibroblasts. Throughout this article, we will discuss the intricate interactions between fibroblasts, immune cells, and tumor cells. Unravelling complex intercellular crosstalk will pave the way for new insights into cellular mechanisms underlying the reprogramming of the local tumor immune microenvironment and propose novel immunotherapy strategies that might have potential in harnessing and modulating immune system responses.
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17
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Anajafi S, Paryan M, Khoshnazar A, Soleimani M, Mohammadi-Yeganeh S. miRNAs Delivery for Cancer-associated Fibroblasts' Activation and Drug Resistance in Cancer Microenvironment. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets 2024; 24:333-347. [PMID: 37612874 DOI: 10.2174/1871530323666230823094556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) as a major component of cancer stroma contribute to diverse procedures of most solid tumors and might be a targeted cancer therapy approach. Their specified features, related signaling pathways, distinct biomarkers, and sub-populations need to be deciphered. There is a need for CAF extraction or induction for in vitro investigations. Some miRNAs could activate CAF-like phenotype and they also interfere in CAF-mediated drug resistance, aggressiveness, and metastatic behaviors of several cancer cell types. Due to the complex relevance of miRNA and CAFs, these non-coding oligonucleotides may serve as attractive scope for anti-cancer targeted therapies, but the lack of an efficient delivery system is still a major hurdle. Here, we have summarized the investigated information on CAF features, isolation, and induction procedures, and highlighted the miRNA-CAF communications, providing special insight into nano-delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Anajafi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Paryan
- Department of Research and Development, Production and Research Complex, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amineh Khoshnazar
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masoud Soleimani
- Medical Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samira Mohammadi-Yeganeh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Medical Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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18
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Miari KE, Williams MTS. Stromal bone marrow fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells support acute myeloid leukaemia cells and promote therapy resistance. Br J Pharmacol 2024; 181:216-237. [PMID: 36609915 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The bone marrow (BM) is the primary site of adult haematopoiesis, where stromal elements (e.g. fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells [MSCs]) work in concert to support blood cell development. However, the establishment of an abnormal clone can lead to a blood malignancy, such as acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Despite our increased understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease, patient survival remains suboptimal, mainly driven by the development of therapy resistance. In this review, we highlight the importance of bone marrow fibroblasts and MSCs in health and acute myeloid leukaemia and their impact on patient prognosis. We discuss how stromal elements reduce the killing effects of therapies via a combination of contact-dependent (e.g. integrins) and contact-independent (i.e. secreted factors) mechanisms, accompanied by the establishment of an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Importantly, we underline the challenges of therapeutically targeting the bone marrow stroma to improve acute myeloid leukaemia patient outcomes, due to the inherent heterogeneity of stromal cell populations. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on Cancer Microenvironment and Pharmacological Interventions. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v181.2/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina E Miari
- Charles Oakley Laboratories, Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
| | - Mark T S Williams
- Charles Oakley Laboratories, Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
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19
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Mi H, Varadhan R, Cimino-Mathews AM, Emens LA, Santa-Maria CA, Popel AS. Spatial and Compositional Biomarkers in Tumor Microenvironment Predicts Clinical Outcomes in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.18.572234. [PMID: 38187696 PMCID: PMC10769235 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.18.572234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer with limited treatment options, which warrants identification of novel therapeutic targets. Deciphering nuances in the tumor microenvironment (TME) may unveil insightful links between anti-tumor immunity and clinical outcomes, yet such connections remain underexplored. Here we employed a dataset derived from imaging mass cytometry of 58 TNBC patient specimens at single-cell resolution and performed in-depth quantifications with a suite of multi-scale computational algorithms. We detected distinct cell distribution patterns among clinical subgroups, potentially stemming from different infiltration related to tumor vasculature and fibroblast heterogeneity. Spatial analysis also identified ten recurrent cellular neighborhoods (CNs) - a collection of local TME characteristics with unique cell components. Coupling of the prevalence of pan-immune and perivasculature immune hotspot CNs, enrichment of inter-CN interactions was associated with improved survival. Using a deep learning model trained on engineered spatial data, we can with high accuracy (mean AUC of 5-fold cross-validation = 0.71) how a separate cohort of patients in the NeoTRIP clinical trial will respond to treatment based on baseline TME features. These data reinforce that the TME architecture is structured in cellular compositions, spatial organizations, vasculature biology, and molecular profiles, and suggest novel imaging-based biomarkers for treatment development in the context of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyang Mi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Ravi Varadhan
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Ashley M. Cimino-Mathews
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, MD, United States
| | | | - Cesar A. Santa-Maria
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Aleksander S. Popel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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20
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Cheng D, Wang J, Wang Y, Xue Y, Yang Q, Yang Q, Zhao H, Huang J, Peng X. Chemokines: Function and therapeutic potential in bone metastasis of lung cancer. Cytokine 2023; 172:156403. [PMID: 37871366 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2023.156403] [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: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Lung cancer is a rapidly progressing disease with a poor prognosis. Bone metastasis is commonly found in 40.6% of advanced-stage patients. The mortality rate of lung cancer patients with bone metastasis can be significantly decreased by implementing novel diagnostic techniques, improved staging and classification systems, precise surgical interventions, and advanced treatment modalities. However, it is important to note that there is currently a lack of radical procedures available for these patients due to the development of drug resistance. Consequently, palliative care approaches are commonly employed in clinical practice. Therefore, new understandings of the process of bone metastasis of lung cancer are critical for developing better treatment strategies to improve patient's clinical cure rate and quality of life. Chemokines are cell-secreted small signaling proteins in cancer occurrence, proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. In this study, we review the development of bone metastasis in lung cancer and discuss the mechanisms of specific chemokine families (CC, CXC, CX3C, and XC) in regulating the biological activities of tumors and promoting bone metastasis. We also highlight some preclinical studies and clinical trials on chemokines for lung cancer and bone metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dezhou Cheng
- Department of Medical Imaging, Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
| | - Jiancheng Wang
- Department of Radiology, The Second People's Hospital of Jingzhou, China
| | - Yiling Wang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
| | - Yanfang Xue
- Department of Medical Imaging, Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
| | - Qing Yang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
| | - Qun Yang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
| | - Huichuan Zhao
- Department of Pathology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China
| | - Jinbai Huang
- Department of Medical Imaging, Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China; Department of Medical Imaging, the First Affiliated Hospital of Yangtze University, and School of Medicine of Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China.
| | - Xiaochun Peng
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, China.
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21
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Brennan K, Espín-Pérez A, Chang S, Bedi N, Saumyaa S, Shin JH, Plevritis SK, Gevaert O, Sunwoo JB, Gentles AJ. Loss of p53-DREAM-mediated repression of cell cycle genes as a driver of lymph node metastasis in head and neck cancer. Genome Med 2023; 15:98. [PMID: 37978395 PMCID: PMC10656821 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-023-01236-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prognosis for patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) is poor and has improved little in recent decades, partially due to lack of therapeutic options. To identify effective therapeutic targets, we sought to identify molecular pathways that drive metastasis and HNC progression, through large-scale systematic analyses of transcriptomic data. METHODS We performed meta-analysis across 29 gene expression studies including 2074 primary HNC biopsies to identify genes and transcriptional pathways associated with survival and lymph node metastasis (LNM). To understand the biological roles of these genes in HNC, we identified their associated cancer pathways, as well as the cell types that express them within HNC tumor microenvironments, by integrating single-cell RNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq from sorted cell populations. RESULTS Patient survival-associated genes were heterogenous and included drivers of diverse tumor biological processes: these included tumor-intrinsic processes such as epithelial dedifferentiation and epithelial to mesenchymal transition, as well as tumor microenvironmental factors such as T cell-mediated immunity and cancer-associated fibroblast activity. Unexpectedly, LNM-associated genes were almost universally associated with epithelial dedifferentiation within malignant cells. Genes negatively associated with LNM consisted of regulators of squamous epithelial differentiation that are expressed within well-differentiated malignant cells, while those positively associated with LNM represented cell cycle regulators that are normally repressed by the p53-DREAM pathway. These pro-LNM genes are overexpressed in proliferating malignant cells of TP53 mutated and HPV + ve HNCs and are strongly associated with stemness, suggesting that they represent markers of pre-metastatic cancer stem-like cells. LNM-associated genes are deregulated in high-grade oral precancerous lesions, and deregulated further in primary HNCs with advancing tumor grade and deregulated further still in lymph node metastases. CONCLUSIONS In HNC, patient survival is affected by multiple biological processes and is strongly influenced by the tumor immune and stromal microenvironments. In contrast, LNM appears to be driven primarily by malignant cell plasticity, characterized by epithelial dedifferentiation coupled with EMT-independent proliferation and stemness. Our findings postulate that LNM is initially caused by loss of p53-DREAM-mediated repression of cell cycle genes during early tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Brennan
- Stanford Center for Biomedical Informatics Research, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Almudena Espín-Pérez
- Stanford Center for Biomedical Informatics Research, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Serena Chang
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA
| | - Nikita Bedi
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA
| | - Saumyaa Saumyaa
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA
| | - June Ho Shin
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA
| | - Sylvia K Plevritis
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Olivier Gevaert
- Stanford Center for Biomedical Informatics Research, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - John B Sunwoo
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA
| | - Andrew J Gentles
- Stanford Center for Biomedical Informatics Research, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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22
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Chrisochoidou Y, Roy R, Farahmand P, Gonzalez G, Doig J, Krasny L, Rimmer EF, Willis AE, MacFarlane M, Huang PH, Carragher NO, Munro AF, Murphy DJ, Veselkov K, Seckl MJ, Moffatt MF, Cookson WOC, Pardo OE. Crosstalk with lung fibroblasts shapes the growth and therapeutic response of mesothelioma cells. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:725. [PMID: 37938546 PMCID: PMC10632403 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06240-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: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer of the mesothelial layer associated with an extensive fibrotic response. The latter is in large part mediated by cancer-associated fibroblasts which mediate tumour progression and poor prognosis. However, understanding of the crosstalk between cancer cells and fibroblasts in this disease is mostly lacking. Here, using co-cultures of patient-derived mesothelioma cell lines and lung fibroblasts, we demonstrate that fibroblast activation is a self-propagated process producing a fibrotic extracellular matrix (ECM) and triggering drug resistance in mesothelioma cells. Following characterisation of mesothelioma cells/fibroblasts signalling crosstalk, we identify several FDA-approved targeted therapies as far more potent than standard-of-care Cisplatin/Pemetrexed in ECM-embedded co-culture spheroid models. In particular, the SRC family kinase inhibitor, Saracatinib, extends overall survival well beyond standard-of-care in a mesothelioma genetically-engineered mouse model. In short, we lay the foundation for the rational design of novel therapeutic strategies targeting mesothelioma/fibroblast communication for the treatment of mesothelioma patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rajat Roy
- Division of Cancer, Imperial College, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Pooyeh Farahmand
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Guadalupe Gonzalez
- Department of Computing, Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Jennifer Doig
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Lukas Krasny
- Molecular and Systems Oncology, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Ella F Rimmer
- Division of Cancer, Imperial College, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Anne E Willis
- MRC Toxicology Unit, Tennis Ct Rd, Cambridge, CB2 1QR, UK
| | | | - Paul H Huang
- Molecular and Systems Oncology, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Neil O Carragher
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Alison F Munro
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Daniel J Murphy
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Kirill Veselkov
- Division of Cancer, Imperial College, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michael J Seckl
- Division of Cancer, Imperial College, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Miriam F Moffatt
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, Dovehouse St, London, SW3 6LY, UK
| | - William O C Cookson
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, Dovehouse St, London, SW3 6LY, UK.
| | - Olivier E Pardo
- Division of Cancer, Imperial College, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
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23
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Hassametto A, Tanomrat R, Muangthong T, Worawichawong S, Suwannalert P. Role of Oxidative Stress-Dependent C/EBPβ Expression on CAF Transformation Inducing HCT116 Colorectal Cancer Cell Progression; Migration and Invasion. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2023; 24:3825-3835. [PMID: 38019240 PMCID: PMC10772768 DOI: 10.31557/apjcp.2023.24.11.3825] [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: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate oxidative stress-related CAF transformation through C/EBPβ, which affects CRC progression and may have a potential implication for CRC treatment. METHODS The conditioned media (CM) from HCT116, CRC cells, was used to activate CCD-18Co, colon fibroblasts, then the ability of activated FBs to induce HCT116 growth and progression was assessed using MTT assay, transwell migration, and matrix invasion assay. Alteration of the cytokine profile and oxidative stress of the activated FBs were studied with cytokine arrays and DCFH-DA assay, respectively. The protein expressions of the CAF markers (α-SMA and FAP) and C/EBPβ were investigated with immunofluorescence and western blotting. RESULT It was found that CM from HCT116 cells induced oxidative stress, change of cytokine profile, CAF markers, and the C/EBPβ expression of activated FBs. Furthermore, when the oxidative stress of the activated FBs was suppressed, FAP and C/EBPβ expression were downregulated, correlating with the disabling of their capability to support the cancer progression. The C/EBPβ and prognosis for CRC patients were accessed using the GEPIA dataset, in which high C/EBPβ expression was associated with a poor prognosis. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that C/EBPβ expression has a role in CAF transformation in an oxidative stress-related manner and might be used as a target to improve aggressive CRC treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artchaya Hassametto
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
| | - Rataya Tanomrat
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
| | - Tharathip Muangthong
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
| | - Suchin Worawichawong
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
| | - Prasit Suwannalert
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
- Pathobiology Information and Learning Center, Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
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24
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Atallah NM, Wahab N, Toss MS, Makhlouf S, Ibrahim AY, Lashen AG, Ghannam S, Mongan NP, Jahanifar M, Graham S, Bilal M, Bhalerao A, Ahmed Raza SE, Snead D, Minhas F, Rajpoot N, Rakha E. Deciphering the Morphology of Tumor-Stromal Features in Invasive Breast Cancer Using Artificial Intelligence. Mod Pathol 2023; 36:100254. [PMID: 37380057 DOI: 10.1016/j.modpat.2023.100254] [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: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Tumor-associated stroma in breast cancer (BC) is complex and exhibits a high degree of heterogeneity. To date, no standardized assessment method has been established. Artificial intelligence (AI) could provide an objective morphologic assessment of tumors and stroma, with the potential to identify new features not discernible by visual microscopy. In this study, we used AI to assess the clinical significance of (1) stroma-to-tumor ratio (S:TR) and (2) the spatial arrangement of stromal cells, tumor cell density, and tumor burden in BC. Whole-slide images of a large cohort (n = 1968) of well-characterized luminal BC cases were examined. Region and cell-level annotation was performed, and supervised deep learning models were applied for automated quantification of tumor and stromal features. S:TR was calculated in terms of surface area and cell count ratio, and the S:TR heterogeneity and spatial distribution were also assessed. Tumor cell density and tumor size were used to estimate tumor burden. Cases were divided into discovery (n = 1027) and test (n = 941) sets for validation of the findings. In the whole cohort, the stroma-to-tumor mean surface area ratio was 0.74, and stromal cell density heterogeneity score was high (0.7/1). BC with high S:TR showed features characteristic of good prognosis and longer patient survival in both the discovery and test sets. Heterogeneous spatial distribution of S:TR areas was predictive of worse outcome. Higher tumor burden was associated with aggressive tumor behavior and shorter survival and was an independent predictor of worse outcome (BC-specific survival; hazard ratio: 1.7, P = .03, 95% CI, 1.04-2.83 and distant metastasis-free survival; hazard ratio: 1.64, P = .04, 95% CI, 1.01-2.62) superior to absolute tumor size. The study concludes that AI provides a tool to assess major and subtle morphologic stromal features in BC with prognostic implications. Tumor burden is more prognostically informative than tumor size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nehal M Atallah
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Egypt
| | - Noorul Wahab
- Tissue Image Analytics Centre, University of Warwick, Conventry, UK
| | - Michael S Toss
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Histopathology Department, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - Shorouk Makhlouf
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt
| | - Asmaa Y Ibrahim
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Egypt
| | - Ayat G Lashen
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Egypt
| | - Suzan Ghannam
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Egypt
| | - Nigel P Mongan
- Biodiscovery Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine and Sciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK; Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York
| | | | - Simon Graham
- Tissue Image Analytics Centre, University of Warwick, Conventry, UK
| | - Mohsin Bilal
- Tissue Image Analytics Centre, University of Warwick, Conventry, UK
| | - Abhir Bhalerao
- Tissue Image Analytics Centre, University of Warwick, Conventry, UK
| | | | - David Snead
- Cellular Pathology, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, UK
| | - Fayyaz Minhas
- Tissue Image Analytics Centre, University of Warwick, Conventry, UK
| | - Nasir Rajpoot
- Tissue Image Analytics Centre, University of Warwick, Conventry, UK.
| | - Emad Rakha
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Egypt; Pathology Department, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
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25
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Wang Q, Zhi Y, Zi M, Mo Y, Wang Y, Liao Q, Zhang S, Gong Z, Wang F, Zeng Z, Guo C, Xiong W. Spatially Resolved Transcriptomics Technology Facilitates Cancer Research. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2302558. [PMID: 37632718 PMCID: PMC10602551 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202302558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) provides a great convenience for studying tumor occurrence and development for its ability to study gene expression at the individual cell level. However, patient-derived tumor tissues are composed of multiple types of cells including tumor cells and adjacent non-malignant cells such as stromal cells and immune cells. The spatial locations of various cells in situ tissues plays a pivotal role in the occurrence and development of tumors, which cannot be elucidated by scRNA-seq alone. Spatially resolved transcriptomics (SRT) technology emerges timely to explore the unrecognized relationship between the spatial background of a particular cell and its functions, and is increasingly used in cancer research. This review provides a systematic overview of the SRT technologies that are developed, in particular the more widely used cutting-edge SRT technologies based on next-generation sequencing (NGS). In addition, the main achievements by SRT technologies in precisely unveiling the underappreciated spatial locations on gene expression and cell function with unprecedented high-resolution in cancer research are emphasized, with the aim of developing more effective clinical therapeutics oriented to a deeper understanding of the interaction between tumor cells and surrounding non-malignant cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer MetabolismHunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of MedicineCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan410008P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of EducationCancer Research InstituteCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan410008P. R. China
| | - Yuan Zhi
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgeryThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunan410012P. R. China
| | - Moxin Zi
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgeryThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunan410012P. R. China
| | - Yongzhen Mo
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of EducationCancer Research InstituteCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan410008P. R. China
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck SurgeryXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan410008P. R. China
| | - Yumin Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck SurgeryXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan410008P. R. China
| | - Qianjin Liao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer MetabolismHunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of MedicineCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan410008P. R. China
| | - Shanshan Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck SurgeryXiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan410008P. R. China
| | - Zhaojian Gong
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial SurgeryThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityChangshaHunan410012P. R. China
| | - Fuyan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of EducationCancer Research InstituteCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan410008P. R. China
| | - Zhaoyang Zeng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer MetabolismHunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of MedicineCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan410008P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of EducationCancer Research InstituteCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan410008P. R. China
| | - Can Guo
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer MetabolismHunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of MedicineCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan410008P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of EducationCancer Research InstituteCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan410008P. R. China
| | - Wei Xiong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer MetabolismHunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of MedicineCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan410008P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of EducationCancer Research InstituteCentral South UniversityChangshaHunan410008P. R. China
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26
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Lau R, Yu L, Roumeliotis TI, Stewart A, Pickard L, Riisanes R, Gurel B, de Bono JS, Choudhary JS, Banerji U. Unbiased differential proteomic profiling between cancer-associated fibroblasts and cancer cell lines. J Proteomics 2023; 288:104973. [PMID: 37481068 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2023.104973] [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: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a key component of tumors. We aimed to profile the proteome of cancer cell lines representing three common cancer types (lung, colorectal and pancreatic) and a representative CAF cell line from each tumor type to gain insight into CAF function and novel CAF biomarkers. We used isobaric labeling, liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to evaluate the proteome of 9 cancer and 3 CAF cell lines. Of the 9460 proteins evaluated, functional enrichment analysis revealed an upregulation of N-glycan biosynthesis and extracellular matrix proteins in CAFs. 85 proteins had 16-fold higher expression in CAFs compared to cancer cells, including previously known CAF markers like fibroblast activation protein (FAP). Novel overexpressed CAF biomarkers included heat shock protein β-6 (HSPB6/HSP20) and cyclooxygenase 1 (PTGS1/COX1). SiRNA knockdown of the genes encoding these proteins did not reduce contractility in lung CAFs, suggesting they were not crucial to this function. Immunohistochemical analysis of 30 tumor samples (10 lung, 10 colorectal and 10 pancreatic) showed restricted HSPB6 and PTGS1 expression in the stroma. Therefore, we describe an unbiased differential proteome analysis of CAFs compared to cancer cells, which revealed higher expression of HSPB6 and PTGS1 in CAFs. Data are available via ProteomeXchange (PXD040360). SIGNIFICANCE: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are highly abundant stromal cells present in tumors. CAFs are known to influence tumor progression and drug resistance. Characterizing the proteome of CAFs could give potential insights into new stromal drug targets and biomarkers. Mass spectrometry-based analysis comparing proteomic profiles of CAFs and cancers characterized 9460 proteins of which 85 proteins had 16-fold higher expression in CAFs compared to cancer cells. Further interrogation of this rich resource could provide insight into the function of CAFs and could reveal putative stromal targets. We describe for the first time that heat shock protein β-6 (HSPB6/HSP20) and cyclooxygenase 1 (PTGS1/COX1) are overexpressed in CAFs compared to cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Lau
- Clinical Pharmacology and Adaptive Therapy Group, The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, 15 Cotswold Road, London SM2 5NG, United Kingdom.
| | - Lu Yu
- Functional Proteomics group, Chester Beatty Laboratories, The Institute of Cancer Research, 237 Fulham Road, London SW3 6JB, United Kingdom
| | - Theodoros I Roumeliotis
- Functional Proteomics group, Chester Beatty Laboratories, The Institute of Cancer Research, 237 Fulham Road, London SW3 6JB, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Stewart
- Clinical Pharmacology and Adaptive Therapy Group, The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, 15 Cotswold Road, London SM2 5NG, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa Pickard
- Clinical Pharmacology and Adaptive Therapy Group, The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, 15 Cotswold Road, London SM2 5NG, United Kingdom
| | - Ruth Riisanes
- Cancer Biomarkers Group, The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, 15 Cotswold Road, London SM2 5NG, United Kingdom
| | - Bora Gurel
- Cancer Biomarkers Group, The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, 15 Cotswold Road, London SM2 5NG, United Kingdom
| | - Johann S de Bono
- Cancer Biomarkers Group, The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, 15 Cotswold Road, London SM2 5NG, United Kingdom
| | - Jyoti S Choudhary
- Functional Proteomics group, Chester Beatty Laboratories, The Institute of Cancer Research, 237 Fulham Road, London SW3 6JB, United Kingdom.
| | - Udai Banerji
- Clinical Pharmacology and Adaptive Therapy Group, The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, 15 Cotswold Road, London SM2 5NG, United Kingdom.
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27
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Wang J, Zuo Z, Yu Z, Chen Z, Meng X, Ma Z, Niu J, Guo R, Tran LJ, Zhang J, Jiang T, Ye F, Ma B, Sun Z. Single-cell transcriptome analysis revealing the intratumoral heterogeneity of ccRCC and validation of MT2A in pathogenesis. Funct Integr Genomics 2023; 23:300. [PMID: 37713131 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-023-01225-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) appears as the most common type of kidney cancer, the carcinogenesis of which has not been fully elucidated. Tumor heterogeneity plays a crucial role in cancer progression, which could be largely deciphered by the implement of scRNA-seq. The bulk and single-cell RNA expression profile is obtained from TCGA and study conducted by Young et al. We utilized UMAP, TSNE, and clustering algorithm Louvain for dimensionality reduction and FindAllMarkers function for determining the DEGs. Monocle2 was utilized to perform pseudo-time series analysis. SCENIC was implemented for transcription factor analysis of each cell subgroup. A series of WB, CFA, CCK-8, and EDU analysis was utilized for the validation of the role of MT2A in ccRCC carcinogenesis. We observed higher infiltration of T/NK and B cells in tumorous tissues, indicating the role of immune cells in ccRCC carcinogenesis. Transcription factor analysis revealed the activation of EOMES and ETS1 in CD8 + T cells, while CAFs were divided into myo-CAFs and i-CAFs, with i-CAFs showing distinct enrichment of ATF3, JUND, JUNB, EGR1, and XBP1. Through cell trajectory analysis, we discerned three distinct stages of cellular evolution, where State2 symbolizes normal renal tubular cells that underwent transitions into State1 and State3 as the CNV score ascended. Functional enrichment examination revealed an amplification of interferon gamma and inflammatory response pathways within tumor cells. The consensus clustering algorithm yielded two molecular subtypes, with cluster 2 being associated with advanced tumor stages and an abundance of infiltrated immune cells. We identified 17 prognostic genes through Cox and LASSO regression models and used them to construct a prognostic model, the efficacy of which was verified in multiple cohorts. Furthermore, we investigated the role of MT2A, one of our hub genes, in ccRCC carcinogenesis, and found it to regulate proliferation and migration of malignant cells. We depicted a detailed single-cell landscape of ccRCC, with special focus on CAFs, endothelial cells, and renal tubular cells. A prognostic model of high stability and accuracy was constructed based on the DEGs. MT2A was found to be actively implicated in ccRCC carcinogenesis, regulating proliferation and migration of the malignant cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wang
- Department of Urology, The Second People's Hospital of Meishan City, Meishan, 620500, Sichuan, China
- Department of Urology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130000, Jilin, China
| | - Zili Zuo
- Department of Urology, The Second People's Hospital of Meishan City, Meishan, 620500, Sichuan, China
| | - Zongze Yu
- Department of Urology, The Second People's Hospital of Meishan City, Meishan, 620500, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhigui Chen
- Department of Urology, The Second People's Hospital of Meishan City, Meishan, 620500, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiangdi Meng
- Department of Urology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130000, Jilin, China
| | - Zhaosen Ma
- Department of Urology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130000, Jilin, China
| | - Jiqiang Niu
- Department of Urology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130000, Jilin, China
| | - Rui Guo
- Department of Urology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130000, Jilin, China
| | - Lisa Jia Tran
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Jing Zhang
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, The University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
| | - Tianxiao Jiang
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, The University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
| | - Fangdie Ye
- Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Baoluo Ma
- Department of Urology, Xiangyang Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang, Hubei, China.
| | - Zhou Sun
- Department of Urology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130000, Jilin, China.
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Zhou X, Zhang P, Liu N, Zhang X, Lv H, Xu W, Huo M. Enhancing chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer through efficient and sustained tumor microenvironment remodeling with a fibroblast-targeted nanosystem. J Control Release 2023; 361:161-177. [PMID: 37536546 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.07.061] [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: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) carries a poor prognosis among all malignancies and poses great challenges to clinical drug accessibility due to the severely fibrotic and hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME). Therein, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which are extremely abundant in PC, play a key role in forming the complex PC microenvironment. Therefore, a highly efficient TME reprogramming therapeutic paradigm that can specifically inhibit CAF function is urgently needed. Herein, we successfully developed a novel CAF-tailored nanosystem (Dex-GP-DOCA, DPD) loaded with a potent anti-fibrosis flavonoid compound (Quercetin, QUE), which possesses biological responsiveness to fibroblast activation protein alpha (FAP-α), prolonged TME remodeling and enhancement of clinical chemotherapeutics. Specifically, DPD/QUE allowed for extracellular matrix (ECM) reduction, vessel normalization, hypoxia-induced drug resistance reversal, and blockade of Wnt16 paracrine in CAFs. More importantly, this chemotherapy conducive microenvironment persisted for at least 8 days following treatment with DPD/QUE. It should also be noted that the effective and prolonged microenvironment modulation induced by DPD/QUE significantly improved the chemotherapy sensitivity of Abraxane and gemcitabine, the first-line chemotherapeutic drugs for PC, with inhibition rates increasing from 37.5% and 40.0% to 87.5% and 85.2%, respectively. Overall, our CAFs-targeted nanosystem showed promising prospects for remodeling the TME and facilitating chemotherapy for refractory pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyuan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Pan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Nan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Department of clinical pharmacy, Qianfoshan Hospital, The First Hospital Affiliation with Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250012, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Lv
- Department of clinical pharmacy, Qianfoshan Hospital, The First Hospital Affiliation with Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250012, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Xu
- Department of clinical pharmacy, Qianfoshan Hospital, The First Hospital Affiliation with Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250012, People's Republic of China.
| | - Meirong Huo
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, People's Republic of China.
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Hu D, Zhuo W, Gong P, Ji F, Zhang X, Chen Y, Mao M, Ju S, Pan Y, Shen J. Biological differences between normal and cancer-associated fibroblasts in breast cancer. Heliyon 2023; 9:e19803. [PMID: 37810030 PMCID: PMC10559169 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19803] [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: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) constitute the primary constituents of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and exert significant influences on cancer progression. However, adequate comprehension of CAF profiles in breast cancer, as well as the precise mechanisms underlying their promotion of cancer, remains lacking. Objectives To discerns the biological differences between normal fibroblasts (NFs) and CAFs in breast cancer and explore the underlying mechanism. Methods Three pairs of CAFs and NFs were isolated from breast cancer patients of diverse subtypes who had not undergone prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Morphological characteristics of CAFs and NFs were assessed through optical and electron microscopy, their biological attributes were examined using cell counting kits and transwell assays, and their impact on breast cancer cells was simulated using a coculture system. Furthermore, the miRNA profiles of CAFs and NFs were sequenced via an Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform. Results CAFs exhibited higher growth rate and motility than NFs and a stronger potential to promote the malignancy of breast cancer cells. RNA sequencing of both NFs and CAFs revealed differentially expressed miRNAs with notable variability among distinct patients within their NFs and CAFs, while the enrichment of the target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs within both GO terms and KEGG pathways demonstrated significant similarity across patients with different profiles. Conclusion CAFs have greater malignancy and higher potential to influence the growth, migration, invasion and chemoresistance of cocultured breast cancer cells than NFs. In addition, the miRNAs that are differentially expressed in CAFs when compared to NFs display substantial variability across patients with distinct breast cancer subtypes, while the enrichment of target genes regulated by these miRNAs, within GO terms and KEGG pathways, remains remarkably consistent among patients with varying profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dengdi Hu
- Affiliated Cixi Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Ningbo, 315300, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wenying Zhuo
- Affiliated Cixi Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Ningbo, 315300, Zhejiang, China
- Affiliated Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China
- , China (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education), China
- Biomedical Research Center and Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China
| | - Peirong Gong
- Affiliated Cixi Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Ningbo, 315300, Zhejiang, China
| | - Feiyang Ji
- Affiliated Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China
- , China (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education), China
- Biomedical Research Center and Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xun Zhang
- Affiliated Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China
- , China (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education), China
- Biomedical Research Center and Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yongxia Chen
- Affiliated Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China
- , China (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education), China
- Biomedical Research Center and Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China
| | - Misha Mao
- Affiliated Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China
- , China (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education), China
- Biomedical Research Center and Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China
| | - Siwei Ju
- Affiliated Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China
- , China (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education), China
- Biomedical Research Center and Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuehong Pan
- Affiliated Cixi Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Ningbo, 315300, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jun Shen
- Affiliated Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China
- , China (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, Ministry of Education), China
- Biomedical Research Center and Key Laboratory of Biotherapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China
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Huang L, Xie Q, Deng J, Wei WF. The role of cancer-associated fibroblasts in bladder cancer progression. Heliyon 2023; 9:e19802. [PMID: 37809511 PMCID: PMC10559166 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are key stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) that critically contribute to cancer initiation and progression. In bladder cancer (BCa), there is emerging evidence that BCa CAFs are actively involved in cancer cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance. This review outlines the present knowledge of BCa CAFs, with a particular emphasis on their origin and function in BCa progression, and provides further insights into their clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Huang
- Department of Urology, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Qun Xie
- Department of Urology, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Jian Deng
- Department of Urology, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Wen-Fei Wei
- Department of Gynecology, Zhuhai People's Hospital (Zhuhai Hospital Affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Zhang X, Wang C, Yu J, Bu J, Ai F, Wang Y, Lin J, Zhu X. Extracellular vesicles in the treatment and diagnosis of breast cancer: a status update. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1202493. [PMID: 37534210 PMCID: PMC10393036 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1202493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in women. Currently, the treatment of breast cancer is limited by the lack of effectively targeted therapy and patients often suffer from higher severity, metastasis, and resistance. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) consist of lipid bilayers that encapsulate a complex cargo, including proteins, nucleic acids, and metabolites. These bioactive cargoes have been found to play crucial roles in breast cancer initiation and progression. Moreover, EV cargoes play pivotal roles in converting mammary cells to carcinogenic cells and metastatic foci by extensively inducing proliferation, angiogenesis, pre-metastatic niche formation, migration, and chemoresistance. The present update review mainly discusses EVs cargoes released from breast cancer cells and tumor-derived EVs in the breast cancer microenvironment, focusing on proliferation, metastasis, chemoresistance, and their clinical potential as effective biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Huangyan Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Caizheng Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Huangyan Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiahui Yu
- Department of Ultrasound, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Jiawen Bu
- Department of Oncology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Fulv Ai
- Department of General Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Jie Lin
- Department of General Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Xudong Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
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Paladines N, Dawson S, Ryan W, Serrano-Lopez R, Messer R, Huo Y, Cutler CW, Ramos-Junior ES, Morandini AC. Metabolic reprogramming through mitochondrial biogenesis drives adenosine anti-inflammatory effects: new mechanism controlling gingival fibroblast hyper-inflammatory state. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1148216. [PMID: 37350964 PMCID: PMC10282177 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1148216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Fibroblasts are the dominant stromal cells in the gingival lamina propria with a well-established relevance in regulation of inflammation, and in innate immunity. This is exemplified by their hypersecretion of CXCL8, enhancing leukocyte infiltration in chronic and sustained inflammatory conditions. We have previously shown adenosine to be a key metabolic nucleoside that regulates stromal inflammation, but the underlying mechanisms linking adenosine to the metabolic status of fibroblasts and to the resultant inflammatory response are unclear. This study examined, by seahorse real-time cell metabolic analysis, the bioenergetics of the stromal fibroblast response to extracellular adenosine and IL-1β, focusing on CXCL8 secretion by primary human gingival fibroblasts (HGF). Methods Markers of the glycolytic pathway and mitochondrial biogenesis were tracked through immunoblot. Further, the influence of adenosine on mitochondrial accumulation was measured by uptake of MitoTracker Red fluorescent probe and assessment of the role of FCCP (a mitochondrial uncoupler) in CXCL8 secretion and mitochondrial accumulation. Results Our results show that the anti-inflammatory response of HGF to extracellular adenosine, typified by reduced CXCL8 secretion, is mediated by mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, reflected in higher oxygen consumption rate (OCR). In the presence of IL-1β, adenosine-treated cells induced higher ATP production, basal respiration and proton leak compared to IL-1β without adenosine. Surprisingly, adenosine had no additional effect on the IL-1β-induced higher glycolysis rate demonstrated by the extracellular acidification rate (ECAR). In addition, the higher OCR in adenosine-stimulated cells was not due to the mitochondrial fuel dependency or capacity, but due to an increase in mitochondrial biogenesis and accumulation in the cells with concomitant decrease in mitophagy-required p-PINK1 marker. We detected the accumulation of functional mitochondria with increased activation of the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway. The adenosine-induced uptake of MitoTracker was abrogated by PGC-1α inhibition with SR-12898. In addition, the adenosine effects on reduced CXCL8 were ablated by treatment with FCCP, a potent uncoupler of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Conclusion Our findings reveal a key role for mitochondrial bioenergetics in regulation of CXCL8-mediated inflammation by HGF through the adenosine/AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α axis. Therapeutically targeting this pathway in gingival fibroblasts might be a promising future strategy to modulate stromal-mediated sustained hyper-inflammatory responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Paladines
- Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences, Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Shantiece Dawson
- Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences, Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Weston Ryan
- Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences, Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Rogelio Serrano-Lopez
- Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences, Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Regina Messer
- Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences, Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Yuqing Huo
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
- Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Christopher W. Cutler
- Department of Periodontics, Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Erivan S. Ramos-Junior
- Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences, Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
| | - Ana Carolina Morandini
- Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences, Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
- Department of Periodontics, Dental College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States
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Akanda MR, Ahn EJ, Kim YJ, Salam SMA, Noh MG, Lee TK, Kim SS, Lee KH, Moon KS. Analysis of stromal PDGFR-β and α-SMA expression and their clinical relevance in brain metastases of breast cancer patients. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:468. [PMID: 37217880 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-10957-5] [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: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) is a growing therapeutic challenge and clinical concern. Stromal cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are crucial factors in the modulation of tumorigeneses and metastases. Herein, we investigated the relationship between the expression of stromal CAF markers in metastatic sites, platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta (PDGFR-β), and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and the clinical and prognostic variables in BCBM patients. METHODS Immunohistochemistry (IHC) of the stromal expression of PDGFR-β and α-SMA was performed on 50 cases of surgically resected BCBM. The expression of the CAF markers was analyzed in the context of clinico-pathological characteristics. RESULTS Expression of PDGFR-β and α-SMA was lower in the triple-negative (TN) subtype than in other molecular subtypes (p = 0.073 and p = 0.016, respectively). And their expressions were related to a specific pattern of CAF distribution (PDGFR-β, p = 0.009; α-SMA, p = 0.043) and BM solidity (p = 0.009 and p = 0.002, respectively). High PDGFR-β expression was significantly related to longer recurrence-free survival (RFS) (p = 0.011). TN molecular subtype and PDGFR-β expression were independent prognostic factors of recurrence-free survival (p = 0.029 and p = 0.030, respectively) and TN molecular subtype was an independent prognostic factor of overall survival (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Expression of PDGFR-β in the stroma of BM was associated with RFS in BCBM patients, and the clinical implication was uniquely linked to the low expression of PDGFR-β and α-SMA in the aggressive form of the TN subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Rashedunnabi Akanda
- Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, 322 Seoyang-ro, Hwasun-eup, Hwasun-gun, 58128, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Eun-Jung Ahn
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, 322 Seoyang-ro, Hwasun-eup, Hwasun-gun, 58128, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
| | - Yeong Jin Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, 322 Seoyang-ro, Hwasun-eup, Hwasun-gun, 58128, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
| | - S M Abdus Salam
- Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, 322 Seoyang-ro, Hwasun-eup, Hwasun-gun, 58128, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
| | - Myung-Giun Noh
- Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, 322 Seoyang-ro, Hwasun-eup, Hwasun-gun, 58128, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
| | - Tae-Kyu Lee
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, 322 Seoyang-ro, Hwasun-eup, Hwasun-gun, 58128, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
| | - Sung Sun Kim
- Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, 322 Seoyang-ro, Hwasun-eup, Hwasun-gun, 58128, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
| | - Kyung-Hwa Lee
- Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, 322 Seoyang-ro, Hwasun-eup, Hwasun-gun, 58128, Jeollanam-do, South Korea.
- BioMedical Sciences Graduate Program (BMSGP), Chonnam National University, Hwasun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea.
| | - Kyung-Sub Moon
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, 322 Seoyang-ro, Hwasun-eup, Hwasun-gun, 58128, Jeollanam-do, South Korea.
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Wieder R. Fibroblasts as Turned Agents in Cancer Progression. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15072014. [PMID: 37046676 PMCID: PMC10093070 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15072014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Differentiated epithelial cells reside in the homeostatic microenvironment of the native organ stroma. The stroma supports their normal function, their G0 differentiated state, and their expansion/contraction through the various stages of the life cycle and physiologic functions of the host. When malignant transformation begins, the microenvironment tries to suppress and eliminate the transformed cells, while cancer cells, in turn, try to resist these suppressive efforts. The tumor microenvironment encompasses a large variety of cell types recruited by the tumor to perform different functions, among which fibroblasts are the most abundant. The dynamics of the mutual relationship change as the sides undertake an epic battle for control of the other. In the process, the cancer “wounds” the microenvironment through a variety of mechanisms and attracts distant mesenchymal stem cells to change their function from one attempting to suppress the cancer, to one that supports its growth, survival, and metastasis. Analogous reciprocal interactions occur as well between disseminated cancer cells and the metastatic microenvironment, where the microenvironment attempts to eliminate cancer cells or suppress their proliferation. However, the altered microenvironmental cells acquire novel characteristics that support malignant progression. Investigations have attempted to use these traits as targets of novel therapeutic approaches.
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Chia L, Wang B, Kim JH, Luo LZ, Shuai S, Herrera I, Chen SY, Li L, Xian L, Huso T, Heydarian M, Reddy K, Sung WJ, Ishiyama S, Guo G, Jaffee E, Zheng L, Cope LM, Gabrielson K, Wood L, Resar L. HMGA1 induces FGF19 to drive pancreatic carcinogenesis and stroma formation. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:151601. [PMID: 36919699 PMCID: PMC10014113 DOI: 10.1172/jci151601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
High mobility group A1 (HMGA1) chromatin regulators are upregulated in diverse tumors where they portend adverse outcomes, although how they function in cancer remains unclear. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) are highly lethal tumors characterized by dense desmoplastic stroma composed predominantly of cancer-associated fibroblasts and fibrotic tissue. Here, we uncover an epigenetic program whereby HMGA1 upregulates FGF19 during tumor progression and stroma formation. HMGA1 deficiency disrupts oncogenic properties in vitro while impairing tumor inception and progression in KPC mice and subcutaneous or orthotopic models of PDAC. RNA sequencing revealed HMGA1 transcriptional networks governing proliferation and tumor-stroma interactions, including the FGF19 gene. HMGA1 directly induces FGF19 expression and increases its protein secretion by recruiting active histone marks (H3K4me3, H3K27Ac). Surprisingly, disrupting FGF19 via gene silencing or the FGFR4 inhibitor BLU9931 recapitulates most phenotypes observed with HMGA1 deficiency, decreasing tumor growth and formation of a desmoplastic stroma in mouse models of PDAC. In human PDAC, overexpression of HMGA1 and FGF19 defines a subset of tumors with extremely poor outcomes. Our results reveal what we believe is a new paradigm whereby HMGA1 and FGF19 drive tumor progression and stroma formation, thus illuminating FGF19 as a rational therapeutic target for a molecularly defined PDAC subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lionel Chia
- Pathobiology Graduate Program, Department of Pathology and.,Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Bowen Wang
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jung-Hyun Kim
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Li Z Luo
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Shuai Shuai
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Iliana Herrera
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Liping Li
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Lingling Xian
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Tait Huso
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - Woo Jung Sung
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Shun Ishiyama
- Department of Pathology.,Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology
| | - Gongbo Guo
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - Leslie M Cope
- Department of Oncology, and.,Division of Biostatistics, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Laura Wood
- Pathobiology Graduate Program, Department of Pathology and.,Department of Pathology.,Department of Oncology, and
| | - Linda Resar
- Pathobiology Graduate Program, Department of Pathology and.,Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Pathology.,Department of Oncology, and
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36
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Guo J, Jiang G, Chen J, Zhang M, Xiang K, Wang C, Jiang T, Kang Y, Sun Y, Xu X, Yang X, Chen Z. Tumor tissue derived extracellular vesicles promote diabetic wound healing. J Diabetes Complications 2023; 37:108435. [PMID: 36933279 DOI: 10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2023.108435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
The diabetic wound nowadays remains a major public health challenge, which is characterized by overproduced reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the current therapy for diabetic wounds is limited for reliable data in the general application. The growth of tumors has been revealed to share parallels with wound healing. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from breast cancer have been reported to promote cell proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. The tumor tissue-derived EVs (tTi-EVs) of breast cancer performance a feature inheritance from original tissue and might accelerate the diabetic wound healing. We wonder whether the tumor-derived EVs are able to accelerate diabetic wound healing. In this study, tTi-EVs were extracted from breast cancer tissue via ultracentrifugation and size exclusion. Subsequently, tTi-EVs reversed the H2O2-induced inhibition of fibroblast proliferation and migration. Moreover, tTi-EVs significantly accelerated wound closure, collagen deposition and neovascularization, and finally promoted wound healing in diabetic mice. The tTi-EVs also reduced the level of oxidative stress in vitro and in vivo. Besides, the biosafety of tTi-EVs were preliminarily confirmed by blood tests and morphological analysis of major organs. Collectively, the present study proves that tTi-EVs can suppress oxidative stress and facilitate diabetic wound healing, which puts forward a novel function of tTi-EVs and provides potential treatment for diabetic wounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahe Guo
- Department of Hand Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Guoyong Jiang
- Department of Hand Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Hand Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Maojie Zhang
- Department of Hand Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Kaituo Xiang
- Department of Hand Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Cheng Wang
- Department of Hand Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- Department of Hand Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Yu Kang
- Department of Hand Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Yue Sun
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST), Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Xiang Xu
- Department of Hand Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China
| | - Xiaofan Yang
- Department of Hand Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
| | - Zhenbing Chen
- Department of Hand Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
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GLI1 interaction with p300 modulates SDF1 expression in cancer-associated fibroblasts to promote pancreatic cancer cells migration. Biochem J 2023; 480:225-241. [PMID: 36734208 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play an important role in the progression of multiple malignancies. Secretion of cytokines and growth factors underlies the pro-tumoral effect of CAFs. Although this paracrine function has been extensively documented, the molecular mechanisms controlling the expression of these factors remain elusive. In this study, we provide evidence of a novel CAF transcriptional axis regulating the expression of SDF1, a major driver of cancer cell migration, involving the transcription factor GLI1 and histone acetyltransferase p300. We demonstrate that conditioned media from CAFs overexpressing GLI1 induce the migration of pancreatic cancer cells, and this effect is impaired by an SDF1-neutralizing antibody. Using a combination of co-immunoprecipitation, proximity ligation assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, we further demonstrate that GLI1 and p300 physically interact in CAFs to co-occupy and drive SDF1 promoter activity. Mapping experiments highlight the requirement of GLI1 N-terminal for the interaction with p300. Importantly, knockdowns of both GLI1 and p300 reduce SDF1 expression. Further analysis shows that knockdown of GLI1 decreases SDF1 promoter activity, p300 recruitment, and levels of its associated histone marks (H4ac, H3K27ac, and H3K14ac). Finally, we show that the integrity of two GLI binding sites in the SDF1 promoter is required for p300 recruitment. Our findings define a new role for the p300-GLI1 complex in the regulation of SDF1, providing new mechanistic insight into the molecular events controlling pancreatic cancer cells migration.
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Akanda MR, Ahn EJ, Kim YJ, Salam SMA, Noh MG, Kim SS, Jung TY, Kim IY, Kim CH, Lee KH, Moon KS. Different Expression and Clinical Implications of Cancer-Associated Fibroblast (CAF) Markers in Brain Metastases. J Cancer 2023; 14:464-479. [PMID: 36860926 PMCID: PMC9969586 DOI: 10.7150/jca.80115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Aims: This study assessed the expression and clinical relevance of cancer-asssociated fibroblast (CAF)-related biomarkers in brain metastasis (BM). Moreover, molecular characterization of patient-derived primary CAFs and normal fibroblasts (NFs) was performed. Methods: Sixty-eight patients with BM from various primary cancer types were selected. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF) staining were performed to evaluate the expression of various CAF-related biomarkers. CAFs and NFs were isolated from fresh tissues. Results: Various CAF-related biomarkers were expressed in CAFs in BMs of different primary cancers. However, only PDGFR-β, α-SMA, and collagen type I were associated with BM size. PDGFR-β and α-SMA were associated with BM recurrence after resection. PDGFR-β was associated with recurrence-free survival (RFS). Interestingly, high expression of PDGFR-β and α-SMA was found in the patients with previous chemotherapy or radiotherapy for primary cancer. In primary cell culture, PDGFR-β and α-SMA were expressed at higher levels in patient-derived CAFs than in NFs or cancer cells. The origins of CAF in BM were presumed to be pericytes of blood vessels, circulating endothelial progenitor cells, or transformed astrocytes of the peritumoral glial stroma. Conclusion: Our results suggest that high expression of CAF-related biomarkers, particularly PDGFR-β and α-SMA, is associated with poor prognosis and recurrence in patients with BM. With the elucidation of the role and origins of CAF in the tumor microenvironment, CAF can be a new imperative target for BM immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Rashedunnabi Akanda
- Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, Hwasun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Eun-Jung Ahn
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, Hwasun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
| | - Yeong Jin Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, Hwasun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
| | - S M Abdus Salam
- Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, Hwasun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
| | - Myung-Giun Noh
- Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, Hwasun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
| | - Sung Sun Kim
- Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, Hwasun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
| | - Tae-Young Jung
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, Hwasun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
| | - In-Young Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, Hwasun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
| | - Chang-Hyun Kim
- Department of Surgery, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, Hwasun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
| | - Kyung-Hwa Lee
- Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, Hwasun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea.,BioMedical Sciences Graduate Program (BMSGP), Chonnam National University, Hwasun Jeollanam-do, South Korea.,✉ Corresponding authors: Kyung-Sub Moon, Department of Neurosurgery, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, 322 Seoyang-ro, Hwasun-eup, Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do, 58128, South Korea. Tel.: +82-61-379-7666, / Fax: +82-61-379-7673, E-mail: . Kyung-Hwa Lee, Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, 322 Seoyang-ro, Hwasun-eup, Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do, 58128, South Korea. Tel.: +82-61-379-7050, / Fax: +82-61-379-7099, E-mail:
| | - Kyung-Sub Moon
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, Hwasun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea.,✉ Corresponding authors: Kyung-Sub Moon, Department of Neurosurgery, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, 322 Seoyang-ro, Hwasun-eup, Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do, 58128, South Korea. Tel.: +82-61-379-7666, / Fax: +82-61-379-7673, E-mail: . Kyung-Hwa Lee, Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Science, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital and Medical School, 322 Seoyang-ro, Hwasun-eup, Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do, 58128, South Korea. Tel.: +82-61-379-7050, / Fax: +82-61-379-7099, E-mail:
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Raskov H, Gaggar S, Tajik A, Orhan A, Gögenur I. Metabolic switch in cancer - Survival of the fittest. Eur J Cancer 2023; 180:30-51. [PMID: 36527974 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2022.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Cell metabolism is characterised by the highly coordinated conversion of nutrients into energy and biomass. In solid cancers, hypoxia, nutrient deficiencies, and tumour vasculature are incompatible with accelerated anabolic growth and require a rewiring of cancer cell metabolism. Driver gene mutations direct malignant cells away from oxidation to maximise energy production and biosynthesis while tumour-secreted factors degrade peripheral tissues to fuel disease progression and initiate metastasis. As it is vital to understand cancer cell metabolism and survival mechanisms, this review discusses the metabolic switch and current drug targets and clinical trials. In the future, metabolic markers may be included when phenotyping individual tumours to improve the therapeutic opportunities for personalised therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Raskov
- Center for Surgical Science, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, 4600, Denmark.
| | - Shruti Gaggar
- Center for Surgical Science, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, 4600, Denmark
| | - Asma Tajik
- Center for Surgical Science, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, 4600, Denmark
| | - Adile Orhan
- Center for Surgical Science, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, 4600, Denmark; Department of Clinical Oncology, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, 4000, Denmark
| | - Ismail Gögenur
- Center for Surgical Science, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, 4600, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, 2200, Denmark
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40
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Zhang J, He Q, Jiang S, Li M, Xue H, Zhang D, Li S, Peng H, Liang J, Liu Z, Rao S, Wang J, Zhang R, Zhang L. [ 18F]FAPI PET/CT in the evaluation of focal liver lesions with [ 18F]FDG non-avidity. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2023; 50:937-950. [PMID: 36346437 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-022-06022-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This prospective study was aimed to investigate the potential utility of [18F]fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) PET/CT for evaluating focal liver lesions (FLLs) with [18F]FDG non-avidity. METHODS From January 2021 to March 2022, this prospective study included 80 FLLs that were not avid on [18F]FDG PET/CT from 37 patients, then underwent [18F]FAPI PET/CT. All patients with FLL(s) with biopsy-proof or follow-up confirmation were categorized into four subgroups (20 hepatocellular carcinomas [HCCs]/5 non-HCC malignancies/4 inflammatory FLLs/8 benign noninflammatory FLLs). The diagnostic value of [18F]FAPI for detecting liver malignancy was determined by visual evaluation. Differences in the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and lesion-to-background ratio (LBR) obtained from [18F]FAPI PET/CT among the four subgroups were analyzed by semiquantitative analysis. RESULTS Among the thirty-seven enrolled participants (34 males; median age 57 years, range 48-67 years), on visual evaluation, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of [18F]FAPI PET for detecting liver malignancy in the patient-based analysis were 96.0% (24/25), 58.3% (7/12), and 83.8% (31/37), respectively. On semiquantitative analysis, the SUVmax and LBR of [18F]FAPI PET in liver malignancy (33 HCC lesions; 19 non-HCC malignant lesions) were significantly higher than those in 11 benign noninflammatory FLLs [HCC: SUVmax: 6.4 vs. 4.5, P = 0.017; LBR: 5.1 vs. 1.5, P = 0.003; non-HCC: SUVmax: 5.5 vs. 4.5, P = 0.008; LBR: 4.4 vs. 1.5, P = 0.042]. Notably, there was no significant difference in the SUVmax of [18F]FAPI PET between 33 HCC lesions and 17 inflammatory FLLs (6.4 vs. 8.2, P = 0.37), but the LBR of [18F]FAPI PET in HCC were significantly lower than that in inflammatory FLLs (5.1 vs. 9.1, P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS [18F]FAPI PET/CT shows high sensitivity in detecting HCC and non-HCC malignancy with [18F]FDG non-avidity. [18F]FAPI might be a promising radiopharmaceutical for the differential diagnosis of benign noninflammatory FLLs and liver malignancy with [18F]FDG non-avidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, 78 Hengzhigang Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510095, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiao He
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 58 Zhongshan 2nd Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuqin Jiang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, 78 Hengzhigang Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510095, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengsi Li
- Department of Radiology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, No.600, Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510630, People's Republic of China
| | - Haibao Xue
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, 78 Hengzhigang Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510095, People's Republic of China
| | - Donghui Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, 78 Hengzhigang Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510095, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuyi Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, 78 Hengzhigang Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510095, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Peng
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, 78 Hengzhigang Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510095, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiucen Liang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, 78 Hengzhigang Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510095, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhidong Liu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, 78 Hengzhigang Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510095, People's Republic of China
| | - Songquan Rao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, 78 Hengzhigang Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510095, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Radiology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, No.600, Tianhe Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510630, People's Republic of China
| | - Rusen Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, 78 Hengzhigang Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510095, People's Republic of China.
| | - Linqi Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, 78 Hengzhigang Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510095, People's Republic of China.
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Ying F, Chan MSM, Lee TKW. Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Cholangiocarcinoma. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 15:985-999. [PMID: 36708970 PMCID: PMC10040968 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2023.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Primary liver cancer (PLC) includes hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and is the sixth most common cancer worldwide with poor prognosis. PLC is characterized by an abundant stromal reaction in which cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are one of the major stromal components. Solid evidence has demonstrated the crucial role of CAFs in tumor progression, and CAF abundance is often correlated with poor clinical outcomes. Although CAFs are regarded as an attractive and promising target for PLC treatment, a poor understanding of CAF origins and heterogeneity and a lack of specific CAF markers are the major hurdles to efficient CAF-specific therapy. In this review, we examine recent advances in the understanding of CAF diversity in the context of biomarkers, subtypes, and functions in PLC. The regulatory roles of CAFs in extracellular matrix remodeling, metastasis, cancer stemness, and therapeutic resistance are summarized. With an increasing link between CAF abundance and reduced antitumor immune responses, we provide updated knowledge on the crosstalk between CAFs and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment, which leads to immune resistance. In addition, we present current CAF-targeted therapies and describe some future perspectives. A better understanding of CAF biology will shed light on a novel therapeutic strategy against PLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Ying
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
| | - Mandy Sze Man Chan
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
| | - Terence Kin Wah Lee
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong; State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
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Cheng L, Zou X, Wang J, Zhang J, Mo Z, Huang H. The role of CRYAB in tumor prognosis and immune infiltration: A Pan-cancer analysis. Front Surg 2023; 9:1117307. [PMID: 36713654 PMCID: PMC9880180 DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2022.1117307] [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: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose There is evidence that the Crystallin Alpha B (CRYAB) gene is involved in the regulation of the tumor microenvironment and influences tumor prognosis in some cancers. However, the role of CRYAB gene in prognosis and immunology in pan-cancer is still unclear. Methods In this study, we analyzed the transcriptional profiles and survival data of cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. CRYAB gene and its relationships with pan-cancer were analyzed using R packages, TIMER2.0, GEPIA2, Sangerbox, UALCAN, cBioPortal, ESTIMATE algorithm, and STRING. Besides, real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was utilized to detect CRYAB expression in KIRC and a human KIRC cell line (Caki-1). Results We found that CRYAB expression was different in tumors and adjacent tumors in human cancers, affecting patients' prognosis in 15 cancer types. Additionally, CRYAB expression significantly correlated with tumor microenvironment (TME), immune checkpoints (ICP), tumor mutational burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (MSI) in human cancers. Besides, CRYAB expression was positively associated with the immune infiltration of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and endothelial cells in most human cancers. Based on enrichment analysis, the most prevalent CRYAB gene mechanism in malignant tumors may be through anti-apoptotic activity. Moreover, some FDA-approved drugs were found to be associated with CRYAB and might be potential cancer therapeutic candidates. Conclusions CRYAB is a crucial component of the TME and influences immune cell infiltration, making it a promising biomarker to assess immune infiltration and prognosis in many malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lang Cheng
- Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China,Institute of Urology and Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China,Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College), Wuhu, China
| | - Xiong Zou
- Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China,Institute of Urology and Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Jiawei Wang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College), Wuhu, China
| | - Jiange Zhang
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Zengnan Mo
- Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi key Laboratory for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China,Institute of Urology and Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China,Correspondence: Zengnan Mo Houbao Huang
| | - Houbao Huang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College), Wuhu, China,Correspondence: Zengnan Mo Houbao Huang
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Therapeutic Targeting of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in the Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Tumor Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15020335. [PMID: 36672284 PMCID: PMC9856659 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15020335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. The most common lung cancer is non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with an overall 5-year survival rate of around 20% because NSCLC is a metastatic disease. A better understanding of the mechanism underlying lung cancer metastasis is therefore urgently needed. The tumor microenvironment involves different types of stromal cells and functions as key components in the progression of NSCLC. Through epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), in which epithelial cells lose their polarity and acquire mesenchymal potential, cancer cells acquire metastatic abilities, as well as cancer stem-cell-like potential. We previously reported that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) interact with lung cancer cells to allow for the acquisition of malignancy and treatment resistance by paracrine loops via EMT signals in the tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, CAFs regulate the cytotoxic activity of immune cells via various cytokines and chemokines, creating a microenvironment of immune tolerance. Regulation of CAFs can therefore affect immune responses. Recent research has shown several roles of CAFs in NSCLC tumorigenesis, owing to their heterogeneity, so molecular markers of CAFs should be elucidated to better classify tumor-promoting subtypes and facilitate the establishment of CAF-specific targeted therapies. CAF-targeted cancer treatments may suppress EMT and regulate the niche of cancer stem cells and the immunosuppressive network and thus may prove useful for NSCLC treatment through multiple mechanisms.
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Cancer-associated fibroblasts contribute to cancer metastasis and apoptosis resistance in human ovarian cancer via paracrine SDF-1α. CLINICAL & TRANSLATIONAL ONCOLOGY : OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF SPANISH ONCOLOGY SOCIETIES AND OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE OF MEXICO 2023; 25:1606-1616. [PMID: 36593384 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-022-03054-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), one of the main members of stromal cells in tumor microenvironment are proposed to play a central role in promoting tumor metastasis. It is unclear whether and how CAFs mediates tumor metastasis or chemoresistance in human ovarian cancer. METHODS CAFs were extracted from human ovarian cancer tissues (OCs) of patients with different kinds of histological types. RESULTS We found that CAFs showed more aggressive potency than those tumor cells, both of which were isolated from the same ovarian cancer specimen. Moreover, when co-cultured with CAFs, cell migration abilities of ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3, OVCAR3 and HEY) were significantly increased. Next, we preliminarily detected a higher CAFs density in sections of metastatic lesions than those in primary tumor site of primary OCs clinically. However, no significant difference of stromal derived factors-1α (SDF-1α) production from CAFs was found between primary and metastatic lesions. Additionally, in contrast with tumor cells, CAFs exhibited obvious apoptosis resistance when treated with cisplatin. Furthermore, we found that cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis were significantly inhibited by co-cultured with recombinant human SDF-1α in SKOV3 in a time and dose-dependent manner, and this effect was suppressed by the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100. CONCLUSIONS CAFs might be involved in the malignant metastasis in human ovarian cancer through promoting cell migration in tumor cells. And their resistance to cytotoxic agents might be mediated by paracrine SDF-1α/CXCR4 signaling in ovarian cancer.
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Xu Q, Wang J, Wang J, Zhu Y, Chen B, Guo R, Qian Y, Yuan H, Liu F. A Pan-Cancer Analysis to Provide Insight into the Immunological Role and Prognostic Value of HTRA3. Crit Rev Eukaryot Gene Expr 2023; 33:57-75. [PMID: 37606164 DOI: 10.1615/critreveukaryotgeneexpr.2023048936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
High-temperature requirement factor A3 (HTRA3), a member of the HTRA protein family, is closely associated with apoptosis and plays a crucial role in controlling signal transmission and cancer development. However, the regulatory pathways of HTRA3 in tumors are not fully understood, necessitating a comprehensive analysis of HTRA3 in cancers. In this study, we conducted a multi-omics analysis of HTRA3 in pan-cancer using data from various databases including TCGA, cBioPortal, GeneMANIA, DAVID, TIMER2.0, SangerBox, and RNAactDrug. Our analysis included gene expression, survival prognosis, diagnostic value, mutation, gene-gene interaction, enrichment analysis, and drug sensitivity analysis. We found that HTRA3 is aberrantly expressed in a variety of cancers and significantly correlates with diagnosis, prognosis, TMB, MSI, immune checkpoint (ICP) genes, and drug sensitivity in various cancer types. HTRA3 is involved in a variety of cancer pathways, particularly extracellular matrix (ECM) alterations, and has a potential role in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). HTRA3 expression is positively correlated with the abundance of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and endothelial cells in the tumor microenvironment, and is also positively correlated with immune scores, stromal scores, and ESTIMATE scores in multiple cancers. HTRA3 is often overexpressed in cancer and is associated with poor prognosis and regulation of the tumor's immune response. Therefore, it may serve as a novel biomarker for tumor diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Xu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Jiale Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Yukuan Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Harbin Fifth Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Baihui Chen
- Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Runzhao Guo
- Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Yao Qian
- Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Haiyu Yuan
- Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Feng Liu
- Department of Breast Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
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Fibroblasts Impair Migration and Antitumor Activity of NK-92 Lymphocytes in a Melanoma-on-Chip Model. BIOENGINEERING (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 10:bioengineering10010052. [PMID: 36671624 PMCID: PMC9854880 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10010052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Adoptive cell therapy in solid tumors, such as melanoma, is impaired, but little is known about the role that the fibroblasts present in the tumor microenvironment could exert. However, the mechanism at play is not well understood, partly due to the lack of relevant pre-clinical models. Three-dimensional culture and microfluidic chips are used to recapitulate the dynamic interactions among different types of cells in the tumor microenvironment in controlled and physiological settings. In this brief report, we propose a reductionist melanoma-on-a-chip model for evaluating the essential role of fibroblasts in the antitumor activity of lymphocytes. To this end, 3D melanoma spheroids were monocultured and co-cultured with human dermal fibroblasts and the NK-92 cell migration towards the tumor compartment was tested in a commercially available microfluidic device. Utilizing confocal microscopy, we observed the different recruitment of NK-92 cells in the presence and absence of fibroblasts. Our results show that fibroblasts' presence inhibits immune effector recruiting by exploiting a 3D pre-clinical tumor model.
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Xue XM, Liu YY, Chen XM, Tao BY, Liu P, Zhou HW, Zhang C, Wang L, Jiang YK, Ding ZW, Shen WD, Zhang J, Yang SM, Wang FY. Pan-cancer analysis identifies NT5E as a novel prognostic biomarker on cancer-associated fibroblasts associated with unique tumor microenvironment. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1064032. [PMID: 36569293 PMCID: PMC9768042 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1064032] [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: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Ecto-5'-nucleotidase (NT5E) encodes the cluster of differentiation 73 (CD73), whose overexpression contributes to the formation of immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and is related to exacerbated prognosis, increased risk of metastasis and resistance to immunotherapy of various tumors. However, the prognostic significance of NT5E in pan-cancer is obscure so far. Methods: We explored the expression level of NT5E in cancers and adjacent tissues and revealed the relationship between the NT5E expression level and clinical outcomes in pan-cancer by utilizing the UCSC Xena database. Then, correlation analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between NT5E expression and immune infiltration level via EPIC, MCP-counter and CIBERSORT methods, and the enrichment analysis were employed to identify NT5E-interacting molecules and functional pathways. Furthermore, we conducted single-cell analysis to explore the potential role of NT5E on single-cell level based on the CancerSEA database. Meanwhile, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) in single-cell level was also conducted in TISCH database and single-cell signature explorer was utilized to evaluate the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) level in each cell type. Results: The expression level of NT5E was aberrant in almost all cancer types, and was correlated with worse prognosis in several cancers. Notably, NT5E overexpression was related to worse overall survival (OS) in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD), head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC), mesothelioma (MESO), stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD), uveal melanoma (UVM) and cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma (CESC) (p < 0.01). NT5E-related immune microenvironment analysis revealed that NT5E is associated positively with the degree of infiltration of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and endothelial cells in most cancers. Enrichment analysis of cellular component (CC) demonstrated the critical part of NT5E played in cell-substrate junction, cell-substrate adherens junction, focal adhesion and external side of plasma membrane. Finally, single-cell analysis of NT5E illuminated that EMT function of CAFs was elevated in basal cell carcinoma (BCC), skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM), HNSC and PAAD. Conclusion: NT5E could serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for cancers. The potential mechanism may be related to the upregulated EMT function of CAFs, which provides novel inspiration for immunotherapy by targeting CAFs with high NT5E expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-miao Xue
- Medical School of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Beijing, China,Senior Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Otolaryngologic Diseases, State Key Lab of Hearing Science, Beijing Key Lab of Hearing Impairment Prevention and Treatment, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-yang Liu
- Medical School of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Beijing, China,Department of Neurosurgery, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xue-min Chen
- Medical School of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Beijing, China,Senior Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Otolaryngologic Diseases, State Key Lab of Hearing Science, Beijing Key Lab of Hearing Impairment Prevention and Treatment, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Bing-yan Tao
- Medical School of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Beijing, China,Department of Neurosurgery, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Liu
- Medical School of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Beijing, China,Senior Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Otolaryngologic Diseases, State Key Lab of Hearing Science, Beijing Key Lab of Hearing Impairment Prevention and Treatment, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Han-wen Zhou
- Medical School of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Beijing, China,Senior Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Otolaryngologic Diseases, State Key Lab of Hearing Science, Beijing Key Lab of Hearing Impairment Prevention and Treatment, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- Medical School of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Beijing, China,The Zhantansi Outpatient Department of Central Medical Branch of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital Beijing, China
| | - Li Wang
- Medical School of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Beijing, China,Senior Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Otolaryngologic Diseases, State Key Lab of Hearing Science, Beijing Key Lab of Hearing Impairment Prevention and Treatment, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-ke Jiang
- Medical School of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Beijing, China,Senior Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Otolaryngologic Diseases, State Key Lab of Hearing Science, Beijing Key Lab of Hearing Impairment Prevention and Treatment, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi-wei Ding
- Medical School of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Beijing, China,Senior Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Otolaryngologic Diseases, State Key Lab of Hearing Science, Beijing Key Lab of Hearing Impairment Prevention and Treatment, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Wei-dong Shen
- Senior Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Otolaryngologic Diseases, State Key Lab of Hearing Science, Beijing Key Lab of Hearing Impairment Prevention and Treatment, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Jun Zhang, ; Shi-ming Yang, ; Fang-yuan Wang,
| | - Shi-ming Yang
- Senior Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Otolaryngologic Diseases, State Key Lab of Hearing Science, Beijing Key Lab of Hearing Impairment Prevention and Treatment, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Jun Zhang, ; Shi-ming Yang, ; Fang-yuan Wang,
| | - Fang-yuan Wang
- Senior Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Otolaryngologic Diseases, State Key Lab of Hearing Science, Beijing Key Lab of Hearing Impairment Prevention and Treatment, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Jun Zhang, ; Shi-ming Yang, ; Fang-yuan Wang,
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Glass SE, Coffey RJ. Recent Advances in the Study of Extracellular Vesicles in Colorectal Cancer. Gastroenterology 2022; 163:1188-1197. [PMID: 35724732 PMCID: PMC9613516 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2022.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
There has been significant progress in the study of extracellular vesicles (EVs) since the 2017 American Gastroenterological Association-sponsored Freston Conference "Extracellular Vesicles: Biology, Translation and Clinical Application in GI Disorders." The burgeoning interest in this field stems from the increasing recognition that EVs represent an understudied form of cell-to-cell communication and contain cargo replete with biomarkers and therapeutic targets. This short review will highlight recent advances in the field, with an emphasis on colorectal cancer. After a brief introduction to secreted particles, we will describe how our laboratory became interested in EVs, which led to refined methods of isolation and identification of 2 secreted nanoparticles. We will then summarize the cargo found in small EVs released from colorectal cancer cells and other cells in the tumor microenvironment, as well as those found in the circulation of patients with colorectal cancer. Finally, we will consider the continuing challenges and future opportunities in this rapidly evolving field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Glass
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Robert J Coffey
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
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Thiery J. Modulation of the antitumor immune response by cancer-associated fibroblasts: mechanisms and targeting strategies to hamper their immunosuppressive functions. EXPLORATION OF TARGETED ANTI-TUMOR THERAPY 2022; 3:598-629. [PMID: 36338519 PMCID: PMC9630350 DOI: 10.37349/etat.2022.00103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are highly heterogeneous players that shape the tumor microenvironment and influence tumor progression, metastasis formation, and response to conventional therapies. During the past years, some CAFs subsets have also been involved in the modulation of immune cell functions, affecting the efficacy of both innate and adaptive anti-tumor immune responses. Consequently, the implication of these stromal cells in the response to immunotherapeutic strategies raised major concerns. In this review, current knowledge of CAFs origins and heterogeneity in the tumor stroma, as well as their effects on several immune cell populations that explain their immunosuppressive capabilities are summarized. The current development of therapeutic strategies for targeting this population and their implication in the field of cancer immunotherapy is also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerome Thiery
- INSERM, UMR 1186, 94800 Villejuif, France
- Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, 94805 Villejuif, France
- University Paris Saclay, Faculty of Medicine, 94270 Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
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50
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Yamamoto Y, Kasashima H, Fukui Y, Tsujio G, Yashiro M, Maeda K. The heterogeneity of cancer-associated fibroblast subpopulations: Their origins, biomarkers, and roles in the tumor microenvironment. Cancer Sci 2022; 114:16-24. [PMID: 36197901 PMCID: PMC9807521 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The prognosis for patients with cancers known for a highly activated stromal reaction, including diffuse-type (scirrhous) gastric cancer, consensus molecular subtype 4 (CMS4) colorectal cancer, and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, is extremely poor. To explore the resistance of conventional therapy for those refractory cancers, detailed classification and investigation of the different subsets of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) involved are needed. Recent studies with a single-cell transcriptomics strategy (single-cell RNA-seq) have demonstrated that CAF subpopulations contain different origins and marker proteins with the capacity to either promote or suppress cancer progression. Through multiple signaling pathways, CAFs can promote tumor growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis with extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling; they can also interact with tumor-infiltrating immune cells and modulate the antitumor immunological state in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we review the recent literature on the various subpopulations of CAFs to improve our understanding of the cell-cell interactions in the TME and highlight future avenues for CAF-targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurie Yamamoto
- Molecular Oncology and TherapeuticsOsaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of MedicineOsakaJapan
| | - Hiroaki Kasashima
- Molecular Oncology and TherapeuticsOsaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of MedicineOsakaJapan,Department of Gastroenterological SurgeryOsaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of MedicineOsakaJapan
| | - Yasuhiro Fukui
- Department of Gastroenterological SurgeryOsaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of MedicineOsakaJapan
| | - Gen Tsujio
- Molecular Oncology and TherapeuticsOsaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of MedicineOsakaJapan,Department of Gastroenterological SurgeryOsaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of MedicineOsakaJapan
| | - Masakazu Yashiro
- Molecular Oncology and TherapeuticsOsaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of MedicineOsakaJapan
| | - Kiyoshi Maeda
- Department of Gastroenterological SurgeryOsaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of MedicineOsakaJapan
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