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Chu X, Tian W, Ning J, Xiao G, Zhou Y, Wang Z, Zhai Z, Tanzhu G, Yang J, Zhou R. Cancer stem cells: advances in knowledge and implications for cancer therapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:170. [PMID: 38965243 PMCID: PMC11224386 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01851-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a small subset of cells in tumors that are characterized by self-renewal and continuous proliferation, lead to tumorigenesis, metastasis, and maintain tumor heterogeneity. Cancer continues to be a significant global disease burden. In the past, surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy were the main cancer treatments. The technology of cancer treatments continues to develop and advance, and the emergence of targeted therapy, and immunotherapy provides more options for patients to a certain extent. However, the limitations of efficacy and treatment resistance are still inevitable. Our review begins with a brief introduction of the historical discoveries, original hypotheses, and pathways that regulate CSCs, such as WNT/β-Catenin, hedgehog, Notch, NF-κB, JAK/STAT, TGF-β, PI3K/AKT, PPAR pathway, and their crosstalk. We focus on the role of CSCs in various therapeutic outcomes and resistance, including how the treatments affect the content of CSCs and the alteration of related molecules, CSCs-mediated therapeutic resistance, and the clinical value of targeting CSCs in patients with refractory, progressed or advanced tumors. In summary, CSCs affect therapeutic efficacy, and the treatment method of targeting CSCs is still difficult to determine. Clarifying regulatory mechanisms and targeting biomarkers of CSCs is currently the mainstream idea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianjing Chu
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Wentao Tian
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Jiaoyang Ning
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Gang Xiao
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Yunqi Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Ziqi Wang
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Zhuofan Zhai
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Guilong Tanzhu
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
| | - Jie Yang
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
- Department of Dermatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
| | - Rongrong Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
- Xiangya Lung Cancer Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410008, China.
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Wang B, Sun D, Li H, Chen J. A bird's eye view of the potential role of NFKBIA in pan-cancer. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31204. [PMID: 38813139 PMCID: PMC11133827 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31204] [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: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
In the 21st century, cancer remains a serious threat to people's health and has become a prominent public health problem. NFKBIA is involved in the pathological process of many diseases including cancer, but its specific role in pan-cancer has not yet been fully elucidated. This study aims to deepen the understanding of cancer pathology by analyzing the potential functions of NFKBIA in pan-cancer. We used TCGA data to analyze differences of expression of NFKBIA in pan-cancer. We explored the prognostic value, clinical relevance, immune relevance, potential biological function, and diagnosis and treatment value of NFKBIA in pan-cancer through bioinformatics analysis. This study found that in pan-cancer, NFKBIA exhibits differences in expression, which correlate with the prognosis, diagnosis, treatment value and clinical and immune parameters. We have identified that Aspirin, Astaxanthin and Bardoxolone methyl are expected to play a potential therapeutic role in pan-cancer. The results of this study will help to improve our understanding of the role and potential mechanism of NFKBIA in cancer pathology, which may provide guidance for cancer-related research and clinical diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Wang
- Department of Sports Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Difang Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Qingdao Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Shandong Eye Institute, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Haifeng Li
- Department of Sports Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jinli Chen
- Department of Sports Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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3
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Kwon J, Zhang J, Mok B, Allsup S, Kim C, Toretsky J, Han C. USP13 drives lung squamous cell carcinoma by switching lung club cell lineage plasticity. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:204. [PMID: 38093367 PMCID: PMC10717271 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01892-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) is associated with high mortality and limited targeted therapies. USP13 is one of the most amplified genes in LUSC, yet its role in lung cancer is largely unknown. Here, we established a novel mouse model of LUSC by overexpressing USP13 on KrasG12D/+; Trp53flox/flox background (KPU). KPU-driven lung squamous tumors faithfully recapitulate key pathohistological, molecular features, and cellular pathways of human LUSC. We found that USP13 altered lineage-determining factors such as NKX2-1 and SOX2 in club cells of the airway and reinforced the fate of club cells to squamous carcinoma development. We showed a strong molecular association between USP13 and c-MYC, leading to the upregulation of squamous programs in murine and human lung cancer cells. Collectively, our data demonstrate that USP13 is a molecular driver of lineage plasticity in club cells and provide mechanistic insight that may have potential implications for the treatment of LUSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juntae Kwon
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington D.C, USA
| | - Jinmin Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington D.C, USA
| | - Boram Mok
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington D.C, USA
| | - Samuel Allsup
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington D.C, USA
| | - Chul Kim
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington D.C, USA
- MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington D.C, USA
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington D.C, USA
| | - Jeffrey Toretsky
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington D.C, USA
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington D.C, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics, Washington D.C, USA
| | - Cecil Han
- Department of Oncology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington D.C, USA.
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington D.C, USA.
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4
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Liu Q, Guo Z, Li G, Zhang Y, Liu X, Li B, Wang J, Li X. Cancer stem cells and their niche in cancer progression and therapy. Cancer Cell Int 2023; 23:305. [PMID: 38041196 PMCID: PMC10693166 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-023-03130-2] [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: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
High recurrence and metastasis rates and poor prognoses are the major challenges of current cancer therapy. Mounting evidence suggests that cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an important role in cancer development, chemoradiotherapy resistance, recurrence, and metastasis. Therefore, targeted CSC therapy has become a new strategy for solving the problems of cancer metastasis and recurrence. Since the properties of CSCs are regulated by the specific tumour microenvironment, the so-called CSC niche, which targets crosstalk between CSCs and their niches, is vital in our pursuit of new therapeutic opportunities to prevent cancer from recurring. In this review, we aim to highlight the factors within the CSC niche that have important roles in regulating CSC properties, including the extracellular matrix (ECM), stromal cells (e.g., associated macrophages (TAMs), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)), and physiological changes (e.g., inflammation, hypoxia, and angiogenesis). We also discuss recent progress regarding therapies targeting CSCs and their niche to elucidate developments of more effective therapeutic strategies to eliminate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuping Liu
- Institute of Translational Medicine, College of Life Science and Agronomy, Zhoukou Normal University, Zhoukou, 466001, Henan, China
| | - Zongliang Guo
- Department of General Surgery, Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital, Affiliated of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030013, Shanxi, China
| | - Guoyin Li
- Institute of Translational Medicine, College of Life Science and Agronomy, Zhoukou Normal University, Zhoukou, 466001, Henan, China
| | - Yunxia Zhang
- Institute of Translational Medicine, College of Life Science and Agronomy, Zhoukou Normal University, Zhoukou, 466001, Henan, China
| | - Xiaomeng Liu
- Institute of Translational Medicine, College of Life Science and Agronomy, Zhoukou Normal University, Zhoukou, 466001, Henan, China
| | - Bing Li
- Institute of Translational Medicine, College of Life Science and Agronomy, Zhoukou Normal University, Zhoukou, 466001, Henan, China
| | - Jinping Wang
- Department of Ultrasound, Shanxi Province People's Hospital, Taiyuan, 030012, Shanxi, China.
| | - Xiaoyan Li
- Department of blood transfusion, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Taiyuan, 030032, Shanxi, China.
- Department of central laboratory, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Taiyuan, 030032, Shanxi, China.
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Xu X, Chen J, Li W, Feng C, Liu Q, Gao W, He M. Immunology and immunotherapy in gastric cancer. Clin Exp Med 2023; 23:3189-3204. [PMID: 37322134 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-023-01104-2] [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: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Gastric cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. As the diagnosis of early gastric cancer is difficult, most patients are at a late stage of cancer progression when diagnosed. The current therapeutic approaches based on surgical or endoscopic resection and chemotherapy indeed improve patients' outcomes. Immunotherapy based on immune checkpoint inhibitors has opened a new era for cancer treatment, and the immune system of the host is reshaped to combat tumor cells and the strategy differs according to the patient's immune system. Thus, an in-depth understanding of the roles of various immune cells in the progression of gastric cancer is beneficial to application for immunotherapy and the discovery of new therapeutic targets. This review describes the functions of different immune cells in gastric cancer development, mainly focusing on T cells, B cells, macrophages, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, neutrophils as well as chemokines or cytokines secreted by tumor cells. And this review also discusses the latest advances in immune-related therapeutic approaches such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T or vaccine, to reveal potential and promising strategies for gastric cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaqing Xu
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450007, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaxing Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450002, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenxing Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450007, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Chenlu Feng
- Department of Cancer Center, Nanyang First People's Hospital, Nanyang, 473000, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450002, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenfang Gao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450002, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng He
- Department of Pharmacy, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450007, Henan, People's Republic of China.
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Czarnywojtek A, Borowska M, Dyrka K, Van Gool S, Sawicka-Gutaj N, Moskal J, Kościński J, Graczyk P, Hałas T, Lewandowska AM, Czepczyński R, Ruchała M. Glioblastoma Multiforme: The Latest Diagnostics and Treatment Techniques. Pharmacology 2023; 108:423-431. [PMID: 37459849 DOI: 10.1159/000531319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a WHO grade 4 glioma and the most common malignant primary brain tumour. Recently, there has been outstanding progress in the treatment of GBM. In addition to the newest form of GBM removal using fluorescence, three-dimensional (3D) imaging, tomoradiotherapy, moderate electro-hyperthermia, and adjuvant temozolomide (post-operative chemotherapy), new developments have been made in the fields of immunology, molecular biology, and virotherapy. An unusual and modern treatment has been created, especially for stage 4 GBM, using the latest therapeutic techniques, including immunotherapy and virotherapy. Modern oncological medicine is producing extraordinary and progressive therapeutic methods. Oncological therapy includes individual analysis of the properties of a tumour and targeted therapy using small-molecule inhibitors. Individualised medicine covers the entire patient (tumour and host) in the context of immunotherapy. An example is individualised multimodal immunotherapy (IMI), which relies on individual immunological tumour-host interactions. In addition, IMI is based on the concept of oncolytic virus-induced immunogenic tumour cell death. SUMMARY In this review, we outline current knowledge of the various available treatment options used in the therapy of GBM including both traditional therapeutic strategy and modern therapies, such as tomotherapy, electro-hyperthermia, and oncolytic virotherapy, which are promising treatment strategies with the potential to improve prognosis in patients with GBM. KEY MESSAGES This newest therapy, immunotherapy combined with virotherapy (oncolytic viruses and cancer vaccines), is displaying encouraging signs for combating GBM. Additionally, the latest 3D imaging is compared to conventional two-dimensional imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Czarnywojtek
- Chair and Department of Pharmacology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
- Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Internal Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Magdalena Borowska
- Chair and Department of Pharmacology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Kamil Dyrka
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology and Rheumatology, Institute of Pediatrics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | | | - Nadia Sawicka-Gutaj
- Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Internal Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Jakub Moskal
- Department of Neurosurgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Jeremi Kościński
- Department of Neurosurgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Patryk Graczyk
- Chair and Department of Pharmacology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Tomasz Hałas
- Chair and Department of Pharmacology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | | | - Rafał Czepczyński
- Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Internal Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Marek Ruchała
- Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Internal Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
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Liang W, Hu C, Zhu Q, Cheng X, Gao S, Liu Z, Wang H, Li P, Gao Y, Qian R. Exploring the relationship between abnormally high expression of NUP205 and the clinicopathological characteristics, immune microenvironment, and prognostic value of lower-grade glioma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1007198. [PMID: 37284202 PMCID: PMC10240054 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1007198] [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: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Nuclear pore complex (NPC) is a major transport pivot for nucleocytoplasmic molecule exchange. Nucleoporin 205 (NUP205)-a main component of NPC-plays a key regulatory role in tumor cell proliferation; however, few reports document its effect on the pathological progression of lower-grade glioma (LGG). Therefore, we conducted an integrated analysis using 906 samples from multiple public databases to explore the effects of NUP205 on the prognosis, clinicopathological characteristics, regulatory mechanism, and tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) formation in LGG. First, multiple methods consistently showed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of NUP205 were higher in LGG tumor tissue than in normal brain tissue. This increased expression was mainly noted in the higher WHO Grade, IDH-wild type, and 1p19q non-codeleted type. Second, various survival analysis methods showed that the highly expressed NUP205 was an independent risk indicator that led to reduced survival time of patients with LGG. Third, GSEA analysis showed that NUP205 regulated the pathological progress of LGG via the cell cycle, notch signaling pathway, and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis. Ultimately, immune correlation analysis suggested that high NUP205 expression was positively correlated with the infiltration of multiple immune cells, particularly M2 macrophages, and was positively correlated with eight immune checkpoints, particularly PD-L1. Collectively, this study documented the pathogenicity of NUP205 in LGG for the first time, expanding our understanding of its molecular function. Furthermore, this study highlighted the potential value of NUP205 as a target of anti-LGG immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjia Liang
- People’s Hospital of Henan University, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Microbiome Laboratory, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Chenchen Hu
- Intensive Care Unit, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Qingyun Zhu
- People’s Hospital of Henan University, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Microbiome Laboratory, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Xingbo Cheng
- Department of Surgery of Spine and Spinal Cord, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou University, People’s Hospital of Henan University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Shanjun Gao
- Microbiome Laboratory, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Henan University People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhendong Liu
- Department of Surgery of Spine and Spinal Cord, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou University, People’s Hospital of Henan University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Hongbo Wang
- Department of Urology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Pengxu Li
- Department of Surgery of Spine and Spinal Cord, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou University, People’s Hospital of Henan University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yanzheng Gao
- Department of Surgery of Spine and Spinal Cord, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou University, People’s Hospital of Henan University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Rongjun Qian
- Department of Neurosurgery, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, People’s Hospital of Henan University, People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
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The role of Hedgehog and Notch signaling pathway in cancer. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2022; 3:44. [PMID: 36517618 PMCID: PMC9751255 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-022-00099-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Notch and Hedgehog signaling are involved in cancer biology and pathology, including the maintenance of tumor cell proliferation, cancer stem-like cells, and the tumor microenvironment. Given the complexity of Notch signaling in tumors, its role as both a tumor promoter and suppressor, and the crosstalk between pathways, the goal of developing clinically safe, effective, tumor-specific Notch-targeted drugs has remained intractable. Drugs developed against the Hedgehog signaling pathway have affirmed definitive therapeutic effects in basal cell carcinoma; however, in some contexts, the challenges of tumor resistance and recurrence leap to the forefront. The efficacy is very limited for other tumor types. In recent years, we have witnessed an exponential increase in the investigation and recognition of the critical roles of the Notch and Hedgehog signaling pathways in cancers, and the crosstalk between these pathways has vast space and value to explore. A series of clinical trials targeting signaling have been launched continually. In this review, we introduce current advances in the understanding of Notch and Hedgehog signaling and the crosstalk between pathways in specific tumor cell populations and microenvironments. Moreover, we also discuss the potential of targeting Notch and Hedgehog for cancer therapy, intending to promote the leap from bench to bedside.
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Vazifehmand R, Ali DS, Othman Z, Chau DM, Stanslas J, Shafa M, Sekawi Z. The evaluation expression of non-coding RNAs in response to HSV-G47∆ oncolytic virus infection in glioblastoma multiforme cancer stem cells. J Neurovirol 2022; 28:566-582. [PMID: 35951174 DOI: 10.1007/s13365-022-01089-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme is the most aggressive astrocytes brain tumor. Glioblastoma cancer stem cells and hypoxia conditions are well-known major obstacles in treatment. Studies have revealed that non-coding RNAs serve a critical role in glioblastoma progression, invasion, and resistance to chemo-radiotherapy. The present study examined the expression levels of microRNAs (in normoxic condition) and long non-coding RNAs (in normoxic and hypoxic conditions) in glioblastoma stem cells treated with the HSV-G47∆. The expression levels of 43 miRNAs and 8 lncRNAs isolated from U251-GBM-CSCs were analyzed using a miRCURY LNA custom PCR array and a quantitative PCR assay, respectively. The data revealed that out of 43 miRNAs that only were checked in normoxic condition, the only 8 miRNAs, including miR-7-1, miR-let-7b, miR-130a, miR-137, miR-200b, miR-221, miR-222, and miR-874, were markedly upregulated. The expression levels of lncRNAs, including LEF1 antisense RNA 1 (LEF1-AS1), metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1), long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 470 (LINC00470), tumor suppressor candidate 7 (TUSC7), HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR), nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1), and X inactive specific transcript (XIST), were markedly downregulated in the hypoxic microenvironment, and H19-imprinted maternally expressed transcript (H19) was not observed to be dysregulated in this environment. Under normoxic conditions, LEF1-AS1, MALAT1, LINC00470, H19, HOTAIR, NEAT1, and XIST were downregulated and TUSC7 was not targeted by HSV-G47∆. Overall, the present data shows HSVG47Δ treatment deregulates non-coding RNA expression in GBM-CSC tumor microenvironments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Vazifehmand
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, 43400, Malaysia
| | - Dhuha Saeed Ali
- Halal Products Research Institute, Universiti Putra Malaysia UPM, Serdang, Selangor, 43400, Malaysia
| | - Zulkefley Othman
- Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, 43400, Malaysia
| | - De-Ming Chau
- Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, 43400, Malaysia
| | - Johnson Stanslas
- Pharmacotherapeutics Unit, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia UPM, Serdang, Selangor, 43400, Malaysia
| | - Mehdi Shafa
- Cell Therapy process development, Lonza Houston Inc, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Zamberi Sekawi
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, 43400, Malaysia.
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Metabolism in Cancer Stem Cells: Targets for Clinical Treatment. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233790. [PMID: 36497050 PMCID: PMC9736883 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have high tumorigenicity, high metastasis and high resistance to treatment. They are the key factors for the growth, metastasis and drug resistance of malignant tumors, and are also the important reason for the occurrence and recurrence of tumors. Metabolic reprogramming refers to the metabolic changes that occur when tumor cells provide sufficient energy and nutrients for themselves. Metabolic reprogramming plays an important role in regulating the growth and activity of cancer cells and cancer stem cells. In addition, the immune cells or stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) will change due to the metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells. Summarizing the characteristics and molecular mechanisms of metabolic reprogramming of cancer stem cells will provide new ideas for the comprehensive treatment of malignant tumors. In this review, we summarized the changes of the main metabolic pathways in cancer cells and cancer stem cells.
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11
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Chen M, Wang X, Wang W, Gui X, Li Z. Immune- and Stemness-Related Genes Revealed by Comprehensive Analysis and Validation for Cancer Immunity and Prognosis and Its Nomogram in Lung Adenocarcinoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:829057. [PMID: 35833114 PMCID: PMC9271778 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.829057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a familiar lung cancer with a very poor prognosis. This study investigated the immune- and stemness-related genes to develop model related with cancer immunity and prognosis in LUAD. Method The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was utilized for obtaining original transcriptome data and clinical information. Differential expression, prognostic value, and correlation with clinic parameter of mRNA stemness index (mRNAsi) were conducted in LUAD. Significant mRNAsi-related module and hub genes were screened using weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA). Meanwhile, immune-related differential genes (IRGs) were screened in LUAD. Stem cell index and immune-related differential genes (SC-IRGs) were screened and further developed to construct prognosis-related model and nomogram. Comprehensive analysis of hub genes and subgroups, involving enrichment in the subgroup [gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA)], gene mutation, genetic correlation, gene expression, immune, tumor mutation burden (TMB), and drug sensitivity, used bioinformatics and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for verification. Results Through difference analysis, mRNAsi of LUAD group was markedly higher than that of normal group. Clinical parameters (age, gender, and T staging) were ascertained to be highly relevant to mRNAsi. MEturquoise and MEblue were found to be the most significant modules (including positive and negative correlations) related to mRNAsi via WGCNA. The functions and pathways of the two mRNAsi-related modules were mainly enriched in tumorigenesis, development, and metastasis. Combining stem cell index–related differential genes and immune-related differential genes, 30 prognosis-related SC-IRGs were screened via Cox regression analysis. Then, 16 prognosis-related SC-IRGs were screened to construct a LASSO regression model at last. In addition, the model was successfully validated by using TCGA-LUAD and GSE68465, whereas c-index and the calibration curves were utilized to demonstrate the clinical value of our nomogram. Following the validation of the model, GSEA, immune cell correlation, TMB, clinical relevance, etc., have found significant difference in high- and low-risk groups, and 16-gene expression of the SC-IRG model also was tested by RT-PCR. ADRB2, ANGPTL4, BDNF, CBLC, CX3CR1, and IL3RA were found markedly different expression between the tumor and normal group. Conclusion The SC-IRG model and the prognostic nomogram could accurately predict LUAD survival. Our study used mRNAsi combined with immunity that may lay a foundation for the future research studies in LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqing Chen
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Zhan Li, ; Mengqing Chen,
| | - Xue Wang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Wenjun Wang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xuemei Gui
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Zhan Li
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Central Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Combined Injury, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Zhan Li, ; Mengqing Chen,
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12
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Yang T, Liang N, Li J, Hu P, Huang Q, Zhao Z, Wang Q, Zhang H. MDSCs might be "Achilles heel" for eradicating CSCs. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2022; 65:39-50. [PMID: 35595600 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2022.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
During tumor initiation and progression, the complicated role of immune cells in the tumor immune microenvironment remains a concern. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a group of immune cells that originate from the bone marrow and have immunosuppressive potency in various diseases, including cancer. In recent years, the key role of cancer stemness has received increasing attention in cancer development and therapy. Several studies have demonstrated the important regulatory relationship between MDSCs and cancer stem cells (CSCs). However, there is still no clear understanding regarding the complex interacting regulation of tumor malignancy, and current research progress is limited. In this review, we summarize the complicated role of MDSCs in the modulation of cancer stemness, evaluate the mechanism of the relationship between CSCs and MDSCs, and discuss potential strategies for eradicating CSCs with respect to MDSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Yang
- Department of Pain Treatment, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Ning Liang
- Department of General Surgery, The 75th Group Army Hospital, Dali 671000, China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Stomatology, Shaanxi Provincial Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710038, China
| | - Pan Hu
- Department of Anesthesiology, the 920 Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force of Chinese PLA, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Qian Huang
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, The 75th Group Army Hospital, Dali 671000, China
| | - Zifeng Zhao
- Department of Pain Treatment, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of Anorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
| | - Hongxin Zhang
- Department of Pain Treatment, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China; Department of Intervention Therapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Shaanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xianyang 712046, China.
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13
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Ma C, Hu K, Ullah I, Zheng QK, Zhang N, Sun ZG. Molecular Mechanisms Involving the Sonic Hedgehog Pathway in Lung Cancer Therapy: Recent Advances. Front Oncol 2022; 12:729088. [PMID: 35433472 PMCID: PMC9010822 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.729088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the latest statistics from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), lung cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies in the world, accounting for approximately 18% of all cancer-associated deaths. Yet, even with aggressive interventions for advanced lung cancer, the five-year survival rate remains low, at around 15%. The hedgehog signaling pathway is highly conserved during embryonic development and is involved in tissue homeostasis as well as organ development. However, studies have documented an increasing prevalence of aberrant activation of HH signaling in lung cancer patients, promoting malignant lung cancer progression with poor prognostic outcomes. Inhibitors targeting the HH pathway have been widely used in tumor therapy, however, they still cannot avoid the occurrence of drug resistance. Interestingly, natural products, either alone or in combination with chemotherapy, have greatly improved overall survival outcomes for lung cancer patients by acting on the HH signaling pathway because of its unique and excellent pharmacological properties. In this review, we elucidate on the underlying molecular mechanisms through which the HH pathway promotes malignant biological behaviors in lung cancer, as well as the potential of inhibitors or natural compounds in targeting HH signaling for clinical applications in lung cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Ma
- School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Kang Hu
- School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Irfan Ullah
- Department of Surgery, Khyber Medical University Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Qing-Kang Zheng
- School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Breast Center, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
- *Correspondence: Zhi-Gang Sun, ; Nan Zhang,
| | - Zhi-Gang Sun
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
- *Correspondence: Zhi-Gang Sun, ; Nan Zhang,
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14
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Quader S, Tanabe S, Cabral H. Abnormal Glycosylation in Cancer Cells and Cancer Stem Cells as a Therapeutic Target. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1393:141-156. [PMID: 36587306 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-12974-2_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Tumor resistance and recurrence have been associated with the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in tumors. The functions and survival of the CSCs have been associated with several intracellular and extracellular features. Particularly, the abnormal glycosylation of these signaling pathways and markers of CSCs have been correlated with maintaining survival, self-renewal and extravasation properties. Here, we highlight the importance of glycosylation in promoting the stemness character of CSCs and the current strategies for targeting abnormal glycosylation toward generating effective therapies against the CSC population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Quader
- Innovation Center of Nanomedicine (iCONM), Kawasaki Institute of Industrial Promotion, 3-25-14 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-0821, Japan
| | - Shihori Tanabe
- Division of Risk Assessment, Center for Biological Safety and Research, National Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-9501, Japan
| | - Horacio Cabral
- Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan.
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15
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Wang H, Xu H, Cheng Q, Liang C. Identification of a Novel Stem Cell Subtype for Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Based on Stem Cell Gene Profiling. Front Oncol 2021; 11:758989. [PMID: 34912710 PMCID: PMC8667732 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.758989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common subtype of renal cancer and is characterized by high rates of metastasis. Cancer stem cell is a vital cause of renal cancer metastasis and recurrence. However, little is known regarding the change and the roles of stem cells during the development of renal cancer. To clarify this problem, we developed a novel stem cell clustering strategy. Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) genomic datasets, we used 19 stem cell gene sets to classify each dataset. A machine learning method was used to perform the classification. We classified ccRCC into three subtypes-stem cell activated (SC-A), stem cell dormant (SC-D), and stem cell excluded (SC-E)-based on the expressions of stem cell-related genes. Compared with the other subtypes, C2(SC-A) had the highest degree of cancer stem cell concentration, the highest level of immune cell infiltration, a distinct mutation landscape, and the worst prognosis. Moreover, drug sensitivity analysis revealed that subgroup C2(SC-A) had the highest sensitivity to immunotherapy CTLA-4 blockade and the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitor sunitinib. The identification of ccRCC subtypes based on cancer stem cell gene sets demonstrated the heterogeneity of ccRCC and provided a new strategy for its treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongzhi Wang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Institute of Urology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Genitourinary Diseases, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Hanjiang Xu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Institute of Urology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Genitourinary Diseases, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Quan Cheng
- Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chaozhao Liang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Institute of Urology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Genitourinary Diseases, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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16
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Kałafut J, Czerwonka A, Anameriç A, Przybyszewska-Podstawka A, Misiorek JO, Rivero-Müller A, Nees M. Shooting at Moving and Hidden Targets-Tumour Cell Plasticity and the Notch Signalling Pathway in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:6219. [PMID: 34944837 PMCID: PMC8699303 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13246219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) is often aggressive, with poor response to current therapies in approximately 40-50% of the patients. Current therapies are restricted to operation and irradiation, often combined with a small number of standard-of-care chemotherapeutic drugs, preferentially for advanced tumour patients. Only very recently, newer targeted therapies have entered the clinics, including Cetuximab, which targets the EGF receptor (EGFR), and several immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the immune receptor PD-1 and its ligand PD-L1. HNSCC tumour tissues are characterized by a high degree of intra-tumour heterogeneity (ITH), and non-genetic alterations that may affect both non-transformed cells, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and transformed carcinoma cells. This very high degree of heterogeneity likely contributes to acquired drug resistance, tumour dormancy, relapse, and distant or lymph node metastasis. ITH, in turn, is likely promoted by pronounced tumour cell plasticity, which manifests in highly dynamic and reversible phenomena such as of partial or hybrid forms of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and enhanced tumour stemness. Stemness and tumour cell plasticity are strongly promoted by Notch signalling, which remains poorly understood especially in HNSCC. Here, we aim to elucidate how Notch signal may act both as a tumour suppressor and proto-oncogenic, probably during different stages of tumour cell initiation and progression. Notch signalling also interacts with numerous other signalling pathways, that may also have a decisive impact on tumour cell plasticity, acquired radio/chemoresistance, and metastatic progression of HNSCC. We outline the current stage of research related to Notch signalling, and how this pathway may be intricately interconnected with other, druggable targets and signalling mechanisms in HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Kałafut
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, ul. Chodzki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.K.); (A.C.); (A.A.); (A.P.-P.); (A.R.-M.)
| | - Arkadiusz Czerwonka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, ul. Chodzki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.K.); (A.C.); (A.A.); (A.P.-P.); (A.R.-M.)
| | - Alinda Anameriç
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, ul. Chodzki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.K.); (A.C.); (A.A.); (A.P.-P.); (A.R.-M.)
| | - Alicja Przybyszewska-Podstawka
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, ul. Chodzki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.K.); (A.C.); (A.A.); (A.P.-P.); (A.R.-M.)
| | - Julia O. Misiorek
- Department of Molecular Neurooncology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland;
| | - Adolfo Rivero-Müller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, ul. Chodzki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.K.); (A.C.); (A.A.); (A.P.-P.); (A.R.-M.)
| | - Matthias Nees
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, ul. Chodzki 1, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (J.K.); (A.C.); (A.A.); (A.P.-P.); (A.R.-M.)
- Western Finland Cancer Centre (FICAN West), Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, 20101 Turku, Finland
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17
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Wei Y, Papachristou N, Mueller S, Chang WH, Lai AG. Application of ensemble clustering and survival tree analysis for identifying prognostic clinicogenomic features in patients with colorectal cancer from the 100,000 Genomes Project. BMC Res Notes 2021; 14:385. [PMID: 34600575 PMCID: PMC8487486 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-021-05789-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to employ ensemble clustering and tree-based risk model approaches to identify interactions between clinicogenomic features for colorectal cancer using the 100,000 Genomes Project. RESULTS Among the 2211 patients with colorectal cancer (mean age of diagnosis: 67.7; 59.7% male), 16.3%, 36.3%, 39.0% and 8.4% had stage 1, 2, 3 and 4 cancers, respectively. Almost every patient had surgery (99.7%), 47.4% had chemotherapy, 7.6% had radiotherapy and 1.4% had immunotherapy. On average, tumour mutational burden (TMB) was 18 mutations/Mb and 34.4%, 31.3% and 25.7% of patients had structural or copy number mutations in KRAS, BRAF and NRAS, respectively. In the fully adjusted Cox model, patients with advanced cancer [stage 3 hazard ratio (HR) = 3.2; p < 0.001; stage 4 HR = 10.2; p < 0.001] and those who had immunotherapy (HR = 1.8; p < 0.04) or radiotherapy (HR = 1.5; p < 0.02) treatment had a higher risk of dying. The ensemble clustering approach generated four distinct clusters where patients in cluster 2 had the best survival outcomes (1-year: 98.7%; 2-year: 96.7%; 3-year: 93.0%) while patients in cluster 3 (1-year: 87.9; 2-year: 70.0%; 3-year: 53.1%) had the worst outcomes. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log rank test revealed that the clusters were separated into distinct prognostic groups (p < 0.0001). Survival tree or recursive partitioning analyses were performed to further explore risk groups within each cluster. Among patients in cluster 2, for example, interactions between cancer stage, grade, radiotherapy, TMB, BRAF mutation status were identified. Patients with stage 4 cancer and TMB ≥ 1.6 mutations/Mb had 4 times higher risk of dying relative to the baseline hazard in that cluster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuguo Wei
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Stefanie Mueller
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK
| | - Wai Hoong Chang
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alvina G Lai
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK.
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18
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Hypoxia in Lung Cancer Management: A Translational Approach. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13143421. [PMID: 34298636 PMCID: PMC8307602 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13143421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Hypoxia is a common feature of lung cancers. Nonetheless, no guidelines have been established to integrate hypoxia-associated biomarkers in patient management. Here, we discuss the current knowledge and provide translational novel considerations regarding its clinical detection and targeting to improve the outcome of patients with non-small-cell lung carcinoma of all stages. Abstract Lung cancer represents the first cause of death by cancer worldwide and remains a challenging public health issue. Hypoxia, as a relevant biomarker, has raised high expectations for clinical practice. Here, we review clinical and pathological features related to hypoxic lung tumours. Secondly, we expound on the main current techniques to evaluate hypoxic status in NSCLC focusing on positive emission tomography. We present existing alternative experimental approaches such as the examination of circulating markers and highlight the interest in non-invasive markers. Finally, we evaluate the relevance of investigating hypoxia in lung cancer management as a companion biomarker at various lung cancer stages. Hypoxia could support the identification of patients with higher risks of NSCLC. Moreover, the presence of hypoxia in treated tumours could help clinicians predict a worse prognosis for patients with resected NSCLC and may help identify patients who would benefit potentially from adjuvant therapies. Globally, the large quantity of translational data incites experimental and clinical studies to implement the characterisation of hypoxia in clinical NSCLC management.
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19
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Jain CK, Bhargava S, Jain I, Varshney S. Targeting Notch Pathway in Cancer Diagnostics and Therapeutics: An Emerging Approach. Recent Pat Anticancer Drug Discov 2021; 17:244-252. [PMID: 34109915 DOI: 10.2174/1574892816666210607092350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The Notch signaling pathway is an evolutionarily conserved pathway usually present in multicellular organisms, which plays a pivotal role in cell fate determination and proliferation. Due to this property, it is highly oncogenic, especially in the dysregulated version of the Notch pathway, where apoptosis is inhibited, and abnormal cell growth is supported. Notch receptors and ligand proteins play an essential role in cancers, for instance, myeloid leukemia, T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia, and organ-specific, i.e., breast, colon, pancreas, and skin cancers. Any type of cancer generates as a result of genetic defects, including epigenetic alterations as well as mutations. These alterations can be used by the researchers to find a promising diagnostic as well as therapeutic tool for cancer. The successful inhibition of the Notch pathway with the help of specific biomarkers or suppression of gene expression represents a new remedy in the field of cancer research. This article focuses on the various remedies hidden within the Notch pathway's mechanism, primarily based on different patents published in recent years for assisting cancer diagnosis and succeeding treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chakresh Kumar Jain
- Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, A-10, Sector -62 NOIDA Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Shreya Bhargava
- Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, A-10, Sector -62 NOIDA Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Isha Jain
- Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, A-10, Sector -62 NOIDA Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Srishti Varshney
- Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, A-10, Sector -62 NOIDA Uttar Pradesh, India
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20
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Cheng JW, Duan LX, Yu Y, Wang P, Feng JL, Feng GZ, Liu Y. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells promote prostate cancer cell stemness via cell-cell contact to activate the Jagged1/Notch1 pathway. Cell Biosci 2021; 11:87. [PMID: 34001269 PMCID: PMC8130143 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-021-00599-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) play a crucial role in cancer development and tumor resistance to therapy in prostate cancer, but the influence of MSCs on the stemness potential of PCa cells by cell–cell contact remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of direct contact of PCa cells with MSCs on the stemness of PCa and its mechanisms. Methods First, the flow cytometry, colony formation, and sphere formation were performed to determine the stemness of PCaMSCs, and the expression of stemness-related molecules (Sox2, Oct4, and Nanog) was investigated by western blot analysis. Then, we used western blot and qPCR to determine the activity levels of two candidate pathways and their downstream stemness-associated pathway. Finally, we verified the role of the significantly changed pathway by assessing the key factors in this pathway via in vitro and in vivo experiments. Results We established that MSCs promoted the stemness of PCa cells by cell–cell contact. We here established that the enhanced stemness of PCaMSCs was independent of the CCL5/CCR5 pathway. We also found that PCaMSCs up-regulated the expression of Notch signaling-related genes, and inhibition of Jagged1-Notch1 signaling in PCaMSCs cells significantly inhibited MSCs-induced stemness and tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions Our results reveal a novel interaction between MSCs and PCa cells in promoting tumorigenesis through activation of the Jagged1/Notch1 pathway, providing a new therapeutic target for the treatment of PCa. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13578-021-00599-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Wen Cheng
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Li-Xia Duan
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.,The Fifth Department of Chemotherapy, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Hedi road 71, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
| | - Yang Yu
- Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Pu Wang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Jia-le Feng
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Guan-Zheng Feng
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China. .,The Fifth Department of Chemotherapy, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Hedi road 71, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
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21
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Khan T, Cabral H. Abnormal Glycosylation of Cancer Stem Cells and Targeting Strategies. Front Oncol 2021; 11:649338. [PMID: 33889547 PMCID: PMC8056457 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.649338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cell (CSCs) are deemed as one of the main reasons of tumor relapse due to their resistance to standard therapies. Numerous intracellular signaling pathways along with extracellular features are crucial in regulating CSCs properties, such as heterogeneity, plasticity and differentiation. Aberrant glycosylation of these cellular signaling pathways and markers of CSCs have been directly correlated with maintaining survival, self-renewal and extravasation properties. In this review, we highlight the importance of glycosylation in promoting stemness character of CSCs, and present strategies for targeting abnormal glycosylation to eliminate the resistant CSC population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Horacio Cabral
- Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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22
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Wang B, Zhong JL, Li HZ, Wu B, Sun DF, Jiang N, Shang J, Chen YF, Xu XH, Lu HD. Diagnostic and therapeutic values of PMEPA1 and its correlation with tumor immunity in pan-cancer. Life Sci 2021; 277:119452. [PMID: 33831430 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
AIMS The prostate transmembrane protein, androgen induced 1 (PMEPA1) is differentially expressed in pan-cancer. However, PMEPA1 specific role in cancers has not been fully clarified. This study aims to explore the potential role of Pmepa1 in pan-cancer and specific cancer, with a view to deepening the research on the pathological mechanism of cancer. MAIN METHODS The Perl language and R language were used to identify the correlation between PMEPA1 expression level and clinical indicators, prognosis values, tumor microenvironment, immune cells' infiltration, immune checkpoint genes, TMB and MSI. The Therapeutic Target Database was used for identifying potential therapeutic drugs that target the pathways that are significantly affected by PMEPA1 expression. KEY FINDINGS PMEPA1 differential expression significantly correlated with patients' age, race, tumors' stage and status. PMEPA1 high expression was closely correlated with poor prognosis in many cancer types, excluding prostate adenocarcinoma. PMEPA1 expression was closely related to tumor cells and the immune microenvironment in stromal and immune cells' level, immune cells' infiltration, immune checkpoint genes, tumor mutational burden and microsatellite instability. We also found that the activity of the olfactory transduction pathway was closely related to PMEPA1 expression. In pan-cancer, Trifluoperazine and Halofantrine have the potential to reduce PMEPA1 expression. SIGNIFICANCE This study integrated existing data to explore PMEPA1 potential function in cancers, provided insights for the future cancer-related studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Wang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Jun-Long Zhong
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Hui-Zi Li
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Biao Wu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Di-Fang Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, Guangdong, China
| | - Ning Jiang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Jie Shang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Yu-Feng Chen
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiang-He Xu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519000, Guangdong, China.
| | - Hua-Ding Lu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519000, Guangdong, China.
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Murugesan M, Premkumar K. Systemic Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals Amplified P4HA1 Gene Associated With Prognostic and Hypoxic Regulation in Breast Cancer. Front Genet 2021; 12:632626. [PMID: 33692831 PMCID: PMC7937963 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.632626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is a common malignant tumor in females around the world. While multimodality therapies exist, the mortality rate remains high. The hypoxic condition was one of the potent determinants in BC progression. The molecular mechanisms underpinning hypoxia and their association with BC can contribute to a better understanding of tailored therapies. In this study, two hypoxic induced BC transcriptomic cohorts (GSE27813 and GSE47533) were assessed from the GEO database. The P4HA1 gene was identified as a putative candidate and significantly regulated in hypoxic BC cells compared to normal BC cells at different time intervals (6 h, 9 h, 16 h, 32 h, and 48 h). In patients with Luminal (p < 1E-12), triple-negative subclasses (p = 1.35059E-10), Stage 1 (p = 8.8817E-16), lymph node N1 (p = 1.62436E-12), and in the 40–80 age group (p = 1.62447E-12), the expression of P4HA1 was closely associated with the clinical subtypes of BC. Furthermore, at the 10q22.1 chromosomal band, the P4HA1 gene displayed a high copy number elevation and was associated with a poor clinical regimen with overall survival, relapse-free survival, and distant metastases-free survival in BC patients. In addition, using BioGRID, the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was built and the cellular metabolic processes, and hedgehog pathways are functionally enriched with GO and KEGG terms. This tentative result provides insight into the molecular function of the P4HA1 gene, which is likely to promote hypoxic-mediated carcinogenesis, which may favor early detection of BC and therapeutic stratification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manikandan Murugesan
- Department of Biomedical Science, School of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India
| | - Kumpati Premkumar
- Department of Biomedical Science, School of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India
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Emami Nejad A, Najafgholian S, Rostami A, Sistani A, Shojaeifar S, Esparvarinha M, Nedaeinia R, Haghjooy Javanmard S, Taherian M, Ahmadlou M, Salehi R, Sadeghi B, Manian M. The role of hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment and development of cancer stem cell: a novel approach to developing treatment. Cancer Cell Int 2021; 21:62. [PMID: 33472628 PMCID: PMC7816485 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-020-01719-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 272] [Impact Index Per Article: 90.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia is a common feature of solid tumors, and develops because of the rapid growth of the tumor that outstrips the oxygen supply, and impaired blood flow due to the formation of abnormal blood vessels supplying the tumor. It has been reported that tumor hypoxia can: activate angiogenesis, thereby enhancing invasiveness and risk of metastasis; increase survival of tumor, as well as suppress anti-tumor immunity and hamper the therapeutic response. Hypoxia mediates these effects by several potential mechanisms: altering gene expression, the activation of oncogenes, inactivation of suppressor genes, reducing genomic stability and clonal selection. We have reviewed the effects of hypoxia on tumor biology and the possible strategiesto manage the hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME), highlighting the potential use of cancer stem cells in tumor treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asieh Emami Nejad
- Department of Biology, Payame Noor University (PNU), P.O.Box 19395-3697, Tehran, Iran
| | - Simin Najafgholian
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine , Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Alireza Rostami
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine Amiralmomenin Hospital, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Alireza Sistani
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine Valiasr Hospital, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Samaneh Shojaeifar
- Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery , Arak University of Medical Sciences , Arak, Iran
| | - Mojgan Esparvarinha
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine , Tabriz University of Medical Sciences , Tabriz, Iran
| | - Reza Nedaeinia
- Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease , Isfahan University of Medical Sciences , Isfahan, Iran
| | - Shaghayegh Haghjooy Javanmard
- Applied Physiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences , Isfahan, Iran
| | - Marjan Taherian
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Ahmadlou
- Sciences Medical of University Arak, Hospital Amiralmomenin, Center Development Research Clinical, Arak, Iran
| | - Rasoul Salehi
- Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease , Isfahan University of Medical Sciences , Isfahan, Iran.,Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine , Isfahan University of Medical Sciences , Isfahan, Iran
| | - Bahman Sadeghi
- Department of Health and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, 3848176341, Iran.
| | - Mostafa Manian
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. .,Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Medical Science Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Imam Khomeini Campus, Farhikhtegan Bld., Shahid J'afari St., Kermanshah, 3848176341, Iran.
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25
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Context Matters: NOTCH Signatures and Pathway in Cancer Progression and Metastasis. Cells 2021; 10:cells10010094. [PMID: 33430387 PMCID: PMC7827494 DOI: 10.3390/cells10010094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The Notch signaling pathway is a critical player in embryogenesis but also plays various roles in tumorigenesis, with both tumor suppressor and oncogenic activities. Mutations, deletions, amplifications, or over-expression of Notch receptors, ligands, and a growing list of downstream Notch-activated genes have by now been described for most human cancer types. Yet, it often remains unclear what may be the functional impact of these changes for tumor biology, initiation, and progression, for cancer therapy, and for personalized medicine. Emerging data indicate that Notch signaling can also contribute to increased aggressive properties such as invasion, tumor heterogeneity, angiogenesis, or tumor cell dormancy within solid cancer tissues; especially in epithelial cancers, which are in the center of this review. Notch further supports the “stemness” of cancer cells and helps define the stem cell niche for their long-term survival, by integrating the interaction between cancer cells and the cells of the tumor microenvironment (TME). The complexity of Notch crosstalk with other signaling pathways and its roles in cell fate and trans-differentiation processes such as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) point to this pathway as a decisive player that may tip the balance between tumor suppression and promotion, differentiation and invasion. Here we not only review the literature, but also explore genomic databases with a specific focus on Notch signatures, and how they relate to different stages in tumor development. Altered Notch signaling hereby plays a key role for tumor cell survival and coping with a broad spectrum of vital issues, contributing to failed therapies, poor patient outcome, and loss of lives.
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26
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Wan J, Guo AA, King P, Guo S, Saafir T, Jiang Y, Liu M. TRPM7 Induces Tumorigenesis and Stemness Through Notch Activation in Glioma. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:590723. [PMID: 33381038 PMCID: PMC7768084 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.590723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
We have reported that transient receptor potential melastatin-related 7 (TRPM7) regulates glioma stem cells (GSC) growth and proliferation through Notch, STAT3-ALDH1, and CD133 signaling pathways. In this study, we determined the major contributor(s) to TRPM7 mediated glioma stemness by further deciphering each individual Notch signaling. We first determined whether TRPM7 is an oncotarget in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) using the Oncomine database. Next, we determined whether TRPM7 silencing by siRNA TRPM7 (siTRPM7) induces cell growth arrest or apoptosis to reduce glioma cell proliferation using cell cycle analysis and annexin V staining assay. We then examined the correlations between the expression of TRPM7 and Notch signaling activity as well as the expression of GSC markers CD133 and ALDH1 in GBM by downregulating TRPM7 through siTRPM7 or upregulating TRPM7 through overexpression of human TRPM7 (M7-wt). To distinguish the different function of channel and kinase domain of TRPM7, we further determined how the α-kinase-dead mutants of TRPM7 (α-kinase domain deleted/M7-DK and K1648R point mutation/M7-KR) affect Notch activities and CD133 and ALDH1 expression. Lastly, we determined the changes in TRPM7-mediated regulation of glioma cell growth/proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis by targeting Notch1. The Oncomine data revealed a significant increase in TRPM7 mRNA expression in anaplastic astrocytoma, diffuse astrocytoma, and GBM patients compared to that in normal brain tissues. TRPM7 silencing reduced glioma cell growth by inhibiting cell entry into S and G2/M phases and promoting cell apoptosis. TRPM7 expression in GBM cells was found to be positively correlated with Notch1 signaling activity and CD133 and ALDH1 expression; briefly, downregulation of TRPM7 by siTRPM7 decreased Notch1 signaling whereas upregulation of TRPM7 increased Notch1 signaling. Interestingly, kinase-inactive mutants (M7-DK and M7-KR) resulted in reduced activation of Notch1 signaling and decreased expression of CD133 and ALDH1 compared to that of wtTRPM7. Finally, targeting Notch1 effectively suppressed TRPM7-induced growth and proliferation of glioma cells through cell G1/S arrest and apoptotic induction. TRPM7 is responsible for sustained Notch1 signaling activation, enhanced expression of GSC markers CD133 and ALDH1, and regulation of glioma stemness, which contributes to malignant glioma cell growth and invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwei Wan
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States,Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Alyssa Aihui Guo
- University of South Carolina SOM Greenville, Greenville, SC, United States
| | - Pendelton King
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Shanchun Guo
- Department of Chemistry, Xavier University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Talib Saafir
- Neuroscience Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Yugang Jiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Mingli Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States,*Correspondence: Mingli Liu,
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Feng L, Wang K, Tang P, Chen S, Liu T, Lei J, Yuan R, Hu Z, Li W, Yu X. Deubiquitinase USP18 promotes the progression of pancreatic cancer via enhancing the Notch1-c-Myc axis. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:19273-19292. [PMID: 33051403 PMCID: PMC7732327 DOI: 10.18632/aging.103760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The dysregulation of deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), which regulate the stability of most cellular proteins, has been implicated in many human diseases, including cancers. Thus, DUBs can be considered potential therapeutic targets for many cancers. However, the role of deubiquitinase ubiquitin-specific protease 18 (USP18) in pancreatic cancer remains unknown. Here, we found that the deubiquitinase ubiquitin-specific protease 18 (USP18) is significantly upregulated in pancreatic cancer and is correlated with a shorter median overall and relapse-free survival. A functional assay demonstrated that overexpression of USP18 resulted in increased proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells. Conversely, these phenomena were reversed after USP18 was silenced in pancreatic cancer cells. Further investigation revealed that USP18 promoted cell progression by increasing c-Myc expression, which has been reported to control pancreatic cancer progression, and our data demonstrated that c-Myc is key for USP18-mediated pancreatic cancer cell progression in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we found that USP18 promoted pancreatic cancer progression via upregulation of Notch-1-dependent c-Myc. Mechanistically, USP18 interacts with and removes K48-linked ubiquitin chains from Notch1, thereby stabilizing Notch1 and promoting the Notch1-c-Myc pathway. Our work identifies and validates USP18 as a pancreatic cancer oncogene and provides a potential druggable target for this intractable disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Feng
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Division, Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Ping Tang
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Division, Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China,Department of General Surgery, Hunan Youxian People's Hospital, Youxian, China
| | - Suyun Chen
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Tiande Liu
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Division, Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jun Lei
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Division, Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Rongfa Yuan
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Division, Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Zhigang Hu
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Division, Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Wen Li
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Division, Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xin Yu
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Division, Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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28
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Yao H, Sun L, Li J, Zhou X, Li R, Shao R, Zhang Y, Li L. A Novel Therapeutic siRNA Nanoparticle Designed for Dual-Targeting CD44 and Gli1 of Gastric Cancer Stem Cells. Int J Nanomedicine 2020; 15:7013-7034. [PMID: 33061365 PMCID: PMC7522319 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s260163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Gastric cancer stem cells (CSCs) are important for the initiation, growth, recurrence, and metastasis of gastric cancer, due to their chemo-resistance and indefinite proliferation. Herein, to eliminate gastric CSCs, we developed novel CSC-targeting glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (Gli1) small interfering RNA (siRNA) nanoparticles that are specifically guided by a di-stearoyl-phosphatidyl-ethanolamine- hyaluronic-acid (DSPE-HA) single-point conjugate, as an intrinsic ligand of the CD44 receptor. We refer to these as targeting Gli1 siRNA nanoparticles. Methods We used the reductive amination reaction method for attaching amine groups of DSPE to aldehydic group of hyaluronic acid (HA) at the reducing end, to synthesize the DSPE-HA single-point conjugate. Next, targeting Gli1 siRNA nanoparticles were prepared using the layer-by-layer assembly method. We characterized the stem cellular features of targeting Gli1 siRNA nanoparticles, including their targeting efficiency, self-renewal capacity, the migration and invasion capacity of gastric CSCs, and the penetration ability of 3D tumor spheroids. Next, we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of the targeting Gli1 siRNA nanoparticles by using in vivo relapsed tumor models of gastric CSCs. Results Compared with the multipoint conjugates, DSPE-HA single-point conjugates on the surface of nanoparticles showed significantly higher binding affinities with CD44. The targeting Gli1 siRNA nanoparticles significantly decreased Gli1 protein expression, inhibited CSC tumor spheroid and colony formation, and suppressed cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, in vivo imaging demonstrated that targeting Gli1 siRNA nanoparticles accumulated in tumor tissues, showing significant antitumor recurrence efficacy in vivo. Conclusion In summary, our targeting Gli1 siRNA nanoparticles significantly inhibited CSC malignancy features by specifically blocking Hedgehog (Hh) signaling both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that this novel siRNA delivery system that specifically eliminates gastric CSCs provides a promising targeted therapeutic strategy for gastric cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjuan Yao
- Key Laboratory of Antibiotic Bioengineering of National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology (IMB), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Lan Sun
- Key Laboratory of Nanopharmacology and Nanotoxicology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingcao Li
- Key Laboratory of Nanopharmacology and Nanotoxicology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaofei Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Antibiotic Bioengineering of National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology (IMB), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Rui Li
- Key Laboratory of Antibiotic Bioengineering of National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology (IMB), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Rongguang Shao
- Key Laboratory of Antibiotic Bioengineering of National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology (IMB), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingge Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Nanopharmacology and Nanotoxicology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, People's Republic of China
| | - Liang Li
- Key Laboratory of Antibiotic Bioengineering of National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology (IMB), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Beijing 100050, People's Republic of China
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Chang WH, Lai AG. An integrative pan-cancer investigation reveals common genetic and transcriptional alterations of AMPK pathway genes as important predictors of clinical outcomes across major cancer types. BMC Cancer 2020; 20:773. [PMID: 32807122 PMCID: PMC7433212 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-020-07286-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an evolutionarily conserved regulator of cellular energy homeostasis. As a nexus for transducing metabolic signals, AMPK cooperates with other energy-sensing pathways to modulate cellular responses to metabolic stressors. With metabolic reprogramming being a hallmark of cancer, the utility of agents targeting AMPK has received continued scrutiny and results have demonstrated conflicting effects of AMPK activation in tumorigenesis. Harnessing multi-omics datasets from human tumors, we seek to evaluate the seemingly pleiotropic, tissue-specific dependencies of AMPK signaling dysregulation. METHODS We interrogated copy number variation and differential transcript expression of 92 AMPK pathway genes across 21 diverse cancers involving over 18,000 patients. Cox proportional hazards regression and receiver operating characteristic analyses were used to evaluate the prognostic significance of AMPK dysregulation on patient outcomes. RESULTS A total of 24 and seven AMPK pathway genes were identified as having loss- or gain-of-function features. These genes exhibited tissue-type dependencies, where survival outcomes in glioma patients were most influenced by AMPK inactivation. Cox regression and log-rank tests revealed that the 24-AMPK-gene set could successfully stratify patients into high- and low-risk groups in glioma, sarcoma, breast and stomach cancers. The 24-AMPK-gene set could not only discriminate tumor from non-tumor samples, as confirmed by multidimensional scaling analyses, but is also independent of tumor, node and metastasis staging. AMPK inactivation is accompanied by the activation of multiple oncogenic pathways associated with cell adhesion, calcium signaling and extracellular matrix organization. Anomalous AMPK signaling converged on similar groups of transcriptional targets where a common set of transcription factors were identified to regulate these targets. We also demonstrated crosstalk between pro-catabolic AMPK signaling and two pro-anabolic pathways, mammalian target of rapamycin and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, where they act synergistically to influence tumor progression significantly. CONCLUSION Genetic and transcriptional aberrations in AMPK signaling have tissue-dependent pro- or anti-tumor impacts. Pan-cancer investigations on molecular changes of this pathway could uncover novel therapeutic targets and support risk stratification of patients in prospective trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wai Hoong Chang
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, 222 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DA, UK
| | - Alvina G Lai
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, 222 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DA, UK.
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30
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Ghahremani H, Nabati S, Tahmori H, Peirouvi T, Sirati-Sabet M, Salami S. Long-Term Glucose Restriction with or without β-Hydroxybutyrate Enrichment Distinctively Alters Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition-Related Signalings in Ovarian Cancer Cells. Nutr Cancer 2020; 73:1708-1726. [PMID: 32799692 DOI: 10.1080/01635581.2020.1804947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The beneficial impacts of the ketogenic diet and metabolic reprograming were recently reported for ovarian cancer patients. In this study, the effects of glucose restriction with or without beta-hydroxybutyrate (bHB) enrichment were studied in drug-resistant CD133high A2780CP and CD133low SK-OV-3 ovarian cancer cells to scrutinize the impact of experimental ketosis on ATP production, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), and related signaling pathways including Wnt, Hippo, and Hedgehog. Cells were adapted and maintained for a month with restricted levels of glucose (250 mg/l) with or without the therapeutic concentration of bHB (5 mM). Quantitative PCR, Western blot analysis, flow cytometry, chemiluminescence, and wound healing assay were used in this study. Glucose restriction and bHB enrichment reduced the stemness marker and diminished In Vitro migration in both cell lines. Glucose restriction significantly reduced ATP levels in both cells, but bHB enrichment was partially compensated for the ATP levels solely in SK-OV-3 cells. Glucose restriction mainly inhibited the Wnt pathway in the CD133high A2780CP cells, but the Hedgehog pathway was the main target in CD133low SK-OV-3 cells. In Conclusion, Prior targeted evaluations of key genes' expression would help to predict the distinctive impacts of metabolic fuels and to optimize the efficacy of ketogenic diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Ghahremani
- Cell Death and Differentiation Signaling Research Lab, Clinical Biochemistry Department, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeedeh Nabati
- Cell Death and Differentiation Signaling Research Lab, Clinical Biochemistry Department, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hanieh Tahmori
- Cell Death and Differentiation Signaling Research Lab, Clinical Biochemistry Department, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tahmineh Peirouvi
- Departments of Histology, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Majid Sirati-Sabet
- Cell Death and Differentiation Signaling Research Lab, Clinical Biochemistry Department, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Siamak Salami
- Cell Death and Differentiation Signaling Research Lab, Clinical Biochemistry Department, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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31
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Vieira de Castro J, Gonçalves CS, Hormigo A, Costa BM. Exploiting the Complexities of Glioblastoma Stem Cells: Insights for Cancer Initiation and Therapeutic Targeting. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21155278. [PMID: 32722427 PMCID: PMC7432229 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) in the 2000s revolutionized the cancer research field, raising new questions regarding the putative cell(s) of origin of this tumor type, and partly explaining the highly heterogeneous nature of glioblastoma (GBM). Increasing evidence has suggested that GSCs play critical roles in tumor initiation, progression, and resistance to conventional therapies. The remarkable oncogenic features of GSCs have generated significant interest in better defining and characterizing these cells and determining novel pathways driving GBM that could constitute attractive key therapeutic targets. While exciting breakthroughs have been achieved in the field, the characterization of GSCs is a challenge and the cell of origin of GBM remains controversial. For example, the use of several cell-surface molecular markers to identify and isolate GSCs has been a challenge. It is now widely accepted that none of these markers is, per se, sufficiently robust to distinguish GSCs from normal stem cells. Finding new strategies that are able to more efficiently and specifically target these niches could also prove invaluable against this devastating and therapy-insensitive tumor. In this review paper, we summarize the most relevant findings and discuss emerging concepts and open questions in the field of GSCs, some of which are, to some extent, pertinent to other cancer stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Vieira de Castro
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (J.V.d.C.); (C.S.G.)
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4710-057 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Céline S. Gonçalves
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (J.V.d.C.); (C.S.G.)
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4710-057 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Adília Hormigo
- Department of Neurology, Neurosurgery, Medicine, The Tisch Cancer Institute and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY 10029-6574, USA;
| | - Bruno M. Costa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (J.V.d.C.); (C.S.G.)
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4710-057 Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +35-1-253-604-872
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Hii LW, Chung FFL, Mai CW, Yee ZY, Chan HH, Raja VJ, Dephoure NE, Pyne NJ, Pyne S, Leong CO. Sphingosine Kinase 1 Regulates the Survival of Breast Cancer Stem Cells and Non-stem Breast Cancer Cells by Suppression of STAT1. Cells 2020; 9:E886. [PMID: 32260399 PMCID: PMC7226795 DOI: 10.3390/cells9040886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent rare tumor cell populations capable of self-renewal, differentiation, and tumor initiation and are highly resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Thus, therapeutic approaches that can effectively target CSCs and tumor cells could be the key to efficient tumor treatment. In this study, we explored the function of SPHK1 in breast CSCs and non-CSCs. We showed that RNAi-mediated knockdown of SPHK1 inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in both breast CSCs and non-CSCs, while ectopic expression of SPHK1 enhanced breast CSC survival and mammosphere forming efficiency. We identified STAT1 and IFN signaling as key regulatory targets of SPHK1 and demonstrated that an important mechanism by which SPHK1 promotes cancer cell survival is through the suppression of STAT1. We further demonstrated that SPHK1 inhibitors, FTY720 and PF543, synergized with doxorubicin in targeting both breast CSCs and non-CSCs. In conclusion, we provide important evidence that SPHK1 is a key regulator of cell survival and proliferation in breast CSCs and non-CSCs and is an attractive target for the design of future therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Wei Hii
- Centre for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia; (L.-W.H.); (C.W.M.); (Z.Y.Y.); (H.H.C.)
- School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
- School of Postgraduate Studies, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
| | - Felicia Fei-Lei Chung
- Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis Section (MCA), Epigenetics Group (EGE) International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, 69372 Lyon, France;
| | - Chun Wai Mai
- Centre for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia; (L.-W.H.); (C.W.M.); (Z.Y.Y.); (H.H.C.)
- School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
| | - Zong Yang Yee
- Centre for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia; (L.-W.H.); (C.W.M.); (Z.Y.Y.); (H.H.C.)
- School of Postgraduate Studies, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
| | - Hong Hao Chan
- Centre for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia; (L.-W.H.); (C.W.M.); (Z.Y.Y.); (H.H.C.)
- School of Postgraduate Studies, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
| | - Vijay Joseph Raja
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10021, USA; (V.J.R.); (N.E.D.)
| | - Noah Elias Dephoure
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10021, USA; (V.J.R.); (N.E.D.)
| | - Nigel J. Pyne
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, Scotland, UK; (N.J.P.); (S.P.)
| | - Susan Pyne
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0RE, Scotland, UK; (N.J.P.); (S.P.)
| | - Chee-Onn Leong
- Centre for Cancer and Stem Cell Research, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia; (L.-W.H.); (C.W.M.); (Z.Y.Y.); (H.H.C.)
- School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia
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Chang WH, Lai AG. An immunoevasive strategy through clinically-relevant pan-cancer genomic and transcriptomic alterations of JAK-STAT signaling components. Mol Med 2019; 25:46. [PMID: 31684858 PMCID: PMC6829980 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-019-0114-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since its discovery almost three decades ago, the Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway has paved the road for understanding inflammatory and immunity processes related to a wide range of human pathologies including cancer. Several studies have demonstrated the importance of JAK-STAT pathway components in regulating tumor initiation and metastatic progression, yet, the extent of how genetic alterations influence patient outcome is far from being understood. METHODS Focusing on 133 genes involved in JAK-STAT signaling, we investigated genomic, transcriptomic and clinical profiles of over 18,000 patients representing 21 diverse cancer types. We identified a core set of 28 putative gain- or loss-of-function JAK-STAT genes that correlated with survival outcomes using Cox proportional hazards regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses. Differential expression analyses between high- and low-expressing patient groups were performed to evaluate the consequences of JAK-STAT misexpression. RESULTS We found that copy number alterations underpinning transcriptional dysregulation of JAK-STAT pathway genes differ within and between cancer types. Integrated analyses uniting genomic and transcriptomic datasets revealed a core set of JAK-STAT pathway genes that correlated with survival outcomes in brain, renal, lung and endometrial cancers. High JAK-STAT scores were associated with increased mortality rates in brain and renal cancers, but not in lung and endometrial cancers where hyperactive JAK-STAT signaling is a positive prognostic factor. Patients with aberrant JAK-STAT signaling demonstrated pan-cancer molecular features associated with misexpression of genes in other oncogenic pathways (Wnt, MAPK, TGF-β, PPAR and VEGF). Brain and renal tumors with hyperactive JAK-STAT signaling had increased regulatory T cell gene (Treg) expression. A combined model uniting JAK-STAT and Tregs allowed further delineation of risk groups where patients with high JAK-STAT and Treg scores consistently performed the worst. CONCLUSION Providing a pan-cancer perspective of clinically-relevant JAK-STAT alterations, this study could serve as a framework for future research investigating anti-tumor immunity using combination therapy involving JAK-STAT and immune checkpoint inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wai Hoong Chang
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, 222 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DA, UK
| | - Alvina G Lai
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, 222 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DA, UK.
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