1
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Balaji N, Kukal S, Bhat A, Pradhan N, Minocha S, Kumar S. A quartet of cancer stem cell niches in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2024; 79:39-51. [PMID: 39217065 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2024.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), the most prevalent type of primary liver cancer, is known for its aggressive behavior and poor prognosis. The Cancer Stem Cell theory, which postulates the presence of a small population of self-renewing cells called Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs), provides insights into various clinical and molecular features of HCC such as tumor heterogeneity, metabolic adaptability, therapy resistance, and recurrence. These CSCs are nurtured in the tumor microenvironment (TME), where a mix of internal and external factors creates a tumor-supportive niche that is continuously evolving both spatially and temporally, thus enhancing the tumor's complexity. This review details the origins of hepatic CSCs (HCSCs) and the factors influencing their stem-like qualities. It highlights the reciprocal crosstalk between HCSCs and the TME (hypoxic, vascular, invasive, and immune niches), exploring the signaling pathways involved and how these interactions control the malignant traits of CSCs. Additionally, it discusses potential therapeutic approaches targeting the HCSC niche and their possible uses in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Balaji
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, 110016, India
| | - Samiksha Kukal
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, 110016, India
| | - Anjali Bhat
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, 110016, India
| | - Nikita Pradhan
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, 110016, India
| | - Shilpi Minocha
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, 110016, India.
| | - Saran Kumar
- Kusuma School of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, 110016, India.
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2
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Cheon I, Kim M, Kim KH, Ko S. Hepatic Nuclear Receptors in Cholestasis-to-Cholangiocarcinoma Pathology. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2024:S0002-9440(24)00358-4. [PMID: 39326734 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2024.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024]
Abstract
Cholestasis, characterized by impaired bile flow, is associated with an increased risk of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a malignancy originating from the biliary epithelium and hepatocytes. Hepatic nuclear receptors (NRs) are pivotal in regulating bile acid and metabolic homeostasis, and their dysregulation is implicated in cholestatic liver diseases and the progression of liver cancer. This review elucidates the role of various hepatic NRs in the pathogenesis of cholestasis-to-CCA progression. We explore their impact on bile acid metabolism as well as their interactions with other signaling pathways implicated in CCA development. Additionally, we introduce available murine models of cholestasis/primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) leading to CCA and discuss the clinical potential of targeting hepatic NRs as a promising approach for the prevention and treatment of cholestatic liver diseases and CCA. Understanding the complex interplay between hepatic NRs and cholestasis-to-CCA pathology holds promise for the development of novel preventive and therapeutic strategies for this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inyoung Cheon
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine and Center for Perioperative Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030; Department of Molecular Medicine and Inflammation-Cancer Microenvironment Research Center, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 07804, Korea
| | - Minwook Kim
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
| | - Kang Ho Kim
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine and Center for Perioperative Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030.
| | - Sungjin Ko
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261; Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261.
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3
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Nasir NJM, Chuah S, Shuen T, Prawira A, Ba R, Lim MC, Chua J, Nguyen PHD, Lim CJ, Wasser M, Hazirah SN, Lim TKH, Leow WQ, Loh TJ, Wan WK, Pang YH, Soon G, Cheow PC, Kam JH, Iyer S, Kow A, Dan YY, Bonney GK, Chung A, Goh BKP, Chow PKH, Albani S, Zhai W, Ouyang JF, Toh HC, Chew V. GATA4 downregulation enhances CCL20-mediated immunosuppression in hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatol Commun 2024; 8:e0508. [PMID: 39167427 PMCID: PMC11340929 DOI: 10.1097/hc9.0000000000000508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a deadly cancer with a high global mortality rate, and the downregulation of GATA binding protein 4 (GATA4) has been implicated in HCC progression. In this study, we investigated the role of GATA4 in shaping the immune landscape of HCC. METHODS HCC tumor samples were classified into "low" or "normal/high" based on GATA4 RNA expression relative to adjacent non-tumor liver tissues. The immune landscapes of GATA4-low and GATA4-normal/high tumors were analyzed using cytometry by time-of-flight, bulk/spatial transcriptomic analyses and validated by multiplex immunofluorescence. RESULTS GATA4-low tumors displayed enrichment in exhausted programmed cell death protein 1+ T cells, immunosuppressive regulatory T cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and macrophages, highlighting the impact of GATA4 downregulation on immunosuppression. Spatial and bulk transcriptomic analyses revealed a negative correlation between GATA4 and C-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 20 (CCL20) expression in HCC. Overexpressing GATA4 confirmed CCL20 as a downstream target, contributing to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, as evidenced by increased regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in CCL20-high tumors. Lastly, the reduced expression of GATA4 and higher expression of CCL20 were associated with poorer overall survival in patients with HCC, implicating their roles in tumor progression. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals that GATA4 downregulation contributes to an immunosuppressive microenvironment, driven by CCL20-mediated enrichment of regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in HCC. These findings underscore the critical role of GATA4 reduction in promoting immunosuppression and HCC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. Jannah M. Nasir
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Samuel Chuah
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore
| | - Timothy Shuen
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Aldo Prawira
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore
| | - Rebecca Ba
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mei Chee Lim
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Joelle Chua
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Phuong H. D. Nguyen
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore
| | - Chun J. Lim
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore
| | - Martin Wasser
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore
| | - Sharifah N. Hazirah
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore
| | - Tony K. H. Lim
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
| | - Wei Qiang Leow
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
| | - Tracy Jiezhen Loh
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
| | - Wei Keat Wan
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
| | - Yin Huei Pang
- Department of Pathology, National University Hospital, Singapore
| | - Gwyneth Soon
- Department of Pathology, National University Hospital, Singapore
| | - Peng Chung Cheow
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Juinn Huar Kam
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shridhar Iyer
- Department of Surgery, Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, University Surgical Cluster, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Alfred Kow
- Department of Surgery, Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, University Surgical Cluster, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Yock Young Dan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, National University Hospital, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Glenn K. Bonney
- Department of Surgery, Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, University Surgical Cluster, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Alexander Chung
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Brian K. P. Goh
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pierce K. H. Chow
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
- Program in Clinical and Translational Liver Cancer Research, Division of Medical Science, National Cancer Centre, Singapore
| | - Salvatore Albani
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore
| | - Weiwei Zhai
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunan, China
| | | | - Han Chong Toh
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | - Valerie Chew
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
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Testa U. Recent developments in molecular targeted therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma in the genomic era. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2024; 24:803-827. [PMID: 39194003 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2024.2392278] [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: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 08/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Primary liver cancer is a major health problem being the sixth most frequent cancer in the world and the third cause of cancer-related death in the world. The most common histological type of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, 75-80%). AREAS COVERED Based on primary literature, this review provides an updated analysis of studies of genetic characterization of HCC at the level of gene mutation profiling, copy number alterations, and gene expression, with the definition of molecular subgroups and the identification of some molecular biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Recent therapeutic developments are also highlighted. EXPERT OPINION Deepening the understanding of the molecular complexity of HCC is progressively paving the way for the development of more personalized treatment approaches. Two important strategies involve the definition and validation of molecularly defined therapeutic targets in a subset of HCC patients and the identification of suitable biomarkers for approved systematic therapies (multikinase inhibitors and immunotherapies). The extensive molecular characterization of patients at the genomic and transcriptomic levels and the inclusion of detailed and relevant translational studies in clinical trials will represent a fundamental tool for improving the benefit of systemic therapies in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugo Testa
- Department of Oncology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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Akbulut S, Kucukakcali Z, Sahin TT, Colak C, Yilmaz S. Role of Epigenetic Factors in Determining the Biological Behavior and Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Diagnostics (Basel) 2024; 14:1925. [PMID: 39272711 PMCID: PMC11394249 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14171925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2024] [Revised: 08/23/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The current study's objective is to evaluate the molecular genetic mechanisms influencing the biological behavior of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by analyzing the transcriptomic and epigenetic signatures of the tumors. METHODS Transcriptomic data were downloaded from the NCBI GEO database. We investigated the expression differences between the GSE46444 (48 cirrhotic tissues versus 88 HCC tissues) and GSE63898 (168 cirrhotic tissues versus 228 HCC tissues) data sets using GEO2R. Differentially expressed genes were evaluated using GO and KEGG metabolic pathway analysis websites. Whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and Methylated DNA Immunoprecipitation Sequencing (MeDIP-Seq) data sets (26 HCC tissues versus 26 adjacent non-tumoral tissues) were also downloaded from the NCBI SRA database. These data sets were analyzed using Bismark and QSEA, respectively. The methylation differences between the groups were assessed using functional enrichment analysis. RESULTS In the GSE46444 data set, 80 genes were upregulated, and 315 genes were downregulated in the tumor tissue (HCC tissue) compared to the non-tumor cirrhotic tissue. In the GSE63898 data set, 1261 genes were upregulated, and 458 genes were downregulated in the cirrhotic tissue compared to the tumor tissues. WGBS revealed that 20 protein-coding loci were hypermethylated. while the hypomethylated regions were non-protein-coding. The methylated residues of the tumor tissue, non-tumorous cirrhotic tissue, and healthy tissue were comparable. MeDIP-Seq, conducted on tumoral and non-tumoral tissues, identified hypermethylated or hypomethylated areas as protein-coding regions. The functional enrichment analysis indicated that these genes were related to pathways including peroxisome, focal adhesion, mTOR, RAP1, Phospholipase D, Ras, and PI3K/AKT signal transduction. CONCLUSIONS The investigation of transcriptomic and epigenetic mechanisms identified several genes significant in the biological behavior of HCC. These genes present potential targets for the development of targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sami Akbulut
- Liver Transplant Institute and Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, 44280 Malatya, Turkey
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, 44280 Malatya, Turkey
| | - Zeynep Kucukakcali
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, 44280 Malatya, Turkey
| | - Tevfik Tolga Sahin
- Liver Transplant Institute and Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, 44280 Malatya, Turkey
| | - Cemil Colak
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, 44280 Malatya, Turkey
| | - Sezai Yilmaz
- Liver Transplant Institute and Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, 44280 Malatya, Turkey
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6
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Zhang Z, Sun X, Liu Y, Zhang Y, Yang Z, Dong J, Wang N, Ying J, Zhou M, Yang L. Spatial Transcriptome-Wide Profiling of Small Cell Lung Cancer Reveals Intra-Tumoral Molecular and Subtype Heterogeneity. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2402716. [PMID: 38896789 PMCID: PMC11336901 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202402716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive malignancy characterized by rapid growth and early metastasis and is susceptible to treatment resistance and recurrence. Understanding the intra-tumoral spatial heterogeneity in SCLC is crucial for improving patient outcomes and clinically relevant subtyping. In this study, a spatial whole transcriptome-wide analysis of 25 SCLC patients at sub-histological resolution using GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiling technology is performed. This analysis deciphered intra-tumoral multi-regional heterogeneity, characterized by distinct molecular profiles, biological functions, immune features, and molecular subtypes within spatially localized histological regions. Connections between different transcript-defined intra-tumoral phenotypes and their impact on patient survival and therapeutic response are also established. Finally, a gene signature, termed ITHtyper, based on the prevalence of intra-tumoral heterogeneity levels, which enables patient risk stratification from bulk RNA-seq profiles is identified. The prognostic value of ITHtyper is rigorously validated in independent multicenter patient cohorts. This study introduces a preliminary tumor-centric, regionally targeted spatial transcriptome resource that sheds light on previously unexplored intra-tumoral spatial heterogeneity in SCLC. These findings hold promise to improve tumor reclassification and facilitate the development of personalized treatments for SCLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zicheng Zhang
- School of Biomedical EngineeringNational Clinical Research Center for Ocular DiseasesEye HospitalWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhou325027P. R. China
- Department of PathologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing100021P. R. China
| | - Xujie Sun
- Department of PathologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing100021P. R. China
| | - Yutao Liu
- Department of Medical OncologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing100021P. R. China
| | - Yibo Zhang
- School of Biomedical EngineeringNational Clinical Research Center for Ocular DiseasesEye HospitalWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhou325027P. R. China
| | - Zijian Yang
- School of Biomedical EngineeringNational Clinical Research Center for Ocular DiseasesEye HospitalWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhou325027P. R. China
| | - Jiyan Dong
- Department of PathologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing100021P. R. China
| | - Nan Wang
- Cosmos Wisdom Biotech Co. LtdBuilding 10thNo. 617 Jiner RoadHangzhou311215P. R. China
| | - Jianming Ying
- Department of PathologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing100021P. R. China
| | - Meng Zhou
- School of Biomedical EngineeringNational Clinical Research Center for Ocular DiseasesEye HospitalWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhou325027P. R. China
| | - Lin Yang
- Department of PathologyNational Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer HospitalChinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing100021P. R. China
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7
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Chen K, Shuen TWH, Chow PKH. The association between tumour heterogeneity and immune evasion mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma and its clinical implications. Br J Cancer 2024; 131:420-429. [PMID: 38760445 PMCID: PMC11300599 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-024-02684-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The emergence of combination therapy, atezolizumab (anti-PDL1, immune checkpoint inhibitor) and bevacizumab (anti-VEGF) has revolutionised the management of HCC. Despite this breakthrough, the best overall response rate with first-line systemic therapy is only about 30%, owing to intra-tumoural heterogeneity, complex tumour microenvironment and the lack of predictive biomarkers. Many groups have attempted to classify HCC based on the immune microenvironment and have consistently observed better outcomes in immunologically "hot" HCC. We summarised possible mechanisms of tumour immune evasion based on the latest literature and the rationale for combination/sequential therapy to improve treatment response. Lastly, we proposed future strategies and therapies to overcome HCC immune evasion to further improve treatment outcomes of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaina Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Timothy W H Shuen
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pierce K H Chow
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
- Department of Hepato-pancreato-biliary and Transplant Surgery, National Cancer Centre Singapore and Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
- Program in Translational and Clinical Liver Cancer Research, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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8
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Lin J, Lu W, Huang B, Yang W, Wang X. The role of tissue-derived extracellular vesicles in tumor microenvironment. Tissue Cell 2024; 89:102470. [PMID: 39002287 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2024.102470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a highly heterogeneous ecosystem that plays critical roles in the initiation, progression, invasion, and metastasis of cancers. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), as emerging components of the host-tumor communication, are lipid-bilayer membrane structures that are secreted by most cell types into TEM and increasingly recognized as critical elements that regulate the interaction between tumor cells and their surroundings. They contain a variety of bioactive molecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids, and participate in various pathophysiological processes while regulating intercellular communication. While many studies have focused on the EVs derived from different body fluids or cell culture supernatants, the direct isolation of tissue-derived EVs (Ti-EVs) has garnered more attention due to the advantages of tissue specificity and accurate reflection of tissue microenvironment. In this review, we summarize the protocol for isolating Ti-EVs from different tissue interstitium, discuss the role of tumor-derived and adipose tissue-derived Ti-EVs in regulating TME. In addition, we sum up the latest application of Ti-EVs as potential biomarkers for cancer diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Lin
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, Jiangxi Provincial Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Wan Lu
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Birth Defect for Prevention and Control, Medical Genetics Center, Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Nanchang, China
| | - Bo Huang
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, Jiangxi Provincial Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Weiming Yang
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, Jiangxi Provincial Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xiaozhong Wang
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Immunology and Inflammation, Jiangxi Provincial Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
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9
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Beckabir W, Zhou M, Lee JS, Vensko SP, Woodcock MG, Wang HH, Wobker SE, Atassi G, Wilkinson AD, Fowler K, Flick LM, Damrauer JS, Harrison MR, McKinnon KP, Rose TL, Milowsky MI, Serody JS, Kim WY, Vincent BG. Immune features are associated with response to neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4448. [PMID: 38789460 PMCID: PMC11126571 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48480-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy is standard of care for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) alone, and ICI in combination with chemotherapy, have demonstrated promising pathologic response (
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Beckabir
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Mi Zhou
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jin Seok Lee
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Steven P Vensko
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Mark G Woodcock
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Hsing-Hui Wang
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sara E Wobker
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Gatphan Atassi
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Alec D Wilkinson
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kenneth Fowler
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Leah M Flick
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Damrauer
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Michael R Harrison
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Karen P McKinnon
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tracy L Rose
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Matthew I Milowsky
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jonathan S Serody
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - William Y Kim
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Benjamin G Vincent
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Computational Medicine Program, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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10
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Beigi YZ, Lanjanian H, Fayazi R, Salimi M, Hoseyni BHM, Noroozizadeh MH, Masoudi-Nejad A. Heterogeneity and molecular landscape of melanoma: implications for targeted therapy. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2024; 5:17. [PMID: 38724687 PMCID: PMC11082128 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-024-00182-2] [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: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Uveal cancer (UM) offers a complex molecular landscape characterized by substantial heterogeneity, both on the genetic and epigenetic levels. This heterogeneity plays a critical position in shaping the behavior and response to therapy for this uncommon ocular malignancy. Targeted treatments with gene-specific therapeutic molecules may prove useful in overcoming radiation resistance, however, the diverse molecular makeups of UM call for a patient-specific approach in therapy procedures. We need to understand the intricate molecular landscape of UM to develop targeted treatments customized to each patient's specific genetic mutations. One of the promising approaches is using liquid biopsies, such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), for detecting and monitoring the disease at the early stages. These non-invasive methods can help us identify the most effective treatment strategies for each patient. Single-cellular is a brand-new analysis platform that gives treasured insights into diagnosis, prognosis, and remedy. The incorporation of this data with known clinical and genomics information will give a better understanding of the complicated molecular mechanisms that UM diseases exploit. In this review, we focused on the heterogeneity and molecular panorama of UM, and to achieve this goal, the authors conducted an exhaustive literature evaluation spanning 1998 to 2023, using keywords like "uveal melanoma, "heterogeneity". "Targeted therapies"," "CTCs," and "single-cellular analysis".
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasaman Zohrab Beigi
- Laboratory of System Biology and Bioinformatics (LBB), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Lanjanian
- Software Engineering Department, Engineering Faculty, Istanbul Topkapi University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Reyhane Fayazi
- Laboratory of System Biology and Bioinformatics (LBB), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdieh Salimi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Institute of Medical Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran
| | - Behnaz Haji Molla Hoseyni
- Laboratory of System Biology and Bioinformatics (LBB), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Ali Masoudi-Nejad
- Laboratory of System Biology and Bioinformatics (LBB), Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
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11
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Chen S, Sun J, Zhou H, Lei H, Zang D, Chen J. New roles of tumor-derived exosomes in tumor microenvironment. Chin J Cancer Res 2024; 36:151-166. [PMID: 38751437 PMCID: PMC11090792 DOI: 10.21147/j.issn.1000-9604.2024.02.05] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Throughout tumorigenesis, the co-evolution of tumor cells and their surrounding microenvironment leads to the development of malignant phenotypes. Cellular communication within the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a critical role in influencing various aspects of tumor progression, including invasion and metastasis. The release of exosomes, a type of extracellular vesicle, by most cell types in the body, is an essential mediator of intercellular communication. A growing body of research indicates that tumor-derived exosomes (TDEs) significantly expedite tumor progression through multiple mechanisms, inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition and macrophage polarization, enhancing angiogenesis, and aiding in the immune evasion of tumor cells. Herein, we describe the formation and characteristics of the TME, and summarize the contents of TDEs and their diverse functions in modulating tumor development. Furthermore, we explore potential applications of TDEs in tumor diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiqian Chen
- Department of Oncology, the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Jinzhe Sun
- Department of Oncology, the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Huan Zhou
- Department of Oncology, the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Hongbin Lei
- Department of Radiotherapy, the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Dan Zang
- Department of Oncology, the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of Oncology, the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116023, China
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12
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Hirani P, McDermott J, Rajeeve V, Cutillas PR, Jones JL, Pennington DJ, Wight TN, Santamaria S, Alonge KM, Pearce OM. Versican Associates with Tumor Immune Phenotype and Limits T-cell Trafficking via Chondroitin Sulfate. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:970-985. [PMID: 38517140 PMCID: PMC10989462 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-23-0548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Immunotherapies for cancers of epithelial origin have limited efficacy, and a growing body of evidence links the composition of extracellular matrix (ECM) with the likelihood of a favorable response to treatment. The ECM may be considered an immunologic barrier, restricting the localization of cytotoxic immune cells to stromal areas and inhibiting their contact with tumor cells. Identifying ECM components of this immunologic barrier could provide targets that whether degraded in situ may support antitumor immunity and improve immunotherapy response. Using a library of primary triple-negative breast cancer tissues, we correlated CD8+ T-cell tumor contact with ECM composition and identified a proteoglycan, versican (VCAN), as a putative member of the immunologic barrier. Our analysis reveals that CD8+ T-cell contact with tumor associates with the location of VCAN expression, the specific glycovariant of VCAN [defined through the pattern of posttranslational attachments of glycosaminoglycans (GAG)], and the cell types that produce the variant. In functional studies, the isomers of chondroitin sulfate presented on VCAN have opposing roles being either supportive or inhibiting of T-cell trafficking, and removal of the GAGs ameliorates these effects on T-cell trafficking. Overall, we conclude that VCAN can either support or inhibit T-cell trafficking within the tumor microenvironment depending on the pattern of GAGs present, and that VCAN is a major component of the ECM immunologic barrier that defines the type of response to immunotherapy. SIGNIFICANCE The response to immunotherapy has been poor toward solid tumors despite immune cells infiltrating into the tumor. The ECM has been associated with impacting T-cell infiltration toward the tumor and in this article we have identified VCAN and its structural modification, chondroitin sulfate as having a key role in T-cell invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Hirani
- Barts Cancer Institute, John Vane Science Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jacqueline McDermott
- Department of Histopathology, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vinothini Rajeeve
- Barts Cancer Institute, John Vane Science Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pedro R. Cutillas
- Barts Cancer Institute, John Vane Science Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - J. Louise Jones
- Barts Cancer Institute, John Vane Science Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel J. Pennington
- Centre for Immunobiology, Blizard Institute, Barts and the London Medical School, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas N. Wight
- Matrix Biology Program, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, Seattle, Washington
| | - Salvatore Santamaria
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, School of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Edward Jenner Building, University of Surrey, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Kimberly M. Alonge
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Oliver M.T. Pearce
- Barts Cancer Institute, John Vane Science Centre, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
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13
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Ladd AD, Duarte S, Sahin I, Zarrinpar A. Mechanisms of drug resistance in HCC. Hepatology 2024; 79:926-940. [PMID: 36680397 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
HCC comprises ∼80% of primary liver cancer. HCC is the only major cancer for which death rates have not improved over the last 10 years. Most patients are diagnosed with advanced disease when surgical and locoregional treatments are not feasible or effective. Sorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor targeting cell growth and angiogenesis, was approved for advanced unresectable HCC in 2007. Since then, other multikinase inhibitors have been approved. Lenvatinib was found to be noninferior to sorafenib as a first-line agent. Regorafenib, cabozantinib, and ramucirumab were shown to prolong survival as second-line agents. Advances in immunotherapy for HCC have also added hope for patients, but their efficacy remains limited. A large proportion of patients with advanced HCC gain no long-term benefit from systemic therapy due to primary and acquired drug resistance, which, combined with its rising incidence, keeps HCC a highly fatal disease. This review summarizes mechanisms of primary and acquired resistance to therapy and includes methods for bypassing resistance. It addresses recent advancements in immunotherapy, provides new perspectives on the linkage between drug resistance and molecular etiology of HCC, and evaluates the role of the microbiome in drug resistance. It also discusses alterations in signaling pathways, dysregulation of apoptosis, modulations in the tumor microenvironment, involvement of cancer stem cells, changes in drug metabolism/transport, tumor hypoxia, DNA repair, and the role of microRNAs in drug resistance. Understanding the interplay among these factors will provide guidance on the development of new therapeutic strategies capable of improving patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra D Ladd
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Sergio Duarte
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Ilyas Sahin
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Ali Zarrinpar
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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14
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Cordani M, Strippoli R, Trionfetti F, Barzegar Behrooz A, Rumio C, Velasco G, Ghavami S, Marcucci F. Immune checkpoints between epithelial-mesenchymal transition and autophagy: A conflicting triangle. Cancer Lett 2024; 585:216661. [PMID: 38309613 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Inhibitory immune checkpoint (ICP) molecules are pivotal in inhibiting innate and acquired antitumor immune responses, a mechanism frequently exploited by cancer cells to evade host immunity. These evasion strategies contribute to the complexity of cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. For this reason, ICP molecules have become targets for antitumor drugs, particularly monoclonal antibodies, collectively referred to as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), that counteract such cancer-associated immune suppression and restore antitumor immune responses. Over the last decade, however, it has become clear that tumor cell-associated ICPs can also induce tumor cell-intrinsic effects, in particular epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and macroautophagy (hereafter autophagy). Both of these processes have profound implications for cancer metastasis and drug responsiveness. This article reviews the positive or negative cross-talk that tumor cell-associated ICPs undergo with autophagy and EMT. We discuss that tumor cell-associated ICPs are upregulated in response to the same stimuli that induce EMT. Moreover, ICPs themselves, when overexpressed, become an EMT-inducing stimulus. As regards the cross-talk with autophagy, ICPs have been shown to either stimulate or inhibit autophagy, while autophagy itself can either up- or downregulate the expression of ICPs. This dynamic equilibrium also extends to the autophagy-apoptosis axis, further emphasizing the complexities of cellular responses. Eventually, we delve into the intricate balance between autophagy and apoptosis, elucidating its role in the broader interplay of cellular dynamics influenced by ICPs. In the final part of this article, we speculate about the driving forces underlying the contradictory outcomes of the reciprocal, inhibitory, or stimulatory effects between ICPs, EMT, and autophagy. A conclusive identification of these driving forces may allow to achieve improved antitumor effects when using combinations of ICIs and compounds acting on EMT and/or autophagy. Prospectively, this may translate into increased and/or broadened therapeutic efficacy compared to what is currently achieved with ICI-based clinical protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Cordani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Raffaele Strippoli
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; Department of Epidemiology, Preclinical Research and Advanced Diagnostics, National Institute for Infectious Diseases L., Spallanzani, IRCCS, Via Portuense, 292, 00149 Rome, Italy
| | - Flavia Trionfetti
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; Department of Epidemiology, Preclinical Research and Advanced Diagnostics, National Institute for Infectious Diseases L., Spallanzani, IRCCS, Via Portuense, 292, 00149 Rome, Italy
| | - Amir Barzegar Behrooz
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Cristiano Rumio
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Trentacoste 2, 20134 Milan, Italy
| | - Guillermo Velasco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Saeid Ghavami
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada; Faculty of Medicine in Zabrze, University of Technology in Katowice, 41-800 Zabrze, Poland; Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, Cancer Care Manitoba, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
| | - Fabrizio Marcucci
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Trentacoste 2, 20134 Milan, Italy.
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15
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De Battista D, Yakymi R, Scheibe E, Sato S, Gerstein H, Markowitz TE, Lack J, Mereu R, Manieli C, Zamboni F, Farci P. Identification of Two Distinct Immune Subtypes in Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1370. [PMID: 38611048 PMCID: PMC11011136 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16071370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
HBV is the most common risk factor for HCC development, accounting for almost 50% of cases worldwide. Despite significant advances in immunotherapy, there is limited information on the HBV-HCC tumor microenvironment (TME), which may influence the response to checkpoint inhibitors. Here, we characterize the TME in a unique series of liver specimens from HBV-HCC patients to identify who might benefit from immunotherapy. By combining an extensive immunohistochemistry analysis with the transcriptomic profile of paired liver samples (tumor vs. nontumorous tissue) from 12 well-characterized Caucasian patients with HBV-HCC, we identified two distinct tumor subtypes that we defined immune-high and immune-low. The immune-high subtype, seen in half of the patients, is characterized by a high number of infiltrating B and T cells in association with stromal activation and a transcriptomic profile featuring inhibition of antigen presentation and CTL activation. All the immune-high tumors expressed high levels of CTLA-4 and low levels of PD-1, while PD-L1 was present only in four of six cases. In contrast, the immune-low subtype shows significantly lower lymphocyte infiltration and stromal activation. By whole exome sequencing, we documented that four out of six individuals with the immune-low subtype had missense mutations in the CTNNB1 gene, while only one patient had mutations in this gene in the immune-high subtype. Outside the tumor, there were no differences between the two subtypes. This study identifies two distinctive immune subtypes in HBV-associated HCC, regardless of the microenvironment observed in the surrounding nontumorous tissue, providing new insights into pathogenesis. These findings may be instrumental in the identification of patients who might benefit from immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide De Battista
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (D.D.B.); (R.Y.); (E.S.); (S.S.); (H.G.)
| | - Rylee Yakymi
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (D.D.B.); (R.Y.); (E.S.); (S.S.); (H.G.)
| | - Evangeline Scheibe
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (D.D.B.); (R.Y.); (E.S.); (S.S.); (H.G.)
| | - Shinya Sato
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (D.D.B.); (R.Y.); (E.S.); (S.S.); (H.G.)
| | - Hannah Gerstein
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (D.D.B.); (R.Y.); (E.S.); (S.S.); (H.G.)
| | - Tovah E. Markowitz
- Integrated Data Sciences Section, Research Technologies Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Justin Lack
- NIAID Collaborative Bioinformatics Resource, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Roberto Mereu
- Department of Surgery, Liver Transplantation Center, Azienda Ospedaliera Brotzu, 09047 Cagliari, Italy; (R.M.); (F.Z.)
| | - Cristina Manieli
- Sevizio di Anatomia Patologica, Azienda Ospedaliera Brotzu, 09047 Cagliari, Italy;
| | - Fausto Zamboni
- Department of Surgery, Liver Transplantation Center, Azienda Ospedaliera Brotzu, 09047 Cagliari, Italy; (R.M.); (F.Z.)
| | - Patrizia Farci
- Hepatic Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (D.D.B.); (R.Y.); (E.S.); (S.S.); (H.G.)
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16
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Ouyang Y, Gu Y, Zhang X, Huang Y, Wei X, Tang F, Zhang S. AMPKα2 promotes tumor immune escape by inducing CD8+ T-cell exhaustion and CD4+ Treg cell formation in liver hepatocellular carcinoma. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:276. [PMID: 38424484 PMCID: PMC10905944 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12025-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is associated with the development of liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC). AMPKα2, an α2 subunit of AMPK, is encoded by PRKAA2, and functions as the catalytic core of AMPK. However, the role of AMPKα2 in the LIHC tumor immune environment is unclear. METHODS RNA-seq data were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas and Genotype-Tissue Expression databases. Using the single-cell RNA-sequencing dataset for LIHC obtained from the China National Genebank Database, the communication between malignant cells and T cells in response to different PRKAA2 expression patterns was evaluated. In addition, the association between PRKAA2 expression and T-cell evolution during tumor progression was explored using Pseudotime analysis, and the role of PRKAA2 in metabolic reprogramming was explored using the R "scMetabolis" package. Functional experiments were performed in LIHC HepG2 cells. RESULTS AMPK subunits were expressed in tissue-specific and substrate-specific patterns. PRKAA2 was highly expressed in LIHC tissues and was associated with poor patient prognosis. Tumors with high PRKAA2 expression displayed an immune cold phenotype. High PRKAA2 expression significantly promoted LIHC immune escape. This result is supported by the following evidence: 1) the inhibition of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) expression through the regulation of interferon-gamma activity in malignant cells; 2) the promotion of CD8+ T-cell exhaustion and the formation of CD4+ Treg cells in T cells; 3) altered interactions between malignant cells and T cells in the tumor immune environment; and 4) induction of metabolic reprogramming in malignant cells. CONCLUSIONS Our study indicate that PRKAA2 may contribute to LIHC progression by promoting metabolic reprogramming and tumor immune escape through theoretical analysis, which offers a theoretical foundation for developing PRKAA2-based strategies for personalized LIHC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Ouyang
- Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Engineering Research Center of Cellular Immunotherapy of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Yan Gu
- Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Engineering Research Center of Cellular Immunotherapy of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xinhai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Engineering Research Center of Cellular Immunotherapy of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Ya Huang
- Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xianpeng Wei
- Key Laboratory of Infectious Immune and Antibody Engineering of Guizhou Province, Engineering Research Center of Cellular Immunotherapy of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Fuzhou Tang
- Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.
| | - Shichao Zhang
- Immune Cells and Antibody Engineering Research Center of Guizhou Province, Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.
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17
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Ligero M, Gielen B, Navarro V, Cresta Morgado P, Prior O, Dienstmann R, Nuciforo P, Trebeschi S, Beets-Tan R, Sala E, Garralda E, Perez-Lopez R. A whirl of radiomics-based biomarkers in cancer immunotherapy, why is large scale validation still lacking? NPJ Precis Oncol 2024; 8:42. [PMID: 38383736 PMCID: PMC10881558 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-024-00534-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The search for understanding immunotherapy response has sparked interest in diverse areas of oncology, with artificial intelligence (AI) and radiomics emerging as promising tools, capable of gathering large amounts of information to identify suitable patients for treatment. The application of AI in radiology has grown, driven by the hypothesis that radiology images capture tumor phenotypes and thus could provide valuable insights into immunotherapy response likelihood. However, despite the rapid growth of studies, no algorithms in the field have reached clinical implementation, mainly due to the lack of standardized methods, hampering study comparisons and reproducibility across different datasets. In this review, we performed a comprehensive assessment of published data to identify sources of variability in radiomics study design that hinder the comparison of the different model performance and, therefore, clinical implementation. Subsequently, we conducted a use-case meta-analysis using homogenous studies to assess the overall performance of radiomics in estimating programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. Our findings indicate that, despite numerous attempts to predict immunotherapy response, only a limited number of studies share comparable methodologies and report sufficient data about cohorts and methods to be suitable for meta-analysis. Nevertheless, although only a few studies meet these criteria, their promising results underscore the importance of ongoing standardization and benchmarking efforts. This review highlights the importance of uniformity in study design and reporting. Such standardization is crucial to enable meaningful comparisons and demonstrate the validity of biomarkers across diverse populations, facilitating their implementation into the immunotherapy patient selection process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Ligero
- Radiomics Group, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bente Gielen
- Radiomics Group, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Victor Navarro
- Oncology Data Science (ODysSey) Group, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pablo Cresta Morgado
- Oncology Data Science (ODysSey) Group, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medical Oncology, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital and Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain
- Prostate Cancer Translational Research Group, Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olivia Prior
- Radiomics Group, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rodrigo Dienstmann
- Oncology Data Science (ODysSey) Group, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paolo Nuciforo
- Molecular Oncology Group, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital and Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stefano Trebeschi
- Department of Radiology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Regina Beets-Tan
- Department of Radiology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- GROW School for Oncology and Reproduction, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Evis Sala
- Dipartimento Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche ed Ematologiche, Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Garralda
- Department of Medical Oncology, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital and Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel Perez-Lopez
- Radiomics Group, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Barcelona, Spain.
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18
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Cao H, Huang P, Qiu J, Gong X, Cao H. Immune landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma tumor microenvironment identifies a prognostic relevant model. Heliyon 2024; 10:e24861. [PMID: 38317886 PMCID: PMC10839619 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24861] [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: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Various studies highlighted that immune cell-mediated inflammatory processes play crucial roles in the progression and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the immune microenvironment of HCC is still poorly characterized. Exploring the role of immune-related genes (IRGs) and describing the immune landscape in HCC would provide insights into tumor-immune co-evolution along HCC progression. Methods We integrated the datasets with complete prognostic information from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and GEO DataSets (GSE14520, GSE76427, and GSE54236) to construct a novel immune landscape based on the Cibersort algorithm and reveal the prognostic signature in HCC patients. Results To describe the tumor microenvironment (TME) in HCC, immune infiltration patterns were defined using the CIBERSORT method, and a prognostic signature contains 5 types of immune cells, including 3 high-risk immune cells (T.cells. CD4. memory. resting, Macrophages.M0, Macrophages.M2) and 2 low-risk immune cells (Plasma. cells, T.cells.CD8), were finally constructed. A novel prognostic index, based on prognostic immune risk score (pIRG), was developed using the univariate Cox regression analyses and LASSO Cox regression algorithm. Furthermore, the ROC curve and KM curve showed that the TME signatures had a stable value in predicting the prognosis of HCC patients in the internal training cohort, internal validation, and external validation cohort. Differential genes analysis and qPCR experiment showed that the expression levels of AKR1B10, LAPTM4B, MMP9, and SPP1 were significantly increased in high-risk patients, while the expression of CD5L was lower. Further analysis found that AKR1B10 and MMP9 were associated with higher M0 macrophage infiltration, while CD5L was associated with higher plasma cell infiltration. Conclusions Taken together, we performed a comprehensive evaluation of the immune landscape of HCC and constructed a novel and robust prognostic prediction model. AKR1B10, LAPTM4B, MMP9, SPP1, and CD5L were involved in important processes in the HCC tumor microenvironment and were expected to become HCC prediction markers and potential targets of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongru Cao
- Department of Nephrology, Affiliated Hospital of Chifeng University, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, 024000, PR China
| | - Ping Huang
- Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Hospital of Chifeng City, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, 024000, PR China
| | - Jiawei Qiu
- Institute of Cardiovascular Disease of Chifeng University, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, 024000, PR China
| | - Xiaohui Gong
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Chifeng University, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, 024000, PR China
- Institute of Cardiovascular Disease of Chifeng University, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, 024000, PR China
| | - Hongfei Cao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Chifeng University, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, 024000, PR China
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19
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Deng J, Lai G, Zhang C, Li K, Zhu W, Xie B, Zhong X. A robust primary liver cancer subtype related to prognosis and drug response based on a multiple combined classifying strategy. Heliyon 2024; 10:e25570. [PMID: 38352751 PMCID: PMC10861988 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25570] [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: 04/16/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The recurrence or resistance to treatment of primary liver cancer (PLL) is significantly related to the heterogeneity present within the tumor. In this study, we integrated prognosis risk score, mRNAsi index, and immune characteristics clustering to classify patients. The four subtypes obtained from the combined classification are associated with PLC's prognosis and drug response. In these subtypes, we observed mRNAsiH_ICCA subtype, the intersection between high mRNAsi and immune characteristics clustering A, had the worst prognosis. Specifically, immune characteristics clustering B (ICC_B) had high drug sensitivity in most drugs regardless of the value of mRNAsi. On the other hand, patients with low mRNAsi responded better to ten drugs including KU-55933 and NU7441, while patients with high mRNAsi might benefit from drugs like Leflunomide. By matching the specific characteristics of each combined subtype with the drug-induced cell line expression profile, we identified a group of potential therapeutic drugs that might regulate the expression of disease signature genes. We developed a feasible multiple combined typing strategy, hoping to guide therapeutic selection and promote the development of precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jielian Deng
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Medical Department, Yidu Cloud (Beijing) Technology Co., Beijing, China
| | - Guichuan Lai
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Cong Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Kangjie Li
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wenyan Zhu
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing Medical and Pharmaceutical College, Chongqing, China
- College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Medical Department, Yidu Cloud (Beijing) Technology Co., Beijing, China
| | - Biao Xie
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaoni Zhong
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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20
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Papadakos SP, Arvanitakis K, Stergiou IE, Koutsompina ML, Germanidis G, Theocharis S. γδ T Cells: A Game Changer in the Future of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Immunotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1381. [PMID: 38338658 PMCID: PMC10855397 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a global health challenge with limited treatment options and a poor prognosis for advanced-stage patients. Recent advancements in cancer immunotherapy have generated significant interest in exploring novel approaches to combat HCC. One such approach involves the unique and versatile subset of T cells known as γδ T cells. γδ T cells represent a distinct subset of T lymphocytes that differ from conventional αβ T cells in terms of antigen recognition and effector functions. They play a crucial role in immunosurveillance against various malignancies, including HCC. Recent studies have demonstrated that γδ T cells can directly recognize and target HCC cells, making them an attractive candidate for immunotherapy. In this article, we aimed to explore the role exerted by γδ T cells in the context of HCC. We investigate strategies designed to maximize the therapeutic effectiveness of these cells and examine the challenges and opportunities inherent in applying these research findings to clinical practice. The potential to bring about a revolutionary shift in HCC immunotherapy by capitalizing on the unique attributes of γδ T cells offers considerable promise for enhancing patient outcomes, warranting further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stavros P. Papadakos
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece;
| | - Konstantinos Arvanitakis
- First Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece;
- Basic and Translational Research Unit (BTRU), Special Unit for Biomedical Research and Education (BRESU), Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Ioanna E. Stergiou
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (I.E.S.)
| | - Maria-Loukia Koutsompina
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (I.E.S.)
| | - Georgios Germanidis
- First Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece;
- Basic and Translational Research Unit (BTRU), Special Unit for Biomedical Research and Education (BRESU), Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Stamatios Theocharis
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece;
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21
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Xu H, Fu H, Long Y, Ang KS, Sethi R, Chong K, Li M, Uddamvathanak R, Lee HK, Ling J, Chen A, Shao L, Liu L, Chen J. Unsupervised spatially embedded deep representation of spatial transcriptomics. Genome Med 2024; 16:12. [PMID: 38217035 PMCID: PMC10790257 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-024-01283-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Optimal integration of transcriptomics data and associated spatial information is essential towards fully exploiting spatial transcriptomics to dissect tissue heterogeneity and map out inter-cellular communications. We present SEDR, which uses a deep autoencoder coupled with a masked self-supervised learning mechanism to construct a low-dimensional latent representation of gene expression, which is then simultaneously embedded with the corresponding spatial information through a variational graph autoencoder. SEDR achieved higher clustering performance on manually annotated 10 × Visium datasets and better scalability on high-resolution spatial transcriptomics datasets than existing methods. Additionally, we show SEDR's ability to impute and denoise gene expression (URL: https://github.com/JinmiaoChenLab/SEDR/ ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Xu
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Huazhu Fu
- Institute of High-Performance Computing (IHPC), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138632, Singapore
| | - Yahui Long
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Kok Siong Ang
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Raman Sethi
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Kelvin Chong
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Mengwei Li
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Rom Uddamvathanak
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Hong Kai Lee
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Jingjing Ling
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Ao Chen
- BGI Research-Southwest, BGI, Chongqing, 401329, China
- JFL-BGI STOmics Center, Jinfeng Laboratory, Chongqing, 401329, China
| | - Ling Shao
- UCAS-Terminus AI Lab, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Jinmiao Chen
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138648, Singapore.
- Immunology Translational Research Program, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), 5 Science Drive 2, BlkMD4, Level 3, Singapore, 117545, Singapore.
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22
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Sun Y, Wu P, Zhang Z, Wang Z, Zhou K, Song M, Ji Y, Zang F, Lou L, Rao K, Wang P, Gu Y, Gu J, Lu B, Chen L, Pan X, Zhao X, Peng L, Liu D, Chen X, Wu K, Lin P, Wu L, Su Y, Du M, Hou Y, Yang X, Qiu S, Shi Y, Sun H, Zhou J, Huang X, Peng DH, Zhang L, Fan J. Integrated multi-omics profiling to dissect the spatiotemporal evolution of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Cell 2024; 42:135-156.e17. [PMID: 38101410 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Comprehensive molecular analyses of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are lacking. Here, we generate multi-omic profiling of 257 primary and 176 metastatic regions from 182 HCC patients. Primary tumors rich in hypoxia signatures facilitated polyclonal dissemination. Genomic divergence between primary and metastatic HCC is high, and early dissemination is prevalent. The remarkable neoantigen intratumor heterogeneity observed in metastases is associated with decreased T cell reactivity, resulting from disruptions to neoantigen presentation. We identify somatic copy number alterations as highly selected events driving metastasis. Subclones without Wnt mutations show a stronger selective advantage for metastasis than those with Wnt mutations and are characterized by a microenvironment rich in activated fibroblasts favoring a pro-metastatic phenotype. Finally, metastases without Wnt mutations exhibit higher enrichment of immunosuppressive B cells that mediate terminal exhaustion of CD8+ T cells via HLA-E:CD94-NKG2A checkpoint axis. Collectively, our results provide a multi-dimensional dissection of the complex evolutionary process of metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunfan Sun
- Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Pin Wu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai 201210, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Zefan Zhang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zejian Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai 201210, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Kaiqian Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Minfang Song
- Research Center for Intelligent Computing Platforms, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China
| | - Yuan Ji
- Department of Pathology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Fenglin Zang
- Department of Pathology, Liver Cancer Research Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Limu Lou
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Keqiang Rao
- Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Pengxiang Wang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yutong Gu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jie Gu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Binbin Lu
- Dunwill Med-Tech, Shanghai 200032, China
| | | | - Xiuqi Pan
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xiaojing Zhao
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Lihua Peng
- BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Human Disease Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Genomics, BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Dongbing Liu
- BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Human Disease Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Genomics, BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Xiaofang Chen
- BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Human Disease Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Genomics, BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Kui Wu
- BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Human Disease Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Genomics, BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Penghui Lin
- BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Human Disease Genomics, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Genomics, BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Liang Wu
- BGI Research, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Yulin Su
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Min Du
- Department of Pathology, Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yingyong Hou
- Department of Pathology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xinrong Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shuangjian Qiu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yinghong Shi
- Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Huichuan Sun
- Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xingxu Huang
- Research Center for Intelligent Computing Platforms, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China
| | | | - Liye Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai 201210, China.
| | - Jia Fan
- Department of Liver Surgery, Liver Cancer Institute, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University; Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Shanghai 200032, China.
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23
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Liu T, Guo Y, Liao Y, Liu J. Mechanism-guided fine-tuned microbiome potentiates anti-tumor immunity in HCC. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1333864. [PMID: 38169837 PMCID: PMC10758498 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1333864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbiome, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, plays a crucial role in shaping distal and proximal anti-tumor immunity. Mounting evidence showed that commensal microbiome critically modulates immunophenotyping of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a leading cause of cancer-related death. However, their role in anti-tumor surveillance of HCC is still poorly understood. Herein, we spotlighted growing interests in how the microbiome influences the progression and immunotherapeutic responses of HCC via changing local tumor microenvironment (TME) upon translocating to the sites of HCC through different "cell-type niches". Moreover, we summarized not only the associations but also the deep insight into the mechanisms of how the extrinsic microbiomes interplay with hosts to shape immune surveillance and regulate TME and immunotherapeutic responses. Collectively, we provided a rationale for a mechanism-guided fine-tuned microbiome to be neoadjuvant immunotherapy in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ya Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanxia Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinping Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
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24
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Imodoye SO, Adedokun KA. EMT-induced immune evasion: connecting the dots from mechanisms to therapy. Clin Exp Med 2023; 23:4265-4287. [PMID: 37966552 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-023-01229-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a dynamic program crucial for organismal development and tissue regeneration. Unfortunately, this program is often hijacked by epithelial tumors to facilitate metastasis. Beyond its role in cancer spread, EMT increases cancer cell survival by activating stem cell programs and bypassing apoptotic programs. Importantly, the capacity of EMT to enforce tumor progression by altering the tumor cell phenotype without triggering immune responses opens the intriguing possibility of a mechanistic link between EMT-driven cancers and immune evasion. Indeed, EMT has been acknowledged as a of driver immune evasion, but the mechanisms are still evolving. Here, we review recent insights into the influence of EMT on tumor immune evasion. Specifically, we focus on the mechanistic roles of EMT in immune escape as the basis that may provide a platform for innovative therapeutic approaches in advanced tumors. We summarize promising therapeutic approaches currently in clinical trials and trending preclinical studies aimed at reinvigorating the tumor microenvironment to create immune-permissive conditions that facilitates immune-mediated tumor clearance. We anticipate that this will assist researchers and pharmaceutical companies in understanding how EMT compromises the immune response, potentially paving the way for effective cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sikiru O Imodoye
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA.
| | - Kamoru A Adedokun
- Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
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25
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Zhang YJ, Yi DH. CDK1-SRC Interaction-Dependent Transcriptional Activation of HSP90AB1 Promotes Antitumor Immunity in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Proteome Res 2023; 22:3714-3729. [PMID: 37949475 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.3c00379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to analyze multiomics data and construct a regulatory network involving kinases, transcription factors, and immune genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis. The researchers used transcriptomic, proteomic, and clinical data from TCGA and GEO databases to identify immune genes associated with HCC. Statistical analysis, meta-analysis, and protein-protein interaction analyses were performed to identify key immune genes and their relationships. In vitro and in vivo experiments validated the CDK1-SRC-HSP90AB1 network's effects on HCC progression and antitumor immunity. A prognostic risk model was developed using clinicopathological features and immune infiltration. The immune genes LPA, BIRC5, HSP90AB1, ROBO1, and CCL20 were identified as the key prognostic factors. The CDK1-SRC-HSP90AB1 network promoted HCC cell proliferation and migration, with HSP90AB1 being transcriptionally activated by the CDK1-SRC interaction. Manipulating SRC or HSP90AB1 reversed the effects of CDK1 and SRC on HCC. The CDK1-SRC-HSP90AB1 network also influenced HCC tumor formation and antitumor immunity. Overall, this study highlights the importance of the CDK1-SRC-HSP90AB1 network as a crucial immune-regulatory network in the HCC prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Jie Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Organ Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, P. R. China
- The Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation of Liaoning Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, P. R. China
| | - De-Hui Yi
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Organ Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, P. R. China
- The Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation of Liaoning Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, P. R. China
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26
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Li X, Ma W, Liu H, Wang D, Su L, Yang X. Integrative pan-cancer analysis of cuproplasia-associated genes for the genomic and clinical characterization of 33 tumors. Chin Med J (Engl) 2023; 136:2621-2631. [PMID: 37027423 PMCID: PMC10617821 DOI: 10.1097/cm9.0000000000002343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The molecular mechanisms driving tumorigenesis have continually been the focus of researchers. Cuproplasia is defined as copper-dependent cell growth and proliferation, including its primary and secondary roles in tumor formation and proliferation through signaling pathways. In this study, we analyzed the differences in the expression of cuproplasia-associated genes (CAGs) in pan-cancerous tissues and investigated their role in immune-regulation and tumor prognostication. METHODS Raw data from 11,057 cancer samples were acquired from multiple databases. Pan-cancer analysis was conducted to analyze the CAG expression, single-nucleotide variants, copy number variants, methylation signatures, and genomic signatures of micro RNA (miRNA)-messenger RNA (mRNA) interactions. The Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer and the Cancer Therapeutics Response Portal databases were used to evaluate drug sensitivity and resistance against CAGs. Using single-sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA) and Immune Cell Abundance Identifier database, immune cell infiltration was analyzed with the ssGSEA score as the standard. RESULTS Aberrantly expressed CAGs were found in multiple cancers. The frequency of single-nucleotide variations in CAGs ranged from 1% to 54% among different cancers. Furthermore, the correlation between CAG expression in the tumor microenvironment and immune cell infiltration varied among different cancers. ATP7A and ATP7B were negatively correlated with macrophages in 16 tumors including breast invasive carcinoma and esophageal carcinoma, while the converse was true for MT1A and MT2A . In addition, we established cuproplasia scores and demonstrated their strong correlation with patient prognosis, immunotherapy responsiveness, and disease progression ( P <0.05). Finally, we identified potential candidate drugs by matching gene targets with existing drugs. CONCLUSIONS This study reports the genomic characterization and clinical features of CAGs in pan-cancers. It helps clarify the relationship between CAGs and tumorigenesis, and may be helpful in the development of biomarkers and new therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Li
- Department of Interventional Therapy, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201999, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201999, China
| | - Weining Ma
- Department of Pediatrics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Nephrology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai 200060, China
| | - Deming Wang
- Department of Interventional Therapy, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201999, China
| | - Lixin Su
- Department of Interventional Therapy, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201999, China
| | - Xitao Yang
- Department of Interventional Therapy, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201999, China
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27
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Greten TF, Villanueva A, Korangy F, Ruf B, Yarchoan M, Ma L, Ruppin E, Wang XW. Biomarkers for immunotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2023; 20:780-798. [PMID: 37726418 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-023-00816-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are now widely used for the treatment of patients with advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Two different ICI-containing regimens, atezolizumab plus bevacizumab and tremelimumab plus durvalumab, are now approved standard-of-care first-line therapies in this setting. However, and despite substantial improvements in survival outcomes relative to sorafenib, most patients with advanced-stage HCC do not derive durable benefit from these regimens. Advances in genome sequencing including the use of single-cell RNA sequencing (both of tumour material and blood samples), as well as immune cell identification strategies and other techniques such as radiomics and analysis of the microbiota, have created considerable potential for the identification of novel predictive biomarkers enabling the accurate selection of patients who are most likely to derive benefit from ICIs. In this Review, we summarize data on the immunology of HCC and the outcomes in patients receiving ICIs for the treatment of this disease. We then provide an overview of current biomarker use and developments in the past 5 years, including gene signatures, circulating tumour cells, high-dimensional flow cytometry, single-cell RNA sequencing as well as approaches involving the microbiome, radiomics and clinical markers. Novel concepts for further biomarker development in HCC are then discussed including biomarker-driven trials, spatial transcriptomics and integrated 'big data' analysis approaches. These concepts all have the potential to better identify patients who are most likely to benefit from ICIs and to promote the development of new treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim F Greten
- Gastrointestinal Malignancies Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- Liver Cancer Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Augusto Villanueva
- Divisions of Liver Disease and Hematology/Medical Oncology, Tisch Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Firouzeh Korangy
- Gastrointestinal Malignancies Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Benjamin Ruf
- Gastrointestinal Malignancies Section, Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mark Yarchoan
- Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lichun Ma
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Eytan Ruppin
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Xin W Wang
- Liver Cancer Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Liver Carcinogenesis Section, Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Ying L, Zhang C, Reuben A, Tian Y, Jin J, Wang C, Bai J, Liu X, Fang J, Feng T, Xu C, Zhu R, Huang M, Lyu Y, Lu T, Pan X, Zhang J, Su D. Immune-active tumor-adjacent tissues are associated with favorable prognosis in stage I lung squamous cell carcinoma. iScience 2023; 26:107732. [PMID: 37694148 PMCID: PMC10483046 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The immunogenomic features of tumor-adjacent lungs (TALs) in stage I lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) are not clear. Multiomics analyses of tumor tissues and paired TALs from 59 stage I LUSC patients were performed. Compared to tumors, TALs exhibited a better-preserved immune contexture indicated by upregulation of immune pathways, increased immune infiltration, and higher expression of immune effector molecules. Notably, TALs had no mutations in PTEN and KEAP1, a lower incidence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loss and higher expression of HLA class I genes, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I chaperones, and interferon (IFN)-γ-associated genes. Digital spatial profiling validated the generally higher immune infiltration in TALs and revealed a higher level of immune heterogeneity in LUSC tumors. Importantly, patients with higher immune infiltration in TALs had significantly longer survival, while high immune heterogeneity was associated with inferior patient survival. Our work can be considered in the selection of patients for adjuvant therapy, especially immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisha Ying
- Zhejiang Cancer Institute, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | | | - Alexandre Reuben
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yiping Tian
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Jiaoyue Jin
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Canming Wang
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Jing Bai
- Geneplus-Beijing Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyuan Liu
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medicine University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, China
| | - Jianfei Fang
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Tingting Feng
- Zhejiang Cancer Institute, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Chenyang Xu
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Rui Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Minran Huang
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Yingqi Lyu
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
- Department of Oncology, The First Clinical Medical College of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325015, China
| | - Tingting Lu
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
- Department of Oncology, The First Clinical Medical College of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325015, China
| | - Xiaodan Pan
- Human Tissue Bank, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Dan Su
- Department of Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
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Cowzer D, White JB, Chou JF, Chen PJ, Kim TH, Khalil DN, El Dika IH, Columna K, Yaqubie A, Light JS, Shia J, Yarmohammadi H, Erinjeri JP, Wei AC, Jarnagin W, Do RK, Solit DB, Capanu M, Shah RH, Berger MF, Abou-Alfa GK, Harding JJ. Targeted Molecular Profiling of Circulating Cell-Free DNA in Patients With Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma. JCO Precis Oncol 2023; 7:e2300272. [PMID: 37769223 PMCID: PMC10581608 DOI: 10.1200/po.23.00272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Next-generation sequencing (NGS) of tumor-derived, circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) may aid in diagnosis, prognostication, and treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The operating characteristics of cfDNA mutational profiling must be determined before routine clinical implementation. METHODS This was a single-center, retrospective study with the primary objective of defining genomic alterations in circulating cfDNA along with plasma-tissue genotype agreement between NGS of matched tumor samples in patients with advanced HCC. cfDNA was analyzed using a clinically validated 129-gene NGS assay; matched tissue-based NGS was analyzed with a US Food and Drug Administration-authorized NGS tumor assay. RESULTS Fifty-three plasma samples from 51 patients with histologically confirmed HCC underwent NGS-based cfDNA analysis. Genomic alterations were detected in 92.2% of patients, with the most commonly mutated genes including TERT promoter (57%), TP53 (47%), CTNNB1 (37%), ARID1A (18%), and TSC2 (14%). In total, 37 (73%) patients underwent paired tumor NGS, and concordance was high for mutations observed in patient-matched plasma samples: TERT (83%), TP53 (94%), CTNNB1 (92%), ARID1A (100%), and TSC2 (71%). In 10 (27%) of 37 tumor-plasma samples, alterations were detected by cfDNA analysis that were not detected in the patient-matched tumors. Potentially actionable mutations were identified in 37% of all cases including oncogenic/likely oncogenic alterations in TSC1/2 (18%), BRCA1/2 (8%), and PIK3CA (8%). Higher average variant allele fraction was associated with elevated alpha-fetoprotein, increased tumor volume, and no previous systemic therapy, but did not correlate with overall survival in treatment-naïve patients. CONCLUSION Tumor mutation profiling of cfDNA in HCC represents an alternative to tissue-based genomic profiling, given the high degree of tumor-plasma NGS concordance; however, genotyping of both blood and tumor may be required to detect all clinically actionable genomic alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren Cowzer
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Jessica B. White
- Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Joanne F. Chou
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Pin-Jung Chen
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Tae-Hyung Kim
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Danny N. Khalil
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY
| | - Imane H. El Dika
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY
| | - Katrina Columna
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Amin Yaqubie
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Joseph S. Light
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Jinru Shia
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY
- Department of Pathology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Hooman Yarmohammadi
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Joseph Patrick Erinjeri
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Alice C. Wei
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - William Jarnagin
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Richard K.G. Do
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - David B. Solit
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY
| | - Marinela Capanu
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Ronak H. Shah
- Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Michael F. Berger
- Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY
| | - Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY
| | - James J. Harding
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY
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Liu K, He S, Sun S, Zhang X, He Y, Quan F, Pang B, Xiao Y. Computational Quantification of Cancer Immunoediting. Cancer Immunol Res 2023; 11:1159-1167. [PMID: 37540180 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
The remarkable success of cancer immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, emphasizing the importance of tumor-immune interactions in cancer evolution and treatment. Cancer immunoediting describes the dual effect of tumor-immune interactions: inhibiting tumor growth by destroying tumor cells and facilitating tumor escape by shaping tumor immunogenicity. To better understand tumor-immune interactions, it is critical to develop computational methods to measure the extent of cancer immunoediting. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the computational methods for quantifying cancer immunoediting. We focus on describing the basic ideas, computational processes, advantages, limitations, and influential factors. We also summarize recent advances in quantifying cancer immunoediting studies and highlight future research directions. As the methods for quantifying cancer immunoediting are continuously improved, future research will further help define the role of immunity in tumorigenesis and hopefully provide a basis for the design of new personalized cancer immunotherapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Liu
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Shengyuan He
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Shangqin Sun
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xinxin Zhang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yanzhen He
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Fei Quan
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Bo Pang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yun Xiao
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
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31
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Wang Y, Gao B, Xia C, Peng X, Liu H, Wu S. Development of a novel tumor microenvironment-related radiogenomics model for prognosis prediction in hepatocellular carcinoma. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2023; 13:5803-5814. [PMID: 37711809 PMCID: PMC10498241 DOI: 10.21037/qims-22-840] [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: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Background The tumour microenvironment (TME) has occupied a potent position in the tumorigenesis and tumor progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Radiogenomics is an emerging field that integrates imaging and genetic information, thus offering a novel class of non-invasive biomarkers with diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment response. However, optimal evaluation methodologies for radiogenomics in patients with HCC have not been well established. Therefore, this study aims to develop a radiogenomics models, associating contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) based radiomics features and transcriptomics data with TME, to increase predictive precision for overall survival (OS) in patients with HCC. Methods Transcriptome profiles of 365 patients with HCC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-HCC cohort were used to obtain TME-related genes by differential expression analysis. TME-related radiomics features of 53 patients with HCC from The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA)-HCC cohort matched with the TCGA-HCC cohort were screened via correlation analysis. Furthermore, a radiogenomics score-based prognostic model was constructed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression analysis in the TCIA-HCC cohort. Finally, the ability to predict prognosis and the value of the model in identifying the abundance of immune cell infiltration were investigated. Results A radiogenomics prognostic model was developed, which incorporated 1 radiomics feature [original_gray-level co-occurrence matrix (glcm)_inverse difference normalized (Idn)] and 3 genes [spen paralogue and orthologue C‑terminal domain containing 1 (SPOCD1); killer cell lectin like receptor B1 (KLRB1); G protein-coupled receptor 182 (GPR182)]. The model performed satisfactorily in the training and test sets [1-year, 2-year, 3-year area under the curve (AUC) of 0.81, 0.85 and 0.87 in the training set, respectively; and 0.73, 0.83, and 0.84 in the test set, respectively]. Moreover, the model showed that higher radiogenomics scores were associated with worse OS and lower levels of immune infiltration. Conclusions The novel CECT-based radiogenomics model may provide valuable insights for prognostic stratification and TME assessment of patients with HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqi Wang
- Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (The First People’s Hospital of Hefei), Hefei, China
| | - Bin Gao
- Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (The First People’s Hospital of Hefei), Hefei, China
| | - Chunhua Xia
- Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (The First People’s Hospital of Hefei), Hefei, China
| | - Xiaozheng Peng
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (The First People’s Hospital of Hefei), Hefei, China
| | - Haifeng Liu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (The First People’s Hospital of Hefei), Hefei, China
| | - Senlin Wu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (The First People’s Hospital of Hefei), Hefei, China
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Liu Z, Xu Y, Wang Y, Weng S, Xu H, Ren Y, Guo C, Liu L, Zhang Z, Han X. Immune-related interaction perturbation networks unravel biological peculiars and clinical significance of glioblastoma. IMETA 2023; 2:e127. [PMID: 38867932 PMCID: PMC10989959 DOI: 10.1002/imt2.127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
The immune system is an interacting network of plentiful molecules that could better characterize the relationship between immunity and cancer. This study aims to investigate the behavioral patterns of immune-related interaction perturbation networks in glioblastoma. An immune-related interaction-perturbation framework was introduced to characterize four heterogeneous subtypes using RNA-seq data of TCGA/CGGA glioblastoma tissues and GTEx normal brain tissues. The stability and robustness of the four subtypes were validated in public datasets and our in-house cohort. In the four subtypes, C1 was an inflammatory subtype with high immune infiltration, low tumor purity, and potential response to immunotherapy; C2, an invasive subtype, was featured with dismal prognosis, telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter mutations, moderate levels of immunity, and stromal constituents, as well as sensitivity to receptor tyrosine kinase signaling inhibitors; C3 was a proliferative subtype with high tumor purity, immune-desert microenvironment, sensitivity to phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase signaling inhibitor and DNA replication inhibitors, and potential resistance to immunotherapy; C4, a synaptogenesis subtype with the best prognosis, exhibited high synaptogenesis-related gene expression, prevalent isocitrate dehydrogenase mutations, and potential sensitivity to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Overall, this study provided an attractive platform from the perspective of immune-related interaction perturbation networks, which might advance the tailored management of glioblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaoqu Liu
- Department of Interventional RadiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
- Interventional Institute of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
- Interventional Treatment and Clinical Research Center of Henan ProvinceZhengzhouChina
| | - Yudi Xu
- Department of NeurologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Yuhui Wang
- Department of Clinical LaboratoryThe Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Siyuan Weng
- Department of Interventional RadiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Hui Xu
- Department of Interventional RadiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Yuqing Ren
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care MedicineThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Chunguang Guo
- Department of Endovascular SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Long Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic SurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Zhenyu Zhang
- Department of NeurosurgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Xinwei Han
- Department of Interventional RadiologyThe First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
- Interventional Institute of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
- Interventional Treatment and Clinical Research Center of Henan ProvinceZhengzhouChina
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Reolo MJY, Otsuka M, Seow JJW, Lee J, Lee YH, Nguyen PHD, Lim CJ, Wasser M, Chua C, Lim TKH, Leow WQ, Chung A, Goh BKP, Chow PKH, DasGupta R, Yeong JPS, Chew V. CD38 marks the exhausted CD8 + tissue-resident memory T cells in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1182016. [PMID: 37377962 PMCID: PMC10292929 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1182016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Despite recent advances in immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the overall modest response rate underscores the need for a better understanding of the tumor microenvironment (TME) of HCC. We have previously shown that CD38 is widely expressed on tumor-infiltrating leukocytes (TILs), predominantly on CD3+ T cells and monocytes. However, its specific role in the HCC TME remains unclear. Methods In this current study, we used cytometry time-of-flight (CyTOF), bulk RNA sequencing on sorted T cells, and single-cell RNA (scRNA) sequencing to interrogate expression of CD38 and its correlation with T cell exhaustion in HCC samples. We also employed multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) for validating our findings. Results From CyTOF analysis, we compared the immune composition of CD38-expressing leukocytes in TILs, non-tumor tissue-infiltrating leukocytes (NIL), and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). We identified CD8+ T cells as the dominant CD38-expressing TILs and found that CD38 expression was significantly higher in CD8+ TRM in TILs than in NILs. Furthermore, through transcriptomic analysis on sorted CD8+ TRM from HCC tumors, we observed a higher expression of CD38 along with T cell exhaustion genes, including PDCD1 and CTLA4, compared to the circulating memory CD8 T cells from PBMC. This was validated by scRNA sequencing that revealed co-expression of CD38 with PDCD1, CTLA4, and ITGAE (CD103) in T cells from HCC tumors. The protein co-expression of CD38 and PD-1 on CD8+ T cells was further demonstrated by mIHC on HCC FFPE tissues, marking CD38 as a T cell co-exhaustion marker in HCC. Lastly, the higher proportions of CD38+PD-1+ CD8+ T cells and CD38+PD-1+ TRM were significantly associated with the higher histopathological grades of HCC, indicating its role in the aggressiveness of the disease. Conclusion Taken together, the concurrent expression of CD38 with exhaustion markers on CD8+ TRM underpins its role as a key marker of T cell exhaustion and a potential therapeutic target for restoring cytotoxic T cell function in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie J. Y. Reolo
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Masayuki Otsuka
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Justine Jia Wen Seow
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Joycelyn Lee
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yun Hua Lee
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Phuong H. D. Nguyen
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chun Jye Lim
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Martin Wasser
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Camillus Chua
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tony K. H. Lim
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wei Qiang Leow
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Alexander Chung
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Brian K. P. Goh
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Surgery Program, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pierce K. H. Chow
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Surgery Program, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Division of Medical Science, National Cancer Center, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ramanuj DasGupta
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Joe Poh Sheng Yeong
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Valerie Chew
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, Singapore
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Dhanasekaran R, Suzuki H, Lemaitre L, Kubota N, Hoshida Y. Molecular and immune landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma to guide therapeutic decision-making. Hepatology 2023:01515467-990000000-00480. [PMID: 37300379 PMCID: PMC10713867 DOI: 10.1097/hep.0000000000000513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Liver cancer, primarily HCC, exhibits highly heterogeneous histological and molecular aberrations across tumors and within individual tumor nodules. Such intertumor and intratumor heterogeneities may lead to diversity in the natural history of disease progression and various clinical disparities across the patients. Recently developed multimodality, single-cell, and spatial omics profiling technologies have enabled interrogation of the intertumor/intratumor heterogeneity in the cancer cells and the tumor immune microenvironment. These features may influence the natural history and efficacy of emerging therapies targeting novel molecular and immune pathways, some of which had been deemed undruggable. Thus, comprehensive characterization of the heterogeneities at various levels may facilitate the discovery of biomarkers that enable personalized and rational treatment decisions, and optimize treatment efficacy while minimizing the risk of adverse effects. Such companion biomarkers will also refine HCC treatment algorithms across disease stages for cost-effective patient management by optimizing the allocation of limited medical resources. Despite this promise, the complexity of the intertumor/intratumor heterogeneity and ever-expanding inventory of therapeutic agents and regimens have made clinical evaluation and translation of biomarkers increasingly challenging. To address this issue, novel clinical trial designs have been proposed and incorporated into recent studies. In this review, we discuss the latest findings in the molecular and immune landscape of HCC for their potential and utility as biomarkers, the framework of evaluation and clinical application of predictive/prognostic biomarkers, and ongoing biomarker-guided therapeutic clinical trials. These new developments may revolutionize patient care and substantially impact the still dismal HCC mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hiroyuki Suzuki
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka
| | - Lea Lemaitre
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Naoto Kubota
- Liver Tumor Translational Research Program, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Yujin Hoshida
- Liver Tumor Translational Research Program, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
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Luo S, Jia Y, Zhang Y, Zhang X. A transcriptomic intratumour heterogeneity-free signature overcomes sampling bias in prognostic risk classification for hepatocellular carcinoma. JHEP Rep 2023; 5:100754. [PMID: 37234275 PMCID: PMC10206488 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2023.100754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background & Aims Intratumour heterogeneity (ITH) fosters the vulnerability of RNA expression-based biomarkers derived from a single biopsy to tumour sampling bias, and is regarded as an unaddressed confounding factor for patient precision stratification using molecular biomarkers. This study aimed to identify an ITH-free predictive biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods We interrogated the confounding effect of ITH on performance of molecular biomarkers and quantified transcriptomic heterogeneity utilising three multiregional HCC transcriptome datasets involving 142 tumoural regions from 30 patients. A de novo strategy based on the heterogeneity metrics was devised to develop a surveillant biomarker (a utility gadget using RNA; AUGUR) using three datasets involving 715 liver samples from 509 patients with HCC. The performance of AUGUR was assessed in seven cross-platform HCC cohorts that encompassed 1,206 patients. Results An average discordance rate of 39.9% at the level of individual patients was observed applying 13 published prognostic signatures to classify tumour regions. We partitioned genes into four heterogeneity quadrants, from which we developed and validated a reproducible robust ITH-free expression signature AUGUR that showed significant positive associations with adverse features of HCC. High AUGUR risk increased the risk of disease progression and mortality independent of established clinicopathological indices, which maintained concordance across seven cohorts. Moreover, AUGUR compared favourably to the discriminative ability, prognostic accuracy, and patient risk concordant rates of 13 published signatures. Finally, a well-calibrated predictive nomogram integrating AUGUR and tumour-node-metastasis (TNM) stage was established, which generated a numerical probability of mortality. Conclusions We constructed and validated an ITH-free AUGUR and nomogram that overcame sampling bias and provided reliable prognostic information for patients with HCC. Impact and Implications Intratumour heterogeneity (ITH) is prevalent in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and is regarded as an unaddressed confounding factor for biomarker design and application. We examined the confounding effect of transcriptomic ITH in patient risk classification, and found existing molecular biomarkers of HCC were vulnerable to tumour sampling bias. We then developed an ITH-free expression biomarker (a utility gadget using RNA; AUGUR) that overcame clinical sampling bias and maintained prognostic reproducibility and generalisability across multiple HCC patient cohorts from different commercial platforms. Furthermore, we established and validated a well-calibrated nomogram based on AUGUR and tumour-node-metastasis (TNM) stage that provided an individualised prognostic information for patients with HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangyi Luo
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Molecular Probe and Targeted Theranostics, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
- Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Child Development and Genetic Research, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Ying Jia
- Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Child Development and Genetic Research, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
- Department of Child and Adolescent Health, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yajing Zhang
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Molecular Probe and Targeted Theranostics, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
- Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Child Development and Genetic Research, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Xue Zhang
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Molecular Probe and Targeted Theranostics, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
- Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Child Development and Genetic Research, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
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Xie S, Yan R, Zheng A, Shi M, Tang L, Li X, Liu J, Gan Y, Wang Y, Jiang D, Liu L, Wu H, Wang Z. T cell receptor and B cell receptor exhibit unique signatures in tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissues of hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1161417. [PMID: 37313417 PMCID: PMC10258310 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1161417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The tumor microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is complicated. Tumor-infiltrating T and B cells play a pivotal role in anti-tumor immunity. T cell receptor (TCR) and B cell receptor (BCR) features may reflect the disease-associated antigen response. Methods By combining bulk TCR/BCR-sequencing, RNA-sequencing, whole exome-sequencing, and human leukocyte antigen-sequencing, we examined the immune repertoire (IR) features of tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissues obtained from 64 HCC patients. Results High IR heterogeneity with weak similarity was discovered between tumor and non-tumor tissues. Higher BCR diversity, richness, and somatic hypermutation (SHM) were found in non-tumor tissues, while TCRα and TCRβ diversity and richness were comparable or higher in tumor. Additionally, lower immune infiltration was found in tumor than non-tumor tissues; the microenvironment in tumor appeared to keep stably inhibited and changed slightly with tumor progression. Moreover, BCR SHM was stronger, whereas TCR/BCR diversity declined with HCC progression. Importantly, we found that higher IR evenness in tumor and lower TCR richness in non-tumor tissues indicated better survival in HCC patients. Collectively, the results revealed that TCR and BCR exhibited distinct features in tumor and non-tumor tissues. Conclusions We demonstrated that IR features vary between different tissues of HCC. IR features may represent a biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of HCC patients, providing references for subsequent immunotherapy research and strategy selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Xie
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rong Yan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Anqi Zheng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mengfen Shi
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | | | - Xueying Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiabang Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yifan Gan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Deke Jiang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongkai Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhanhui Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology Unit, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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Lv X, Mao Z, Sun X, Liu B. Intratumoral Heterogeneity in Lung Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:2709. [PMID: 37345046 PMCID: PMC10216154 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15102709] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer (LC) is always a challenge. The difficulty in the decision of therapeutic schedule and diagnosis is directly related to intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) in the progression of LC. It has been proven that most tumors emerge and evolve under the pressure of their living microenvironment, which involves genetic, immunological, metabolic, and therapeutic components. While most research on ITH revealed multiple mechanisms and characteristic, a systemic exposition of ITH in LC is still hard to find. In this review, we describe how ITH in LC develops from the perspective of space and time. We discuss elaborate details and affection of every aspect of ITH in LC and the relationship between them. Based on ITH in LC, we describe a more accurate multidisciplinary therapeutic strategy on LC and provide the newest opinion on the potential approach of LC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodi Lv
- Department of Integrative Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200437, China;
| | - Zixian Mao
- Pujiang Community Health Center of Minhang District of Shanghai, Shanghai 201114, China;
| | - Xianjun Sun
- Department of Integrative Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200437, China;
- Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200437, China
| | - Baojun Liu
- Department of Integrative Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200437, China;
- Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai 200437, China
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Yang J, Zeng L, Chen R, Zheng S, Zhou Y, Chen R. Characterization of heterogeneous metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma identifies new therapeutic target and treatment strategy. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1076587. [PMID: 37006288 PMCID: PMC10060979 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1076587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundMetabolic reprogramming is a well-known hallmark of cancer. Systematical identification of clinically relevant metabolic subtypes of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is critical to understand tumor heterogeneity and develop efficient treatment strategies.MethodsWe performed an integrative analysis of genomic, transcriptomic, and clinical data from an HCC patient cohort in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).ResultsFour metabolic subtypes were defined: mHCC1, mHHC2, mHCC3, and mHCC4. These subtypes had distinct differences in mutations profiles, activities of metabolic pathways, prognostic metabolism genes, and immune features. The mHCC1 was associated with poorest outcome and was characterized by extensive metabolic alterations, abundant immune infiltration, and increased expression of immunosuppressive checkpoints. The mHHC2 displayed lowest metabolic alteration level and was associated with most significant improvement in overall survival in response to high CD8+ T cell infiltration. The mHHC3 was a “cold-tumor” with low immune infiltration and few metabolic alterations. The mHCC4 presented a medium degree of metabolic alteration and high CTNNB1 mutation rate. Based on our HCC classification and in vitro study, we identified palmitoyl-protein thioesterase 1 (PPT1) was a specific prognostic gene and therapeutic target for mHCC1.ConclusionOur study highlighted mechanistic differences among metabolic subtypes and identified potential therapeutic targets for subtype-specific treatment strategies targeting unique metabolic vulnerabilities. The immune heterogeneities across metabolic subtypes may help further clarify the association between metabolism and immune environment and guide the development of novel strategies through targeting both unique metabolic vulnerabilities and immunosuppressive triggers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiabin Yang
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liangtang Zeng
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruiwan Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shangyou Zheng
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Rufu Chen, ; Yu Zhou,
| | - Rufu Chen
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Rufu Chen, ; Yu Zhou,
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Chen T, Chen J, Zeng T, Huang Q, Chen D, Chen H, Chen J, Zheng B, Wang M, Chen S, Dai J, Sun H, Chen T, Huang Y, Zhao L, Ma S, Liu X. WZ35 inhibits gastric cancer cell metastasis by depleting glutathione to promote cellular metabolic remodeling. Cancer Lett 2023; 555:216044. [PMID: 36574880 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.216044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed at elucidating the crosstalk between redox reaction and metabolic remodeling through uncovering the mechanism underlying WZ35-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and regulation of amino acid metabolism to inhibit gastric cancer (GC) cell metastasis. The activity and biosafety of curcumin analog, WZ35, were verified in vitro and in vivo. The potential molecular mechanism underlying WZ35-mediated enhanced radiotherapeutic sensitivity by reduced Glutathione (GSH) depletion was elucidated by RNA sequencing, single-cell sequencing (scRNA-seq), metabolic mass spectrometry, and other molecular experiments. Compared to curcumin, WZ35 proved more potent anti-proliferative and anti-metastasis properties. Importantly, we demonstrated that WZ35 could consume GSH in multiple ways, including by reduction of raw materials and consumption reserves, inhibition of reformation, and enhanced decomposition. Mechanistically, we identify that WZ35 maintains the GSH depletion phenotype through the ROS-YAP-AXL-ALKBH5-GLS2 loop, further backing the relevance of metabolic remodeling in the tumor microenvironment with tumor metastasis and the role of m6A in tumor metastasis. Collectively, our study identified WZ35 as a novel GSH depletion agent and a previously undiscovered GSH depletion loop mechanism in GC cell metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongke Chen
- Laboratory Animal Centre, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Junbo Chen
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tianni Zeng
- Department of Oncology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310007, China
| | - Qianying Huang
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Di Chen
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hong Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China
| | - Jiayao Chen
- Wenzhou Medical University Renji College, Wenzhou, 325035, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Bin Zheng
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China
| | - Mengting Wang
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shinuo Chen
- Laboratory Animal Centre, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jichen Dai
- Second Medical College of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hanxiao Sun
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, China
| | - Tongzuan Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The Third Clinical Institute Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou People's Hospital, Wenzhou, 325000, China
| | - Yuwen Huang
- Laboratory Animal Centre, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Liqian Zhao
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
| | - Shumei Ma
- School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China.
| | - Xiaodong Liu
- School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, China.
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Combating inconsistent evaluation of intra-tumor immune status by a novel transcriptomic signature in hepatocellular carcinoma. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:61. [PMID: 36759503 PMCID: PMC9911634 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01262-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
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Chiang CC, Yeh H, Lim SN, Lin WR. Transcriptome analysis creates a new era of precision medicine for managing recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastroenterol 2023; 29:780-799. [PMID: 36816628 PMCID: PMC9932421 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v29.i5.780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The high incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence negatively impacts outcomes of patients treated with curative intent despite advances in surgical techniques and other locoregional liver-targeting therapies. Over the past few decades, the emergence of transcriptome analysis tools, including real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR, microarrays, and RNA sequencing, has not only largely contributed to our knowledge about the pathogenesis of recurrent HCC but also led to the development of outcome prediction models based on differentially expressed gene signatures. In recent years, the single-cell RNA sequencing technique has revolutionized our ability to study the complicated crosstalk between cancer cells and the immune environment, which may benefit further investigations on the role of different immune cells in HCC recurrence and the identification of potential therapeutic targets. In the present article, we summarized the major findings yielded with these transcriptome methods within the framework of a causal model consisting of three domains: primary cancer cells; carcinogenic stimuli; and tumor microenvironment. We provided a comprehensive review of the insights that transcriptome analyses have provided into diagnostics, surveillance, and treatment of HCC recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Cheng Chiang
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, United States
| | - Hsuan Yeh
- School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
| | - Siew-Na Lim
- Department of Neurology, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
| | - Wey-Ran Lin
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
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Ding J, Sun Y, Sulaiman Z, Li C, Cheng Z, Liu S. Comprehensive Analysis Reveals Distinct Immunological and Prognostic Characteristics of CD276/B7-H3 in Pan-Cancer. Int J Gen Med 2023; 16:367-391. [PMID: 36756390 PMCID: PMC9901449 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s395553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background CD276 (also known as B7-H3), a newly discovered immunoregulatory protein that belongs to the B7 family, is a significant and attractive target for cancer immunotherapy. Existing evidence demonstrates its pivotal role in the tumorigenesis of some cancers. However, there still lacks a systematic and comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of the role of CD276 in tumor immunology and prognosis. Methods We explored and validated the mRNA and protein expression levels of CD276 in multiple tumors through public databases and clinical tissues specimens. The Univariate Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier analysis were applied to assess the prognostic value of CD276. The correlation between CD276 expression and clinical characteristics and immunological features in diverse tumors was also explored. GSEA was performed to illuminate the biological function and involved pathways of CD276. Moreover, the CellMiner database was used to interpret the relationship between CD276 and multiple chemotherapeutic agents. CCK-8 assay was performed to validate the biological function of CD276 in vitro. Results In general, CD276 was differentially expressed between most tumor tissues and their corresponding normal tissues. Higher expression levels of CD276 were associated with poorer survival outcomes in most tumor cohorts from TCGA. There was a close correlation between CD276 expression and clinical features, the infiltration levels of specific immune cells, immune subtypes, TMB, MSI, MMR, recognized immunoregulatory genes and drug sensitivity across diverse human cancers. The scRNA-seq data analysis further revealed that CD276 was mainly expressed on the tumor infiltrating macrophages. Additionally, in vitro experiments showed that knockdown of CD276 inhibited the proliferation of ovarian cancer (OV) and cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma (CESC) cell lines. Conclusion CD276 is a potent biomarker for predicting the prognosis and immunological features in some tumors, and it may play a critical role in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) through macrophage-associated signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinye Ding
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yaoqi Sun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zubaidan Sulaiman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Caixia Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China,Institute of Gynecological Minimally Invasive Medicine, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhongping Cheng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China,Institute of Gynecological Minimally Invasive Medicine, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China,Correspondence: Zhongping Cheng; Shupeng Liu, Email ;
| | - Shupeng Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China,Institute of Gynecological Minimally Invasive Medicine, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
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Toh MR, Wong EYT, Wong SH, Ng AWT, Loo LH, Chow PKH, Ngeow JYY. Global Epidemiology and Genetics of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Gastroenterology 2023; 164:766-782. [PMID: 36738977 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2023.01.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 97.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading cancers worldwide. Classically, HCC develops in genetically susceptible individuals who are exposed to risk factors, especially in the presence of liver cirrhosis. Significant temporal and geographic variations exist for HCC and its etiologies. Over time, the burden of HCC has shifted from the low-moderate to the high sociodemographic index regions, reflecting the transition from viral to nonviral causes. Geographically, the hepatitis viruses predominate as the causes of HCC in Asia and Africa. Although there are genetic conditions that confer increased risk for HCC, these diagnoses are rarely recognized outside North America and Europe. In this review, we will evaluate the epidemiologic trends and risk factors of HCC, and discuss the genetics of HCC, including monogenic diseases, single-nucleotide polymorphisms, gut microbiome, and somatic mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Ren Toh
- Cancer Genetics Service, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Sunny Hei Wong
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Alvin Wei Tian Ng
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Lit-Hsin Loo
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore; Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pierce Kah-Hoe Chow
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary and Transplant Surgery, National Cancer Center Singapore and Singapore General Hospital, Singapore; Duke-NUS Medical School Singapore, Singapore
| | - Joanne Yuen Yie Ngeow
- Cancer Genetics Service, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore; Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore; Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Duke-NUS Medical School Singapore, Singapore.
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Tan CT, Soh NJH, Chang HC, Yu VC. p62/SQSTM1 in liver diseases: the usual suspect with multifarious identities. FEBS J 2023; 290:892-912. [PMID: 34882306 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
p62/Sequestosome-1 (SQSTM1) is a selective autophagy receptor that recruits and delivers intracellular substrates for bulk clearance through the autophagy lysosomal pathway. Interestingly, p62 also serves as a signaling scaffold to participate in the regulation of multiple physiological processes, including oxidative stress response, metabolism, inflammation, and programmed cell death. Perturbation of p62 activity has been frequently found to be associated with the pathogenesis of many liver diseases. p62 has been identified as a critical component of protein aggregates in the forms of Mallory-Denk bodies (MDBs) or intracellular hyaline bodies (IHBs), which are known to be frequently detected in biopsy samples from alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Importantly, abundance of these p62 inclusion bodies is increasingly recognized as a biomarker for NASH and HCC. Although the level of p62 bodies seems to predict the progression and prognosis of these liver diseases, understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which p62 regulates and contributes to the development and progression of these diseases remains incomplete. In this review, we will focus on the function and regulation of p62, and its pathophysiological roles in the liver, by critically reviewing the findings from preclinical models that recapitulate the pathogenesis and manifestation of these liver diseases in humans. In addition, we will also explore the suitability of p62 as a predictive biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of liver diseases, including NASH and HCC, as well as recent development of small-molecule compounds for targeting the p62 signaling axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Teik Tan
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Hao-Chun Chang
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Victor C Yu
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Lozano A, Souche FR, Chavey C, Dardalhon V, Ramirez C, Vegna S, Desandre G, Riviere A, Zine El Aabidine A, Fort P, Akkari L, Hibner U, Grégoire D. Ras/MAPK signalling intensity defines subclonal fitness in a mouse model of hepatocellular carcinoma. eLife 2023; 12:76294. [PMID: 36656749 PMCID: PMC9891719 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76294] [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: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Quantitative differences in signal transduction are to date an understudied feature of tumour heterogeneity. The MAPK Erk pathway, which is activated in a large proportion of human tumours, is a prototypic example of distinct cell fates being driven by signal intensity. We have used primary hepatocyte precursors transformed with different dosages of an oncogenic form of Ras to model subclonal variations in MAPK signalling. Orthotopic allografts of Ras-transformed cells in immunocompromised mice gave rise to fast-growing aggressive tumours, both at the primary location and in the peritoneal cavity. Fluorescent labelling of cells expressing different oncogene levels, and consequently varying levels of MAPK Erk activation, highlighted the selection processes operating at the two sites of tumour growth. Indeed, significantly higher Ras expression was observed in primary as compared to secondary, metastatic sites, despite the apparent evolutionary trade-off of increased apoptotic death in the liver that correlated with high Ras dosage. Analysis of the immune tumour microenvironment at the two locations suggests that fast peritoneal tumour growth in the immunocompromised setting is abrogated in immunocompetent animals due to efficient antigen presentation by peritoneal dendritic cells. Furthermore, our data indicate that, in contrast to the metastatic-like outgrowth, strong MAPK signalling is required in the primary liver tumours to resist elimination by NK (natural killer) cells. Overall, this study describes a quantitative aspect of tumour heterogeneity and points to a potential vulnerability of a subtype of hepatocellular carcinoma as a function of MAPK Erk signalling intensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Lozano
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Francois-Régis Souche
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
- Department of surgery and liver transplantation, Hopital Saint Eloi Hopitaux universitaires de MontpelierMontpellierFrance
| | - Carine Chavey
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Valérie Dardalhon
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Christel Ramirez
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Oncode InstituteAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Serena Vegna
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Oncode InstituteAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Guillaume Desandre
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Anaïs Riviere
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Amal Zine El Aabidine
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Philippe Fort
- Centre de Recherche en Biologie Cellulaire de Montpellier (CRBM), University of Montpellier, CNRSMontpellierFrance
| | - Leila Akkari
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Oncode InstituteAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Urszula Hibner
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | - Damien Grégoire
- Institut de Génétique Moléculaire de Montpellier, University of MontpellierMontpellierFrance
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Lee YH, Chuah S, Nguyen PHD, Lim CJ, Lai HLH, Wasser M, Chua C, Lim TKH, Leow WQ, Loh TJ, Wan WK, Pang YH, Soon G, Cheow PC, Kam JH, Iyer S, Kow A, Bonney GK, Chan CY, Chung A, Goh BKP, Zhai W, Chow PKH, Albani S, Liu H, Chew V. IFNγ -IL-17 + CD8 T cells contribute to immunosuppression and tumor progression in human hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Lett 2023; 552:215977. [PMID: 36279983 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.215977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
IL-17-producing CD8 (Tc17) T cells have been shown to play an important role in infection and chronic inflammation, however their implications in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain elusive. In this study, we performed cytometry by time-of-flight (CyTOF) and revealed the distinctive immunological phenotypes of two IFNγ+ and IFNγ- Tc17 subsets that were preferentially enriched in human HCC. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis further revealed regulatory circuits governing the different phenotypes of these Tc17 subsets. In particular, we discovered that IFNγ- Tc17 subset demonstrated pro-tumoral characteristics and expressed higher levels of CCL20. This corresponded to increased tumor infiltration of T regulatory cells (Treg) validated by immunohistochemistry in another independent HCC cohort, demonstrating the immunosuppressive functions of IFNγ- Tc17 subset. Most importantly, higher intra-tumoral proportions of IFNγ- Tc17 were associated with poorer prognosis in patients with HCC and this was further validated in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) HCC cohort. Taken together, this compendium of transcriptomic and proteomic data of Tc17 subsets sheds light on the immunosuppressive phenotypes of IFNγ- Tc17 and its implications in HCC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Hua Lee
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Samuel Chuah
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Phuong H D Nguyen
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Chun Jye Lim
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Hannah L H Lai
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138672, Singapore
| | - Martin Wasser
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Camillus Chua
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Tony K H Lim
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Wei Qiang Leow
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Tracy Jiezhen Loh
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Wei Keat Wan
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Yin Huei Pang
- Department of Pathology, National University Hospital Singapore, 119074, Singapore
| | - Gwyneth Soon
- Department of Pathology, National University Hospital Singapore, 119074, Singapore
| | - Peng Chung Cheow
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 169608, Singapore
| | - Juinn Huar Kam
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 169608, Singapore
| | - Shridhar Iyer
- Division of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University Surgical Cluster, National University Health System, Singapore, 119074, Singapore
| | - Alfred Kow
- Division of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University Surgical Cluster, National University Health System, Singapore, 119074, Singapore
| | - Glenn K Bonney
- Division of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University Surgical Cluster, National University Health System, Singapore, 119074, Singapore
| | - Chung Yip Chan
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 169608, Singapore
| | - Alexander Chung
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 169608, Singapore
| | - Brian K P Goh
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 169608, Singapore
| | - Weiwei Zhai
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138672, Singapore; Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100107, China; Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunan, 650223, China
| | - Pierce K H Chow
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 169608, Singapore
| | - Salvatore Albani
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Haiyan Liu
- Immunology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, Immunology Translational Research Program and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
| | - Valerie Chew
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, 169856, Singapore.
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Xu FQ, Dong MM, Wang ZF, Cao LD. Metabolic rearrangements and intratumoral heterogeneity for immune response in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1083069. [PMID: 36776894 PMCID: PMC9908004 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1083069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors globally. Not only is it difficult to diagnose, but treatments are scarce and the prognosis is generally poor. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer. Aggressive cancer cells, such as those found in HCC, undergo extensive metabolic rewiring as tumorigenesis, the unique feature, ultimately causes adaptation to the neoplastic microenvironment. Intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) is defined as the presence of distinct genetic features and different phenotypes in the same tumoral region. ITH, a property unique to malignant cancers, results in differences in many different features of tumors, including, but not limited to, tumor growth and resistance to chemotherapy, which in turn is partly responsible for metabolic reprogramming. Moreover, the different metabolic phenotypes might also activate the immune response to varying degrees and help tumor cells escape detection by the immune system. In this review, we summarize the reprogramming of glucose metabolism and tumoral heterogeneity and their associations that occur in HCC, to obtain a better understanding of the mechanisms of HCC oncogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei-Qi Xu
- General Surgery, Cancer Center, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Meng-Meng Dong
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetics, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhi-Fei Wang
- General Surgery, Cancer Center, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Li-Dong Cao
- General Surgery, Cancer Center, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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48
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Tiwari A, Oravecz T, Dillon LA, Italiano A, Audoly L, Fridman WH, Clifton GT. Towards a consensus definition of immune exclusion in cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1084887. [PMID: 37033994 PMCID: PMC10073666 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1084887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The immune cell topography of solid tumors has been increasingly recognized as an important predictive factor for progression of disease and response to immunotherapy. The distribution pattern of immune cells in solid tumors is commonly classified into three categories - namely, "Immune inflamed", "Immune desert" and "Immune excluded" - which, to some degree, connect immune cell presence and positioning within the tumor microenvironment to anti-tumor activity. Materials and methods In this review, we look at the ways immune exclusion has been defined in published literature and identify opportunities to develop consistent, quantifiable definitions, which in turn, will allow better determination of the underlying mechanisms that span cancer types and, ultimately, aid in the development of treatments to target these mechanisms. Results The definitions of tumor immune phenotypes, especially immune exclusion, have largely been conceptual. The existing literature lacks in consistency when it comes to practically defining immune exclusion, and there is no consensus on a definition. Majority of the definitions use somewhat arbitrary cut-offs in an attempt to place each tumor into a distinct phenotypic category. Tumor heterogeneity is often not accounted for, which limits the practical application of a definition. Conclusions We have identified two key issues in existing definitions of immune exclusion, establishing clinically relevant cut-offs within the spectrum of immune cell infiltration as well as tumor heterogeneity. We propose an approach to overcome these limitations, by reporting the degree of immune cell infiltration, tying cut-offs to clinically meaningful outcome measures, maximizing the number of regions of a tumor that are analyzed and reporting the degree of heterogeneity. This will allow for a consensus practical definition for operationalizing this categorization into clinical trial and signal-seeking endpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankur Tiwari
- Department of Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | | | | | | | | | - Wolf Hervé Fridman
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Sorbonne Université, Université Sorbonne Paris-Cité (USPC), Université de Paris, Equipe Inflammation, Paris, France
| | - Guy Travis Clifton
- Parthenon Therapeutics, Boston, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Guy Travis Clifton,
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49
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Yang C, Zhang S, Cheng Z, Liu Z, Zhang L, Jiang K, Geng H, Qian R, Wang J, Huang X, Chen M, Li Z, Qin W, Xia Q, Kang X, Wang C, Hang H. Multi-region sequencing with spatial information enables accurate heterogeneity estimation and risk stratification in liver cancer. Genome Med 2022; 14:142. [PMID: 36527145 PMCID: PMC9758830 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-022-01143-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous studies have used multi-region sampling approaches to characterize intra-tumor heterogeneity (ITH) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, conventional multi-region sampling strategies do not preserve the spatial details of samples, and thus, the potential influences of spatial distribution on patient-wise ITH (represents the overall heterogeneity level of the tumor in a given patient) have long been overlooked. Furthermore, gene-wise transcriptional ITH (represents the expression pattern of genes across different intra-tumor regions) in HCC is also under-explored, highlighting the need for a comprehensive investigation. METHODS To address the problem of spatial information loss, we propose a simple and easy-to-implement strategy called spatial localization sampling (SLS). We performed multi-region sampling and sequencing on 14 patients with HCC, collecting a total of 75 tumor samples with spatial information and molecular data. Normalized diversity score and integrated heterogeneity score (IHS) were then developed to measure patient-wise and gene-wise ITH, respectively. RESULTS A significant correlation between spatial and molecular heterogeneity was uncovered, implying that spatial distribution of sampling sites did influence ITH estimation in HCC. We demonstrated that the normalized diversity score had the ability to overcome sampling location bias and provide a more accurate estimation of patient-wise ITH. According to this metric, HCC tumors could be divided into two classes (low-ITH and high-ITH tumors) with significant differences in multiple biological properties. Through IHS analysis, we revealed a highly heterogenous immune microenvironment in HCC and identified some low-ITH checkpoint genes with immunotherapeutic potential. We also constructed a low-heterogeneity risk stratification (LHRS) signature based on the IHS results which could accurately predict the survival outcome of patients with HCC on a single tumor biopsy sample. CONCLUSIONS This study provides new insights into the complex phenotypes of HCC and may serve as a guide for future studies in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Yang
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China ,grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Senquan Zhang
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhuoan Cheng
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China ,grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhicheng Liu
- grid.412793.a0000 0004 1799 5032Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Linmeng Zhang
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Kai Jiang
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Renji Biobank, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Haigang Geng
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruolan Qian
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Wang
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaowen Huang
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Mo Chen
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhe Li
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenxin Qin
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Xia
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China ,grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaonan Kang
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Renji Biobank, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Cun Wang
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China ,grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hualian Hang
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China ,grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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50
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Chung A, Nasralla D, Quaglia A. Understanding the Immunoenvironment of Primary Liver Cancer: A Histopathology Perspective. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2022; 9:1149-1169. [PMID: 36349146 PMCID: PMC9637345 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s382310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most common cancers worldwide, primary liver cancer remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality. Hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma represent the majority of primary liver cancer cases. Despite advances in the development of novel anti-cancer therapies that exploit targets within the immune system, survival rates from liver cancer remain poor. Furthermore, responses to immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, have revealed limited and variable responses amongst patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, although combination immunotherapies have shown recent breakthroughs in clinical trials. This has shifted the focus towards improving our understanding of the underlying immune and molecular characteristics of liver tumours that may influence their response to immune-modulating treatments. In this review, we outline the complex interactions that occur in the tumour microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma, respectively, from a histopathological perspective. We explore the potential role of a classification system based on immune-specific characteristics within each cancer type, the importance of understanding inter- and intra-tumoural heterogeneity and consider the future role of histopathology and novel technologies within this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabelle Chung
- Department of Cellular Pathology, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK
| | - David Nasralla
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK
| | - Alberto Quaglia
- Department of Cellular Pathology, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK
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