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Yang F, Lee G, Fan Y. Navigating tumor angiogenesis: therapeutic perspectives and myeloid cell regulation mechanism. Angiogenesis 2024; 27:333-349. [PMID: 38580870 PMCID: PMC11303583 DOI: 10.1007/s10456-024-09913-z] [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: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Sustained angiogenesis stands as a hallmark of cancer. The intricate vascular tumor microenvironment fuels cancer progression and metastasis, fosters therapy resistance, and facilitates immune evasion. Therapeutic strategies targeting tumor vasculature have emerged as transformative for cancer treatment, encompassing anti-angiogenesis, vessel normalization, and endothelial reprogramming. Growing evidence suggests the dynamic regulation of tumor angiogenesis by infiltrating myeloid cells, such as macrophages, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and neutrophils. Understanding these regulatory mechanisms is pivotal in paving the way for successful vasculature-targeted cancer treatments. Therapeutic interventions aimed to disrupt myeloid cell-mediated tumor angiogenesis may reshape tumor microenvironment and overcome tumor resistance to radio/chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gynecologic Oncology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China.
| | - Gloria Lee
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Yi Fan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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2
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De Palma M, Hanahan D. Milestones in tumor vascularization and its therapeutic targeting. NATURE CANCER 2024; 5:827-843. [PMID: 38918437 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-024-00780-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Research into the mechanisms and manifestations of solid tumor vascularization was launched more than 50 years ago with the proposition and experimental demonstrations that angiogenesis is instrumental for tumor growth and was, therefore, a promising therapeutic target. The biological knowledge and therapeutic insights forthcoming have been remarkable, punctuated by new concepts, many of which were not foreseen in the early decades. This article presents a perspective on tumor vascularization and its therapeutic targeting but does not portray a historical timeline. Rather, we highlight eight conceptual milestones, integrating initial discoveries and recent progress and posing open questions for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele De Palma
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Douglas Hanahan
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Agora Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Swiss Cancer Center Léman (SCCL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne Branch, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Suzuki H, Iwamoto H, Tanaka T, Sakaue T, Imamura Y, Masuda A, Nakamura T, Koga H, Hoshida Y, Kawaguchi T. Fibroblast growth factor inhibition by molecular-targeted agents mitigates immunosuppressive tissue microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatol Int 2024; 18:610-622. [PMID: 37864726 PMCID: PMC11014819 DOI: 10.1007/s12072-023-10603-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Combination immunotherapy refers to the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and molecular-targeted agents (MTA), which have recently been approved for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Owing to its relatively low antitumor effect (up to 30%), sequential therapy following ICIs treatment is required in patients with HCC. This study aimed to determine the impact of MTAs on the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). METHODS We established immune syngeneic orthotopic HCC mouse models using Hep-55.1C and Hep-53.4, and treated them with MTAs (lenvatinib, sorafenib, regorafenib, cabozantinib, and DC101 as anti-vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 antibodies, and AZD4547 as a fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)-1/2/3/4 inhibitor) for 2 weeks. Subsequently, alterations in the TIME caused by MTAs were evaluated using immunohistochemistry (antibodies for CD3, CD8, Foxp3, Granzyme B, Arginase-1, NK1.1, F4/80, CD11c, PD-1, and PD-L1). We conducted RNA-seq analysis using lenvatinib- and AZD4547-treated tumors. To confirm the clinical relevance of these findings, we analyzed the transcriptome data of human HCC cells (MHCC-97H) treated with various concentrations of lenvatinib for 24 h using RNA-seq data from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. RESULTS The number of Foxp3- and F4/80-positive cells in the TIME was decreased in many MTAs. Cabozantinib increased the numbers in NK1.1-, Granzyme B, and CD11c-positive cells. Lenvatinib and AZD4547 increased the number of CD8, Granzyme B, and PD-L1-positive cells. Gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that lipid metabolism-related genes were downregulated by lenvatinib and AZD4547. In total, 161 genes downregulated by FGFR inhibition in rodent models overlapped with those downregulated by lenvatinib in human HCC cells. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we showed that cabozantinib activated the innate immune system, and lenvatinib and AZD4547, which commonly inhibit FGFR signaling, altered TIME to a hot immune state by downregulating lipid metabolism-related genes. These findings support the therapeutic use of combination immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Suzuki
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan.
- Liver Cancer Research Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan.
| | - Hideki Iwamoto
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan.
- Liver Cancer Research Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan.
- Iwamoto Internal Medicine Clinic, Kitakyushu, 802-0832, Japan.
| | - Toshimitsu Tanaka
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
- Liver Cancer Research Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
| | - Takahiko Sakaue
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
- Liver Cancer Research Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
| | - Yasuko Imamura
- Liver Cancer Research Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
| | - Atsutaka Masuda
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
- Liver Cancer Research Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
| | - Toru Nakamura
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
- Liver Cancer Research Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
| | - Hironori Koga
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
- Liver Cancer Research Division, Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
| | - Yujin Hoshida
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Takumi Kawaguchi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan
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Wang S, Riedstra CP, Zhang Y, Anandh S, Dudley AC. PTEN-restoration abrogates brain colonisation and perivascular niche invasion by melanoma cells. Br J Cancer 2024; 130:555-567. [PMID: 38148377 PMCID: PMC10876963 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02530-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Melanoma brain metastases (MBM) continue to be a significant clinical problem with limited treatment options. Highly invasive melanoma cells migrate along the vasculature and perivascular cells may contribute to residual disease and recurrence. PTEN loss and hyperactivation of AKT occur in MBM; however, a role for PTEN/AKT in perivascular invasion has not been described. METHODS We used in vivo intracranial injections of murine melanoma and bulk RNA sequencing of melanoma cells co-cultured with brain endothelial cells (brECs) to investigate brain colonisation and perivascular invasion. RESULTS We found that PTEN-null melanoma cells were highly efficient at colonising the perivascular niche relative to PTEN-expressing counterparts. PTEN re-expression (PTEN-RE) in melanoma cells significantly reduced brain colonisation and migration along the vasculature. We hypothesised this phenotype was mediated through vascular-induced TGFβ secretion, which drives AKT phosphorylation. Disabling TGFβ signalling in melanoma cells reduced colonisation and perivascular invasion; however, the introduction of constitutively active myristolated-AKT (myrAKT) restored overall tumour size but not perivascular invasion. CONCLUSIONS PTEN loss facilitates perivascular brain colonisation and invasion of melanoma. TGFβ-AKT signalling partially contributes to this phenotype, but further studies are needed to determine the complementary mechanisms that enable melanoma cells to both survive and spread along the brain vasculature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Caroline P Riedstra
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Swetha Anandh
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
| | - Andrew C Dudley
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA.
- The University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
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Cleveland AH, Fan Y. Reprogramming endothelial cells to empower cancer immunotherapy. Trends Mol Med 2024; 30:126-135. [PMID: 38040601 PMCID: PMC10922198 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2023.11.002] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Cancer immunity is subject to spatiotemporal regulation by leukocyte interaction with the tumor microenvironment. Growing evidence suggests an emerging role for the vasculature in tumor immune evasion and immunotherapy resistance. Beyond the conventional functions of the tumor vasculature, such as providing oxygen and nutrients to support tumor progression, we propose multiplex mechanisms for vascular regulation of tumor immunity: The immunosuppressive vascular niche locoregionally educates circulation-derived immune cells by angiocrines, aberrant endothelial metabolism induces T cell exclusion and inactivation, and topologically and biochemically abnormal vascularity forms a pathophysiological barrier that hampers lymphocyte infiltration. We postulate that genetic and metabolic reprogramming of endothelial cells may rewire the immunosuppressive vascular microenvironment to overcome immunotherapy resistance, serving as a next-generation vascular targeting strategy for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail H Cleveland
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yi Fan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Moon HR, Surianarayanan N, Singh T, Han B. Microphysiological systems as reliable drug discovery and evaluation tools: Evolution from innovation to maturity. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2023; 17:061504. [PMID: 38162229 PMCID: PMC10756708 DOI: 10.1063/5.0179444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Microphysiological systems (MPSs), also known as organ-on-chip or disease-on-chip, have recently emerged to reconstitute the in vivo cellular microenvironment of various organs and diseases on in vitro platforms. These microfluidics-based platforms are developed to provide reliable drug discovery and regulatory evaluation testbeds. Despite recent emergences and advances of various MPS platforms, their adoption of drug discovery and evaluation processes still lags. This delay is mainly due to a lack of rigorous standards with reproducibility and reliability, and practical difficulties to be adopted in pharmaceutical research and industry settings. This review discusses the current and potential use of MPS platforms in drug discovery processes while considering the context of several key steps during drug discovery processes, including target identification and validation, preclinical evaluation, and clinical trials. Opportunities and challenges are also discussed for the broader dissemination and adoption of MPSs in various drug discovery and regulatory evaluation steps. Addressing these challenges will transform long and expensive drug discovery and evaluation processes into more efficient discovery, screening, and approval of innovative drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye-Ran Moon
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | | | - Tarun Singh
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Bumsoo Han
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:. Tel: +1-765-494-5626
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