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Evans ST, Jani Y, Jansen CS, Yildirim A, Kalemoglu E, Bilen MA. Understanding and overcoming resistance to immunotherapy in genitourinary cancers. Cancer Biol Ther 2024; 25:2342599. [PMID: 38629578 PMCID: PMC11028033 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2024.2342599] [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: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The introduction of novel immunotherapies has significantly transformed the treatment landscape of genitourinary (GU) cancers, even becoming the standard of care in some settings. One such type of immunotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) like nivolumab, ipilimumab, pembrolizumab, and atezolizumab play a pivotal role by disturbing signaling pathways that limit the immune system's ability to fight tumor cells. Despite the profound impact of these treatments, not all tumors are responsive. Recent research efforts have been focused on understanding how cancer cells manage to evade the immune response and identifying the possible mechanisms behind resistance to immunotherapy. In response, ICIs are being combined with other treatments to reduce resistance and attack cancer cells through multiple cellular pathways. Additionally, novel, targeted strategies are currently being investigated to develop innovative methods of overcoming resistance and treatment failure. This article presents a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms of immunotherapy resistance in GU cancers as currently described in the literature. It explores studies that have identified genetic markers, cytokines, and proteins that may predict resistance or response to immunotherapy. Additionally, we review current efforts to overcome this resistance, which include combination ICIs and sequential therapies, novel insights into the host immune profile, and new targeted therapies. Various approaches that combine immunotherapy with chemotherapy, targeted therapy, vaccines, and radiation have been studied in an effort to more effectively overcome resistance to immunotherapy. While each of these combination therapies has shown some efficacy in clinical trials, a deeper understanding of the immune system's role underscores the potential of novel targeted therapies as a particularly promising area of current research. Currently, several targeted agents are in development, along with the identification of key immune mediators involved in immunotherapy resistance. Further research is necessary to identify predictors of response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean T Evans
- Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yash Jani
- Undergraduate studies, Mercer University, Macon, GA, USA
| | - Caroline S Jansen
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Genitourinary Medical Oncology Program, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ahmet Yildirim
- Genitourinary Medical Oncology Program, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ecem Kalemoglu
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Basic Oncology, Health Institute of Ege University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Asim Bilen
- Genitourinary Medical Oncology Program, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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2
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Li Q, Guo W, Qian Y, Li S, Li L, Zhu Z, Wang F, Tong Y, Xia Q, Liu Y. Protein O-fucosyltransferase 1 promotes PD-L1 stability to drive immune evasion and directs liver cancer to immunotherapy. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008917. [PMID: 38908854 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2024-008917] [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] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an essential role in cancer progression and immunotherapy response. Despite the considerable advancements in cancer immunotherapy, the limited response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major challenge for its clinical implications. Here, we investigated the molecular basis of the protein O-fucosyltransferase 1 (POFUT1) that drives HCC immune evasion and explored a potential therapeutic strategy for enhancing ICB efficacy. METHODS De novo MYC/Trp53-/- liver tumor and the xenograft tumor models were used to evaluate the function of POFUT1 in immune evasion. Biochemical assays were performed to elucidate the underlying mechanism of POFUT1-mediated immune evasion. RESULTS We identified POFUT1 as a crucial promoter of immune evasion in liver cancer. Notably, POFUT1 promoted HCC progression and inhibited T-cell infiltration in the xenograft tumor and de novo MYC/Trp53-/- mouse liver tumor models. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that POFUT1 stabilized programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) protein by preventing tripartite motif containing 21-mediated PD-L1 ubiquitination and degradation independently of its protein-O-fucosyltransferase activity. In addition, we further demonstrated that PD-L1 was required for the tumor-promoting and immune evasion effects of POFUT1 in HCC. Importantly, inhibition of POFUT1 could synergize with anti-programmed death receptor 1 therapy by remodeling TME in the xenograft tumor mouse model. Clinically, POFUT1 high expression displayed a lower response rate and worse clinical outcome to ICB therapies. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate that POFUT1 functions as a novel regulator of tumor immune evasion and inhibition of POFUT1 may be a potential therapeutic strategy to enhance the efficacy of immune therapy in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianyu Li
- Department of Liver Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Renji-Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenyun Guo
- Department of Liver Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Renji-Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yifei Qian
- Department of Liver Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Renji-Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Songling Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering & Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Linfeng Li
- Renji-Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zijun Zhu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Renji-Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Fan Wang
- Renji-Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Tong
- Renji-Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Xia
- Department of Liver Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Transplantation and Immunology, Shanghai Institute of Transplantation, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanfeng Liu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Transplantation and Immunology, Shanghai Institute of Transplantation, Shanghai, China
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3
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Bayer AL, Padilla-Rolon D, Smolgovsky S, Hinds PW, Alcaide P. Deletion of MyD88 in T Cells Improves Antitumor Activity in Melanoma. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2024; 194:1007-1019. [PMID: 38442804 PMCID: PMC11156157 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2024.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Cytotoxic CD8+ T cells are central to the antitumor immune response by releasing cytotoxic granules that kill tumor cells. They are activated by antigen-presenting cells, which become activated by DAMPs (damage associated molecular patterns) through MyD88. However, the suppressive tumor microenvironment promotes T-cell tolerance to tumor antigens, in part by enhancing the activity of immune checkpoint molecules that prevent CD8+ T-cell activation and cytotoxicity. MyD88 limits CD4+ T-cell activation during cardiac adaptation to stress. A similar mechanism is hypothesized to exist in CD8+ T cells that could be modulated to improve antitumor immunity. Herein, adoptive transfer of MyD88-/- CD8+ T cells in melanoma-bearing T-cell-deficient mice resulted in slower tumor growth, greater intratumoral T-cell accumulation, and higher melanoma cell death compared with transfer of wild-type CD8+ T cells. These findings were also observed in T-cell-specific MyD88-/- mice compared with wild-type littermates implanted with melanoma. Mechanistically, deletion of MyD88 enhanced CD8+ T-cell activation and survival, and T-cell receptor induced degranulation of cytotoxic molecules, overall improving the killing of melanoma cells. This enhanced cytotoxicity was retained in mice bearing tumors expressing the specific antigen for which cytotoxic T-cells were restricted. This study's results demonstrate a conserved mechanism for MyD88 in modulating CD8+ T-cell activation and represent a novel target in improving cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham L Bayer
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Sasha Smolgovsky
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Philip W Hinds
- Department of Genetics, Molecular and Cell Biology, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Pilar Alcaide
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts.
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Wan Z, Bai X, Wang X, Guo X, Wang X, Zhai M, Fu Y, Liu Y, Zhang P, Zhang X, Yang R, Liu Y, Lv L, Zhou Y. Mgp High-Expressing MSCs Orchestrate the Osteoimmune Microenvironment of Collagen/Nanohydroxyapatite-Mediated Bone Regeneration. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2308986. [PMID: 38588510 PMCID: PMC11187922 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202308986] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Activating autologous stem cells after the implantation of biomaterials is an important process to initiate bone regeneration. Although several studies have demonstrated the mechanism of biomaterial-mediated bone regeneration, a comprehensive single-cell level transcriptomic map revealing the influence of biomaterials on regulating the temporal and spatial expression patterns of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is still lacking. Herein, the osteoimmune microenvironment is depicted around the classical collagen/nanohydroxyapatite-based bone repair materials via combining analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics. A group of functional MSCs with high expression of matrix Gla protein (Mgp) is identified, which may serve as a pioneer subpopulation involved in bone repair. Remarkably, these Mgp high-expressing MSCs (MgphiMSCs) exhibit efficient osteogenic differentiation potential and orchestrate the osteoimmune microenvironment around implanted biomaterials, rewiring the polarization and osteoclastic differentiation of macrophages through the Mdk/Lrp1 ligand-receptor pair. The inhibition of Mdk/Lrp1 activates the pro-inflammatory programs of macrophages and osteoclastogenesis. Meanwhile, multiple immune-cell subsets also exhibit close crosstalk between MgphiMSCs via the secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) signaling pathway. These cellular profiles and interactions characterized in this study can broaden the understanding of the functional MSC subpopulations at the early stage of biomaterial-mediated bone regeneration and provide the basis for materials-designed strategies that target osteoimmune modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuqing Wan
- Department of ProsthodonticsPeking University School and Hospital of StomatologyHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
- National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, NHC Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Key Laboratory of Digital StomatologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
| | - Xiaoqiang Bai
- Department of ProsthodonticsPeking University School and Hospital of StomatologyHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
- National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, NHC Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Key Laboratory of Digital StomatologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of ProsthodonticsPeking University School and Hospital of StomatologyHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
- National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, NHC Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Key Laboratory of Digital StomatologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
| | - Xiaodong Guo
- Department of ProsthodonticsPeking University School and Hospital of StomatologyHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
- National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, NHC Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Key Laboratory of Digital StomatologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
| | - Xu Wang
- Department of ProsthodonticsPeking University School and Hospital of StomatologyHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
- National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, NHC Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Key Laboratory of Digital StomatologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
| | - Mo Zhai
- Department of ProsthodonticsPeking University School and Hospital of StomatologyHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
- National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, NHC Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Key Laboratory of Digital StomatologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
| | - Yang Fu
- Department of ProsthodonticsPeking University School and Hospital of StomatologyHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
- National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, NHC Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Key Laboratory of Digital StomatologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
| | - Yunsong Liu
- Department of ProsthodonticsPeking University School and Hospital of StomatologyHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
- National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, NHC Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Key Laboratory of Digital StomatologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
| | - Ping Zhang
- Department of ProsthodonticsPeking University School and Hospital of StomatologyHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
- National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, NHC Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Key Laboratory of Digital StomatologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Department of ProsthodonticsPeking University School and Hospital of StomatologyHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
- National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, NHC Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Key Laboratory of Digital StomatologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
| | - Ruili Yang
- National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, NHC Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Key Laboratory of Digital StomatologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
- Department of OrthodonticsPeking University School and Hospital of StomatologyHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
| | - Yan Liu
- National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, NHC Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Key Laboratory of Digital StomatologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
- Department of OrthodonticsPeking University School and Hospital of StomatologyHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
| | - Longwei Lv
- Department of ProsthodonticsPeking University School and Hospital of StomatologyHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
- National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, NHC Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Key Laboratory of Digital StomatologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
| | - Yongsheng Zhou
- Department of ProsthodonticsPeking University School and Hospital of StomatologyHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
- National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Disease, National Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterials and Digital Medical Devices, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, NHC Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Key Laboratory of Digital StomatologyChinese Academy of Medical SciencesHaidian DistrictBeijing100081China
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5
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Bao L, Li Y, Hu X, Gong Y, Chen J, Huang P, Tan Z, Ge M, Pan Z. Targeting SIGLEC15 as an emerging immunotherapy for anaplastic thyroid cancer. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 133:112102. [PMID: 38652971 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is the most aggressive subtype of thyroid cancer with few effective therapies. Though immunotherapies such as targeting PD-1/PD-L1 axis have benefited patients with solid tumor, the druggable immune checkpoints are quite limited in ATC. In our study, we focused on the anti-tumor potential of sialic acid-binding Ig-like lectins (Siglecs) in ATC. Through screening by integrating microarray datasets including 216 thyroid-cancer tissues and single-cell RNA-sequencing, SIGLEC family members CD33, SIGLEC1, SIGLEC10 and SIGLEC15 were significantly overexpressed in ATC, among which SIGLEC15 increased highest and mainly expressed on cancer cells. SIGLEC15high ATC cells are characterized by high expression of serine protease PRSS23 and cancer stem cell marker CD44. Compared with SIGLEC15low cancer cells, SIGLEC15high ATC cells exhibited higher interaction frequency with tumor microenvironment cells. Further study showed that SIGLEC15high cancer cells mainly interacted with T cells by immunosuppressive signals such as MIF-TNFRSF14 and CXCL12-CXCR4. Notably, treatment of anti-SIGLEC15 antibody profoundly increased the cytotoxic ability of CD8+ T cells in a co-culture model and zebrafish-derived ATC xenografts. Consistently, administration of anti-SIGLEC15 antibody significantly inhibited tumor growth and prolonged mouse survival in an immunocompetent model of murine ATC, which was associated with increase of M1/M2, natural killer (NK) cells and CD8+ T cells, and decrease of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). SIGLEC15 inhibited T cell activation by reducing NFAT1, NFAT2, and NF-κB signals. Blocking SIGLEC15 increased the secretion of IFN-γ and IL-2 in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, our finding demonstrates that SIGLEC15 is an emerging and promising target for immunotherapy in ATC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisha Bao
- Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Center, Cancer Center, Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, 310014, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ying Li
- Clinical Pharmacy Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoping Hu
- Clinical Pharmacy Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Endocrine Gland Diseases of Zhejiang Province, 310014, Hangzhou, China; Clinical Research Center for Cancer of Zhejiang Province, 310014, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yingying Gong
- Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Center, Cancer Center, Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, 310014, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jinming Chen
- Clinical Pharmacy Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ping Huang
- Clinical Pharmacy Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Endocrine Gland Diseases of Zhejiang Province, 310014, Hangzhou, China; Clinical Research Center for Cancer of Zhejiang Province, 310014, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhuo Tan
- Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Center, Cancer Center, Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, 310014, Hangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Endocrine Gland Diseases of Zhejiang Province, 310014, Hangzhou, China; Clinical Research Center for Cancer of Zhejiang Province, 310014, Hangzhou, China
| | - Minghua Ge
- Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Center, Cancer Center, Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, 310014, Hangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Endocrine Gland Diseases of Zhejiang Province, 310014, Hangzhou, China; Clinical Research Center for Cancer of Zhejiang Province, 310014, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Zongfu Pan
- Clinical Pharmacy Center, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Endocrine Gland Diseases of Zhejiang Province, 310014, Hangzhou, China; Clinical Research Center for Cancer of Zhejiang Province, 310014, Hangzhou, China.
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6
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Hayes BH, Wang M, Zhu H, Phan SH, Dooling LJ, Andrechak JC, Chang AH, Tobin MP, Ontko NM, Marchena T, Discher DE. Chromosomal instability induced in cancer can enhance macrophage-initiated immune responses that include anti-tumor IgG. eLife 2024; 12:RP88054. [PMID: 38805560 PMCID: PMC11132682 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Solid tumors generally exhibit chromosome copy number variation, which is typically caused by chromosomal instability (CIN) in mitosis. The resulting aneuploidy can drive evolution and associates with poor prognosis in various cancer types as well as poor response to T-cell checkpoint blockade in melanoma. Macrophages and the SIRPα-CD47 checkpoint are understudied in such contexts. Here, CIN is induced in poorly immunogenic B16F10 mouse melanoma cells using spindle assembly checkpoint MPS1 inhibitors that generate persistent micronuclei and diverse aneuploidy while skewing macrophages toward a tumoricidal 'M1-like' phenotype based on markers and short-term anti-tumor studies. Mice bearing CIN-afflicted tumors with wild-type CD47 levels succumb similar to controls, but long-term survival is maximized by SIRPα blockade on adoptively transferred myeloid cells plus anti-tumor monoclonal IgG. Such cells are the initiating effector cells, and survivors make de novo anti-cancer IgG that not only promote phagocytosis of CD47-null cells but also suppress tumor growth. CIN does not affect the IgG response, but pairing CIN with maximal macrophage anti-cancer activity increases durable cures that possess a vaccination-like response against recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon H Hayes
- Physical Sciences Oncology Center at Penn, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphhiaUnited States
- Molecular and Cell Biophysics Lab, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Bioengineering Graduate Group, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Mai Wang
- Physical Sciences Oncology Center at Penn, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphhiaUnited States
- Molecular and Cell Biophysics Lab, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Hui Zhu
- Physical Sciences Oncology Center at Penn, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphhiaUnited States
- Molecular and Cell Biophysics Lab, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Steven H Phan
- Physical Sciences Oncology Center at Penn, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphhiaUnited States
- Molecular and Cell Biophysics Lab, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Lawrence J Dooling
- Physical Sciences Oncology Center at Penn, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphhiaUnited States
- Molecular and Cell Biophysics Lab, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Jason C Andrechak
- Physical Sciences Oncology Center at Penn, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphhiaUnited States
- Molecular and Cell Biophysics Lab, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Bioengineering Graduate Group, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Alexander H Chang
- Physical Sciences Oncology Center at Penn, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphhiaUnited States
- Molecular and Cell Biophysics Lab, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Michael P Tobin
- Physical Sciences Oncology Center at Penn, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphhiaUnited States
- Molecular and Cell Biophysics Lab, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Bioengineering Graduate Group, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Nicholas M Ontko
- Physical Sciences Oncology Center at Penn, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphhiaUnited States
- Molecular and Cell Biophysics Lab, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Tristan Marchena
- Physical Sciences Oncology Center at Penn, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphhiaUnited States
- Molecular and Cell Biophysics Lab, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Dennis E Discher
- Physical Sciences Oncology Center at Penn, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphhiaUnited States
- Molecular and Cell Biophysics Lab, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Bioengineering Graduate Group, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaUnited States
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7
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Hashimoto M, Kojima Y, Sakamoto T, Ozato Y, Nakano Y, Abe T, Hosoda K, Saito H, Higuchi S, Hisamatsu Y, Toshima T, Yonemura Y, Masuda T, Hata T, Nagayama S, Kagawa K, Goto Y, Utou M, Gamachi A, Imamura K, Kuze Y, Zenkoh J, Suzuki A, Takahashi K, Niida A, Hirose H, Hayashi S, Koseki J, Fukuchi S, Murakami K, Yoshizumi T, Kadomatsu K, Tobo T, Oda Y, Uemura M, Eguchi H, Doki Y, Mori M, Oshima M, Shibata T, Suzuki Y, Shimamura T, Mimori K. Spatial and single-cell colocalisation analysis reveals MDK-mediated immunosuppressive environment with regulatory T cells in colorectal carcinogenesis. EBioMedicine 2024; 103:105102. [PMID: 38614865 PMCID: PMC11121171 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105102] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cell-cell interaction factors that facilitate the progression of adenoma to sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear, thereby hindering patient survival. METHODS We performed spatial transcriptomics on five early CRC cases, which included adenoma and carcinoma, and one advanced CRC. To elucidate cell-cell interactions within the tumour microenvironment (TME), we investigated the colocalisation network at single-cell resolution using a deep generative model for colocalisation analysis, combined with a single-cell transcriptome, and assessed the clinical significance in CRC patients. FINDINGS CRC cells colocalised with regulatory T cells (Tregs) at the adenoma-carcinoma interface. At early-stage carcinogenesis, cell-cell interaction inference between colocalised adenoma and cancer epithelial cells and Tregs based on the spatial distribution of single cells highlighted midkine (MDK) as a prominent signalling molecule sent from tumour epithelial cells to Tregs. Interaction between MDK-high CRC cells and SPP1+ macrophages and stromal cells proved to be the mechanism underlying immunosuppression in the TME. Additionally, we identified syndecan4 (SDC4) as a receptor for MDK associated with Treg colocalisation. Finally, clinical analysis using CRC datasets indicated that increased MDK/SDC4 levels correlated with poor overall survival in CRC patients. INTERPRETATION MDK is involved in the immune tolerance shown by Tregs to tumour growth. MDK-mediated formation of the TME could be a potential target for early diagnosis and treatment of CRC. FUNDING Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Grant-in-Aid for Science Research; OITA Cancer Research Foundation; AMED under Grant Number; Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST); Takeda Science Foundation; The Princess Takamatsu Cancer Research Fund.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Hashimoto
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kojima
- Division of Computational Bioscience, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Takeharu Sakamoto
- Department of Cancer Biology, Institute of Biomedical Science, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, 573-1010, Japan.
| | - Yuki Ozato
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yusuke Nakano
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tadashi Abe
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan
| | - Kiyotaka Hosoda
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Saito
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan; Department of General Surgical Science, Gastroenterological Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, 371-8511, Japan
| | - Satoshi Higuchi
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yuichi Hisamatsu
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan
| | - Takeo Toshima
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan
| | - Yusuke Yonemura
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan
| | - Takaaki Masuda
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Hata
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Satoshi Nagayama
- Department of Surgery, Uji-Tokushukai Medical Center, Uji, 611-0041, Japan
| | - Koichi Kagawa
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shin Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-8538, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Goto
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shin Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-8538, Japan
| | - Mitsuaki Utou
- Department of Pathology, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan
| | - Ayako Gamachi
- Department of Pathology, Oita Oka Hospital, Oita, 870-0192, Japan
| | - Kiyomi Imamura
- Laboratory of Systems Genomics, Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Yuta Kuze
- Laboratory of Systems Genomics, Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Junko Zenkoh
- Laboratory of Systems Genomics, Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Ayako Suzuki
- Laboratory of Systems Genomics, Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Kazuki Takahashi
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Human Genome Center, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
| | - Atsushi Niida
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Human Genome Center, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
| | - Haruka Hirose
- Division of Systems Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Shuto Hayashi
- Division of Systems Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Jun Koseki
- Division of Systems Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Satoshi Fukuchi
- Department of Gastroenterological Medicine, Almeida Memorial Hospital, Oita, 870-1195, Japan
| | - Kazunari Murakami
- Department of Gastroenterology, Oita University Hospital, Yufu, 879-5593, Japan
| | - Tomoharu Yoshizumi
- Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Kenji Kadomatsu
- Department of Biochemistry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Taro Tobo
- Department of Pathology, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan
| | - Yoshinao Oda
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Mamoru Uemura
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Eguchi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Doki
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masaki Mori
- Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, 259-1193, Japan
| | - Masanobu Oshima
- Division of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Tatsuhiro Shibata
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Human Genome Center, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Laboratory of Systems Genomics, Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Teppei Shimamura
- Division of Systems Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan; Department of Computational and Systems Biology, Medical Research Insitute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0034, Japan.
| | - Koshi Mimori
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan.
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Long X, Zhang Z, Li Y, Deng K, Gao W, Huang M, Wang X, Lin X, She X, Zhao Y, Zhang M, Huang C, Wang S, Du Y, Du P, Chen S, Liu Q, Wu M. ScRNA-seq reveals novel immune-suppressive T cells and investigates CMV-TCR-T cells cytotoxicity against GBM. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008967. [PMID: 38688579 PMCID: PMC11086384 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2024-008967] [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] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glioblastoma (GBM) is a fatal primary brain malignancy in adults. Previous studies have shown that cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a risk factor for tumorigenesis and aggressiveness for glioblastoma. However, little is known about how CMV infection affects immune cells in the tumor microenvironment of GBM. Furthermore, there has been almost no engineered T-cell receptor (TCR)-T targeting CMV for GBM research to date. METHODS We evaluated the CMV infection status of patients with GBM's tumor tissue by immune electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, and droplet digital PCR. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing for CMV-infected GBM to investigate the effects of CMV on the GBM immune microenvironment. CellChat was applied to analyze the interaction between cells in the GBM tumor microenvironment. Additionally, we conducted single-cell TCR/B cell receptor (BCR) sequencing and Grouping of Lymphocyte Interactions with Paratope Hotspots 2 algorithms to acquire specific CMV-TCR sequences. Genetic engineering was used to introduce CMV-TCR into primary T cells derived from patients with CMV-infected GBM. Flow cytometry was used to measure the proportion and cytotoxicity status of T cells in vitro. RESULTS We identified two novel immune cell subpopulations in CMV-infected GBM, which were bipositive CD68+SOX2+ tumor-associated macrophages and FXYD6+ T cells. We highlighted that the interaction between bipositive TAMs or cancer cells and T cells was predominantly focused on FXYD6+ T cells rather than regulatory T cells (Tregs), whereas, FXYD6+ T cells were further identified as a group of novel immunosuppressive T cells. CMV-TCR-T cells showed significant therapeutic effects on the human-derived orthotopic GBM mice model. CONCLUSIONS These findings provided an insight into the underlying mechanism of CMV infection promoting the GBM immunosuppression, and provided a novel potential immunotherapy strategy for patients with GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinmiao Long
- Hunan Cancer Hospital/the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- FuRong Laboratory, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zuping Zhang
- Department of Pathogeny Biology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yuzhe Li
- Department of Neurosurgery in Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Kun Deng
- Hunan Cancer Hospital/the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- FuRong Laboratory, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Wei Gao
- Hunan Cancer Hospital/the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- FuRong Laboratory, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Meng Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery in Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiangyu Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery in Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiang Lin
- Hunan Cancer Hospital/the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaoling She
- Department of Pathology in Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yiming Zhao
- Hunan Cancer Hospital/the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Department of Pathogeny Biology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Minfu Zhang
- Hunan Cancer Hospital/the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- FuRong Laboratory, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Shiyi Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- FuRong Laboratory, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yinfei Du
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- FuRong Laboratory, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Peng Du
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Shuai Chen
- Hunan Cancer Hospital/the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Qing Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery in Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Minghua Wu
- Hunan Cancer Hospital/the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of the Chinese Ministry of Health, The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- FuRong Laboratory, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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Li L, Cheng H, Gong L, Huang Y, Yang J, Yan Q, Dai S, Wang J. Cuproptosis/OXPHOS tendency prediction of prognosis and immune microenvironment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: Bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation. Gene 2024; 902:148156. [PMID: 38211899 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148156] [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: 10/28/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cuproptosis is a newly discovered cell death mechanism that relies on mitochondrial respiration, for which oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is an essential part. However, the detailed mechanisms of cuproptosis associated with OXPHOS in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and how this correlation affects prognosis still remains unclear. METHODS scRNA-seq data of ESCC were downloaded from SRA (Sequence Read Archive) database. "AUCell" algorithm was used to grouping epithelial cells according to cuproptosis and OXPHOS score. Cell-cell communication, Pseudo-time Trajectory and transcription factor enrichment analysis were repectively conducted by "CellChat", "monocle3" package and "pySCENIC" algorithm. Univariate and LASSO cox regression analysis were used to construct the prognostic cuproptosis-OXPHOS signature. Finally, CCK-8 assay and DCFH-DA staining assay were respectively validated the sensitive and ROS production of elesclomol. RESULTS scRNA-seq data were analyzed to identify 10 core cell types. According to the median scores for cuproptosis and OXPHOS, malignant epithelial cells were divided into double high, double low, and mixed groups. The double high group distributed at the end of the pseudo-time trajectory and harbored HMGA1(+) as specific transcriptional regulons. Knockdown of HMGA1 partly reversed the inhibition of cell viability visualized by CCK-8 assay, while reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by elesclomol was enhanced after HMGA1 silencing. Furthermore, the immunosuppressive signal was significantly increased in the double high group detected by 'CellChat' in single-cell data and 'ssGSEA' in bulk data followed by 'CIBERSORTx' algorithm. Finally, a new cuproptosis-OXPHOS prognostic signature (CNN2, ATP6V0E1, PSMD6, CCDC25, IGFBP2, MT1E, and RPS4Y1) was constructed for the prediction of the prognosis, and a high-risk group corresponding to a more sensitive tendency to erlotinib, dasatinib, and bosutinib treatment was identified. CONCLUSIONS Our study revealed the relationship between OXPHOS and tendency of cuproptosis in ESCC, and malignant cells with this characteristic exerted immunosuppressive signals and indicated poor prognosis. Furthermore, we constructed the regulatory network in high cuproptosis-OXPHOS ESCC and identified HMGA1 as a potential regulator molecule of cuproptosis mediated by elesclomol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510030, PR China
| | - Haiyan Cheng
- Department of Gynecology, The Affiliated Qingdao Central Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266042, PR China
| | - Li Gong
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510030, PR China
| | - Yongcheng Huang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510030, PR China
| | - Jie Yang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510030, PR China
| | - Qihang Yan
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510030, PR China
| | - Shuqin Dai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510030, PR China.
| | - Junye Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510030, PR China.
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Xu X, Li S, Yu W, Yao S, Fan H, Guo Z. Activation of RIG-I/MDA5 Signaling and Inhibition of CD47-SIRPα Checkpoint with a Dual siRNA-Assembled Nanoadjuvant for Robust Cancer Immunotherapy. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202318544. [PMID: 38194267 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202318544] [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: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) play a crucial role in the anti-tumor immunity as they are responsible for capturing, processing, and presenting tumor antigens to T cells. However, their activation is often limited by the absence of adjuvants and the suppressive effects of immune checkpoints, such as CD47-SIRPα. Herein, we present a nanoadjuvant that is self-assembled from long RNA building blocks generated through rolling circle transcription (RCT) reaction and further modified with cationic liposomes. Owing to the high load of densely packed RNA, this nanoadjuvant could robustly activate RIG-I/MDA5 signaling in APCs, leading to the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) and the polarization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) toward an anti-tumor M1-like phenotype. In addition, with a well-designed template, the generated long RNA from RCT reaction includes two kinds of siRNA targeting both CD47 in tumor cells and SIRPα in APCs. This dual gene silencing results in efficient inhibition of the CD47-SIRPα checkpoint. Collectively, the robust activation of RIG-I/MDA5 signaling and efficient inhibition of CD47-SIRPα checkpoint enhance the phagocytic activity of APCs, which in turn promotes the cross-priming of effector T cells and the activation of anti-tumor immune responses. This study therefore provides a simple and robust RNA nanoadjuvant for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Shumeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Wenhao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Shankun Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Huanhuan Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Zijian Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
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11
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Sesarman A, Luput L, Rauca VF, Patras L, Licarete E, Meszaros MS, Dume BR, Negrea G, Toma VA, Muntean D, Porfire A, Banciu M. Targeting of M2 macrophages with IL-13-functionalized liposomal prednisolone inhibits melanoma angiogenesis in vivo. J Liposome Res 2024:1-12. [PMID: 38379249 DOI: 10.1080/08982104.2024.2315452] [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: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
The intricate cooperation between cancer cells and nontumor stromal cells within melanoma microenvironment (MME) enables tumor progression and metastasis. We previously demonstrated that the interplay between tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and melanoma cells can be disrupted by using long-circulating liposomes (LCLs) encapsulating prednisolone phosphate (PLP) (LCL-PLP) that inhibited tumor angiogenesis coordinated by TAMs. In this study, our goal was to improve LCL specificity for protumor macrophages (M2-like (i.e., TAMs) macrophages) and to induce a more precise accumulation at tumor site by loading PLP into IL-13-conjugated liposomes (IL-13-LCL-PLP), since IL-13 receptor is overexpressed in this type of macrophages. The IL-13-LCL-PLP liposomal formulation was obtained by covalent attachment of thiolated IL-13 to maleimide-functionalized LCL-PLP. C57BL/6 mice bearing B16.F10 s.c melanoma tumors were used to investigate the antitumor action of LCL-PLP and IL-13-LCL-PLP. Our results showed that IL-13-LCL-PLP formulation remained stable in biological fluids after 24h and it was preferentially taken up by M2 polarized macrophages. IL-13-LCL-PLP induced strong tumor growth inhibition compared to nonfunctionalized LCL-PLP at the same dose, by altering TAMs-mediated angiogenesis and oxidative stress, limiting resistance to apoptosis and invasive features in MME. These findings suggest IL-13-LCL-PLP might become a promising delivery platform for chemotherapeutic agents in melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Sesarman
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, and Center of Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresources, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Lavinia Luput
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, and Center of Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresources, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Valentin-Florian Rauca
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, and Center of Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresources, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Laura Patras
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, and Center of Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresources, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Emilia Licarete
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, and Center of Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresources, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Molecular Biology Centre, Institute for Interdisciplinary Research in Bio-Nano-Sciences of Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Marta-Szilvia Meszaros
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, and Center of Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresources, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Bogdan Razvan Dume
- Doctoral School in Integrative Biology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, "Babes-Bolyai" University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Giorgiana Negrea
- Doctoral School in Integrative Biology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, "Babes-Bolyai" University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Vlad-Alexandru Toma
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, and Center of Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresources, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Experimental Biology and Biochemistry, nstitute of Biological Research, branch of NIRDBS Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Dana Muntean
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Alina Porfire
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Iuliu Hatieganu", Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Manuela Banciu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, and Center of Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresources, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Li Z, Liu G, Yang X, Shu M, Jin W, Tong Y, Liu X, Wang Y, Yuan J, Yang Y. An atlas of cell-type-specific interactome networks across 44 human tumor types. Genome Med 2024; 16:30. [PMID: 38347596 PMCID: PMC10860273 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-024-01303-w] [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: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biological processes are controlled by groups of genes acting in concert. Investigating gene-gene interactions within different cell types can help researchers understand the regulatory mechanisms behind human complex diseases, such as tumors. METHODS We collected extensive single-cell RNA-seq data from tumors, involving 563 patients with 44 different tumor types. Through our analysis, we identified various cell types in tumors and created an atlas of different immune cell subsets across different tumor types. Using the SCINET method, we reconstructed interactome networks specific to different cell types. Diverse functional data was then integrated to gain biological insights into the networks, including somatic mutation patterns and gene functional annotation. Additionally, genes with prognostic relevance within the networks were also identified. We also examined cell-cell communications to investigate how gene interactions modulate cell-cell interactions. RESULTS We developed a data portal called CellNetdb for researchers to study cell-type-specific interactome networks. Our findings indicate that these networks can be used to identify genes with topological specificity in different cell types. We also found that prognostic genes can deconvolved into cell types through analyzing network connectivity. Additionally, we identified commonalities and differences in cell-type-specific networks across different tumor types. Our results suggest that these networks can be used to prioritize risk genes. CONCLUSIONS This study presented CellNetdb, a comprehensive repository featuring an atlas of cell-type-specific interactome networks across 44 human tumor types. The findings underscore the utility of these networks in delineating the intricacies of tumor microenvironments and advancing the understanding of molecular mechanisms underpinning human tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zekun Li
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, The Province and Ministry Co-Sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Gerui Liu
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, The Province and Ministry Co-Sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Yang
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, The Province and Ministry Co-Sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Meng Shu
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, The Province and Ministry Co-Sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Wen Jin
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, The Province and Ministry Co-Sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Yang Tong
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, The Province and Ministry Co-Sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Xiaochuan Liu
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, The Province and Ministry Co-Sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Yuting Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, The Province and Ministry Co-Sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Jiapei Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, National Clinical Research Center for Blood Diseases, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, 300020, China.
- Tianjin Institutes of Health Science, Tianjin, 301600, China.
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, The Province and Ministry Co-Sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Inflammatory Biology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China.
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China.
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Qu C, Yuan H, Tian M, Zhang X, Xia P, Shi G, Hou R, Li J, Jiang H, Yang Z, Chen T, Li Z, Wang J, Yuan Y. Precise Photodynamic Therapy by Midkine Nanobody-Engineered Nanoparticles Remodels the Microenvironment of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma and Potentiates the Immunotherapy. ACS NANO 2024; 18:4019-4037. [PMID: 38253029 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c07002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is notorious for its resistance against chemotherapy and immunotherapy due to its dense desmoplastic and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Traditional photodynamic therapy (PDT) was also less effective for PDAC owing to poor selectivity, insufficient penetration, and accumulation of photosensitizers in tumor sites. Here, we designed a light-responsive novel nanoplatform targeting the TME of PDAC through tumor-specific midkine nanobodies (Nbs), which could efficiently deliver semiconducting polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) to the TME of PDAC and locally produce abundant reactive oxygen species (ROS) for precise photoimmunotherapy. The synthesized nanocomposite can not only achieve multimodal imaging of PDAC tumors (fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging) but also lead to apoptosis and immunogenic cell death of tumor cells via ROS under light excitation, ultimately preventing tumor progression and remodeling the immunosuppressive TME with increased infiltration of T lymphocytes. Combined with a PD-1 checkpoint blockade, the targeted PDT platform showed the best antitumor performance and markedly extended mice survival. Conclusively, this work integrating Nbs with photodynamic NPs provides a novel strategy to target formidable PDAC to achieve tumor suppression and activate antitumor immunity, creating possibilities for boosting efficacy of immunotherapy for PDAC tumors through the combination with precise local PDT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengming Qu
- Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei, P. R. China
- Clinical Medicine Research Center for Minimally Invasive Procedure of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan 430071, Hubei, P. R. China
| | - Haitao Yuan
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Shenzhen Institute of Respiratory Diseases, and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital; First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Ming Tian
- Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei, P. R. China
- Clinical Medicine Research Center for Minimally Invasive Procedure of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan 430071, Hubei, P. R. China
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- Department of Medical Imaging, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University (Academy of Orthopedics· Guangdong Province), Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Peng Xia
- Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei, P. R. China
- Clinical Medicine Research Center for Minimally Invasive Procedure of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan 430071, Hubei, P. R. China
| | - Guangwei Shi
- Department of Neurosurgery & Medical Research Center, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University (The First People' s Hospital of Shunde Foshan), Guangzhou 528300, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Rui Hou
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Shenzhen Institute of Respiratory Diseases, and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital; First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Ji Li
- Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands 6009, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Haibo Jiang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China
| | - Zhiyong Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei, P. R. China
- Clinical Medicine Research Center for Minimally Invasive Procedure of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan 430071, Hubei, P. R. China
| | - Tengxiang Chen
- Precision Medicine Research Institute of Guizhou Medical University, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550009, Guizhou, P. R. China
| | - Zhijie Li
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Shenzhen Institute of Respiratory Diseases, and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital; First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, P. R. China
| | - Jigang Wang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Shenzhen Institute of Respiratory Diseases, and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital; First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, P. R. China
- Department of Oncology, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, Henan, P. R. China
| | - Yufeng Yuan
- Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei, P. R. China
- Clinical Medicine Research Center for Minimally Invasive Procedure of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases of Hubei Province, Wuhan 430071, Hubei, P. R. China
- TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, Hubei, P. R. China
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Lee J, Kim D, Kong J, Ha D, Kim I, Park M, Lee K, Im SH, Kim S. Cell-cell communication network-based interpretable machine learning predicts cancer patient response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj0785. [PMID: 38295179 PMCID: PMC10830106 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj0785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer treatment. However, only some patients respond to ICIs, and current biomarkers for ICI efficacy have limited performance. Here, we devised an interpretable machine learning (ML) model trained using patient-specific cell-cell communication networks (CCNs) decoded from the patient's bulk tumor transcriptome. The model could (i) predict ICI efficacy for patients across four cancer types (median AUROC: 0.79) and (ii) identify key communication pathways with crucial players responsible for patient response or resistance to ICIs by analyzing more than 700 ICI-treated patient samples from 11 cohorts. The model prioritized chemotaxis communication of immune-related cells and growth factor communication of structural cells as the key biological processes underlying response and resistance to ICIs, respectively. We confirmed the key communication pathways and players at the single-cell level in patients with melanoma. Our network-based ML approach can be used to expand ICIs' clinical benefits in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juhun Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Korea
| | - Donghyo Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Korea
| | - JungHo Kong
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Korea
| | - Doyeon Ha
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Korea
| | - Inhae Kim
- ImmunoBiome Inc., Pohang 166-20, Korea
| | - Minhyuk Park
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Korea
| | - Kwanghwan Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Korea
| | - Sin-Hyeog Im
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Korea
- ImmunoBiome Inc., Pohang 166-20, Korea
- Institute of Convergence Science, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Sanguk Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Korea
- Institute of Convergence Science, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
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MUW researcher of the month. Wien Klin Wochenschr 2024; 136:126-127. [PMID: 38305880 DOI: 10.1007/s00508-024-02328-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
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16
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Hayes BH, Wang M, Zhu H, Phan SH, Dooling LJ, Andrechak JC, Chang AH, Tobin MP, Ontko NM, Marchena T, Discher DE. Chromosomal instability can favor macrophage-mediated immune response and induce a broad, vaccination-like anti-tumor IgG response. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.04.02.535275. [PMID: 37066426 PMCID: PMC10103980 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.02.535275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Chromosomal instability (CIN), a state in which cells undergo mitotic aberrations that generate chromosome copy number variations, generates aneuploidy and is thought to drive cancer evolution. Although associated with poor prognosis and reduced immune response, CIN generates aneuploidy-induced stresses that could be exploited for immunotherapies. In such contexts, macrophages and the CD47-SIRPα checkpoint are understudied. Here, CIN is induced pharmacologically induced in poorly immunogenic B16F10 mouse melanoma cells, generating persistent micronuclei and diverse aneuploidy while skewing macrophages towards an anti-cancer M1-like phenotype, based on RNA-sequencing profiling, surface marker expression and short-term antitumor studies. These results further translate to in vivo efficacy: Mice bearing CIN-afflicted tumors with wild-type CD47 levels survive only slightly longer relative to chromosomally stable controls, but long-term survival is maximized when combining macrophage-stimulating anti-tumor IgG opsonization and some form of disruption of the CD47-SIRPα checkpoint. Survivors make multi-epitope, de novo anti-cancer IgG that promote macrophage-mediated phagocytosis of CD47 knockout B16F10 cells and suppress tumoroids in vitro and growth of tumors in vivo . CIN does not greatly affect the level of the IgG response compared to previous studies but does significantly increase survival. These results highlight an unexpected therapeutic benefit from CIN when paired with maximal macrophage anti-cancer activity: an anti-cancer vaccination-like antibody response that can lead to more durable cures and further potentiate cell-mediated acquired immunity.
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17
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Yang J, Wan S, Zhao M, Cai H, Gao Y, Wang H. Multi-omics Analysis Identifies Hypoxia Subtypes and S100A2 as an Immunosuppressive Factor in Cervical Cancer. Reprod Sci 2024; 31:107-121. [PMID: 37648942 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-023-01304-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Cervical cancer is a common gynecological oncology. Growing evidence indicates hypoxia plays an important role in tumor progression and immunity. However, no study has examined the hypoxia landscape in cervical cancer. In this study, using hierarchical clustering, we identified three hypoxia subtypes in cervical cancer samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset according to formerly described hypoxia-related genes. The overall survival time, hypoxic features, genomics, and immunological characteristics of these subtypes existed distinct differences. We also created a hypoxia score by principle component analysis for dimension reduction. The hypoxiaScore was an effective prognostic biomarker validated by GSE44001 and was associated with immunotherapy response. Furthermore, combined with single-cell RNA-sequence (scRNA-seq) and experiments, S100A2 was identified as an immunosuppressive factor induced by hypoxia and regulated expression of PD-L1. S100A2 also served as an oncogene promoting the proliferation and migration of cervical cancer cells. These findings depicted a new hypoxia-based classification and identified S100A2 as a potential therapeutic target for cervical cancer, thereby advancing the understanding of immunotherapy resistance mechanisms and cervical cancer genetic markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyuan Yang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Department of Gynecology, Maternal and ChildHealth Hospital of Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Shimeng Wan
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Mengna Zhao
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Hongbing Cai
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China.
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China.
| | - Yang Gao
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China.
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China.
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China.
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, China.
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Chen Y, Sun J, Liu J, Wei Y, Wang X, Fang H, Du H, Huang J, Li Q, Ren G, Wang X, Li H. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2-mediated aldehyde metabolism promotes tumor immune evasion by regulating the NOD/VISTA axis. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007487. [PMID: 38088186 PMCID: PMC10711917 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) is a crucial enzyme involved in endogenous aldehyde detoxification and has been implicated in tumor progression. However, its role in tumor immune evasion remains unclear. METHODS Here, we analyzed the relationship between ALDH2 expression and antitumor immune features in multiple cancers. ALDH2 knockout tumor cells were then established using CRISPR/Cas9 system. In immunocompetent breast cancer EMT6 and melanoma B16-F10 mouse models, we investigated the impact of ALDH2 blockade on cytotoxic T lymphocyte function and tumor immune microenvironment by flow cytometry, mass cytometry, Luminex liquid suspension chip detection, and immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, RNA sequencing, flow cytometry, western blot, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, and luciferase reporter assays were employed to explore the detailed mechanism of ALDH2 involved in tumor immune evasion. Lastly, the synergistic therapeutic efficacy of blocking ALDH2 by genetic depletion or its inhibitor disulfiram in combination with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) was investigated in mouse models. RESULTS In our study, we uncovered a positive correlation between the expression level of ALDH2 and T-cell dysfunction in multiple cancers. Furthermore, blocking ALDH2 significantly suppressed tumor growth by enhancing cytotoxic activity of CD8+ T cells and reshaping the immune landscape and cytokine milieu of tumors in vivo. Mechanistically, inhibiting ALDH2-mediated metabolism of aldehyde downregulated the expression of V-domain Ig suppressor of T-cell activation (VISTA) via inactivating the nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD)/nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. As a result, the cytotoxic function of CD8+ T cells was revitalized. Importantly, ALDH2 blockade markedly reinforced the efficacy of ICB treatment. CONCLUSIONS Our data delineate that ALDH2-mediated aldehyde metabolism drives tumor immune evasion by activating the NOD/NF-κB/VISTA axis. Targeting ALDH2 provides an effective combinatorial therapeutic strategy for immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuru Chen
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Epigenetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiazheng Sun
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Epigenetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiazhou Liu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Epigenetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuxian Wei
- Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaoyu Wang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Epigenetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Huiying Fang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Epigenetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Breast Disease, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Huimin Du
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jing Huang
- Department of Respiratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qin Li
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Guosheng Ren
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Epigenetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaoyi Wang
- Department of Endocrine and Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hongzhong Li
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology and Epigenetics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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19
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Levites Y, Dammer EB, Ran Y, Tsering W, Duong D, Abreha M, Gadhavi J, Lolo K, Trejo-Lopez J, Phillips JL, Iturbe A, Erqiuzi A, Moore BD, Ryu D, Natu A, Dillon KD, Torrellas J, Moran C, Ladd TB, Afroz KF, Islam T, Jagirdar J, Funk CC, Robinson M, Borchelt DR, Ertekin-Taner N, Kelly JW, Heppner FL, Johnson EC, McFarland K, Levey AL, Prokop S, Seyfried NT, Golde TE. Aβ Amyloid Scaffolds the Accumulation of Matrisome and Additional Proteins in Alzheimer's Disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.29.568318. [PMID: 38076912 PMCID: PMC10705437 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.29.568318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
We report a highly significant correlation in brain proteome changes between Alzheimers disease (AD) and CRND8 APP695NL/F transgenic mice. However, integrating protein changes observed in the CRND8 mice with co-expression networks derived from human AD, reveals both conserved and divergent module changes. For the most highly conserved module (M42, matrisome) we find many proteins accumulate in plaques, cerebrovascular amyloid (CAA), dystrophic processes, or a combination thereof. Overexpression of two M42 proteins, midkine (Mdk) and pleiotrophin (PTN), in CRND8 mice brains leads to increased accumulation of A β ; in plaques and in CAA; further, recombinant MDK and PTN enhance A β ; aggregation into amyloid. Multiple M42 proteins, annotated as heparan sulfate binding proteins, bind to fibrillar A β 42 and a non-human amyloid fibril in vitro. Supporting this binding data, MDK and PTN co-accumulate with transthyretin (TTR) amyloid in the heart and islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) amyloid in the pancreas. Our findings establish several critical insights. Proteomic changes in modules observed in human AD brains define an A β ; amyloid responsome that is well conserved from mouse model to human. Further, distinct amyloid structures may serve as scaffolds, facilitating the co-accumulation of proteins with signaling functions. We hypothesize that this co-accumulation may contribute to downstream pathological sequalae. Overall, this contextualized understanding of proteomic changes and their interplay with amyloid deposition provides valuable insights into the complexity of AD pathogenesis and potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
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20
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Wang J, Harwood CA, Bailey E, Bewicke-Copley F, Anene CA, Thomson J, Qamar MJ, Laban R, Nourse C, Schoenherr C, Treanor-Taylor M, Healy E, Lai C, Craig P, Moyes C, Rickaby W, Martin J, Proby C, Inman GJ, Leigh IM. Transcriptomic analysis of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma reveals a multigene prognostic signature associated with metastasis. J Am Acad Dermatol 2023; 89:1159-1166. [PMID: 37586461 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2023.08.012] [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: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metastasis of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is uncommon. Current staging methods are reported to have sub-optimal performances in metastasis prediction. Accurate identification of patients with tumors at high risk of metastasis would have a significant impact on management. OBJECTIVE To develop a robust and validated gene expression profile signature for predicting primary cSCC metastatic risk using an unbiased whole transcriptome discovery-driven approach. METHODS Archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded primary cSCC with perilesional normal tissue from 237 immunocompetent patients (151 nonmetastasizing and 86 metastasizing) were collected retrospectively from four centers. TempO-seq was used to probe the whole transcriptome and machine learning algorithms were applied to derive predictive signatures, with a 3:1 split for training and testing datasets. RESULTS A 20-gene prognostic model was developed and validated, with an accuracy of 86.0%, sensitivity of 85.7%, specificity of 86.1%, and positive predictive value of 78.3% in the testing set, providing more stable, accurate prediction than pathological staging systems. A linear predictor was also developed, significantly correlating with metastatic risk. LIMITATIONS This was a retrospective 4-center study and larger prospective multicenter studies are now required. CONCLUSION The 20-gene signature prediction is accurate, with the potential to be incorporated into clinical workflows for cSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wang
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
| | - Catherine A Harwood
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; Department of Dermatology, Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Emma Bailey
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | | | - Chinedu Anthony Anene
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; Centre for Biomedical Science Research, School of Clinical and Applied Sciences, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK
| | - Jason Thomson
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; Department of Dermatology, Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Mah Jabeen Qamar
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; Department of Dermatology, Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Rhiannon Laban
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; Department of Dermatology, Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Craig Nourse
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | | | - Mairi Treanor-Taylor
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, Scotland, UK; School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Eugene Healy
- Dermatopharmacology, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK; Dermatology, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Chester Lai
- Dermatopharmacology, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK; Dermatology, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Paul Craig
- Cellular Pathology, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cheltenham General Hospital, Cheltenham, UK
| | - Colin Moyes
- Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, Scotland
| | | | - Joanne Martin
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Charlotte Proby
- Molecular and Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland
| | - Gareth J Inman
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, Scotland, UK; School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Irene M Leigh
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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21
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Neumaier EE, Rothhammer V, Linnerbauer M. The role of midkine in health and disease. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1310094. [PMID: 38098484 PMCID: PMC10720637 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1310094] [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: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Midkine (MDK) is a neurotrophic growth factor highly expressed during embryogenesis with important functions related to growth, proliferation, survival, migration, angiogenesis, reproduction, and repair. Recent research has indicated that MDK functions as a key player in autoimmune disorders of the central nervous system (CNS), such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and is a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of brain tumors, acute injuries, and other CNS disorders. This review summarizes the modes of action and immunological functions of MDK both in the peripheral immune compartment and in the CNS, particularly in the context of traumatic brain injury, brain tumors, neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration. Moreover, we discuss the role of MDK as a central mediator of neuro-immune crosstalk, focusing on the interactions between CNS-infiltrating and -resident cells such as astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes. Finally, we highlight the therapeutic potential of MDK and discuss potential therapeutic approaches for the treatment of neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Veit Rothhammer
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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22
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Huang L, Wang X, Pei S, Li X, Dong L, Bian X, Sun H, Jin L, Hou H, Shi W, Zhang X, Zhang L, Zhao S, Chen X, Yin M. Single-Cell Profiling Reveals Sustained Immune Infiltration, Surveillance, and Tumor Heterogeneity in Infiltrative Basal Cell Carcinoma. J Invest Dermatol 2023; 143:2283-2294.e17. [PMID: 37201777 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2023.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Infiltrative basal cell carcinoma (iBCC) is a particularly aggressive subtype of basal cell carcinoma that tends to progress and recur after surgery, and its malignancy is closely related to the tumor microenvironment. In this study, we performed a comprehensive single-cell RNA analysis to profile 29,334 cells from iBCC and adjacent normal skin. We found active immune collaborations enriched in iBCC. Specifically, SPP1+CXCL9/10high macrophage 1 had strong BAFF signaling with plasma cells, and T follicular helper-like cells highly expressed the B-cell chemokine CXCL13. Heterogeneous proinflammatory SPP1+CXCL9/10high macrophage 1 and angiogenesis-related SPP1+CCL2high macrophage 1 were identified within the tumor microenvironment. Interestingly, we found an upregulation of major histocompatibility complex I molecules in fibroblasts in iBCC compared with those in adjacent normal skin. Moreover, MDK signals derived from malignant basal cells were markedly increased, and their expression was an independent factor in predicting the infiltration depth of iBCC, emphasizing its role in driving malignancy and remodeling the tumor microenvironment. In addition, we identified differentiation-associated SOSTDC1+IGFBP5+CTSV+ malignant basal subtype 1 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition-associated TNC+SFRP1+CHGA+ malignant basal subtype 2 cells. The high expression of malignant basal 2 cell markers was associated with the invasion and recurrence of iBCC. Altogether, our study helps to elucidate the cellular heterogeneity in iBCC and provides potential therapeutic targets for clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingjuan Huang
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Engineering Research Center of Personalized Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xianggui Wang
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Engineering Research Center of Personalized Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, Central South University, Changsha, China; Eye Center of Xiangya Hospital, Hunan Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Shiyao Pei
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Engineering Research Center of Personalized Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Engineering Research Center of Personalized Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Liang Dong
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Engineering Research Center of Personalized Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiaohui Bian
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Engineering Research Center of Personalized Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hongyin Sun
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Engineering Research Center of Personalized Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Liping Jin
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Engineering Research Center of Personalized Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Huihui Hou
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Engineering Research Center of Personalized Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Wensheng Shi
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Engineering Research Center of Personalized Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, Central South University, Changsha, China; Department of Urology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiyuan Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Engineering Research Center of Personalized Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lining Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Engineering Research Center of Personalized Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Shuang Zhao
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Engineering Research Center of Personalized Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Engineering Research Center of Personalized Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Mingzhu Yin
- Department of Dermatology, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Engineering Research Center of Personalized Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technology, Central South University, Changsha, China.
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23
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Said EA, Al-Dughaishi S, Al-Hatmi W, Al-Reesi I, Al-Balushi MS, Al-Bimani A, Al-Busaidi JZ, Al-Riyami M, Al-Khabori M, Al-Kindi S, Procopio FA, Al-Sinawi S, Al-Ansari A, Koh CY, Al-Naamani K, Al-Jabri AA. Differential Production of Midkine and Pleiotrophin by Innate APCs upon Stimulation through Nucleic Acid-Sensing TLRs. J Immunol Res 2023; 2023:7944102. [PMID: 37850119 PMCID: PMC10578979 DOI: 10.1155/2023/7944102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Midkine (MK) and pleiotrophin (PTN) belong to the same family of cytokines. They have similar sequences and functions. Both have important roles in cellular proliferation, tumors, and diseases. They regulate and are expressed by some immune cells. We have recently demonstrated MK production by some human innate antigen-presenting cells (iAPCs), i.e., monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDCs) and macrophages stimulated through Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4, and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) stimulated through TLR 7. While PTN production was only documented in tissue macrophages. TLRs 3, 7, 8, and 9 are nucleic acid sensing (NAS) TLRs that detect nucleic acids from cell damage and infection and induce iAPC responses. We investigated whether NAS TLRs can induce MK and PTN production by human iAPCs, namely monocytes, macrophages, MDDCs, myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs), and pDCs. Our results demonstrated for the first time that PTN is produced by all iAPCs upon TLR triggering (p < 0.01). IAPCs produced more PTN than MK (p < 0.01). NAS TLRs and iAPCs had differential abilities to induce the production of MK, which was induced in monocytes and pDCs by all NAS TLRs (p < 0.05) and in MDDCs by TLRs 7/8 (p < 0.05). TLR4 induced a stronger MK production than NAS TLRs (p ≤ 0.05). Monocytes produced higher levels of PTN after differentiation to macrophages and MDDCs (p < 0.05). The production of MK and PTN differs among iAPCs, with a higher production of PTN and a selective induction of MK production by NAS TLR. This highlights the potentially important role of iAPCs in angiogenesis, tumors, infections, and autoimmunity through the differential production of MK and PTN upon TLR triggering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias A. Said
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Sumaya Al-Dughaishi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Wadha Al-Hatmi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Iman Al-Reesi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Mohammed S. Al-Balushi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Atika Al-Bimani
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Juma Z. Al-Busaidi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Marwa Al-Riyami
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Murtadha Al-Khabori
- Department of Hematology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Salam Al-Kindi
- Department of Hematology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Francesco A. Procopio
- Service of Immunology and Allergy, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Shadia Al-Sinawi
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Aliyaa Al-Ansari
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Crystal Y. Koh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | | | - Ali A. Al-Jabri
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
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24
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Kam NW, Lau CY, Che CM, Lee VHF. Nasopharynx Battlefield: Cellular Immune Responses Mediated by Midkine in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and COVID-19. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4850. [PMID: 37835544 PMCID: PMC10571800 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15194850] [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: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinical evidence suggests that the severe respiratory illness coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is often associated with a cytokine storm that results in dysregulated immune responses. Prolonged COVID-19 positivity is thought to disproportionately affect cancer patients. With COVID-19 disrupting the delivery of cancer care, it is crucial to gain momentum and awareness of the mechanistic intersection between these two diseases. This review discusses the role of the cytokine midkine (MK) as an immunomodulator in patients with COVID-19 and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), both of which affect the nasal cavity. We conducted a review and analysis of immunocellular similarities and differences based on clinical studies, research articles, and published transcriptomic datasets. We specifically focused on ligand-receptor pairs that could be used to infer intercellular communication, as well as the current medications used for each disease, including NPC patients who have contracted COVID-19. Based on our findings, we recommend close monitoring of the MK axis to maintain the desirable effects of therapeutic regimens in fighting both NPC and COVID-19 infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ngar-Woon Kam
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Centre of Cancer Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China; (N.-W.K.); (C.-Y.L.)
- Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology Ltd., Hong Kong Science Park, New Territories, Hong Kong 999077, China;
| | - Cho-Yiu Lau
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Centre of Cancer Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China; (N.-W.K.); (C.-Y.L.)
- Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology Ltd., Hong Kong Science Park, New Territories, Hong Kong 999077, China;
| | - Chi-Ming Che
- Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology Ltd., Hong Kong Science Park, New Territories, Hong Kong 999077, China;
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Victor Ho-Fun Lee
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Centre of Cancer Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China; (N.-W.K.); (C.-Y.L.)
- Clinical Oncology Center, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518053, China
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25
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Kohtamäki L, Leivonen SK, Mäkelä S, Juteau S, Leppä S, Hernberg M. Intra-patient evolution of tumor microenvironment in the pathogenesis of treatment-naïve metastatic melanoma patients. Acta Oncol 2023; 62:1008-1013. [PMID: 37624703 DOI: 10.1080/0284186x.2023.2248371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Kohtamäki
- Department of Oncology, Helsinki University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Siru Mäkelä
- Department of Oncology, Helsinki University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Sirpa Leppä
- Department of Oncology, Helsinki University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Research Programs Unit, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Micaela Hernberg
- Department of Oncology, Helsinki University Hospital, Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Helsinki, Finland
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26
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Clahsen T, Hadrian K, Notara M, Schlereth SL, Howaldt A, Prokosch V, Volatier T, Hos D, Schroedl F, Kaser-Eichberger A, Heindl LM, Steven P, Bosch JJ, Steinkasserer A, Rokohl AC, Liu H, Mestanoglu M, Kashkar H, Schumacher B, Kiefer F, Schulte-Merker S, Matthaei M, Hou Y, Fassbender S, Jantsch J, Zhang W, Enders P, Bachmann B, Bock F, Cursiefen C. The novel role of lymphatic vessels in the pathogenesis of ocular diseases. Prog Retin Eye Res 2023; 96:101157. [PMID: 36759312 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2022.101157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Historically, the eye has been considered as an organ free of lymphatic vessels. In recent years, however, it became evident, that lymphatic vessels or lymphatic-like vessels contribute to several ocular pathologies at various peri- and intraocular locations. The aim of this review is to outline the pathogenetic role of ocular lymphatics, the respective molecular mechanisms and to discuss current and future therapeutic options based thereon. We will give an overview on the vascular anatomy of the healthy ocular surface and the molecular mechanisms contributing to corneal (lymph)angiogenic privilege. In addition, we present (i) current insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms occurring during pathological neovascularization of the cornea triggered e.g. by inflammation or trauma, (ii) the role of lymphatic vessels in different ocular surface pathologies such as dry eye disease, corneal graft rejection, ocular graft versus host disease, allergy, and pterygium, (iii) the involvement of lymphatic vessels in ocular tumors and metastasis, and (iv) the novel role of the lymphatic-like structure of Schlemm's canal in glaucoma. Identification of the underlying molecular mechanisms and of novel modulators of lymphangiogenesis will contribute to the development of new therapeutic targets for the treatment of ocular diseases associated with pathological lymphangiogenesis in the future. The preclinical data presented here outline novel therapeutic concepts for promoting transplant survival, inhibiting metastasis of ocular tumors, reducing inflammation of the ocular surface, and treating glaucoma. Initial data from clinical trials suggest first success of novel treatment strategies to promote transplant survival based on pretransplant corneal lymphangioregression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Clahsen
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Karina Hadrian
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Maria Notara
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Simona L Schlereth
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Antonia Howaldt
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Verena Prokosch
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Volatier
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Deniz Hos
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Falk Schroedl
- Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology - Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Alexandra Kaser-Eichberger
- Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology - Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Ludwig M Heindl
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Philipp Steven
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Cluster of Excellence: Cellular Stress Responses in Ageing-Associated Diseases, CECAD, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jacobus J Bosch
- Centre for Human Drug Research and Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Alexander C Rokohl
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hanhan Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Mert Mestanoglu
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hamid Kashkar
- Institute for Molecular Immunology, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), CECAD Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Björn Schumacher
- Center for Molecular Medicine (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Cluster of Excellence: Cellular Stress Responses in Ageing-Associated Diseases, CECAD, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Friedemann Kiefer
- European Institute for Molecular Imaging (EIMI), University of Münster, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Stefan Schulte-Merker
- Institute for Cardiovascular Organogenesis and Regeneration, Faculty of Medicine, WWU Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Mario Matthaei
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Yanhong Hou
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, 83 Fenyang Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China
| | - Sonja Fassbender
- IUF‒Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, Duesseldorf, Germany; Immunology and Environment, Life & Medical Sciences (LIMES) Institute, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jonathan Jantsch
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Philip Enders
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Björn Bachmann
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Felix Bock
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Claus Cursiefen
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Cluster of Excellence: Cellular Stress Responses in Ageing-Associated Diseases, CECAD, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
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27
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Chen X, Meng F, Xu Y, Li T, Chen X, Wang H. Chemically programmed STING-activating nano-liposomal vesicles improve anticancer immunity. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4584. [PMID: 37524727 PMCID: PMC10390568 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40312-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The often immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) may hinder immune evasion and response to checkpoint blockade therapies. Pharmacological activation of the STING pathway does create an immunologically hot TME, however, systemic delivery might lead to undesired off-target inflammatory responses. Here, we generate a small panel of esterase-activatable pro-drugs based on the structure of the non-nucleotide STING agonist MSA-2 that are subsequently stably incorporated into a liposomal vesicle for intravenous administration. The pharmacokinetic properties and immune stimulatory capacity of pro-drugs delivered via liposomes (SAProsomes) are enhanced compared to the free drug form. By performing efficacy screening among the SAProsomes incorporating different pro-drugs in syngeneic mouse tumor models, we find that superior therapeutic performance relies on improved delivery to the desired tumor and lymphoid compartments. The best candidate, SAProsome-3, highly stimulates secretion of inflammatory cytokines and creates a tumoricidal immune landscape. Notably, upon application to breast cancer or melanoma mouse models, SAProsome-3 elicits durable remission of established tumors and postsurgical tumor-free survival while decreasing metastatic burden without significant systemic toxicity. In summary, our work establishes the proof of principle for a better targeted and more efficient and safe STING agonist therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaona Chen
- The First Affiliated Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310003, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, P. R. China
| | - Fanchao Meng
- The First Affiliated Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310003, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, P. R. China
| | - Yiting Xu
- The First Affiliated Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310003, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, P. R. China
| | - Tongyu Li
- The First Affiliated Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310003, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, P. R. China
| | - Xiaolong Chen
- The First Affiliated Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310003, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, P. R. China
| | - Hangxiang Wang
- The First Affiliated Hospital, NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310003, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, P. R. China.
- Jinan Microecological Biomedicine Shandong Laboratory, 250117, Jinan, Shandong Province, P. R. China.
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28
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Fetahu IS, Esser-Skala W, Dnyansagar R, Sindelar S, Rifatbegovic F, Bileck A, Skos L, Bozsaky E, Lazic D, Shaw L, Tötzl M, Tarlungeanu D, Bernkopf M, Rados M, Weninger W, Tomazou EM, Bock C, Gerner C, Ladenstein R, Farlik M, Fortelny N, Taschner-Mandl S. Single-cell transcriptomics and epigenomics unravel the role of monocytes in neuroblastoma bone marrow metastasis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3620. [PMID: 37365178 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39210-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is the major cause of cancer-related deaths. Neuroblastoma (NB), a childhood tumor has been molecularly defined at the primary cancer site, however, the bone marrow (BM) as the metastatic niche of NB is poorly characterized. Here we perform single-cell transcriptomic and epigenomic profiling of BM aspirates from 11 subjects spanning three major NB subtypes and compare these to five age-matched and metastasis-free BM, followed by in-depth single cell analyses of tissue diversity and cell-cell interactions, as well as functional validation. We show that cellular plasticity of NB tumor cells is conserved upon metastasis and tumor cell type composition is NB subtype-dependent. NB cells signal to the BM microenvironment, rewiring via macrophage mgration inhibitory factor and midkine signaling specifically monocytes, which exhibit M1 and M2 features, are marked by activation of pro- and anti-inflammatory programs, and express tumor-promoting factors, reminiscent of tumor-associated macrophages. The interactions and pathways characterized in our study provide the basis for therapeutic approaches that target tumor-to-microenvironment interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irfete S Fetahu
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Wolfgang Esser-Skala
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Rohit Dnyansagar
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Samuel Sindelar
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Andrea Bileck
- University of Vienna, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Vienna, Austria
- Joint Metabolomics Facility, University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Skos
- University of Vienna, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Bozsaky
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daria Lazic
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa Shaw
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Dermatology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marcus Tötzl
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Marie Bernkopf
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Magdalena Rados
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Weninger
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Dermatology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eleni M Tomazou
- St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Bock
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Medical University of Vienna, Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Center for Medical Data Science, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christopher Gerner
- University of Vienna, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Vienna, Austria
- Joint Metabolomics Facility, University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ruth Ladenstein
- St. Anna Children's Hospital and St. Anna Children's Cancer Research Institute, Department of Studies and Statistics for Integrated Research and Projects, Vienna, Austria
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Pediatrics, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Farlik
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Dermatology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nikolaus Fortelny
- Department of Biosciences and Medical Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
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Rahimi A, Esmaeili Y, Dana N, Dabiri A, Rahimmanesh I, Jandaghain S, Vaseghi G, Shariati L, Zarrabi A, Javanmard SH, Cordani M. A comprehensive review on novel targeted therapy methods and nanotechnology-based gene delivery systems in melanoma. Eur J Pharm Sci 2023:106476. [PMID: 37236377 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2023.106476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Melanoma, a malignant form of skin cancer, has been swiftly increasing in recent years. Although there have been significant advancements in clinical treatment underlying a well-understanding of melanoma-susceptible genes and the molecular basis of melanoma pathogenesis, the permanency of response to therapy is frequently constrained by the emergence of acquired resistance and systemic toxicity. Conventional therapies, including surgical resection, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy, have already been used to treat melanoma and are dependent on the cancer stage. Nevertheless, ineffective side effects and the heterogeneity of tumors pose major obstacles to the therapeutic treatment of malignant melanoma through such strategies. In light of this, advanced therapies including nucleic acid therapies (ncRNA, aptamers), suicide gene therapies, and gene therapy using tumor suppressor genes, have lately gained immense attention in the field of cancer treatment. Furthermore, nanomedicine and targeted therapy based on gene editing tools have been applied to the treatment of melanoma as potential cancer treatment approaches nowadays. Indeed, nanovectors enable delivery of the therapeutic agents into the tumor sites by passive or active targeting, improving therapeutic efficiency and minimizing adverse effects. Accordingly, in this review, we summarized the recent findings related to novel targeted therapy methods as well as nanotechnology-based gene systems in melanoma. We also discussed current issues along with potential directions for future research, paving the way for the next-generation of melanoma treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azadeh Rahimi
- Applied Physiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Yasaman Esmaeili
- Biosensor Research Center, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 8174673461, Iran
| | - Nasim Dana
- Applied Physiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Arezou Dabiri
- Applied Physiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Ilnaz Rahimmanesh
- Applied Physiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Setareh Jandaghain
- Applied Physiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Golnaz Vaseghi
- Applied Physiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran; Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 8158388994, Iran
| | - Laleh Shariati
- Department of Biomaterials, Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 8174673461, Iran
| | - Ali Zarrabi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Natural Sciences, Istinye University, Istanbul 34396, Turkey
| | - Shaghayegh Haghjooy Javanmard
- Applied Physiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Marco Cordani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040 Madrid, Spain.
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Saikia M, Cheung N, Singh AK, Kapoor V. Role of Midkine in Cancer Drug Resistance: Regulators of Its Expression and Its Molecular Targeting. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108739. [PMID: 37240085 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecules involved in drug resistance can be targeted for better therapeutic efficacies. Research on midkine (MDK) has escalated in the last few decades, which affirms a positive correlation between disease progression and MDK expression in most cancers and indicates its association with multi-drug resistance in cancer. MDK, a secretory cytokine found in blood, can be exploited as a potent biomarker for the non-invasive detection of drug resistance expressed in various cancers and, thereby, can be targeted. We summarize the current information on the involvement of MDK in drug resistance, and transcriptional regulators of its expression and highlight its potential as a cancer therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minakshi Saikia
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Nathan Cheung
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Abhay Kumar Singh
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Vaishali Kapoor
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
- Siteman Cancer Center, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
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Ganguly D, Schmidt MO, Coleman M, Ngo TVC, Sorrelle N, Dominguez AT, Murimwa GZ, Toombs JE, Lewis C, Fang YV, Valdes-Mora F, Gallego-Ortega D, Wellstein A, Brekken RA. Pleiotrophin drives a prometastatic immune niche in breast cancer. J Exp Med 2023; 220:e20220610. [PMID: 36828390 PMCID: PMC9998964 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20220610] [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: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastatic cancer cells adapt to thrive in secondary organs. To investigate metastatic adaptation, we performed transcriptomic analysis of metastatic and non-metastatic murine breast cancer cells. We found that pleiotrophin (PTN), a neurotrophic cytokine, is a metastasis-associated factor that is expressed highly by aggressive breast cancers. Moreover, elevated PTN in plasma correlated significantly with metastasis and reduced survival of breast cancer patients. Mechanistically, we find that PTN activates NF-κB in cancer cells leading to altered cytokine production, subsequent neutrophil recruitment, and an immune suppressive microenvironment. Consequently, inhibition of PTN, pharmacologically or genetically, reduces the accumulation of tumor-associated neutrophils and reverts local immune suppression, resulting in increased T cell activation and attenuated metastasis. Furthermore, inhibition of PTN significantly enhanced the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade and chemotherapy in reducing metastatic burden in mice. These findings establish PTN as a previously unrecognized driver of a prometastatic immune niche and thus represents a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debolina Ganguly
- Department of Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Cancer Biology Graduate Program, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Marcel O. Schmidt
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Morgan Coleman
- Department of Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Tuong-Vi Cindy Ngo
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Noah Sorrelle
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Adrian T.A. Dominguez
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Gilbert Z. Murimwa
- Department of Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jason E. Toombs
- Department of Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Cheryl Lewis
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Yisheng V. Fang
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Fatima Valdes-Mora
- Cancer Epigenetic Biology and Therapeutics group, Precision Medicine Theme, Children’s Cancer Institute, Sydney, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of NSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - David Gallego-Ortega
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research and The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Sydney, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, St Vincent’s Healthcare Clinical Campus, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Anton Wellstein
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Rolf A. Brekken
- Department of Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Cancer Biology Graduate Program, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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32
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Yu X, Xie L, Ge J, Li H, Zhong S, Liu X. Integrating single-cell RNA-seq and spatial transcriptomics reveals MDK-NCL dependent immunosuppressive environment in endometrial carcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1145300. [PMID: 37081869 PMCID: PMC10110842 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1145300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
ObjectivesThe tumor microenvironment (TME) play important roles in progression of endometrial carcinoma (EC). We aimed to assess the cell populations in TME of EC.MethodsWe downloaded datasets of single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptome (ST) for EC from GEO, and downloaded RNA-Seq (FPKM) and clinical data of TCGA-UCEC project from TCGA. The datasets were analyzed using R software.ResultsWe obtained 5 datasets of scRNA-seq, 1 of ST and 569 samples of RNA-seq. Totally, 0.2 billion transcripts and 33,408 genes were detected in 33,162 cells from scRNA-seq. The cells were classified into 9 clusters, and EC cells were originated from epithelial cells and ciliated cells. Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) indicated that the pathways enriched in the subclusters of epithelial cells and endothelial cells were significantly different, indicating great heterogeneity in EC. Cell-cell communication analyses showed that EC cells emitted the strongest signals, and endothelial cells received more signals than other cells. Further analysis found that subclusters of 1 and 2 of epithelial cells were showed a more malignant phenotype, which may confer malignant phenotype to subcluster of 0 of endothelial cells through MK pathway by MDL-NCL signal. We also analyzed communications between spatial neighbors with ST data and confirmed the findings on MDL-NCL in cell-cell communication. TCGA and GEO analyses indicated that the expression levels of NCL was inversely correlated with ImmuneScore.ConclusionOur study revealed EC cells can confer malignant phenotype to endothelial cells by MDK-NCL signal, and NCL is associated with suppressed immune activity. EC cells may shape TME by inhibiting immune cells and “educating” stromal cells via MDK-NCL signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinnian Yu
- Department of Internal Medicine, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
| | - Linjun Xie
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianjuan Ge
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Huixin Li
- Department of Gynecology, The Affiliated Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Nanjing Medical University & Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Nanjing, China
| | - Shanliang Zhong
- Center of Clinical Laboratory Science, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Shanliang Zhong, ; Xiaolin Liu,
| | - Xiaolin Liu
- Office of Ethics Committee, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Shanliang Zhong, ; Xiaolin Liu,
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Quah HS, Cao EY, Suteja L, Li CH, Leong HS, Chong FT, Gupta S, Arcinas C, Ouyang JF, Ang V, Celhar T, Zhao Y, Tay HC, Chan J, Takahashi T, Tan DSW, Biswas SK, Rackham OJL, Iyer NG. Single cell analysis in head and neck cancer reveals potential immune evasion mechanisms during early metastasis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1680. [PMID: 36973261 PMCID: PMC10042873 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37379-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Profiling tumors at single-cell resolution provides an opportunity to understand complexities underpinning lymph-node metastases in head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma. Single-cell RNAseq (scRNAseq) analysis of cancer-cell trajectories identifies a subpopulation of pre-metastatic cells, driven by actionable pathways including AXL and AURK. Blocking these two proteins blunts tumor invasion in patient-derived cultures. Furthermore, scRNAseq analyses of tumor-infiltrating CD8 + T-lymphocytes show two distinct trajectories to T-cell dysfunction, corroborated by their clonal architecture based on single-cell T-cell receptor sequencing. By determining key modulators of these trajectories, followed by validation using external datasets and functional experiments, we uncover a role for SOX4 in mediating T-cell exhaustion. Finally, interactome analyses between pre-metastatic tumor cells and CD8 + T-lymphocytes uncover a putative role for the Midkine pathway in immune-modulation and this is confirmed by scRNAseq of tumors from humanized mice. Aside from specific findings, this study demonstrates the importance of tumor heterogeneity analyses in identifying key vulnerabilities during early metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Sheng Quah
- Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
- Academic Clinical Program in Oncology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Elaine Yiqun Cao
- Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lisda Suteja
- Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Constance H Li
- Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
- Academic Clinical Program in Oncology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hui Sun Leong
- Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Fui Teen Chong
- Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shilpi Gupta
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Camille Arcinas
- Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
- Academic Clinical Program in Oncology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - John F Ouyang
- Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Vivian Ang
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Teja Celhar
- HuNIT platform, Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yunqian Zhao
- HuNIT platform, Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hui Chen Tay
- HuNIT platform, Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jerry Chan
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Takeshi Takahashi
- Laboratory Animal Research Department, Central Institute for Experimental Animals (CIEA), Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Daniel S W Tan
- Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
- Academic Clinical Program in Oncology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Subhra K Biswas
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Owen J L Rackham
- Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- The Alan Turing Institute, The British Library, London, United Kingdom
| | - N Gopalakrishna Iyer
- Cancer Therapeutics Research Laboratory, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore.
- Academic Clinical Program in Oncology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore.
- Division of Medical Sciences, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore.
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Midkine inhibition enhances anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in sorafenib-treated hepatocellular carcinoma via preventing immunosuppressive MDSCs infiltration. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:92. [PMID: 36906597 PMCID: PMC10008628 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01392-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Sorafenib, a multiple-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is the standard of care for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but provides limited benefits. Emerging evidences suggest that prolonged sorafenib treatment induces an immunosuppressive HCC microenvironment, but the underling mechanism is undetermined. In the present study, the potential function of midkine, a heparin-binding growth factor/cytokine, was evaluated in sorafenib-treated HCC tumors. Infiltrating immune cells of orthotopic HCC tumors were measured by flow cytometry. Differentially expressed genes in sorafenib-treated HCC tumors were evaluated by transcriptome RNA sequencing. The potential function of midkine were evaluated by western blot, T cell suppression assay, immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining and tumor xenograft model. We found that sorafenib treatment increased intratumoral hypoxia and altered HCC microenvironment towards an immune-resistant state in orthotopic HCC tumors. Sorafenib treatment promoted midkine expression and secretion by HCC cells. Moreover, forced midkine expression stimulated immunosuppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) accumulation in HCC microenvironment, while knockdown of midkine exhibited opposite effects. Furthermore, midkine overexpression promoted CD11b+CD33+HLA-DR- MDSCs expansion from human PBMCs, while midkine depletion suppressed this effect. PD-1 blockade showed no obvious inhibition on tumor growth of sorafenib-treated HCC tumors, but the inhibitory effect was greatly enhanced by midkine knockdown. Besides, midkine overexpression promoted multiple pathways activation and IL-10 production by MDSCs. Our data elucidated a novel role of midkine in the immunosuppressive microenvironment of sorafenib-treated HCC tumors. Mikdine might be a potential target for the combination of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in HCC patients.
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Zou Y, Yaguchi T. Programmed cell death-1 blockade therapy in melanoma: Resistance mechanisms and combination strategies. Exp Dermatol 2023; 32:264-275. [PMID: 36645031 DOI: 10.1111/exd.14750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Melanoma is a highly aggressive tumor derived from melanocytes. In recent years, the incidence and mortality of melanoma have gradually increased, seriously threatening human health. Classic treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy show very limited efficacy. Due to the high immunogenicity of melanoma cells, immune checkpoint inhibitors have received considerable attention as melanoma treatments. One such therapy is blockade of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), which is one of the most important negative immune regulators and is mainly expressed on activated T cells. Disruption of the interactions between PD-1 and its ligands, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) or programmed death-ligand 2 (PD-L2) rejuvenates exhausted T cells and enhances antitumor immunity. Although PD-1 blockade therapy is widely used in melanoma, a substantial proportion of patients still show no response or short durations of remission. Recent researches have focused on revealing the underlying mechanisms for resistance to this treatment and improving its efficacy through combination therapy. Here, we will introduce the resistance mechanisms associated with PD-1 blockade therapy in melanoma and review the combination therapies available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixin Zou
- Division of Immunology and Genomic Medicine, Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tomonori Yaguchi
- Division of Immunology and Genomic Medicine, Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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Guo C, Qu X, Tang X, Song Y, Wang J, Hua K, Qiu J. Spatiotemporally deciphering the mysterious mechanism of persistent HPV-induced malignant transition and immune remodelling from HPV-infected normal cervix, precancer to cervical cancer: Integrating single-cell RNA-sequencing and spatial transcriptome. Clin Transl Med 2023; 13:e1219. [PMID: 36967539 PMCID: PMC10040725 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mechanism underlying cervical carcinogenesis that is mediated by persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection remains elusive. AIMS Here, for the first time, we deciphered both the temporal transition and spatial distribution of cellular subsets during disease progression from normal cervix tissues to precursor lesions to cervical cancer. MATERIALS & METHODS We generated scRNA-seq profiles and spatial transcriptomics data from nine patient samples, including two HPV-negative normal, two HPV-positive normal, two HPV-positive HSIL and three HPV-positive cancer samples. RESULTS We not only identified three 'HPV-related epithelial clusters' that are unique to normal, high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and cervical cancer tissues but also discovered node genes that potentially regulate disease progression. Moreover, we observed the gradual transition of multiple immune cells that exhibited positive immune responses, followed by dysregulation and exhaustion, and ultimately established an immune-suppressive microenvironment during the malignant program. In addition, analysis of cellular interactions further verified that a 'homeostasis-balance-malignancy' change occurred within the cervical microenvironment during disease progression. DISCUSSION We for the first time presented a spatiotemporal atlas that systematically described the cellular heterogeneity and spatial map along the four developmental steps of HPV-related cervical oncogenesis, including normal, HPV-positive normal, HSIL and cancer. We identified three unique HPV-related clusters, discovered critical node genes that determined the cell fate and uncovered the immune remodeling during disease escalation. CONCLUSION Together, these findings provided novel possibilities for accurate diagnosis, precise treatment and prognosis evaluation of patients with precancer and cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyan Guo
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinyu Qu
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoyan Tang
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Song
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Jue Wang
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Keqin Hua
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Junjun Qiu
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Shanghai, China
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Zhang H, Zhang K, Qiu L, Yue J, Jiang H, Deng Q, Zhou R, Yin Z, Ma S, Ke Y. Cancer-associated fibroblasts facilitate DNA damage repair by promoting the glycolysis in non-small cell lung cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2023; 1869:166670. [PMID: 36822449 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2023.166670] [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: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Radiotherapy is an essential treatment modality for the management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Tumor radioresistance is the major factor limiting the efficacy of radiotherapy in NSCLC patients. Our study aimed to reveal whether cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), one main component of the tumor microenvironment, regulated DNA damage response of NSCLC cells following irradiation and clarify the involved mechanisms. We found CAFs inhibited irradiation-induced DNA damage while promoted DNA repair of NSCLC cells and caused cell cycle arrest in the radioresistant S phase. CAFs have the ability of up-regulating and stabilizing c-Myc, leading to the transcription activation of HK2 kinase, a key rate-limiting enzyme in glycolysis by activating Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Attenuation of glycolysis significantly reversed the effect of CAFs on DNA damage response of NSCLC cells. By high-throughput screening of human cytokines/chemokines array, we found CAFs-secreted midkine led to the promotion of glycolysis by activating Wnt/β-catenin pathway in NSCLC cells. In vivo, CAFs caused the radioresistance of NSCLC cells also by promoting the glycolysis in a β-catenin signaling-dependent manner. These findings may provide novel strategies for reversing the radioresistance of NSCLC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongfang Zhang
- Hangzhou Cancer Institution, Affiliated Hangzhou Cancer Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310002, China; Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China
| | - Ke Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Affiliated Hangzhou Cancer Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310002, China
| | - Liqing Qiu
- Hangzhou Cancer Institution, Affiliated Hangzhou Cancer Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310002, China
| | - Jing Yue
- Hangzhou Cancer Institution, Affiliated Hangzhou Cancer Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310002, China
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China
| | - Qinghua Deng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Affiliated Hangzhou Cancer Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310002, China
| | - Rongjing Zhou
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hangzhou Cancer Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310002, China
| | - Zihao Yin
- Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Shenglin Ma
- Hangzhou Cancer Institution, Affiliated Hangzhou Cancer Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310002, China; Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China; Zhejiang University Cancer Center, Hangzhou 310058, China.
| | - Yuehai Ke
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology and Department of Respiratory Medicine at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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38
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Parejo-Alonso B, Royo-García A, Espiau-Romera P, Courtois S, Curiel-García Á, Zagorac S, Villaoslada I, Olive KP, Heeschen C, Sancho P. Pharmacological targeting of the receptor ALK inhibits tumorigenicity and overcomes chemoresistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 158:114162. [PMID: 36571997 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.114162] [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: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an extremely aggressive disease characterized by its metastatic potential and chemoresistance. These traits are partially attributable to the highly tumorigenic pancreatic cancer stem cells (PaCSCs). Interestingly, these cells show unique features in order to sustain their identity and functionality, some of them amenable for therapeutic intervention. Screening of phospho-receptor tyrosine kinases revealed that PaCSCs harbored increased activation of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). We subsequently demonstrated that oncogenic ALK signaling contributes to tumorigenicity in PDAC patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) by promoting stemness through ligand-dependent activation. Indeed, the ALK ligands midkine (MDK) or pleiotrophin (PTN) increased self-renewal, clonogenicity and CSC frequency in several in vitro local and metastatic PDX models. Conversely, treatment with the clinically-approved ALK inhibitors Crizotinib and Ensartinib decreased PaCSC content and functionality in vitro and in vivo, by inducing cell death. Strikingly, ALK inhibitors sensitized chemoresistant PaCSCs to Gemcitabine, as the most used chemotherapeutic agent for PDAC treatment. Consequently, ALK inhibition delayed tumor relapse after chemotherapy in vivo by effectively decreasing the content of PaCSCs. In summary, our results demonstrate that targeting the MDK/PTN-ALK axis with clinically-approved inhibitors impairs in vivo tumorigenicity and chemoresistance in PDAC suggesting a new treatment approach to improve the long-term survival of PDAC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Parejo-Alonso
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IIS Aragón), Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Alba Royo-García
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IIS Aragón), Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Pilar Espiau-Romera
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IIS Aragón), Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Sarah Courtois
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IIS Aragón), Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Álvaro Curiel-García
- Department of Medicine, Division of Digestive Liver Diseases and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sladjana Zagorac
- Center for Stem Cells in Cancer & Ageing (Barts Cancer Institute), London, UK
| | - Isabel Villaoslada
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IIS Aragón), Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain; Aragon Institute of Engineering Research, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Kenneth P Olive
- Department of Medicine, Division of Digestive Liver Diseases and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christopher Heeschen
- Center for Single-Cell Omics and Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China; Pancreatic Cancer Heterogeneity, Candiolo Cancer Institute - FPO - IRCCS, Candiolo (Torino), Italy
| | - Patricia Sancho
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IIS Aragón), Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain.
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39
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Oncosuppressive miRNAs loaded in lipid nanoparticles potentiate targeted therapies in BRAF-mutant melanoma by inhibiting core escape pathways of resistance. Oncogene 2023; 42:293-307. [PMID: 36418472 PMCID: PMC9684877 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02547-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BRAF-mutated melanoma relapsing after targeted therapies is an aggressive disease with unmet clinical need. Hence the need to identify novel combination therapies able to overcome drug resistance. miRNAs have emerged as orchestrators of non-genetic mechanisms adopted by melanoma cells to challenge therapies. In this context we previously identified a subset of oncosuppressor miRNAs downregulated in drug-resistant melanomas. Here we demonstrate that lipid nanoparticles co-encapsulating two of them, miR-199-5p and miR-204-5p, inhibit tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo in combination with target therapy and block the development of drug resistance. Mechanistically they act by directly reducing melanoma cell growth and also indirectly by hampering the recruitment and reprogramming of pro-tumoral macrophages. Molecularly, we demonstrate that the effects on macrophages are mediated by the dysregulation of a newly identified miR-204-5p-miR-199b-5p/CCL5 axis. Finally, we unveiled that M2 macrophages programs are molecular signatures of resistance and predict response to therapy in patients. Overall, these findings have strong translational implications to propose new combination therapies making use of RNA therapeutics for metastatic melanoma patients.
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40
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Liu Q, Tan J, Zhao Z, Li R, Zheng L, Chen X, Li L, Dong X, Wen T, Liu J. Combined Usage of MDK Inhibitor Augments Interferon-γ Anti-Tumor Activity in the SKOV3 Human Ovarian Cancer Cell Line. Biomedicines 2022; 11:biomedicines11010008. [PMID: 36672515 PMCID: PMC9855738 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11010008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OC) is a particularly lethal disease due to intratumoral heterogeneity, resistance to traditional chemotherapy, and poor response to targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) is an attractive therapeutic cytokine, with positive responses achieved in multiple OC clinical trials. However, clinical application of IFN-γ in OC is still hindered, due to the severe toxicity when used at higher levels, as well as the considerable pro-metastatic adverse effect when used at lower levels. Thus, an effective combined intervention is needed to enhance the anti-tumor efficacy of IFN-γ and to suppress the IFN-γ-induced metastasis. Here, we uncovered that OC cells develop an adaptive strategy by upregulating midkine (MDK) to counteract the IFN-γ-induced anti-tumor activity and to fuel IFN-γ-induced metastasis. We showed that MDK is a critical downstream target of IFN-γ in OC, and that this regulation acts in a dose-dependent manner and is mediated by STAT1. Gain-of-function studies showed that MDK overexpression promotes cell proliferation and metastasis in OC, indicating that IFN-γ-activated MDK may antagonize IFN-γ in inhibiting OC proliferation but synergize IFN-γ in promoting OC metastasis. Subsequently, we assessed the influence of MDK inhibition on IFN-γ-induced anti-proliferation and pro-metastasis effects using an MDK inhibitor (iMDK), and we found that MDK inhibition robustly enhanced IFN-γ-induced growth inhibition (all CIs < 0.1) and reversed IFN-γ-driven epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis in OC in vitro. Collectively, these data identify an IFN-γ responsive protein, MDK, in counteracting anti-proliferation while endowing the pro-metastatic role of IFN-γ in cancer treatment, and we therefore propose the combined utilization of the MDK inhibitor in IFN-γ-based therapies in future OC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qun Liu
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100029, China
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing 100006, China
| | - Jingyu Tan
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Zhenguo Zhao
- Department of Orthopaedics, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China
| | - Ruijun Li
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Luyu Zheng
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Xiangyu Chen
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Lina Li
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Xichen Dong
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Tao Wen
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
- Correspondence: (T.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Jian Liu
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
- Correspondence: (T.W.); (J.L.)
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41
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Pharmacological targeting of the mitochondrial calcium-dependent potassium channel KCa3.1 triggers cell death and reduces tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:1055. [PMID: 36539400 PMCID: PMC9768205 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-05463-8] [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: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Ion channels are non-conventional, druggable oncological targets. The intermediate-conductance calcium-dependent potassium channel (KCa3.1) is highly expressed in the plasma membrane and in the inner mitochondrial membrane (mitoKCa3.1) of various cancer cell lines. The role mitoKCa3.1 plays in cancer cells is still undefined. Here we report the synthesis and characterization of two mitochondria-targeted novel derivatives of a high-affinity KCa3.1 antagonist, TRAM-34, which retain the ability to block channel activity. The effects of these drugs were tested in melanoma, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and breast cancer lines, as well as in vivo in two orthotopic models. We show that the mitochondria-targeted TRAM-34 derivatives induce release of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, rapid depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane, fragmentation of the mitochondrial network. They trigger cancer cell death with an EC50 in the µM range, depending on channel expression. In contrast, inhibition of the plasma membrane KCa3.1 by membrane-impermeant Maurotoxin is without effect, indicating a specific role of mitoKCa3.1 in determining cell fate. At sub-lethal concentrations, pharmacological targeting of mitoKCa3.1 significantly reduced cancer cell migration by enhancing production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation, and by downregulating expression of Bcl-2 Nineteen kD-Interacting Protein (BNIP-3) and of Rho GTPase CDC-42. This signaling cascade finally leads to cytoskeletal reorganization and impaired migration. Overexpression of BNIP-3 or pharmacological modulation of NF-κB and CDC-42 prevented the migration-reducing effect of mitoTRAM-34. In orthotopic models of melanoma and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the tumors at sacrifice were 60% smaller in treated versus untreated animals. Metastasis of melanoma cells to lymph nodes was also drastically reduced. No signs of toxicity were observed. In summary, our results identify mitochondrial KCa3.1 as an unexpected player in cancer cell migration and show that its pharmacological targeting is efficient against both tumor growth and metastatic spread in vivo.
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42
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Tang Y, Kwiatkowski DJ, Henske EP. Midkine expression by stem-like tumor cells drives persistence to mTOR inhibition and an immune-suppressive microenvironment. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5018. [PMID: 36028490 PMCID: PMC9418323 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32673-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
mTORC1 is hyperactive in multiple cancer types1,2. Here, we performed integrative analysis of single cell transcriptomic profiling, paired T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing, and spatial transcriptomic profiling on Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) associated tumors with mTORC1 hyperactivity, and identified a stem-like tumor cell state (SLS) linked to T cell dysfunction via tumor-modulated immunosuppressive macrophages. Rapamycin and its derivatives (rapalogs) are the primary treatments for TSC tumors, and the stem-like tumor cells showed rapamycin resistance in vitro, reminiscent of the cytostatic effects of these drugs in patients. The pro-angiogenic factor midkine (MDK) was highly expressed by the SLS population, and associated with enrichment of endothelial cells in SLS-dominant samples. Inhibition of MDK showed synergistic benefit with rapamycin in reducing the growth of TSC cell lines in vitro and in vivo. In aggregate, this study suggests an autocrine rapamycin resistance mechanism and a paracrine tumor survival mechanism via immune suppression adopted by the stem-like state tumor cells with mTORC1 hyperactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Tang
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David J Kwiatkowski
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Elizabeth P Henske
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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43
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Zhou Q, Yang C, Mou Z, Wu S, Dai X, Chen X, Ou Y, Zhang L, Sha J, Jiang H. Identification and validation of a poor clinical outcome subtype of primary prostate cancer with Midkine abundance. Cancer Sci 2022; 113:3698-3709. [PMID: 36018546 PMCID: PMC9633304 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies identified Midkine (MDK) as playing a key role in immune regulation. In this study, we aimed to discover the clinical significance and translational relevance in prostate cancer (PCa). We retrospectively analyzed 759 PCa patients who underwent radical prostatectomy from Huashan Hospital, Fudan University (training cohort, n = 369) and Chinese Prostate Cancer Consortium (validation cohort, n = 390). A total of 325 PCa patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database (external cohort) were analyzed for exploration. Immune landscape and antitumor immunity were assessed through immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. Patient‐derived explant culture system was applied for evaluating the targeting potential of MDK. We found that intratumoral MDK expression correlated with PCa progression, which indicated an unfavorable biochemical recurrence (BCR)‐free survival for postoperative PCa patients. Addition of MDK expression to the postoperative risk assessment tool CAPRA‐S could improve its prognostic value. Tumors with MDK abundance characterized the tumor‐infiltrating CD8+ T cells with less cytotoxicity production and increased immune checkpoint expression, which were accompanied by enriched immunosuppressive contexture. Moreover, MDK inhibition could reactivate CD8+ T cell antitumor immunity. MDK mRNA expression negatively correlated with androgen receptor activity signature and positively associated with radiotherapy‐related signature. In conclusion, intratumoral MDK expression could serve as an independent prognosticator for BCR in postoperative PCa patients. MDK expression impaired the antitumor function of CD8+ T cells through orchestrating an immunoevasive microenvironment, which could be reversed by MDK inhibition. Moreover, tumors with MDK enrichment possessed potential sensitivity to postoperative radiotherapy while resistance to adjuvant hormonal therapy of PCa. MDK could be considered as a potential therapeutic target for PCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Zhou
- Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Fudan Institute of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chen Yang
- Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Fudan Institute of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zezhong Mou
- Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Fudan Institute of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Siqi Wu
- Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Fudan Institute of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiyu Dai
- Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Fudan Institute of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinan Chen
- Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Fudan Institute of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuxi Ou
- Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Fudan Institute of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Limin Zhang
- Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Fudan Institute of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianjun Sha
- Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haowen Jiang
- Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Fudan Institute of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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44
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Porcellato I, Sforna M, Lo Giudice A, Bossi I, Musi A, Tognoloni A, Chiaradia E, Mechelli L, Brachelente C. Tumor-Associated Macrophages in Canine Oral and Cutaneous Melanomas and Melanocytomas: Phenotypic and Prognostic Assessment. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:878949. [PMID: 35937296 PMCID: PMC9355725 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.878949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment is a complex system, where neoplastic cells interact with immune and stromal cells. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are considered among the most numerically and biologically noteworthy cellular components in tumors and the attention on this cellular population has been growing during the last decade, both for its prognostic role and as a potential future therapeutic target. Melanoma, particularly the oral form, despite being one of the most immunogenic tumors, bears a poor prognosis in dogs and humans, due to its highly aggressive biological behavior and limited therapeutic options. The aims of this study are to characterize and quantify TAMs (using CD163, CD204, Iba1, and MAC387) in canine melanocytic tumors and to evaluate the association of these markers with diagnosis, histologic prognostic features, presence of metastases, and outcome, and to provide preliminary data for possible future therapies targeting TAMs. Seventy-two melanocytic tumors (27 oral melanomas, 25 cutaneous melanomas, 14 cutaneous melanocytomas, and 6 oral melanocytomas) were retrospectively selected and submitted to immunohistochemistry and double immunofluorescence. Double immunolabeling revealed that most CD163+ and CD204+cells co-expressed Iba1, which labeled also dendritic cells. Iba1 was instead rarely co-expressed with MAC387. Nevertheless, the expression of macrophagic markers showed a mild to moderate association among the four markers, except for CD204 and MAC387. The number of CD163+, CD204+, and MAC387+ cells was significantly higher in oral melanomas compared to oral melanocytomas (p < 0.001; p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively), whereas Iba1 was differentially expressed in cutaneous melanomas and melanocytomas (p < 0.05). Moreover, CD163, IBA1 and MAC387 expression was associated with nuclear atypia and mitotic count. The number of CD163+cells was associated with the presence of metastases and tumor-related death in oral melanocytic tumors (p < 0.05 and p = 0.001, respectively).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Porcellato
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
- *Correspondence: Ilaria Porcellato
| | - Monica Sforna
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Adriana Lo Giudice
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Ilaria Bossi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Alice Musi
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Alessia Tognoloni
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | | | - Luca Mechelli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Chiara Brachelente
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
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45
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Mestre-Farràs N, Guerrero S, Bley N, Rivero E, Coll O, Borràs E, Sabidó E, Indacochea A, Casillas-Serra C, Järvelin AI, Oliva B, Castello A, Hüttelmaier S, Gebauer F. Melanoma RBPome identification reveals PDIA6 as an unconventional RNA-binding protein involved in metastasis. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:8207-8225. [PMID: 35848924 PMCID: PMC9371929 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have been relatively overlooked in cancer research despite their contribution to virtually every cancer hallmark. Here, we use RNA interactome capture (RIC) to characterize the melanoma RBPome and uncover novel RBPs involved in melanoma progression. Comparison of RIC profiles of a non-tumoral versus a metastatic cell line revealed prevalent changes in RNA-binding capacities that were not associated with changes in RBP levels. Extensive functional validation of a selected group of 24 RBPs using five different in vitro assays unveiled unanticipated roles of RBPs in melanoma malignancy. As proof-of-principle we focused on PDIA6, an ER-lumen chaperone that displayed a novel RNA-binding activity. We show that PDIA6 is involved in metastatic progression, map its RNA-binding domain, and find that RNA binding is required for PDIA6 tumorigenic properties. These results exemplify how RIC technologies can be harnessed to uncover novel vulnerabilities of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neus Mestre-Farràs
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Santiago Guerrero
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nadine Bley
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Section for Molecular Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Ezequiel Rivero
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olga Coll
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eva Borràs
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Health and Experimental Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduard Sabidó
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Health and Experimental Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alberto Indacochea
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos Casillas-Serra
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aino I Järvelin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Baldomero Oliva
- Department of Health and Experimental Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alfredo Castello
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Stefan Hüttelmaier
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Section for Molecular Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Fátima Gebauer
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Health and Experimental Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
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46
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Hutchinson PE, Pringle JH. Consideration of possible effects of vitamin D on established cancer, with reference to malignant melanoma. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 2022; 35:408-424. [PMID: 35445563 PMCID: PMC9322395 DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.13040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies indicate that Vitamin D has a beneficial, inhibitory effect on cancer development and subsequent progression, including melanoma (MM), and favourable MM outcome has been reported as directly related to vitamin D3 status, assessed by serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25[OH]D3 ) levels taken at diagnosis. It has been recommended that MM patients with deficient levels of 25(OH)D3 be given vitamin D3 . We examine possible beneficial or detrimental effects of treating established cancer with vitamin D3 . We consider the likely biological determinants of cancer outcome, the reported effects of vitamin D3 on these in both cancerous and non-cancerous settings, and how the effect of vitamin D3 might change depending on the integrity of tumour vitamin D receptor (VDR) signalling. We would argue that the effect of defective tumour VDR signalling could result in loss of suppression of growth, reduction of anti-tumour immunity, with potential antagonism of the elimination phase and enhancement of the escape phase of tumour immunoediting, possibly increased angiogenesis but continued suppression of inflammation. In animal models, having defective VDR signalling, vitamin D3 administration decreased survival and increased metastases. Comparable studies in man are lacking but in advanced disease, a likely marker of defective VDR signalling, studies have shown modest or no improvement in outcome with some evidence of worsening. Work is needed in assessing the integrity of tumour VDR signalling and the safety of vitamin D3 supplementation when defective.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James H. Pringle
- Leicester Cancer Research CentreUniversity of LeicesterLeicesterUK
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47
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Zheng L, Liu Q, Li R, Chen S, Tan J, Li L, Dong X, Huang C, Wen T, Liu J. Targeting MDK Abrogates IFN-γ-Elicited Metastasis inCancers of Various Origins. Front Oncol 2022; 12:885656. [PMID: 35747815 PMCID: PMC9210922 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.885656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
IFN-γ is a pleiotropic cytokine with immunomodulatory and tumoricidal functions. It has been used as an anti-tumor agent in adjuvant therapies for various cancers. Paradoxically, recent advances have also demonstrated pro-tumorigenic effects of IFN-γ, especially in promoting cancer metastasis, with the mechanism remains unclear. This will undoubtedly hinder the application of IFN-γ in cancer treatment. Here, we verified that IFN-γ treatment led to activation of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) programme and metastasis in cell lines of various cancers, including the kidney cancer cell line Caki-1, the lung cancer cell line A549, the cervical carcinoma cell line CaSki, the breast cancer cell line BT549 and the colon cancer cell line HCT116. We further disclosed that midkine (MDK), an emerging oncoprotein and EMT inducer, is a common responsive target of IFN-γ in these cell lines. Mechanistically, IFN-γ upregulated MDK via STAT1, a principle downstream effector in the IFN-γ signalling. MDK is elevated in the majority of cancer types in the TCGA database, and its overexpression drove EMT activation and cancer metastasis in all examined cell lines. Targeting MDK using a specific MDK inhibitor (iMDK) broadly reversed IFN-γ-activated EMT, and subsequently abrogated IFN-γ-triggered metastasis. Collectively, our data uncover a MDK-dependent EMT inducing mechanism underlying IFN-γ-driven metastasis across cancers which could be attenuated by pharmacological inhibition of MDK. Based on these findings, we propose that MDK may be used as a potential therapeutic target to eliminate IFN-γ-elicited pro-metastatic adverse effect, and that combined MDK utilization may expand the application of IFN-γ in cancer and improve the clinical benefits from IFN-γ-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyu Zheng
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Qun Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ruijun Li
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Shibin Chen
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jingyu Tan
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Lina Li
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xichen Dong
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Changzhi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Carcinogenesis and Cancer Prevention, Department of Etiology and Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Jian Liu, ; Tao Wen, ; Changzhi Huang,
| | - Tao Wen
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Jian Liu, ; Tao Wen, ; Changzhi Huang,
| | - Jian Liu
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Jian Liu, ; Tao Wen, ; Changzhi Huang,
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48
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Novel role for caspase 1 inhibitor VX765 in suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and atherosclerosis via promoting mitophagy and efferocytosis. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:512. [PMID: 35641492 PMCID: PMC9156694 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04966-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Atherosclerosis is a maladaptive chronic inflammatory disease, which remains the leading cause of death worldwide. The NLRP3 inflammasome constitutes a major driver of atherosclerosis, yet the mechanism of action is poorly understood. Mitochondrial dysfunction is essential for NLRP3 inflammasome activation. However, whether activated NLRP3 inflammasome exacerbates mitochondrial dysfunction remains to be further elucidated. Herein, we sought to address these issues applying VX765, a well-established inhibitor of caspase 1. VX765 robustly restrains caspase 1-mediated interleukin-1β production and gasdermin D processing. Our study assigned VX765 a novel role in antagonizing NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and activation. VX765 mitigates mitochondrial damage induced by activated NLRP3 inflammasome, as evidenced by decreased mitochondrial ROS production and cytosolic release of mitochondrial DNA. VX765 blunts caspase 1-dependent cleavage and promotes mitochondrial recruitment and phosphorylation of Parkin, a key mitophagy regulator. Functionally, VX765 facilitates mitophagy, efferocytosis and M2 polarization of macrophages. It also impedes foam cell formation, migration and pyroptosis of macrophages. VX765 boosts autophagy, promotes efferocytosis, and alleviates vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis in both ApoE-/- and Ldlr-/- mice. However, these effects of VX765 were abrogated upon ablation of Nlrp3 in ApoE-/- mice. This work provides mechanistic insights into NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and this inflammasome in dictating atherosclerosis. This study highlights that manipulation of caspase 1 paves a new avenue to treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
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49
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Karg MM, John L, Refaian N, Buettner C, Rottmar T, Sommer J, Bock B, Resheq YJ, Ksander BR, Heindl LM, Mackensen A, Bosch JJ. Midkine promotes metastasis and therapeutic resistance via mTOR/RPS6 in uveal melanoma. Mol Cancer Res 2022; 20:1320-1336. [PMID: 35503453 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-20-0692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Uveal melanoma is a rare form of melanoma that originates in the eye, exerts widespread therapeutic resistance and displays an inherent propensity for hepatic metastases. Since metastatic disease is characterized by poor survival, there is an unmet clinical need to identify new therapeutic targets in uveal melanoma. Here, we show that the pleiotropic cytokine midkine is expressed in uveal melanoma. Midkine expression in primary uveal melanoma significantly correlates with poor survival and is elevated in patients that develop metastatic disease. Monosomy 3 and histopathological staging parameters are associated with midkine expression. In addition, we demonstrate that midkine promotes survival, migration across a barrier of hepatic sinusoid endothelial cells and resistance to AKT/mTOR inhibition. Furthermore, midkine is secreted and mediates mTOR activation by maintaining phosphorylation of the mTOR target RPS6 in uveal melanoma cells. Therefore, midkine is identified as a uveal melanoma cell survival factor that drives metastasis and therapeutic resistance, and could be exploited as a biomarker as well as a new therapeutic target. Implications: Midkine is identified as a survival factor that drives liver metastasis and therapeutic resistance in melanoma of the eye.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lukas John
- University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Nasrin Refaian
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne and Center for Integrated Oncology (CIO) Cologne-Bonn, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christian Buettner
- University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Andreas Mackensen
- Dept. of Internal Medicine 5, Hematology/Oncology, Erlangen, Germany
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50
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Said EA, Al-Dughaishi S, Al-Hatmi W, Al-Reesi I, Al-Riyami M, Al-Balushi MS, Al-Bimani A, Al-Busaidi JZ, Al-Khabori M, Al-Kindi S, Procopio FA, Al-Rashdi A, Al-Ansari A, Babiker H, Koh CY, Al-Naamani K, Pantaleo G, Al-Jabri AA. Human macrophages and monocyte-derived dendritic cells stimulate the proliferation of endothelial cells through midkine production. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0267662. [PMID: 35476724 PMCID: PMC9045650 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The cytokine midkine (MK) is a growth factor that is involved in different physiological processes including tissue repair, inflammation, the development of different types of cancer and the proliferation of endothelial cells. The production of MK by primary human macrophages and monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDCs) was never described. We investigated whether MK is produced by primary human monocytes, macrophages and MDDCs and the capacity of macrophages and MDDCs to modulate the proliferation of endothelial cells through MK production. The TLR stimulation of human monocytes, macrophages and MDDCs induced an average of ≈200-fold increase in MK mRNA and the production of an average of 78.2, 62, 179 pg/ml MK by monocytes, macrophages and MDDCs respectively (p < 0.05). MK production was supported by its detection in CD11c+ cells, CLEC4C+ cells and CD68+ cells in biopsies of human tonsils showing reactive lymphoid follicular hyperplasia. JSH-23, which selectively inhibits NF-κB activity, decreased the TLR-induced production of MK in PMBCs, macrophages and MDDCs compared to the control (p < 0.05). The inhibition of MK production by macrophages and MDDCs using anti-MK siRNA decreased the capacity of their supernatants to stimulate the proliferation of endothelial cells (p = 0.01 and 0.04 respectively). This is the first study demonstrating that the cytokine MK is produced by primary human macrophages and MDDCs upon TLR triggering, and that these cells can stimulate endothelial cell proliferation through MK production. Our results also suggest that NF-κB plays a potential role in the production of MK in macrophages and MDDCs upon TLR stimulation. The production of MK by macrophages and MDDCs and the fact that these cells can enhance the proliferation of endothelial cells by producing MK are novel immunological phenomena that have potentially important therapeutic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias A. Said
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
- * E-mail:
| | - Sumaya Al-Dughaishi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Wadha Al-Hatmi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Iman Al-Reesi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Marwa Al-Riyami
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Mohammed S. Al-Balushi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Atika Al-Bimani
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Juma Z. Al-Busaidi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Murtadha Al-Khabori
- Department of Hematology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Salam Al-Kindi
- Department of Hematology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Francesco A. Procopio
- Laboratory of AIDS Immunopathogenesis, Department of Medicine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) University of Lausanne, Lauzane, Switzerland
| | - Afrah Al-Rashdi
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Aliyaa Al-Ansari
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Hamza Babiker
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Crystal Y. Koh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | | | - Giuseppe Pantaleo
- Laboratory of AIDS Immunopathogenesis, Department of Medicine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) University of Lausanne, Lauzane, Switzerland
| | - Ali A. Al-Jabri
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
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