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Butt K, Hussain R, Coupland SE, Krishna Y. Conjunctival Melanoma: A Clinical Review and Update. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:3121. [PMID: 39335093 PMCID: PMC11429624 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16183121] [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: 07/19/2024] [Revised: 09/06/2024] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Conjunctival melanoma (Co-M) is an aggressive, invasive eye and eyelid cancer. Its global incidence of ~1 in a million is increasing at a rate ratio of ~1.4, but this rises sharply in over 65-year-olds. Although rare, Co-M has a devastating impact on the lives of those who develop it. Co-M is often misdiagnosed or overlooked, leading to vision loss either from the destructive effects of the tumour or side effects of therapy, facial disfigurement from radical surgery, and death from metastases. Due to its rarity, there is limited evidence for diagnosis and management; hence, there is no standardised treatment and not all cases are referred to a specialised ocular oncology centre. Recent progress in cancer immunology and genetics have revolutionised the treatment of cutaneous melanomas, which share some similarities to Co-M. Importantly, a better understanding of Co-M and its precursor lesions is urgently needed to lead to the development of novel targeted and immunotherapies both for local tumour control and disseminated disease. This review aims to provide a comprehensive clinical overview of the current knowledge regarding Co-M, its epidemiology, pathogenesis, presentation, diagnosis and recent changes in the classification of its precursor lesions, management, and recent advances in novel biological therapies for personalised treatment of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karam Butt
- National Specialist Ophthalmic Pathology Service, Liverpool Clinical Laboratories, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool L7 8YE, UK
| | - Rumana Hussain
- St Paul's Eye Unit, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool L7 8YE, UK
- Department of Eye and Vision Science, Institute of Life Course and Medical Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK
| | - Sarah E Coupland
- National Specialist Ophthalmic Pathology Service, Liverpool Clinical Laboratories, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool L7 8YE, UK
- Department of Eye and Vision Science, Institute of Life Course and Medical Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK
| | - Yamini Krishna
- National Specialist Ophthalmic Pathology Service, Liverpool Clinical Laboratories, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool L7 8YE, UK
- Department of Eye and Vision Science, Institute of Life Course and Medical Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK
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Bammidi S, Koontz V, Gautam P, Hose S, Sinha D, Ghosh S. Neutrophils in Ocular Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7736. [PMID: 39062975 PMCID: PMC11276787 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25147736] [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: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils, traditionally viewed as first responders to infection or tissue damage, exhibit dynamic and diverse roles in ocular health and disease. This review elaborates on previous findings that showed how neutrophils contribute to ocular diseases. In ocular infections, neutrophils play a pivotal role in host defense by orchestrating inflammatory responses to combat pathogens. Furthermore, in optic nerve neuropathies and retinal degenerative diseases like age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR), neutrophils are implicated in neuroinflammation and tissue damage owing to their ability to undergo neutrophil extracellular trap formation (NETosis) and secretion of inflammatory molecules. Targeting neutrophil-dependent processes holds promise as a therapeutic strategy, offering potential avenues for intervention in ocular infections, cancers, and retinal degenerative diseases. Understanding the multifaceted roles of neutrophils in ocular diseases is crucial for developing targeted therapies to improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sridhar Bammidi
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; (S.B.); (V.K.); (P.G.); (S.H.); (D.S.)
| | - Victoria Koontz
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; (S.B.); (V.K.); (P.G.); (S.H.); (D.S.)
| | - Pooja Gautam
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; (S.B.); (V.K.); (P.G.); (S.H.); (D.S.)
| | - Stacey Hose
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; (S.B.); (V.K.); (P.G.); (S.H.); (D.S.)
| | - Debasish Sinha
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; (S.B.); (V.K.); (P.G.); (S.H.); (D.S.)
- The Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - Sayan Ghosh
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; (S.B.); (V.K.); (P.G.); (S.H.); (D.S.)
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3
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Yin J, Forn-Cuní G, Surendran AM, Lopes-Bastos B, Pouliopoulou N, Jager MJ, Le Dévédec SE, Chen Q, Snaar-Jagalska BE. Lactate secreted by glycolytic conjunctival melanoma cells attracts and polarizes macrophages to drive angiogenesis in zebrafish xenografts. Angiogenesis 2024:10.1007/s10456-024-09930-y. [PMID: 38842752 DOI: 10.1007/s10456-024-09930-y] [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: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Conjunctival melanoma (CoM) is a rare but potentially lethal cancer of the eye, with limited therapeutic option for metastases. A better understanding how primary CoM disseminate to form metastases is urgently needed in order to develop novel therapies. Previous studies indicated that primary CoM tumors express Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and may recruit pro-tumorigenic M2-like macrophages. However, due to a lack of proper models, the expected role of angiogenesis in the metastatic dissemination of CoM is still unknown. We show that cells derived from two CoM cell lines induce a strong angiogenic response when xenografted in zebrafish larvae. CoM cells are highly glycolytic and secrete lactate, which recruits and polarizes human and zebrafish macrophages towards a M2-like phenotype. These macrophages elevate the levels of proangiogenic factors such as VEGF, TGF-β, and IL-10 in the tumor microenvironment to induce an angiogenic response towards the engrafted CoM cells in vivo. Chemical ablation of zebrafish macrophages or inhibition of glycolysis in CoM cells terminates this response, suggesting that attraction of lactate-dependent macrophages into engrafted CoM cells drives angiogenesis and serves as a possible dissemination mechanism for glycolytic CoM cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yin
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 BE, The Netherlands
| | - Gabriel Forn-Cuní
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 BE, The Netherlands
| | | | - Bruno Lopes-Bastos
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 BE, The Netherlands
| | - Niki Pouliopoulou
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 BE, The Netherlands
| | - Martine J Jager
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333 ZA, the Netherlands
| | - Sylvia E Le Dévédec
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 BE, The Netherlands
| | - Quanchi Chen
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 BE, The Netherlands.
- Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, China.
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4
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Kohl LM, Sumpter TL. Melanomas and mast cells: an ambiguous relationship. Melanoma Res 2024; 34:1-8. [PMID: 37924526 DOI: 10.1097/cmr.0000000000000932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Mast cells (MCs) accumulate in a broad range of tumors, including melanomas. While MCs are potent initiators of immunity in infection, and in allergic inflammation, the function of MCs in anti-melanoma immunity is unclear. MCs have the potential to release tumoricidal cytokines and proteases, to activate antigen-presenting cells and to promote anti-tumor adaptive immunity. However, within the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), MC activation may promote angiogenesis and contribute to tumor growth. In this review, the relationship between MCs and melanomas is discussed with a focus on the impact of the TME on MC activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Kohl
- Department of Dermatology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- Departments of Dermatology
| | - Tina L Sumpter
- Departments of Dermatology
- Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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5
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Peil J, Vossen C, Bock F, Clahsen T, Schiller P, Heindl LM, Bosch JJ, Wunderlich FT, Cursiefen C, Schlereth SL. Combined Osteopontin Blockade and Type 2 Classical Dendritic Cell Vaccination as Effective Synergetic Therapy for Conjunctival Melanoma. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2024; 212:487-499. [PMID: 38099710 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Angiogenesis and immune protection are essential at the onset of tumorigenesis. Angiogenesis serves to nourish the tumor, and prevention of immune defenses, for example, by dendritic cells (DCs), allows tumor growth. In this study, we investigated whether there are factors with dual functions that are both angiogenic and immunomodulatory and represent a therapeutic target. We analyzed 1) innate immune responses intratumorally and in draining lymph nodes and 2) angiogenic factors in conjunctival melanoma (CM), a potentially lethal malignant tumor at the ocular surface whose immune and vascular responses are largely unknown. For this purpose, an HGF-Cdk4R24C model in immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice was used and revealed that CD103- type 2 classical DC (cDC2s) were the most abundant DC subtype in healthy conjunctiva, whereas in CM, CD103- cDC2s, CD103+ type 1 cDCs, monocyte-derived DCs, and plasmacytoid DCs were significantly increased. In our analysis of angiogenic factors in CM, the examination of 53 angiogenesis-related factors that might interact with DCs identified osteopontin (OPN) as a major tumor-derived protein that interacts with DCs. Consistent with these findings, 3) a dual therapeutic strategy that inhibited tumor cell function by an OPN blocking Ab while enhancing the immune response by cDC2 vaccination resulted in 35% failure of tumor development. Moreover, tumor progression, monocyte-derived DC infiltration, and intratumoral angiogenesis were significantly reduced, whereas survival and CD8+ T cell infiltration were increased in treated mice compared with the control group. Therefore, we identified OPN blockade in combination with cDC2 vaccination as a potential future therapeutic intervention for early stages of CM by combining antiangiogenic and host immune stimulating effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Peil
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Felix Bock
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas Clahsen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Petra Schiller
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Institute of Medical Statistics and Computational Biology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ludwig M Heindl
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jacobus J Bosch
- Centre for Human Drug Research and Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - F Thomas Wunderlich
- MPI for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Claus Cursiefen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Simona L Schlereth
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Cai C, Radhakrishnan A, Uhler C. Synthetic Lethality Screening with Recursive Feature Machines. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.03.569803. [PMID: 38106093 PMCID: PMC10723282 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.03.569803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic lethality refers to a genetic interaction where the simultaneous perturbation of gene pairs leads to cell death. Synthetically lethal gene pairs (SL pairs) provide a potential avenue for selectively targeting cancer cells based on genetic vulnerabilities. The rise of large-scale gene perturbation screens such as the Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap) offers the opportunity to identify SL pairs automatically using machine learning. We build on a recently developed class of feature learning kernel machines known as Recursive Feature Machines (RFMs) to develop a pipeline for identifying SL pairs based on CRISPR viability data from DepMap. In particular, we first train RFMs to predict viability scores for a given CRISPR gene knockout from cell line embeddings consisting of gene expression and mutation features. After training, RFMs use a statistical operator known as average gradient outer product to provide weights for each feature indicating the importance of each feature in predicting cellular viability. We subsequently apply correlation-based filters to re-weight RFM feature importances and identify those features that are most indicative of low cellular viability. Our resulting pipeline is computationally efficient, taking under 3 minutes for analyzing all 17, 453 knockouts from DepMap for candidate SL pairs. We show that our pipeline more accurately recovers experimentally verified SL pairs than prior approaches. Moreover, our pipeline finds new candidate SL pairs, thereby opening novel avenues for identifying genetic vulnerabilities in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathy Cai
- Eric and Wendy Schmidt Center, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
- Laboratory of Information and Decision Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
| | - Adityanarayanan Radhakrishnan
- Eric and Wendy Schmidt Center, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University
| | - Caroline Uhler
- Eric and Wendy Schmidt Center, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
- Laboratory of Information and Decision Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Pauleikhoff L, Boneva S, Boeck M, Schlecht A, Schlunck G, Agostini H, Lange C, Wolf J. Transcriptional Comparison of Human and Murine Retinal Neovascularization. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2023; 64:46. [PMID: 38153746 PMCID: PMC10756240 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.64.15.46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Retinal neovascularization (RNV) is the leading cause of vision loss in diseases like proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). A significant failure rate of current treatments indicates the need for novel treatment targets. Animal models are crucial in this process, but current diabetic retinopathy models do not develop RNV. Although the nondiabetic oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) mouse model is used to study RNV development, it is largely unknown how closely it resembles human PDR. Methods We therefore performed RNA sequencing on murine (C57BL/6J) OIR retinas (n = 14) and human PDR RNV membranes (n = 7) extracted during vitrectomy, each with reference to control tissue (n=13/10). Differentially expressed genes (DEG) and associated biological processes were analyzed and compared between human and murine RNV to assess molecular overlap and identify phylogenetically conserved factors. Results In total, 213 murine- and 1223 human-specific factors were upregulated with a small overlap of 94 DEG (7% of human DEG), although similar biological processes such as angiogenesis, regulation of immune response, and extracellular matrix organization were activated in both species. Phylogenetically conserved mediators included ANGPT2, S100A8, MCAM, EDNRA, and CCR7. Conclusions Even though few individual genes were upregulated simultaneously in both species, similar biological processes appeared to be activated. These findings demonstrate the potential and limitations of the OIR model to study human PDR and identify phylogenetically conserved potential treatment targets for PDR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurenz Pauleikhoff
- Eye Center, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Ophthalmology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Stefaniya Boneva
- Eye Center, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Myriam Boeck
- Eye Center, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Anja Schlecht
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Günther Schlunck
- Eye Center, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hansjürgen Agostini
- Eye Center, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Clemens Lange
- Eye Center at St. Franziskus Hospital, Münster, Germany
| | - Julian Wolf
- Eye Center, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States
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Shinada M, Kato D, Motegi T, Tsuboi M, Ikeda N, Aoki S, Iguchi T, Li T, Kodera Y, Ota R, Hashimoto Y, Takahashi Y, Chambers J, Uchida K, Kato Y, Nishimura R, Nakagawa T. Podoplanin Drives Amoeboid Invasion in Canine and Human Mucosal Melanoma. Mol Cancer Res 2023; 21:1205-1219. [PMID: 37493578 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-22-0929] [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: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Mucosal melanoma metastasizes at an early stage of the disease in human and dog. We revealed that overexpression of podoplanin in tumor invasion fronts (IF) was related to poor prognosis of dogs with mucosal melanoma. Moreover, podoplanin expressed in canine mucosal melanoma cells promotes proliferation and aggressive amoeboid invasion by activating Rho-associated kinase (ROCK)-myosin light chain 2 (MLC2) signaling. PDPN-ROCK-MLC2 signaling plays a role in cell-cycle arrest and cellular senescence escape as a mechanism for regulating proliferation. Podoplanin induces amoeboid invasion in the IFs of mouse xenografted tumor tissues, similar to canine mucosal melanoma clinical samples. We further identified that podoplanin expression was related to poor prognosis of human patients with mucosal melanoma, and human mucosal melanoma with podoplanin-high expression enriched gene signatures related to amoeboid invasion, similar to canine mucosal melanoma. Overall, we propose that podoplanin promotes canine and human mucosal melanoma metastasis by inducing aggressive amoeboid invasion and naturally occurring canine mucosal melanoma can be a novel research model for podoplanin expressing human mucosal melanoma. IMPLICATIONS Podoplanin could be a new therapeutic target to restrict the metastatic dissemination of canine and human mucosal melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Shinada
- Laboratory of Veterinary Surgery, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daiki Kato
- Laboratory of Veterinary Surgery, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoki Motegi
- Veterinary Medical Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaya Tsuboi
- Veterinary Medical Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Namiko Ikeda
- Laboratory of Veterinary Surgery, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Susumu Aoki
- Laboratory of Veterinary Surgery, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takaaki Iguchi
- Laboratory of Veterinary Surgery, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshio Li
- Laboratory of Veterinary Surgery, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuka Kodera
- Laboratory of Veterinary Surgery, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Ota
- Laboratory of Veterinary Surgery, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuko Hashimoto
- Veterinary Medical Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yosuke Takahashi
- Veterinary Medical Center, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - James Chambers
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Uchida
- Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yukinari Kato
- Department of Antibody Drug Development, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Ryohei Nishimura
- Laboratory of Veterinary Surgery, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takayuki Nakagawa
- Laboratory of Veterinary Surgery, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Yin J, Zhao G, Kalirai H, Coupland SE, Jochemsen AG, Forn-Cuní G, Wierenga APA, Jager MJ, Snaar-Jagalska BE, Groenewoud A. Zebrafish Patient-Derived Xenograft Model as a Preclinical Platform for Uveal Melanoma Drug Discovery. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:598. [PMID: 37111355 PMCID: PMC10141637 DOI: 10.3390/ph16040598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Uveal melanoma (UM) is a rare malignant cancer of the eye, with up to 50% of patients dying from metastasis, for which no effective treatment is available. Due to the rarity of the disease, there is a great need to harness the limited material available from primary tumors and metastases for advanced research and preclinical drug screening. We established a platform to isolate, preserve, and transiently recover viable tissues, followed by the generation of spheroid cultures derived from primary UM. All assessed tumor-derived samples formed spheroids in culture within 24 h and stained positive for melanocyte-specific markers, indicating the retention of their melanocytic origin. These short-lived spheroids were only maintained for the duration of the experiment (7 days) or re-established from frozen tumor tissue acquired from the same patient. Intravenous injection of fluorescently labeled UM cells derived from these spheroids into zebrafish yielded a reproducible metastatic phenotype and recapitulated molecular features of the disseminating UM. This approach allowed for the experimental replications required for reliable drug screening (at least 2 individual biological experiments, with n > 20). Drug treatments with navitoclax and everolimus validated the zebrafish patient-derived model as a versatile preclinical tool for screening anti-UM drugs and as a preclinical platform to predict personalized drug responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yin
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands; (J.Y.)
| | - Gangyin Zhao
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands; (J.Y.)
| | - Helen Kalirai
- Liverpool Ocular Oncology Research Centre, Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
| | - Sarah E. Coupland
- Liverpool Ocular Oncology Research Centre, Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
| | - Aart G. Jochemsen
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gabriel Forn-Cuní
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands; (J.Y.)
| | - Annemijn P. A. Wierenga
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Martine J. Jager
- Department of Ophthalmology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Arwin Groenewoud
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands; (J.Y.)
- Experimental Renal and Cardiovascular Research, Department of Nephropathology, Institute of Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
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Wolf J, Reinhard T, Hajdu RI, Schlunck G, Auw-Haedrich C, Lange C. Transcriptional Profiling Identifies Prognostic Gene Signatures for Conjunctival Extranodal Marginal Zone Lymphoma. Biomolecules 2023; 13:115. [PMID: 36671500 PMCID: PMC9855408 DOI: 10.3390/biom13010115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
This study characterizes the transcriptional profile and the cellular tumor microenvironment of conjunctival extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (EMZL) and identifies prognostically relevant biomarkers. Ten formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded conjunctival EMZL and eight healthy conjunctival specimens were analyzed by Massive Analysis of cDNA Ends (MACE) RNA sequencing. The 3417 upregulated genes in conjunctival EMZL were involved in processes such as B cell proliferation and Rac protein signaling, whereas the 1188 downregulated genes contributed most significantly to oxidative phosphorylation and UV protection. The tumor microenvironment, as determined by deconvolution analysis, was mainly composed of multiple B cell subtypes which reflects the tumor's B cell lineage. However, several T cell types, including T helper 2 cells and regulatory T cells, as well as innate immune cell types, such as anti-inflammatory macrophages and plasmacytoid dendritic cells, were also strongly enriched in conjunctival EMZL. A 13-biomarker prognostic panel, including S100A8 and S100A9, classified ocular and extraocular tumor recurrence, exceeded prognostic accuracy of Ann Arbor and American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging, and demonstrated prognostic value for patient survival in 21 different cancer types in a database of 12,332 tumor patients. These findings may lead to new options of targeted therapy and may improve prognostic prediction for conjunctival EMZL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Wolf
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- Molecular Surgery Laboratory, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Thomas Reinhard
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Rozina Ida Hajdu
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Ophthalmology, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Günther Schlunck
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Claudia Auw-Haedrich
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Clemens Lange
- Ophtha-Lab, Department of Ophthalmology, St. Franziskus Hospital, 48145 Münster, Germany
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Wolf J, Lapp T, Reinhard T, Agostini H, Schlunck G, Lange C. Web-based gene expression analysis-paving the way to decode healthy and diseased ocular tissue. DIE OPHTHALMOLOGIE 2023; 120:59-65. [PMID: 36098765 PMCID: PMC9469811 DOI: 10.1007/s00347-022-01721-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gene expression analysis using RNA sequencing has helped to improve the understanding of many diseases. Databases, such as the Gene Expression Omnibus database of the National Center for Biotechnology Information provide RNA sequencing raw data from various diseased tissue types but their analysis requires advanced bioinformatics skills. Therefore, specific ocular databases provide the transcriptional profiles of different ocular tissues and in addition enable intuitive web-based data analysis. OBJECTIVE The aim of this narrative review is to provide an overview of ocular transcriptome databases and to compare them with the Human Eye Transcriptome Atlas newly established in Freiburg. METHODS PubMed literature search. RESULTS A total of nine ocular transcriptome databases focusing on different aspects were identified. The iSyTE and Express platforms specialize in gene expression during lens and retinal development in mice, whereas retina.tigem.it, Eye in a Disk, and Spectacle focus on selected ocular tissues such as the retina. Spectacle, UCSC Cell Browser and Single Cell Portal allow intuitive exploration of single cell RNA sequencing data derived from retinal, choroid, cornea, iris, trabecular meshwork and sclera specimens. The microarray profiles of a variety of healthy ocular tissues are included in the Ocular Tissue Database. The Human Eye Transcriptome Atlas provides the largest collection of different ocular tissue types, contains the highest number of ocular diseases and is characterized by a high level of quality achieved by methodological consistency. CONCLUSION Ocular transcriptome databases provide comprehensive and intuitive insights into the transcriptional profiles of a variety of healthy and diseased ocular tissues. Thus, they improve our understanding of the underlying molecular mediators, support hypothesis generation and help in the search for new diagnostic and therapeutic targets for various ocular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Wolf
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Thabo Lapp
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Reinhard
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hansjürgen Agostini
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Günther Schlunck
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Clemens Lange
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. .,Ophtha-Lab, Department of Ophthalmology, St. Franziskus Hospital Muenster, Münster, Germany.
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Wolf J, Lange C, Reinhard T, Schlunck G. [Next-generation sequencing in ophthalmology]. DIE OPHTHALMOLOGIE 2022; 119:1317-1328. [PMID: 36418561 DOI: 10.1007/s00347-022-01765-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
New methods for basic research are finding their way into ophthalmology and expand the options for research, diagnostics and treatment. This article centers on the study of gene activity in cells and tissues by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Following a brief introduction to the basic principles of NGS, this article focuses on transcriptome analysis by RNA sequencing using examples from ophthalmology. The RNA sequencing provides a comprehensive and unbiased overview of gene activity in cells and tissues and thus forms an important foundation for generating new testable scientific hypotheses. It thus contributes to the in-depth characterization of pathological changes and supports the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Wolf
- Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Killianstr. 5, 79106, Freiburg, Deutschland.,Medizinische Fakultät, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Deutschland.,Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Clemens Lange
- Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Killianstr. 5, 79106, Freiburg, Deutschland.,Medizinische Fakultät, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Deutschland.,Ophtha-Lab, Augenzentrum am St. Franziskus-Hospital, Münster, Deutschland
| | - Thomas Reinhard
- Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Killianstr. 5, 79106, Freiburg, Deutschland.,Medizinische Fakultät, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Deutschland
| | - Günther Schlunck
- Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Killianstr. 5, 79106, Freiburg, Deutschland. .,Medizinische Fakultät, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Deutschland.
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13
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Wolf J, Kammrath Betancor P, Maier P, Heinzelmann SU, Jiang J, Lange C, Reinhard T, Schlunck G, Lapp T. Transcriptional Profiling Provides New Insights into Organ Culture-Induced Changes in Human Donor Corneas. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314507. [PMID: 36498835 PMCID: PMC9735924 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Corneal transplantation is one of the most common forms of tissue transplantation worldwide. Donor corneal tissue used in transplantation is provided by eye banks, which store the tissue in culture medium after procurement. To date, the effects of cell culture on human corneal tissue have not been fully elucidated. Using the 3' RNA sequencing method for massive analysis of cDNA ends (MACE), we show that cultivation of corneal tissue leads to significant changes in a variety of molecular processes in human corneal tissue that go well beyond aspects of previously known culture effects. Functionally grouped network analysis revealed nine major groups of biological processes that were affected by corneal organ culture, among them keratinization, hypoxia, and angiogenesis, with genes from each group being affected by culture time. A cell type deconvolution analysis revealed significant modulations of the corneal immune cell profile in a time dependent manner. The results suggest that current culture conditions should be further refined and that prolonged cultivation may be detrimental. Recently, we showed that MACE enables transcriptional profiling of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) conjunctival tissue with high accuracy even after more than 10 years of storage. Here we demonstrate that MACE provides comparable results for native and FFPE corneal tissue, confirming that the technology is suitable for transcriptome analysis of a wide range of archived diseased corneal samples stored in histological archives. Finally, our data underscore the feasibility of bioinformatics cell-type enrichment analysis in bulk RNA-seq data to profile immune cell composition in fixed and archived corneal tissue samples, for which RNA-seq analysis of individual cells is often not possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Wolf
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Omics Laboratory, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
- Correspondence: (J.W.); (T.L.)
| | - Paola Kammrath Betancor
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Philip Maier
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Sonja Ute Heinzelmann
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Jana Jiang
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Clemens Lange
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Ophtha-Lab, Department of Ophthalmology, St. Franziskus Hospital, 48145 Münster, Germany
| | - Thomas Reinhard
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Günther Schlunck
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Thabo Lapp
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Correspondence: (J.W.); (T.L.)
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Yang L, Wang G, Shi H, Jia S, Ruan J, Cui R, Ge S. Methylation-driven gene DLL3 is a potential prognostic biomarker in ocular melanoma correlating with metastasis. Front Oncol 2022; 12:964902. [PMID: 36338696 PMCID: PMC9630341 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.964902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ocular melanoma is an aggressive malignancy with a high rate of metastasis and poor prognosis. Increasing evidence indicated that DNA methylation plays an important role in the occurrence and development of ocular melanoma. Hence, exploring new diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers at the genetic level may be beneficial to the prognosis of patients with ocular melanoma. Methods We collected DNA methylation and gene expression profiles of human UM (uveal melanoma) and CM (conjunctival melanoma) samples from various datasets. We conducted differential methylation and expression analyses to screen the potential biomarkers. Correlation analysis was performed to investigate the relationships between the expression level of DLL3 (delta-like protein 3) and the methylation level of its corresponding CpGs. We explored the prognostic and diagnostic value of DLL3 in UM and CM. Functional annotation and GSEA (gene set enrichment analysis) were applied to get insight into the possible biological roles of DLL3. A cohort of 60 ocular melanoma patients as well as UM and CM cell lines were used to validate our findings in bioinformatic analyses. Results We found that DLL3 was a methylation-driven gene correlating with UM metastasis. The CpGs of DLL3 are mainly located in the gene body and their methylation level positively correlated to DLL3 expression. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that DLL3 was an independent protective factor for UM patients. High DLL3 expression significantly prolonged the overall survival and disease-free survival of UM patients. DLL3 also showed a promising power to distinguish CM from normal tissues. Functional annotation exhibited that DLL3 may suppress UM progression through modulating immune activities and down-regulating various signaling pathways. External datasets, biospecimens, and cell lines further validated the aberrant expression and prognostic role of DLL3 in ocular melanoma. Conclusion Methylation-driven gene DLL3 could serve as a new potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in ocular melanoma. Our findings may contribute to improving the clinical outcomes of patients with UM or CM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludi Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Gaoming Wang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hanhan Shi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
| | - Shichong Jia
- Tianjin Eye Hospital, Tianjin Key Lab of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Nankai University Affiliated Eye Hospital, Tianjin Eye Institute, Tianjin, China
| | - Jing Ruan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Jing Ruan, ; Ran Cui, ; Shengfang Ge,
| | - Ran Cui
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Jing Ruan, ; Ran Cui, ; Shengfang Ge,
| | - Shengfang Ge
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orbital Diseases and Ocular Oncology, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Jing Ruan, ; Ran Cui, ; Shengfang Ge,
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15
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Zhou Z, Hu F, Huang D, Chi Q, Tang NLS. Nonsense-Mediated Decay Targeted RNA (ntRNA): Proposal of a ntRNA–miRNA–lncRNA Triple Regulatory Network Usable as Biomarker of Prognostic Risk in Patients with Kidney Cancer. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13091656. [PMID: 36140823 PMCID: PMC9498815 DOI: 10.3390/genes13091656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The most prevalent subtype of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) may be associated with a poor prognosis in a high number of cases, with a stage-specific prognostic stratification currently in use. No reliable biomarkers have been utilized so far in clinical practice despite the efforts in biomarker research in the last years. Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a critical safeguard against erroneous transcripts, particularly mRNA transcripts containing premature termination codons (called nonsense-mediated decay targeted RNA, ntRNA). In this study, we first characterized 296 differentially expressed ntRNAs that were independent of the corresponding gene, 261 differentially expressed miRNAs, and 4653 differentially expressed lncRNAs. Then, we constructed a hub ntRNA–miRNA–lncRNA triple regulatory network associated with the prognosis of KIRC. Moreover, the results of immune infiltration analysis indicated that this network may influence the changes of the tumor immune microenvironment. A prognostic model derived from the genes and immune cells associated with the network was developed to distinguish between high- and low-risk patients, which was a better prognostic than other models, constructed using different biomarkers. Additionally, correlation of methylation and ntRNAs in the network suggested that some ntRNAs were regulated by methylation, which is helpful to further study the causes of abnormal expression of ntRNAs. In conclusion, this study highlighted the possible clinical implications of ntRNA functions in KIRC, proposing potential significant biomarkers that could be utilized to define the prognosis and design personalized treatment plans in kidney cancer management in the next future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyue Zhou
- Department of Statistics, School of Science, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Fuyan Hu
- Department of Statistics, School of Science, Wuhan University of Technology, 122 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430070, China
- Correspondence: (F.H.); (N.L.S.T.)
| | - Dan Huang
- Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qingjia Chi
- Department of Engineering Structure and Mechanics, School of Science, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Nelson L. S. Tang
- Department of Chemical Pathology and Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Functional Genomics and Biostatistical Computing Laboratory, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518000, China
- Hong Kong Branch of CAS Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Correspondence: (F.H.); (N.L.S.T.)
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16
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The inhibition of centromere protein K causes anticancer effects in breast carcinoma via effects on the FAK/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2022; 454:116232. [PMID: 36089000 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2022.116232] [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: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The overexpression of centromere protein K (CENPK) is a major contributor to the malignant progression of numerous cancers. To date, the detailed functions and mechanisms of CENPK in breast carcinoma are not fully elucidated. The goals of this project were to comprehensively address the relevance of CENPK in breast carcinoma. The initial investigation by TCGA analysis revealed a high expression level of CENPK in breast carcinoma. Subsequently, an immunoblotting assay confirmed that CENPK is highly expressed in the clinical samples of breast carcinoma. In vitro experiments elucidated that the inhibition of CENPK produced substantial anticancer effects, including a reduction of proliferation, the inhibition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, the induction of cell cycle arrest and chemosensitivity. Mechanism research unveiled a role for CENPK in mediating the focal adhesion kinase (FAK1)/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Inhibiting the FAK/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway was able to reverse CENPK-elicited cancer-promoting effects. Additionally, CENPK-silenced breast carcinoma cells exhibited low tumorigenicity in vivo. In summary, our data demonstrated that CENPK inhibition provided an excellent anticancer effect for breast carcinoma by regulating FAK/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. This work illustrates a novel molecular mechanism for CENPK in breast carcinoma and suggests CENPK inhibition as a promising targeted therapy for breast carcinoma.
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17
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Centromeric protein K (CENPK) promotes gastric cancer proliferation and migration via interacting with XRCC5. Gastric Cancer 2022; 25:879-895. [PMID: 35715658 DOI: 10.1007/s10120-022-01311-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND CENPK is a novel oncogene which is aberrantly expression in some malignant tumors. However, the role and mechanisms of CENPK in gastric cancer have not been explored. METHODS In this study, we use RT-PCR and IHC to study CENPK expression in gastric cancer cells and tissues. In addition, we constructed the two kinds of CENPK siRNA lentivirus to knock down CENPK. Then, we use High content living cell imaging System, Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation, wound healing and Transwell assays to demonstrate the function of CENPK on gastric cancer cells AGS and MKN45. Meanwhile, we use flow cytometry assay to study CENPK function on gastric cancer cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Subcutaneous tumorigenesis in nude mice was also performed to confirm CENPK function on gastric cancer. Finally, we use Co-IP, LC-MS and function rescue assay to study the downstream interaction molecular of CENPK. RESULTS We demonstrated that CENPK expression were up-regulated in GC cell lines. Poor differentiation and III-IV stage had more percentages of high CENPK expression. Knocking down CENPK could significantly suppress GC cells proliferation, migration and invasion, and induce GC cells apoptosis and G1/S phase transition arrest. Subcutaneous tumorigenesis confirmed the tumor-promoting effects of CENPK in vivo. Remarkably, we found for the first time that XRCC5 might be interacted with CENPK through Co-IP, LC-MS and rescue study. CONCLUSION CENPK promotes GC cell proliferation and migration via interacting with XRCC5 and may be a novel prognostic factor or therapeutic target for CENPK.
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Kestel S, Göçün FPU, Öğüt B, Erdem Ö. Clinicopathologic features and survival outcomes of ocular melanoma: a series of 31 cases from a tertiary university hospital. J Pathol Transl Med 2022; 56:187-198. [PMID: 35501671 PMCID: PMC9288897 DOI: 10.4132/jptm.2022.03.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background We aimed to determine the effect of clinicopathologic features on overall survival among Caucasian ocular melanoma patients in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. Methods This single-center study included conjunctival (n = 12) and uveal (n = 19) melanoma patients diagnosed between January 2008 and March 2020. Clinicopathologic features and outcomes were reviewed retrospectively. Five cases were tested for BRAF V600 mutations with real-time polymerase chain reaction, and one case was tested with next-generation sequencing. Survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results Thirty-one patients had a mean initial age of 58.32 years (median, 61 years; range 25 to 78 years). There were 13 male and 18 female patients. The median follow-up time was 43.5 months (range, 6 to 155 months) for conjunctival melanoma and 35 months (range, 8 to 151 months) for uveal melanoma. When this study ended, eight of the 12 conjunctival melanoma patients (66.7%) and nine of the 19 uveal melanoma patients (47.4%) had died. The presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes was related to improved overall survival in conjunctival melanoma (p = .014), whereas the presence of ulceration (p = .030), lymphovascular invasion (p = .051), tumor in the left eye (p = .012), tumor thickness of > 2 mm (p = .012), and mitotic count of >1/mm2 (p = .012) reduced the overall survival in conjunctival melanoma. Uveal melanoma tumors with the largest diameter of 9.1–15 mm led to the lowest overall survival among subgroups (p = .035). Involvement of the conjunctiva (p=.005) and lens (p = .003) diminished overall survival in uveal melanoma. BRAF V600 mutation was present in one case of conjunctival melanoma, GNAQ R183Q mutation was present in one case of uveal melanoma. Patients with uveal melanoma presented with an advanced pathological tumor stage compared to those with conjunctival melanoma (p = .019). Conclusions This study confirmed the presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes as a favorable factor in conjunctival melanoma and conjunctival and lens involvement as unfavorable prognostic factors in uveal melanoma for overall survival, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selin Kestel
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | - Betül Öğüt
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Özlem Erdem
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
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Wolf J, Boneva S, Rosmus DD, Agostini H, Schlunck G, Wieghofer P, Schlecht A, Lange C. In-Depth Molecular Profiling Specifies Human Retinal Microglia Identity. Front Immunol 2022; 13:863158. [PMID: 35371110 PMCID: PMC8971200 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.863158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia are the tissue-resident macrophages of the retina and brain, being critically involved in organ development, tissue homeostasis, and response to cellular damage. Until now, little is known about the molecular signature of human retinal microglia and how it differs from the one of brain microglia and peripheral monocytes. In addition, it is not yet clear to what extent murine retinal microglia resemble those of humans, which represents an important prerequisite for translational research. The present study applies fluorescence-activated cell sorting to isolate human retinal microglia from enucleated eyes and compares their transcriptional profile with the one of whole retinal tissue, human brain microglia as well as classical, intermediate and non-classical monocytes. Finally, human retinal microglia are compared to murine retinal microglia, isolated from Cx3cr1GFP/+ mice. Whereas human retinal microglia exhibited a high grade of similarity in comparison to their counterparts in the brain, several enriched genes were identified in retinal microglia when compared to whole retinal tissue, as well as classical, intermediate, and non-classical monocytes. In relation to whole retina sequencing, several risk genes associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) were preferentially expressed in retinal microglia, indicating their potential pathophysiological involvement. Although a high degree of similarity was observed between human and murine retinal microglia, several species-specific genes were identified, which should be kept in mind when employing mouse models to investigate retinal microglia biology. In summary, this study provides detailed insights into the molecular profile of human retinal microglia, identifies a plethora of tissue-specific and species-specific genes in comparison to human brain microglia and murine retinal microglia, and thus highlights the significance of retinal microglia in human retinal diseases and for translational research approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Wolf
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stefaniya Boneva
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Hansjürgen Agostini
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Günther Schlunck
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Peter Wieghofer
- Institute of Anatomy, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Cellular Neuroanatomy, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Anja Schlecht
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Julius-Maximilians-University Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Clemens Lange
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Ophtha-Lab, Department of Ophthalmology at St. Franziskus Hospital, Muenster, Germany
- *Correspondence: Clemens Lange,
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20
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Wolf J, Boneva S, Rosmus DD, Agostini H, Schlunck G, Wieghofer P, Schlecht A, Lange C. Deciphering the Molecular Signature of Human Hyalocytes in Relation to Other Innate Immune Cell Populations. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2022; 63:9. [PMID: 35266958 PMCID: PMC8934546 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.63.3.9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Hyalocytes are the tissue-resident innate immune cell population of the vitreous body with important functions in health and vitreoretinal disease. The purpose of this study is to gain new insights into the biology and function of human hyalocytes in comparison to other innate immune cells. Methods The present study applies fluorescence-activated cell sorting and RNA sequencing to compare the transcriptional profiles of human hyalocytes, retinal microglia (rMG) and classical, intermediate, and non-classical monocytes isolated from the same patients. Immunohistochemistry was applied for morphological characterization of human hyalocytes. Results Pairwise analysis indicates distinct differences between hyalocytes and monocytes, whereas a high degree of similarity to rMG is apparent, with comparable expression levels of established microglia markers, such as TREM2, P2RY12, and TMEM119. Among the top expressed genes in hyalocytes, SPP1, CD74, and C3, were significantly upregulated when compared with monocytes. Despite the high level of similarity of hyalocytes and rMG, ten highly expressed genes in hyalocytes compared to microglia were identified, among them FOS, DUSP1, and EGR2. Conclusions This study reveals a high degree of similarity between hyalocytes and retinal microglia. Nevertheless, hyalocytes exhibit some expression differences that may adapt them to the specific needs of the vitreous and provide the basis for deciphering the multiple roles of this fascinating cell population in health and vitreoretinal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Wolf
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Stefaniya Boneva
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | | | - Hansjürgen Agostini
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Günther Schlunck
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Peter Wieghofer
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Saxony, Germany.,Cellular Neuroanatomy, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Anja Schlecht
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany.,Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Julius-Maximilians-University Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Clemens Lange
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany.,Ophtha-Lab, Department of Ophthalmology, St. Franziskus Hospital, Muenster, Germany
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Wolf J, Lapp T, Reinhard T, Agostini H, Schlunck G, Lange C. [Web-based gene expression analysis-paving the way to decode healthy and diseased ocular tissue]. Ophthalmologe 2022; 119:929-936. [PMID: 35194679 PMCID: PMC8863098 DOI: 10.1007/s00347-022-01592-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gene expression analysis using RNA sequencing has helped to improve the understanding of many diseases. Databases, such as the Gene Expression Omnibus database of the National Center for Biotechnology Information provide RNA sequencing raw data from various diseased tissue types but their analysis requires advanced bioinformatics skills. Therefore, specific ocular databases provide the transcriptional profiles of different ocular tissues and in addition enable intuitive web-based data analysis. OBJECTIVE The aim of this narrative review is to provide an overview of ocular transcriptome databases and to compare them with the Human Eye Transcriptome Atlas newly established in Freiburg. METHODS PubMed literature search. RESULTS A total of nine ocular transcriptome databases focusing on different aspects were identified. The iSyTE and Express platforms specialize in gene expression during lens and retinal development in mice, whereas retina.tigem.it, Eye in a Disk, and Spectacle focus on selected ocular tissues such as the retina. Spectacle, UCSC Cell Browser and Single Cell Portal allow intuitive exploration of single cell RNA sequencing data derived from retinal, choroid, cornea, iris, trabecular meshwork and sclera specimens. The microarray profiles of a variety of healthy ocular tissues are included in the Ocular Tissue Database. The Human Eye Transcriptome Atlas provides the largest collection of different ocular tissue types, contains the highest number of ocular diseases and is characterized by a high level of quality achieved by methodological consistency. CONCLUSION Ocular transcriptome databases provide comprehensive and intuitive insights into the transcriptional profiles of a variety of healthy and diseased ocular tissues. Thus, they improve our understanding of the underlying molecular mediators, support hypothesis generation and help in the search for new diagnostic and therapeutic targets for various ocular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Wolf
- Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Medizinische Fakultät, Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Deutschland.
| | - Thabo Lapp
- Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Medizinische Fakultät, Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Deutschland
| | - Thomas Reinhard
- Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Medizinische Fakultät, Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Deutschland
| | - Hansjürgen Agostini
- Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Medizinische Fakultät, Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Deutschland
| | - Günther Schlunck
- Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Medizinische Fakultät, Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Deutschland
| | - Clemens Lange
- Klinik für Augenheilkunde, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Medizinische Fakultät, Universität Freiburg, Freiburg, Deutschland. .,Ophtha-Lab, Department of Ophthalmology, St. Franziskus Hospital, Muenster, Muenster, Deutschland.
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22
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Wolf J, Boneva S, Schlecht A, Lapp T, Auw-Haedrich C, Lagrèze W, Agostini H, Reinhard T, Schlunck G, Lange C. The Human Eye Transcriptome Atlas: A searchable comparative transcriptome database for healthy and diseased human eye tissue. Genomics 2022; 114:110286. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Wolf J, Hajdu RI, Boneva S, Schlecht A, Lapp T, Wacker K, Agostini H, Reinhard T, Auw-Hädrich C, Schlunck G, Lange C. Characterization of the Cellular Microenvironment and Novel Specific Biomarkers in Pterygia Using RNA Sequencing. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 8:714458. [PMID: 35174178 PMCID: PMC8841401 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.714458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
With a worldwide prevalence of ~12%, pterygium is a common degenerative and environmentally triggered ocular surface disorder characterized by wing-shaped growth of conjunctival tissue onto the cornea that can lead to blindness if left untreated. This study characterizes the transcriptional profile and the cellular microenvironment of conjunctival pterygia and identifies novel pterygia-specific biomarkers. Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded pterygia as well as healthy conjunctival specimens were analyzed using MACE RNA sequencing (n = 8 each) and immunohistochemistry (pterygia n = 7, control n = 3). According to the bioinformatic cell type enrichment analysis using xCell, the cellular microenvironment of pterygia was characterized by an enrichment of myofibroblasts, T-lymphocytes and various antigen-presenting cells, including dendritic cells and macrophages. Differentially expressed genes that were increased in pterygia compared to control tissue were mainly involved in autophagy (including DCN, TMBIM6), cellular response to stress (including TPT1, DDX5) as well as fibroblast proliferation and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (including CTNNB1, TGFBR1, and FN1). Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed a significantly increased FN1 stromal immunoreactivity in pterygia when compared to control tissue. In addition, a variety of factors involved in apoptosis were significantly downregulated in pterygia, including LCN2, CTSD, and NISCH. Furthermore, 450 pterygia-specific biomarkers were identified by including transcriptional data of different ocular surface pathologies serving as controls (training group), which were then validated using transcriptional data of cultured human pterygium cells. Among the most pterygia-specific factors were transcripts such as AHNAK, RTN4, TPT1, FSTL1, and SPARC. Immunohistochemical validation of SPARC revealed a significantly increased stromal immunoreactivity in pterygia when compared to controls, most notably in vessels and intravascular vessel wall-adherent mononuclear cells. Taken together, the present study provides new insights into the cellular microenvironment and the transcriptional profile of pterygia, identifies new and specific biomarkers and in addition to fibrosis-related genes, uncovers autophagy, stress response and apoptosis modulation as pterygium-associated processes. These findings expand our understanding of the pathophysiology of pterygia, provide new diagnostic tools, and may enable new targeted therapeutic options for this common and sight-threatening ocular surface disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Wolf
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Rozina Ida Hajdu
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Department of Ophthalmology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Stefaniya Boneva
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Anja Schlecht
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Wuerzburg University, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Thabo Lapp
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Katrin Wacker
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Hansjürgen Agostini
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Thomas Reinhard
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Claudia Auw-Hädrich
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Günther Schlunck
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Clemens Lange
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Ophtha-Lab, Department of Ophthalmology, St. Franziskus Hospital, Münster, Germany
- *Correspondence: Clemens Lange
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Peil J, Bock F, Kiefer F, Schmidt R, Heindl LM, Cursiefen C, Schlereth SL. New Therapeutic Approaches for Conjunctival Melanoma-What We Know So Far and Where Therapy Is Potentially Heading: Focus on Lymphatic Vessels and Dendritic Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:1478. [PMID: 35163401 PMCID: PMC8835854 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Conjunctival melanoma (CM) accounts for 5% of all ocular melanomas and arises from malignantly transformed melanocytes in the conjunctival epithelium. Current therapies using surgical excision in combination with chemo- or cryotherapy still have high rates for recurrences and metastatic disease. Lately, novel signal transduction-targeted and immune checkpoint inhibitors like cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) inhibitors, programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) receptor inhibitors, BRAF- or MEK-inhibitors for systemic treatment of melanoma have improved the outcome even for unresectable cutaneous melanoma, improving patient survival dramatically. The use of these therapies is now also recommended for CM; however, the immunological background of CM is barely known, underlining the need for research to better understand the immunological basics when treating CM patients with immunomodulatory therapies. Immune checkpoint inhibitors activate tumor defense by interrupting inhibitory interactions between tumor cells and T lymphocytes at the so-called checkpoints. The tumor cells exploit these inhibitory targets on T-cells that are usually used by dendritic cells (DCs). DCs are antigen-presenting cells at the forefront of immune response induction. They contribute to immune tolerance and immune defense but in the case of tumor development, immune tolerance is often prevalent. Enhancing the immune response via DCs, interfering with the lymphatic pathways during immune cell migration and tumor development and specifically targeting tumor cells is a major therapeutic opportunity for many tumor entities including CM. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the function of lymphatic vessels in tumor growth and immune cell transport and continues to compare DC subsets in CM with related melanomas, such as cutaneous melanoma and mucosal melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Peil
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (J.P.); (F.B.); (L.M.H.); (C.C.)
| | - Felix Bock
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (J.P.); (F.B.); (L.M.H.); (C.C.)
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Friedemann Kiefer
- European Institute for Molecular Imaging (EIMI), University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany;
| | - Rebecca Schmidt
- Department of Oral, Maxillofacial and Plastic Facial Surgery, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany;
| | - Ludwig M. Heindl
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (J.P.); (F.B.); (L.M.H.); (C.C.)
| | - Claus Cursiefen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (J.P.); (F.B.); (L.M.H.); (C.C.)
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
| | - Simona L. Schlereth
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany; (J.P.); (F.B.); (L.M.H.); (C.C.)
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany
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Wolf J, Schlecht A, Rosmus DD, Boneva S, Agostini H, Schlunck G, Wieghofer P, Lange C. Comparative transcriptome analysis of human and murine choroidal neovascularization identifies fibroblast growth factor inducible-14 as phylogenetically conserved mediator of neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2022; 1868:166340. [PMID: 35032596 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2022.166340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Visual outcome of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration has significantly improved during the last years following the introduction of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy. However, about one third of patients show persistent exudation and decreasing visual acuity despite recurrent anti-VEGF treatment, which implies a role of other, still unknown proangiogenic mediators. METHODS The present study applied transcriptional profiling of human and mouse (C57BL/6J wildtype) choroidal neovascularization (CNV) membranes each with reference to healthy control tissue to identify yet unrecognized mediators of CNV formation. Key factors were further investigated by immunohistochemistry as well as by intravitreal inhibition experiments and multiplex protein assays in the laser-induced CNV mouse model. FINDINGS Transcriptional profiles of CNV membranes were characterized by enhanced activation of blood vessel development, cytoskeletal organization, and cytokine production, with angiogenesis and wound healing processes predominating in humans and activation of immune processes in mice. Besides several species-specific factors, 95 phylogenetically conserved CNV-associated genes were detected, among which fibroblast growth factor inducible-14 (FN14), a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor family, was identified as a key player of CNV formation. Blocking the pathway by intravitreal injection of a FN14 decoy receptor modulated the cytokine profile - most notably IL-6 - and led to a significant reduction of CNV size in vivo. INTERPRETATION This study characterizes the transcriptome of human and mouse CNV membranes in an unprejudiced manner and identifies FN14 as a phylogenetically conserved mediator of CNV formation and a promising new therapeutic target for neovascular AMD. FUNDING This study was funded by the Helmut Ecker Foundation and the Volker Homann Foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Wolf
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anja Schlecht
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany; Institute of Anatomy, Wuerzburg University, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | | | - Stefaniya Boneva
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hansjürgen Agostini
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Günther Schlunck
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Peter Wieghofer
- Institute of Anatomy, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany; Cellular Neuroanatomy, Institute of Theoretical Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Clemens Lange
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany; Ophtha-Lab, Department of Ophthalmology, St. Franziskus Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
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Boneva SK, Wolf J, Hajdú RI, Prinz G, Salié H, Schlecht A, Killmer S, Laich Y, Faatz H, Lommatzsch A, Busch M, Bucher F, Stahl A, Böhringer D, Bengsch B, Schlunck G, Agostini H, Lange CAK. In-Depth Molecular Characterization of Neovascular Membranes Suggests a Role for Hyalocyte-to-Myofibroblast Transdifferentiation in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy. Front Immunol 2021; 12:757607. [PMID: 34795670 PMCID: PMC8593213 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.757607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Retinal neovascularization (RNV) membranes can lead to a tractional retinal detachment, the primary reason for severe vision loss in end-stage disease proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). The aim of this study was to characterize the molecular, cellular and immunological features of RNV in order to unravel potential novel drug treatments for PDR. Methods A total of 43 patients undergoing vitrectomy for PDR, macular pucker or macular hole (control patients) were included in this study. The surgically removed RNV and epiretinal membranes were analyzed by RNA sequencing, single-cell based Imaging Mass Cytometry and conventional immunohistochemistry. Immune cells of the vitreous body, also known as hyalocytes, were isolated from patients with PDR by flow cytometry, cultivated and characterized by immunohistochemistry. A bioinformatical drug repurposing approach was applied in order to identify novel potential drug options for end-stage diabetic retinopathy disease. Results The in-depth transcriptional and single-cell protein analysis of diabetic RNV tissue samples revealed an accumulation of endothelial cells, macrophages and myofibroblasts as well as an abundance of secreted ECM proteins such as SPARC, FN1 and several types of collagen in RNV tissue. The immunohistochemical staining of cultivated vitreal hyalocytes from patients with PDR showed that hyalocytes express α-SMA (alpha-smooth muscle actin), a classic myofibroblast marker. According to our drug repurposing analysis, imatinib emerged as a potential immunomodulatory drug option for future treatment of PDR. Conclusion This study delivers the first in-depth transcriptional and single-cell proteomic characterization of RNV tissue samples. Our data suggest an important role of hyalocyte-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation in the pathogenesis of diabetic vitreoretinal disease and their modulation as a novel possible clinical approach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julian Wolf
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Rozina Ida Hajdú
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Department of Ophthalmology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gabriele Prinz
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Henrike Salié
- Department of Medicine II, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology and Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anja Schlecht
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Saskia Killmer
- Department of Medicine II, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology and Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Yannik Laich
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Martin Busch
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Felicitas Bucher
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Stahl
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Daniel Böhringer
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Bertram Bengsch
- Department of Medicine II, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology and Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Günther Schlunck
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hansjürgen Agostini
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Clemens A K Lange
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Zhuang X, Schlunck G, Wolf J, Rosmus DD, Bleul T, Luo R, Böhringer D, Wieghofer P, Lange C, Reinhard T, Lapp T. Time- and Stimulus-Dependent Characteristics of Innate Immune Cells in Organ-Cultured Human Corneal Tissue. J Innate Immun 2021; 14:98-111. [PMID: 34182556 DOI: 10.1159/000516669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The pattern of immune cells infiltrating the corneal stroma has been extensively studied in mice, but data on human tissue have been far less elaborate. To further characterize the number and differentiation state of resident immune cells in organ-cultured human corneal tissue, we employed a comprehensive bioinformatic deconvolution (xCell) of bulk RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and flow cytometry (FC). METHODS A transcriptome-based analysis of immune cell types in human corneal samples was performed. The results were validated by IHC, focusing on the identification of pro-inflammatory (M1) and regulatory (M2) macrophages. A protocol was established to identify these 2 different macrophage populations in human corneal tissue by means of FC. Subsequently, corneal samples in organ culture were differentially stimulated by IL-10, IL-4 & IL-13, or LPS and macrophage populations were evaluated regarding their response to these stimuli. Furthermore, cell survival was analyzed in correlation with time in organ culture. RESULTS xCell-based mathematical deconvolution of bulk RNA-seq data revealed the presence of CD8 T cells, Th17 cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages as the predominant immune cell types in organ-cultured human corneal tissue. Furthermore, RNA-seq allowed the detection of different macrophage marker genes in corneal samples, including PTPRC (CD45), ITGAM (CD11b), CD14, and CD74. Our RNA-seq data showed no evidence of a relevant presence of monocytes in human corneal tissue. The presence of different macrophage subtypes was confirmed by IHC. The disintegration and subsequent FC analysis of human corneal samples showed the presence of both M1 (HLA-DR+, CD282+, CD86+, and CD284+) and M2 (CD163+ and CD206+) macrophage subtypes. Furthermore, we found that the total number of macrophages in corneal samples decreased more than the total cell count with increasing tissue culture time. Treatment with IL-10 led to higher total cell counts per cornea and to an increased expression of the M2 marker CD163 (p < 0.05) while expression levels of various M1 macrophage markers were not significantly reduced by interleukin treatment. CONCLUSIONS Regarding different macrophage populations, untreated human corneas showed more M1 than M2 macrophages. With increasing organ culture time, these macrophages decreased. In terms of cell dynamics, adding interleukins to the organ culture medium influenced the phenotype of macrophages within the cornea as detected by FC. Modifying the immunomodulatory properties of human grafts appears a promising approach to further reduce the risk of graft rejection in patients. In this context, treatment with interleukins was more effective in upregulating M2 macrophages than in suppressing M1 macrophages in corneal tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Zhuang
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Günther Schlunck
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Julian Wolf
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | | | - Tim Bleul
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Ren Luo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Böhringer
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | | | - Clemens Lange
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Thomas Reinhard
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Thabo Lapp
- Eye Center, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
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Benedicto A, Hernandez-Unzueta I, Sanz E, Márquez J. Ocoxin Increases the Antitumor Effect of BRAF Inhibition and Reduces Cancer Associated Fibroblast-Mediated Chemoresistance and Protumoral Activity in Metastatic Melanoma. Nutrients 2021; 13:686. [PMID: 33669949 PMCID: PMC7924874 DOI: 10.3390/nu13020686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Whereas the prevalence of several cancer types is decreasing, skin malignancies are growing more common every year. Malignant melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer with high metastatic capacity. In most cases, malignant melanoma shows acquired therapy resistance. We evaluated the ability of Ocoxin, a natural compound-based antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutritional complement, to exert an antitumor effect in melanoma. To do so, the cytotoxicity of Ocoxin in a panel of BRAF-mutated murine and human melanoma cell lines was tested alone and in combination with BRAF inhibitor Vemurafenib. Our results revealed a potent cytotoxic effect of Ocoxin against melanoma cells and a synergic effect when combined with Vemurafenib, reducing viability and increasing apoptosis. Besides, Ocoxin interferes with the cell cycle, impairs the inherent and fibroblast-mediated melanoma cell migration, and reduces resistance to BRAF inhibition. Proteomic analysis revealed reduced tumor secretion of inflammatory factors Galectin-1, Osteopontin, CCL5, and CCL9 upon treatment with Ocoxin. Moreover, RNASeq showed that Ocoxin downregulated the cell cycle and proliferation-related genes. In vivo, Ocoxin reduced the number of lung metastasis of YUMM-1.7 melanoma cells. Therefore, Ocoxin arises as a good candidate for clinical trials analyzing the beneficial effects in patients suffering from this cutaneous malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aitor Benedicto
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, School of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country, 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain; (A.B.); (I.H.-U.)
| | - Iera Hernandez-Unzueta
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, School of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country, 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain; (A.B.); (I.H.-U.)
| | - Eduardo Sanz
- Research and Development, Catalysis S.L., 28016 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Joana Márquez
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, School of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country, 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain; (A.B.); (I.H.-U.)
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