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Rahmati S, Moeinafshar A, Rezaei N. The multifaceted role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in colorectal cancer: metastasis, immune suppression, therapy resistance, and autophagy crosstalk. J Transl Med 2024; 22:452. [PMID: 38741166 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05267-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer structures released by all cells and widely distributed in all biological fluids. EVs are implicated in diverse physiopathological processes by orchestrating cell-cell communication. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide, with metastasis being the leading cause of mortality in CRC patients. EVs contribute significantly to the advancement and spread of CRC by transferring their cargo, which includes lipids, proteins, RNAs, and DNAs, to neighboring or distant cells. Besides, they can serve as non-invasive diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for early detection of CRC or be harnessed as effective carriers for delivering therapeutic agents. Autophagy is an essential cellular process that serves to remove damaged proteins and organelles by lysosomal degradation to maintain cellular homeostasis. Autophagy and EV release are coordinately activated in tumor cells and share common factors and regulatory mechanisms. Although the significance of autophagy and EVs in cancer is well established, the exact mechanism of their interplay in tumor development is obscure. This review focuses on examining the specific functions of EVs in various aspects of CRC, including progression, metastasis, immune regulation, and therapy resistance. Further, we overview emerging discoveries relevant to autophagy and EVs crosstalk in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soheil Rahmati
- Student Research Committee, Ramsar Campus, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Ramsar, Iran
- Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Aysan Moeinafshar
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nima Rezaei
- Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Dr. Qarib St, Keshavarz Blvd, Tehran, 14194, Iran.
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy, and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Baldasso-Zanon A, Silva AO, Franco N, Picon RV, Lenz G, Lopez PLDC, Filippi-Chiela EC. The rational modulation of autophagy sensitizes colorectal cancer cells to 5-fluouracil and oxaliplatin. J Cell Biochem 2024; 125:e30517. [PMID: 38224178 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30517] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common and deadliest cancer globally. Regimens using 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and Oxaliplatin (OXA) are the first-line treatment for CRC, but tumor recurrence is frequent. It is plausible to hypothesize that differential cellular responses are triggered after treatments depending on the genetic background of CRC cells and that the rational modulation of cell tolerance mechanisms like autophagy may reduce the regrowth of CRC cells. This study proposes investigating the cellular mechanisms triggered by CRC cells exposed to 5FU and OXA using a preclinical experimental design mimicking one cycle of the clinical regimen (i.e., 48 h of treatment repeated every 2 weeks). To test this, we treated CRC human cell lines HCT116 and HT29 with the 5FU and OXA, combined or not, for 48 h, followed by analysis for two additional weeks. Compared to single-drug treatments, the co-treatment reduced tumor cell regrowth, clonogenicity and stemness, phenotypes associated with tumor aggressiveness and poor prognosis in clinics. This effect was exerted by the induction of apoptosis and senescence only in the co-treatment. However, a week after treatment, cells that tolerated the treatment had high levels of autophagy features and restored the proliferative phenotype, resembling tumor recurrence. The pharmacologic suppression of early autophagy during its peak of occurrence, but not concomitant with chemotherapeutics, strongly reduced cell regrowth. Overall, our experimental model provides new insights into the cellular mechanisms that underlie the response and tolerance of CRC cells to 5FU and OXA, suggesting optimized, time-specific autophagy inhibition as a new avenue for improving the efficacy of current treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andréa Baldasso-Zanon
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Ciências em Gastroenterologia e Hepatologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- Centro de Pesquisas Experimental, Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Andrew Oliveira Silva
- Centro de Pesquisas Experimental, Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- Unidade Centro RS, Faculdade Estácio do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Nayara Franco
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Ciências em Gastroenterologia e Hepatologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- Centro de Pesquisas Experimental, Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Rafael V Picon
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Ciências em Gastroenterologia e Hepatologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- Departamento de Medicina Interna, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Guido Lenz
- Departamento de Biofísica, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Luciana da Costa Lopez
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Ciências em Gastroenterologia e Hepatologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- Centro de Pesquisas Experimental, Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Eduardo C Filippi-Chiela
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Ciências em Gastroenterologia e Hepatologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- Centro de Pesquisas Experimental, Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- Departamento de Ciências Morfológicas, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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Sakatani A, Hayashi Y, Saiki H, Kato M, Uema R, Inoue T, Kimura K, Yoshii S, Tsujii Y, Shinzaki S, Iijima H, Takehara T. A novel role for Helicobacter pylori cytotoxin-associated gene A in negative regulation of autophagy in human gastric cells. BMC Gastroenterol 2023; 23:326. [PMID: 37740192 PMCID: PMC10517455 DOI: 10.1186/s12876-023-02944-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autophagy plays an important role in carcinogenesis and tumor progression in many cancers, including gastric cancer. Cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) is a well-known virulent factor in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection that plays a critical role in gastric inflammation and gastric cancer development. However, its role in autophagy during these processes remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the role of CagA in autophagy in CagA-related inflammation. METHODS We evaluated the autophagic index of AGS cells infected with wild-type cagA-positive H. pylori (Hp-WT) and cagA-knockout H. pylori (Hp-ΔcagA) and rat gastric mucosal (RGM1) cells transfected with CagA genes. To identify the mechanisms underlying the down regulation of autophagy in AGS cells infected with H. pylori, we evaluated protein and mRNA expression levels of autophagy core proteins using western blotting and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). To determine whether autophagy induced the expression of the pro-inflammatory mediator, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), we evaluated COX-2 expression in AGS cells treated with an autophagy inducer and inhibitor and infected with H. pylori. In addition, we evaluated whether COX-2 protein expression in AGS cells influenced beclin-1 (BECN1) expression with si-RNA transfection when infected with H. pylori. RESULTS Autophagic flux assay using chloroquine showed that autophagy in AGS cells was significantly suppressed after H. pylori infection. The autophagic index of AGS cells infected with Hp-WT was decreased significantly when compared with that in AGS cells infected with Hp-ΔcagA. The autophagic index of RGM1 cells transfected with CagA was lower, suggesting that CagA inhibits autophagy. In addition, BECN1 expression levels in AGS cells infected with Hp-WT were reduced compared to those in AGS cells infected with Hp-ΔcagA. Furthermore, COX-2 expression in AGS cells infected with H. pylori was controlled in an autophagy-dependent manner. When AGS cells were transfected with small interfering RNA specific for BECN1 and infected with Hp-WT and Hp-ΔcagA, COX-2 was upregulated significantly in cells infected with Hp-ΔcagA. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, the H. pylori CagA protein negatively regulated autophagy by downregulating BECN1. CagA-induced autophagy inhibition may be a causative factor in promoting pro-inflammatory mediator production in human gastric epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiko Sakatani
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoshito Hayashi
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hirotsugu Saiki
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Minoru Kato
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ryotaro Uema
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takanori Inoue
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Keiichi Kimura
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Yoshii
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Tsujii
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Shinzaki
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hideki Iijima
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Takehara
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
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Kasprzak A. Autophagy and the Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF) System in Colonic Cells: Implications for Colorectal Neoplasia. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043665. [PMID: 36835075 PMCID: PMC9959216 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common human malignancies worldwide. Along with apoptosis and inflammation, autophagy is one of three important mechanisms in CRC. The presence of autophagy/mitophagy in most normal mature intestinal epithelial cells has been confirmed, where it has mainly protective functions against reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced DNA and protein damage. Autophagy regulates cell proliferation, metabolism, differentiation, secretion of mucins and/or anti-microbial peptides. Abnormal autophagy in intestinal epithelial cells leads to dysbiosis, a decline in local immunity and a decrease in cell secretory function. The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling pathway plays an important role in colorectal carcinogenesis. This is evidenced by the biological activities of IGFs (IGF-1 and IGF-2), IGF-1 receptor type 1 (IGF-1R) and IGF-binding proteins (IGF BPs), which have been reported to regulate cell survival, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Defects in autophagy are found in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS), inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and CRC. In neoplastic cells, the IGF system modulates the autophagy process bidirectionally. In the current era of improving CRC therapies, it seems important to investigate the exact mechanisms not only of apoptosis, but also of autophagy in different populations of tumor microenvironment (TME) cells. The role of the IGF system in autophagy in normal as well as transformed colorectal cells still seems poorly understood. Hence, the aim of the review was to summarize the latest knowledge on the role of the IGF system in the molecular mechanisms of autophagy in the normal colon mucosa and in CRC, taking into account the cellular heterogeneity of the colonic and rectal epithelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldona Kasprzak
- Department of Histology and Embryology, University of Medical Sciences, Swiecicki Street 6, 60-781 Poznan, Poland
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Naito Y, Yoshioka Y, Ochiya T. Intercellular crosstalk between cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts via extracellular vesicles. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:367. [PMID: 36424598 PMCID: PMC9686122 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02784-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Intercellular communication plays an important role in cancer initiation and progression through direct contact and indirect interactions, such as via secretory molecules. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are one of the principal components of such communication with cancer cells, modulating cancer metastasis and tumour mechanics and influencing angiogenesis, the immune system, and therapeutic resistance. Over the past few years, there has been a significant increase in research on extracellular vesicles (EVs) as regulatory agents in intercellular communication. EVs enable the transfer of functional molecules, including proteins, mRNAs and microRNAs (miRNAs), to recipient cells. Cancer cells utilize EVs to dictate the specific characteristics of CAFs within the tumour microenvironment, thereby promoting cancer progression. In response to such "education" by cancer cells, CAFs contribute to cancer progression via EVs. In this review, we summarize experimental data indicating the pivotal roles of EVs in intercellular communication between cancer cells and CAFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutaka Naito
- grid.410821.e0000 0001 2173 8328Department of Bioregulation, Institute for Advanced Medical Sciences, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5, Sendagi, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8602 Japan
| | - Yusuke Yoshioka
- grid.410793.80000 0001 0663 3325Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 160-0023 Japan
| | - Takahiro Ochiya
- grid.410793.80000 0001 0663 3325Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 160-0023 Japan
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Yu T, Ben S, Ma L, Jiang L, Chen S, Lin Y, Chen T, Li S, Zhu L. Genetic variants in autophagy-related gene ATG2B predict the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Front Oncol 2022; 12:876424. [PMID: 35992821 PMCID: PMC9389459 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.876424] [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: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy-related genes have a vital effect on colorectal cancer (CRC) by affecting genomic stability and regulating immune responses. However, the associations between genetic variants in autophagy-related genes and CRC outcomes for chemotherapy therapy remain unclear. The Cox regression model was used to evaluate the associations between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in autophagy-related genes and overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of CRC patients. The results were corrected by the false discovery rate (FDR) correction. We used the logistic regression model to investigate the associations of SNPs with the disease control rate (DCR) of patients. Gene expression analysis was explored based on an in-house dataset and other databases. The associations between gene expression and infiltrating immune cells were evaluated using the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database. We observed that ATG2B rs17094017 A > T was significantly associated with increased OS (HR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.50-0.86, P = 2.54×10-3), PFS (HR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.62-0.93, P = 7.34×10-3), and DCR (OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.37-0.96, P = 3.31×10-2) of CRC patients after chemotherapy. The expression of ATG2B was down-expressed in CRC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. Moreover, ATG2B expression influenced the infiltration of CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, B cells, and T cell receptor signaling pathways, which may inhibit the occurrence of CRC by affecting the immune system. This study suggests that genetic variants in the autophagy-related gene ATG2B play a critical role in predicting the prognosis of CRC prognosis undergoing chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Yu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shuai Ben
- Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ling Ma
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lu Jiang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Silu Chen
- Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yu Lin
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Lingjun Zhu, ; Shuwei Li, ; Tao Chen,
| | - Shuwei Li
- Department of Genetic Toxicology, The Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Environmental Genomics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Personalized Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Lingjun Zhu, ; Shuwei Li, ; Tao Chen,
| | - Lingjun Zhu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Oncology, Sir Run Run Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Lingjun Zhu, ; Shuwei Li, ; Tao Chen,
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Manzoor S, Muhammad JS, Maghazachi AA, Hamid Q. Autophagy: A Versatile Player in the Progression of Colorectal Cancer and Drug Resistance. Front Oncol 2022; 12:924290. [PMID: 35912261 PMCID: PMC9329589 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.924290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the topmost malignancies for both genders. Despite the high incidence rate and advances in diagnostic tools, treatment in many cases is still ineffective. Most cancerous lesions in CRC begin as benign, followed by the development of invasive forms and metastases. The development of CRC has been linked to defects in autophagy, which plays both a pro-and anti-tumor role and is mainly context-dependent. Autophagy suppression could enhance apoptosis via p53 activation, or autophagy also promotes tumor progression by maintaining tumor growth and increasing resistance to chemotherapy. Autophagy promotes the invasion and metastasis of CRC cells via increased epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Moreover, dysbiosis of gut microbiota upregulated autophagy and metastasis markers. Autophagy responses may also modulate the tumor microenvironment (TME) via regulating the differentiation process of several innate immune cells. Treatments that promote tumor cell death by stimulating or inhibiting autophagy could be beneficial if used as an adjunct treatment, but the precise role of various autophagy-modulating drugs in CRC patients is needed to be explored. In this article, we present an overview of the autophagy process and its role in the pathogenesis and therapeutic resistance of CRC. Also, we focused on the current understanding of the role of the EMT and TME, including its relation to gut microbiota and immune cells, in autophagic manipulation of CRC. We believe that there is a potential link between autophagy, TME, EMT, and drug resistance, suggesting that further studies are needed to explore this aspect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaista Manzoor
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Jibran Sualeh Muhammad
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Azzam A. Maghazachi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Qutayba Hamid
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Meakins-Christie Laboratories, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Qutayba Hamid,
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Feng R, Lu M, Liu L, Xu K, Xu P. Transcriptome-Wide Association Studies and Integration Analysis of mRNA Expression Profiles Identify Candidate Genes and Pathways Associated With Ankylosing Spondylitis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:814303. [PMID: 35619696 PMCID: PMC9128383 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.814303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to identify susceptibility genes and pathways associated with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) by integrating whole transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) analysis and mRNA expression profiling data. AS genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data from the large GWAS database were used. This included data of 1265 AS patients and 452264 controls. A TWAS of AS was conducted using these data. The analysis software used was FUSION, and Epstein-Barr virus–transformed lymphocytes, transformed fibroblasts, peripheral blood, and whole blood were used as gene expression references. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed for the important genes identified via TWAS. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis based on the STRING database was also performed to detect genes shared by TWAS and mRNA expression profiles in AS. TWAS identified 920 genes (P <0.05) and analyzed mRNA expression profiles to obtain 1183 differential genes. Following comparison of the TWAS results and mRNA expression characteristics, we obtained 70 overlapping genes and performed GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of these genes to obtain 16 pathways. Via PPI network analysis, we obtained the protein interaction network and performed MCODE analysis to acquire the HUB genes. Similarly, we performed GO and KEGG analyses on the genes identified by TWAS, obtained 98 pathways after screening, and analyzed protein interactions via the PPI network. Through the integration of TWAS and mRNA expression analysis, genes related to AS and GO and KEGG terms were determined, providing new evidence and revealing the pathogenesis of AS. Our AS TWAS work identified novel genes associated with AS, as well as suggested potential tissues and pathways of action for these TWAS AS genes, providing a new direction for research into the pathogenesis of AS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoyang Feng
- Department of Joint Surgery, HongHui Hospital, Xian Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Mengnan Lu
- Department of Pediatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Lin Liu
- Department of Joint Surgery, HongHui Hospital, Xian Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ke Xu
- Department of Joint Surgery, HongHui Hospital, Xian Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Peng Xu
- Department of Joint Surgery, HongHui Hospital, Xian Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
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Eng GWL, Zheng Y, Yap DWT, Teo AYT, Cheong JK. Autophagy and ncRNAs: Dangerous Liaisons in the Crosstalk between the Tumor and Its Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 14:cancers14010020. [PMID: 35008183 PMCID: PMC8750064 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14010020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Tumor cells communicate with the stromal cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME) to create a conducive environment for tumor growth. One major avenue for mediating crosstalk between various cell types in the TME involves exchanges of molecular payloads in the form of extracellular vesicles/exosomes. Autophagy is a fundamental mechanism to maintain intracellular homeostasis but recent reports suggest that secretory autophagy plays an important role in promoting secretion of exosomes that are packaged with non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and other biomolecules from the donor cell. Uptake of exosomal autophagy-modulating ncRNAs by recipient cells may further perpetuate tumor progression. Abstract Autophagy is a fundamental cellular homeostasis mechanism known to play multifaceted roles in the natural history of cancers over time. It has recently been shown that autophagy also mediates the crosstalk between the tumor and its microenvironment by promoting the export of molecular payloads such as non-coding RNA (ncRNAs) via LC3-dependent Extracellular Vesicle loading and secretion (LDELS). In turn, the dynamic exchange of exosomal ncRNAs regulate autophagic responses in the recipient cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME), for both tumor and stromal cells. Autophagy-dependent phenotypic changes in the recipient cells further enhance tumor growth and metastasis, through diverse biological processes, including nutrient supplementation, immune evasion, angiogenesis, and therapeutic resistance. In this review, we discuss how the feedforward autophagy-ncRNA axis orchestrates vital communications between various cell types within the TME ecosystem to promote cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gracie Wee Ling Eng
- Precision Medicine Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSoM), National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, NUHS Tower Block Level 11, Singapore 119228, Singapore; (G.W.L.E.); (Y.Z.); (D.W.T.Y.); (A.Y.T.T.)
| | - Yilong Zheng
- Precision Medicine Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSoM), National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, NUHS Tower Block Level 11, Singapore 119228, Singapore; (G.W.L.E.); (Y.Z.); (D.W.T.Y.); (A.Y.T.T.)
| | - Dominic Wei Ting Yap
- Precision Medicine Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSoM), National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, NUHS Tower Block Level 11, Singapore 119228, Singapore; (G.W.L.E.); (Y.Z.); (D.W.T.Y.); (A.Y.T.T.)
| | - Andrea York Tiang Teo
- Precision Medicine Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSoM), National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, NUHS Tower Block Level 11, Singapore 119228, Singapore; (G.W.L.E.); (Y.Z.); (D.W.T.Y.); (A.Y.T.T.)
| | - Jit Kong Cheong
- Precision Medicine Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSoM), National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, NUHS Tower Block Level 11, Singapore 119228, Singapore; (G.W.L.E.); (Y.Z.); (D.W.T.Y.); (A.Y.T.T.)
- NUS Centre for Cancer Research, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Dr, Centre for Translational Medicine #12-01, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Department of Biochemistry, YLLSoM, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, MD7 #03-09, Singapore 117597, Singapore
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +65-66016388
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