Chemokine CXCL13 is overexpressed in the tumour tissue and in the peripheral blood of breast cancer patients

Ex vivo model of breast cancer cell invasion in live lymph node tissue

Lymph nodes (LNs) are common sites of metastatic invasion in breast cancer, often preceding spread to distant organs and serving as key indicators of clinical disease progression. However, the mechanisms of cancer cell invasion into LNs are not well understood. Existing in vivo models struggle to isolate the specific impacts of the tumor-draining lymph node (TDLN) milieu on cancer cell invasion due to the co-evolving relationship between TDLNs and the upstream tumor. To address these limitations, we used live ex vivo LN tissue slices with intact chemotactic function to model cancer cell spread within a spatially organized microenvironment. After showing that BRPKp110 breast cancer cells were chemoattracted to factors secreted by naïve LN tissue in a 3D migration assay, we demonstrated that ex vivo LN slices could support cancer cell seeding, invasion, and spread. This novel approach revealed dynamic, preferential cancer cell invasion within specific anatomical regions of LNs, particularly the subcapsular sinus (SCS) and cortex, as well as chemokine-rich domains of immobilized CXCL13 and CCL1. While CXCR5 was necessary for a portion of BRPKp110 invasion into naïve LNs, disruption of CXCR5/CXCL13 signaling alone was insufficient to prevent invasion towards CXCL13-rich domains. Finally, we extended this system to pre-metastatic TDLNs, where the ex vivo model predicted a lower invasion of cancer cells. The reduced invasion was not due to diminished chemokine secretion, but it correlated with elevated intranodal IL-21. In summary, this innovative ex vivo model of cancer cell spread in live LN slices provides a platform to investigate cancer invasion within the intricate tissue microenvironment, supporting time-course analysis and parallel read-outs. We anticipate that this system will enable further research into cancer-immune interactions and allow isolation of specific factors that make TDLNs resistant to cancer cell invasion, which are challenging to dissect in vivo.

Construction of a prognostic score model for breast cancer based on multi-omics analysis of study on bone metastasis

Background

Breast cancer (BRCA) is the most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women all over the world. Metastasis to bone is an indicator of poor prognosis in BRCA patients. This study aimed to develop a prognostic score model for predicting bone metastasis in patients with BRCA.

Methods

BRCA-related RNA sequencing datasets and corresponding clinical information were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using Limma package of R software. A risk score based predictive model was constructed based on the key genes identified through univariate Cox regression and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression. The gene expression profiles in BRCA patients were analyzed by gene set variation analysis (GSVA) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Random survival forest (RSF) analysis of BRCA patients with bone metastasis was conducted to identify the key DEGs.

Results

Based on DEG analysis, a total of 677 genes were identified as genes related to bone metastasis in BRCA. By univariate Cox regression and LASSO regression, 28 DEGs were identified as signature genes to develop the prognostic model. A risk score for each patient was created by incorporating the expression values of each specific gene and weighting them with the corresponding estimated regression coefficients. Patients were divided into a low-risk and a high-risk group based on the median risk score. Overall survival (OS) was significantly lower in the high-risk group. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and multi-omics analysis indicated that the model had high training/testing accuracy and a good clinical predictive value. We used extra data from GEO database to verify the robustness of the prognostic model, and the lower OS in high-risk group and area under the curve (AUC) value indicated the model had strong predictive efficacy for prognosis of BRCA.

Conclusions

A prognostic prediction model was constructed based on 28 key DEGs identified through multi-omics analysis of studies on bone metastasis. The model may provide a promising method for distinguishing the high-risk BRCA patients and help on decision making in addition to prognosis prediction for BRCA patients.

Evolving perspectives in reverse cardio-oncology: A review of current status, pathophysiological insights, and future directives

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer are leading causes of mortality worldwide, traditionally linked through adverse effects of cancer therapies on cardiovascular health. However, reverse cardio-oncology, a burgeoning field, shifts this perspective to examine how cardiovascular diseases influence the onset and progression of cancer. This novel approach has revealed a higher likelihood of cancer development in patients with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions, attributed to shared risk factors such as obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and smoking. Underlying mechanisms like chronic inflammation and clonal hematopoiesis further illuminate the connections between cardiovascular ailments and cancer. This comprehensive narrative review, spanning a broad spectrum of studies, outlines the syndromic classification of cardio-oncology, the intersection of cardiovascular risk factors and oncogenesis, and the bidirectional dynamics between CVD and cancer. Additionally, the review also discusses the pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning this interconnection, examining the roles of cardiokines, genetic factors, and the effects of cardiovascular therapies and biomarkers in cancer diagnostics. Lastly, it aims to underline future directives, emphasising the need for integrated healthcare strategies, interdisciplinary research, and comprehensive treatment protocols.

CXCL13 Positive Cells Localization Predict Response to Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 in Pulmonary Non-Small Cell Carcinoma

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) treatment, but only 20-30% of patients benefit from these treatments. Currently, PD-L1 expression in tumor cells is the only clinically approved predictor of ICI response in lung cancer, but concerns arise due to its low negative and positive predictive value. Recent studies suggest that CXCL13+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) may be a good predictor of response. We aimed to assess if CXCL13+ cell localization within the TME can predict ICI response in advanced NSCLC patients. Methods: This retrospective study included 65 advanced NSCLC patients treated with Nivolumab/Pembrolizumab at IUCPQ or CHUM and for whom a pretreatment surgical specimen was available. Good responders were defined as having a complete radiologic response at 1 year, and bad responders were defined as showing cancer progression at 1 year. IHC staining for CXCL13 was carried out on a representative slide from a resection specimen, and CXCL13+ cell density was evaluated in tumor (T), invasive margin (IM), non-tumor (NT), and tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) compartments. Cox models were used to analyze progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) probability, while the Mann-Whitney test was used to compare CXCL13+ cell density between responders and non-responders. Results: We showed that CXCL13+ cell density localization within the TME is associated with ICI efficacy. An increased density of CXCL13+ cells across all compartments was associated with a poorer prognostic (OS; HR = 1.22; 95%CI = 1.04-1.42; p = 0.01, PFS; HR = 1.16; p = 0.02), or a better prognostic when colocalized within TLSs (PFS; HR = 0.84, p = 0.03). Conclusion: Our results support the role of CXCL13+ cells in advanced NSCLC patients, with favorable prognosis when localized within TLSs and unfavorable prognosis when present elsewhere. The concomitant proximity of CXCL13+ and CD20+ cells within TLSs may favor antigen presentation to T cells, thus enhancing the effect of PD-1/PD-L1 axis inhibition. Further validation is warranted to confirm the potential relevance of this biomarker in a clinical setting.

A Retrospective Exploratory Analysis for Serum Extracellular Vesicles Reveals APRIL (TNFSF13), CXCL13, and VEGF-A as Prognostic Biomarkers for Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is widely used as a standard treatment for early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). While patients who achieve pathologic complete response (pCR) have a highly favorable outcome, patients who do not achieve pCR have variable prognoses. It is important to identify patients who are most likely to have poor survival outcomes to identify candidates for more aggressive therapeutic approaches after NAC. Many studies have demonstrated that cytokines and growth factors packaged into extracellular vesicles (EVs) have an essential role in tumor progression and drug resistance. In this study, we examined the role of serum-derived EV-associated cytokines as prognostic biomarkers for long-term outcomes in patients who underwent anthracycline-taxane-based NAC. We isolated extracellular vesicles from the serum of 190 TNBC patients who underwent NAC between 2015 and 2018 at Samsung Medical Center. EV-associated cytokine concentrations were measured with ProcartaPlex Immune Monitoring 65-plex panels. The prognostic value of EV-associated cytokines was studied. We found that patients with high EV_APRIL, EV_CXCL13, and EV_VEGF-A levels had shorter overall survival (OS). We further evaluated the role of these selected biomarkers as prognostic factors in patients with residual disease (RD) after NAC. Even in patients with RD, high levels of EV_APRIL, EV_CXCL13, and EV_VEGF-A were correlated with poor OS. In all subgroup analyses, EV_CXCL13 overexpression was significantly associated with poor overall survival. Moreover, multivariate analysis indicated that a high level of EV_CXCL13 was an independent predictor of poor OS. Correlation analysis between biomarker levels in EVs and serum showed that EV_VEGF-A positively correlated with soluble VEGF-A but not CXCL13. An elevated level of soluble VEGF-A was also associated with poor OS. These findings suggest that EV_APRIL, EV_CXCL13, and EV_VEGF-A may be useful in identifying TNBC patients at risk of poor survival outcomes after NAC.

Dual Functions of T Lymphocytes in Breast Carcinoma: From Immune Protection to Orchestrating Tumor Progression and Metastasis

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer type in women and the second leading cause of death. Despite recent advances, the mortality rate of BC is still high, highlighting a need to develop new treatment strategies including the modulation of the immune system and immunotherapies. In this regard, understanding the complex function of the involved immune cells and their crosstalk with tumor cells is of great importance. T-cells are recognized as the most important cells in the tumor microenvironment and are divided into several subtypes including helper, cytotoxic, and regulatory T-cells according to their transcription factors, markers, and functions. This article attempts to provide a comprehensive review of the role of T-cell subsets in the prognosis and treatment of patients with BC, and crosstalk between tumor cells and T-cells. The literature overwhelmingly contains controversial findings mainly due to the plasticity of T-cell subsets within the inflammatory conditions and the use of different panels for their phenotyping. However, investigating the role of T-cells in BC immunity depends on a variety of factors including tumor types or subtypes, the stage of the disease, the localization of the cells in the tumor tissue and the presence of different cells or cytokines.

Differences in the Tumor Molecular and Microenvironmental Landscape between Early (Non-Metastatic) and De Novo Metastatic Primary Luminal Breast Tumors

Background: The molecular mechanisms underlying the de novo metastasis of luminal breast cancer (dnMBC) remain largely unknown. Materials and Methods: Newly diagnosed dnMBC patients (grade 2/3, ER+, PR+/-, HER2-), with available core needle biopsy (CNB), collected from the primary tumor, were selected from our clinical-pathological database. Tumors from dnMBC patients were 1:1 pairwise matched (n = 32) to tumors from newly diagnosed patients who had no distant metastases at baseline (eBC group). RNA was extracted from 5 × 10 µm sections of FFPE CNBs. RNA sequencing was performed using the Illumina platform. Differentially expressed genes (DEG)s were assessed using EdgeR; deconvolution was performed using CIBERSORTx to assess immune cell fractions. A paired Wilcoxon test was used to compare dnMBC and eBC groups and corrected for the false discovery rate. Results: Many regulatory DEGs were significantly downregulated in dnMBC compared to eBC. Also, immune-related and hypoxia-related signatures were significantly upregulated. Paired Wilcoxon analysis showed that the CCL17 and neutrophils fraction were significantly upregulated, whereas the memory B-cell fraction was significantly downregulated in the dnMBC group. Conclusions: Primary luminal tumors of dnMBC patients display significant transcriptomic and immunological differences compared to comparable tumors from eBC patients.

Cancer stem cells promote lymph nodes metastasis of breast cancer by reprogramming tumor microenvironment

Breast cancer progression and metastasis are governed by a complex interplay within the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), involving numerous cell types. Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a key prognostic marker associated with distant organ metastasis and reduced patient survival, but the mechanisms underlying its promotion by breast cancer stem cells (CSCs) remain unclear. Our study sought to unravel how CSCs reprogram TIME to facilitate LNM. Utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing, we profiled TIME in primary cancer and corresponding metastatic lymph node samples from patients at our institution. To verify the derived data, we cultured CSCs and performed validation assays employing flow cytometry and CyTOF. Our analysis revealed distinct differences in cellular infiltration patterns between tumor and LNM samples. Importantly, RAC2 and PTTG1 double-positive CSCs, which exhibit the highest stem-like attributes, were markedly enriched in metastatic lymph nodes. These CSCs are hypothesized to foster metastasis via activation of specific metastasis-related transcription factors and signaling pathways. Additionally, our data suggest that CSCs might modulate adaptive and innate immune cell evolution, thereby further contributing to metastasis. In summary, this study illuminates a critical role of CSCs in modifying TIME to facilitate LNM. The enrichment of highly stem-like CSCs in metastatic lymph nodes offers novel therapeutic targeting opportunities and deepens our understanding of breast cancer metastasis.

Non-coding regions of nuclear-DNA-encoded mitochondrial genes and intergenic sequences are targeted by autoantibodies in breast cancer

Autoantibodies against mitochondrial-derived antigens play a key role in chronic tissue inflammation in autoimmune disorders and cancers. Here, we identify autoreactive nuclear genomic DNA (nDNA)-encoded mitochondrial gene products (GAPDH, PKM2, GSTP1, SPATA5, MFF, TSPOAP1, PHB2, COA4, and HAGH) recognized by breast cancer (BC) patients’ sera as nonself, supporting a direct relationship of mitochondrial autoimmunity to breast carcinogenesis. Autoreactivity of multiple nDNA-encoded mitochondrial gene products was mapped to protein-coding regions, 3’ untranslated regions (UTRs), as well as introns. In addition, autoantibodies in BC sera targeted intergenic sequences that may be parts of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes, including LINC02381 and other putative lncRNA neighbors of the protein-coding genes ERCC4, CXCL13, SOX3, PCDH1, EDDM3B, and GRB2. Increasing evidence indicates that lncRNAs play a key role in carcinogenesis. Consistent with this, our findings suggest that lncRNAs, as well as mRNAs of nDNA-encoded mitochondrial genes, mechanistically contribute to BC progression. This work supports a new paradigm of breast carcinogenesis based on a globally dysfunctional genome with altered function of multiple mitochondrial and non-mitochondrial oncogenic pathways caused by the effects of autoreactivity-induced dysregulation of multiple genes and their products. This autoimmunity-based model of carcinogenesis will open novel avenues for BC treatment.

Osteoid cell-derived chemokines drive bone-metastatic prostate cancer

One of the greatest challenges in improving prostate cancer (PCa) survival is in designing new therapies to effectively target bone metastases. PCa regulation of the bone environment has been well characterized; however, bone-targeted therapies have little impact on patient survival, demonstrating a need for understanding the complexities of the tumor-bone environment. Many factors contribute to creating a favorable microenvironment for prostate tumors in bone, including cell signaling proteins produced by osteoid cells. Specifically, there has been extensive evidence from both past and recent studies that emphasize the importance of chemokine signaling in promoting PCa progression in the bone environment. Chemokine-focused strategies present promising therapeutic options for treating bone metastasis. These signaling pathways are complex, with many being produced by (and exerting effects on) a plethora of different cell types, including stromal and tumor cells of the prostate tumor-bone microenvironment. ​This review highlights an underappreciated molecular family that should be interrogated for treatment of bone metastatic prostate cancer (BM-PCa).

CXCL13-CXCR5 axis: Regulation in inflammatory diseases and cancer

Chemokine C-X-C motif ligand 13 (CXCL13), originally identified as a B-cell chemokine, plays an important role in the immune system. The interaction between CXCL13 and its receptor, the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) CXCR5, builds a signaling network that regulates not only normal organisms but also the development of many diseases. However, the precise action mechanism remains unclear. In this review, we discussed the functional mechanisms of the CXCL13-CXCR5 axis under normal conditions, with special focus on its association with diseases. For certain refractory diseases, we emphasize the diagnostic and therapeutic role of CXCL13-CXCR5 axis.

Transcriptome analysis of SerpinB2-deficient breast tumors provides insight into deciphering SerpinB2-mediated roles in breast cancer progression

Background

SerpinB2 is highly expressed in immune and tumor cells and is involved in multiple biological functions, including cell survival and remodeling for disease progression. This study prepared SerpinB2-deficient mice and analyzed the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) to determine if loss of this protein delays mammary tumor progression.

Results

A total of 305 DEGs (75 upregulated and 230 downregulated; > 1.5-fold difference, P < 0.05) were identified in SB2−/−;PyMT tumors compared with PyMT tumors. The DEGs were mainly involved in immune and inflammatory responses related to T cell differentiation, IFN-γ production, and lymphocyte chemotaxis based on 61 enriched GO terms, hierarchical clustering, KEGG pathways, and a functionally grouped annotation network. The significantly changed DEGs (Anxa3, Ccl17, Cxcl13, Cxcr3, IFN-γ, Nr4a1, and Sema3a) annotated with at least two GO categories in SB2−/−;PyMT tumors was validated by qRT-PCR.

Conclusions

SerpinB2 deficiency alters the expression of multiple genes in mammary tumors, which might cause a delay in PyMT-induced mammary tumor progression.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08704-4.

A comprehensive bioinformatics analysis to identify potential prognostic biomarkers among CC and CXC chemokines in breast cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is a major human health problem due to its increasing incidence and mortality rate. CC and CXC chemokines are associated with tumorigenesis and the progression of many cancers. Since the prognostic values of CC and CXC families' expression in various types of cancers are becoming increasingly evident, we aimed to conduct a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis elucidating the prognostic values of the CC and CXC families in BC. Therefore, TCGA, UALCAN, Kaplan–Meier plotter, bc-GenExMiner, cBioPortal, STRING, Enrichr, and TIMER were utilized for analysis. We found that high levels of CCL4/5/14/19/21/22 were associated with better OS and RFS, while elevated expression of CCL24 was correlated with shorter OS in BC patients. Also, high levels of CXCL9/13 indicated longer OS, and enhanced expression of CXCL12/14 was linked with better OS and RFS in BC patients. Meanwhile, increased transcription levels of CXCL8 were associated with worse OS and RFS in BC patients. In addition, our results showed that CCL5, CCL8, CCL14, CCL20, CCL27, CXCL4, and CXCL14 were notably correlated with the clinical outcomes of BC patients. Our findings provide a new point of view that may help the clinical application of CC and CXC chemokines as prognostic biomarkers in BC.

Nurse-like cells sequester B cells in chronic lymphocytic leukemia disorganized lymph nodes via an alternative production of CCL21

Stromal cell architecture is deeply altered in CLL lymph nodes.

CCL21, produced by leukemia-induced macrophages, improves retention and niching of malignant CCR7⁺ B cells in CLL lymph nodes.

Tumor microenvironment exerts a critical role in sustaining homing, retention, and survival of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells in secondary lymphoid organs. Such conditions foster immune surveillance escape and resistance to therapies. The physiological microenvironment is rendered tumor permissive by an interplay of chemokines, chemokine receptors, and adhesion molecules as well as by direct interactions between malignant lymphocytes and stromal cells, T cells, and specialized macrophages referred to as nurselike cells (NLCs). To characterize this complex interplay, we investigated the altered architecture on CLL lymph nodes biopsies and observed a dramatic loss of tissue subcompartments and stromal cell networks as compared with nonmalignant lymph nodes. A supplemental high density of CD68⁺ cells expressing the homeostatic chemokine CCL21 was randomly distributed. Using an imaging flow cytometry approach, CCL21 mRNA and the corresponding protein were observed in single CD68⁺ NLCs differentiated in vitro from CLL peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The chemokine was sequestered at the NLC membrane, helping capture of CCR7-high-expressing CLL B cells. Inhibiting the CCL21/CCR7 interaction by blocking antibodies or using therapeutic ibrutinib altered the adhesion of leukemic cells. Our results indicate NLCs as providers of an alternative source of CCL21, taking over the physiological task of follicular reticular cells, whose network is deeply altered in CLL lymph nodes. By retaining malignant B cells, CCL21 provides a protective environment for their niching and survival, thus allowing tumor evasion and resistance to treatment. These findings argue for a specific targeting or reeducation of NLCs as a new immunotherapy strategy for this disease.

Role of chemokine systems in cancer and inflammatory diseases

Chemokines are a large family of small secreted proteins that have fundamental roles in organ development, normal physiology, and immune responses upon binding to their corresponding receptors. The primary functions of chemokines are to coordinate and recruit immune cells to and from tissues and to participate in regulating interactions between immune cells. In addition to the generally recognized antimicrobial immunity, the chemokine/chemokine receptor axis also exerts a tumorigenic function in many different cancer models and is involved in the formation of immunosuppressive and protective tumor microenvironment (TME), making them potential prognostic markers for various hematologic and solid tumors. In fact, apart from its vital role in tumors, almost all inflammatory diseases involve chemokines and their receptors in one way or another. Modulating the expression of chemokines and/or their corresponding receptors on tumor cells or immune cells provides the basis for the exploitation of new drugs for clinical evaluation in the treatment of related diseases. Here, we summarize recent advances of chemokine systems in protumor and antitumor immune responses and discuss the prevailing understanding of how the chemokine system operates in inflammatory diseases. In this review, we also emphatically highlight the complexity of the chemokine system and explore its potential to guide the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases.

The Diagnostic Significance of CXCL13 in M2 Tumor Immune Microenvironment of Human Astrocytoma

Background: CXCL13 may act as a mediator of tumor-associated macrophage immunity during malignant progression. Objective: The present study clarifies the clinicopathological significances of CXCL13 and its corresponding trend with M2 macrophage in human astrocytoma. Methods: The predictive potential of CXCL13 was performed using 695 glioma samples derived from TCGA lower-grade glioma and glioblastoma (GBMLGG) dataset. CXCL13 and M2 biomarker CD163 were observed by immunohistochemistry in 112 astrocytoma tissues. Results: An in-depth analysis showed that CXCL13 expression was related to the poor prognosis of glioma patients (p = 0.0002) derive from TCGA analysis. High level of CXCL13 was detected in 43 (38.39%) astrocytoma and CXCL13/CD163 coexpression was expressed in 33 (29.46%) cases. The immunoreactivities of CXCL13 and CXCL13/CD163 were found in the malignant lesions, which were both significantly associated with grade, patient survival, and IDH1 mutation. Single CXCL13 and CXCL13/CD163 coexpression predicted poor overall survival in astrocytoma (p = 0.0039 and p = 0.0002, respectively). Multivariate Cox regression analyses manifested CXCL13/CD163 phenotype was a significant independent prognostic indicator of patient outcome in astrocytoma (CXCL13, p = 0.0642; CXCL13/CD163, p = 0.0368). Conclusion: CXCL13 overexpression is strongly linked to CD163+ M2 infiltration in malignant astrocytoma. CXCL13/CD163 coexpression would imply M2c-related aggressive characteristics existing in astrocytoma progression could also provide predictive trends of patient outcomes.

CXCL13 as a Novel Immune Checkpoint for Regulatory B Cells and Its Role in Tumor Metastasis

Tumor metastasis is the primary cause of mortality in patients with cancer. Several chemokines are identified as important mediators of tumor growth and/or metastasis. The level of CXCL13 has been reported to be elevated in serum or tumor tissues in patients, which mainly functions to attract B cells and follicular B helper T cells. However, the role of CXCL13 in cancer growth and metastasis is not fully explored. In the current study, we found that CXCL13 is not a strong mediator to directly promote tumor growth; however, the mice deficient in CXCL13 had far fewer pulmonary metastatic foci than did the wild-type mice in experimental pulmonary metastatic models. In addition, Cxcl13 ^-/- mice also had fewer IL-10-producing B cells (CD45⁺CD19⁺IL-10⁺) in the metastatic tumor immune microenvironment than those of wild-type C57BL/6 mice, resulting in an enhanced antitumor immunity. Notably, CXCL13 deficiency further improved the efficacy of a traditional chemotherapeutic drug (cyclophosphamide), as well as that of anti-programmed death receptor-1 immunotherapy. These results suggested that CXCL13 has an important role in regulating IL-10-producing B cells in tumor metastasis and might be a promising target for improving therapeutic efficiency and stimulating tumor immunity in future cancer therapy.

A phenotypic signature that identifies neoantigen-reactive T cells in fresh human lung cancers

A common theme across multiple successful immunotherapies for cancer is the recognition of tumor-specific mutations (neoantigens) by T cells. The rapid discovery of such antigen responses could lead to improved therapies through the adoptive transfer of T cells engineered to express neoantigen-reactive T cell receptors (TCRs). Here, through CITE-seq (cellular indexing of transcriptomes and epitopes by sequencing) and TCR-seq of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), we develop a neoantigen-reactive T cell signature based on clonotype frequency and CD39 protein and CXCL13 mRNA expression. Screening of TCRs selected by the signature allows us to identify neoantigen-reactive TCRs with a success rate of 45% for CD8+ and 66% for CD4+ T cells. Because of the small number of samples analyzed (4 patients), generalizability remains to be tested. However, this approach can enable the quick identification of neoantigen-reactive TCRs and expedite the engineering of personalized neoantigen-reactive T cells for therapy.

A B-cell or a key player? The different roles of B-cells and antibodies in melanoma

The B‐cell system plays an important role in the melanoma immune response; however, consensus has yet to be reached in many facets. Here, we comprehensively review human studies only, due to fundamental differences in the humoral response with animal models. Tumour‐infiltrating B‐cells are associated with contradictory prognostic values, reflecting a lack of agreement between studies on cell subset classification and differences in the markers used, particularly the common use of a single marker not differentiating multiple subsets. Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) organise T‐cells and B‐cells within tumours to generate a local anti‐tumour response and TLS presence associates with improved survival in response to immune checkpoint blockade, in late‐stage disease. Autoantibody production is increased in melanoma patients and has been proposed as biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment/toxicity response; however, no consistent targets are yet identified. The function of antibodies in an anti‐tumour response is determined by its isotype and subclass; IgG₄ is immune‐suppressive and robustly correlate with poor patient survival in melanoma. We conclude that the current B‐cell literature needs careful interpretation based on the methods used and that we need a consensus of markers to define B‐cells and associated lymphoid organs. Furthermore, future studies need to not only examine antibody targets, but also isotypes when considering functional roles.

Brain Microvascular Pericytes—More than Bystanders in Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis

Brain tissue contains the highest number of perivascular pericytes compared to other organs. Pericytes are known to regulate brain perfusion and to play an important role within the neurovascular unit (NVU). The high phenotypic and functional plasticity of pericytes make this cell type a prime candidate to aid physiological adaptations but also propose pericytes as important modulators in diverse pathologies in the brain. This review highlights known phenotypes of pericytes in the brain, discusses the diverse markers for brain pericytes, and reviews current in vitro and in vivo experimental models to study pericyte function. Our current knowledge of pericyte phenotypes as it relates to metastatic growth patterns in breast cancer brain metastasis is presented as an example for the crosstalk between pericytes, endothelial cells, and metastatic cells. Future challenges lie in establishing methods for real-time monitoring of pericyte crosstalk to understand causal events in the brain metastatic process.

Machine learning predicts cancer subtypes and progression from blood immune signatures

Clinical adoption of immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer management has highlighted the interconnection between carcinogenesis and the immune system. Immune cells are integral to the tumour microenvironment and can influence the outcome of therapies. Better understanding of an individual's immune landscape may play an important role in treatment personalisation. Peripheral blood is a readily accessible source of information to study an individual's immune landscape compared to more complex and invasive tumour bioipsies, and may hold immense diagnostic and prognostic potential. Identifying the critical components of these immune signatures in peripheral blood presents an attractive alternative to tumour biopsy-based immune phenotyping strategies. We used two syngeneic solid tumour models, a 4T1 breast cancer model and a CT26 colorectal cancer model, in a longitudinal study of the peripheral blood immune landscape. Our strategy combined two highly accessible approaches, blood leukocyte immune phenotyping and plasma soluble immune factor characterisation, to identify distinguishing immune signatures of the CT26 and 4T1 tumour models using machine learning. Myeloid cells, specifically neutrophils and PD-L1-expressing myeloid cells, were found to correlate with tumour size in both the models. Elevated levels of G-CSF, IL-6 and CXCL13, and B cell counts were associated with 4T1 growth, whereas CCL17, CXCL10, total myeloid cells, CCL2, IL-10, CXCL1, and Ly6Cintermediate monocytes were associated with CT26 tumour development. Peripheral blood appears to be an accessible means to interrogate tumour-dependent changes to the host immune landscape, and to identify blood immune phenotypes for future treatment stratification.

Hyperuricemia induces lipid disturbances by upregulating the CXCL-13 pathway

The molecular mechanism underlying hyperuricemia-induced lipid metabolism disorders is not clear. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the mechanism of lipid disturbances in a hyperuricemia mice model. RNA-Seq showed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the fatty acid synthesis signaling pathway were mainly enriched and CXCL-13 was significantly enriched in protein-protein interaction networks. Western blotting, Q-PCR, and immunofluorescence results further showed that hyperuricemia upregulated CXCL-13 and disturbed lipid metabolism in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, CXCL-13 alone also promoted the accumulation of lipid droplets and upregulated the expression of FAS and SREBP1, blocking AMPK signaling and activating the PKC and P38 signaling pathways. Silencing CXCL-13 reversed uric-acid-induced lipid droplet accumulation, which further downregulated FAS and SREBP1 expression, inhibited the p38 and PKC signaling, and activated AMPK signaling. In conclusion, hyperuricemia induces lipid metabolism disorders via the CXCL-13 pathway, making CXCL-13 a key regulatory factor linking hyperuricemia and lipid metabolism disorders. These results may provide novel insights for the treatment of hyperuricemia.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The underlying molecular mechanism of hyperuricemia-induced lipid metabolism disorders is still unclear. The study aimed to investigate the mechanism of lipid disturbance in hyperuricemia mice model. To our knowledge, we proposed for the first time that CXCL-13 may be a key regulator of hyperuricemia and lipid metabolism disorders. These results may provide new insights for the clinical treatment of hyperuricemia.

An Integrated Pan-Cancer Analysis of 33 Human Cancers Reveals the Potential Clinical Implications and Immunotherapeutic Value of C-X-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 13

Background

C-X-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 13 (CXCL13) plays a crucial part in the pathogenesis of numerous lymphoproliferative disorders, inflammatory responses, and autoimmune diseases. CXCL13 also influence tumor development and prognosis, and be a potential target for cancer treatment. However, CXCL13 expression-based panoramic picture in pan-cancer remain unclear. This study focused on elucidating different expression levels, prognostic significance, immune-related characteristics, epigenetic variations, and immunotherapeutic value of CXCL13.

Methods

Based on different databases such as TCGA, GTEX, CCLE and HPA, we studied the expression of CXCL13 in different tissues at different levels. Moreover, we analyzed the correlation between CXCL13 expression and clinicopathological characteristics, prognosis, Mismatch Repair Genes (MMRs), Microsatellite Instability (MSI), tumor mutation burden (TMB), immune cells infiltration, immune-related genes, and the role in tumor immunotherapy. And the expression of CXCL13 in digestive tract cancers and the correlation between CXCL13 and immune genes were further analyzed by histological verification.

Results

CXCL13 was highly expressed in various tumor tissues and was also closely related to prognosis. CXCL13 expression levels were closely related to MSI, TMB and immune cells infiltration, including CD8+ T cells, macrophages, follicular helper T cells and B cells. CXCL13 expression levels were related to immune checkpoint genes and the efficacy of immunotherapy.

Conclusion

CXCL13 might be a useful biomarker for determining the diagnosis and prognosis of human cancers but also a biomarker for evaluating the efficacy of immunotherapy.

CXCL13 in Cancer and Other Diseases: Biological Functions, Clinical Significance, and Therapeutic Opportunities

The development of cancer is a multistep and complex process involving interactions between tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME). C-X-C chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) and its receptor, CXCR5, make crucial contributions to this process by triggering intracellular signaling cascades in malignant cells and modulating the sophisticated TME in an autocrine or paracrine fashion. The CXCL13/CXCR5 axis has a dominant role in B cell recruitment and tertiary lymphoid structure formation, which activate immune responses against some tumors. In most cancer types, the CXCL13/CXCR5 axis mediates pro-neoplastic immune reactions by recruiting suppressive immune cells into tumor tissues. Tobacco smoke and haze (smohaze) and the carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene induce the secretion of CXCL13 by lung epithelial cells, which contributes to environmental lung carcinogenesis. Interestingly, the knockout of CXCL13 inhibits benzo(a)pyrene-induced lung cancer and azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate-induced colorectal cancer in mice. Thus, a better understanding of the context-dependent functions of the CXCL13/CXCR5 axis in tumor tissue and the TME is required to design an efficient immune-based therapy. In this review, we summarize the molecular events and TME alterations caused by CXCL13/CXCR5 and briefly discuss the potentials of agents targeting this axis in different malignant tumors.

CXCL13 expression in mouse 4T1 breast cancer microenvironment elicits antitumor immune response by regulating immune cell infiltration

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer type and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. Previous studies have reported contradictory performance of chemokine CXC motif ligand 13 (CXCL13) in breast cancer. In this study, The Cancer Genome Atlas database analysis revealed that CXCL13 was overexpressed in various human cancers including breast carcinoma, and associated with good clinical prognosis in breast cancer. Flow cytometry detection also found upregulated intracellular CXCL13 expression in human breast cancer cell lines. To explore the possible role of CXCL13 in the breast cancer microenvironment, mouse triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) was lentivirally transfected to stably overexpress mouse CXCL13 (4T1-CXCL13). Both parental 4T1 and 4T1-CXCL13 strains showed no in vitro or in vivo endogenous cell surface CXCR5 expression. In immune-competent BALB/c mice, the in vivo tumor growth of 4T1-CXCL13 was significantly inhibited and even completely eradicated, accompanied with increased infiltrations of CD4⁺, CD8⁺ T lymphocytes and CD11b⁺CD11c⁺ DCs. Further investigations showed that CXCL13 expression in the 4T1 tumor microenvironment elicited long-term antitumor immune memory, and rejection of distal parental tumor. The antitumor activity of CXCL13 was remarkedly impaired in BALB/cA-nu nude mice, or in BALB/c mice with CD8⁺ T lymphocyte or NK cell depletion. Our investigation indicated that CXCL13 expression in TNBC triggered effective antitumor immunity by chemoattracting immune cell infiltrations and could be considered as a novel prognostic marker for TNBC.

CXCL13 Signaling in the Tumor Microenvironment

Chemokines have emerged as important players in tumorigenic process. An extensive body of literature generated over the last two or three decades strongly implicate abnormally activated or functionally disrupted chemokine signaling in liaising most-if not all-hallmark processes of cancer. It is well-known that chemokine signaling networks within the tumor microenvironment are highly versatile and context-dependent: exert both pro-tumoral and antitumoral activities. The C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13), and its cognate receptor CXCR5, represents an emerging example of chemokine signaling axes, which express the ability to modulate tumor growth and progression in either way. Collateral evidence indicate that CXCL13-CXCR5 axis may directly modulate tumor growth by inducing proliferation of cancer cells, as well as promoting invasive phenotypes and preventing their apoptosis. In addition, CXCL13-CXCR5 axis may also indirectly modulate tumor growth by regulating noncancerous cells, particularly the immune cells, within the tumor microenvironment. Here, we review the role of CXCL13, together with CXCR5, in the human tumor microenvironment. We first elaborate their patterns of expression, regulation, and biological functions in normal physiology. We then consider how their aberrant activity, as a result of differential overexpression or co-expression, may directly or indirectly modulate the growth of tumors through effects on both cancerous and noncancerous cells.

Modulation of the chemokine/chemokine receptor axis as a novel approach for glioma therapy

Chemokines are a large subfamily of cytokines known for their ability to facilitate cell migration, most notably leukocytes, throughout the body. Chemokines are necessary for a functioning immune system in both health and disease and have received considerable attention for their roles in orchestrating temporal-spatial regulation of immune cell populations in cancer. Gliomas comprise a group of common central nervous system (CNS) primary tumors that are extremely challenging to treat. Immunotherapy approaches for highly malignant brain tumors offer an exciting new avenue for therapeutic intervention but so far, have seen limited successful clinical outcomes. Herein we focus on important chemokine/chemokine receptor systems in the regulation of pro- and anti-tumor mechanisms, highlighting potential therapeutic advantages of modulating these systems in malignant gliomas and other cancers.

CXCL13 and CXCL9 CSF Levels in Central Nervous System Lymphoma-Diagnostic, Therapeutic, and Prognostic Relevance

Background: Diagnostic delay and neurologic deterioration are still a problem for the treatment of rapidly progressing CNS lymphoma (CNSL); there is an unmet need for a diagnostic test with a high diagnostic yield and limited risk, minimizing the time to the initiation of effective treatment.

Methods: In this prospective monocentric study, we analyzed the utility of CXCL13 and CXCL9 as diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic biomarkers for CNSL. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 155 consecutive patients admitted with brain lesions of various origins was collected. Levels of CXCL13 and CXCL9 were analyzed by ELISA. Additionally, CSF was analyzed during CNSL disease course (relapse, remission, progress) in 17 patients.

Results: CXCL13 and CXCL9 CSF levels were significantly increased in patients with CNSL compared to control patients with lesions of other origin. Using logistic regression and a minimal-p-value approach, a cut-off value of 80 pg/ml for CXCL13 shows high sensitivity (90.7%) and specificity (90.1%) for the diagnosis of active CNSL. CXCL9 at a cut-off value of 84 pg/ml is less sensitive (61.5%) and specific (87.1%). Both cytokines correlate with the clinical course and response to therapy.

Conclusions: Our results confirm the excellent diagnostic potential of CXCL13 and introduce CXCL9 as a novel albeit less powerful marker for PCNSL.

Evaluating the Association between CCR5delta32 Polymorphism (rs333) and the Risk of Breast Cancer in a Cohort of Iranian Population

Background

CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) is introduced as an immune response modulator. The activity of CCR5 influences breast tumour development in a p53-dependent manner. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of CCR5delta32 and its association with the risk of breast cancer in 1038 blood samples in North East of Iran.

Methods

In this case-control study, we genotyped 570 control samples and 468 breast cancer patients by a gel electrophoresis-based gap-polymerase chain reaction (gap-PCR) method Mashhad, Iran. The data were analyzed using the SPSS software.

Results

Of 570 controls included, 542 (95.09%) had CCR5delta32 ^{wild/wild (W/W)} genotype, 28 samples (4.91%) had CCR5delta32 ^{wild/deletion (W/D)} genotype and none of them were CCR5delta32 ^{deletion/deletion (D/D)} genotype (0%). While 428 samples of patients (91.45%) had CCR5delta32 ^W/W genotype, 40 samples (8.55%) had CCR5delta32 ^W/D and CCR5delta32 ^D/D homozygous was nil (0%) amongst cases. All samples were in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P>0.05). According to the allele frequency, D allele, as a risky allele, in the cases was more than the control samples (0.0427 vs 0.0245, respectively) (P=0.0206). Hence, W/D genotype may confer a risk effect (OR=1.77, CI: 1.09-2.90; P=0.0206) compared with WW genotype between case and control groups.

Conclusion

There is a statistically significant association between CCR5W/D and breast cancer risk. CCR5 may be regarded as a target for the prevention of breast cancer in certain conditions such as interaction with p53 variants, which remains to be further investigated.

Characteristics of B lymphocyte infiltration in HPV+ head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an important etiological factor of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). HPV⁺ HNSCC patients usually have a better prognosis, which probably results from the higher infiltration of B lymphocytes. This study was purposed to detect the infiltration of B lymphocyte subsets and the correlation between B lymphocyte subsets and the prognosis in HPV‐related HNSCC. In this study, 124 HPV⁺ and 513 HPV⁻ HNSCC samples were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database for transcriptomic analysis. Infiltration of B lymphocytes subsets was detected with 7 HPV⁺ HNSCC and 13 HPV⁻ HNSCC tissues through immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. One HPV⁻ HNSCC sample was detected with single‐cell sequencing for chemokine analysis. In the results, the infiltration of plasma cells (CD19⁺CD38⁺) and memory B cells (MS4A1⁺CD27⁺) was higher in HPV⁺ HNSCC samples. High infiltration of plasma cells and memory B cells was related to a better prognosis. High density of B lymphocytes was positively correlated with high CXCL13 production mainly from CD4⁺ T lymphocytes in HNSCC. These results indicated that a high density of plasma cells and memory B cells could predict excellent prognosis. CD4⁺ T lymphocytes might affect B lymphocytes and their subsets through the CXCL13/CXCR5 axis in HNSCC.

Circulating Biomarkers of Inflammation and Ovarian Cancer Risk in the Nurses' Health Studies

BACKGROUND

Chronic inflammation is a well-established mechanism of ovarian carcinogenesis; however, the specific immunogenic processes influencing ovarian tumor development remain unclear. In a case-control study nested within the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and the NHSII, we examined the association between six inflammatory chemokines and cytokines [B-cell activating factor (BAFF), C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13), IL8, soluble(s)IL2-receptor-α(Rα), sIL6Rα] and epithelial ovarian cancer risk.

METHODS

Among 299 epithelial ovarian cancer cases and 334 matched controls, six inflammatory biomarkers were measured in plasma collected 1-24 years before diagnosis or index date using two custom multiplex Luminex panels. ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated for the association between each biomarker and risk using multivariable conditional logistic regression with adjustment for relevant confounders. We additionally assessed heterogeneity in the risk associations by histotype [high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) vs. non-HGSC], body mass index, smoking status, menopausal status, and aspirin use.

RESULTS

Women with the highest versus lowest quartile (Q) levels of CXCL13 had a 72% increased ovarian cancer risk (OR = 1.72; 95% CI = 1.04-2.83; P _trend = 0.007). The positive association with CXCL13 was stronger in magnitude for non-HGSC, overweight or obese women, and postmenopausal women, although only menopausal status demonstrated statistically significant heterogeneity (P _interaction = 0.04). The remaining biomarkers were not associated with risk.

CONCLUSIONS

This first evidence that prediagnostic CXCL13, a B-cell chemoattractant, is associated with an increased risk of epithelial ovarian cancer expands current understanding of the role of inflammation in ovarian carcinogenesis.

IMPACT

CXCL13 may represent a novel biomarker for ovarian cancer.

The Development and Homing of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells: From a Two-Stage Model to a Multistep Narrative

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) represent a heterogeneous population of immature myeloid cells. Under normal conditions, they differentiate into macrophages, dendritic cells, and granulocytes. Under pathological conditions, such as chronic inflammation, or cancer, they tend to maintain their immature state as immature myeloid cells that, within the tumor microenvironment, become suppressor cells and assist tumor escape from immune eradication. MDSC are comprised of two major subsets: monocytic MDSC (M-MDSC) and polymorphonuclear MDSC (PMN-MDSC). Monocytic myeloid cells give rise to monocytic cells, whereas PMN-MDSC share similarities with neutrophils. Based on their biological activities, a two-stage model that includes the mobilization of the periphery as myeloid cells and their activation within the tumor microenvironment converting them into suppressor cells was previously suggested by D. Gabrilovich. From the migratory viewpoint, we are suggesting a more complex setup. It starts with crosstalk between the tumor site and the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) at the bone marrow (BM) and secondary lymphatic organs, resulting in rapid myelopoiesis followed by mobilization to the blood. Although myelopoiesis is coordinated by several cytokines and transcription factors, mobilization is selectively directed by chemokine receptors and may differ between M-MDSC and PMN-MDSC. These myeloid cells may then undergo further expansion at these secondary lymphatic organs and then home to the tumor site. Finally, selective homing of T cell subsets has been associated with retention at the target organs directed by adhesion molecules or chemokine receptors. The possible relevance to myeloid cells is still speculative but is discussed.

Serum CXCL13 Level is Associated with Tumor Progression and Unfavorable Prognosis in Penile Cancer

Background

Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligands (CXCLs) are important regulators of tumor progression in many cancers and could serve as potential cancer biomarkers. However, the expression patterns as well as functions of CXCLs remain unclear in penile cancer (PC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of serum CXCL13 as a potential cancer biomarker for PC.

Patients and Methods

This retrospective study enrolled 76 patients diagnosed with PC between 2016 and 2018. Serum CXCL13 level was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses were conducted to identify the prognostic factors that influence disease-free survival. Human penile cancer cell lines Penl1, Penl2, 149RCa and LM156 were used as in vitro models. The expression of CXCL13 protein in PC cell lines was analyzed by Western blotting.

Results

Our initial analysis on GSE57955 dataset identified CXCL13 as a top CXCL gene enriched in PC. Higher preoperative serum CXCL13 level was detected in PC cohorts than in healthy male controls (P<0.001). The area under the curve was 0.911 with the sensitivity of 84.2% and specificity of 87.0% to distinguish PC. Preoperative serum CXCL13 level was associated with pathological grade (P=0.048), T stage (P=0.009), nodal status (P<0.001) and pelvic lymph node metastasis (P=0.005) in PC. Serum CXCL13 level could serve as an independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival with a HR of 3.818 (95%CI: 1.126–12.946). Furthermore, autocrine expression of CXCL13 was detected in PC tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of CXCL13 expression suppressed malignant phenotypes (cell proliferation, clonogenesis, apoptosis escape, migration and invasion), attenuated STAT3 and ERK1/2 signaling and reduced MMP2/9 secretion in PC cell lines.

Conclusion

Serum CXCL13 could serve as a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for PC. CXCL13 signaling might activate oncogenic signaling pathways to promote malignant progression of PC.

Suppressing neutrophil-dependent angiogenesis abrogates resistance to anti-VEGF antibody in a genetic model of colorectal cancer

Using mouse models that recapitulate key genetic abnormalities accumulating during colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis, we report that chemically induced colitis promoted development of colon tumors that were largely resistant to anti-VEGF antibody treatment. Serum G-CSF levels were markedly elevated after induction of colitis. Inhibition of G-CSF or Bv8/PROK2 increased the efficacy of anti-VEGF antibody and prevented onset of resistance. To verify the potential clinical relevance of these findings, we examined a series of CRC specimens and found that tumor-infiltrating neutrophils strongly expressed Bv8/PROK2. CRC patients had significantly higher plasma Bv8/PROK2 levels than healthy volunteers and high plasma Bv8/PROK2 levels were inversely correlated with overall survival. These findings establish Bv8/PROK2 as a translational target in CRC, in combination with anti-VEGF agents.

We tested cis-Apc^Δ716/Smad4^+/− and cis-Apc^Δ716/Smad4^+/−Kras^G12D mice, which recapitulate key genetic abnormalities accumulating during colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis in humans, for responsiveness to anti-VEGF therapy. We found that even tumors in cis-Apc^Δ716/Smad4^+/−Kras^G12D mice, although highly aggressive, were suppressed by anti-VEGF treatment. We tested the hypothesis that inflammation, a major risk factor and trigger for CRC, may affect responsiveness to anti-VEGF. Chemically induced colitis (CIC) in cis-Apc^Δ716/Smad4^+/− and cis-Apc^Δ716/Smad4^+/−Kras^G12D mice promoted development of colon tumors that were largely resistant to anti-VEGF treatment. The myeloid growth factor G-CSF was markedly increased in the serum after induction of colitis. Antibodies blocking G-CSF, or its target Bv8/PROK2, suppressed tumor progression and myeloid cell infiltration when combined with anti-VEGF in CIC-associated CRC and in anti-VEGF-resistant CRC liver metastasis models. In a series of CRC specimens, tumor-infiltrating neutrophils strongly expressed Bv8/PROK2. CRC patients had significantly higher plasma Bv8/PROK2 levels than healthy volunteers and high plasma Bv8/PROK2 levels were inversely correlated with overall survival. Our findings establish Bv8/PROK2 as a translational target in CRC, in combination with anti-VEGF agents.

Myocardial infarction accelerates breast cancer via innate immune reprogramming

Disruption of systemic homeostasis by either chronic or acute stressors, such as obesity¹ or surgery², alters cancer pathogenesis. Patients with cancer, particularly those with breast cancer, can be at increased risk of cardiovascular disease due to treatment toxicity and changes in lifestyle behaviors^3-5. While elevated risk and incidence of cardiovascular events in breast cancer is well established, whether such events impact cancer pathogenesis is not known. Here we show that myocardial infarction (MI) accelerates breast cancer outgrowth and cancer-specific mortality in mice and humans. In mouse models of breast cancer, MI epigenetically reprogrammed Ly6C^hi monocytes in the bone marrow reservoir to an immunosuppressive phenotype that was maintained at the transcriptional level in monocytes in both the circulation and tumor. In parallel, MI increased circulating Ly6C^hi monocyte levels and recruitment to tumors and depletion of these cells abrogated MI-induced tumor growth. Furthermore, patients with early-stage breast cancer who experienced cardiovascular events after cancer diagnosis had increased risk of recurrence and cancer-specific death. These preclinical and clinical results demonstrate that MI induces alterations in systemic homeostasis, triggering cross-disease communication that accelerates breast cancer.

CXCL13 is a differentiation- and hypoxia-induced adipocytokine that exacerbates the inflammatory phenotype of adipocytes through PHLPP1 induction

Hypoxia in adipose tissue is regarded as a trigger that induces dysregulation of the secretory profile in adipocytes. Similarly, local dysregulation of adipocytokine secretion is an initial event in the deleterious effects of obesity on metabolism. We previously reported that CXCL13 is highly produced during adipogenesis, however little is known about the roles of CXCL13 in adipocytes. Here, we found that hypoxia, as modeled by 1% O2 or exposure to the hypoxia-mimetic reagent desferrioxamine (DFO) has strong inductive effects on the expression of CXCL13 and CXCR5, a CXCL13 receptor, in both undifferentiated and differentiated adipocytes and in organ-cultured white adipose tissue (WAT). CXCL13 was also highly expressed in WAT from high fat diet-fed mice. Hypoxic profile, typified by increased expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and decreased expression of adiponectin, was significantly induced by CXCL13 treatment during adipogenic differentiation. Conversely, the treatment of adipocytes with a neutralizing-antibody against CXCL13 as well as CXCR5 knockdown by specific siRNA effectively inhibited DFO-induced inflammation. The phosphorylation of Akt2, a protective factor of adipose inflammation, was significantly inhibited by CXCL13 treatment during adipogenic differentiation. Mechanistically, CXCL13 induces the expression of PHLPP1, an Akt2 phosphatase, through focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling; and correspondingly we show that CXCL13 and DFO-induced IL-6 and PAI-1 expression was blocked by Phlpp1 knockdown. Furthermore, we revealed the functional binding sites of PPARγ2 and HIF1-α within the Cxcl13 promoter. Taken together, these results indicate that CXCL13 is an adipocytokine that facilitates hypoxia-induced inflammation in adipocytes through FAK-mediated induction of PHLPP1 in autocrine and/or paracrine manner.

Serum-derived factors of breast cancer patients with brain metastases alter permeability of a human blood-brain barrier model

BACKGROUND

The most threatening metastases in breast cancer are brain metastases, which correlate with a very poor overall survival, but also a limited quality of life. A key event for the metastatic progression of breast cancer into the brain is the migration of cancer cells across the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

METHODS

We adapted and validated the CD34+ cells-derived human in vitro BBB model (brain-like endothelial cells, BLECs) to analyse the effects of patient serum on BBB properties. We collected serum samples from healthy donors, breast cancer patients with primary cancer, and breast cancer patients with, bone, visceral or cerebral metastases. We analysed cytokine levels in these sera utilizing immunoassays and correlated them with clinical data. We used paracellular permeability measurements, immunofluorescence staining, Western blot and mRNA analysis to examine the effects of patient sera on the properties of BBB in vitro.

RESULTS

The BLECs cultured together with brain pericytes in transwells developed a tight monolayer with a correct localization of claudin-5 at the tight junctions (TJ). Several BBB marker proteins such as the TJ proteins claudin-5 and occludin, the glucose transporter GLUT-1 or the efflux pumps PG-P and BCRP were upregulated in these cultures. This was accompanied by a reduced paracellular permeability for fluorescein (400 Da). We then used this model for the treatment with the patient sera. Only the sera of breast cancer patients with cerebral metastases had significantly increased levels of the cytokines fractalkine (CX3CL1) and BCA-1 (CXCL13). The increased levels of fractalkine were associated with the estrogen/progesterone receptor status of the tumour. The treatment of BLECs with these sera selectively increased the expression of CXCL13 and TJ protein occludin. In addition, the permeability of fluorescein was increased after serum treatment.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrate that the CD34+ cell-derived human in vitro BBB model can be used as a tool to study the molecular mechanisms underlying cerebrovascular pathologies. We showed that serum from patients with cerebral metastases may affect the integrity of the BBB in vitro, associated with elevated concentrations of specific cytokines such as CX3CL1 and CXCL13.

Beyond LNB: Real life data on occurrence and extent of CSF CXCL13 in neuroinflammatory diseases

To evaluate occurrence and extent of CSF CXCL13 elevations beyond Lyme neuroborreliosis, we investigated CXCL13 in an unselected patient cohort with neuroinflammatory disease. From March 2016 to March 2017, 180 in-patients with CSF pleocytosis were categorized into following groups: pyogenic CNS infections, aseptic meningoencephalitis, neuroimmunological diseases, and reactive pleocytosis. We provide evidence that CXCL13 elevation occurs at variable extent in the majority of neuroinflammatory diseases. The exact role of CXCL13 in CSF is elusive, but the broad occurrence in neuroinflammation points at CNS immune activation, which is not exclusive for LNB.

Neopterin and CXCL-13 in Diagnosis and Follow-Up of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense Sleeping Sickness: Lessons from the Field in Angola

Human African Trypanosomiasis may become manageable in the next decade with fexinidazole. However, currently stage diagnosis remains difficult to implement in the field and requires a lumbar puncture. Our study of an Angolan cohort of T. b. gambiense-infected patients used other staging criteria than those recommended by the WHO. We compared WHO criteria (cell count and parasite identification in the CSF) with two biomarkers (neopterin and CXCL-13) which have proven potential to diagnose disease stage or relapse. Biological, clinical, and neurological data were analysed from a cohort of 83 patients. A neopterin concentration below 15.5 nmol/L in the CSF denoted patients with stage 1 disease, and a concentration above 60.31 nmol/L characterized patients with advanced stage 2 (trypanosomes in CSF and/or cytorachia higher than 20 cells) disease. CXCL-13 levels below 91.208 pg/mL denoted patients with stage 1 disease, and levels of CXCL-13 above 395.45 pg/mL denoted patients with advanced stage 2 disease. Values between these cut-offs may represent patients with intermediate stage disease. Our work supports the existence of an intermediate stage in HAT, and CXCL-13 and neopterin levels may help to characterize it.

Tumor-Specific Regulatory T Cells from the Bone Marrow Orchestrate Antitumor Immunity in Breast Cancer

Endogenous antitumor effector T-cell responses and immune-suppressive regulatory T cells (Treg) critically influence the prognosis of patients with cancer, yet many of the mechanisms of how this occurs remain unresolved. On the basis of an analysis of the function, antigen specificity, and distribution of tumor antigen-reactive T cells and Tregs in patients with breast cancer and transgenic mouse tumor models, we showed that tumor-specific Tregs were selectively activated in the bone marrow (BM) and egressed into the peripheral blood. The BM was constantly depleted of tumor-specific Tregs and was instead a site of increased induction and activity of tumor-reactive effector/memory T cells. Treg egress from the BM was associated with activation-induced expression of peripheral homing receptors such as CCR2. Because breast cancer tissues express the CCR2 ligand CCL2, the activation and egress of tumor antigen-specific Tregs in the BM resulted in the accumulation of Tregs in breast tumor tissue. Such immune compartmentalization and redistribution of T-cell subpopulations between the BM and peripheral tissues were achieved by vaccination with adenoviral vector-encoded TRP-2 tumor antigen in a RET transgenic mouse model of spontaneous malignant melanoma. Thus, the BM simultaneously represented a source of tumor-infiltrating Tregs and a site for the induction of endogenous tumor-specific effector T-cell responses, suggesting that both antitumor immunity and local immune suppression are orchestrated in the BM.

Identification of Alternatively-Activated Pathways between Primary Breast Cancer and Liver Metastatic Cancer Using Microarray Data

Alternatively-activated pathways have been observed in biological experiments in cancer studies, but the concept had not been fully explored in computational cancer system biology. Therefore, an alternatively-activated pathway identification method was proposed and applied to primary breast cancer and breast cancer liver metastasis research using microarray data. Interestingly, the results show that cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and calcium signaling were significantly enriched under both conditions. TGF beta signaling was found to be the hub in network topology analysis. In total, three types of alternatively-activated pathways were recognized. In the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathway, four active alteration patterns in gene pairs were noticed. Thirteen cytokine-cytokine receptor pairs with inverse activity changes of both genes were verified by the literature. The second type was that some sub-pathways were active under only one condition. For the third type, nodes were significantly active in both conditions, but with different active genes. In the calcium signaling and TGF beta signaling pathways, node E2F5 and E2F4 were significantly active in primary breast cancer and metastasis, respectively. Overall, our study demonstrated the first time using microarray data to identify alternatively-activated pathways in breast cancer liver metastasis. The results showed that the proposed method was valid and effective, which could be helpful for future research for understanding the mechanism of breast cancer metastasis.

Dual targeting of folate receptor-expressing glioma tumor-associated macrophages and epithelial cells in the brain using a carbon nanosphere-cationic folate nanoconjugate

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the highly invasive form of glioma, exhibits the highest mortality in patients with brain malignancies. Increasing glioma patients' survivability is challenging, as targeting only tumor-associated malignant cells would not reduce the overall aggressiveness of the tumor mass. This is due to the inadequacy in countering pro-proliferative, invasive and metastatic factors released by tumor-mass associated macrophages (TAMs). Hence, strategically, dual targeting both tumor cells and TAMs is necessary for effective glioma treatment and increased survivability. Conventional FR-targeting systems can easily target cancer cells that overtly express folate receptors (FRs). However, FRs are expressed only moderately in both glioma cells and in TAMs. Hence, it is more challenging to coordinate dual targeting of glioma cells and TAMs with lower levels of FR expression. A recently developed carbon nanosphere (CSP) with effective blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetrability was modified with a new folic acid-cationic lipid conjugate (F8) as a targeting ligand. The uniqueness of the cationic lipid-folate conjugate is that it stably associates with the negatively charged CSP surface at about >22 mol% surface concentration, a concentration at least 5-fold higher than what is achieved for conventional FR-targeting delivery systems. This enabled dual uptake of the CSP on TAMs and tumor cells via FRs. A doxorubicin-associated FR-targeting formulation (CFD), in an orthotopic glioma model and in a glioma subcutaneous model, induced the maximum anticancer effect with enhanced average mice survivability twice that of untreated mice and without any systemic liver toxicity. Additionally, we observed a significant decrease of TAM-released pro-aggressive factors, TGF-β, STAT3, invasion and migration related sICAM-1, and other cytokines indicating anti-TAM activity of the CFD. Taken together, we principally devised, to the best of our knowledge, the first FR-targeting nano-delivery system for targeting brain-associated TAMs and tumor cells as an efficient glioma therapeutic.

The Role of CXCL13 and CXCL9 in Early Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND

Chemokines, cytokines in the immune microenvironment of tumors, may be associated with patient outcome. We assessed the impact of CXCL13 and CXCL9 on disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS), in an attempt to retrospectively evaluate both T and B cell function in the microenvironment of primary tumors from patients with breast cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks from patients with intermediate/high-risk, early breast cancer, treated with sequential adjuvant epirubicin, paclitaxel, and cyclophosphamide methotrexate fluorouracil within a randomized trial, were tested for CXCL13 and CXCL9 messenger RNA expression; 557 patients with adequate tissue were eligible for the analysis.

RESULTS

CXCL13 was correlated with CXCL9 (rho = 0.52; P < .001). High-expressing CXL13 and CXCL9 tumors had higher Ki67 and tumor infiltrating lymphocyte density (P-values < .001). High CXCL9 expression was an unfavorable prognosticator for OS among all patients (hazard ratio [HR], 1.73; P = .021), whereas it showed favorable significance for both DFS and OS in patients with triple negative disease (HR, 0.29; P = .027 and HR, 0.32; P = .045). High CXCL13 conferred longer DFS and OS among patients with luminal-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 disease (HR, 0.31; P = .013 and HR, 0.25; P = .005). Patients with low CXCL13 and high CXCL9 expression had shorter DFS and OS compared with those with high expression of both chemokines (HR, 1.63; P = .006 and HR, 1.61; P = .016).

CONCLUSIONS

Both biomarkers were associated with poor prognosis characteristics and with tumor infiltrating lymphocyte density. High CXCL9 conferred an improved prognosis in the triple negative subtype, whereas high CXCL13 was associated with improved outcome in the luminal-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 subtype. Chemokines can be associated with breast cancer subtype and outcome. These data should be evaluated prospectively.

CXCL13 and Its Receptor CXCR5 in Cancer: Inflammation, Immune Response, and Beyond

It is well-established that the chemokine C-X-C motif ligand 13 (CXCL13) and its receptor, the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) CXCR5, play fundamental roles in inflammatory, infectious and immune responses. Originally identified as a B-cell chemoattractant, CXCL13 exerts important functions in lymphoid neogenesis, and has been widely implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of autoimmune diseases and inflammatory conditions, as well as in lymphoproliferative disorders. Current evidence also indicates that the CXCL13:CXCR5 axis orchestrates cell-cell interactions that regulate lymphocyte infiltration within the tumor microenvironment, thereby determining responsiveness to cytotoxic and immune-targeted therapies. In this review, we provide a comprehensive perspective of the involvement of CXCL13 and its receptor in cancer progression. Studies in recent years postulated novel roles for this chemokine in controlling the cancer cell phenotype, and suggest important functions in the growth and metastatic dissemination of solid tumors. Carcinogens have been found to induce CXCL13 production, and production of this chemokine within the tumor milieu has been shown to impact the proliferation, migration, and invasive properties of cancer cells. Thus, the complex networks of cellular interactions involving tumoral CXCL13 and CXCR5 integrate to promote cancer cell autonomous and non-autonomous responses, highlighting the relevance of autocrine and paracrine interactions in dictating the cancer phenotype. Dissecting the molecular and signaling events regulated by CXCL13 and how this chemokine dynamically controls the interaction between the cancer cell and the tumor microenvironment is key to identify novel effectors and therapeutic targets for cancer treatment.

Plasma IL-5 but Not CXCL13 Correlates With Neutralization Breadth in HIV-Infected Children

Children may be the optimal target for HIV vaccine development as they generate substantially more frequent and more potent broadly HIV neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) than adults. Development of a biomarker that correlates with neutralization breadth in this group could function as a powerful tool to facilitate the development of an HIV vaccine. Previously, we observed that this preferential ability in HIV-infected children over adults to generate bnAbs is associated with an enrichment of circulating follicular helper T-cells (TFH) with an effector phenotype, and the presence of IL-21 secreting HIV-specific TFH within lymphoid tissue germinal centers (GC). In adults, bnAbs development has been linked with high plasma levels of CXCL13, a chemoattractant for CXCR5-expressing TFH cells to the lymph node GC. We sought to test this relationship in HIV-infected children, but found no association between neutralization breadth and plasma levels of CXCL13, or with the Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-13, or the TFH associated factor Activin A. However, we did find an unexpected association between plasma IL-5 levels and bnAb development in these children. Importantly, although CXCL13 correlated with total circulating TFH cells, it was not associated with effector TFH. Additionally, raised CXCL13 expression was associated with a lower CD4 percentage, higher viral load and a loss of immune function, implying it is associated with progressive disease rather than HIV-specific GC activity in these subjects. Taken together, our data suggests that IL-5 should be evaluated further as a candidate plasma biomarker for HIV neutralization breadth and for monitoring vaccine responses in the pediatric age group.

CXCL13/CXCR5 signaling axis in cancer

The tumor microenvironment comprises stromal and tumor cells which interact with each other through complex cross-talks that are mediated by a variety of growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines. The chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) and its chemokine receptor 5 (CXCR5) are among the key chemotactic factors which play crucial roles in deriving cancer cell biology. CXCL13/CXCR5 signaling axis makes pivotal contributions to the development and progression of several human cancers. In this review, we discuss how CXCL13/CXCR5 signaling modulates cancer cell ability to grow, proliferate, invade, and metastasize. Furthermore, we also discuss the preliminary evidence on context-dependent functioning of this axis within the tumor-immune microenvironment, thus, highlighting its potential dichotomy with respect to anticancer immunity and cancer immune-evasion mechanisms. At the end, we briefly shed light on the therapeutic potential or implications of targeting CXCL13/CXCR5 axis within the tumor microenvironment.

Micro-RNA-143 inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of thymocytes by targeting CXCL13 in a myasthenia gravis mouse model

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune neuromuscular disorder, affecting the quality of life of millions of people worldwide. The present study aims to determine the relationship between micro-RNA-143 (miR-143) and C-X-C motif chemokine 13 (CXCL13) and whether it influences the pathogenesis of myasthenia gravis (MG). Thymus specimens were resected from patients with thymic hyperplasia combined with MG and then infused into normal mouse cavities to establish MG mouse models. Immunohistochemistry, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, in situ hybridization detection, and Western blot analysis were employed to identify the expression of miR-143 and CXCL13 in MG and normal mice. The obtained thymocytes were cultured in vitro and transfected with a series of miR-143 mimic, miR-143 inhibitor, overexpression of CXCL13, or siRNA against CXCL13. MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] and flow cytometry assays were employed to assess cell viability, cycle entry, and apoptosis of the thymocytes. Dual-luciferase reporter assay provided verification, confirming that CXCL13 was the target gene of miR-143. Low miR-143 expression in the thymus tissues of the MG mice was detected, which presented with a reciprocal relationship with the expression rate of CLCX13. Observations in relation to the interactions between miR-143 mimic or siRNA-CXCL13 exposure showed reduced cell viability, with a greater number of cells arrested at the G0/G1 phase and a greater rate of induced apoptosis. Furthermore, overexpression of CXCL13 rescued miR-143 mimic-induced apoptosis. The findings have identified the potential role of miR-143 as a MG development mediator by targeting CXCL13. The key results obtained provide a promising experimental basis for targeted intervention treatment with miR-143.

RelA driven co-expression of CXCL13 and CXCR5 is governed by a multifaceted transcriptional program regulating breast cancer progression

Lethal metastasis of primary breast tumors to lymph nodes has been found to be associated with the co-expression of chemokine CXCL13 and its receptor CXCR5. To date, however, the precise molecular events regulating the co-expression of CXCL13 and CXCR5 in the context of breast cancer progression have not been identified. Therefore, to extend our understanding of the drivers of breast cancer metastasis, we undertook a line of investigation in this study in which we demonstrate that the transcriptional regulation of CXCL13 is mediated by the reciprocal activity of RelA and Nrf2, while CXCR5 is transcriptionally silenced by CpG island methylation within its promoter. Critically, we show that intra-tumoral CXCL13 and CXCR5 mRNA expression is positively correlated with intra-tumoral RelA expression within the primary tumor of breast cancer (BCa) patients (n = 98). We demonstrate a role for Nrf2 in the negative transcriptional regulation of cxcl13. Furthermore, using a luciferase assay and deletion analysis of the cxcl13 gene promoter, we demonstrate that RelA and Nrf2 directly act upon the cxcl13 promoter to regulate transcription. Chromatin immunoprecipitation PCR, supported by in silico docking analyses, confirmed that RelA and Nrf2 both occupy multiple positions within the cxcl13 promoter. Collectively, in RelA high conditions, low Nrf2 and lack of cxcr5 promoter DNA-methylation govern CXCL13-CXCR5 co-expression within breast tumors, and thus drive disease progression and metastasis.

B cell and B cell-related pathways for novel cancer treatments

B cells are recognized as the main effector cells of humoral immunity which suppress tumor progression by secreting immunoglobulins, promoting T cell response, and killing cancer cells directly. Given these properties, their anti-tumor immune response in the tumor micro-environment (TME) is of great interest. Although T cell-related immune responses have become a therapeutic target with the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors, not all patients benefit from these treatments. B cell and B cell-related pathways (CCL19, -21/CCR7 axis and CXCL13/CXCR5 axis) play key roles in activating immune response through humoral immunity and local immune activation via tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) formation. However they have some protumorigenic works in the TME. Thus, a better understanding of B cell and B cell-related pathways is necessary to develop effective cancer control. In this review, we summarize recent evidences regarding the roles of B cell and B cell-related pathways in the TME and immune response and discuss their potential roles for novel cancer treatment strategies.