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Engel L, Zaoralová M, Zhou M, Dunn AR, Oliver SL. Extracellular filaments revealed by affinity capture cryo-electron tomography. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.08.05.552110. [PMID: 37577490 PMCID: PMC10418515 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.05.552110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Cryogenic-electron tomography (cryo-ET) has provided an unprecedented glimpse into the nanoscale architecture of cells by combining cryogenic preservation of biological structures with electron tomography. Micropatterning of extracellular matrix proteins is increasingly used as a method to prepare adherent cell types for cryo-ET as it promotes optimal positioning of cells and subcellular regions of interest for vitrification, cryo-focused ion beam (cryo-FIB) milling, and data acquisition. Here we demonstrate a micropatterning workflow for capturing minimally adherent cell types, human T-cells and Jurkat cells, for cryo-FIB and cryo-ET. Our affinity capture system facilitated the nanoscale imaging of Jurkat cells, revealing extracellular filamentous structures. It improved workflow efficiency by consistently producing grids with a sufficient number of well positioned cells for an entire cryo-FIB session. Affinity capture can be extended to facilitate high resolution imaging of other adherent and non-adherent cell types with cryo-ET.
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Jiang A, Liu W, Liu Y, Hu J, Zhu B, Fang Y, Zhao X, Qu L, Lu J, Liu B, Qi L, Cai C, Luo P, Wang L. DCS, a novel classifier system based on disulfidptosis reveals tumor microenvironment heterogeneity and guides frontline therapy for clear cell renal carcinoma. JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL CANCER CENTER 2024; 4:263-279. [PMID: 39281723 PMCID: PMC11401502 DOI: 10.1016/j.jncc.2024.06.003] [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: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Emerging evidence suggests that cell deaths are involved in tumorigenesis and progression, which may be treated as a novel direction of cancers. Recently, a novel type of programmed cell death, disulfidptosis, was discovered. However, the detailed biological and clinical impact of disulfidptosis and related regulators remains largely unknown. Methods In this work, we first enrolled pancancer datasets and performed multi-omics analysis, including gene expression, DNA methylation, copy number variation and single nucleic variation profiles. Then we deciphered the biological implication of disulfidptosis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) by machine learning. Finally, a novel agent targeting at disulfidptosis in ccRCC was identified and verified. Results We found that disulfidptosis regulators were dysregulated among cancers, which could be explained by aberrant DNA methylation and genomic mutation events. Disulfidptosis scores were depressed among cancers and negatively correlated with epithelial mesenchymal transition. Disulfidptosis regulators could satisfactorily stratify risk subgroups in ccRCC, and a novel subtype, DCS3, owning with disulfidptosis depression, insensitivity to immune therapy and aberrant genome instability were identified and verified. Moreover, treating DCS3 with NU1025 could significantly inhibit ccRCC malignancy. Conclusion This work provided a better understanding of disulfidptosis in cancers and new insights into individual management based on disulfidptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimin Jiang
- Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Wenqiang Liu
- Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Junyi Hu
- Department of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Baohua Zhu
- Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Fang
- Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Xuenan Zhao
- Center for Translational Medicine, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Le Qu
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Juan Lu
- Vocational Education Center, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Bing Liu
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Qi
- Department of Orthopedics, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Tumor Models and Individualized Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China
| | - Chen Cai
- Department of Special Clinic, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Peng Luo
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Linhui Wang
- Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China
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Wei W, Lu Y, Zhang M, Guo J, Zhang H. Identifying polyamine related biomarkers in diagnosis and treatment of ulcerative colitis by integrating bulk and single-cell sequencing data. Sci Rep 2024; 14:18094. [PMID: 39103474 PMCID: PMC11300856 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-69322-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the colon, and its pathogenesis remains unclear. Polyamine metabolic enzymes play a crucial role in UC. In this study, we aimed to identify pivotal polyamine-related genes (PRGs) and explore the underlying mechanism between PRGs and the disease status and therapeutic response of UC. We analyzed mRNA-sequencing data and clinical information of UC patients from the GEO database and identified NNMT, PTGS2, TRIM22, TGM2, and PPARG as key PRGs associated with active UC using differential expression analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WCGNA). Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) analysis confirmed the accuracy of these key genes in UC and colitis-associated colon cancer (CAC) diagnosis, and we validated their relationship with therapeutic response in external verification sets. Additionally, single-cell analysis revealed that the key PRGs were specific to certain immune cell types, emphasizing the vital role of intestinal tissue stem cells in active UC. The results were validated in vitro and in vivo experiments, including the colitis mice model and CAC mice model. In conclusion, these key PRGs effectively predict the progression of UC patients and could serve as new pharmacological biomarkers for the therapeutic response of UC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanhui Wei
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnosis of Hubei Province, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuanyuan Lu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Wuhan Third Hospital, Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mengjiao Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnosis of Hubei Province, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - JinKun Guo
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnosis of Hubei Province, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Heng Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Diagnosis of Hubei Province, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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Li J, Moresco P, Fearon DT. Intratumoral NKT cell accumulation promotes antitumor immunity in pancreatic cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2403917121. [PMID: 38980903 PMCID: PMC11260137 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2403917121] [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: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a potentially lethal disease lacking effective treatments. Its immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) allows it to evade host immunosurveillance and limits response to immunotherapy. Here, using the mouse KRT19-deficient (sgKRT19-edited) PDA model, we find that intratumoral accumulation of natural killer T (NKT) cells is required to establish an immunologically active TME. Mechanistically, intratumoral NKT cells facilitate type I interferon (IFN) production to initiate an antitumor adaptive immune response, and orchestrate the intratumoral infiltration of T cells, dendritic cells, natural killer cells, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells. At the molecular level, NKT cells promote the production of type I IFN through the interaction of their CD40L with CD40 on myeloid cells. To evaluate the therapeutic potential of these observations, we find that administration of folinic acid to mice bearing PDA increases NKT cells in the TME and improves their response to anti-PD-1 antibody treatment. In conclusion, NKT cells have an essential role in the immune response to mouse PDA and are potential targets for immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayun Li
- Cancer Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY11724
| | - Philip Moresco
- Cancer Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY11724
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY11794
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY11794
| | - Douglas T. Fearon
- Cancer Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY11724
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065
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Gao Y, Chen S, Wang H, Wu C, An R, Li G, Yang M, Zhou Y, Zhou Y, Xie X, Yu H, Zhang J. Liver metastases across cancer types sharing tumor environment immunotolerance can impede immune response therapy and immune monitoring. J Adv Res 2024; 61:151-164. [PMID: 37619932 PMCID: PMC11258657 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2023.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatic immune tolerance might contribute to the development of therapeutic resistance to immunotherapy. However, addressing this issue is challenging since the efficacy of immunotherapy in the context of liver metastasis (LM) remains poorly studied. Here, we aimed to establish an LM common immune feature (LMCIF) score to quantify the characteristics of LM immunotolerance across cancer types for assisting clinical disease management. METHODS Large-scale clinical data were collected to identify the prognosis of LM. Multi-omics datasets of metastatic cancers with LM special immune-related pathways (LMSIPs) from the Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB)were used to obtain an LMCIF cluster. Based on differential expression genes (DEGs), a novel LMCIF score for the LMCIF cluster was constructed. In addition, multi-omics, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) data from the public and in-house cohorts were used to explore the features of LM, and LMCIF score. RESULTS Patients with LM had a worse prognosis and significantly lower infiltration of immune cells than patients with metastasis to other organs when analyzed with combined clinical and RNA sequencing data. After extracting the LMCIF cluster from 373 samples by utilizing 29 LMSIPs and validating them in a microarray cohort, an LMCIF score was established to confirm the role of the immunosuppressive environment as a contributor to the poor prognosis of LM across cancer types. Moreover, this LMCIF score could be used to predict the immune response of cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy. Finally, we identified that the majority of the 31 LMCIF genes exhibited a negative correlation with TME cells in LM patients, one of them, KRT19, which possessed the strongest positive correlation with LMCIF score, was confirmed to have an immunosuppressive effect through IHC analysis. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that LM across cancer types share similar immunological profiles that induce immunotolerance and escape from immune monitoring. The novel LMCIF score represents a common liver metastasis immune cluster for predicting immunotherapy response, the results of which might benefit clinical disease management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhen Gao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shipeng Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Xiamen Key Laboratory of Genetic Testing, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China; School of Clinical Medicine, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chenghao Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Rui An
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guoli Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Min Yang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Cancer Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yundong Zhou
- Shanghai Medical Innovation Fusion Biomedical Research Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinyou Xie
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hong Yu
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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Lin Z, Shi YY, Yu LY, Ma CX, Pan SY, Dou Y, Zhou QJ, Cao Y. Metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease in patients with plaque psoriasis: a case-control study and serological comparison. Front Med (Lausanne) 2024; 11:1400741. [PMID: 38813379 PMCID: PMC11133595 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1400741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The relationship between plaque psoriasis and both MASLD and lean MASLD has not been sufficiently explored in the current literature. Method This retrospective and observational study was carried out from January 2021 to January 2023 at The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University. Patients diagnosed with plaque psoriasis and a control group consisting of individuals undergoing routine physical examinations were enrolled. The incidence of MASLD and lean MASLD among these groups was compared. Additionally, patients with plaque psoriasis were divided into those with MASLD, those with lean MASLD, and a control group with only psoriasis for a serological comparative analysis. Results The incidence of MASLD in the observation group and the control group was 43.67% (69/158) and 22.15% (35/158), respectively (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the incidence of lean MASLD within the observation group and the control group was 10.76% (17/158) and 4.43% (7/158), respectively (p < 0.01). After controlling for potential confounding variables, plaque psoriasis was identified as an independent risk factor for MASLD with an odds ratio of 1.88 (95% cl: 1.10-3.21). In terms of serological comparison, compared to the simple psoriasis group, we observed a significant elevation in the tumor marker CYFRA21-1 levels in both groups compared to the control group with simple psoriasis (p < 0.01). Moreover, the MASLD group exhibited elevated levels of inflammatory markers and psoriasis score, whereas these effects were mitigated in the lean MASLD group. Conclusion The prevalence of MASLD and lean MASLD is higher among patients with psoriasis. Those suffering from psoriasis along with MASLD show increased psoriasis scores and inflammatory markers compared to those without metabolic disorders. MASLD likely worsens psoriasis conditions, indicating the necessity of targeted health education for affected individuals to reduce the risk of MASLD, this education should include guidelines on exercise and diet. In serological assessments, elevated levels of cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA21-1) were noted in both MASLD and lean MASLD groups, implying a potential synergistic role between psoriasis and MASLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Lin
- First Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yue-yi Shi
- First Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lu-yan Yu
- First Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chen-xi Ma
- First Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Si-yi Pan
- First Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuan Dou
- First Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qiu-jun Zhou
- First Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yi Cao
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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Lei Y, Xu J, Xiao M, Wu D, Xu H, Yang J, Mao X, Pan H, Yu X, Shi S. Pirfenidone alleviates fibrosis by acting on tumour-stroma interplay in pancreatic cancer. Br J Cancer 2024; 130:1505-1516. [PMID: 38454166 PMCID: PMC11058874 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-024-02631-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a malignancy with a 5-year survival rate of 12%. The abundant mesenchyme is partly responsible for the malignancy. The antifibrotic therapies have gained attention in recent research. However, the role of pirfenidone, an FDA-approved drug for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, remains unclear in PDAC. METHODS Data from RNA-seq of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models treated with pirfenidone were integrated using bioinformatics tools to identify the target of cell types and genes. Using confocal microscopy, qRT-PCR and western blotting, we validated the signalling pathway in tumour cells to regulate the cytokine secretion. Further cocultured system demonstrated the interplay to regulate stroma fibrosis. Finally, mouse models demonstrated the potential of pirfenidone in PDAC. RESULTS Pirfenidone can remodulate multiple biological pathways, and exerts an antifibrotic effect through inhibiting the secretion of PDGF-bb from tumour cells by downregulating the TGM2/NF-kB/PDGFB pathway. Thus, leading to a subsequent reduction in collagen X and fibronectin secreted by CAFs. Moreover, the mice orthotopic pancreatic tumour models demonstrated the antifibrotic effect and potential to sensitise gemcitabine. CONCLUSIONS Pirfenidone may alter the pancreatic milieu and alleviate fibrosis through the regulation of tumour-stroma interactions via the TGM2/NF-kB/PDGFB signalling pathway, suggesting potential therapeutic benefits in PDAC management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yalan Lei
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin Xu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingming Xiao
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Di Wu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - He Xu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoqi Mao
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haoqi Pan
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianjun Yu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Si Shi
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.
- Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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Lahusen A, Cai J, Schirmbeck R, Wellstein A, Kleger A, Seufferlein T, Eiseler T, Lin YN. A pancreatic cancer organoid-in-matrix platform shows distinct sensitivities to T cell killing. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9377. [PMID: 38654067 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60107-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Poor treatment responses of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are in large part due to tumor heterogeneity and an immunosuppressive desmoplastic tumor stroma that impacts interactions with cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Thus, there is a pressing need for models to probe the contributions of cellular and noncellular crosstalk. Organoids are promising model systems with the potential to generate a plethora of data including phenotypic, transcriptomic and genomic characterization but still require improvements in culture conditions mimicking the TME. Here, we describe an INTERaction with Organoid-in-MatriX ("InterOMaX") model system, that presents a 3D co-culture-based platform for investigating matrix-dependent cellular crosstalk. We describe its potential to uncover new molecular mechanisms of T cell responses to murine KPC (LSL-KrasG12D/+27/Trp53tm1Tyj/J/p48Cre/+) PDAC cells as well as PDAC patient-derived organoids (PDOs). For this, a customizable matrix and homogenously sized organoid-in-matrix positioning of cancer cells were designed based on a standardized agarose microwell chip array system and established for co-culture with T cells and inclusion of stromal cells. We describe the detection and orthogonal analysis of murine and human PDAC cell populations with distinct sensitivity to T cell killing that is corroborated in vivo. By enabling both identification and validation of gene candidates for T cell resistance, this platform sets the stage for better mechanistic understanding of cancer cell-intrinsic resistance phenotypes in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Lahusen
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Nephrology, Nutrition and Metabolism, Ulm University Hospital, Albert Einstein Allee 23, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jierui Cai
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Nephrology, Nutrition and Metabolism, Ulm University Hospital, Albert Einstein Allee 23, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Reinhold Schirmbeck
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Nephrology, Nutrition and Metabolism, Ulm University Hospital, Albert Einstein Allee 23, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Anton Wellstein
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, 3970 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC, 20007, USA
| | - Alexander Kleger
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Nephrology, Nutrition and Metabolism, Ulm University Hospital, Albert Einstein Allee 23, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Stem Cell Biology (IMOS), Ulm University Hospital, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- Division of Interdisciplinary Pancreatology, Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Hospital, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- Organoid Core Facility, Ulm University Hospital, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Thomas Seufferlein
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Nephrology, Nutrition and Metabolism, Ulm University Hospital, Albert Einstein Allee 23, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tim Eiseler
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Nephrology, Nutrition and Metabolism, Ulm University Hospital, Albert Einstein Allee 23, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Yuan-Na Lin
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Nephrology, Nutrition and Metabolism, Ulm University Hospital, Albert Einstein Allee 23, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
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Miao SN, Chai MQ, Liu XY, Wei CY, Zhang CC, Sun NN, Fei QZ, Peng LL, Qiu H. Exercise accelerates recruitment of CD8 + T cell to promotes anti-tumor immunity in lung cancer via epinephrine. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:474. [PMID: 38622609 PMCID: PMC11021002 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12224-7] [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: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In recent years, there has been extensive research on the role of exercise as an adjunctive therapy for cancer. However, the potential mechanisms underlying the anti-tumor therapy of exercise in lung cancer remain to be fully elucidated. As such, our study aims to confirm whether exercise-induced elevation of epinephrine can accelerate CD8+ T cell recruitment through modulation of chemokines and thus ultimately inhibit tumor progression. METHOD C57BL/6 mice were subcutaneously inoculated with Lewis lung cancer cells (LLCs) to establish a subcutaneous tumor model. The tumor mice were randomly divided into different groups to performed a moderate-intensity exercise program on a treadmill for 5 consecutive days a week, 45 min a day. The blood samples and tumor tissues were collected after exercise for IHC, RT-qPCR, ELISA and Western blot. In addition, another group of mice received daily epinephrine treatment for two weeks (0.05 mg/mL, 200 µL i.p.) (EPI, n = 8) to replicate the effects of exercise on tumors in vivo. Lewis lung cancer cells were treated with different concentrations of epinephrine (0, 5, 10, 20 µM) to detect the effect of epinephrine on chemokine levels via ELISA and RT-qPCR. RESULTS This study reveals that both pre- and post-cancer exercise effectively impede the tumor progression. Exercise led to an increase in EPI levels and the infiltration of CD8+ T cell into the lung tumor. Exercise-induced elevation of EPI is involved in the regulation of Ccl5 and Cxcl10 levels further leading to enhanced CD8+ T cell infiltration and ultimately inhibiting tumor progression. CONCLUSION Exercise training enhance the anti-tumor immunity of lung cancer individuals. These findings will provide valuable insights for the future application of exercise therapy in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai-Nan Miao
- School of Nursing, Anhui Medical University, 230032, Hefei, China
| | - Meng-Qi Chai
- School of Nursing, Anhui Medical University, 230032, Hefei, China
| | - Xiang-Yu Liu
- School of Nursing, Anhui Medical University, 230032, Hefei, China
| | - Cheng-Yu Wei
- School of Nursing, Anhui Medical University, 230032, Hefei, China
| | - Cun-Cun Zhang
- School of Nursing, Anhui Medical University, 230032, Hefei, China
| | - Ning-Ning Sun
- School of Nursing, Anhui Medical University, 230032, Hefei, China
| | - Qing-Ze Fei
- School of Nursing, Anhui Medical University, 230032, Hefei, China
| | - Lin-Lin Peng
- School of Nursing, Anhui Medical University, 230032, Hefei, China
| | - Huan Qiu
- School of Nursing, Anhui Medical University, 230032, Hefei, China.
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10
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Zaltron E, Vianello F, Ruzza A, Palazzo A, Brillo V, Celotti I, Scavezzon M, Rossin F, Leanza L, Severin F. The Role of Transglutaminase 2 in Cancer: An Update. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2797. [PMID: 38474044 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Transglutaminase type 2 (TG2) is the most ubiquitously expressed and well characterized member of the transglutaminase family. It is a ubiquitous multifunctional enzyme implicated in the regulation of several cellular pathways that support the survival, death, and general homeostasis of eukaryotic cells. Due to its multiple localizations both inside and outside the cell, TG2 participates in the regulation of many crucial intracellular signaling cascades in a tissue- and cell-specific manner, making this enzyme an important player in disease development and progression. Moreover, TG2 is capable of modulating the tumor microenvironment, a process of dynamic tissue remodeling and biomechanical events, resulting in changes which influence tumor initiation, growth, and metastasis. Even if generally related to the Ca2+-dependent post-translational modification of proteins, a number of different biological functions have been ascribed to TG2, like those of a peptide isomerase, protein kinase, guanine nucleotide binder, and cytosolic-nuclear translocator. With respect to cancer, TG2's role is controversial and highly debated; it has been described both as an anti- and pro-apoptotic factor and is linked to all the processes of tumorigenesis. However, numerous pieces of evidence support a tissue-specific role of TG2 so that it can assume both oncogenic and tumor-suppressive roles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alessia Ruzza
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy
| | - Alberta Palazzo
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy
| | | | - Ilaria Celotti
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy
| | | | - Federica Rossin
- Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Leanza
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy
| | - Filippo Severin
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy
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11
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Zheng H, Haroon K, Liu M, Hu X, Xu Q, Tang Y, Wang Y, Yang GY, Zhang Z. Monomeric CXCL12-Engineered Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Transplantation for the Treatment of Ischemic Stroke. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:792. [PMID: 38255866 PMCID: PMC10815250 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020792] [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: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) possess therapeutic potential for ischemic brain injury, and the chemokine CXCL12 has been shown to enhance their functional properties. However, the cumulative effects of ASCs when combined with various structures of CXCL12 on ischemic stroke and its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we genetically engineered mouse adipose-derived ASCs with CXCL12 variants and transplanted them to the infarct region in a mice transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) model of stroke. We subsequently compared the post-ischemic stroke efficacy of ASC-mCXCL12 with ASC-dCXCL12, ASC-wtCXCL12, and unmodified ASCs. Neurobehavior recovery was assessed using modified neurological severity scores, the hanging wire test, and the elevated body swing test. Changes at the tissue level were evaluated through cresyl violet and immunofluorescent staining, while molecular level alterations were examined via Western blot and real-time PCR. The results of the modified neurological severity score and cresyl violet staining indicated that both ASC-mCXCL12 and ASC-dCXCL12 treatment enhanced neurobehavioral recovery and mitigated brain atrophy at the third and fifth weeks post-tMCAO. Additionally, we observed that ASC-mCXCL12 and ASC-dCXCL12 promoted angiogenesis and neurogenesis, accompanied by an increased expression of bFGF and VEGF in the peri-infarct area of the brain. Notably, in the third week after tMCAO, the ASC-mCXCL12 exhibited superior outcomes compared to ASC-dCXCL12. However, when treated with the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100, the beneficial effects of ASC-mCXCL12 were reversed. The AMD3100-treated group demonstrated worsened neurological function, aggravated edema volume, and brain atrophy. This outcome is likely attributed to the interaction of monomeric CXCL12 with CXCR4, which regulates the recruitment of bFGF and VEGF. This study introduces an innovative approach to enhance the therapeutic potential of ASCs in treating ischemic stroke by genetically engineering them with the monomeric structure of CXCL12.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Zheng
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; (H.Z.); (K.H.); (M.L.); (X.H.); (Y.T.); (Y.W.)
| | - Khan Haroon
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; (H.Z.); (K.H.); (M.L.); (X.H.); (Y.T.); (Y.W.)
| | - Mengdi Liu
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; (H.Z.); (K.H.); (M.L.); (X.H.); (Y.T.); (Y.W.)
| | - Xiaowen Hu
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; (H.Z.); (K.H.); (M.L.); (X.H.); (Y.T.); (Y.W.)
| | - Qun Xu
- Health Management Center, Department of Neurology, Renji Hospital of Medical School of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China;
| | - Yaohui Tang
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; (H.Z.); (K.H.); (M.L.); (X.H.); (Y.T.); (Y.W.)
| | - Yongting Wang
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; (H.Z.); (K.H.); (M.L.); (X.H.); (Y.T.); (Y.W.)
| | - Guo-Yuan Yang
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; (H.Z.); (K.H.); (M.L.); (X.H.); (Y.T.); (Y.W.)
| | - Zhijun Zhang
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; (H.Z.); (K.H.); (M.L.); (X.H.); (Y.T.); (Y.W.)
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12
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Carretta M, Thorseth ML, Schina A, Agardy DA, Johansen AZ, Baker KJ, Khan S, Rømer AMA, Fjæstad KY, Linder H, Kuczek DE, Donia M, Grøntved L, Madsen DH. Dissecting tumor microenvironment heterogeneity in syngeneic mouse models: insights on cancer-associated fibroblast phenotypes shaped by infiltrating T cells. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1320614. [PMID: 38259467 PMCID: PMC10800379 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1320614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Murine syngeneic tumor models have been used extensively for cancer research for several decades and have been instrumental in driving the discovery and development of cancer immunotherapies. These tumor models are very simplistic cancer models, but recent reports have, however, indicated that the different inoculated cancer cell lines can lead to the formation of unique tumor microenvironments (TMEs). To gain more knowledge from studies based on syngeneic tumor models, it is essential to obtain an in-depth understanding of the cellular and molecular composition of the TME in the different models. Additionally, other parameters that are important for cancer progression, such as collagen content and mechanical tissue stiffness across syngeneic tumor models have not previously been reported. Here, we compare the TME of tumors derived from six common syngeneic tumor models. Using flow cytometry and transcriptomic analyses, we show that strikingly unique TMEs are formed by the different cancer cell lines. The differences are reflected as changes in abundance and phenotype of myeloid, lymphoid, and stromal cells in the tumors. Gene expression analyses support the different cellular composition of the TMEs and indicate that distinct immunosuppressive mechanisms are employed depending on the tumor model. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) also acquire very different phenotypes across the tumor models. These differences include differential expression of genes encoding extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and immunosuppressive factors. The gene expression profiles suggest that CAFs can contribute to the formation of an immunosuppressive TME, and flow cytometry analyses show increased PD-L1 expression by CAFs in the immunogenic tumor models, MC38 and CT26. Comparison with CAF subsets identified in other studies shows that CAFs are skewed towards specific subsets depending on the model. In athymic mice lacking tumor-infiltrating cytotoxic T cells, CAFs express lower levels of PD-L1 and lower levels of fibroblast activation markers. Our data underscores that CAFs can be involved in the formation of an immunosuppressive TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Carretta
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Marie-Louise Thorseth
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Aimilia Schina
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Dennis Alexander Agardy
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Astrid Zedlitz Johansen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Kevin James Baker
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Shawez Khan
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Anne Mette Askehøj Rømer
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Klaire Yixin Fjæstad
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Hannes Linder
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Dorota Ewa Kuczek
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Marco Donia
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Lars Grøntved
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Daniel Hargbøl Madsen
- National Center for Cancer Immune Therapy (CCIT-DK), Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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13
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Raufi AG, Pellicciotta I, Palermo CF, Sastra SA, Chen A, Alouani E, Maurer HC, May M, Iuga A, Rabadan R, Olive KP, Manji GA. Cytotoxic chemotherapy potentiates the immune response and efficacy of combination CXCR4/PD-1 inhibition in models of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.24.573257. [PMID: 38234792 PMCID: PMC10793393 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.24.573257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Purpose The CXCL12-CXCR4 chemokine axis plays a significant role in modulating T-cell infiltration into the pancreatic tumor microenvironment. Despite promising preclinical findings, clinical trials combining inhibitors of CXCR4 (AMD3100/BL-8040) and anti-programmed death 1/ligand1 (anti-PD1/PD-L1) have failed to improve outcomes. Experimental Design We utilized a novel ex vivo autologous patient-derived immune/organoid (PDIO) co-culture system using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and patient derived tumor organoids, and in vivo the autochthonous LSL-KrasG12D/+; LSL-Trp53R172H/+; Pdx-1-Cre (KPC) pancreatic cancer mouse model to interrogate the effects of either monotherapy or all combinations of gemcitabine, AMD3100, and anit-PD1 on CD8+ T cell activation and survival. Results We demonstrate that disruption of the CXCL12-CXCR4 axis using AMD3100 leads to increased migration and activation of CD8+ T-cells. In addition, when combined with the cytotoxic chemotherapy gemcitabine, CXCR4 inhibition further potentiated CD8+ T-cell activation. We next tested the combination of gemcitabine, CXCR4 inhibition, and anti-PD1 in the KPC pancreatic cancer mouse model and demonstrate that this combination markedly impacted the tumor immune microenvironment by increasing infiltration of natural killer cells, the ratio of CD8+ to regulatory T-cells, and tumor cell death while decreasing tumor cell proliferation. Moreover, this combination extended survival in KPC mice. Conclusions These findings suggest that combining gemcitabine with CXCR4 inhibiting agents and anti-PD1 therapy controls tumor growth by reducing immunosuppression and potentiating immune cell activation and therefore may represent a novel approach to treating pancreatic cancer.
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14
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Krüger J, Fischer A, Breunig M, Allgöwer C, Schulte L, Merkle J, Mulaw MA, Okeke N, Melzer MK, Morgenstern C, Azoitei N, Seufferlein T, Barth TF, Siebert R, Hohwieler M, Kleger A. DNA methylation-associated allelic inactivation regulates Keratin 19 gene expression during pancreatic development and carcinogenesis. J Pathol 2023; 261:139-155. [PMID: 37555362 DOI: 10.1002/path.6156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Within the pancreas, Keratin 19 (KRT19) labels the ductal lineage and is a determinant of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). To investigate KRT19 expression dynamics, we developed a human pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-based KRT19-mCherry reporter system in different genetic backgrounds to monitor KRT19 expression from its endogenous gene locus. A differentiation protocol to generate mature pancreatic duct-like organoids was applied. While KRT19/mCherry expression became evident at the early endoderm stage, mCherry signal was present in nearly all cells at the pancreatic endoderm (PE) and pancreatic progenitor (PP) stages. Interestingly, despite homogenous KRT19 expression, mCherry positivity dropped to 50% after ductal maturation, indicating a permanent switch from biallelic to monoallelic expression. DNA methylation profiling separated the distinct differentiation intermediates, with site-specific DNA methylation patterns occurring at the KRT19 locus during ductal maturation. Accordingly, the monoallelic switch was partially reverted upon treatment with a DNA-methyltransferase inhibitor. In human PDAC cohorts, high KRT19 levels correlate with low locus methylation and decreased survival. At the same time, activation of oncogenic KRASG12D signalling in our reporter system reversed monoallelic back to biallelic KRT19 expression in pancreatic duct-like organoids. Allelic reactivation was also detected in single-cell transcriptomes of human PDACs, which further revealed a positive correlation between KRT19 and KRAS expression. Accordingly, KRAS mutant PDACs had higher KRT19 mRNA but lower KRT19 gene locus DNA methylation than wildtype counterparts. KRT19 protein was additionally detected in plasma of PDAC patients, with higher concentrations correlating with shorter progression-free survival in gemcitabine/nabPaclitaxel-treated and opposing trends in FOLFIRINOX-treated patients. Apart from being an important pancreatic ductal lineage marker, KRT19 appears tightly controlled via a switch from biallelic to monoallelic expression during ductal lineage entry and is aberrantly expressed after oncogenic KRASG12D expression, indicating a role in PDAC development and malignancy. Soluble KRT19 might serve as a relevant biomarker to stratify treatment. © 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Krüger
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Stem Cell Biology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Anja Fischer
- Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University & Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Markus Breunig
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Stem Cell Biology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Chantal Allgöwer
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Stem Cell Biology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Lucas Schulte
- Division of Interdisciplinary Pancreatology, Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Medhanie A Mulaw
- Unit for Single-cell Genomics, Medical Faculty, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Nnamdi Okeke
- Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University & Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Michael K Melzer
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Stem Cell Biology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Urology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Clara Morgenstern
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Stem Cell Biology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ninel Azoitei
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Stem Cell Biology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Thomas Seufferlein
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Thomas Fe Barth
- Department of Pathology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Reiner Siebert
- Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University & Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Meike Hohwieler
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Stem Cell Biology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Alexander Kleger
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Stem Cell Biology, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
- Division of Interdisciplinary Pancreatology, Department of Internal Medicine I, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
- Organoid Core Facility, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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15
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Merrill JR, Inguscio A, Chung T, Demestichas B, Garcia LA, Habel J, Lewis DY, Janowitz T, Lyons SK. Sensitive, non-immunogenic in vivo imaging of cancer metastases and immunotherapy response. Cell Stress 2023; 7:59-68. [PMID: 37664695 PMCID: PMC10468692 DOI: 10.15698/cst2023.08.288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-invasive imaging of tumors expressing reporter transgenes is a popular preclinical method for studying tumor development and response to therapy in vivo due to its ability to distinguish signal from tumors over background noise. However, the utilized transgenes, such as firefly luciferase, are immunogenic and, therefore, impact results when expressed in immune-competent hosts. This represents an important limitation, given that cancer immunology and immunotherapy are currently among the most impactful areas of research and therapeutic development. Here we present a non-immunogenic preclinical tumor imaging approach. Based on the expression of murine sodium iodide symporter (mNIS), it facilitates sensitive, non-invasive detection of syngeneic tumor cells in immune-competent tumor models without additional immunogenicity arising from exogenous transgenic protein or selection marker expression. NIS-expressing tumor cells internalize the gamma-emitting [99mTc]pertechnetate ion and so can be detected by SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography). Using a mouse model of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma hepatic metastases in immune-competent C57BL/6 mice, we demonstrate that the technique enables the detection of very early metastatic lesions and longitudinal assessment of immunotherapy responses using precise and quantifiable whole-body SPECT/CT imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R. Merrill
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
| | - Alessandra Inguscio
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
| | - Taemoon Chung
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
| | - Breanna Demestichas
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
| | - Libia A. Garcia
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
| | - Jill Habel
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
| | - David Y. Lewis
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | - Tobias Janowitz
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
| | - Scott K. Lyons
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
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16
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Zhang X, Wen Z, Wang Q, Ren L, Zhao S. A novel stratification framework based on anoikis-related genes for predicting the prognosis in patients with osteosarcoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1199869. [PMID: 37575253 PMCID: PMC10413143 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1199869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Anoikis resistance is a prerequisite for the successful development of osteosarcoma (OS) metastases, whether the expression of anoikis-related genes (ARGs) correlates with OS prognosis remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using ARGs as prognostic tools for the risk stratification of OS. Methods The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases provided transcriptome information relevant to OS. The GeneCards database was used to identify ARGs. Differentially expressed ARGs (DEARGs) were identified by overlapping ARGs with common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between OS and normal samples from the GSE16088, GSE19276, and GSE99671 datasets. Anoikis-related clusters of patients were obtained by consistent clustering, and gene set variation analysis (GSVA) of the different clusters was completed. Next, a risk model was created using Cox regression analyses. Risk scores and clinical features were assessed for independent prognostic values, and a nomogram model was constructed. Subsequently, a functional enrichment analysis of the high- and low-risk groups was performed. In addition, the immunological characteristics of OS samples were compared between the high- and low-risk groups, and their sensitivity to therapeutic agents was explored. Results Seven DEARGs between OS and normal samples were obtained by intersecting 501 ARGs with 68 common DEGs. BNIP3 and CXCL12 were significantly differentially expressed between both clusters (P<0.05) and were identified as prognosis-related genes. The risk model showed that the risk score and tumor metastasis were independent prognostic factors of patients with OS. A nomogram combining risk score and tumor metastasis effectively predicted the prognosis. In addition, patients in the high-risk group had low immune scores and high tumor purity. The levels of immune cell infiltration, expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes, immune response gene sets, and immune checkpoints were lower in the high-risk group than those in the low-risk group. The low-risk group was sensitive to the immune checkpoint PD-1 inhibitor, and the high-risk group exhibited lower inhibitory concentration values by 50% for 24 drugs, including AG.014699, AMG.706, and AZD6482. Conclusion The prognostic stratification framework of patients with OS based on ARGs, such as BNIP3 and CXCL12, may lead to more efficient clinical management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Zhang
- Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Nutrition, College of Public Health of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhenxing Wen
- Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Oncology, Nanyang Central Hospital, Nanyang, China
| | - Lijuan Ren
- Molecular Diagnosis and Gene Testing Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shengli Zhao
- Department of Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Guangzhou, China
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17
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Xu Y, Ding L, Li H, Peng Z, Ding K, Huang Z, Zhou Z, Xie M, Yan J, Feng S, Fan Y. Serum cytokine analysis in a cohort of advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with PD-1 inhibitors reveals predictive markers of CXCL12. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1194123. [PMID: 37359565 PMCID: PMC10288851 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1194123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The circulating predictive factors for the outcomes of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) remain elusive. We aimed to assess the predictive value of circulating cytokines for outcomes. Methods Serum samples of 102 advanced-stage NSCLC patients who underwent immunotherapy were collected at baseline. The relative levels of 37 cytokines were detected. PD-L1 expression was also analyzed. Results Higher serum CXCL12 levels (top 33%) were a poor predictive biomarker for durable clinical benefit (DCB) (23.5% vs. 72.1%, p<0.001), progression-free survival (PFS) (3.76 vs. 14.40 months; p<0.001) and overall survival (OS) (12.20 vs. 44.84 months; p=0.008). Compared with PD-L1-negative patients, PD-L1-positive patients had a significantly higher objective response rate (ORR) (70.0% vs. 28.8%, p<0.001) and a prolonged mPFS (25.35 vs. 4.64 months, p=0.003) and tended to have an increased mOS (44.84 vs. 20.42 months, p=0.087). A signature comprising PD-L1<1% and the top 33% CXCL12 level was associated with the lowest ORR (27.3% vs. 73.7%, p<0.001) and DCB (27.3% vs. 73.7%, p<0.001) and the worst mPFS (2.44 vs. 25.35 months, p<0.001) and mOS (11.97 vs. 44.84 months, p=0.007). Area under the curve (AUC) analyses of PD-L1 expression, CXCL12 level and PD-L1 expression plus CXCL12 level to predict DCB or no durable benefit (NDB) showed AUC values of 0.680, 0.719 and 0.794, respectively. Conclusion Our findings suggest that serum cytokine CXCL12 levels can predict the outcomes of patients with NSCLC receiving ICI. Moreover, the combination of CXCL12 levels and PD-L1 status can predict outcomes with a significantly improved discriminatory power.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjun Xu
- Department of Medical Thoracic Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ling Ding
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Medical Thoracic Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhongsheng Peng
- Department of Medical Thoracic Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kaibo Ding
- Department of Medical Thoracic Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhiyu Huang
- Department of Medical Thoracic Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zichao Zhou
- Department of Medical Thoracic Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mingying Xie
- Department of Medical Thoracic Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Junrong Yan
- Medical Department, Nanjing Geneseeq Technology Inc., Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Sijie Feng
- School of Medicine, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, Henan, China
| | - Yun Fan
- Department of Medical Thoracic Oncology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
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18
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Yan R, Moresco P, Gegenhuber B, Fearon DT. T cell-Mediated Development of Stromal Fibroblasts with an Immune-Enhancing Chemokine Profile. Cancer Immunol Res 2023; 11:OF1-OF11. [PMID: 37285176 PMCID: PMC10700667 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Stromal fibroblasts reside in inflammatory tissues that are characterized by either immune suppression or activation. Whether and how fibroblasts adapt to these contrasting microenvironments remains unknown. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) mediate immune quiescence by producing the chemokine CXCL12, which coats cancer cells to suppress T-cell infiltration. We examined whether CAFs can also adopt an immune-promoting chemokine profile. Single-cell RNA sequencing of CAFs from mouse pancreatic adenocarcinomas identified a subpopulation of CAFs with decreased expression of Cxcl12 and increased expression of the T cell-attracting chemokine Cxcl9 in association with T-cell infiltration. TNFα and IFNγ containing conditioned media from activated CD8+ T cells converted stromal fibroblasts from a CXCL12+/CXCL9- immune-suppressive phenotype into a CXCL12-/CXCL9+ immune-activating phenotype. Recombinant IFNγ and TNFα acted together to augment CXCL9 expression, whereas TNFα alone suppressed CXCL12 expression. This coordinated chemokine switch led to increased T-cell infiltration in an in vitro chemotaxis assay. Our study demonstrates that CAFs have a phenotypic plasticity that allows their adaptation to contrasting immune tissue microenvironments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Yan
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
- School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
| | - Philip Moresco
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
- Graduate Program in Genetics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794
| | - Bruno Gegenhuber
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Douglas T. Fearon
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
- Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
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19
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Wischnewski V, Maas RR, Aruffo PG, Soukup K, Galletti G, Kornete M, Galland S, Fournier N, Lilja J, Wirapati P, Lourenco J, Scarpa A, Daniel RT, Hottinger AF, Brouland JP, Losurdo A, Voulaz E, Alloisio M, Hegi ME, Lugli E, Joyce JA. Phenotypic diversity of T cells in human primary and metastatic brain tumors revealed by multiomic interrogation. NATURE CANCER 2023; 4:908-924. [PMID: 37217652 PMCID: PMC10293012 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-023-00566-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The immune-specialized environment of the healthy brain is tightly regulated to prevent excessive neuroinflammation. However, after cancer development, a tissue-specific conflict between brain-preserving immune suppression and tumor-directed immune activation may ensue. To interrogate potential roles of T cells in this process, we profiled these cells from individuals with primary or metastatic brain cancers via integrated analyses on the single-cell and bulk population levels. Our analysis revealed similarities and differences in T cell biology between individuals, with the most pronounced differences observed in a subgroup of individuals with brain metastasis, characterized by accumulation of CXCL13-expressing CD39+ potentially tumor-reactive T (pTRT) cells. In this subgroup, high pTRT cell abundance was comparable to that in primary lung cancer, whereas all other brain tumors had low levels, similar to primary breast cancer. These findings indicate that T cell-mediated tumor reactivity can occur in certain brain metastases and may inform stratification for treatment with immunotherapy.
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Grants
- Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Carigest Foundation, Fondation ISREC, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, and the University of Lausanne
- Erwin-Schrödinger Fellowship from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF, J4343-B28)
- Fondazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro-Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (FIRC-AIRC)
- Fondation ISREC, CHUV Lausanne
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, and the University of Lausanne
- Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC IG 20676 and AIRC 5x1000 UniCanVax 22757)
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center
- CRI Lloyd J. Old STAR (CRI Award 3914), Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC IG 20676 and AIRC 5x1000 UniCanVax 22757), Italian Ministry of Health (Agreement 82/2015).
- CHUV Lausanne
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, and the University of Lausanne
- Fondation ISREC
- Breast Cancer Research Foundation
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Wischnewski
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Centre Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Lundin Family Brain Tumor Research Center, Departments of Oncology and Clinical Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Roeltje R Maas
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Centre Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Lundin Family Brain Tumor Research Center, Departments of Oncology and Clinical Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Research Center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Neurosurgery, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Paola Guerrero Aruffo
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Centre Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Lundin Family Brain Tumor Research Center, Departments of Oncology and Clinical Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Klara Soukup
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Centre Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Giovanni Galletti
- Laboratory of Translational Immunology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Mara Kornete
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Galland
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Centre Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Lundin Family Brain Tumor Research Center, Departments of Oncology and Clinical Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nadine Fournier
- Agora Cancer Research Centre Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Translational Data Science, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Johanna Lilja
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Agora Cancer Research Centre Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pratyaksha Wirapati
- Agora Cancer Research Centre Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Translational Data Science, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Joao Lourenco
- Translational Data Science, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alice Scarpa
- Laboratory of Translational Immunology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Roy T Daniel
- Lundin Family Brain Tumor Research Center, Departments of Oncology and Clinical Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Neurosurgery, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Andreas F Hottinger
- Lundin Family Brain Tumor Research Center, Departments of Oncology and Clinical Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Oncology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Philippe Brouland
- Department of Pathology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Agnese Losurdo
- Oncology Department, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuele Voulaz
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Alloisio
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Monika E Hegi
- Lundin Family Brain Tumor Research Center, Departments of Oncology and Clinical Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Research Center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Neurosurgery, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Enrico Lugli
- Laboratory of Translational Immunology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Johanna A Joyce
- Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Agora Cancer Research Centre Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Lundin Family Brain Tumor Research Center, Departments of Oncology and Clinical Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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20
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Atobatele AG, Tonoli E, Vadakekolathu J, Savoca MP, Barr M, Kataria Y, Rossanese M, Burhan I, McArdle S, Caccamo D, Verderio EAM. Canonical and truncated transglutaminase-2 regulate mucin-1 expression and androgen independency in prostate cancer cell lines. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:317. [PMID: 37160910 PMCID: PMC10170068 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-05818-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Androgen independency is associated with poor prostate cancer (PCa) survival. Here we report that silencing of transglutaminase-2 (TG2) expression by CRISPR-Cas9 is associated with upregulation of androgen receptor (AR) transcription in PCa cell lines. Knockout of TG2 reversed the migratory potential and anchorage independency of PC3 and DU145 cells and revealed a reduced level of mucin-1 (MUC1) RNA transcript through unbiased multi-omics profiling, which was restored by selective add-back of the truncated TG2 isoform (TGM2_v2). Silencing of AR resulted into increased MUC1 in TG2KO PC3 cells showing that TG2 affects transcriptional regulation of MUC1 via repressing AR expression. Treatment of PC3 WT cell line with TG2 inhibitor ZDON led to a significant increase in AR expression and decrease in MUC1. ZDON also blocked the formation of MUC1-multimers labelled with TG amine-donor substrates in reducing conditions, revealing for the first time a role for TG2, which we show to be externalised via extracellular vesicles, in MUC1 stabilisation via calcium-dependent transamidation. A specific antibody towards TGM2_v2 revealed its restricted nuclear location compared to the canonical long form of TG2 (TGM2_v1), which is predominantly cytosolic, suggesting that this form contributes to the previously suggested TG2-mediated NF-κB activation and AR transcriptional repression. As TGM2_v2 transcription was increased in biopsies of early-stage prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) patients compared to subjects presenting inflammatory prostatitis, and total TG2 protein expression significantly increased in PRAD versus normal tissue, the role of TG2 and its truncated form as a prostate malignancy marker is suggested. In conclusion, this investigation has provided the first unbiased discovery of a novel pathway mediated by TG2 via MUC1, which is shown to contribute to androgen insensitivity and malignancy of PCa cells and be upregulated in PCa biopsies, with potential relevance to cancer immune evasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adeola Grace Atobatele
- School of Science and Technology, Centre for Health, Ageing and Understanding of Disease, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Science Centre, School of Health, Science and Wellbeing, Staffordshire University, Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 2DF, UK
| | - Elisa Tonoli
- School of Science and Technology, Centre for Health, Ageing and Understanding of Disease, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK
| | - Jayakumar Vadakekolathu
- John van Geest Cancer Research Centre, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK
| | - Maria Pia Savoca
- School of Science and Technology, Centre for Health, Ageing and Understanding of Disease, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK
| | - Melissa Barr
- School of Science and Technology, Centre for Health, Ageing and Understanding of Disease, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK
| | - Yukti Kataria
- School of Science and Technology, Centre for Health, Ageing and Understanding of Disease, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK
| | - Marta Rossanese
- Department of Human and Paediatric Pathology, Polyclinic Hospital University, Via C. Valeria 1, 98125, Messina, Italy
| | - Izhar Burhan
- School of Science and Technology, Centre for Health, Ageing and Understanding of Disease, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK
| | - Stephanie McArdle
- John van Geest Cancer Research Centre, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK
| | - Daniela Caccamo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Dental Sciences & Morpho-Functional Imaging, Polyclinic Hospital University, Via C. Valeria 1, 98125, Messina, Italy
| | - Elisabetta A M Verderio
- School of Science and Technology, Centre for Health, Ageing and Understanding of Disease, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK.
- Biological Sciences Department (BiGeA), University of Bologna, Bologna, 40126, Italy.
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21
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Zhang C, Fei Y, Wang H, Hu S, Liu C, Hu R, Du Q. CAFs orchestrates tumor immune microenvironment—A new target in cancer therapy? Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1113378. [PMID: 37007004 PMCID: PMC10064291 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1113378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has opened a new landscape in cancer treatment, however, the poor specificity and resistance of most targeted therapeutics have limited their therapeutic efficacy. In recent years, the role of CAFs in immune regulation has been increasingly noted as more evidence has been uncovered regarding the link between cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and the evolutionary process of tumor progression. CAFs interact with immune cells to shape the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) that favors malignant tumor progression, a crosstalk process that leads to the failure of cancer immunotherapies. In this review, we outline recent advances in the immunosuppressive function of CAFs, highlight the mechanisms of CAFs-immune cell interactions, and discuss current CAF-targeted therapeutic strategies for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunxue Zhang
- School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuxiang Fei
- Department of Pharmacy, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hui Wang
- School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Sheng Hu
- College of Pharmacy, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Chao Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Qianming Du, ; Rong Hu, ; Chao Liu,
| | - Rong Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Physiology, China Pharmaceutical University, Jiangsu Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Qianming Du, ; Rong Hu, ; Chao Liu,
| | - Qianming Du
- General Clinical Research Center, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Qianming Du, ; Rong Hu, ; Chao Liu,
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22
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Cambier S, Gouwy M, Proost P. The chemokines CXCL8 and CXCL12: molecular and functional properties, role in disease and efforts towards pharmacological intervention. Cell Mol Immunol 2023; 20:217-251. [PMID: 36725964 PMCID: PMC9890491 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-023-00974-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 108.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemokines are an indispensable component of our immune system through the regulation of directional migration and activation of leukocytes. CXCL8 is the most potent human neutrophil-attracting chemokine and plays crucial roles in the response to infection and tissue injury. CXCL8 activity inherently depends on interaction with the human CXC chemokine receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2, the atypical chemokine receptor ACKR1, and glycosaminoglycans. Furthermore, (hetero)dimerization and tight regulation of transcription and translation, as well as post-translational modifications further fine-tune the spatial and temporal activity of CXCL8 in the context of inflammatory diseases and cancer. The CXCL8 interaction with receptors and glycosaminoglycans is therefore a promising target for therapy, as illustrated by multiple ongoing clinical trials. CXCL8-mediated neutrophil mobilization to blood is directly opposed by CXCL12, which retains leukocytes in bone marrow. CXCL12 is primarily a homeostatic chemokine that induces migration and activation of hematopoietic progenitor cells, endothelial cells, and several leukocytes through interaction with CXCR4, ACKR1, and ACKR3. Thereby, it is an essential player in the regulation of embryogenesis, hematopoiesis, and angiogenesis. However, CXCL12 can also exert inflammatory functions, as illustrated by its pivotal role in a growing list of pathologies and its synergy with CXCL8 and other chemokines to induce leukocyte chemotaxis. Here, we review the plethora of information on the CXCL8 structure, interaction with receptors and glycosaminoglycans, different levels of activity regulation, role in homeostasis and disease, and therapeutic prospects. Finally, we discuss recent research on CXCL12 biochemistry and biology and its role in pathology and pharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seppe Cambier
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Rega Institute, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mieke Gouwy
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Rega Institute, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Paul Proost
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Rega Institute, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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23
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Ma SX, Li L, Cai H, Guo TK, Zhang LS. Therapeutic challenge for immunotherapy targeting cold colorectal cancer: A narrative review. World J Clin Oncol 2023; 14:81-88. [PMID: 36908678 PMCID: PMC9993140 DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v14.i2.81] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Cold colorectal tumors are not likely to trigger a robust immune response and tend to suppress the immune response. There may be three reasons. First, the complex tumor microenvironment of cold colorectal cancer (CRC) leads to tolerance and clearance of immunotherapy. Second, the modification and concealment of tumor-specific targets in cold CRC cause immune escape and immune response interruption. Finally, the difference in number and function of immune cell subsets in patients with cold CRC makes them respond poorly to immunotherapy. Therefore, we can only overcome the challenges in immunotherapy of cold CRC through in-depth research and understanding the changes and mechanisms in the above three aspects of cold CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Xun Ma
- Department of General Surgery, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 73000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Li Li
- Scientific Research Division, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Hui Cai
- Department of General Surgery, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 73000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Tian-Kang Guo
- Department of General Surgery, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 73000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Lei-Sheng Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 73000, Gansu Province, China
- Key Laboratory of Radiation Technology and Biophysics, Hefei Institute of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, Anhui Province, China
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24
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Zhang Y, Shi L, Yang K, Liu X, Lv X. Transglutaminase 2 regulates terminal erythroid differentiation via cross-linking activity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1183176. [PMID: 37169024 PMCID: PMC10164954 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1183176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Transglutaminase 2 (TGM2) is a versatile enzyme that modulates cell survival and differentiation. However, its role in terminal erythroid differentiation is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the function of TGM2 in primary fetal liver erythroid differentiation. We predicted TGM2 as an upstream regulator via ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA), and found that its expression was increased at both RNA and protein level during terminal erythroid differentiation. TGM2 cross-linking activity inhibitors GK921 and Z-DON suppressed erythroid maturation and enucleation, while its GTPase inhibitor LDN27219 had no such effect. Z-DON treatment arrested differentiation at basophilic erythroblast stage, and interfered with cell cycle progression. RT-PCR demonstrated decreased GATA-1 and KLF1, and disarranged cyclin, CDKI and E2F family genes expression after Z-DON treatment. In conclusion, TGM2 regulates terminal erythroid differentiation through its cross-linking enzyme activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Department of Pathophysiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Lifang Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Department of Pathophysiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Changping Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Ke Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Department of Pathophysiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xuehui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Department of Pathophysiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Xuehui Liu, ; Xiang Lv,
| | - Xiang Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Department of Pathophysiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Xuehui Liu, ; Xiang Lv,
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25
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Wang S, Xu L, Zhu K, Zhu H, Zhang D, Wang C, Wang Q. Developing and validating a survival prediction model based on blood exosomal ceRNA network in patients with PAAD. BMC Med Genomics 2022; 15:260. [PMID: 36522691 PMCID: PMC9753297 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-022-01409-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Among the most lethal cancers, pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is an essential component of digestive system malignancies that still lacks effective diagnosis and treatment methods. As exosomes and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory networks in tumors go deeper, we expect to construct a ceRNA regulatory network derived from blood exosomes of PAAD patients by bioinformatics methods and develop a survival prediction model based on it. METHODS Blood exosome sequencing data of PAAD patients and normal controls were downloaded from the exoRbase database, and the expression profiles of exosomal mRNA, lncRNA, and circRNA were differentially analyzed by R. The related mRNA, circRNA, lncRNA, and their corresponding miRNA prediction data were imported into Cytoscape software to visualize the ceRNA network. Then, we conducted GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of mRNA in the ceRNA network. Genes that express differently in pancreatic cancer tissues compared with normal tissues and associate with survival (P < 0.05) were determined as Hub genes by GEPIA. We identified optimal prognosis-related differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) and generated a risk score model by performing univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. RESULTS 205 DEmRNAs, 118 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs), and 98 differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs) were screened out. We constructed the ceRNA network, and a total of 26 mRNA nodes, 7 lncRNA nodes, 6 circRNA nodes, and 16 miRNA nodes were identified. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the DEmRNAs in the regulatory network were mainly enriched in Human papillomavirus infection, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, Osteoclast differentiation, and ECM-receptor interaction. Next, six hub genes (S100A14, KRT8, KRT19, MAL2, MYO5B, PSCA) were determined through GEPIA. They all showed significantly increased expression in cancer tissues compared with control groups, and their high expression pointed to adverse survival. Two optimal prognostic-related DEmRNAs, MYO5B (HR = 1.41, P < 0.05) and PSCA (HR = 1.10, P < 0.05) were included to construct the survival prediction model. CONCLUSION In this study, we successfully constructed a ceRNA regulatory network in blood exosomes from PAAD patients and developed a two-gene survival prediction model that provided new targets which shall aid in diagnosing and treating PAAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Wang
- grid.440642.00000 0004 0644 5481Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong City, 226001 Jiangsu Province China
| | - Lijun Xu
- grid.440642.00000 0004 0644 5481Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong City, 226001 Jiangsu Province China
| | - Kangle Zhu
- grid.260483.b0000 0000 9530 8833Department of Medicine, Xinglin college, Nantong University, Nantong City, Jiangsu Province China
| | - Huixia Zhu
- grid.260483.b0000 0000 9530 8833Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong City, 226001 China
| | - Dan Zhang
- grid.440642.00000 0004 0644 5481Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong City, 226001 Jiangsu Province China
| | - Chongyu Wang
- grid.260483.b0000 0000 9530 8833Department of Medicine, Xinglin college, Nantong University, Nantong City, Jiangsu Province China
| | - Qingqing Wang
- grid.440642.00000 0004 0644 5481Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong City, 226001 Jiangsu Province China
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26
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Jenkins BH, Buckingham JF, Hanley CJ, Thomas GJ. Targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts: Challenges, opportunities and future directions. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 240:108231. [PMID: 35718294 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2022.108231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a common cell in the tumour microenvironment with diverse tumour-promoting functions. Their presence in tumours is commonly associated with poor prognosis making them attractive therapeutic targets, particularly in the context of immunotherapy where CAFs have been shown to promote resistance to checkpoint blockade. Previous attempts to inhibit CAFs clinically have not been successful, however, in part due to a lack of understanding of CAF heterogeneity and function, with some fibroblast populations potentially being tumour suppressive. Recent single-cell transcriptomic studies have advanced our understanding of fibroblast phenotypes in normal tissues and cancers, allowing for a more precise characterisation of CAF subsets and providing opportunities to develop new therapies. Here we review recent advances in the field, focusing on the evolving area of therapeutic CAF targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin H Jenkins
- School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, UK
| | | | | | - Gareth J Thomas
- School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, UK.
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27
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Manzer HS, Nguyen DT, Park JY, Park N, Seo KS, Thornton JA, Nobbs AH, Doran KS. The Group B Streptococcal Adhesin BspC Interacts with Host Cytokeratin 19 To Promote Colonization of the Female Reproductive Tract. mBio 2022; 13:e0178122. [PMID: 36069447 PMCID: PMC9600255 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01781-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus agalactiae, otherwise known as Group B Streptococcus (GBS), is an opportunistic pathogen that vaginally colonizes approximately one third of healthy women. During pregnancy, this can lead to in utero infection, resulting in premature rupture of membranes, chorioamnionitis, and stillbirths. Furthermore, GBS causes serious infection in newborns, including sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis. Previous studies have indicated that GBS antigen (Ag) I/II family proteins promote interaction with vaginal epithelial cells; thus, we hypothesized that the Ag I/II Group B streptococcal surface protein C (BspC) contributes to GBS colonization of the female reproductive tract (FRT). Here, we show that a ΔbspC mutant has decreased bacterial adherence to vaginal, ecto-, and endocervical cells, as well as decreased auto-aggregation and biofilm-like formation on cell monolayers. Using a murine model of vaginal colonization, we observed that the ΔbspC mutant strain exhibited a significant fitness defect compared to wild-type (WT) GBS and was less able to ascend to the cervix and uterus in vivo, resulting in reduced neutrophil chemokine signaling. Furthermore, we determined that BspC interacts directly with the host intermediate filament protein cytokeratin 19 (K19). Surface localization of K19 was increased during GBS infection, and interaction was mediated by the BspC variable (V) domain. Finally, mice treated with a drug that targets the BspC V-domain exhibited reduced bacterial loads in the vaginal lumen and reproductive tissues. These results demonstrate the importance of BspC in promoting GBS colonization of the FRT and that it may be targeted therapeutically to reduce GBS vaginal persistence and ascending infection. IMPORTANCE Group B Streptococcus (GBS) asymptomatically colonizes the female reproductive tract (FRT) of up to one third of women, but GBS carriage can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes, including premature rupture of membranes, preterm labor, and chorioamnionitis. GBS colonization during pregnancy is also the largest predisposing factor for neonatal GBS disease, including pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis. The molecular interactions between bacterial surface proteins and the host cell receptors that promote GBS colonization are vastly understudied, and a better understanding would facilitate development of novel therapeutics to prevent GBS colonization and disease. Here, we characterize the role of the GBS surface protein BspC in colonization of the FRT. We show for the first time that GBS infection induces cytokeratin 19 (K19) surface localization on vaginal epithelial cells; GBS then uses the BspC V-domain to interact with K19 to promote colonization and ascending infection. Furthermore, this interaction can be targeted therapeutically to reduce GBS carriage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haider S. Manzer
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Dustin T. Nguyen
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Joo Youn Park
- Mississippi State University, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
| | - Nogi Park
- Mississippi State University, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
| | - Keun Seok Seo
- Mississippi State University, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
| | - Justin A. Thornton
- Mississippi State University, Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
| | - Angela H. Nobbs
- University of Bristol, Bristol Dental School, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Kelly S. Doran
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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PTEN Protein Phosphatase Activity Is Not Required for Tumour Suppression in the Mouse Prostate. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12101511. [PMID: 36291720 PMCID: PMC9599176 DOI: 10.3390/biom12101511] [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: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Loss PTEN function is one of the most common events driving aggressive prostate cancers and biochemically, PTEN is a lipid phosphatase which opposes the activation of the oncogenic PI3K-AKT signalling network. However, PTEN also has additional potential mechanisms of action, including protein phosphatase activity. Using a mutant enzyme, PTEN Y138L, which selectively lacks protein phosphatase activity, we characterised genetically modified mice lacking either the full function of PTEN in the prostate gland or only lacking protein phosphatase activity. The phenotypes of mice carrying a single allele of either wild-type Pten or PtenY138L in the prostate were similar, with common prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and similar gene expression profiles. However, the latter group, lacking PTEN protein phosphatase activity additionally showed lymphocyte infiltration around PIN and an increased immune cell gene expression signature. Prostate adenocarcinoma, elevated proliferation and AKT activation were only frequently observed when PTEN was fully deleted. We also identify a common gene expression signature of PTEN loss conserved in other studies (including Nkx3.1, Tnf and Cd44). We provide further insight into tumour development in the prostate driven by loss of PTEN function and show that PTEN protein phosphatase activity is not required for tumour suppression.
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The Adhesion G-Protein-Coupled Receptor GPR115/ADGRF4 Regulates Epidermal Differentiation and Associates with Cytoskeletal KRT1. Cells 2022; 11:cells11193151. [PMID: 36231117 PMCID: PMC9563031 DOI: 10.3390/cells11193151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the 33 human adhesion G-protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs), a unique subfamily of GPCRs, only ADGRF4, encoding GPR115, shows an obvious skin-dominated transcriptomic profile, but its expression and function in skin is largely unknown. Here, we report that GPR115 is present in a small subset of basal and in most suprabasal, noncornified keratinocytes of the stratified epidermis, supporting epidermal transcriptomic data. In psoriatic skin, characterized by hyperproliferation and delayed differentiation, the expression of GPR115 and KRT1/10, the fundamental suprabasal keratin dimer, is delayed. The deletion of ADGRF4 in HaCaT keratinocytes grown in an organotypic mode abrogates KRT1 and reduces keratinocyte stratification, indicating a role of GPR115 in epidermal differentiation. Unexpectedly, endogenous GPR115, which is not glycosylated and is likely not proteolytically processed, localizes intracellularly along KRT1/10-positive keratin filaments in a regular pattern. Our data demonstrate a hitherto unknown function of GPR115 in the regulation of epidermal differentiation and KRT1.
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Jiao J, Cheng CS, Xu P, Yang P, Ruan L, Chen Z. A Mouse Model of Damp-Heat Syndrome in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Its Impact on Pancreatic Tumor Growth. Front Oncol 2022; 12:947238. [PMID: 35957897 PMCID: PMC9357947 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.947238] [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: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Damp-heat syndrome is one of the most important syndrome types in the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome differentiation and treatment system, as well as the core pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer (PC) which remains a challenge to medical researchers due to its insidious onset and poor prognosis. Great attention has been given to the impact of damp-heat syndrome on tumorigenesis and progression, but less attention has been given to damp-heat modeling per se. Studying PC in a proper damp-heat syndrome animal model can recapitulate the actual pathological process and contribute to treatment strategy improvement. Methods Here, an optimized damp-heat syndrome mouse model was established based on our prior experience. The Fibonacci method was applied to determine the maximum tolerated dosage of alcohol for mice. Damp-heat syndrome modeling with the old and new methods was performed in parallel of comparative study about general appearance, food intake, water consumption and survival. Major organs, including the liver, kidneys, lungs, pancreas, spleen, intestines and testes, were collected for histological evaluation. Complete blood counts and biochemical tests were conducted to characterize changes in blood circulation. PC cells were subcutaneously inoculated into mice with damp-heat syndrome to explore the impact of damp-heat syndrome on PC growth. Hematoxylin-eosin staining, Masson staining and immunohistochemistry were performed for pathological evaluation. A chemokine microarray was applied to screen the cytokines mediating the proliferation-promoting effects of damp-heat syndrome, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were conducted for results validation. Results The new modeling method has the advantages of mouse-friendly features, easily accessible materials, simple operation, and good stability. More importantly, a set of systematic indicators was proposed for model evaluation. The new modeling method verified the pancreatic tumor-promoting role of damp-heat syndrome. Damp-heat syndrome induced the proliferation of cancer-associated fibroblasts and promoted desmoplasia. In addition, circulating and tumor-located chemokine levels were altered by damp-heat syndrome, characterized by tumor promotion and immune suppression. Conclusions This study established a stable and reproducible murine model of damp-heat syndrome in TCM with systematic evaluation methods. Cancer associated fibroblast-mediated desmoplasia and chemokine production contribute to the tumor-promoting effect of damp-heat syndrome on PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juying Jiao
- Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chien-shan Cheng
- Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Panling Xu
- Department of Chinese Integrative Medicine Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Peiwen Yang
- Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Linjie Ruan
- Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen Chen
- Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Zhen Chen,
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31
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Masugi Y. The Desmoplastic Stroma of Pancreatic Cancer: Multilayered Levels of Heterogeneity, Clinical Significance, and Therapeutic Opportunities. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14133293. [PMID: 35805064 PMCID: PMC9265767 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14133293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Pancreatic cancer is a highly malignant disease with treatment resistance to standardized chemotherapies. In addition, only a small fraction of patients with pancreatic cancer has, to date, actionable genetic aberrations, leading to a narrow therapeutic window for molecularly targeted therapies or immunotherapies. A lot of preclinical and translational studies are ongoing to discover potential vulnerabilities to treat pancreatic cancer. Histologically, human pancreatic cancer is characterized by abundant cancer-associated fibrotic stroma, called “desmoplastic stroma”. Recent technological advances have revealed that desmoplastic stroma in pancreatic cancer is much more complicated than previously thought, playing pleiotropic roles in manipulating tumor cell fate and anti-tumor immunity. Moreover, real-world specimen-based analyses of pancreatic cancer stroma have also uncovered spatial heterogeneity and an intertumoral variety associated with molecular alterations, clinicopathological factors, and patient outcomes. This review describes an overview of the current efforts in the field of pancreatic cancer stromal biology and discusses treatment opportunities of stroma-modifying therapies against this hard-to-treat cancer. Abstract Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal malignancies and is becoming a dramatically increasing cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Abundant desmoplastic stroma is a histological hallmark of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Emerging evidence suggests a promising therapeutic effect of several stroma-modifying therapies that target desmoplastic stromal elements in the pancreatic cancer microenvironment. The evidence also unveils multifaceted roles of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in manipulating pancreatic cancer progression, immunity, and chemotherapeutic response. Current state-of-the-art technologies, including single-cell transcriptomics and multiplexed tissue imaging techniques, have provided a more profound knowledge of CAF heterogeneity in real-world specimens from pancreatic cancer patients, as well as in genetically engineered mouse models. In this review, we describe recent advances in the understanding of the molecular pathology bases of pancreatic cancer desmoplastic stroma at multilayered levels of heterogeneity, namely, (1) variations in cellular and non-cellular members, including CAF subtypes and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins; (2) geographical heterogeneity in relation to cell–cell interactions and signaling pathways at niche levels and spatial heterogeneity at locoregional levels or organ levels; and (3) intertumoral stromal heterogeneity at individual levels. This review further discusses the clinicopathological significance of desmoplastic stroma and the potential opportunities for stroma-targeted therapies against this lethal malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohei Masugi
- Division of Diagnostic Pathology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 1608582, Japan; ; Tel.: +81-3-5363-3764; Fax: +81-3-3353-3290
- Department of Pathology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 1608582, Japan
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Immune Checkpoint Proteins, Metabolism and Adhesion Molecules: Overlooked Determinants of CAR T-Cell Migration? Cells 2022; 11:cells11111854. [PMID: 35681548 PMCID: PMC9180731 DOI: 10.3390/cells11111854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Adoptive transfer of T cells genetically engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) has demonstrated striking efficacy for the treatment of several hematological malignancies, including B-cell lymphoma, leukemia, and multiple myeloma. However, many patients still do not respond to this therapy or eventually relapse after an initial remission. In most solid tumors for which CAR T-cell therapy has been tested, efficacy has been very limited. In this context, it is of paramount importance to understand the mechanisms of tumor resistance to CAR T cells. Possible factors contributing to such resistance have been identified, including inherent CAR T-cell dysfunction, the presence of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, and tumor-intrinsic factors. To control tumor growth, CAR T cells have to migrate actively enabling a productive conjugate with their targets. To date, many cells and factors contained within the tumor microenvironment have been reported to negatively control the migration of T cells and their ability to reach cancer cells. Recent evidence suggests that additional determinants, such as immune checkpoint proteins, cellular metabolism, and adhesion molecules, may modulate the motility of CAR T cells in tumors. Here, we review the potential impact of these determinants on CAR T-cell motility, and we discuss possible strategies to restore intratumoral T-cell migration with a special emphasis on approaches targeting these determinants.
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Baek AE. Carcinomas build barriers. Sci Signal 2022; 15:eabo3474. [PMID: 35104165 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.abo3474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E Baek
- Science Signaling, AAAS, Washington, DC 20005, USA.
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Bilotta MT, Antignani A, Fitzgerald DJ. Managing the TME to improve the efficacy of cancer therapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:954992. [PMID: 36341428 PMCID: PMC9630343 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.954992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) influences tumor growth, metastatic spread and response to treatment. Often immunosuppression, mediated by the TME, impairs a beneficial response. The complexity of the tumor composition challenges our abilities to design new and more effective therapies. Going forward we will need to 'manage' the content and or functionality of the TME to improve treatment outcomes. Currently, several different kinds of treatments are available to patients with cancer: there are the traditional approaches of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery; there are targeted agents that inhibit kinases associated with oncogenic pathways; there are monoclonal antibodies that target surface antigens often delivering toxic payloads or cells and finally there are antibodies and biologics that seek to overcome the immunosuppression caused by elements within the TME. How each of these therapies interact with the TME is currently under intense and widespread investigation. In this review we describe how the TME and its immunosuppressive components can influence both tumor progression and response to treatment focusing on three particular tumor types, classic Hodgkin Lymphoma (cHL), Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM). And, finally, we offer five approaches to manipulate or manage the TME to improve outcomes for cancer patients.
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