Autophagy loss impedes cancer-associated fibroblast activation via downregulating proline biosynthesis

Identification of key mitochondria-related genes and their potential crosstalk role with immune pattern in Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

BACKGROUND

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) stands out as a life-threatening and one of the most severe interstitial lung diseases. The pathogenesis of IPF is not fully understood, while recent studies have highlighted the association of mitochondrial dysfunction with IPF. This study is dedicated to pinpointing crucial genes related to mitochondria that potentially impact the advancement of IPF, thereby offering new perspectives on the pathogenesis of this condition.

METHODS

The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was utilized to download three datasets (GSE32537, GSE92592, and GSE150910), following which a comprehensive analysis was conducted to identify differentially expressed mitochondria-related genes (DEMTRGs) in the IPF lung tissues. Subsequently, GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of the DEMTRGs was performed. Next, external datasets and in vivo experiments were performed to validate their expression. Additionally, a Logistic regression model based on key DEMTRGs was constructed, and the model's ability to distinguish between IPF and controls was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). Finally, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and CIBERSORT algorithm were conducted.

RESULTS

We identified five key DEMTRGs (ALDH18A1, ALDH1B1, MCCC1, ACAT1, and PDHA1), ALDH18A1 and ALDH1B1 exhibited upregulated expression levels, whereas MCCC1, ACAT1, and PDHA1 showed downregulation in the lung tissue of individuals with IPF. The expression levels of these key DEMTRGs were validated by an independent external dataset (GSE53845) and the bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis mice. In addition, the ROCs indicated that the diagnostic model constructed based on key DEMTRGs could effectively distinguish between IPF and controls (AUC>0.8). GSEA analysis and immune-related analysis shed light on the potential mechanisms through which these key DEMTRGs influence IPF.

CONCLUSION

Our research has pinpointed key genes associated with mitochondria that may ultimately contribute to the progression of IPF by exerting regulatory effects on mitochondrial function, thereby influencing multiple cellular processes.

Protein ubiquitination in ovarian cancer immunotherapy: The progress and therapeutic strategy

Ovarian cancer is a common cancer for females, and the incidence and mortality rates are on the rise. Many treatment strategies have been developed for ovarian cancer, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy, but they are often ineffective and prone to drug resistance. Protein ubiquitination is an important class of post-translation modifications that have been found to be associated with various human diseases and cancer development. Recent studies have revealed that protein ubiquitination is involved in the progression of ovarian cancer and plays an important role in the tumor immune process. Moreover, the combination of ubiquitinase/deubiquitinase inhibitors and cancer immunotherapy approaches can effectively reduce treatment resistance and improve treatment efficacy, which provides new ideas for cancer treatment. Herein, we review the role of protein ubiquitination in relation to ovarian cancer immunotherapy and recent advances in the use of ubiquitinase/deubiquitinase inhibitors in combination with cancer immunotherapy.

Metabolic control of collagen synthesis

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is present in all tissues and crucial in maintaining normal tissue homeostasis and function. Defects in ECM synthesis and remodeling can lead to various diseases, while overproduction of ECM components can cause severe conditions like organ fibrosis and influence cancer progression and therapy resistance. Collagens are the most abundant core ECM proteins in physiological and pathological conditions and are predominantly synthesized by fibroblasts. Previous efforts to target aberrant collagen synthesis in fibroblasts by inhibiting pro-fibrotic signaling cascades have been ineffective. More recently, metabolic rewiring downstream of pro-fibrotic signaling has emerged as a critical regulator of collagen synthesis in fibroblasts. Here, we propose that targeting the metabolic pathways involved in ECM biomass generation provides a novel avenue for treating conditions characterized by excessive collagen accumulation. This review summarizes the unique metabolic challenges collagen synthesis imposes on fibroblasts and discusses how underlying metabolic networks could be exploited to create therapeutic opportunities in cancer and fibrotic disease. Finally, we provide a perspective on open questions in the field and how conceptual and technical advances will help address them to unlock novel metabolic vulnerabilities of collagen synthesis in fibroblasts and beyond.

The metabolic crosstalk of cancer-associated fibroblasts and tumor cells: Recent advances and future perspectives

Tumor cells grow in a microenvironment with a lack of nutrients and oxygen. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) as one major component of tumor microenvironment have strong ability to survive under stressful conditions through metabolic remodelling. Furthermore, CAFs are educated by tumor cells and help them adapt to the hostile microenvironment through their metabolic communication. By inducing catabolism, CAFs release nutrients into the microenvironment which are taken up by tumor cells to satisfy their metabolic requirements. Furthermore, CAFs can recycle toxic metabolic wastes produced by cancer cells into energetic substances, allowing cancer cells to undergo biosynthesis. Their metabolic crosstalk also enhances CAFs' pro-tumor phenotype and reshape the microenvironment facilitating tumor cells' metastasis and immune escape. In this review, we have analyzed the effect and mechanisms of metabolic crosstalk between tumor cells and CAFs. We also analyzed the future perspectives in this area from the points of CAFs heterogeneity, spatial metabonomics and patient-derived tumor organoids (PDOs). These information may deepen the knowledge of tumor metabolism regulated by CAFs and provide novel insights into the development of metabolism-based anti-cancer strategies.

CAFs and T cells interplay: The emergence of a new arena in cancer combat

The interaction between the immune system and the tumor matrix has a huge impact on the progression and treatment of cancer. This paper summarizes and discusses the crosstalk between T cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). CAFs can also produce inhibitors that counteract the function of T cells and promote tumor immune escape, while T cells can also engage in complex two-way interactions with CAFs through direct cell contact, the exchange of soluble factors such as cytokines, and the remodeling of the extracellular matrix. Precise targeted intervention can effectively reverse tumor-promoting crosstalk between T cells and CAFs, improve anti-tumor immune response, and provide a new perspective for cancer treatment. Therefore, it is important to deeply understand the mechanism of crosstalk between T cells and CAFs. This review aims to outline the underlying mechanisms of these interactions and discuss potential therapeutic strategies that may become fundamental tools in the treatment of cancer, especially hard-to-cure cancers.

Lactate-induced activation of tumor-associated fibroblasts and IL-8-mediated macrophage recruitment promote lung cancer progression

Alterations in the tumor microenvironment are closely associated with the metabolic phenotype of tumor cells. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a pivotal role in tumor growth and metastasis. Existing studies have suggested that lactate produced by tumor cells can activate CAFs, yet the precise underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. In this study, we initially identified that lactate derived from lung cancer cells can promote nuclear translocation of NUSAP1, subsequently leading to the recruitment of the transcriptional complex JUNB-FRA1-FRA2 near the DESMIN promoter and facilitating DESMIN transcriptional activation, thereby promoting CAFs' activation. Moreover, DESMIN-positive CAFs, in turn, secrete IL-8, which recruits TAMs or promotes M2 polarization of macrophages, further contributing to the alterations in the tumor microenvironment and facilitating lung cancer progression. Furthermore, we observed that the use of IL-8 receptor antagonists, SB225002, or Navarixin, significantly reduced TAM infiltration and enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 treatment. This finding indicates that inhibiting IL-8R activity can attenuate the impact of CAFs on the tumor microenvironment, thus restraining the progression of lung cancer.

Targeting cellular mitophagy as a strategy for human cancers

Mitophagy is the cellular process to selectively eliminate dysfunctional mitochondria, governing the number and quality of mitochondria. Dysregulation of mitophagy may lead to the accumulation of damaged mitochondria, which plays an important role in the initiation and development of tumors. Mitophagy includes ubiquitin-dependent pathways mediated by PINK1/Parkin and non-ubiquitin dependent pathways mediated by mitochondrial autophagic receptors including NIX, BNIP3, and FUNDC1. Cellular mitophagy widely participates in multiple cellular process including metabolic reprogramming, anti-tumor immunity, ferroptosis, as well as the interaction between tumor cells and tumor-microenvironment. And cellular mitophagy also regulates tumor proliferation and metastasis, stemness, chemoresistance, resistance to targeted therapy and radiotherapy. In this review, we summarized the underlying molecular mechanisms of mitophagy and discussed the complex role of mitophagy in diverse contexts of tumors, indicating it as a promising target in the mitophagy-related anti-tumor therapy.

Asperuloside inhibits the activation of pancreatic cancer-associated fibroblasts via activating transcription factor 6

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a crucial role in tumor progression and immune evasion. Asperuloside (ASP) is an iridoid glycoside with potential anti-tumor properties. This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms of ASP on CAFs, particularly focusing on its effects on activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), a key regulator of endoplasmic reticulum stress.

METHOD

CAFs were treated with different concentrations of ASP (0, 1, 3, and 5 mM), and the role of ATF6 was investigated by over-expressing it in CAFs. Subsequently, western blot was used to detect ATF6, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), fibroblast activating protein (FAP), and vimentin protein levels in CAFs. The collagen gel contraction assay and Transwell assay were applied to evaluate the contraction and migration ability of CAFs. In addition, the interleukin (IL)-6, C-C motif chemokine ligand (CCL)-2, and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand (CXCL)-10 levels were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).

RESULTS

CAFs had significantly higher expression levels of α-SMA, FAP, and vimentin compared to normal fibroblasts (NFs). ASP significantly inhibited the activation, contraction, and migration of CAFs in a concentration-dependent manner. ASP treatment also reduced the expression of cytokines (IL-6, CCL2, and CXCL10) and down-regulated ATF6 levels. Over-expression of ATF6 mitigated the inhibitory effects of ASP.

CONCLUSION

ASP exerts its anti-tumor effects by down-regulating ATF6, thereby inhibiting the activation and function of pancreatic CAFs. These findings suggest that ASP could be a promising therapeutic agent for pancreatic cancer by modulating the tumor microenvironment.

Urea cycle promotion via ammonia-upregulated CPS1 is involved in arsenite-induced pulmonary fibrosis through enhancing collagen synthesis

Arsenic exposure is connected with lung toxicity and is related to lung fibrotic changes. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. Various genetic mechanisms and environmental factors induce or exacerbate pulmonary fibrosis. Collagen synthesis induced by sodium arsenite (NaAsO2) is closely associated with IPF. Fibroblasts tend to fine-tune their metabolic networks to support their synthetic requirements in response to environmental stimuli. Alterations in metabolism have an influential role in the pathogenesis of IPF. However, it is unclear how arsenic affects the metabolism in IPF. The urea cycle (UC) is needed for collagen formation, which provides adequate levels of proline (Pro) for biosynthesis of collagen. Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) converts the ammonia to carbamoyl phosphate, which controls the first reaction of the UC. We show that, in arsenite-exposed mice, high amounts of ammonia in the lung microenvironment promotes the expression levels of CPS1 and the Pro metabolism. Reduction of ammonia and CPS1 ablation inhibit collagen synthesis and ameliorate IPF phenotypes induced by arsenite. This work takes advantage of multi-omics data to enhance understanding of the underlying pathogenic mechanisms, the key molecules and the complicated cellular responses to this pollutant, which provide a target for the prevention of pulmonary fibrosis caused by arsenic.

Integrated transcriptomic analysis systematically reveals the heterogeneity and molecular characterization of cancer-associated fibroblasts in osteosarcoma

BACKGROUND

Osteosarcoma (OS), with a peak incidence during the adolescent growth spurt, is correlated with poor prognosis for its high malignancy. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is highly complicated, with frequent interactions between tumor and stromal cells. The cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the TME have been considered to actively involve in the progression, metastasis, and drug resistance of OS. This study aimed to characterize cellular heterogeneity and molecular characterization in CAFs subtypes and explore the potential targeting therapeutic strategies to improve the prognosis of OS patients.

METHODS

The single-cell atlas of human OS tumor lesions were constructed from the GEO database. Then significant marker genes and potential biological functions for each CAFs subtype were identified and explored using the Seurat R package. Next, by performing the survival analyses and constructing the risk scores for CAFs subtypes, we aimed to identify and characterize the prognostic values of specific marker genes and different CAFs subtypes. Furthermore, we explored the therapeutic targets and innovative drugs targeting different CAFs subtypes based on the GDSC database. Finally, prognoses related CAFs subtypes were further validated through immunohistochemistry (IHC) on clinical OS specimens.

RESULTS

Overall, nine main cell clusters and five subtypes of CAFs were identified. The differentially expressed marker genes for each CAFs clusters were then identified. Moreover, through Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, we defined the CAFs_2 (upregulated CXCL14 and C3), which was closely related to leukocyte migration and chemotaxis, as inflammatory CAFs (iCAFs). Likewise, we defined the CAFs_4 (upregulated CD74, HLA-DRA and HLA-DRB1), which was closely related to antigen process and presentation, as antigen-presenting CAFs (apCAFs). Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier analyses showed that CAFs_2 and CAFs_4 were correlated with poor clinical prognosis of OS patients. Meanwhile, therapeutic drugs targeting CAFs_2 and CAFs_4, such as 17-AAG/Docetaxel/Bleomycin and PHA-793887/NG-25/KIN001-102, were also explored, respectively. Finally, IHC assay confirmed the abundant CAFs_2 and CAFs_4 subtypes infiltration in the OS microenvironment compared with adjacent tissues.

CONCLUSION

Our study revealed the diversity, complexity, and heterogeneity of CAFs in OS, and complemented the single-cell atlas in OS TME.

miR-1246-overexpressing exosomes improve UVB-induced photoaging by activating autophagy via suppressing GSK3β

Stem cell paracrine has shown potential application in skin wound repair and photoaging treatment. Our previous study demonstrated that miR-1246-overexpressing Exosomes (OE-EXs) isolated from adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) showed superior photo-protecting effects on UVB-induced photoaging than that of the vector, however, the underlying mechanism was unclear. The simultaneous bioinformatics analysis indicated that miR-1246 showed potential binding sites with GSK3β which acted as a negative regulator for autophagy. This study was aimed to explore whether OE-EXs ameliorate skin photoaging by activating autophagy via targeting GSK3β. The results demonstrated that OE-EXs significantly decreased GSK3β expression, enhanced autophagy flux and autophagy-related proteins like LC3II, while suppressed p62 expression. Meanwhile, OE-EXs markedly reversed the levels of intracellular ROS, MMP-1, procollagen type I and DNA damage in human skin fibroblasts caused by UVB irradiation, but the ameliorating effects were significantly inhibited when 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) was introduced to block the autophagy pathway. Further, OE-EXs could reverse UVB-induced wrinkles, epidermal hyperplasia, and collagen fibers reduction in Kunming mice, nevertheless, the therapeutical effects of OE-EXs were attenuated when it was combinative treated with 3-MA. In conclusion, OE-EXs could cure UVB induced skin photoaging by activating autophagy via targeting GSK3β.

Research progress on venous thrombosis development in patients with malignant tumors

The coexistence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) within patients with cancer, known as cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT), stands as a prominent cause of mortality in this population. Over recent years, the incidence of VTE has demonstrated a steady increase across diverse tumor types, influenced by several factors such as patient management, tumor-specific risks, and treatment-related aspects. Furthermore, mutations in specific genes have been identified as potential contributors to increased CAT occurrence in particular cancer subtypes. We conducted an extensive review encompassing pivotal historical and ongoing studies on CAT. This review elucidates the risks, mechanisms, reliable markers, and risk assessment methodologies that can significantly guide effective interventions in clinical practice.

Bioinformatics analyses of infiltrating immune cell participation on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma progression and in vivo experiment of the therapeutic effect of Shuangshen granules

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Shuangshen granules (SSG), a nationally patented Chinese medicinal formula, including Panax quinquefolium L., Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F. H. Chen, and Cordyceps sinensis (Berk.) Sacc., has demonstrated remarkable therapeutic effects on pancreatic cancer in clinical treatment for nearly 10 years. Previous pharmacological researches have found that its main components, including ginsenosides and cordycepin have anticancer or preventive effects on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which may be associated with immune metabolism. However, the underlying pharmacological mechanism of SSG in the truncation effect of PDAC progression is still unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To comprehensively understand the infiltrating immune cells during the different stages of the PDAC development chain and search for immune-related biomarkers that could potentially serve as drug targets through bioinformatic analysis. Meanwhile, the truncation effect of SSG on PDAC progression was also investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The gene expression profiles at different PDAC developmental stages, including normal pancreas, pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN), and PDAC, were retrieved from the GEO database. The GEO2R tool was used to identify differentially expressed genes among the three groups. Functional enrichment analysis was performed with the GSEA software and Metascape platform. The CIBERSORT algorithm evaluated immune cell infiltration in the three groups, and immune-related biomarkers were identified. Correlation analysis was employed to examine the association between immune cells and the biomarkers. One of these biomarkers was selected for immunohistochemistry validation in human samples. Lastly, the effectiveness of SSG against PDAC progression and the influence on the selected biomarker were validated in vivo. The underlying pharmacological mechanisms were also explored.

RESULTS

One dataset was obtained, where the functional enrichment of DEGs primarily involved immune effector processes and cytokine production of immune cells. The differential immune cells reflected during the progression from PanIN to PDAC were B memory cells, monocytes, M2 macrophages, and activated dendritic cells. The upregulation of ACTA2 was closely associated with M2 macrophage regulation. The immunohistochemistry on human samples validated significant differences in ACTA2 expression levels as the PDAC progressed. Moreover, animal experiments revealed that the national patented drug SSG ameliorated the pathological changes, decreased the expression of ACTA2 and its functional protein α-smooth muscle actin during PDAC progression. The underlying pharmacological mechanism was related to the regulation of macrophage polarization and downregulation of TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

The immunosuppressive environment changes during the PDAC progression. ACTA2 is a potential immuned-target for drug prevention of PDAC, while SSG could be a promising drug candidate.

Metabolomics and transcriptomics of embryonic livers reveal hypoxia adaptation of Tibetan chickens

BACKGROUND

Exploring the hypoxia adaptation mechanism of Tibetan chicken is of great significance for revealing the survival law of Tibetan chicken and plateau animal husbandry production. To investigate the hypoxia adaptation of Tibetan chickens (TBCs), an integrative metabolomic-transcriptomic analysis of the liver on day 18 of embryonic development was performed. Dwarf laying chickens (DLCs), a lowland breed, were used as a control.

RESULTS

A total of 1,908 metabolites were identified in both TBCs and DLCs. Energy metabolism and amino acid metabolism related differentially regulated metabolites (DRMs) were significantly enriched under hypoxia. Important metabolic pathways including the TCA cycle and arginine and proline metabolism were screened; PCK1, SUCLA2, and CPS1 were found to be altered under hypoxic conditions. In addition, integrated analysis suggested potential differences in mitochondrial function, which may play a crucial role in the study of chicken oxygen adaptation.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that hypoxia changed the gene expression and metabolic patterns of embryonic liver of TBCs compared to DLCs. Our study provides a basis for uncovering the molecular regulation mechanisms of hypoxia adaptation in TBCs with the potential application of hypoxia adaptation research for other animals living on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, and may even contribute to the study of diseases caused by hypoxia.

Unveiling autophagy complexity in leukemia: The molecular landscape and possible interactions with apoptosis and ferroptosis

Autophagy is a self-digestion multistep process in which causes the homeostasis through degradation of macromolecules and damaged organelles. The autophagy-mediated tumor progression regulation has been a critical point in recent years, revealing the function of this process in reduction or acceleration of carcinogenesis. Leukemia is a haematological malignancy in which abnormal expansion of hematopoietic cells occurs. The current and conventional therapies from chemotherapy to cell transplantation have failed to appropriately treat the leukemia patients. Among the mechanisms dysregulated in leukemia, autophagy is a prominent one in which can regulate the hallmarks of this tumor. The protective autophagy inhibits apoptosis and ferroptosis in leukemia, while toxic autophagy accelerates cell death. The proliferation and invasion of tumor cells are tightly regulated by the autophagy. The direction of regulation depends on the function of autophagy that is protective or lethal. The protective autophagy accelerates chemoresistance and radio-resistsance. The non-coding RNAs, histone transferases and other pathways such as PI3K/Akt/mTOR are among the regulators of autophagy in leukemia progression. The pharmacological intervention for the inhibition or induction of autophagy by the compounds including sesamine, tanshinone IIA and other synthetic compounds can chance progression of leukemia.

Role of autophagy in cancer-associated fibroblast activation, signaling and metabolic reprograming

Tumors not only consist of cancerous cells, but they also harbor several normal-like cell types and non-cellular components. cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are one of these cellular components that are found predominantly in the tumor stroma. Autophagy is an intracellular degradation and quality control mechanism, and recent studies provided evidence that autophagy played a critical role in CAF formation, metabolic reprograming and tumor-stroma crosstalk. Therefore, shedding light on the autophagy and its role in CAF biology might help us better understand the roles of CAFs and the TME in cancer progression and may facilitate the exploitation of more efficient cancer diagnosis and treatment. Here, we provide an overview about the involvement of autophagy in CAF-related pathways, including transdifferentiation and activation of CAFs, and further discuss the implications of targeting tumor stroma as a treatment option.

Anoikis-related CTNND1 is associated with immuno-suppressive tumor microenvironment and predicts unfavorable immunotherapeutic outcome in non-small cell lung cancer

Background: Immunotherapy has greatly changed the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Anoikis is a programmed cell death process associated with cancer. However, the correlation between anoikis-related genes and the tumor microenvironment (TME) features and immunotherapeutic outcome in NSCLC has not been fully explored. Methods: The bulk and single-cell transcriptome data of NSCLC were downloaded from TCGA and GEO databases. The distribution of anoikis-related genes on different cell types at the single-cell level was analyzed, and these genes specifically expressed by tumor cells and immunotherapy-related were further extracted. Next, the candidate gene CTNND1 was identified and its correlations with the TME features and immunotherapeutic outcome in NSCLC were explored in multiple public cohorts. Finally, an in-house cohort was used to determine the CTNND1 expression and immuno-correlation in NSCLC. Results: At single-cell atlas, we found that anoikis-related genes expressed specifically in tumor cells of NSCLC. By intersecting anoikis-related genes, immunotherapy-associated genes, and the genes expressed in tumor cells, we obtained a special biomarker CTNND1. In addition, cell-cell communication analysis revealed that CTNND1+ tumor cells communicated with immune subpopulations frequently. Moreover, we found that high expression of CTNND1 was related to immuno-suppressive status of NSCLC. The expression of CTNND1 and its immuno-correlation were also validated, and the results showed that CTNND1 was highly expressed in NSCLC tissues and tumors with high CTNND1 expression accompanied with low CD8+ T cells infiltration. Conclusions: Overall, our study reported that CTNND1 can be considered as a novel biomarker for the predication of immunotherapeutic responses and a potential target for NSCLC therapy.

Single-cell dissection reveals the role of aggrephagy patterns in tumor microenvironment components aiding predicting prognosis and immunotherapy on lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is one of the leading malignant cancers. Aggrephagy plays a critical role in key genetic events for various cancers; yet, how aggrephagy functions within the tumor microenvironment (TME) in LUAD remains to be elucidated.

METHODS

In this study, by sequential non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) algorithm, pseudotime analysis, cell-cell interaction analysis, and SCENIC analysis, we have shown that aggrephagy genes demonstrated various patterns among different cell types in LUAD TME. LUAD and Immunotherapy cohorts from public repository were used to determine the prognosis and immune response of aggrephagy TME subtypes. The aggrephagy-deprived prognostic score (ADPS) was quantified based on machine learning algorithms.

RESULTS

The cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and CD8+ T cells have various aggrephagy patterns, which enhance the intensity of intercellular communication and transcription factor activation. Furthermore, based on the signatures of the newly defined aggrephagy cell subtypes and expression profiles of large cohorts in LUAD patients, we determine that DYNC1I2+CAF-C1, DYNLL1+CAF-C2, PARK7+CAF-C3, VIM+Mac-C1, PARK7+Mac-C2, VIM+CD8+T_cells-C1, UBA52+CD8+T_cells-C2, TUBA4A+CD8+T_ cells-C3, and TUBA1A+CD8+T_cells-C4 are crucial prognostic factors for LUAD patients. The developed ADPS could predict survival outcomes and immunotherapeutic response across ten cohorts (n = 1838), and patients with low ADPS owned a better prognosis, lower genomic alterations, and are more sensitive to immunotherapy. Meanwhile, based on PRISM, CTRP, and CMAP databases, PLK inhibitor BI-2536, may be a potential agent for patients with high ADPS.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, our novel and systematic single-cell analysis has revealed the unique role of aggrephagy in remodeling the TME of LUAD. As a newly demonstrated biomarker, the ADPS facilitates the clinical management and individualized treatment of LUAD.

Proline metabolism shapes the tumor microenvironment: from collagen deposition to immune evasion

Proline is a nonessential amino acid, and its metabolism has been implicated in numerous malignancies. Together with a direct role in regulating cancer cells' proliferation and survival, proline metabolism plays active roles in shaping the tumor microenvironment (TME). Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) display high rates of proline biosynthesis to support the production of collagen for the extracellular matrix (ECM). Indeed, impaired proline metabolism in CAFs results in reduced collagen deposition and compromises the growth and metastatic spread of cancer. Moreover, the rate of proline metabolism regulates intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, which influence the production and release of cytokines from cancer cells, contributing toward an immune-permissive TME. Hence, targeting proline metabolism is a promising anticancer strategy that could improve patients' outcome and response to immunotherapy.

Unraveling the Intricacies of Autophagy and Mitophagy: Implications in Cancer Biology

Autophagy is an essential lysosome-mediated degradation pathway that maintains cellular homeostasis and viability in response to various intra- and extracellular stresses. Mitophagy is a type of autophagy that is involved in the intricate removal of dysfunctional mitochondria during conditions of metabolic stress. In this review, we describe the multifaceted roles of autophagy and mitophagy in normal physiology and the field of cancer biology. Autophagy and mitophagy exhibit dual context-dependent roles in cancer development, acting as tumor suppressors and promoters. We also discuss the important role of autophagy and mitophagy within the cancer microenvironment and how autophagy and mitophagy influence tumor host-cell interactions to overcome metabolic deficiencies and sustain the activity of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in a stromal environment. Finally, we explore the dynamic interplay between autophagy and the immune response in tumors, indicating their potential as immunomodulatory targets in cancer therapy. As the field of autophagy and mitophagy continues to evolve, this comprehensive review provides insights into their important roles in cancer and cancer microenvironment.

Research Progress in Skin Aging, Metabolism, and Related Products

In recent years, skin aging has received increasing attention. Many factors affect skin aging, and research has shown that metabolism plays a vital role in skin aging, but there needs to be a more systematic review. This article reviews the interaction between skin metabolism and aging from the perspectives of glucose, protein, and lipid metabolism and explores relevant strategies for skin metabolism regulation. We found that skin aging affects the metabolism of three major substances, which are glucose, protein, and lipids, and the metabolism of the three major substances in the skin also affects the process of skin aging. Some drugs or compounds can regulate the metabolic disorders mentioned above to exert anti-aging effects. Currently, there are a variety of products, but most of them focus on improving skin collagen levels. Skin aging is closely related to metabolism, and they interact with each other. Regulating specific metabolic disorders in the skin is an important anti-aging strategy. Research and development have focused on improving collagen levels, while the regulation of other skin glycosylation and lipid disorders including key membrane or cytoskeleton proteins is relatively rare. Further research and development are expected.

Autophagy and cancer drug resistance in dialogue: Pre-clinical and clinical evidence

The emergence of drug resistance is a major challenge for oncologists. Resistance can be categorized as acquired or intrinsic; the alteration of several biological mechanisms contributes to both intrinsic and acquired resistance. Macroautophagy/autophagy is the primary process in eukaryotes for the degradation of macromolecules and organelles. This process is critical in maintaining cellular homeostasis. Given its function as either a pro-survival or a pro-death phenomenon, autophagy has a complex physio-pathological role. In some circumstances, autophagy can confer chemoresistance and promote cell survival, whereas in others it can promote chemosensitivity and contribute to cell death. The role of autophagy in the modulation of cancer drug resistance reflects its impact on apoptosis and metastasis. The regulation of autophagy in cancer is mediated by various factors including AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), MAPK, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT, BECN1 and ATG proteins. Non-coding RNAs are among the main regulators of autophagy, e.g., via the modulation of chemoresistance pathways. Due to the significant contribution of autophagy in cancer drug resistance, small molecule modulators and natural compounds targeting autophagy have been introduced to alter the response of cancer cells to chemotherapy. Furthermore, nanotherapeutic approaches based on autophagy regulation have been introduced in pre-clinical cancer therapy. In this review we consider the potential for using autophagy regulators for the clinical treatment of malignancies.

The role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and autophagy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma invasion

Of all pancreatic cancer (PC) cases, approximately 90% are pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), which progress rapidly due to its high degree of invasiveness and high metastatic potential. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a prerequisite for cancer cell invasion and spread, and it is mediated by the specific cellular behaviors and the tumor microenvironment. Autophagy has long been a target of cancer therapy, and it has been considered to play a dual and contradictory role, particularly regarding EMT-mediated PDAC invasion. This review discusses the characteristics and the biological role of EMT and autophagy from a cellular perspective, explaining invasion as a survival behavior of PDAC, with the aim of providing novel insights into targeting EMT and autophagy to overcome PDAC invasion.

Emerging trends and research foci in autophagy of pancreatic cancer: a bibliometric and visualized study

Objective

The purpose of this study was to analyze the trends by year, country, institution, journal, reference and keyword in publications on the autophagy of pancreatic cancer (PC) and to predict future research hotspots.

Methods

The Web of Science Core Collection was used to search for publications. The contributions of various countries/regions, institutes, authors, identified research hotspots, and promising future trends were analyzed using the VOSviewer1.6.16 and CiteSpace6.6.R2 programs. We also summarized autophagy relevant clinical trials of PC.

Results

A total of 1293 papers on the autophagy of PC published between 2013 and 2023 were included in the study. The average number of citations per article was 33.76. The China had the most publications, followed by USA, and a total of 50 influential articles were identified through co-citation analysis. Clustering analysis revealed clusters of keywords: metabolic reprogramming and ER stress, mTOR-mediated apoptosis, extracellular trap as the most concerned clusters. The co-occurrence cluster analysis showed pancreatic stellate cell, autophagy-dependent ferroptosis, autophagy-related pathway, metabolic rewiring, on-coding RNA as the highly concerned research topics in recently.

Conclusion

The number of publications and research interest have generally increased over the past few years. The China and USA have made prominent contributions to the study of the autophagy of PC. The current research hotspots mainly focus not only on the related modulation, metabolic reprogramming, ferroptosis of tumor cells themselves, but also on tumor microenvironments such as autophagy associated pancreatic stellate cells and new treatments targeting autophagy.

Modulation of cancer-associated fibroblasts by nanodelivery system to enhance efficacy of tumor therapy

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the most common cells in the tumor stroma and are essential for tumor development and metastasis. While decreasing the release and infiltration of nanomedicine through nonspecific internalization, CAFs specifically increase solid tumor pressure and interstitial fluid pressure by secreting tumor growth- and migration-promoting cytokines, which increases vascular and organ pressure caused by solid tumor pressure. Nanoparticles have good permeability and can penetrate tumor tissue to reach the lesion area, inhibiting tumor growth. Thus, CAFs are used as modifiable targets. Here, the authors review the biological functions, origins and biomarkers of CAFs and summarize strategies for modulating CAFs in nanodelivery systems. This study provides a prospective guide to modulating CAFs to enhance oncology treatment.

Metabolic changes underlying drug resistance in the multiple myeloma tumor microenvironment

Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by the clonal expansion of malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow (BM). MM remains an incurable disease, with the majority of patients experiencing multiple relapses from different drugs. The MM tumor microenvironment (TME) and in particular bone-marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) play a crucial role in the development of drug resistance. Metabolic reprogramming is emerging as a hallmark of cancer that can potentially be exploited for cancer treatment. Recent studies show that metabolism is further adjusted in MM cells during the development of drug resistance. However, little is known about the role of BMSCs in inducing metabolic changes that are associated with drug resistance. In this Perspective, we summarize current knowledge concerning the metabolic reprogramming of MM, with a focus on those changes associated with drug resistance to the proteasome inhibitor Bortezomib (BTZ). In addition, we present proof-of-concept fluxomics (glucose isotope-tracing) and Seahorse data to show that co-culture of MM cells with BMSCs skews the metabolic phenotype of MM cells towards a drug-resistant phenotype, with increased oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), serine synthesis pathway (SSP), TCA cycle and glutathione (GSH) synthesis. Given the crucial role of BMSCs in conveying drug resistance, insights into the metabolic interaction between MM and BMSCs may ultimately aid in the identification of novel metabolic targets that can be exploited for therapy.

Therapeutic Strategies to Overcome Fibrotic Barriers to Nanomedicine in the Pancreatic Tumor Microenvironment

Pancreatic cancer is notorious for its dismal prognosis. The enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect theory posits that nanomedicines (therapeutics in the size range of approximately 10-200 nm) selectively accumulate in tumors. Nanomedicine has thus been suggested to be the "magic bullet"-both effective and safe-to treat pancreatic cancer. However, the densely fibrotic tumor microenvironment of pancreatic cancer impedes nanomedicine delivery. The EPR effect is thus insufficient to achieve a significant therapeutic effect. Intratumoral fibrosis is chiefly driven by aberrantly activated fibroblasts and the extracellular matrix (ECM) components secreted. Fibroblast and ECM abnormalities offer various potential targets for therapeutic intervention. In this review, we detail the diverse strategies being tested to overcome the fibrotic barriers to nanomedicine in pancreatic cancer. Strategies that target the fibrotic tissue/process are discussed first, which are followed by strategies to optimize nanomedicine design. We provide an overview of how a deeper understanding, increasingly at single-cell resolution, of fibroblast biology is revealing the complex role of the fibrotic stroma in pancreatic cancer pathogenesis and consider the therapeutic implications. Finally, we discuss critical gaps in our understanding and how we might better formulate strategies to successfully overcome the fibrotic barriers in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer and fibrosis: Targeting metabolic reprogramming and crosstalk of cancer-associated fibroblasts in the tumor microenvironment

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most dangerous types of cancer today, notable for its low survival rate and fibrosis. Deciphering the cellular composition and intercellular interactions in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is a necessary prerequisite to combat pancreatic cancer with precision. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), as major producers of extracellular matrix (ECM), play a key role in tumor progression. CAFs display significant heterogeneity and perform different roles in tumor progression. Tumor cells turn CAFs into their slaves by inducing their metabolic dysregulation, exacerbating fibrosis to acquire drug resistance and immune evasion. This article reviews the impact of metabolic reprogramming, effect of obesity and cellular crosstalk of CAFs and tumor cells on fibrosis and describes relevant therapies targeting the metabolic reprogramming.

Effects of metabolic cancer therapy on tumor microenvironment

Targeting tumor metabolism for cancer therapy is an old strategy. In fact, historically the first effective cancer therapeutics were directed at nucleotide metabolism. The spectrum of metabolic drugs considered in cancer increases rapidly - clinical trials are in progress for agents directed at glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, glutaminolysis and several others. These pathways are essential for cancer cell proliferation and redox homeostasis, but are also required, to various degrees, in other cell types present in the tumor microenvironment, including immune cells, endothelial cells and fibroblasts. How metabolism-targeted treatments impact these tumor-associated cell types is not fully understood, even though their response may co-determine the overall effectivity of therapy. Indeed, the metabolic dependencies of stromal cells have been overlooked for a long time. Therefore, it is important that metabolic therapy is considered in the context of tumor microenvironment, as understanding the metabolic vulnerabilities of both cancer and stromal cells can guide new treatment concepts and help better understand treatment resistance. In this review we discuss recent findings covering the impact of metabolic interventions on cellular components of the tumor microenvironment and their implications for metabolic cancer therapy.