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Marin JJG, Macias RIR, Asensio M, Romero MR, Temprano AG, Pereira OR, Jimenez S, Mauriz JL, Di Giacomo S, Avila MA, Efferth T, Briz O. Strategies to enhance the response of liver cancer to pharmacological treatments. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2024; 327:C11-C33. [PMID: 38708523 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00176.2024] [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: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
In contrast to other types of cancers, there is no available efficient pharmacological treatment to improve the outcomes of patients suffering from major primary liver cancers, i.e., hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. This dismal situation is partly due to the existence in these tumors of many different and synergistic mechanisms of resistance, accounting for the lack of response of these patients, not only to classical chemotherapy but also to more modern pharmacological agents based on the inhibition of tyrosine kinase receptors (TKIs) and the stimulation of the immune response against the tumor using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). This review summarizes the efforts to develop strategies to overcome this severe limitation, including searching for novel drugs derived from synthetic, semisynthetic, or natural products with vectorial properties against therapeutic targets to increase drug uptake or reduce drug export from cancer cells. Besides, immunotherapy is a promising line of research that is already starting to be implemented in clinical practice. Although less successful than in other cancers, the foreseen future for this strategy in treating liver cancers is considerable. Similarly, the pharmacological inhibition of epigenetic targets is highly promising. Many novel "epidrugs," able to act on "writer," "reader," and "eraser" epigenetic players, are currently being evaluated in preclinical and clinical studies. Finally, gene therapy is a broad field of research in the fight against liver cancer chemoresistance, based on the impressive advances recently achieved in gene manipulation. In sum, although the present is still dismal, there is reason for hope in the non-too-distant future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose J G Marin
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM) Group, University of Salamanca, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rocio I R Macias
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM) Group, University of Salamanca, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maitane Asensio
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM) Group, University of Salamanca, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta R Romero
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM) Group, University of Salamanca, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alvaro G Temprano
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM) Group, University of Salamanca, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Olívia R Pereira
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Laboratório Associado para a Sustentabilidade e Tecnologia em Regiões de Montanha (SusTEC), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal
- Research Centre for Active Living and Wellbeing (LiveWell), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal
| | - Silvia Jimenez
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM) Group, University of Salamanca, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
- Servicio de Farmacia Hospitalaria, Hospital de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Jose L Mauriz
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), University of Leon, Leon, Spain
| | - Silvia Di Giacomo
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
| | - Matias A Avila
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
- Hepatology Laboratory, Solid Tumors Program, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada (CIMA), Universidad de Navarra, Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias de Navarra (IdisNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Thomas Efferth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Oscar Briz
- Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEPHARM) Group, University of Salamanca, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Salamanca, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Carlos III National Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain
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2
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Pourbagheri-Sigaroodi A, Momeny M, Rezaei N, Fallah F, Bashash D. Immune landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma: From dysregulation of the immune responses to the potential immunotherapies. Cell Biochem Funct 2024; 42:e4098. [PMID: 39034646 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.4098] [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: 05/25/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presents a considerable global health burden due to its late diagnosis and high morbidity. The liver's specific anatomical and physiological features expose it to various antigens, requiring precise immune regulation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a comprehensive overview of the interactions between the immune system and gut microbiota in the development of HCC, as well as the relevant therapeutic approaches are discussed. Dysregulation of immune compartments within the liver microenvironment drives HCC pathogenesis, characterized by elevated regulatory cells such as regulatory T cells (Tregs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and M2 macrophages as well as suppressive molecules, alongside reduced number of effector cells like T cells, natural killer cells, and M1 macrophages. Dysbiosis of gut microbiota also contributes to HCC by disrupting intestinal barrier integrity and triggering overactivated immune responses. Immunotherapy approaches, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors, have exhibited promise in HCC management, yet adoptive cell therapy and cancer vaccination research are in the early steps with relatively less favorable outcomes. Further understanding of immune dysregulation, gut microbiota involvement, and therapeutic combination strategies are essential for advancing precision immunotherapy in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atieh Pourbagheri-Sigaroodi
- Pediatric Infections Research Center, Research Institute for Children's Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Majid Momeny
- Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nima Rezaei
- Research Center for Immunodeficiencies, Children's Medical Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Fallah
- Pediatric Infections Research Center, Research Institute for Children's Health, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Davood Bashash
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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3
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Wang X, Lu J. Immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. Chin Med J (Engl) 2024:00029330-990000000-01097. [PMID: 38855876 DOI: 10.1097/cm9.0000000000003060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Its high recurrence rate and lack of effective control drugs result in a 5-year survival rate of only about 10%. HCC is a tumor regulated by the immune system. Significant breakthroughs have occurred in treating solid tumors with immunotherapy in recent years. Various immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), including combination therapies, have demonstrated promising therapeutic effects in both clinical applications and research. Other immunotherapies, such as adoptive cell therapies and oncolytic viruses, are also emerging, offering hope for addressing long-term survival issues in HCC. This article reviews current commonly used immunotherapy strategies and the latest research findings for reference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxia Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
- Laboratory for Clinical Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Jun Lu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
- Laboratory for Clinical Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
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4
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Kim SJ, Cummins KC, Tsung A. Immunotherapy as a Complement to Surgical Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1852. [PMID: 38791931 PMCID: PMC11120323 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16101852] [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: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver tumor in adults, and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. While surgical and ablative therapies remain the standard of care in early localized disease, late presentation with advanced stages of disease, impaired hepatic function, or local recurrence following surgical resection preclude operative management as the sole treatment modality in a subgroup of patients. As such, systemic therapies, namely immunotherapy, have become an integral part of the HCC treatment algorithm over the past decade. While agents, such as atezolizumab/bevacizumab, have well-established roles as first-line systemic therapy in intermediate- and advanced-stage HCC, the role of immunotherapy in disease amenable to surgical management continues to evolve. In this review, we will discuss the current evidence and aggregate impact of immunotherapy in the context of HCC amenable to surgical management, including its application in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Allan Tsung
- Department of Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
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5
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Heumann P, Albert A, Gülow K, Tümen D, Müller M, Kandulski A. Insights in Molecular Therapies for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1831. [PMID: 38791911 PMCID: PMC11120383 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16101831] [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: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
We conducted a comprehensive review of the current literature of published data and clinical trials (MEDLINE), as well as published congress contributions and active recruiting clinical trials on targeted therapies in hepatocellular carcinoma. Combinations of different agents and medical therapy along with radiological interventions were analyzed for the setting of advanced HCC. Those settings were also analyzed in combination with adjuvant situations after resection or radiological treatments. We summarized the current knowledge for each therapeutic setting and combination that currently is or has been under clinical evaluation. We further discuss the results in the background of current treatment guidelines. In addition, we review the pathophysiological mechanisms and pathways for each of these investigated targets and drugs to further elucidate the molecular background and underlying mechanisms of action. Established and recommended targeted treatment options that already exist for patients are considered for systemic treatment: atezolizumab/bevacizumab, durvalumab/tremelimumab, sorafenib, lenvatinib, cabozantinib, regorafenib, and ramucirumab. Combination treatment for systemic treatment and local ablative treatment or transarterial chemoembolization and adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatment strategies are under clinical investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Heumann
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology, Rheumatology, and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany (K.G.); (D.T.)
| | | | | | | | | | - Arne Kandulski
- Department of Internal Medicine I, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology, Rheumatology, and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauß-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany (K.G.); (D.T.)
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6
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Ali FEM, Ibrahim IM, Althagafy HS, Hassanein EHM. Role of immunotherapies and stem cell therapy in the management of liver cancer: A comprehensive review. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 132:112011. [PMID: 38581991 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112011] [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: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Liver cancer (LC) is the sixth most common disease and the third most common cause of cancer-related mortality. The WHO predicts that more than 1 million deaths will occur from LC by 2030. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common form of primary LC. Today, the management of LC involves multiple disciplines, and multimodal therapy is typically selected on an individual basis, considering the intricate interactions between the patient's overall health, the stage of the tumor, and the degree of underlying liver disease. Currently, the treatment of cancers, including LC, has undergone a paradigm shift in the last ten years because of immuno-oncology. To treat HCC, immune therapy approaches have been developed to enhance or cause the body's natural immune response to specifically target tumor cells. In this context, immune checkpoint pathway inhibitors, engineered cytokines, adoptive cell therapy, immune cells modified with chimeric antigen receptors, and therapeutic cancer vaccines have advanced to clinical trials and offered new hope to cancer patients. The outcomes of these treatments are encouraging. Additionally, treatment using stem cells is a new approach for restoring deteriorated tissues because of their strong differentiation potential and capacity to release cytokines that encourage cell division and the formation of blood vessels. Although there is no proof that stem cell therapy works for many types of cancer, preclinical research on stem cells has shown promise in treating HCC. This review provides a recent update regarding the impact of immunotherapy and stem cells in HCC and promising outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fares E M Ali
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, 71524, Egypt; Michael Sayegh, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aqaba University of Technology, Aqaba 77110, Jordan.
| | - Islam M Ibrahim
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Assiut Branch, Assiut, 71524, Egypt
| | - Hanan S Althagafy
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Emad H M Hassanein
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, 71524, Egypt
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7
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Wei H, Dong C, Li X. Treatment Options for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Immunotherapy: Present and Future. J Clin Transl Hepatol 2024; 12:389-405. [PMID: 38638377 PMCID: PMC11022065 DOI: 10.14218/jcth.2023.00462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cancer, and the body's immune responses greatly affect its progression and the prognosis of patients. Immunological suppression and the maintenance of self-tolerance in the tumor microenvironment are essential responses, and these form part of the theoretical foundations of immunotherapy. In this review, we first discuss the tumor microenvironment of HCC, describe immunosuppression in HCC, and review the major biomarkers used to track HCC progression and response to treatment. We then examine antibody-based therapies, with a focus on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), monoclonal antibodies that target key proteins in the immune response (programmed cell death protein 1, anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4, and programmed death-ligand 1) which have transformed the treatment of HCC and other cancers. ICIs may be used alone or in conjunction with various targeted therapies for patients with advanced HCC who are receiving first-line treatments or subsequent treatments. We also discuss the use of different cellular immunotherapies, including T cell receptor (TCR) T cell therapy and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy. We then review the use of HCC vaccines, adjuvant immunotherapy, and oncolytic virotherapy, and describe the goals of future research in the development of treatments for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbin Wei
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Chunlu Dong
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Xun Li
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- Key Laboratory Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- Cancer Prevention and Treatment Center of Lanzhou University School of Medicine, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery Institute of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
- Clinical Research Center for General Surgery of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
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8
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Amorós-Pérez B, Rivas-Pardo B, Gómez del Moral M, Subiza JL, Martínez-Naves E. State of the Art in CAR-T Cell Therapy for Solid Tumors: Is There a Sweeter Future? Cells 2024; 13:725. [PMID: 38727261 PMCID: PMC11083689 DOI: 10.3390/cells13090725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has proven to be a powerful treatment for hematological malignancies. The situation is very different in the case of solid tumors, for which no CAR-T-based therapy has yet been approved. There are many factors contributing to the absence of response in solid tumors to CAR-T cells, such as the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), T cell exhaustion, or the lack of suitable antigen targets, which should have a stable and specific expression on tumor cells. Strategies being developed to improve CAR-T-based therapy for solid tumors include the use of new-generation CARs such as TRUCKs or bi-specific CARs, the combination of CAR therapy with chemo- or radiotherapy, the use of checkpoint inhibitors, and the use of oncolytic viruses. Furthermore, despite the scarcity of targets, a growing number of phase I/II clinical trials are exploring new solid-tumor-associated antigens. Most of these antigens are of a protein nature; however, there is a clear potential in identifying carbohydrate-type antigens associated with tumors, or carbohydrate and proteoglycan antigens that emerge because of aberrant glycosylations occurring in the context of tumor transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Amorós-Pérez
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ORL, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense of Madrid (UCM), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (B.A.-P.); (B.R.-P.)
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
- Inmunotek S.L., 28805 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Benigno Rivas-Pardo
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ORL, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense of Madrid (UCM), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (B.A.-P.); (B.R.-P.)
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Gómez del Moral
- Department of Cellular Biology, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense of Madrid (UCM), 28040 Madrid, Spain;
| | | | - Eduardo Martínez-Naves
- Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ORL, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense of Madrid (UCM), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (B.A.-P.); (B.R.-P.)
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
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Steffin D, Ghatwai N, Montalbano A, Rathi P, Courtney AN, Arnett AB, Fleurence J, Sweidan R, Wang T, Zhang H, Masand P, Maris JM, Martinez D, Pogoriler J, Varadarajan N, Thakkar SG, Lyon D, Lapteva N, Mei Z, Patel K, Lopez-Terrada D, Ramos C, Lulla P, Armaghany T, Grilley BJ, Dotti G, Metelitsa LS, Heslop HE, Brenner MK, Sumazin P, Heczey A. Interleukin-15-armored GPC3-CAR T cells for patients with solid cancers. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4103623. [PMID: 38645165 PMCID: PMC11030543 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4103623/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Interleukin-15 (IL15) promotes the survival of T lymphocytes and enhances the antitumor properties of CAR T cells in preclinical models of solid neoplasms in which CAR T cells have limited efficacy1-4. Glypican-3 (GPC3) is expressed in a group of solid cancers5-10, and here we report the first evaluation in humans of the effects of IL15 co-expression on GPC3-CAR T cells. Cohort 1 patients (NCT02905188/NCT02932956) received GPC3-CAR T cells, which were safe but produced no objective antitumor responses and reached peak expansion at two weeks. Cohort 2 patients (NCT05103631/NCT04377932) received GPC3-CAR T cells that co-expressed IL15 (15.CAR), which mediated significantly increased cell expansion and induced a disease control rate of 66% and antitumor response rate of 33%. Infusion of 15.CAR T cells was associated with increased incidence of cytokine release syndrome, which was rapidly ameliorated by activation of the inducible caspase 9 safety switch. Compared to non-responders, tumor-infiltrating 15.CAR T cells from responders showed repression of SWI/SNF epigenetic regulators and upregulation of FOS and JUN family members as well as genes related to type I interferon signaling. Collectively, these results demonstrate that IL15 increases the expansion, intratumoral survival, and antitumor activity of GPC3-CAR T cells in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Steffin
- Texas Children’s Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Nisha Ghatwai
- Texas Children’s Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Antonino Montalbano
- Texas Children’s Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Purva Rathi
- Texas Children’s Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Amy N Courtney
- Texas Children’s Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Azlann B Arnett
- Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas
| | - Julien Fleurence
- Texas Children’s Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Ramy Sweidan
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas
| | - Thao Wang
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Huimin Zhang
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas
| | - Prakash Masand
- Department of Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - John M Maris
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Daniel Martinez
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jennifer Pogoriler
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Navin Varadarajan
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Sachin G Thakkar
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas
| | - Deborah Lyon
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas
| | - Natasha Lapteva
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Zhuyong Mei
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas
| | - Kalyani Patel
- Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | | | - Carlos Ramos
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas
| | - Premal Lulla
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas
| | - Tannaz Armaghany
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Bambi J Grilley
- Texas Children’s Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Gianpietro Dotti
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Leonid S Metelitsa
- Texas Children’s Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas
| | - Helen E Heslop
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas
| | - Malcolm K Brenner
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas
| | - Pavel Sumazin
- Texas Children’s Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Andras Heczey
- Texas Children’s Cancer Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Texas Children’s Hospital Liver Tumor Program, Houston, Texas
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10
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Sadagopan N, He AR. Recent Progress in Systemic Therapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1259. [PMID: 38279258 PMCID: PMC10816205 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021259] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have several systemic treatment options. There are many known risk factors for HCC, and although some, such as hepatitis C, are now treatable, others are not. For example, metabolic dysfunction-related chronic liver disease is increasing in incidence and has no specific treatment. Underlying liver disease, drug resistance, and an increasing number of treatment options without specific biomarkers are all challenges in selecting the best treatment for each patient. Conventional chemotherapy is almost never used for advanced-stage disease, which instead is treated with immunotherapy, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and VEGF inhibitors. Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting various receptors have been or are currently undergoing clinical evaluation. Ongoing trials with three-drug regimens may be the future of advanced-stage HCC treatment. Other immune-modulatory approaches of chimeric antigen receptor-modified T cells, bispecific antibodies, cytokine-induced killer cells, natural killer cells, and vaccines are in early-stage clinical trials. Targeted therapies remain limited for HCC but represent an area of potential growth. As we shift away from first-line sorafenib for advanced HCC, clinical trial control arms should comprise a standard treatment other than sorafenib, one that is a better comparator for advancing therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narayanan Sadagopan
- MedStar Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA;
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11
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Stern LJ, Clement C, Galluzzi L, Santambrogio L. Non-mutational neoantigens in disease. Nat Immunol 2024; 25:29-40. [PMID: 38168954 PMCID: PMC11075006 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01664-1] [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: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The ability of mammals to mount adaptive immune responses culminating with the establishment of immunological memory is predicated on the ability of the mature T cell repertoire to recognize antigenic peptides presented by syngeneic MHC class I and II molecules. Although it is widely believed that mature T cells are highly skewed towards the recognition of antigenic peptides originating from genetically diverse (for example, foreign or mutated) protein-coding regions, preclinical and clinical data rather demonstrate that novel antigenic determinants efficiently recognized by mature T cells can emerge from a variety of non-mutational mechanisms. In this Review, we describe various mechanisms that underlie the formation of bona fide non-mutational neoantigens, such as epitope mimicry, upregulation of cryptic epitopes, usage of non-canonical initiation codons, alternative RNA splicing, and defective ribosomal RNA processing, as well as both enzymatic and non-enzymatic post-translational protein modifications. Moreover, we discuss the implications of the immune recognition of non-mutational neoantigens for human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence J Stern
- Department of Pathology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Immunology and Microbiology Program, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Cristina Clement
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lorenzo Galluzzi
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Laura Santambrogio
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
- Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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12
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Suzuki N, Shindo Y, Nakajima M, Tsunedomi R, Nagano H. Current status of vaccine immunotherapy for gastrointestinal cancers. Surg Today 2023:10.1007/s00595-023-02773-y. [PMID: 38043066 DOI: 10.1007/s00595-023-02773-y] [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: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in tumor immunology and molecular drug development have ushered in a new era of cancer immunotherapy. Immunotherapy has shown promising results for several types of tumors, such as advanced melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, bladder cancers, and refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma. Similarly, efforts have been made to develop immunotherapies such as adoptive T-cell transplantation, peptide vaccines, and dendritic cell vaccines, specifically for gastrointestinal tumors. However, before the advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors, immunotherapy did not work as well as expected. In this article, we review immunotherapy, focusing on cancer vaccines for gastrointestinal tumors, which generally target eliciting tumor-specific CD8 + cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). We also review various vaccine therapies and describe the relationship between vaccines and adjuvants. Finally, we discuss prospects for the combination of immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuaki Suzuki
- Department of Gastroenterological, Breast, and Endocrine Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minami-Kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi, 755-8505, Japan
| | - Yoshitaro Shindo
- Department of Gastroenterological, Breast, and Endocrine Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minami-Kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi, 755-8505, Japan
| | - Masao Nakajima
- Department of Gastroenterological, Breast, and Endocrine Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minami-Kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi, 755-8505, Japan
| | - Ryouichi Tsunedomi
- Department of Gastroenterological, Breast, and Endocrine Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minami-Kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi, 755-8505, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Nagano
- Department of Gastroenterological, Breast, and Endocrine Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minami-Kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi, 755-8505, Japan.
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13
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Liu P, Li W, Qiu G, Chen J, Liu Y, Wen Z, Liang M, Zhao Y. Multiparametric MRI combined with clinical factors to predict glypican-3 expression of hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1142916. [PMID: 38023195 PMCID: PMC10666788 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1142916] [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: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives The present study aims at establishing a noninvasive and reliable model for the preoperative prediction of glypican 3 (GPC3)-positive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical indicators. Methods As a retrospective study, the subjects included 158 patients from two institutions with surgically-confirmed single HCC who underwent preoperative MRI between 2020 and 2022. The patients, 102 from institution I and 56 from institution II, were assigned to the training and the validation sets, respectively. The association of the clinic-radiological variables with the GPC3 expression was investigated through performing univariable and multivariable logistic regression (LR) analyses. The synthetic minority over-sampling technique (SMOTE) was used to balance the minority group (GPC3-negative HCCs) in the training set, and diagnostic performance was assessed by the area under the curve (AUC) and accuracy. Next, a prediction nomogram was developed and validated for patients with GPC3-positive HCC. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated through examining its calibration and clinical utility. Results Based on the results obtained from multivariable analyses, alpha-fetoprotein levels > 20 ng/mL, 75th percentile ADC value < 1.48 ×103 mm2/s and R2* value ≥ 38.6 sec-1 were found to be the significant independent predictors of GPC3-positive HCC. The SMOTE-LR model based on three features achieved the best predictive performance in the training (AUC, 0.909; accuracy, 83.7%) and validation sets (AUC, 0.829; accuracy, 82.1%) with a good calibration performance and clinical usefulness. Conclusions The nomogram combining multiparametric MRI and clinical indicators is found to have satisfactory predictive efficacy for preoperative prediction of GPC3-positive HCC. Accordingly, the proposed method can promote individualized risk stratification and further treatment decisions of HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peijun Liu
- Department of Radiology, Central People’s Hospital of Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Weiqiu Li
- Department of Radiology, The First People’s Hospital of Zhaoqing, Zhaoqing, China
| | - Ganbin Qiu
- Department of Radiology, The First People’s Hospital of Zhaoqing, Zhaoqing, China
| | - Jincan Chen
- Department of Radiology, The First People’s Hospital of Zhaoqing, Zhaoqing, China
| | - Yonghui Liu
- Department of Radiology, The First People’s Hospital of Zhaoqing, Zhaoqing, China
| | - Zhongyan Wen
- Department of Radiology, The First People’s Hospital of Zhaoqing, Zhaoqing, China
| | - Mei Liang
- Department of Radiology, The First People’s Hospital of Zhaoqing, Zhaoqing, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- Department of Radiology, Central People’s Hospital of Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang, China
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14
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Afra F, Mahboobipour AA, Salehi Farid A, Ala M. Recent progress in the immunotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma: Non-coding RNA-based immunotherapy may improve the outcome. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 165:115104. [PMID: 37393866 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most lethal cancer and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) significantly improved the prognosis of HCC; however, the therapeutic response remains unsatisfactory in a substantial proportion of patients or needs to be further improved in responders. Herein, other methods of immunotherapy, including vaccine-based immunotherapy, adoptive cell therapy, cytokine delivery, kynurenine pathway inhibition, and gene delivery, have been adopted in clinical trials. Although the results were not encouraging enough to expedite their marketing. A major proportion of human genome is transcribed into non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Preclinical studies have extensively investigated the roles of ncRNAs in different aspects of HCC biology. HCC cells reprogram the expression pattern of numerous ncRNAs to decrease the immunogenicity of HCC, exhaust the cytotoxic and anti-cancer function of CD8 + T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and M1 macrophages, and promote the immunosuppressive function of T Reg cells, M2 macrophages, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Mechanistically, cancer cells recruit ncRNAs to interact with immune cells, thereby regulating the expression of immune checkpoints, functional receptors of immune cells, cytotoxic enzymes, and inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Interestingly, prediction models based on the tissue expression or even serum levels of ncRNAs could predict response to immunotherapy in HCC. Moreover, ncRNAs markedly potentiated the efficacy of ICIs in murine models of HCC. This review article first discusses recent advances in the immunotherapy of HCC, then dissects the involvement and potential application of ncRNAs in the immunotherapy of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Afra
- Clinical Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Ali Mahboobipour
- Tracheal Diseases Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Salehi Farid
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Moein Ala
- Experimental Medicine Research Center, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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15
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Mauro M, Ugo P, Walton Z, Ali S, Rastellini C, Cicalese L. Glypican-3 (GPC-3) Structural Analysis and Cargo in Serum Small Extracellular Vesicles of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10922. [PMID: 37446098 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310922] [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: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Glypican-3 (GPC-3) is a heparin sulfate proteoglycan located extracellularly and anchored to the cell membrane of transformed hepatocytes. GPC-3 is not expressed in normal or cirrhotic liver tissue but is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Because of this, GPC-3 is one of the most important emerging immunotargets for treatment and as an early detection marker of HCC. To determine if GPC-3 domains associated with serum small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) could be used as an HCC diagnostic marker, we predicted in silico GPC-3 structural properties and tested for the presence of its full-length form and/or cleaved domains in serum sEVs isolated from patients with HCC. Structural analysis revealed that the Furin cleavage site of GPC-3 is exposed and readily accessible, suggesting the facilitation of GPC-3 cleavage events. Upon isolation of sEVs from both hepatocytes, culture media and serum of patients with HCC were studied for GPC-3 content. This data suggests that Furin-dependent GPC-3 cleaved domains could be a powerful tool for detection of initial stages of HCC and serve as a predictor for disease prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montalbano Mauro
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-5302, USA
| | - Perricone Ugo
- Molecular Informatics Group, Fondazione Ri.MED., 90133 Palermo, Italy
| | - Zachary Walton
- John Sealy School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-5302, USA
| | - Shirafkan Ali
- Rutgers Health, Department of Cardiac Surgery, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Cristiana Rastellini
- Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-5302, USA
| | - Luca Cicalese
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-5302, USA
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16
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Zhao M, Huang H, He F, Fu X. Current insights into the hepatic microenvironment and advances in immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1188277. [PMID: 37275909 PMCID: PMC10233045 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1188277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer and shows high global incidence and mortality rates. The liver is an immune-tolerated organ with a specific immune microenvironment that causes traditional therapeutic approaches to HCC, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and molecular targeted therapy, to have limited efficacy. The dramatic advances in immuno-oncology in the past few decades have modified the paradigm of cancer therapy, ushering in the era of immunotherapy. Currently, despite the rapid integration of cancer immunotherapy into clinical practice, some patients still show no response to treatment. Therefore, a rational approach is to target the tumor microenvironment when developing the next generation of immunotherapy. This review aims to provide insights into the hepatic immune microenvironment in HCC and summarize the mechanisms of action and clinical usage of immunotherapeutic options for HCC, including immune checkpoint blockade, adoptive therapy, cytokine therapy, vaccine therapy, and oncolytic virus-based therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Feng He
- *Correspondence: Feng He, ; Xiangsheng Fu,
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17
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Chen P, Chen D, Bu D, Gao J, Qin W, Deng K, Ren L, She S, Xu W, Yang Y, Xie X, Liao W, Chen H. Dominant neoantigen verification in hepatocellular carcinoma by a single-plasmid system coexpressing patient HLA and antigen. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:jitc-2022-006334. [PMID: 37076248 PMCID: PMC10124323 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-006334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies confirmed that most neoantigens predicted by algorithms do not work in clinical practice, and experimental validations remain indispensable for confirming immunogenic neoantigens. In this study, we identified the potential neoantigens with tetramer staining, and established the Co-HA system, a single-plasmid system coexpressing patient human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and antigen, to detect the immunogenicity of neoantigens and verify new dominant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) neoantigens. METHODS First, we enrolled 14 patients with HCC for next-generation sequencing for variation calling and predicting potential neoantigens. Then, the Co-HA system was established. To test the feasibility of the system, we constructed target cells coexpressing HLA-A*11:01 and the reported KRAS G12D neoantigen as well as specific T-cell receptor (TCR)-T cells. The specific cytotoxicity generated by this neoantigen was shown using the Co-HA system. Moreover, potential HCC-dominant neoantigens were screened out by tetramer staining and validated by the Co-HA system using methods including flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunospot assay and ELISA. Finally, antitumor test in mouse mode and TCR sequencing were performed to further evaluate the dominant neoantigen. RESULTS First, 2875 somatic mutations in 14 patients with HCC were identified. The main base substitutions were C>T/G>A transitions, and the main mutational signatures were 4, 1 and 16. The high-frequency mutated genes included HMCN1, TTN and TP53. Then, 541 potential neoantigens were predicted. Importantly, 19 of the 23 potential neoantigens in tumor tissues also existed in portal vein tumor thrombi. Moreover, 37 predicted neoantigens restricted by HLA-A*11:01, HLA-A*24:02 or HLA-A*02:01 were performed by tetramer staining to screen out potential HCC-dominant neoantigens. HLA-A*24:02-restricted epitope 5'-FYAFSCYYDL-3' and HLA-A*02:01-restricted epitope 5'-WVWCMSPTI-3' demonstrated strong immunogenicity in HCC, as verified by the Co-HA system. Finally, the antitumor efficacy of 5'-FYAFSCYYDL-3'-specific T cells was verified in the B-NDG-B2mtm1Fcrntm1(mB2m) mouse and their specific TCRs were successfully identified. CONCLUSION We found the dominant neoantigens with high immunogenicity in HCC, which were verified with the Co-HA system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pu Chen
- Peking University Hepatology Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Disease, Beijing International Cooperation Base for Science and Technology on NAFLD Diagnosis, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Dongbo Chen
- Peking University Hepatology Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Disease, Beijing International Cooperation Base for Science and Technology on NAFLD Diagnosis, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Dechao Bu
- Research Center for Ubiquitous Computing Systems, Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Gao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Wanying Qin
- Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Guilin Medical University Affiliated Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi, China
| | - Kangjian Deng
- Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Guilin Medical University Affiliated Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi, China
| | - Liying Ren
- Peking University Hepatology Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Disease, Beijing International Cooperation Base for Science and Technology on NAFLD Diagnosis, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shaoping She
- Peking University Hepatology Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Disease, Beijing International Cooperation Base for Science and Technology on NAFLD Diagnosis, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Wentao Xu
- Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Guilin Medical University Affiliated Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi, China
| | - Yao Yang
- Peking University Hepatology Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Disease, Beijing International Cooperation Base for Science and Technology on NAFLD Diagnosis, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xingwang Xie
- Peking University Hepatology Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Disease, Beijing International Cooperation Base for Science and Technology on NAFLD Diagnosis, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
- Corregene Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Weijia Liao
- Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Guilin Medical University Affiliated Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi, China
| | - Hongsong Chen
- Peking University Hepatology Institute, Beijing Key Laboratory of Hepatitis C and Immunotherapy for Liver Disease, Beijing International Cooperation Base for Science and Technology on NAFLD Diagnosis, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
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18
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Luo YZ, Zhu H. Immunotherapy for advanced or recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2023; 15:405-424. [PMID: 37009314 PMCID: PMC10052663 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v15.i3.405] [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: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with high morbidity and mortality, and is prone to intra- and extrahepatic metastasis due to the anatomical and functional characteristics of the liver. Due to the complexity and high relapse rate associated with radical surgery or radiofrequency ablation, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are increasingly being used to treat HCC. Several immunotherapeutic agents, along with their combinations, have been clinically approved to treat advanced or recurrent HCC. This review discusses the leading ICIs in practice and those currently undergoing randomized phase 1–3 trials as monotherapy or combination therapy. Furthermore, we summarize the rapidly developing alternative strategies such as chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T cell therapy and tumor vaccines. Combination therapy is a promising potential treatment option. These immunotherapies are also summarized in this review, which provides insights into the advantages, limitations, and novel angles for future research in establishing viable and alternative therapies against HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Zhe Luo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Hong Zhu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
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19
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Kim NJ, Yoon JH, Tuomi AC, Lee J, Kim D. In-situ tumor vaccination by percutaneous ablative therapy and its synergy with immunotherapeutics: An update on combination therapy. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1118845. [PMID: 36969248 PMCID: PMC10030508 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1118845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Percutaneous tumor ablation is now a widely accepted minimally invasive local treatment option offered by interventional radiology and applied to various organs and tumor histology types. It utilizes extreme temperatures to achieve irreversible cellular injury, where ablated tumor interacts with surrounding tissue and host via tissue remodeling and inflammation, clinically manifesting as post-ablation syndrome. During this process, in-situ tumor vaccination occurs, in which tumor neoantigens are released from ablated tissue and can prime one’s immune system which would favorably affect both local and remote site disease control. Although successful in priming the immune system, this rarely turns into clinical benefits for local and systemic tumor control due to intrinsic negative immune modulation of the tumor microenvironment. A combination of ablation and immunotherapy has been employed to overcome these and has shown promising preliminary results of synergistic effect without significantly increased risk profiles. The aim of this article is to review the evidence on post-ablation immune response and its synergy with systemic immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole J. Kim
- Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Jessica H. Yoon
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Adam C. Tuomi
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - John Lee
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Daehee Kim
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
- *Correspondence: Daehee Kim,
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20
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Wang Y, Li J, Xia L. Plant-derived natural products and combination therapy in liver cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1116532. [PMID: 36865794 PMCID: PMC9971944 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1116532] [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: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer is one of the malignant cancers globally and seriously endangers human health because of its high morbidity and mortality. Plant-derived natural products have been evaluated as potential anticancer drugs due to low side effects and high anti-tumor efficacy. However, plant-derived natural products also have defects of poor solubility and cumbersome extraction process. In recent years, a growing numbers of plant derived natural products have been used in combination therapy of liver cancer with conventional chemotherapeutic agents, which has improved clinical efficacy through multiple mechanisms, including inhibition of tumor growth, induction of apoptosis, suppression of angiogenesis, enhancement of immunity, reversal of multiple drug resistance and reduction of side effects. The therapeutic effects and mechanisms of plant-derived natural products and combination therapy on liver cancer are reviewed to provide references for developing anti-liver-cancer strategies with high efficacy and low side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqin Wang
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China
| | - Jinyao Li
- *Correspondence: Jinyao Li, ; Lijie Xia,
| | - Lijie Xia
- *Correspondence: Jinyao Li, ; Lijie Xia,
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21
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Mandlik DS, Mandlik SK, Choudhary HB. Immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: Current status and future perspectives. World J Gastroenterol 2023; 29:1054-1075. [PMID: 36844141 PMCID: PMC9950866 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v29.i6.1054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the world’s deadliest and fastest-growing tumors, with a poor prognosis. HCC develops in the context of chronic liver disease. Curative resection, surgery (liver transplantation), trans-arterial chemoembolization, radioembolization, radiofrequency ablation and chemotherapy are common treatment options for HCC, however, they will only assist a limited percentage of patients. Current treatments for advanced HCC are ineffective and aggravate the underlying liver condition. Despite promising preclinical and early-phase clinical trials for some drugs, existing systemic therapeutic methods for advanced tumor stages remain limited, underlining an unmet clinical need. In current years, cancer immunotherapy has made significant progress, opening up new treatment options for HCC. HCC, on the other hand, has a variety of causes and can affects the body’s immune system via a variety of mechanisms. With the speedy advancement of synthetic biology and genetic engineering, a range of innovative immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors [anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4, and anti-PD ligand 1 cell death antibodies], therapeutic cancer vaccines, engineered cytokines, and adoptive cell therapy have all been used for the treatment of advanced HCC. In this review, we summarize the present clinical and preclinical landscape of immunotherapies in HCC, critically discuss recent clinical trial outcomes, and address future perspectives in the field of liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepa S Mandlik
- Department of Pharmacology, BVDU, Poona College of Pharmacy, Pune 411038, Maharashtra, India
| | - Satish K Mandlik
- Department of Pharmaceutics, BVDU, Poona College of Pharmacy, Pune 411038, Maharashtra, India
| | - Heena B Choudhary
- Department of Pharmacology, BVDU, Poona College of Pharmacy, Pune 411038, Maharashtra, India
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Immunotherapy and the Combination with Targeted Therapies for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15030654. [PMID: 36765612 PMCID: PMC9913568 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15030654] [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: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the most important abilities of a tumor is to establish a state of immunosuppression inside the tumor microenvironment. This is made possible through numerous mechanisms of tumor immune escape that have been identified in experimental studies during the last decades. In addition, the hepatic microenvironment is commonly oriented towards a state of immune tolerance because the liver receives blood from the hepatic arteries and portal veins containing a variety of endogenous antigens. Therefore, the hepatic microenvironment establishes an autoimmune tolerance, preventing an autoimmune reaction in the liver. On this basis, hepatic tumor cells may escape the immune system, avoiding being recognized and destroyed by immune cells. Moreover, since the etiology of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is often related to cirrhosis, and hepatitis B or C, this tumor develops in the context of chronic inflammation. Thus, the HCC microenvironment is characterized by important immune cell infiltration. Given these data and the poor prognosis of advanced HCC, different immunotherapeutic strategies have been developed and evaluated for these patients. In this review, we describe all the clinical applications of immunotherapy for advanced HCC, from the drugs that have already been approved to the ongoing clinical trials.
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Tumor immunology. Clin Immunol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-818006-8.00003-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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24
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Chong H, Gong Y, Zhang Y, Dai Y, Sheng R, Zeng M. Radiomics on Gadoxetate Disodium-enhanced MRI: Non-invasively Identifying Glypican 3-Positive Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Postoperative Recurrence. Acad Radiol 2023; 30:49-63. [PMID: 35562264 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2022.04.006] [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: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES To investigate the impact of preoperative gadoxetate disodium (EOB) MRI-based radiomics on predicting glypican 3 (GPC3)-positive expression and the relevant recurrence-free survival (RFS) of HCC ≤ 5 cm. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between January 2014 and October 2018, 259 patients with solitary HCC ≤ 5 cm who underwent hepatectomy and preoperative EOB-MRI were retrieved. Multivariate logistic regression was implemented to identify independent predictors for GPC3. By combining five feature selection strategies and three classifiers, 15 GPC3-oriented radiomics models could be constructed, the best of which with independent clinicoradiologic predictors was integrated into the comprehensive nomogram. RESULTS GPC3 was an independent risk factor of postoperative recrudescence for HCC. Alpha-fetoprotein >20 ng/mL, homogenous T2 signal and hypointensity on hepatobiliary phase were independently related to GPC3-positive expression in the clinicoradiologic model. With 10 features selected by support vector machines-recursive feature elimination, logistic regression-based classifier achieved the best performance among 15 radiomics models. After five-fold cross-validation, our comprehensive nomogram acquired better average area under receiver operating characteristic curves (training and validation cohorts: 0.931 vs. 0.943) than the clinicoradiologic algorithm (0.738 vs. 0.739) and the optimal radiomics model (0.943 vs. 0.931). Net reclassification indexes further demonstrated the superiority of GPC3 nomogram over clinicoradiologic and radiomics algorithms (46.54%, p < 0.001; 7.84%, p = 0.207). Meanwhile, higher radiomics score significantly shortened the median RFS (from >77.9 to 48.2 months, p = 0.044), which was analogue to that of the histological GPC3-positive phenotype (from >73.9 to 43.2 months, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Preoperative EOB-MRI radiomics-based nomogram satisfactorily distinguished GPC3 status and outcomes of solitary HCC ≤ 5 cm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhuan Chong
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuda Gong
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Yunfei Zhang
- Central Research Institute, United Imaging Healthcare, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongming Dai
- Central Research Institute, United Imaging Healthcare, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruofan Sheng
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengsu Zeng
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, China; Department of Medical Imaging, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, 130 Dongan Road, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, China.
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25
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Yang C, Zhang H, Zhang L, Zhu AX, Bernards R, Qin W, Wang C. Evolving therapeutic landscape of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 20:203-222. [PMID: 36369487 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-022-00704-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 73.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common solid malignancies worldwide. A large proportion of patients with HCC are diagnosed at advanced stages and are only amenable to systemic therapies. We have witnessed the evolution of systemic therapies from single-agent targeted therapy (sorafenib and lenvatinib) to the combination of a checkpoint inhibitor plus targeted therapy (atezolizumab plus bevacizumab therapy). Despite remarkable advances, only a small subset of patients can obtain durable clinical benefit, and therefore substantial therapeutic challenges remain. In the past few years, emerging systemic therapies, including new molecular-targeted monotherapies (for example, donafenib), new immuno-oncology monotherapies (for example, durvalumab) and new combination therapies (for example, durvalumab plus tremelimumab), have shown encouraging results in clinical trials. In addition, many novel therapeutic approaches with the potential to offer improved treatment effects in patients with advanced HCC, such as sequential combination targeted therapy and next-generation adoptive cell therapy, have also been proposed and developed. In this Review, we summarize the latest clinical advances in the treatment of advanced HCC and discuss future perspectives that might inform the development of more effective therapeutics for advanced HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hailin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Linmeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Andrew X Zhu
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA, USA. .,Jiahui International Cancer Center, Jiahui Health, Shanghai, China.
| | - René Bernards
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. .,Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
| | - Wenxin Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Cun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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Motamedi Dehbarez F, Mahmoodi S. Production of a Novel Multi-Epitope Peptide Vaccine against Hepatocellular Carcinoma. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES 2022; 47:558-565. [PMID: 36380977 PMCID: PMC9652490 DOI: 10.30476/ijms.2021.90916.2199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the prevalent cancers in the world with a high recurrence rate. In recent years, different researches have focused on designing efficient multi-epitope peptide vaccines against HCC. In designing these vaccines, over-expressed antigens in HCC patients, such as α- fetoprotein (AFP) and glypican-3 (GPC-3), have been employed. In our previous study, a multi-epitope peptide vaccine for HCC was designed by in-silico methods. The designed vaccine construct included the AFP, GPC-3, and aspartyl-β-hydroxylase (ASPH) as CytoLoxic T cell Lymphocytes (CTL), one epitope from Tetanus Toxin Fragment C (TTFrC) as Helper T cell Lymphocytes (HTL), and a segment of microbial heat shock protein (HSP70) peptide407-426 as an adjuvant. All the mentioned parts were connected by appropriate linkers. The aim of this study is the production of the designed vaccine. METHODS This research is experimental and was carried out in Fasa, Iran, in 2017. The designed vaccine construct gene was transformed to the Escherchia coli BL21 (DE3) strain and expressed in different isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) concentrations (0.6 and 1 mM), times (4, 6, 8, 16 hours), and temperatures (25 and 37 °C). Then, the expressed protein was analyzed by Sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and the Western blot methods. RESULTS The best conditions for protein expression were obtained in the Super Optimal Broth (SOB) medium at 37 °C after the induction of expression by 1 mM IPTG for six hour. CONCLUSION The recombinant HCC vaccine was produced with a proper concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Motamedi Dehbarez
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Shirin Mahmoodi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
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Cassese G, Han HS, Lee B, Lee HW, Cho JY, Panaro F, Troisi RI. Immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: A promising therapeutic option for advanced disease. World J Hepatol 2022; 14:1862-1874. [PMID: 36340753 PMCID: PMC9627435 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v14.i10.1862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and its incidence continues to increase. Despite improvements in both medical and surgical therapies, HCC remains associated with poor outcomes due to its high rates of recurrence and mortality. Approximately 50% of patients require systemic therapies that traditionally consist of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Recently, however, immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized HCC management, providing new therapeutic options. Despite these major advances, the different factors involved in poor clinical responses and molecular pathways leading to resistance following use of these therapies remain unclear. Alternative strategies, such as adoptive T cell transfer, vaccination, and virotherapy, are currently under evaluation. Combinations of immunotherapies with other systemic or local treatments are also being investigated and may be the most promising opportunities for HCC treatment. The aim of this review is to provide updated information on currently available immunotherapies for HCC as well as future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Cassese
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Division of Minimally Invasive and Robotic HPB Surgery, Federico II University, Naples 80131, Italy
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam 13620, South Korea
| | - Ho-Seong Han
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam 13620, South Korea
| | - Boram Lee
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam 13620, South Korea
| | - Hae Won Lee
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam 13620, South Korea
| | - Jai Young Cho
- Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam 13620, South Korea
| | - Fabrizio Panaro
- Department of Surgery, Division of HBP Surgery and Transplantation, Montpellier University Hospital - School of Medicine, Montpellier 34000, France
| | - Roberto Ivan Troisi
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Division of Minimally Invasive and Robotic HPB Surgery, Federico II University, Naples 80131, Italy
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Novel Nanotechnology Approaches to Overcome Drug Resistance in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Glypican 3 as a Useful Target for Innovative Therapies. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231710038. [PMID: 36077433 PMCID: PMC9456072 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231710038] [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: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most lethal tumor, with a 5-year survival rate of 18%. Early stage HCC is potentially treatable by therapies with curative intent, whereas chemoembolization/radioembolization and systemic therapies are the only therapeutic options for intermediate or advanced HCC. Drug resistance is a critical obstacle in the treatment of HCC that could be overcome by the use of targeted nanoparticle-based therapies directed towards specific tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) to improve drug delivery. Glypican 3 (GPC3) is a member of the glypican family, heparan sulfate proteoglycans bound to the cell surface via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor. The high levels of GPC3 detected in HCC and the absence or very low levels in normal and non-malignant liver make GPC3 a promising TAA candidate for targeted nanoparticle-based therapies. The use of nanoparticles conjugated with anti-GPC3 agents may improve drug delivery, leading to a reduction in severe side effects caused by chemotherapy and increased drug release at the tumor site. In this review, we describe the main clinical features of HCC and the common treatment approaches. We propose the proteoglycan GPC3 as a useful TAA for targeted therapies. Finally, we describe nanotechnology approaches for anti-GPC3 drug delivery systems based on NPs for HCC treatment.
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Chen Y, Qin Y, Wu Y, Wei H, Wei Y, Zhang Z, Duan T, Jiang H, Song B. Preoperative prediction of glypican-3 positive expression in solitary hepatocellular carcinoma on gadoxetate-disodium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Front Immunol 2022; 13:973153. [PMID: 36091074 PMCID: PMC9453305 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.973153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose As a coreceptor in Wnt and HGF signaling, glypican-3 (GPC-3) promotes the progression of tumor and is associated with a poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). GPC-3 has evolved as a target molecule in various immunotherapies, including chimeric antigen receptor T cell. However, its evaluation still relies on invasive histopathologic examination. Therefore, we aimed to develop an easy-to-use and noninvasive risk score integrating preoperative gadoxetic acid–enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (EOB-MRI) and clinical indicators to predict positive GPC-3 expression in HCC. Methods and materials Consecutive patients with surgically-confirmed solitary HCC who underwent preoperative EOB-MRI between January 2016 and November 2021 were retrospectively included. EOB-MRI features were independently evaluated by two masked abdominal radiologists and the expression of GPC-3 was determined by two liver pathologists. On the training dataset, a predictive scoring system for GPC-3 was developed against pathology via logistical regression analysis. Model performances were characterized by computing areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs). Results A total of 278 patients (training set, n=156; internal validation set, n=39; external validation set, n=83) with solitary HCC (208 [75%] with positive GPC-3 expression) were included. Serum alpha-fetoprotein >10 ng/ml (AFP, odds ratio [OR]=2.3, four points) and five EOB-MR imaging features, including tumor size >3.0cm (OR=0.5, -3 points), nonperipheral “washout” (OR=3.0, five points), infiltrative appearance (OR=9.3, 10 points), marked diffusion restriction (OR=3.3, five points), and iron sparing in solid mass (OR=0.2, -7 points) were significantly associated with positive GPC-3 expression. The optimal threshold of scoring system for predicting GPC-3 positive expression was 5.5 points, with AUC 0.726 and 0.681 on the internal and external validation sets, respectively. Conclusion Based on serum AFP and five EOB-MRI features, we developed an easy-to-use and noninvasive risk score which could accurately predict positive GPC-3 HCC, which may help identify potential responders for GPC-3-targeted immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yidi Chen
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yun Qin
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuanan Wu
- Big Data Research Center, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Hong Wei
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi Wei
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ting Duan
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hanyu Jiang
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Hanyu Jiang, ; Bin Song,
| | - Bin Song
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Radiology, Sanya People’s Hospital, Sanya, China
- *Correspondence: Hanyu Jiang, ; Bin Song,
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30
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Immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Exp Med 2022:10.1007/s10238-022-00874-5. [PMID: 36001163 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-022-00874-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a primary malignancy of the liver, is a threat to the health of all humans as a prevalent malignancy and is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. It is difficult to diagnose because symptoms do not show up until late in the disease, and patients often progress to the point where transplantation, resection, or even local treatment cannot be performed. The progression of HCC is regulated by the immune system, and immunotherapy enables the body's immune system's defenses to target liver cancer cells; therefore, immunotherapy has brought a new hope for the treatment of HCC. Currently, the main types of immunotherapies for liver cancer are: immune checkpoint inhibitors, liver cancer vaccines and cellular therapies. In this review, the progress of immunotherapy for the treatment of HCC is summarized.
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Rallis KS, Makrakis D, Ziogas IA, Tsoulfas G. Immunotherapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: From clinical trials to real-world data and future advances. World J Clin Oncol 2022; 13:448-472. [PMID: 35949435 PMCID: PMC9244967 DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v13.i6.448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. HCC is an inflammation-associated immunogenic cancer that frequently arises in chronically inflamed livers. Advanced HCC is managed with systemic therapies; the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) sorafenib has been used in 1st-line setting since 2007. Immunotherapies have emerged as promising treatments across solid tumors including HCC for which immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are licensed in 1st- and 2nd-line treatment setting. The treatment field of advanced HCC is continuously evolving. Several clinical trials are investigating novel ICI candidates as well as new ICI regimens in combination with other therapeutic modalities including systemic agents, such as other ICIs, TKIs, and anti-angiogenics. Novel immunotherapies including adoptive cell transfer, vaccine-based approaches, and virotherapy are also being brought to the fore. Yet, despite advances, several challenges persist. Lack of real-world data on the use of immunotherapy for advanced HCC in patients outside of clinical trials constitutes a main limitation hindering the breadth of application and generalizability of data to this larger and more diverse patient cohort. Consequently, issues encountered in real-world practice include patient ineligibly for immunotherapy because of contraindications, comorbidities, or poor performance status; lack of response, efficacy, and safety data; and cost-effectiveness. Further real-world data from high-quality large prospective cohort studies of immunotherapy in patients with advanced HCC is mandated to aid evidence-based clinical decision-making. This review provides a critical and comprehensive overview of clinical trials and real-world data of immunotherapy for HCC, with a focus on ICIs, as well as novel immunotherapy strategies underway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrine S Rallis
- Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AD, United Kingdom
- Surgery Working Group, Society of Junior Doctors, Athens 15123, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Makrakis
- Surgery Working Group, Society of Junior Doctors, Athens 15123, Greece
- Division of Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Ioannis A Ziogas
- Surgery Working Group, Society of Junior Doctors, Athens 15123, Greece
- Department of Surgery, Division of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Georgios Tsoulfas
- Department of Transplantation Surgery, Aristotle University School of Medicine, Thessaloniki 54622, Greece
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Abushukair HM, Saeed A. Hepatocellular carcinoma and immunotherapy: Beyond immune checkpoint inhibitors. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2022; 14:1210-1212. [PMID: 35949209 PMCID: PMC9244992 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v14.i6.1210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest and most common malignancies of the liver. Considering the rich immune background of carcinogenesis in HCC, efforts have been focused on further understanding the role of the immune system in tumor suppression and promotion. The utilization of immunotherapy in HCC has led to encouraging results that has translated to longer survival and better quality of life among patients. The development of novel HCC-tailored regimens such as vaccine therapy and adoptive cellular therapy coupled with a deeper understanding of biomarkers predictive of the response to immunotherapy will lead to better treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anwaar Saeed
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, The University of Kansas Cancer Center, Kansas City, KS 66205, United States
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33
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Carroll HK, Duffy AG, O'Farrelly C. Liver Immunology, Immunotherapy, and Liver Cancers: Time for a Rethink? Semin Liver Dis 2022; 42:212-224. [PMID: 35263795 DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1744143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The complex immune system of the liver has a major role in tumor surveillance, but also partly explains why current immune therapies are poorly effective against liver cancers. Known primarily for its tolerogenic capacity, the hepatic immune repertoire also comprises diverse populations of armored immune cells with tumor surveillant roles. In healthy people, these work together to successfully identify malignant cells and prevent their proliferation, thus halting tumor formation. When frontline hepatic immune surveillance systems fail, compromised hepatic immunity, driven by obesity, infection, or other pathological factors, allows primary or secondary liver cancers to develop. Tumor growth promotes the normal tolerogenic immunological milieu of the liver, perhaps explaining why current immunotherapies fail to work. This review explores the complex local liver immune system with the hope of identifying potential therapeutic targets needed to best overcome immunological barriers in the liver to create an environment no longer hostile to immunotherapy for the treatment of liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailey K Carroll
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Mater Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Austin G Duffy
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Mater Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Cliona O'Farrelly
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.,School of Medicine, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
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Fan Y, Xue H, Zheng H. Systemic Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current Updates and Outlook. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2022; 9:233-263. [PMID: 35388357 PMCID: PMC8977221 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s358082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has emerged the culprit of cancer-related mortality worldwide with its dismal prognosis climbing. In recent years, ground-breaking progress has been made in systemic therapy for HCC. Targeted therapy based on specific signaling molecules, including sorafenib, lenvatinib, regorafenib, cabozantinib, and ramucirumab, has been widely used for advanced HCC (aHCC). Immunotherapies such as pembrolizumab and nivolumab greatly improve the survival of aHCC patients. More recently, synergistic combination therapy has boosted first-line (atezolizumab in combination with bevacizumab) and second-line (ipilimumab in combination with nivolumab) therapeutic modalities for aHCC. This review aims to summarize recent updates of systemic therapy relying on the biological mechanisms of HCC, particularly highlighting the approved agents for aHCC. Adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy, as well as a combination with locoregional therapies (LRTs), are also discussed. Additionally, we describe the promising effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as systemic therapy on HCC. In this setting, the challenges and future directions of systemic therapy for HCC are also explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinjie Fan
- College of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110847, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Oncology and Experimental Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hang Xue
- Department of Oncology and Experimental Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huachuan Zheng
- Department of Oncology and Experimental Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Huachuan Zheng, Department of Oncology and Experimental Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-0314-2279458, Fax +86-0314-2279458, Email
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Yagi N, Suzuki T, Mizuno S, Kojima M, Kudo M, Sugimoto M, Kobayashi S, Gotohda N, Ishii G, Nakatsura T. The component with abundant immune-related cells in combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma identified by cluster analysis. Cancer Sci 2022; 113:1564-1574. [PMID: 35226764 PMCID: PMC9128159 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC‐CCA) is a heterogeneous tumor sharing histological features with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA). The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of cHCC‐CCA is unclear. We compared the TIME of cHCC‐CCA with that of HCC and iCCA. Twenty‐three patients with cHCC‐CCA after hepatectomy were evaluated in this study. Twenty‐three patients with iCCA and HCC were also included. iCCA was matched for size, and HCC was matched for size and hepatitis virus infection with cHCC‐CCA. Immune‐related cells among the iCCA‐component of cHCC‐CCA (C‐com), HCC‐component of cHCC‐CCA (H‐com), iCCA, and HCC were assessed using multiplex fluorescence immunohistochemistry. Among C‐com, H‐com, iCCA, and HCC, multiple comparisons and cluster analysis with k‐nearest neighbor algorithms were performed using immunological variables. Although HCC had more T lymphocytes and lower PD‐L1 expression than iCCA (P < 0.05), there were no significant differences in immunological variables between C‐com and H‐com. C‐com tended to have more T lymphocytes than iCCA (P = 0.09), and C‐com and H‐com had fewer macrophages than HCC (P < 0.05). In cluster analysis, all samples were classified into two clusters: one cluster had more immune‐related cells than the other, and 12 of 23 H‐com and eight of 23 C‐com were identified in this cluster. The TIME of C‐com and H‐com may be similar, and some immunological features in these components were different from those in HCC and some iCCA. Cluster analysis identified components with abundant immune‐related cells in cHCC‐iCCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Yagi
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Japan.,Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Japan.,Course of Advanced Clinical Research of Cancer, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Suzuki
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Japan.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shoichi Mizuno
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Japan
| | - Motohiro Kojima
- Division of Pathology, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Japan
| | - Masashi Kudo
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Japan
| | - Motokazu Sugimoto
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Japan
| | - Shin Kobayashi
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Japan
| | - Naoto Gotohda
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Japan.,Course of Advanced Clinical Research of Cancer, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Genichiro Ishii
- Course of Advanced Clinical Research of Cancer, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Pathology and Clinical Laboratories, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Nakatsura
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Japan
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36
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Therapeutic Vaccines against Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Era: Time for Neoantigens? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042022. [PMID: 35216137 PMCID: PMC8875127 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have been used as immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with promising but still limited results. Identification of immune elements in the tumor microenvironment of individual HCC patients may help to understand the correlations of responses, as well as to design personalized therapies for non-responder patients. Immune-enhancing strategies, such as vaccination, would complement ICI in those individuals with poorly infiltrated tumors. The prominent role of responses against mutated tumor antigens (neoAgs) in ICI-based therapies suggests that boosting responses against these epitopes may specifically target tumor cells. In this review we summarize clinical vaccination trials carried out in HCC, the available information on potentially immunogenic neoAgs in HCC patients, and the most recent results of neoAg-based vaccines in other tumors. Despite the low/intermediate mutational burden observed in HCC, data obtained from neoAg-based vaccines in other tumors indicate that vaccines directed against these tumor-specific antigens would complement ICI in a subset of HCC patients.
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37
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Wang K, Wang C, Jiang H, Zhang Y, Lin W, Mo J, Jin C. Combination of Ablation and Immunotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Where We Are and Where to Go. Front Immunol 2022; 12:792781. [PMID: 34975896 PMCID: PMC8714655 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.792781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and is increasing in incidence. Local ablative therapy plays a leading role in HCC treatment. Radiofrequency (RFA) is one of the first-line therapies for early local ablation. Other local ablation techniques (e.g., microwave ablation, cryoablation, irreversible electroporation, phototherapy.) have been extensively explored in clinical trials or cell/animal studies but have not yet been established as a standard treatment or applied clinically. On the one hand, single treatment may not meet the needs. On the other hand, ablative therapy can stimulate local and systemic immune effects. The combination strategy of immunotherapy and ablation is reasonable. In this review, we briefly summarized the current status and progress of ablation and immunotherapy for HCC. The immune effects of local ablation and the strategies of combination therapy, especially synergistic strategies based on biomedical materials, were discussed. This review is hoped to provide references for future researches on ablative immunotherapy to arrive to a promising new era of HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunpeng Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, China
| | - Cong Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hao Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, China
| | - Yaqiong Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, China
| | - Weidong Lin
- Department of General Surgery, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, China
| | - Jinggang Mo
- Department of General Surgery, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, China
| | - Chong Jin
- Department of General Surgery, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, China
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38
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Bakrania A, Zheng G, Bhat M. Nanomedicine in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A New Frontier in Targeted Cancer Treatment. Pharmaceutics 2021; 14:41. [PMID: 35056937 PMCID: PMC8779722 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14010041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death and is associated with a dismal median survival of 2-9 months. The fundamental limitations and ineffectiveness of current HCC treatments have led to the development of a vast range of nanotechnologies with the goal of improving the safety and efficacy of treatment for HCC. Although remarkable success has been achieved in nanomedicine research, there are unique considerations such as molecular heterogeneity and concomitant liver dysfunction that complicate the translation of nanotheranostics in HCC. This review highlights the progress, challenges, and targeting opportunities in HCC nanomedicine based on the growing literature in recent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Bakrania
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada;
- Ajmera Transplant Program, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2N2, Canada
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2C1, Canada;
| | - Gang Zheng
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2C1, Canada;
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G9, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Mamatha Bhat
- Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada;
- Ajmera Transplant Program, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2N2, Canada
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
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39
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Jin X, Liu X, Zhou Z, Ding Y, Wu Y, Qiu J, Shen C. Identification of HLA-A2 restricted epitopes of glypican-3 and induction of CTL responses in HLA-A2 transgenic mice. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2021; 71:1569-1582. [PMID: 34724090 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-021-03096-y] [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: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor with high mortality, but lacks effective treatments. Carcinoembryonic antigen glypican-3 (GPC3) is a tumor-associated antigen overexpressed in HCC but rarely expressed in healthy individuals and thus is one of the most promising therapeutic targets. T cell epitope-based vaccines may bring light to HCC patients, especially to the patients at a late stage. However, few epitopes from GPC3 were identified to date, which limited the application of GPC3-derived epitopes in immunotherapy and T cell function detection. In this study, a total of 25 HLA-A0201 restricted GPC3 epitopes were in silico predicted and selected as candidate epitopes. Then, HLA-A0201+/GPC3+ HCC patients' PBMCs were collected and co-stimulated with the candidate epitope peptides in ex vivo IFN-γ Elispot assay, by which five epitopes were identified as real-world epitopes. Their capacity to elicit specific CD8+ T cells activation and proliferation was further confirmed by in vitro co-cultures of patients' PBMCs with peptide, in vitro co-cultures of healthy donors' PBLs with DCs and peptide, T2 cell binding assay as well as HLA-A2 molecule stability assay. Moreover, the in vivo immunogenicity of the five validated epitopes was confirmed by peptides cocktail/poly(I:C) vaccination in HLA-A0201/DR1 transgenic mice. Robust epitope-specific CD8+ T cell responses and cytotoxicity targeting HepG2 cells were observed as detected by IFN-γ Elispot, intracellular IFN-γ staining and cytolysis assay. This study provided novel GPC3 CTL epitopes for the development of T cell epitope vaccines and evaluation of GPC3 specific T cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Jin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaotao Liu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zining Zhou
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yan Ding
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yandan Wu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jie Qiu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Oncology, The Second Hospital of Nanjing Affiliated To Southeast University, Nanjing, 210003, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Chuanlai Shen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China. .,Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China.
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40
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Liu Z, Liu X, Liang J, Liu Y, Hou X, Zhang M, Li Y, Jiang X. Immunotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current Status and Future Prospects. Front Immunol 2021; 12:765101. [PMID: 34675942 PMCID: PMC8524467 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.765101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent primary liver cancer with poor prognosis. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiofrequency ablation are three conventional therapeutic options that will help only a limited percentage of HCC patients. Cancer immunotherapy has achieved dramatic advances in recent years and provides new opportunities to treat HCC. However, HCC has various etiologies and can evade the immune system through multiple mechanisms. With the rapid development of genetic engineering and synthetic biology, a variety of novel immunotherapies have been employed to treat advanced HCC, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell therapy, engineered cytokines, and therapeutic cancer vaccines. In this review, we summarize the current landscape and research progress of different immunotherapy strategies in the treatment of HCC. The challenges and opportunities of this research field are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoyan Liu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xuan Liu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pediatrics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiaxin Liang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yixin Liu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaorui Hou
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Meichuan Zhang
- R&D Department, Caleb BioMedical Technology Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yongyin Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaotao Jiang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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41
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Bo XW, Sun LP, Yu SY, Xu HX. Thermal ablation and immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: Recent advances and future directions. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2021; 13:1397-1411. [PMID: 34721773 PMCID: PMC8529921 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v13.i10.1397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of most common cancers that cause death in the world. Thermal ablation (TA) is an important alternative treatment method for HCC patients who are not appropriate for surgery or liver transplantation. Particularly for small and early HCCs, TA can be considered as the first-line curative treatment. However, local and distant recurrence rates are still high even though the TA equipment and technology develop rapidly. Immunotherapy is a novel systemic treatment method to enhance the anti-tumor immune response of HCC patients, which has the potential to reduce the tumor recurrence and metastasis. The combination of local TA and systemic immunotherapy for HCCs may be an ideal treatment for enhancing the efficacy of TA and controlling the recurrence. Herein we summarize the latest progress in TA, immunotherapy, and their combination for the treatment of patients with HCC and discuss the limitations and future research directions of the combined therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Wan Bo
- Center of Minimally Invasive Treatment for Tumor, Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital; Ultrasound Research and Education Institute, Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200072, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultrasound Diagnosis and Treatment; National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai 200072, China
| | - Li-Ping Sun
- Center of Minimally Invasive Treatment for Tumor, Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital; Ultrasound Research and Education Institute, Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200072, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultrasound Diagnosis and Treatment; National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai 200072, China
| | - Song-Yuan Yu
- Center of Minimally Invasive Treatment for Tumor, Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital; Ultrasound Research and Education Institute, Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200072, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultrasound Diagnosis and Treatment; National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai 200072, China
| | - Hui-Xiong Xu
- Center of Minimally Invasive Treatment for Tumor, Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital; Ultrasound Research and Education Institute, Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200072, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultrasound Diagnosis and Treatment; National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai 200072, China
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42
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HCC and Molecular Targeting Therapies: Back to the Future. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9101345. [PMID: 34680462 PMCID: PMC8533575 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9101345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of death from cancer in the world. Recently, the effectiveness of new antiviral therapies and the HBV vaccine have reduced HCC’s incidence, while non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis is an emerging risk factor. This review focuses on antiangiogenic molecules and immune checkpoint inhibitors approved for HCC treatment and possible future approaches. Sorafenib was the first drug approved for the treatment of advanced HCC (aHCC) and it has been shown to increase survival by a few months. Lenvatinib, a multikinase inhibitor, has shown non-inferiority in survival compared with sorafenib and an improvement in progression-free survival (PFS). The combination of atezolizumab (an anti-PDL1 antibody) and bevacizumab (an anti-VEGF antibody) was the first drug combination approved for HCC, demonstrating improved survival compared with sorafenib (19.2 vs. 13.4 months). As a second line of therapy, three regimens (regorafenib, cabozantinib, and ramucirumab) have been approved for the treatment of aHCC after progression on sorafenib according to guidelines. Furthermore, nivolumab, pembrolizumab, and nivolumab plus ipilimumab have been approved by the FDA (2017, 2018, and 2020, respectively). Finally, immune target therapy, cancer vaccines, and epigenetic drugs represent three new possible weapons for the treatment of HCC.
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43
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Charneau J, Suzuki T, Shimomura M, Fujinami N, Nakatsura T. Peptide-Based Vaccines for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Review of Recent Advances. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2021; 8:1035-1054. [PMID: 34513746 PMCID: PMC8424432 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s291558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary liver cancer is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. After surgery, up to 70% of patients experience relapses. The current first-line therapy for advanced cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) comprises sorafenib and lenvatinib administered as single-drug therapies. Regorafenib, cabozantinib, and ramucirumab are administered as second-line therapies. Recently, it has been reported that using the immune checkpoint inhibitors atezolizumab (anti-PDL1 antibody) and bevacizumab (anti-VEGF antibody) leads to longer overall survival of unresectable cases, when compared with the use of sorafenib. The role of cancer immunity against HCC has attracted the attention of clinicians. In this review, we describe our phase I/II clinical trials of peptide vaccines targeting GPC3 in HCC and discuss the potential of peptide vaccines targeting common cancer antigens that are highly expressed in HCC, such as WT-I, AFP, ROBO1, and FOXM1. Further, we introduce recent cancer vaccines targeting neoantigens, which have attracted attention in recent times, as well as present our preclinical studies, the results of which might aid to initiate a neoantigen vaccine clinical trial, which would be the first of its kind in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimmy Charneau
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Suzuki
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Manami Shimomura
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
| | - Norihiro Fujinami
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Nakatsura
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa City, Japan
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44
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Greten TF, Abou-Alfa GK, Cheng AL, Duffy AG, El-Khoueiry AB, Finn RS, Galle PR, Goyal L, He AR, Kaseb AO, Kelley RK, Lencioni R, Lujambio A, Mabry Hrones D, Pinato DJ, Sangro B, Troisi RI, Wilson Woods A, Yau T, Zhu AX, Melero I. Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) clinical practice guideline on immunotherapy for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:e002794. [PMID: 34518290 PMCID: PMC8438858 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-002794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have historically had few options and faced extremely poor prognoses if their disease progressed after standard-of-care tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Recently, the standard of care for HCC has been transformed as a combination of the immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) atezolizumab plus the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody bevacizumab was shown to offer improved overall survival in the first-line setting. Immunotherapy has demonstrated safety and efficacy in later lines of therapy as well, and ongoing trials are investigating novel combinations of ICIs and TKIs, in addition to interventions earlier in the course of disease or in combination with liver-directed therapies. Because HCC usually develops against a background of cirrhosis, immunotherapy for liver tumors is complex and oncologists need to account for both immunological and hepatological considerations when developing a treatment plan for their patients. To provide guidance to the oncology community on important concerns for the immunotherapeutic care of HCC, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) convened a multidisciplinary panel of experts to develop a clinical practice guideline (CPG). The expert panel drew on the published literature as well as their clinical experience to develop recommendations for healthcare professionals on these important aspects of immunotherapeutic treatment for HCC, including diagnosis and staging, treatment planning, immune-related adverse events (irAEs), and patient quality of life (QOL) considerations. The evidence- and consensus-based recommendations in this CPG are intended to give guidance to cancer care providers treating patients with HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim F Greten
- Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Ghassan K Abou-Alfa
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Weill Medical College at Cornell University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ann-Lii Cheng
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Taiwan University Cancer Center and National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Austin G Duffy
- The Mater Hospital/University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Anthony B El-Khoueiry
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Richard S Finn
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | - Lipika Goyal
- Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Aiwu Ruth He
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Ahmed O Kaseb
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Robin Kate Kelley
- Department of Medicine (Hematology/Oncology), UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Riccardo Lencioni
- Department of Radiology, University of Pisa School of Medicine, Pisa, Italy
- Miami Cancer Institute, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Amaia Lujambio
- Oncological Sciences Department, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Donna Mabry Hrones
- Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - David J Pinato
- Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Bruno Sangro
- Clinica Universidad de Navarra-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Andrea Wilson Woods
- Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Thomas Yau
- Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Andrew X Zhu
- Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Jiahui Health, Jiahui International Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Ignacio Melero
- Clinica Universidad de Navarra-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA), Pamplona, Spain
- Foundation for Applied Medical Research (FIMA), Pamplona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
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45
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Huang SL, Wang YM, Wang QY, Feng GG, Wu FQ, Yang LM, Zhang XH, Xin HW. Mechanisms and Clinical Trials of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Immunotherapy. Front Genet 2021; 12:691391. [PMID: 34306031 PMCID: PMC8296838 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.691391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most common and lethal tumors worldwide, is usually not diagnosed until the disease is advanced, which results in ineffective intervention and unfavorable prognosis. Small molecule targeted drugs of HCC, such as sorafenib, provided only about 2.8 months of survival benefit, partially due to cancer stem cell resistance. There is an urgent need for the development of new treatment strategies for HCC. Tumor immunotherapies, including immune check point inhibitors, chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) and bispecific antibodies (BsAb), have shown significant potential. It is known that the expression level of glypican-3 (GPC3) was significantly increased in HCC compared with normal liver tissues. A bispecific antibody (GPC3-S-Fabs) was reported to recruit NK cells to target GPC3 positive cancer cells. Besides, bispecific T-cell Engagers (BiTE), including GPC3/CD3, an aptamer TLS11a/CD3 and EpCAM/CD3, were recently reported to efficiently eliminate HCC cells. It is known that immune checkpoint proteins programmed death-1 (PD-1) binding by programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) activates immune checkpoints of T cells. Anti-PD-1 antibody was reported to suppress HCC progression. Furthermore, GPC3-based HCC immunotherapy has been shown to be a curative approach to prolong the survival time of patients with HCC in clinically trials. Besides, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor may inhibit the migration, invasion and angiogenesis of HCC. Here we review the cutting-edge progresses on mechanisms and clinical trials of HCC immunotherapy, which may have significant implication in our understanding of HCC and its immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Li Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China.,Doctoral Scientific Research Center, Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China.,Guangdong Medical University Affiliated Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Yu-Ming Wang
- Department of Spinal and Neural Functional Reconstruction, Beijing Bo'ai Hospital, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China.,School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Guang-Gui Feng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China.,Guangdong Medical University Affiliated Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Fu-Qing Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China.,Guangdong Medical University Affiliated Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Liu-Ming Yang
- Doctoral Scientific Research Center, Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China.,Guangdong Medical University Affiliated Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China.,Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xi-He Zhang
- Doctoral Scientific Research Center, Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China.,Guangdong Medical University Affiliated Lianjiang People's Hospital, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Hong-Wu Xin
- Laboratory of Oncology, Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
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Vaccines in Gastrointestinal Malignancies: From Prevention to Treatment. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9060647. [PMID: 34199248 PMCID: PMC8231997 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9060647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies are some of the most common and devastating malignancies and include colorectal, gastric, esophageal, hepatocellular, and pancreatic carcinomas, among others. Five-year survival rates for many of these malignancies remain low. The majority presents at an advanced stage with limited treatment options and poor overall survival. Treatment is advancing but not at the same speed as other malignancies. Chemotherapy and radiation treatments are still only partially effective in GI malignancies and cause significant side effects. Thus, there is an urgent need for novel strategies in the treatment of GI malignancies. Recently, immunotherapy and checkpoint inhibitors have entered as potential new therapeutic options for patients, and thus, cancer vaccines may play a major role in the future of treatment for these malignancies. Further advances in understanding the interaction between the tumor and immune system have led to the development of novel agents, such as cancer vaccines.
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47
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Ni H, Xue J, Wang F, Sun X, Niu M. Nanomedicine Approach to Immunotherapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Biomed Nanotechnol 2021; 17:771-792. [PMID: 34082866 DOI: 10.1166/jbn.2021.3055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, the growing studies focused on the immunotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma and proved the preclinical and clinical promises of host antitumor immune response. However, there were still various obstacles in meeting satisfactory clinic need, such as low response rate, primary resistance and secondary resistance to immunotherapy. Tackling these barriers required a deeper understanding of immune underpinnings and a broader understanding of advanced technology. This review described immune microenvironment of liver and HCC which naturally decided the complexity of immunotherapy, and summarized recent immunotherapy focusing on different points. The ever-growing clues indicated that the instant killing of tumor cell and the subsequent relive of immunosuppressive microenvironment were both indis- pensables. The nanotechnology applied in immunotherapy and the combination with intervention technology was also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbo Ni
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110000, China
| | - Jian Xue
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110000, China
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110000, China
| | - Xiaohan Sun
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110000, China
| | - Meng Niu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110000, China
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48
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Gallage S, García-Beccaria M, Szydlowska M, Rahbari M, Mohr R, Tacke F, Heikenwalder M. The therapeutic landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma. MED 2021; 2:505-552. [DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2021.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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49
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Guo J, Fang Q, Liu Y, Xie W, Li C, Zhang Y. Screening and Identification of Key Microenvironment-Related Genes in Non-functioning Pituitary Adenoma. Front Genet 2021; 12:627117. [PMID: 33986766 PMCID: PMC8110910 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.627117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Non-functioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA) is a very common type of intracranial tumor, which can be locally invasive and can have a high recurrence rate. The tumor microenvironment (TME) shows a high correlation with tumor pathogenesis and prognosis. The current study aimed to identify microenvironment-related genes in NFPAs and assess their prognostic value. Methods 73 NFPA tumor samples were collected from Beijing Tiantan Hospital and transcriptional expression profiles were obtained through microarray analysis. The immune and stromal scores of each sample were calculated through the ESTIMATE algorithm, and the patients were divided into high and low immune/stromal score groups. Intersection differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were then obtained to construct a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. Potential functions and pathways of intersection DEGs were then analyzed through Gene Ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. The prognostic value of these genes was evaluated. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in another set of NFPA samples was used to confirm the credibility of the bioinformatics analysis. Results The immune/stromal scores were significantly correlated with cavernous sinus (CS) invasion. The Kaplan–Meier curve indicated that the high immune score group was significantly related to poor recurrence-free survival. We identified 497 intersection DEGs based on the high vs. low immune/stromal score groups. Function enrichment analyses of 497 DEGs and hub genes from the PPI network showed that these genes are mainly involved in the immune/inflammatory response, T cell activation, and the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase-protein kinase B signaling pathway. Among the intersection DEGs, 88 genes were further verified as significantly expressed between the CS invasive group and the non-invasive group, and five genes were highly associated with NFPA prognosis. Conclusion We screened out a series of critical genes associated with the TME in NFPAs. These genes may play a fundamental role in the development and prognosis of NFPA and may yield new therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Guo
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Qiuyue Fang
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yulou Liu
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Weiyan Xie
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Chuzhong Li
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders Brain Tumor Center, Beijing, China.,China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China
| | - Yazhuo Zhang
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders Brain Tumor Center, Beijing, China.,China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China
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50
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Guan MC, Wang MD, Liu SY, Ouyang W, Liang L, Pawlik TM, Xu QR, Huang DS, Shen F, Zhu H, Yang T. Early diagnosis and therapeutic strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma: From bench to bedside. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2021; 13:197-215. [PMID: 33889272 PMCID: PMC8040062 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v13.i4.197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The prognosis of patients with HCC remains poor largely due to the late diagnosis and lack of effective treatments. Despite being widely used, alpha-fetoprotein serology and ultrasonography have limited diagnostic performance for early-stage HCC. The emergence of omics strategies has contributed to significant advances in the development of non-invasive biomarkers for the early diagnosis of HCC including proteins, metabolites, circulating tumor deoxyribonucleic acid, and circulating non-coding ribonucleic acid. Early diagnosis is beneficial to patients as it increases the proportion who can be treated with curative treatment, thus prolonging survival outcomes. Currently, multiple clinical trials involving locoregional, systemic therapies, and combinations of these modalities are changing therapeutic strategies for different stage HCC. Success in several preclinical trials that involve immunotherapeutic innovations has created the potential to complement and enforce other treatment strategies in the future. This review summarizes the most recent advances in non-invasive early molecular detection, current therapy strategies, and potential immunotherapeutic innovations of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Cheng Guan
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ming-Da Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital (Navy Medical University), Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Si-Yu Liu
- Department of Laboratory, Lishui Municipal Central Hospital, Lishui 323000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Wei Ouyang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Lei Liang
- Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Minimal Invasive Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Minimal Invasive Surgery, Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Timothy M Pawlik
- Department of Surgery, Ohio State University, Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, United States
| | - Qiu-Ran Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Minimal Invasive Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Minimal Invasive Surgery, Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Dong-Sheng Huang
- Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Minimal Invasive Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Minimal Invasive Surgery, Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Feng Shen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital (Navy Medical University), Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Hong Zhu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Tian Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital (Navy Medical University), Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Minimal Invasive Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Minimal Invasive Surgery, Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
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