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Cheng D, Qiu K, Li D, Mao M, Rao Y, Song Y, Feng L, Shao X, Jiang C, Wang Y, Li L, Chen X, Wu S, Wang H, Liu J, Yu H, Zhang W, Chen F, Zhao Y, Ren J. Molecular and transcriptional basis of bidirectional CD4 + T cell exhaustion in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e572. [PMID: 38868329 PMCID: PMC11167179 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor-infiltrating CD4+ T cells orchestrate the adaptive immune response through remarkable plasticity, and the expression patterns of exhaustion-related inhibitory receptors in these cells differ significantly from those of CD8+ T cells. Thus, a better understanding of the molecular basis of CD4+ T cell exhaustion and their responses to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) is required. Here, we integrated multiomics approaches to define the phenotypic and molecular profiles of exhausted CD4+ T cells in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Two distinct immune-promoting (Module 1) and immunosuppressive (Module 2) functional modules in tumor-infiltrating CD4+ T cells were identified, and both the immune-promoting function of Module 1 cells and immunosuppressive function of Module 2 cells were positively associated with their corresponding exhaustion states. Furthermore, the application of ICBs targeting effector CD4+ T cells in Module 1 (αPD-1) and Treg cells in Module 2 (αCTLA-4) in mouse models could help reinvigorate the effector function of Module 1-exhausted CD4+ T cells and reduce the immunosuppressive function of Module 2-exhausted CD4+ T cells, ultimately promoting OPSCC tumor regression. Taken together, our study provides a crucial cellular basis for the selection of optimal ICB in treating OPSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danni Cheng
- Department of Oto‐Rhino‐LaryngologyWest China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Ke Qiu
- Department of Oto‐Rhino‐LaryngologyWest China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Daibo Li
- Department of Oto‐Rhino‐LaryngologyWest China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Minzi Mao
- Department of Oto‐Rhino‐LaryngologyWest China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Yufang Rao
- Department of Oto‐Rhino‐LaryngologyWest China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Yao Song
- Department of Oto‐Rhino‐LaryngologyWest China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Lan Feng
- Department of Oto‐Rhino‐LaryngologyWest China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Xiuli Shao
- Department of Oto‐Rhino‐LaryngologyWest China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Chuanhuan Jiang
- Department of Oto‐Rhino‐LaryngologyWest China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Yan Wang
- Research Core FacilityWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Li Li
- Institute of Clinical PathologyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Xuemei Chen
- Research Core FacilityWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Sisi Wu
- Research Core FacilityWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Haiyang Wang
- Department of Oto‐Rhino‐LaryngologyWest China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Oto‐Rhino‐LaryngologyWest China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Haopeng Yu
- West China Biomedical Big Data CenterWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Wei Zhang
- West China Biomedical Big Data CenterWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Fei Chen
- Department of Oto‐Rhino‐LaryngologyWest China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Yu Zhao
- Department of Oto‐Rhino‐LaryngologyWest China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
- West China Biomedical Big Data CenterWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Jianjun Ren
- Department of Oto‐Rhino‐LaryngologyWest China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
- West China Biomedical Big Data CenterWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
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Nie SC, Jing YH, Lu L, Ren SS, Ji G, Xu HC. Mechanisms of myeloid-derived suppressor cell-mediated immunosuppression in colorectal cancer and related therapies. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2024; 16:1690-1704. [PMID: 38764816 PMCID: PMC11099432 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v16.i5.1690] [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: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Severe immunosuppression is a hallmark of colorectal cancer (CRC). Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), one of the most abundant components of the tumor stroma, play an important role in the invasion, metastasis, and immune escape of CRC. MDSCs create an immunosuppressive microenvironment by inhibiting the proliferation and activation of immunoreactive cells, including T and natural killer cells, as well as by inducing the proliferation of immunosuppressive cells, such as regulatory T cells and tumor-associated macrophages, which, in turn, promote the growth of cancer cells. Thus, MDSCs are key contributors to the emergence of an immunosuppressive microenvironment in CRC and play an important role in the breakdown of antitumor immunity. In this narrative review, we explore the mechanisms through which MDSCs contribute to the immunosuppressive microenvironment, the current therapeutic approaches and technologies targeting MDSCs, and the therapeutic potential of modulating MDSCs in CRC treatment. This study provides ideas and methods to enhance survival rates in patients with CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Chang Nie
- Institute of Digestive Diseases, Longhua Hospital, China-Canada Center of Research for Digestive Diseases, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yan-Hua Jing
- Institute of Digestive Diseases, Longhua Hospital, China-Canada Center of Research for Digestive Diseases, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Lu Lu
- Institute of Digestive Diseases, Longhua Hospital, China-Canada Center of Research for Digestive Diseases, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Disease and Syndrome Biology of Inflammatory Cancer Transformation, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Si-Si Ren
- Institute of Digestive Diseases, Longhua Hospital, China-Canada Center of Research for Digestive Diseases, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Guang Ji
- Institute of Digestive Diseases, Longhua Hospital, China-Canada Center of Research for Digestive Diseases, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Disease and Syndrome Biology of Inflammatory Cancer Transformation, Shanghai 200032, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integration and Innovation of Classic Formula and Modern Chinese Medicine (Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Han-Chen Xu
- Institute of Digestive Diseases, Longhua Hospital, China-Canada Center of Research for Digestive Diseases, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Disease and Syndrome Biology of Inflammatory Cancer Transformation, Shanghai 200032, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integration and Innovation of Classic Formula and Modern Chinese Medicine (Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Shanghai 200032, China
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Galasso L, Cerrito L, Maccauro V, Termite F, Ainora ME, Gasbarrini A, Zocco MA. Hepatocellular Carcinoma and the Multifaceted Relationship with Its Microenvironment: Attacking the Hepatocellular Carcinoma Defensive Fortress. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1837. [PMID: 38791916 PMCID: PMC11119751 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16101837] [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: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma is a malignant tumor that originates from hepatocytes in an inflammatory substrate due to different degrees of liver fibrosis up to cirrhosis. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the role played by the complex interrelationship between hepatocellular carcinoma and its microenvironment, capable of influencing tumourigenesis, neoplastic growth, and its progression or even inhibition. The microenvironment is made up of an intricate network of mesenchymal cells, immune system cells, extracellular matrix, and growth factors, as well as proinflammatory cytokines and translocated bacterial products coming from the intestinal microenvironment via the enterohepatic circulation. The aim of this paper is to review the role of the HCC microenvironment and describe the possible implications in the choice of the most appropriate therapeutic scheme in the prediction of tumor response or resistance to currently applied treatments and in the possible development of future therapeutic perspectives, in order to circumvent resistance and break down the tumor's defensive fort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Galasso
- Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy (L.C.); (V.M.); (A.G.)
| | - Lucia Cerrito
- Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy (L.C.); (V.M.); (A.G.)
- CEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Maccauro
- Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy (L.C.); (V.M.); (A.G.)
| | - Fabrizio Termite
- Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy (L.C.); (V.M.); (A.G.)
| | - Maria Elena Ainora
- Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy (L.C.); (V.M.); (A.G.)
- CEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Gasbarrini
- Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy (L.C.); (V.M.); (A.G.)
- CEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Assunta Zocco
- Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy (L.C.); (V.M.); (A.G.)
- CEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy
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Long T, Wu W, Wang X, Chen M. TPR is a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target associated with immune infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma. Mol Clin Oncol 2024; 20:27. [PMID: 38414509 PMCID: PMC10895467 DOI: 10.3892/mco.2024.2725] [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: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer. In the present study, it was demonstrated that translocated promoter region (TPR) was upregulated in tumor tissues and associated with prognosis and immune infiltration in HCC. The clinical outcome of patients with HCC with aberrant expression of TPR was examined using multiple databases, including Gene Expression Omnibus, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression, Kaplan-Meier (KM) Plotter and Xiantao tool. The clinicopathologic characteristics of patients from TCGA database that were associated with overall survival were assessed using Cox regression and KM analysis. The potential hallmarks associated with TPR expression were further predicted by Metascape and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, and the relationship between TPR and immune infiltration was explored using the Tumor-Immune System Interactions Database and the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource. The results demonstrated that TPR expression was higher in HCC and its overexpression was associated with a worse prognosis, alongside a correlation with several clinical features. Furthermore, cell differentiation, a prospective new hallmark of cancer, was differentially enriched in the high TPR expression phenotype pathway. Moreover, TPR may also modulate the tumor immune microenvironment as it was significantly associated with immunoregulators and chemokines, as well as different tumor infiltration immune cells. According to the in vitro experiments, TPR silencing inhibited the phosphorylation of AKT and the proliferation of HCC cells. In summary, TPR may be a new marker and target for HCC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teng Long
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
| | - Weijie Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
| | - Xin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
| | - Minshan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, P.R. China
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5
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Yu Z, Wu Z, Zhou M, Chen L, Li W, Liu G, Tang Y. mtADENet: A novel interpretable method integrating multiple types of network-based inference approaches for prediction of adverse drug events. Comput Biol Med 2024; 168:107831. [PMID: 38081118 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.107831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Identification of adverse drug events (ADEs) is crucial to reduce human health risks and accelerate drug safety assessment. ADEs are mainly caused by unintended interactions with primary or additional targets (off-targets). In this study, we proposed a novel interpretable method named mtADENet, which integrates multiple types of network-based inference approaches for ADE prediction. Different from phenotype-based methods, mtADENet introduced computational target profiles predicted by network-based methods to bridge the gap between chemical structures and ADEs, and hence can not only predict ADEs for drugs and novel compounds within or outside the drug-ADE association network, but also provide insights for the elucidation of molecular mechanisms of the ADEs caused by drugs. We constructed a series of network-based prediction models for 23 ADE categories. These models achieved high AUC values ranging from 0.865 to 0.942 in 10-fold cross validation. The best model further showed high performance on four external validation sets, which outperformed two previous network-based methods. To show the practical value of mtADENet, we performed case studies on developmental neurotoxicity and cardio-oncology, and over 50 % of predicted ADEs and targets for drugs and novel compounds were validated by literature. Moreover, mtADENet is freely available at our web server named NetInfer (http://lmmd.ecust.edu.cn/netinfer/). In summary, mtADENet would be a powerful tool for ADE prediction and drug safety assessment in drug discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuohang Yu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Zengrui Wu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Moran Zhou
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Long Chen
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Weihua Li
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Guixia Liu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yun Tang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug Design, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China.
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Wang X, Zhou L, Xu A, NIMA D, Dong Z. Effects of stem cell factor in follicular fluid and granulosa cells on oocyte maturity and clinical pregnancy. Medicine (Baltimore) 2023; 102:e36749. [PMID: 38206705 PMCID: PMC10754551 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000036749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Stem cell factor (SCF) is implicated in cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, migration, and apoptosis. SCF in follicular fluid (FF) and granulosa cells (GCs) plays a key role in oocyte maturation and clinical pregnancy; however, the exact mechanism is unclear. We aimed to investigate SCF potential in predicting oocyte maturity and clinical pregnancy. We collected 60 FF and 60 GCs samples from different patients with infertility. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and cellular immunofluorescence analyses were used to quantitatively and qualitatively determine SCF concentration in GCs; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine SCF concentration in FF. GC and FF SCF concentrations were positively correlated with metaphase (M)II oocyte proportion and clinical pregnancy (R = 0.280, 0.735 vs R = 0.257, 0.354). SCF concentrations in GCs were significantly higher in the clinical pregnancy group than in the nonclinical pregnancy group. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that SCF expression was higher in the clinical pregnancy and high-MII -oocyte proportion groups. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that combined SCF and serum anti-Müllerian hormone levels could predict oocyte maturity and clinical pregnancy better than either of these factors alone. SCF concentration in GCs and FF can serve as a predictor of oocyte maturity and clinical pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, People’s Hospital of Leshan, Leshan, China
| | - Lixiang Zhou
- Department of Gynecology, People’s Hospital of Anshun, Anshun, China
| | - Anli Xu
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Dali, China
| | - Dunzhu NIMA
- Clinical Lab, Tibet Autonomous Region People’s Hospital, Lhasa, China
| | - Zhaomei Dong
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University, Dali, China
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Li L, Li M, Zheng J, Li Z, Chen X. Knocking down NSUN5 inhibits the development of clear cell renal cell carcinoma by inhibiting the p53 pathway. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:204761. [PMID: 37263638 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common solid renal tumor. NSUN5, a gene encoding cytosine-5 RNA methyltransferase, has rarely been reported associated with cancer. A bioinformatics analysis revealed that NSUN5 was overexpressed in ccRCC. Gene Ontology and gene set variation analyses showed that NSUN5 was associated with tumor immunity in ccRCC. The effect of immunosuppressive treatment was superior in the low-risk group compared to the high-risk group, and higher stromal score in the high-risk group relative to the low-risk group. A drug sensitivity analysis revealed that the high-risk group was more sensitive to 5-fluorouracil, mitomycin C, methotrexate, and 17-AAG, whereas the low-risk group was more sensitive to crizotinib, sorafenib, foretinib, and ivozanib. NSUN5 knockout decreased ccRCC cell proliferation. The migration speed and number of invasive cells further decreased. The percentage of apoptotic cells increased. In NSUN5-knockout cells, the levels of BAX, caspase-8, caspase-9, and p53 increased significantly, whereas those of Bcl2, CCND1, CCND3, and MMP9 decreased significantly. NSUN5 is highly expressed in ccRCC and inhibits cancer cell invasion, proliferation, and migration while promoting apoptosis by activating the p53 signaling pathway. This study provides insights into the mechanisms of action of NSUN5 in urological tumors and may contribute to improving ccRCC treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Li
- Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, Liaoning, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mingyang Li
- Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, Liaoning, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianyi Zheng
- Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, Liaoning, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zeyu Li
- Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, Liaoning, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaonan Chen
- Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, Liaoning, People’s Republic of China
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Lu C, Liu Y, Ali NM, Zhang B, Cui X. The role of innate immune cells in the tumor microenvironment and research progress in anti-tumor therapy. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1039260. [PMID: 36741415 PMCID: PMC9893925 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1039260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Innate immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) mainly include macrophages, neutrophils, natural killer cells, dendritic cells and bone marrow derived suppressor cells. They play an anti-tumor or pro-tumor role by secreting various cytokines, chemokines and other factors, and determine the occurrence and development of tumors. Comprehending the role of innate immune cells in tumorigenesis and progression can help improve therapeutic approaches targeting innate immune cells in the TME, increasing the likelihood of favorable prognosis. In this review, we discussed the cell biology of innate immune cells, their role in tumorigenesis and development, and the current status of innate immune cell-based immunotherapy, in order to provide an overview for future research lines and clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenglin Lu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China,Department of Oncology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, China
| | - Nasra Mohamoud Ali
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China,*Correspondence: Xiaonan Cui, ; Bin Zhang,
| | - Xiaonan Cui
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China,*Correspondence: Xiaonan Cui, ; Bin Zhang,
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Barnestein R, Galland L, Kalfeist L, Ghiringhelli F, Ladoire S, Limagne E. Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment modulation by chemotherapies and targeted therapies to enhance immunotherapy effectiveness. Oncoimmunology 2022; 11:2120676. [PMID: 36117524 PMCID: PMC9481153 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2022.2120676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
With the rapid clinical development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), the standard of care in cancer management has evolved rapidly. However, immunotherapy is not currently beneficial for all patients. In addition to intrinsic tumor factors, other etiologies of resistance to ICIs arise from the complex interplay between cancer and its microenvironment. Recognition of the essential role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in cancer progression has led to a shift from a tumor-cell-centered view of cancer development, to the concept of a complex tumor ecosystem that supports tumor growth and metastatic dissemination. The expansion of immunosuppressive cells represents a cardinal strategy deployed by tumor cells to escape detection and elimination by the immune system. Regulatory T lymphocytes (Treg), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and type-2 tumor-associated macrophages (TAM2) are major components of these inhibitory cellular networks, with the ability to suppress innate and adaptive anticancer immunity. They therefore represent major impediments to anticancer therapies, particularly immune-based interventions. Recent work has provided evidence that, beyond their direct cytotoxic effects on cancer cells, several conventional chemotherapeutic (CT) drugs and agents used in targeted therapies (TT) can promote the elimination or inactivation of suppressive immune cells, resulting in enhanced antitumor immunity. In this review, we will analyze findings pertaining to this concept, discuss the possible molecular bases underlying the selective targeting of these immunosuppressive cells by antineoplastic agents (CT and/or TT), and consider current challenges and future prospects related to the integration of these molecules into more efficient anticancer strategies, in the era of immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robby Barnestein
- University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
- Platform of Transfer in Cancer Biology, Georges François Leclerc Cancer Center, Dijon, France
| | - Loïck Galland
- University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
- Platform of Transfer in Cancer Biology, Georges François Leclerc Cancer Center, Dijon, France
- Department of Medical Oncology, Georges François Leclerc Center, Dijon, France
| | - Laura Kalfeist
- University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
- Platform of Transfer in Cancer Biology, Georges François Leclerc Cancer Center, Dijon, France
- Centre de Recherche INSERM LNC-UMR1231, Dijon, France
- Genomic and Immunotherapy Medical Institute, Dijon University Hospital, Dijon, France
| | - François Ghiringhelli
- University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
- Platform of Transfer in Cancer Biology, Georges François Leclerc Cancer Center, Dijon, France
- Department of Medical Oncology, Georges François Leclerc Center, Dijon, France
- Centre de Recherche INSERM LNC-UMR1231, Dijon, France
- Genomic and Immunotherapy Medical Institute, Dijon University Hospital, Dijon, France
| | - Sylvain Ladoire
- University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
- Platform of Transfer in Cancer Biology, Georges François Leclerc Cancer Center, Dijon, France
- Department of Medical Oncology, Georges François Leclerc Center, Dijon, France
- Centre de Recherche INSERM LNC-UMR1231, Dijon, France
- Genomic and Immunotherapy Medical Institute, Dijon University Hospital, Dijon, France
| | - Emeric Limagne
- University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
- Platform of Transfer in Cancer Biology, Georges François Leclerc Cancer Center, Dijon, France
- Department of Medical Oncology, Georges François Leclerc Center, Dijon, France
- Centre de Recherche INSERM LNC-UMR1231, Dijon, France
- Genomic and Immunotherapy Medical Institute, Dijon University Hospital, Dijon, France
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Zhang T, Lei X, Jia W, Li J, Nie Y, Mao Z, Wang Y, Tao K, Song W. Peritumor tertiary lymphoid structures are associated with infiltrating neutrophils and inferior prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Med 2022; 12:3068-3078. [PMID: 36082777 PMCID: PMC9939159 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.5227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The positive prediction of prognosis and immunotherapy within tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) in cancerous tissue has been well demonstrated, including liver cancer. However, the relationship between TLS and prognosis in the peritumoral region of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has received less attention. Few studies on whether TLS, as a typical representative of acquired immune cell groups, is associated with innate immune cells. The aim of this paper was to identify the prognostic role of peritumor TLS in HCC and to simply explore the relationship with neutrophils infiltration. METHODS This study included cancerous and paracancerous tissue from 170 patients after surgical resection of HCC. TLS was examined and identified by pathological H&E examination, and the impact on prognosis was further classified by determination of total TLS area. Immunohistochemical staining of CD15+ neutrophils was also performed on half of the cases. The obtained results were validated by external public database, as TLS has been widely shown to be tagged with 12 chemokines. RESULTS In peritumoral tissue, the TLS- group had better overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) outcomes compared with the TLS+ group. On the contrary, the intratumor TLS+ group showed better DFS outcomes. When further investigating the relationship between TLS area distribution and DFS, progressively worse prognosis was only found in the peritumor region with increasing TLS density (TLS- vs. TLSL vs. TLSH ). In addition, neutrophil infiltration increased in parallel with TLS density in the peritumoral region, which was not observed in the intratumoral region. CONCLUSIONS TLS might have a dual prognostic role in different regions of HCC. The abundance of peritumoral TLS is an independent influence of DFS. The inconsistent correlation between neutrophils and corresponding TLS in different regions may indicate different pathways of immune aggregation and may serve as an explanation for the different prognosis of TLS, which needs to be specifically explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianchen Zhang
- Department of General surgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina,Department of Hepatobiliary SurgeryXijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina
| | - Xinjun Lei
- Department of Hepatobiliary SurgeryXijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina
| | - Weili Jia
- Department of General surgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina,Department of Hepatobiliary SurgeryXijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina
| | - Jianhui Li
- Department of General surgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina,Department of Hepatobiliary SurgeryXijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina
| | - Ye Nie
- Department of General surgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina,Department of Hepatobiliary SurgeryXijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina
| | - Zhenzhen Mao
- Department of Hepatobiliary SurgeryXijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina
| | - Yanfang Wang
- Department of General surgeryThe First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina,Department of Hepatobiliary SurgeryXijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina
| | - Kaishan Tao
- Department of Hepatobiliary SurgeryXijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina
| | - Wenjie Song
- Department of Hepatobiliary SurgeryXijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical UniversityXi'anShaanxiChina
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11
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Advances in novel systemic therapies for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Future Med Chem 2022; 14:1455-1470. [PMID: 35997677 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2022-0045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the most frequent type of primary liver tumor. Most HCC patients present with advanced disease at diagnosis and the recurrence rate after surgery remains high. Treatment options for advanced HCC are limited, with sorafenib representing the only systemic agent approved for treatment of advanced HCC in more than a decade. However, in recent years new molecular targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the treatment of advanced HCC. In particular, combinations of ICIs with antiangiogenic drugs, or with other ICIs, represent one of the most promising strategies. Herein we provide a comprehensive overview of the main therapeutic advances in the systemic treatment of HCC, focusing on the most relevant ongoing clinical trials.
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12
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Zhang CY, Liu S, Yang M. Regulatory T cells and their associated factors in hepatocellular carcinoma development and therapy. World J Gastroenterol 2022; 28:3346-3358. [PMID: 36158267 PMCID: PMC9346458 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i27.3346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide with primary type hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Factors, including carcinogens, infection of hepatitis viruses, alcohol abuse, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), can induce HCC initiation and promote HCC progression. The prevalence of NAFLD accompanying the increased incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes becomes the most increasing factor causing HCC worldwide. However, the benefit of current therapeutic options is still limited. Intrahepatic immunity plays critically important roles in HCC initiation, development, and progression. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) and their associated factors such as metabolites and secreting cytokines mediate the immune tolerance of the tumor microenvironment in HCC. Therefore, targeting Tregs and blocking their mediated factors may prevent HCC progression. This review summarizes the functions of Tregs in HCC-inducing factors including alcoholic and NAFLD, liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and viral infections. Overall, a better understanding of the role of Tregs in the development and progression of HCC provides treatment strategies for liver cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ye Zhang
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, United States
| | - Shuai Liu
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Ming Yang
- Department of Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, United States
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13
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Petrazzuolo A, Maiuri MC, Zitvogel L, Kroemer G, Kepp O. Trial Watch: combination of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immunotherapy. Oncoimmunology 2022; 11:2077898. [PMID: 35655707 PMCID: PMC9154809 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2022.2077898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The past decades witnessed the clinical employment of targeted therapies including but not limited to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) that restrain a broad variety of pro-tumorigenic signals. TKIs can be categorized into (i) agents that directly target cancer cells, (ii) normalize angiogenesis or (iii) affect cells of the hematologic lineage. However, a clear distinction of TKIs based on this definition is limited by the fact that many TKIs designed to inhibit cancer cells have also effects on immune cells that are being discovered. Additionally, TKIs originally designed to target hematological cancers exhibit bioactivities on healthy cells of the same hematological lineage. TKIs have been described to improve immune recognition and cancer immunosurveillance, providing the scientific basis to combine TKIs with immunotherapy. Indeed, combination of TKIs with immunotherapy showed synergistic effects in preclinical models and clinical trials and some combinations of TKIs normalizing angiogenesis with immune checkpoint blocking antibodies have already been approved by the FDA for cancer therapy. However, the identification of appropriate drug combinations as well as optimal dosing and scheduling needs to be improved in order to obtain tangible progress in cancer care. This Trial Watch summarizes active clinical trials combining TKIs with various immunotherapeutic strategies to treat cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Petrazzuolo
- Team “Metabolism, Cancer & Immunity”, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM UMRS1138, Université Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Cell Biology and Metabolomics platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
| | - M. Chiara Maiuri
- Team “Metabolism, Cancer & Immunity”, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM UMRS1138, Université Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Cell Biology and Metabolomics platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
| | - Laurence Zitvogel
- Faculty of Medicine, University Paris Saclay, Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus (GRCC), Clinicobiome, Equipe Labellisée-Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Villejuif, France
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM) U1015, Villejuif, France
- Center of Clinical Investigations in Biotherapies of Cancer (CICBT) Biotheris 1428, Villejuif, France
| | - Guido Kroemer
- Team “Metabolism, Cancer & Immunity”, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM UMRS1138, Université Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Cell Biology and Metabolomics platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
- Department of Biology, Institut du Cancer Paris CARPEM, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Oliver Kepp
- Team “Metabolism, Cancer & Immunity”, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM UMRS1138, Université Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Cell Biology and Metabolomics platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
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14
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Mitochondrial-Related Transcriptome Feature Correlates with Prognosis, Vascular Invasion, Tumor Microenvironment, and Treatment Response in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022; 2022:1592905. [PMID: 35535359 PMCID: PMC9078845 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1592905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common subtype of primary liver cancer, which was highly correlated with metabolic dysfunction. Nevertheless, the association between nuclear mitochondrial-related transcriptome and HCC remained unclear. Materials and Methods A total of 147 nuclear mitochondrial-related genes (NMRGs) were downloaded from the MITOMAP: A Human Mitochondrial Genome Database. The training dataset was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), while validation datasets were retrieved from the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The univariate and multivariate, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression analyses were applied to construct a NMRG signature, and the value of area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was utilized to assess the signature and nomogram. Then, data from the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) were used for the evaluation of chemotherapy response in HCC. Results Functional enrichment of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between HCC and paired normal tissue samples demonstrated that mitochondrial dysfunction was significantly associated with HCC development. Survival analysis showed a total of 35 NMRGs were significantly correlated with overall survival (OS) of HCC, and the LASSO Cox regression analysis further identified a 25-NMRG signature and corresponding prognosis score based on their transcriptional profiling. HCC patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups according to the median prognosis score, and high-risk patients had significantly worse OS (median OS: 27.50 vs. 83.18 months, P < 0.0001). The AUC values for OS at 1, 3, and 5 years were 0.79, 0.77, and 0.77, respectively. The prognostic capacity of NMRG signature was verified in the GSE14520 dataset and ICGC-HCC cohort. Besides, the NMRG signature outperformed each NMRG and clinical features in prognosis prediction and could also differentiate whether patients presented with vascular invasions (VIs) or not. Subsequently, a prognostic nomogram (C-index: 0.753, 95% CI: 0.703~0.804) by the integration of age, tumor metastasis, and NMRG prognosis score was constructed with the AUC values for OS at 1, 3, and 5 years were 0.82, 0.81, and 0.82, respectively. Notably, significant enrichment of regulatory and follicular helper T cells in high-risk group indicated the potential treatment of immune checkpoint inhibitors for these patients. Interestingly, the NMRG signature could also identify the potential responders of sorafenib or transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment. Additionally, HCC patients in high-risk group appeared to be more sensitive to cisplatin, vorinostat, and methotrexate, reversely, patients in low-risk group had significantly higher sensitivity to paclitaxel and bleomycin instead. Conclusions In summary, the development of NMRG signature provided a more comprehensive understanding of mitochondrial dysfunction in HCC, helped predict prognosis and tumor microenvironment, and provided potential targeted therapies for HCC patients with different NMRG prognosis scores.
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15
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Nagasaki J, Togashi Y. A variety of 'exhausted' T cells in the tumor microenvironment. Int Immunol 2022; 34:563-570. [PMID: 35460561 DOI: 10.1093/intimm/dxac013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In T cell biology, 'exhaustion' was initially described as a hyporesponsive state in CD8 + T cells during chronic infections. Recently, exhaustion has been recognized as a T-cell dysfunctional state in the tumor microenvironment (TME). The term 'exhaustion' is used mainly to refer to effector T cells with a reduced capacity to secrete cytokines and an increased expression of inhibitory receptors. The upregulation of exhaustion-related inhibitory receptors, including programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), in such T cells has been associated with the development of tumors, prompting the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors. In addition to CD8 + T cells, CD4 + T cells, including the regulatory T (Treg) cell subset, perform a wide variety of functions within the adaptive immune system. Upregulation of the same inhibitory receptors that are associated with CD8 + T-cell exhaustion has also been identified in CD4 + T cells in chronic infections and cancers, suggesting a similar CD4 + T-cell exhaustion phenotype. For instance, high expression of PD-1 has been observed in Treg cells in the TME, and such Treg cells can play an important role in the resistance to PD-1 blockade therapies. Furthermore, recent progress in single-cell RNA sequencing has shown that CD4 + T cells with cytotoxic activity are also vulnerable to exhaustion. In this review, we will discuss novel insights into various exhausted T-cell subsets, which could reveal novel therapeutic targets and strategies to induce a robust antitumor immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joji Nagasaki
- Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Okayama University, Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.,Department of Hematology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan.,Chiba Cancer Center, Research Institute, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yosuke Togashi
- Department of Tumor Microenvironment, Okayama University, Graduate School of Medicine Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.,Chiba Cancer Center, Research Institute, Chiba, Japan
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16
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Ma T, Renz BW, Ilmer M, Koch D, Yang Y, Werner J, Bazhin AV. Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in Solid Tumors. Cells 2022; 11:cells11020310. [PMID: 35053426 PMCID: PMC8774531 DOI: 10.3390/cells11020310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are one of the main suppressive cell population of the immune system. They play a pivotal role in the establishment of the tumor microenvironment (TME). In the context of cancers or other pathological conditions, MDSCs can differentiate, expand, and migrate in large quantities during circulation, inhibiting the cytotoxic functions of T cells and NK cells. This process is regulated by ROS, iNOS/NO, arginase-1, and multiple soluble cytokines. The definition of MDSCs and their phenotypes in humans are not as well represented as in other organisms such as mice, owing to the absence of the cognate molecule. However, a comprehensive understanding of the differences between different species and subsets will be beneficial for clarifying the immunosuppressive properties and potential clinical values of these cells during tumor progression. Recently, experimental evidence and clinical investigations have demonstrated that MDSCs have a close relationship with poor prognosis and drug resistance, which is considered to be a leading marker for practical applications and therapeutic methods. In this review, we summarize the remarkable position of MDSCs in solid tumors, explain their classifications in different models, and introduce new treatment approaches to target MDSCs to better understand the advancement of new approaches to cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianmiao Ma
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; (T.M.); (B.W.R.); (M.I.); (D.K.); (J.W.)
| | - Bernhard W. Renz
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; (T.M.); (B.W.R.); (M.I.); (D.K.); (J.W.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Ilmer
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; (T.M.); (B.W.R.); (M.I.); (D.K.); (J.W.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Dominik Koch
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; (T.M.); (B.W.R.); (M.I.); (D.K.); (J.W.)
| | - Yuhui Yang
- Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1277 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan 430022, China;
| | - Jens Werner
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; (T.M.); (B.W.R.); (M.I.); (D.K.); (J.W.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Bavarian Cancer Research Center (BZKF), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Alexandr V. Bazhin
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; (T.M.); (B.W.R.); (M.I.); (D.K.); (J.W.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Correspondence:
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17
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Hao X, Sun G, Zhang Y, Kong X, Rong D, Song J, Tang W, Wang X. Targeting Immune Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment of HCC: New Opportunities and Challenges. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:775462. [PMID: 34869376 PMCID: PMC8633569 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.775462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune associated cells in the microenvironment have a significant impact on the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and have received more and more attention. Different types of immune-associated cells play different roles, including promoting/inhibiting HCC and several different types that are controversial. It is well known that immune escape of HCC has become a difficult problem in tumor therapy. Therefore, in recent years, a large number of studies have focused on the immune microenvironment of HCC, explored many mechanisms worth identifying tumor immunosuppression, and developed a variety of immunotherapy methods as targets, laying the foundation for the final victory in the fight against HCC. This paper reviews recent studies on the immune microenvironment of HCC that are more reliable and important, and provides a more comprehensive view of the investigation of the immune microenvironment of HCC and the development of more immunotherapeutic approaches based on the relevant summaries of different immune cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaopei Hao
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guangshun Sun
- Department of General Surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yao Zhang
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiangyi Kong
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Dawei Rong
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jinhua Song
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Weiwei Tang
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xuehao Wang
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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18
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Miggelbrink AM, Jackson JD, Lorrey SJ, Srinivasan ES, Waibl-Polania J, Wilkinson DS, Fecci PE. CD4 T-Cell Exhaustion: Does It Exist and What Are Its Roles in Cancer? Clin Cancer Res 2021; 27:5742-5752. [PMID: 34127507 PMCID: PMC8563372 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-21-0206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
In chronic infections and in cancer, persistent antigen stimulation under suboptimal conditions can lead to the induction of T-cell exhaustion. Exhausted T cells are characterized by an increased expression of inhibitory markers and a progressive and hierarchical loss of function. Although cancer-induced exhaustion in CD8 T cells has been well-characterized and identified as a therapeutic target (i.e., via checkpoint inhibition), in-depth analyses of exhaustion in other immune cell types, including CD4 T cells, is wanting. While perhaps attributable to the contextual discovery of exhaustion amidst chronic viral infection, the lack of thorough inquiry into CD4 T-cell exhaustion is particularly surprising given their important role in orchestrating immune responses through T-helper and direct cytotoxic functions. Current work suggests that CD4 T-cell exhaustion may indeed be prevalent, and as CD4 T cells have been implicated in various disease pathologies, such exhaustion is likely to be clinically relevant. Defining phenotypic exhaustion in the various CD4 T-cell subsets and how it influences immune responses and disease severity will be crucial to understanding collective immune dysfunction in a variety of pathologies. In this review, we will discuss mechanistic and clinical evidence for CD4 T-cell exhaustion in cancer. Further insight into the derivation and manifestation of exhaustive processes in CD4 T cells could reveal novel therapeutic targets to abrogate CD4 T-cell exhaustion in cancer and induce a robust antitumor immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M. Miggelbrink
- Duke Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Joshua D. Jackson
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Selena J. Lorrey
- Duke Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Ethan S. Srinivasan
- Duke Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Jessica Waibl-Polania
- Duke Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Daniel S. Wilkinson
- Duke Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Peter E. Fecci
- Duke Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Corresponding Author: Peter E. Fecci, Department of Neurosurgery, Duke Medical Center, DUMC Box 3050, Durham, NC 27705. Phone: 919–681–1010; E-mail:
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Basso U, Procopio G, Fornarini G, Massari F, Bearz A, Fratino L, Milella M, Bassanelli M, Ermacora P, Bimbatti D, Verzoni E, Rizzo M, Porta C. Safety and Efficacy of Tivozanib in First-Line mRCC: A Multicenter Compassionate-Use Study (Meet-Uro 16). Oncology 2021; 99:747-755. [PMID: 34583356 DOI: 10.1159/000515951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Tivozanib is a potent and selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR-1), VEGFR-2, and VEGFR-3, recently approved in Europe for the first-line treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). METHODS Retrospective analysis of safety and activity of tivozanib administered at 1.34 mg daily (3 weeks on, 1 week off) within a compassionate-use program to patients with mRCC with no prior systemic treatment in Italy. RESULTS From August 2018 to April 2019, 64 patients have started tivozanib in 9 oncology units. The median age was 67.5 years (range 40-85), 62.5% males. According to International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium criteria, 27.1% of patients were good prognosis, 57.6% intermediate, and 15.3% poor. Primary tumor had been removed in 71.9% of patients. Histology was clear cell 89%, papillary 4.7%, and unclassified 6.3%. The response rate was 34.4%, stable disease 40.6%, and progression 15.6%. Grade 3-4 toxicities were 7.8% hypertension, 4.7% anemia, 3.1% mucositis, 3.1% asthenia, 1.6% diarrhea, 1.6% anorexia, 1.6% worsening of renal function, and 3.1% cardiac events. Dose reduction to 0.89 mg was applied to 17.2% of patients, and the discontinuation rate due to toxicity was 5.8%. Median progression-free survival was 12.4 months, with 68.7% of patients alive at 12 months. The developing of hypertension predicted increased progression-free survival at multivariate analysis (HR, 0.128; 95% CI, 0.03-0.59; p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS Tivozanib showed good activity and favorable safety profile in a real-world cohort of unselected patients with mRCC. Predictive biomarkers of response to antiangiogenic therapy are urgently needed in order to identify RCC patients who could still receive a monotherapy with VEGFR inhibitors in the first line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umberto Basso
- Oncology 3 Unit, Department of Oncology, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Procopio
- Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Fornarini
- Medical Oncology Unit 1, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino IRCCS, Genova, Italy
| | - Francesco Massari
- Division of Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bearz
- Medical Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico CRO IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Lucia Fratino
- Medical Oncology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico CRO IRCCS, Aviano, Italy
| | - Michele Milella
- Medical Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata, Verona, Italy
| | - Maria Bassanelli
- Medical Oncology Unit, Ospedale San Camillo de Lellis Hospital, Rieti, Italy
| | - Paola Ermacora
- Department of Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria S. M. della Misericordia, Udine, Italy
| | - Davide Bimbatti
- Oncology 1 Unit, Department of Oncology, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV IRCSS, Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Verzoni
- Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Mimma Rizzo
- Division of Translational Oncology, IRCCS Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, Pavia, Italy
| | - Camillo Porta
- Division of Translational Oncology, IRCCS Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri, Pavia, Italy.,Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari 'A. Moro', Bari, Italy
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20
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Fountzilas C, Evans R, Alaklabi S, Iyer R. Immunotherapy in hepatocellular cancer. Adv Cancer Res 2021; 149:295-320. [PMID: 33579426 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2020.12.002] [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] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma is a major global healthcare problem. It is closely related to chronic liver inflammation triggered by viral and non-viral insults, that can lead to exhaustion of effector T-cells. Furthermore, immune cells within the normal liver itself tend to be more immune tolerant in order to support the essential function of liver as the first processing station of molecules absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. Dysregulation of the immune system is a hallmark of hepatocellular carcinoma. Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the programmed death-1 axis have shown promise as monotherapy in the management of advanced disease, but still most patients do not benefit from treatment. Most recently, combinatorial strategies with other immune checkpoint inhibitors or agents targeting the second hallmark of hepatocellular carcinoma, i.e., the activation of the vascular epithelial growth factor axis have been studied. In this paper, we review the current immunotherapy approaches for hepatocellular carcinoma and discuss novel immunotherapy approaches and optimal patient selection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rachel Evans
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Sabah Alaklabi
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Renuka Iyer
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, United States.
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21
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Sonnenschein K, Fiedler J, de Gonzalo-Calvo D, Xiao K, Pfanne A, Just A, Zwadlo C, Soltani S, Bavendiek U, Kraft T, Dos Remedios C, Cebotari S, Bauersachs J, Thum T. Blood-based protein profiling identifies serum protein c-KIT as a novel biomarker for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1755. [PMID: 33469076 PMCID: PMC7815737 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80868-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is one of the most common hereditary heart diseases and can be classified into an obstructive (HOCM) and non-obstructive (HNCM) form. Major characteristics for HCM are the hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes and development of cardiac fibrosis. Patients with HCM have a higher risk for sudden cardiac death compared to a healthy population. In the present study, we investigated the abundancy of selected proteins as potential biomarkers in patients with HCM. We included 60 patients with HCM and 28 healthy controls and quantitatively measured the rate of a set of 92 proteins already known to be associated with cardiometabolic processes via protein screening using the proximity extension assay technology in a subgroup of these patients (20 HCM and 10 healthy controls). After validation of four hits in the whole cohort of patients consisting of 88 individuals (60 HCM patients, 28 healthy controls) we found only one candidate, c-KIT, which was regulated significantly different between HCM patients and healthy controls and thus was chosen for further analyses. c-KIT is a tyrosine-protein kinase acting as receptor for the stem cell factor and activating several pathways essential for cell proliferation and survival, hematopoiesis, gametogenesis and melanogenesis. Serum protein levels of c-KIT were significantly lower in patients with HCM than in healthy controls, even after adjusting for confounding factors age and sex. In addition, c-KIT levels in human cardiac tissue of patients with HOCM were significant higher compared to controls indicating high levels of c-KIT in fibrotic myocardium. Furthermore, c-KIT concentration in serum significantly correlated with left ventricular end-diastolic diameter in HOCM, but not HCM patients. The present data suggest c-KIT as a novel biomarker differentiating between patients with HCM and healthy population and might provide further functional insights into fibrosis-related processes of HOCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Sonnenschein
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.,Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jan Fiedler
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - David de Gonzalo-Calvo
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.,CIBER of Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES), Institute of Health Carlos III, Av. de Monforte de Lemos, 28029, Madrid, Spain.,Translational Research in Respiratory Medicine, IRBLleida, University Hospital Arnau de Vilanova and Santa Maria, Av. Alcalde Rovira Roure 80, 25198, Lleida, Spain
| | - Ke Xiao
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Angelika Pfanne
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Annette Just
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Carolin Zwadlo
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Samira Soltani
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Udo Bavendiek
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Theresia Kraft
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Physiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Cristobal Dos Remedios
- Anatomy and Histology, School of Medical Sciences, Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Serghei Cebotari
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation, and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Johann Bauersachs
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,REBIRTH Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Thomas Thum
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany. .,REBIRTH Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. .,Fraunhofer Institute of Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Hannover, Germany.
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22
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Importance of myeloid derived suppressor cells in cancer from a biomarker perspective. Cell Immunol 2020; 361:104280. [PMID: 33445053 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2020.104280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are a heterogenous population of immature myeloid cells that accumulate in tumor bearing host and migrate to lymphoid organs and tumor tissues. This process is controlled by a set of defined pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, which are upregulated in malignancies. MDSC have strong immunosuppressive potential and constitute a major component of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Tumor cells take advantage of the suppressive mechanisms of MDSC to establish an immunosuppressive TME which inhibits antitumor immune responses thereby promoting cancer progression. An immunosuppressive TME acts as a significant barrier to immunotherapeutic interventions. Pre-clinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that enrichment and activation of MDSC is correlated with tumor progression, recurrence and metastasis. In this review we discuss the potential impact of MDSC on tumor progression and its role as a biomarker of prognostic significance in cancer with a special focus on hepatocellular cancer (HCC).
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