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Liu J, Wang T, Zhang W, Huang Y, Wang X, Li Q. Association between Metabolic Reprogramming and Immune Regulation in Digestive Tract Tumors. Oncol Res Treat 2024; 47:273-286. [PMID: 38636467 DOI: 10.1159/000538659] [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: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cancers of the digestive tract, including colorectal cancer (CRC), gastric cancer, and esophageal cancer, are part of the most common cancers as well as one of the most important leading causes of cancer death worldwide. SUMMARY Despite the emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1/PD-L1) in the past decade, offering renewed optimism in cancer treatment, only a fraction of patients derive benefit from these therapies. This limited efficacy may stem from tumor heterogeneity and the impact of metabolic reprogramming on both tumor cells and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME). The metabolic reprogramming of glucose, lipids, amino acids, and other nutrients represents a pivotal hallmark of cancer, serving to generate energy, reducing equivalent and biological macromolecule, thereby fostering tumor proliferation and invasion. Significantly, the metabolic reprogramming of tumor cells can orchestrate changes within the TME, rendering patients unresponsive to immunotherapy. KEY MESSAGES In this review, we predominantly encapsulate recent strides on metabolic reprogramming among digestive tract cancer, especially CRC, in the TME with a focus on how these alterations influence anti-tumor immunity. Additionally, we deliberate on potential strategies to address these abnormities in metabolic pathways and the viability of combined therapy within the realm of anti-cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiafeng Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tianxiao Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenxin Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuxin Huang
- Department of Pharmacy, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinhai Wang
- Department of Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qunyi Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Yu L, Lu J, Du W. Tryptophan metabolism in digestive system tumors: unraveling the pathways and implications. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:174. [PMID: 38462620 PMCID: PMC10926624 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01552-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Tryptophan (Trp) metabolism plays a crucial role in influencing the development of digestive system tumors. Dysregulation of Trp and its metabolites has been identified in various digestive system cancers, including esophageal, gastric, liver, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers. Aberrantly expressed Trp metabolites are associated with diverse clinical features in digestive system tumors. Moreover, the levels of these metabolites can serve as prognostic indicators and predictors of recurrence risk in patients with digestive system tumors. Trp metabolites exert their influence on tumor growth and metastasis through multiple mechanisms, including immune evasion, angiogenesis promotion, and drug resistance enhancement. Suppressing the expression of key enzymes in Trp metabolism can reduce the accumulation of these metabolites, effectively impacting their role in the promotion of tumor progression and metastasis. Strategies targeting Trp metabolism through specific enzyme inhibitors or tailored drugs exhibit considerable promise in enhancing therapeutic outcomes for digestive system tumors. In addition, integrating these approaches with immunotherapy holds the potential to further enhance treatment efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis, Treatment of Infectious Diseases,, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 79 Qingchun Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
| | - Juan Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis, Treatment of Infectious Diseases,, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 79 Qingchun Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China.
| | - Weibo Du
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis, Treatment of Infectious Diseases,, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 79 Qingchun Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China.
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Masoumi J, Ghorbaninezhad F, Saeedi H, Safaei S, Khaze Shahgoli V, Ghaffari Jolfayi A, Naseri B, Baghbanzadeh A, Baghbani E, Mokhtarzadeh A, Bakhshivand M, Javan MR, Silvestris N, Baradaran B. siRNA-Mediated B7H7 Knockdown in Gastric Cancer Lysate-Loaded Dendritic Cells Amplifies Expansion and Cytokine Secretion of Autologous T Cells. Biomedicines 2023; 11:3212. [PMID: 38137433 PMCID: PMC10740599 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11123212] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gastric cancer, ranked as the fifth most common cancer worldwide, presents multiple treatment challenges. These obstacles often arise due to cancer stem cells, which are associated with recurrence, metastasis, and drug resistance. While dendritic cell (DC)-based immunotherapy has shown promise as a therapeutic strategy, its efficacy can be limited by the tumor microenvironment and certain inhibitory immune checkpoint molecules, such as B7H7. SiRNA-medicated knockdown of B7H7 in tumor cell lysate-pulsed DCs can increase cytokine secretion and autologous T lymphocyte expansion. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of B7H7 suppression in gastric cancer cell lysate-pulsed DCs on the stimulatory potential of autologous CD3+ T lymphocytes. METHODS Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated and monocytes were obtained; then, they were differentiated to immature DCs (iDCs) by GM-CSF and IL-4. Tumor cell lysates from human gastric cancer cell lines were harvested, and iDCs were transformed into mature DCs (mDCs) by stimulating iDCs with tumor cell lysate and lipopolysaccharide. B7H7-siRNA was delivered into mDCs using electroporation, and gene silencing efficiency was assessed. The phenotypic characteristics of iDCs, mDCs, and B7H7-silenced mDCs were evaluated using specific surface markers, an inverted light microscope, and flow cytometry. CD3+ T cells were isolated via magnetically activated cell sorting. They were labeled with CFSE dye and co-cultured with mDCs and B7H7-silenced mDCs to evaluate their ability to induce T-cell proliferation. T-cell proliferation was assessed using flow cytometry. The concentration of TGF-β, IL-4, and IFN-γ secreted from CD3+ T cells in the co-cultured supernatant was evaluated to investigate the cytokine secretory activity of the cells. RESULTS Transfection of B7H7 siRNA into mDCs was performed in optimal conditions, and the siRNA transfection effectively reduced B7H7 mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner. SiRNA-mediated B7H7 knockdown in mDCs enhanced maturation and activation of the DCs, as demonstrated by an increased surface expression of CD11c, CD86, and CD40. Co-culture experiments revealed that B7H7-silenced mDCs had more capacity to induce T cell proliferation compared to non-transfected mDCs. The cytokine production patterns of T cells were also altered. Upon examining the levels of TGF-β, IL-4, and IFN-γ released by CD3+ T cells in the co-culture supernatant, we found that silencing B7H7 in mDCs resulted in a rise in IL-4 secretion and a reduction in TGF-β levels compared to mDCs that were not transfected. CONCLUSIONS The study found that suppressing B7H7 expression in DCs significantly enhances their maturation and stimulatory activity when exposed to gastric cancer cell lysate. These B7H7-silenced DCs can substantially increase cytokine production and promote co-cultured T-cell expansion. Consequently, inhibiting B7H7 in DCs may offer a practical strategy to enhance the ability of DCs to initiate T lymphocyte responses and improve the effectiveness of DC-based cell therapy for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Masoumi
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51548-53431, Iran; (J.M.); (F.G.); (V.K.S.); (A.G.J.); (B.N.); (A.B.); (A.M.)
| | - Farid Ghorbaninezhad
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51548-53431, Iran; (J.M.); (F.G.); (V.K.S.); (A.G.J.); (B.N.); (A.B.); (A.M.)
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51548-53431, Iran
| | - Hossein Saeedi
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51548-53431, Iran; (J.M.); (F.G.); (V.K.S.); (A.G.J.); (B.N.); (A.B.); (A.M.)
| | - Sahar Safaei
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51548-53431, Iran; (J.M.); (F.G.); (V.K.S.); (A.G.J.); (B.N.); (A.B.); (A.M.)
| | - Vahid Khaze Shahgoli
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51548-53431, Iran; (J.M.); (F.G.); (V.K.S.); (A.G.J.); (B.N.); (A.B.); (A.M.)
| | - Amir Ghaffari Jolfayi
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51548-53431, Iran; (J.M.); (F.G.); (V.K.S.); (A.G.J.); (B.N.); (A.B.); (A.M.)
| | - Bahar Naseri
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51548-53431, Iran; (J.M.); (F.G.); (V.K.S.); (A.G.J.); (B.N.); (A.B.); (A.M.)
| | - Amir Baghbanzadeh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51548-53431, Iran; (J.M.); (F.G.); (V.K.S.); (A.G.J.); (B.N.); (A.B.); (A.M.)
| | - Elham Baghbani
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51548-53431, Iran; (J.M.); (F.G.); (V.K.S.); (A.G.J.); (B.N.); (A.B.); (A.M.)
| | - Ahad Mokhtarzadeh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51548-53431, Iran; (J.M.); (F.G.); (V.K.S.); (A.G.J.); (B.N.); (A.B.); (A.M.)
- Pharmaceutical Analysis Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51548-53431, Iran
| | - Mohammad Bakhshivand
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51548-53431, Iran; (J.M.); (F.G.); (V.K.S.); (A.G.J.); (B.N.); (A.B.); (A.M.)
| | - Mohammad Reza Javan
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol 98616-15881, Iran;
| | - Nicola Silvestris
- Medical Oncology Unit, Department of Human Pathology “G. Barresi”, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy
| | - Behzad Baradaran
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51548-53431, Iran; (J.M.); (F.G.); (V.K.S.); (A.G.J.); (B.N.); (A.B.); (A.M.)
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 51548-53431, Iran
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Yuan S, Zhu T, Wang J, Jiang R, Shu A, Zhang Z, Zhang P, Feng X, Zhao L. miR-22 promotes immunosuppression via activating JAK/STAT3 signaling in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Carcinogenesis 2023; 44:549-561. [PMID: 37466677 DOI: 10.1093/carcin/bgad055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy is the only approved systemic therapy for advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), however, roughly 50% of patients do not respond to the therapy and resistance often occurs over time to those who initially respond. Immunosuppression could have a critical role in developing treatment resistance, thus, understanding the mechanisms of how immunosuppression is developed and regulated may be the key to improving clinical diagnosis and treatment strategies for cSCC. Here, through using a series of immunocompetent genetically engineered mouse models, we demonstrate that miR-22 promotes cSCC development by establishing regulatory T cells (Tregs)-mediated immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) in a tumor cell autonomous manner. Mechanism investigation revealed that miR-22 elicits the constitutive activation of JAK/STAT3 signaling by directly targeting its suppressor SOCS3, which augments cancer cell-derived chemokine secretion and Tregs recruitment. Epithelial-specific and global knockouts of miR-22 repress papilloma and cSCC development and progression, manifested with reduced Tregs infiltration and elevated CD8+ T cell activation. Transcriptomic analysis and functional rescue study confirmed CCL17, CCL20 and CCL22 as the main affected chemokines that mediate the chemotaxis between miR-22 highly expressing keratinocyte tumor cells and Tregs. Conversely, overexpression of SOCS3 reversed miR-22-induced Tregs recruitment toward tumor cells. Clinically, gradually increasing Tregs infiltration during cSCC progression was negatively correlated with SOCS3 abundance, supported by previously documented elevated miR-22 levels. Thus, our study uncovers a novel miR-22-SOCS3-JAK/STAT3-chemokines regulatory mechanism in defining the immunosuppressive TME and highlights the promising clinical application value of miR-22 as a common targeting molecule against JAK/STAT3 signaling and immune escape in cSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shukai Yuan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, 22 Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Tong Zhu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, 22 Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Jianan Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, 22 Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Ruoyu Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Aofeng Shu
- School of Basic Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China
| | - Zhenlei Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, 22 Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Peitao Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Xuequan Feng
- Neurosurgical Department, Tianjin First Central Hospital, No. 24 Fukang Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Li Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, 22 Qixiangtai Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300070, China
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Liang X, Du W, Huang L, Xiang L, Pan W, Yang F, Zheng F, Xie Y, Geng L, Gong S, Xu W. Helicobacter pylori promotes gastric intestinal metaplasia through activation of IRF3-mediated kynurenine pathway. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:141. [PMID: 37328804 PMCID: PMC10273570 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01162-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metabolic reprogramming is a critical event for cell fate and function, making it an attractive target for clinical therapy. The function of metabolic reprogramming in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-infected gastric intestinal metaplasia remained to be identified. METHODS Xanthurenic acid (XA) was measured in gastric cancer cells treated with H. pylori or H. pylori virulence factor, respectively, and qPCR and WB were performed to detect CDX2 and key metabolic enzymes expression. A subcellular fractionation approach, luciferase and ChIP combined with immunofluorescence were applied to reveal the mechanism underlying H. pylori mediated kynurenine pathway in intestinal metaplasia in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS Herein, we, for the first time, demonstrated that H. pylori contributed to gastric intestinal metaplasia characterized by enhanced Caudal-related homeobox transcription factor-2 (CDX2) and mucin2 (MUC2) expression, which was attributed to activation of kynurenine pathway. H. pylori promoted kynurenine aminotransferase II (KAT2)-mediated kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism, leading to XA production, which further induced CDX2 expression in gastric epithelial cells. Mechanically, H. pylori activated cyclic guanylate adenylate synthase (cGAS)-interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) pathway in gastric epithelial cells, leading to enhance IRF3 nuclear translocation and the binding of IRF3 to KAT2 promoter. Inhibition of KAT2 could significantly reverse the effect of H. pylori on CDX2 expression. Also, the rescue phenomenon was observed in gastric epithelial cells treated with H. pylori after IRF3 inhibition in vitro and in vivo. Most importantly, phospho-IRF3 was confirmed to be a clinical positive relationship with CDX2. CONCLUSION These finding suggested H. pylori contributed to gastric intestinal metaplasia through KAT2-mediated kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism via cGAS-IRF3 signaling, targeting the kynurenine pathway could be a promising strategy to prevent gastric intestinal metaplasia caused by H. pylori infection. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhua Liang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Wenjun Du
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Ling Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Li Xiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Wenxu Pan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Fangying Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Fengfeng Zheng
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Putian University, Putian, 351100, China
| | - Yongwu Xie
- Department of Hematology, Zhuhai Center for Maternal and Child Health Care, Zhuhai, China
| | - Lanlan Geng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China.
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China.
| | - Sitang Gong
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China.
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China.
| | - Wanfu Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China.
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China.
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Wang B, Zhang Z, Liu W, Tan B. Targeting regulatory T cells in gastric cancer: Pathogenesis, immunotherapy, and prognosis. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 158:114180. [PMID: 36586241 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.114180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) remains one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Despite immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has revolutionized cancer treatment and obtained durable clinical responses, only a fraction of GC patients benefit from it. As an important component of T cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a vital role in the pathogenesis of GC, keep a core balance between immune suppression and autoimmunity, and function as predictive biomarkers for prognosis of GC patients. In this review, we discuss the role of Tregs in the pathogenesis of GC, and targeting Tregs via influencing their transcription factor, migration, co-stimulatory receptors, immune checkpoints, and cytokines. We also focus on the currently important findings of Tregs metabolism including amino acid, fatty acid, and lactic acid metabolism of GC. The emerging role of microbiome and clinical combined therapy in modulating Tregs in GC treatment is also summarized. Meanwhile, this review recapitulates a novel regulator, magnesium, is involved in mediating Tregs in GC. These research advances on Treg-related strategies provide new insights and challenges for GC progression, treatment, and prognosis. And we hope our review can stimulate further discovery and implication of mediators and pathways targeting Tregs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingyu Wang
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 050011 Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Zaibo Zhang
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 050011 Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Wenbo Liu
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 050011 Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Bibo Tan
- The Third Department of Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, 050011 Shijiazhuang, China.
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Liu Y, Li C, Lu Y, Liu C, Yang W. Tumor microenvironment-mediated immune tolerance in development and treatment of gastric cancer. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1016817. [PMID: 36341377 PMCID: PMC9630479 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1016817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor microenvironment is the general term for all non-cancer components and their metabolites in tumor tissue. These components include the extracellular matrix, fibroblasts, immune cells, and endothelial cells. In the early stages of tumors, the tumor microenvironment has a tumor suppressor function. As the tumor progresses, tumor immune tolerance is induced under the action of various factors, such that the tumor suppressor microenvironment is continuously transformed into a tumor-promoting microenvironment, which promotes tumor immune escape. Eventually, tumor cells manifest the characteristics of malignant proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance. In recent years, stress effects of the extracellular matrix, metabolic and phenotypic changes of innate immune cells (such as neutrophils, mast cells), and adaptive immune cells in the tumor microenvironment have been revealed to mediate the emerging mechanisms of immune tolerance, providing us with a large number of emerging therapeutic targets to relieve tumor immune tolerance. Gastric cancer is one of the most common digestive tract malignancies worldwide, whose mortality rate remains high. According to latest guidelines, the first-line chemotherapy of advanced gastric cancer is the traditional platinum and fluorouracil therapy, while immunotherapy for gastric cancer is extremely limited, including only Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) targeted drugs, whose benefits are limited. Clinical experiments confirmed that cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) and other targeted drugs alone or in combination with other drugs have limited efficacy in patients with advanced gastric cancer, far less than in lung cancer, colon cancer, and other tumors. The failure of immunotherapy is mainly related to the induction of immune tolerance in the tumor microenvironment of gastric cancer. Therefore, solving the immune tolerance of tumors is key to the success of gastric cancer immunotherapy. In this study, we summarize the latest mechanisms of various components of the tumor microenvironment in gastric cancer for inducing immune tolerance and promoting the formation of the malignant phenotype of gastric cancer, as well as the research progress of targeting the tumor microenvironment to overcome immune tolerance in the treatment of gastric cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanda Liu
- Department of Endoscopy Center, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Changfeng Li
- Department of Endoscopy Center, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- *Correspondence: Changfeng Li, ; Wei Yang,
| | - Yaoping Lu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Endoscopy Center, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Wei Yang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- *Correspondence: Changfeng Li, ; Wei Yang,
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