1
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Lu J, Chen S, Bai X, Liao M, Qiu Y, Zheng LL, Yu H. Targeting cholesterol metabolism in Cancer: From molecular mechanisms to therapeutic implications. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 218:115907. [PMID: 37931664 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115907] [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: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Cholesterol is an essential component of cell membranes and helps to maintain their structure and function. Abnormal cholesterol metabolism has been linked to the development and progression of tumors. Changes in cholesterol metabolism triggered by internal or external stimuli can promote tumor growth. During metastasis, tumor cells require large amounts of cholesterol to support their growth and colonization of new organs. Recent research has shown that cholesterol metabolism is reprogrammed during tumor development, and this can also affect the anti-tumor activity of immune cells in the surrounding environment. However, identifying the specific targets in cholesterol metabolism that regulate cancer progression and the tumor microenvironment is still a challenge. Additionally, exploring the potential of combining statin drugs with other therapies for different types of cancer could be a worthwhile avenue for future drug development. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms of cholesterol and its derivatives in cell metabolism and the tumor microenvironment, and discuss specific targets and relevant therapeutic agents that inhibit aspects of cholesterol homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Siwei Chen
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Xuejiao Bai
- Department of Anesthesiology, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Minru Liao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yuling Qiu
- School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China.
| | - Ling-Li Zheng
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu 610500, China.
| | - Haiyang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China.
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2
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Torcasio R, Gallo Cantafio ME, Ikeda RK, Ganino L, Viglietto G, Amodio N. Lipid metabolic vulnerabilities of multiple myeloma. Clin Exp Med 2023; 23:3373-3390. [PMID: 37639069 PMCID: PMC10618328 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-023-01174-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematological malignancy worldwide, characterized by abnormal proliferation of malignant plasma cells within a tumor-permissive bone marrow microenvironment. Metabolic dysfunctions are emerging as key determinants in the pathobiology of MM. In this review, we highlight the metabolic features of MM, showing how alterations in various lipid pathways, mainly involving fatty acids, cholesterol and sphingolipids, affect the growth, survival and drug responsiveness of MM cells, as well as their cross-talk with other cellular components of the tumor microenvironment. These findings will provide a new path to understanding the mechanisms underlying how lipid vulnerabilities may arise and affect the phenotype of malignant plasma cells, highlighting novel druggable pathways with a significant impact on the management of MM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Torcasio
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, Campus Germaneto, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Heart Sciences, University of Calabria, Arcavacata Di Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Maria Eugenia Gallo Cantafio
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, Campus Germaneto, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Raissa Kaori Ikeda
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, Campus Germaneto, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
- Centro Universitário São Camilo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ludovica Ganino
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, Campus Germaneto, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Viglietto
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, Campus Germaneto, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Nicola Amodio
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, Campus Germaneto, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
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3
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Marinović S, Lenartić M, Mladenić K, Šestan M, Kavazović I, Benić A, Krapić M, Rindlisbacher L, Brdovčak MC, Sparano C, Litscher G, Wensveen TT, Mikolašević I, Čupić DF, Bilić-Zulle L, Steinle A, Waisman A, Hayday A, Tugues S, Becher B, Polić B, Wensveen FM. NKG2D-mediated detection of metabolically stressed hepatocytes by innate-like T cells is essential for initiation of NASH and fibrosis. Sci Immunol 2023; 8:eadd1599. [PMID: 37774007 PMCID: PMC7615627 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.add1599] [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: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from benign steatosis to cirrhosis. A key event in the pathophysiology of MAFLD is the development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which can potentially lead to fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, but the triggers of MAFLD-associated inflammation are not well understood. We have observed that lipid accumulation in hepatocytes induces expression of ligands specific to the activating immune receptor NKG2D. Tissue-resident innate-like T cells, most notably γδ T cells, are activated through NKG2D and secrete IL-17A. IL-17A licenses hepatocytes to produce chemokines that recruit proinflammatory cells into the liver, which causes NASH and fibrosis. NKG2D-deficient mice did not develop fibrosis in dietary models of NASH and had a decreased incidence of hepatic tumors. The frequency of IL-17A+ γδ T cells in the blood of patients with MAFLD correlated directly with liver pathology. Our findings identify a key molecular mechanism through which stressed hepatocytes trigger inflammation in the context of MAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Marinović
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine University of Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Maja Lenartić
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine University of Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Karlo Mladenić
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine University of Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Marko Šestan
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine University of Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Inga Kavazović
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine University of Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Ante Benić
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine University of Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Mia Krapić
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine University of Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Lukas Rindlisbacher
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Colin Sparano
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Gioana Litscher
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Tamara Turk Wensveen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine University of Rijeka, Croatia
- Center for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Cardiometabolism, Thallassotherapia, Opatija
| | - Ivana Mikolašević
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine University of Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Dora Fučkar Čupić
- Dept. of General Pathology and Pathological Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Univ. of Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Lidija Bilić-Zulle
- Clinical Department of Laboratory Diagnosis, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Aleksander Steinle
- Institute for Molecular Medicine, Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ari Waisman
- Institute for Molecular Biology, University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Adrian Hayday
- Department of Immunobiology, King’s College London, UK
| | - Sonia Tugues
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Burkhard Becher
- Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Bojan Polić
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine University of Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Felix M. Wensveen
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine University of Rijeka, Croatia
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4
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Zhang D, Gao B, Feng Q, Manichaikul A, Peloso GM, Tracy RP, Durda P, Taylor KD, Liu Y, Johnson WC, Gabriel S, Gupta N, Smith JD, Aguet F, Ardlie KG, Blackwell TW, Gerszten RE, Rich SS, Rotter JI, Scott LJ, Zhou X, Lee S. Proteome-Wide Association Studies for Blood Lipids and Comparison with Transcriptome-Wide Association Studies. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.17.553749. [PMID: 37662416 PMCID: PMC10473643 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.17.553749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Blood lipid traits are treatable and heritable risk factors for heart disease, a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have discovered hundreds of variants associated with lipids in humans, most of the causal mechanisms of lipids remain unknown. To better understand the biological processes underlying lipid metabolism, we investigated the associations of plasma protein levels with total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) in blood. We trained protein prediction models based on samples in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) and applied them to conduct proteome-wide association studies (PWAS) for lipids using the Global Lipids Genetics Consortium (GLGC) data. Of the 749 proteins tested, 42 were significantly associated with at least one lipid trait. Furthermore, we performed transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) for lipids using 9,714 gene expression prediction models trained on samples from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in MESA and 49 tissues in the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project. We found that although PWAS and TWAS can show different directions of associations in an individual gene, 40 out of 49 tissues showed a positive correlation between PWAS and TWAS signed p-values across all the genes, which suggests a high-level consistency between proteome-lipid associations and transcriptome-lipid associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiwei Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Boran Gao
- Department of Biostatistics and Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Qidi Feng
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Ani Manichaikul
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA USA
| | - Gina M Peloso
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA
| | - Russell P Tracy
- Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, and Biochemistry, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT USA
| | - Peter Durda
- Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Larner College of Medicine, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT USA
| | - Kent D Taylor
- The Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA USA
| | - Yongmei Liu
- Department of Medicine, Divisions of Cardiology and Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC USA
| | - W Craig Johnson
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Stacey Gabriel
- Genomics Platform, Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Namrata Gupta
- Genomics Platform, Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Joshua D Smith
- Department of Genome Sciences, Human Genetics and Translational Genomics, The University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Francois Aguet
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Kristin G Ardlie
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Thomas W Blackwell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Robert E Gerszten
- Genomics Platform, Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Stephen S Rich
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA USA
| | - Jerome I Rotter
- The Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA USA
| | - Laura J Scott
- Department of Biostatistics and Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Xiang Zhou
- Department of Biostatistics and Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Seunggeun Lee
- Graduate School of Data Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biostatistics and Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
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5
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Molfetta R, Petillo S, Cippitelli M, Paolini R. SUMOylation and related post-translational modifications in natural killer cell anti-cancer responses. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1213114. [PMID: 37313439 PMCID: PMC10258607 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1213114] [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: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
SUMOylation is a reversible modification that involves the covalent attachment of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) to target proteins, leading to changes in their localization, function, stability, and interactor profile. SUMOylation and additional related post-translational modifications have emerged as important modulators of various biological processes, including regulation of genomic stability and immune responses. Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune cells that play a critical role in host defense against viral infections and tumors. NK cells can recognize and kill infected or transformed cells without prior sensitization, and their activity is tightly regulated by a balance of activating and inhibitory receptors. Expression of NK cell receptors as well as of their specific ligands on target cells is finely regulated during malignant transformation through the integration of different mechanisms including ubiquitin- and ubiquitin-like post-translational modifications. Our review summarizes the role of SUMOylation and other related pathways in the biology of NK cells with a special emphasis on the regulation of their response against cancer. The development of novel selective inhibitors as useful tools to potentiate NK-cell mediated killing of tumor cells is also briefly discussed.
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6
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Vegliante MC, Mazzara S, Zaccaria GM, De Summa S, Esposito F, Melle F, Motta G, Sapienza MR, Opinto G, Volpe G, Bucci A, Gargano G, Enjuanes A, Tabanelli V, Fiori S, Minoia C, Clemente F, Negri A, Gulino A, Morello G, Scattone A, Zito AF, Tommasi S, Agostinelli C, Vitolo U, Chiappella A, Barbui AM, Derenzini E, Zinzani PL, Casadei B, Rivas-Delgado A, López-Guillermo A, Campo E, Moschetta A, Guarini A, Pileri SA, Ciavarella S. NR1H3 (LXRα) is associated with pro-inflammatory macrophages, predicts survival and suggests potential therapeutic rationales in diffuse large b-cell lymphoma. Hematol Oncol 2022; 40:864-875. [PMID: 35850118 PMCID: PMC10087298 DOI: 10.1002/hon.3050] [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: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The role of macrophages (Mo) and their prognostic impact in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) remain controversial. By regulating the lipid metabolism, Liver-X-Receptors (LXRs) control Mo polarization/inflammatory response, and their pharmacological modulation is under clinical investigation to treat human cancers, including lymphomas. Herein, we surveyed the role of LXRs in DLBCL for prognostic purposes. Comparing bulk tumors with purified malignant and normal B-cells, we found an intriguing association of NR1H3, encoding for the LXR-α isoform, with the tumor microenvironment (TME). CIBERSORTx-based purification on large DLBCL datasets revealed a high expression of the receptor transcript in M1-like pro-inflammatory Mo. By determining an expression cut-off of NR1H3, we used digital measurement to validate its prognostic capacity on two large independent on-trial and real-world cohorts. Independently of classical prognosticators, NR1H3high patients displayed longer survival compared with NR1H3low cases and a high-resolution Mo GEP dissection suggested a remarkable transcriptional divergence between subgroups. Overall, our findings indicate NR1H3 as a Mo-related biomarker identifying patients at higher risk and prompt future preclinical studies investigating its mouldability for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Saveria Mazzara
- Division of Hematopathology, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Gian Maria Zaccaria
- Hematology and Cell Therapy Unit, IRCCS-Istituto Tumori 'Giovanni Paolo II', Bari, Italy
| | - Simona De Summa
- Molecular Diagnostics and Pharmacogenetics Unit, IRCCS-Istituto Tumori 'Giovanni Paolo II', Bari, Italy
| | - Flavia Esposito
- Department of Mathematics, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy.,INDAM-GNCS Research Group, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Melle
- Division of Hematopathology, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanna Motta
- Division of Hematopathology, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppina Opinto
- Hematology and Cell Therapy Unit, IRCCS-Istituto Tumori 'Giovanni Paolo II', Bari, Italy
| | - Giacomo Volpe
- Hematology and Cell Therapy Unit, IRCCS-Istituto Tumori 'Giovanni Paolo II', Bari, Italy
| | - Antonella Bucci
- Hematology and Cell Therapy Unit, IRCCS-Istituto Tumori 'Giovanni Paolo II', Bari, Italy
| | - Grazia Gargano
- Hematology and Cell Therapy Unit, IRCCS-Istituto Tumori 'Giovanni Paolo II', Bari, Italy.,INDAM-GNCS Research Group, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Enjuanes
- Unitat de Genòmica, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona; CIBERONC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Valentina Tabanelli
- Division of Hematopathology, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Fiori
- Division of Hematopathology, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Carla Minoia
- Hematology and Cell Therapy Unit, IRCCS-Istituto Tumori 'Giovanni Paolo II', Bari, Italy
| | - Felice Clemente
- Hematology and Cell Therapy Unit, IRCCS-Istituto Tumori 'Giovanni Paolo II', Bari, Italy
| | - Antonio Negri
- Hematology and Cell Therapy Unit, IRCCS-Istituto Tumori 'Giovanni Paolo II', Bari, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gulino
- Cogentech srl Società Benefit, FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology (IFOM), Milan, Italy
| | - Gaia Morello
- Department of Health Sciences, Tumor Immunology Unit, University of Palermo School of Medicine, Palermo, Italy
| | - Anna Scattone
- Pathology Department, IRCCS-Istituto Tumori 'Giovanni Paolo II', Bari, Italy
| | - Alfredo F Zito
- Pathology Department, IRCCS-Istituto Tumori 'Giovanni Paolo II', Bari, Italy
| | - Stefania Tommasi
- Molecular Diagnostics and Pharmacogenetics Unit, IRCCS-Istituto Tumori 'Giovanni Paolo II', Bari, Italy
| | - Claudio Agostinelli
- Haematopathology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Annalisa Chiappella
- Division of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Barbui
- Department of Oncology and Hematology, Azienda Socio-Sanitaria Territoriale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Enrico Derenzini
- Onco-Hematology Division, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy.,Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Pier Luigi Zinzani
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Beatrice Casadei
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alfredo Rivas-Delgado
- CIBERONC, Barcelona, Spain; Hematology Department, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona; IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Armando López-Guillermo
- CIBERONC, Barcelona, Spain; Hematology Department, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona; IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elias Campo
- CIBERONC, Barcelona, Spain; Haematopathology Unit, Pathology Department, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona; University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Moschetta
- Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Attilio Guarini
- Hematology and Cell Therapy Unit, IRCCS-Istituto Tumori 'Giovanni Paolo II', Bari, Italy
| | - Stefano A Pileri
- Division of Hematopathology, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Sabino Ciavarella
- Hematology and Cell Therapy Unit, IRCCS-Istituto Tumori 'Giovanni Paolo II', Bari, Italy
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7
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Ma L, Vidana Gamage HE, Tiwari S, Han C, Henn MA, Krawczynska N, Dibaeinia P, Koelwyn GJ, Das Gupta A, Bautista Rivas RO, Wright CL, Xu F, Moore KJ, Sinha S, Nelson ER. The Liver X Receptor Is Selectively Modulated to Differentially Alter Female Mammary Metastasis-associated Myeloid Cells. Endocrinology 2022; 163:bqac072. [PMID: 35569056 PMCID: PMC9188661 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqac072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulation of cholesterol homeostasis is associated with many diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Liver X receptors (LXRs) are major upstream regulators of cholesterol homeostasis and are activated by endogenous cholesterol metabolites such as 27-hydroxycholesterol (27HC). LXRs and various LXR ligands such as 27HC have been described to influence several extra-hepatic biological systems. However, disparate reports of LXR function have emerged, especially with respect to immunology and cancer biology. This would suggest that, similar to steroid nuclear receptors, the LXRs can be selectively modulated by different ligands. Here, we use RNA-sequencing of macrophages and single-cell RNA-sequencing of immune cells from metastasis-bearing murine lungs to provide evidence that LXR satisfies the 2 principles of selective nuclear receptor modulation: (1) different LXR ligands result in overlapping but distinct gene expression profiles within the same cell type, and (2) the same LXR ligands differentially regulate gene expression in a highly context-specific manner, depending on the cell or tissue type. The concept that the LXRs can be selectively modulated provides the foundation for developing precision pharmacology LXR ligands that are tailored to promote those activities that are desirable (proimmune), but at the same time minimizing harmful side effects (such as elevated triglyceride levels).
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqian Ma
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Hashni Epa Vidana Gamage
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Srishti Tiwari
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Chaeyeon Han
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Madeline A Henn
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Natalia Krawczynska
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Payam Dibaeinia
- Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Graeme J Koelwyn
- NYU Cardiovascular Research Center, Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Anasuya Das Gupta
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Rafael Ovidio Bautista Rivas
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Chris L Wright
- Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center DNA Services, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Fangxiu Xu
- Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center DNA Services, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Kathryn J Moore
- NYU Cardiovascular Research Center, Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Saurabh Sinha
- Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Erik R Nelson
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- University of Illinois Cancer Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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8
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Ma L, Cho W, Nelson ER. Our evolving understanding of how 27-hydroxycholesterol influences cancer. Biochem Pharmacol 2022; 196:114621. [PMID: 34043965 PMCID: PMC8611110 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Cholesterol has been implicated in the pathophysiology and progression of several cancers now, although the mechanisms by which it influences cancer biology are just emerging. Two likely contributing mechanisms are the ability for cholesterol to directly regulate signaling molecules within the membrane, and certain metabolites acting as signaling molecules. One such metabolite is the oxysterol 27-hydroxycholesterol (27HC), which is a primary metabolite of cholesterol synthesized by the enzyme Cytochrome P450 27A1 (CYP27A1). Physiologically, 27HC is involved in the regulation of cholesterol homeostasis and contributes to cholesterol efflux through liver X receptor (LXR) and inhibition of de novo cholesterol synthesis through the insulin-induced proteins (INSIGs). 27HC is also a selective modulator of the estrogen receptors. An increasing number of studies have identified its importance in cancer progression of various origins, especially in breast cancer. In this review, we discuss the physiological roles of 27HC targeting these two nuclear receptors and the subsequent contribution to cancer progression. We describe how 27HC promotes tumor growth directly through cancer-intrinsic factors, and indirectly through its immunomodulatory roles which lead to decreased immune surveillance and increased tumor invasion. This review underscores the importance of the cholesterol metabolic pathway in cancer progression and the potential therapeutic utility of targeting this metabolic pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqian Ma
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - Wonhwa Cho
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Erik R. Nelson
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL,Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL,Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL,University of Illinois Cancer Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Anticancer Discovery from Pets to People Theme, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL,To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed: Erik R. Nelson. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 407 S Goodwin Ave (MC-114), Urbana, IL, 61801. Phone: 217-244-5477. Fax: 217-333-1133.
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9
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Targeting cholesterol homeostasis in hematopoietic malignancies. Blood 2021; 139:165-176. [PMID: 34610110 PMCID: PMC8814816 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2021012788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cholesterol is a vital lipid for cellular functions. It is necessary for membrane biogenesis, cell proliferation and differentiation. In addition to maintaining cell integrity and permeability, increasing evidence indicates a strict link between cholesterol homeostasis, inflammation and haematological tumors. This makes cholesterol homeostasis an optimal therapeutic target for hematopoietic malignancies. Manipulating cholesterol homeostasis either interfering with its synthesis or activating the reverse cholesterol transport via the engagement of liver X receptors (LXRs), affects the integrity of tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. Cholesterol homeostasis has also been manipulated to restore antitumor immune responses in preclinical models. These observations have prompted clinical trials in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) to test the combination of chemotherapy with drugs interfering with cholesterol synthesis, i.e. statins. We review the role of cholesterol homeostasis in hematopoietic malignancies, as well as in cells of the tumor microenvironment, and discuss the potential use of lipid modulators for therapeutic purposes.
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10
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Immunomodulatory effect of NEDD8-activating enzyme inhibition in Multiple Myeloma: upregulation of NKG2D ligands and sensitization to Natural Killer cell recognition. Cell Death Dis 2021; 12:836. [PMID: 34482362 PMCID: PMC8418610 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-04104-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Multiple Myeloma (MM) is an incurable hematologic malignancy of terminally differentiated plasma cells (PCs), where immune interactions play a key role in the control of cancer cell growth and survival. In particular, MM is characterized by a highly immunosuppressive bone marrow microenvironment where the anticancer/cytotoxic activity of Natural Killer (NK) cells is impaired. This study is focused on understanding whether modulation of neddylation can regulate NK cell-activating ligands expression and sensitize MM to NK cell killing. Neddylation is a post-translational modification that adds a ubiquitin-like protein, NEDD8, to selected substrate proteins, affecting their stability, conformation, subcellular localization, and function. We found that pharmacologic inhibition of neddylation using a small-molecule inhibitor, MLN4924/Pevonedistat, increases the expression of the NK cell-activating receptor NKG2D ligands MICA and MICB on the plasma membrane of different MM cell lines and patient-derived PCs, leading to enhanced NK cell degranulation. Mechanistically, MICA expression is upregulated at mRNA level, and this is the result of an increased promoter activity after the inhibition of IRF4 and IKZF3, two transcriptional repressors of this gene. Differently, MLN4924/Pevonedistat induced accumulation of MICB on the plasma membrane with no change of its mRNA levels, indicating a post-translational regulatory mechanism. Moreover, inhibition of neddylation can cooperate with immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) in upregulating MICA surface levels in MM cells due to increased expression of CRBN, the cellular target of these drugs. In summary, MLN4924/Pevonedistat sensitizes MM to NK cell recognition, adding novel information on the anticancer activity of neddylation inhibition.
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11
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Jia H, Zhang X, Liu X, Qiao R, Liu Y, Lv S, Zhu H, Wang J, Kong Q, Zhang H, Zhang Z. FABP5, a Novel Immune-Related mRNA Prognostic Marker and a Target of Immunotherapy for Multiple Myeloma. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:667525. [PMID: 34249967 PMCID: PMC8266212 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.667525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Multiple myeloma is an incurable hematological malignancy. It is imperative to identify immune markers for early diagnosis and therapy. Here, this study analyzed immune-related mRNAs and assessed their prognostic value and therapeutic potential. Methods: Abnormally expressed immune-related mRNAs were screened between multiple myeloma and normal bone marrow specimens in the GSE47552 and GSE6477 datasets. Their biological functions were then explored. Survival analysis was presented for assessing prognosis-related mRNAs. CIBERSORT was utilized for identifying 22 immune cell compositions of each bone marrow specimen. Correlation between FABP5 mRNA and immune cells was then analyzed in multiple myeloma. Results: Thirty-one immune-related mRNAs were abnormally expressed in multiple myeloma, which were primarily enriched in B cells-related biological processes and pathways. Following validation, FABP5 mRNA was a key risk factor of multiple myeloma. Patients with its up-regulation usually experienced unfavorable outcomes. There were distinct differences in the infiltration levels of B cells naïve, B cells memory, plasma cells, T cells CD4 naïve, resting memory CD4 T cells, activated memory CD4 T cells, Tregs, resting NK cells, M0 macrophages, M1 macrophages, M2 macrophages, and neutrophils between multiple myeloma and normal samples. FABP5 mRNA had correlations to B cells memory, B cells naïve, dendritic cells activated, macrophages M0, macrophages M1, macrophages M2, neutrophils, activated NK cells, resting memory CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells and Tregs. Conclusion: Collectively, our data showed that FABP5 mRNA was related to immune microenvironment, which could be a target of immunotherapy and prognostic marker for multiple myeloma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haipeng Jia
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, China
| | - Xiaofen Zhang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, China
| | - Xinxin Liu
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, China
| | - Ruifang Qiao
- Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Taian City Central Hospital, Taian, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, China
| | - Sulong Lv
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, China
| | - Hongbo Zhu
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, China
| | - Qiuhong Kong
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, China
| | - Zhirong Zhang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, China
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12
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Bilotta MT, Petillo S, Santoni A, Cippitelli M. Liver X Receptors: Regulators of Cholesterol Metabolism, Inflammation, Autoimmunity, and Cancer. Front Immunol 2020; 11:584303. [PMID: 33224146 PMCID: PMC7670053 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.584303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The interplay between cellular stress and immune response can be variable and sometimes contradictory. The mechanisms by which stress-activated pathways regulate the inflammatory response to a pathogen, in autoimmunity or during cancer progression remain unclear in many aspects, despite our recent knowledge of the signalling and transcriptional pathways involved in these diseases. In this context, over the last decade many studies demonstrated that cholesterol metabolism is an important checkpoint for immune homeostasis and cancer progression. Indeed, cholesterol is actively metabolized and can regulate, through its mobilization and/or production of active derivatives, many aspects of immunity and inflammation. Moreover, accumulation of cholesterol has been described in cancer cells, indicating metabolic addiction. The nuclear receptors liver-X-receptors (LXRs) are important regulators of intracellular cholesterol and lipids homeostasis. They have also key regulatory roles in immune response, as they can regulate inflammation, innate and adaptive immunity. Moreover, activation of LXRs has been reported to affect the proliferation and survival of different cancer cell types that show altered metabolic pathways and accumulation of cholesterol. In this minireview we will give an overview of the recent understandings about the mechanisms through which LXRs regulate inflammation, autoimmunity, and cancer, and the therapeutic potential for future treatment of these diseases through modulation of cholesterol metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sara Petillo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Santoni
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Rome, Italy.,Istituto Mediterraneo di Neuroscienze Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Marco Cippitelli
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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13
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Pontini L, Marinozzi M. Shedding light on the roles of liver X receptors in cancer by using chemical probes. Br J Pharmacol 2020; 178:3261-3276. [PMID: 32673401 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15200] [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: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Nuclear receptors, liver X receptor-α (LXRα; NR1H3) and liver X receptor-β (LXRβ; NR1H2), are considered master regulators of lipid homeostasis. During the last couple of decades, their pivotal roles in several physiological and pathological processes ranging from energy supply, immunity, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative disorders and cancer have been highlighted. In this review, the main results achieved during more recent years about our understanding of the LXR involvement in cancer has been mainly obtained using small-molecule chemical probes. Remarkably, all these probes, albeit having different structure and biological properties, have a well demonstrated anti-tumoral activity arising from LXR modulation, indicating a high potential of LXR targeting for the treatment of cancer. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on Oxysterols, Lifelong Health and Therapeutics. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v178.16/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Pontini
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Maura Marinozzi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
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14
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Li H, Feng Z, He ML. Lipid metabolism alteration contributes to and maintains the properties of cancer stem cells. Theranostics 2020; 10:7053-7069. [PMID: 32641978 PMCID: PMC7330842 DOI: 10.7150/thno.41388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipids, the basic components of the cell membrane, execute fundamental roles in almost all the cell activities including cell-cell recognition, signalling transduction and energy supplies. Lipid metabolism is elementary for life sustentation that balances activity between synthesis and degradation. An accumulating amount of data has indicated abnormal lipid metabolism in cancer stem cells (CSCs), and that the alteration of lipid metabolism exerts a great impact on CSCs' properties such as the capability of self-renewal, differentiation, invasion, metastasis, and drug sensitivity and resistance. CSCs' formation and maintenance cannot do without the regulation of fatty acids and cholesterol. In normal cells and embryonic development, fatty acids and cholesterol metabolism are regulated by some important signalling pathways (such as Hedgehog, Notch, Wnt signalling pathways); these signalling pathways also play crucial roles in initiating and/or maintaining CSCs' properties, and such signalling is shown to be commonly modulated by the abnormal lipid metabolism in CSCs; on the other hand, the altered lipid metabolism in turn modifies the cell signalling and generates additional impacts on CSCs. Metabolic rewiring is considered as an ideal hallmark of CSCs, and metabolic alterations would be promising therapeutic targets of CSCs for aggressive tumors. In this review, we summarize the most updated findings of lipid metabolic abnormalities in CSCs and prospect the potential applications of targeting lipid metabolism for anticancer treatment.
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15
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Li Y, Dong K, Fan X, Xie J, Wang M, Fu S, Li Q. DNT Cell-based Immunotherapy: Progress and Applications. J Cancer 2020; 11:3717-3724. [PMID: 32328176 PMCID: PMC7171494 DOI: 10.7150/jca.39717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has firmly established a dominant status in recent years. Adoptive cellular immunotherapy (ACI) is the main branch of immunotherapy. Recently, the immune effector cells of ACI, such as T cells, NK cells, and genetically engineered cells, have been used to achieve significant clinical benefits in the treatment of malignant tumors. However, the clinical applications have limitations, including toxicity, unexpectedly low efficiency, high costs and strict technical requirements. More exploration is needed to optimize ACI for cancer patients. CD3+CD4-CD8- double negative T cells (DNTs) have emerged as functional antitumor effector cells, according to the definition of adoptive immunotherapy. They constitute a kind of T cell subset that mediates nontumor antigen-restricted immunity and has important immune regulatory functions. Preclinical experiments showed that DNTs had a dual effect by killing tumor cells and inhibiting graft-versus-host disease. Notably, DNTs can be acquired from healthy donors and expanded in vitro; thus, allogeneic DNTs may be provided as “off-the-shelf” cellular products that can be readily available for direct clinical application. We review the progress and application of DNTs in immunotherapy. DNTs may provide some novel perspectives on cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingrui Li
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030000, China.,Department of Oncology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Kang Dong
- Shanxi Pharmaceutical Group Gene Biotech co. LTD, Taiyuan, 030000, China
| | - Xueke Fan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Jincheng People's Hospital, Jincheng, 048000, China
| | - Jun Xie
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030000, China
| | - Miao Wang
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Songtao Fu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030000, China
| | - Qin Li
- Department of Oncology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China
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16
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Ben-Shmuel A, Biber G, Barda-Saad M. Unleashing Natural Killer Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment-The Next Generation of Immunotherapy? Front Immunol 2020; 11:275. [PMID: 32153582 PMCID: PMC7046808 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of immunotherapy for cancer treatment bears considerable clinical promise. Nevertheless, many patients remain unresponsive, acquire resistance, or suffer dose-limiting toxicities. Immune-editing of tumors assists their escape from the immune system, and the tumor microenvironment (TME) induces immune suppression through multiple mechanisms. Immunotherapy aims to bolster the activity of immune cells against cancer by targeting these suppressive immunomodulatory processes. Natural Killer (NK) cells are a heterogeneous subset of immune cells, which express a diverse array of activating and inhibitory germline-encoded receptors, and are thus capable of directly targeting and killing cancer cells without the need for MHC specificity. Furthermore, they play a critical role in triggering the adaptive immune response. Enhancing the function of NK cells in the context of cancer is therefore a promising avenue for immunotherapy. Different NK-based therapies have been evaluated in clinical trials, and some have demonstrated clinical benefits, especially in the context of hematological malignancies. Solid tumors remain much more difficult to treat, and the time point and means of intervention of current NK-based treatments still require optimization to achieve long term effects. Here, we review recently described mechanisms of cancer evasion from NK cell immune surveillance, and the therapeutic approaches that aim to potentiate NK function. Specific focus is placed on the use of specialized monoclonal antibodies against moieties on the cancer cell, or on both the tumor and the NK cell. In addition, we highlight newly identified mechanisms that inhibit NK cell activity in the TME, and describe how biochemical modifications of the TME can synergize with current treatments and increase susceptibility to NK cell activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aviad Ben-Shmuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Applied Immunology, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Guy Biber
- Laboratory of Molecular and Applied Immunology, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Mira Barda-Saad
- Laboratory of Molecular and Applied Immunology, The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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17
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Molfetta R, Zingoni A, Santoni A, Paolini R. Post-translational Mechanisms Regulating NK Cell Activating Receptors and Their Ligands in Cancer: Potential Targets for Therapeutic Intervention. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2557. [PMID: 31736972 PMCID: PMC6836727 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Efficient clearance of transformed cells by Natural Killer (NK) cells is regulated by several activating receptors, including NKG2D, NCRs, and DNAM-1. Expression of these receptors as well as their specific “induced self” ligands is finely regulated during malignant transformation through the integration of different mechanisms acting on transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational levels. Among post-translational mechanisms, the release of activating ligands in the extracellular milieu through protease-mediated cleavage or by extracellular vesicle secretion represents some relevant cancer immune escape processes. Moreover, covalent modifications including ubiquitination and SUMOylation also contribute to negative regulation of NKG2D and DNAM-1 ligand surface expression resulting either in ligand intracellular retention and/or ligand degradation. All these mechanisms greatly impact on NK cell mediated recognition and killing of cancer cells and may be targeted to potentiate NK cell surveillance against tumors. Our mini review summarizes the main post-translational mechanisms regulating the expression of activating receptors and their ligands with particular emphasis on the contribution of ligand shedding and of ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like modifications in reducing target cell susceptibility to NK cell-mediated killing. Strategies aimed at inhibiting shedding of activating ligands and their modifications in order to preserve ligand expression on cancer cells will be also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Molfetta
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Zingoni
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Santoni
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Rome, Italy
| | - Rossella Paolini
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Rome, Italy
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