CD63 negatively regulates hepatocellular carcinoma development through suppression of inflammatory cytokine-induced STAT3 activation

CD63 + tumor-associated macrophages drive the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma through the induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and lipid reprogramming

BACKGROUND

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) constitute a substantial part of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The present study was devised to explore TAM diversity and their roles in HCC progression.

METHODS

Through the integration of multiple 10 × single-cell transcriptomic data derived from HCC samples and the use of consensus nonnegative matrix factorization (an unsupervised clustering algorithm), TAM molecular subtypes and expression programs were evaluated in detail. The roles played by these TAM subtypes in HCC were further probed through pseudotime, enrichment, and intercellular communication analyses. Lastly, vitro experiments were performed to validate the relationship between CD63, which is an inflammatory TAM expression program marker, and tumor cell lines.

RESULTS

We found that the inflammatory expression program in TAMs had a more obvious interaction with HCC cells, and CD63, as a marker gene of the inflammatory expression program, was associated with poor prognosis of HCC patients. Both bulk RNA-seq and vitro experiments confirmed that higher TAM CD63 expression was associated with the growth of HCC cells as well as their epithelial-mesenchymal transition, metastasis, invasion, and the reprogramming of lipid metabolism.

CONCLUSIONS

These analyses revealed that the TAM inflammatory expression program in HCC is closely associated with malignant tumor cells, with the hub gene CD63 thus representing an ideal target for therapeutic intervention in this cancer type.

Classification of Long Non-Coding RNAs s Between Early and Late Stage of Liver Cancers From Non-coding RNA Profiles Using Machine-Learning Approach

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are RNA sequences greater than 200 nucleotides in length, play a crucial role in regulating gene expression and biological processes associated with cancer development and progression. Liver cancer is a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, notably in Thailand. Although machine learning has been extensively used in analyzing RNA-sequencing data for advanced knowledge, the identification of potential lncRNA biomarkers for cancer, particularly focusing on lncRNAs as molecular biomarkers in liver cancer, remains comparatively limited. In this study, our objective was to identify candidate lncRNAs in liver cancer. We employed an expression data set of lncRNAs from patients with liver cancer, which comprised 40 699 lncRNAs sourced from The CancerLivER database. Various feature selection methods and machine-learning approaches were used to identify these candidate lncRNAs. The results showed that the random forest algorithm could predict lncRNAs using features extracted from the database, which achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.840 for classifying lncRNAs between early (stage 1) and late stages (stages 2, 3, and 4) of liver cancer. Five of 23 significant lncRNAs (WAC-AS1, MAPKAPK5-AS1, ARRDC1-AS1, AC133528.2, and RP11-1094M14.11) were differentially expressed between early and late stage of liver cancer. Based on the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database, higher expression of WAC-AS1, MAPKAPK5-AS1, and ARRDC1-AS1 was associated with shorter overall survival. In conclusion, the classification model could predict the early and late stages of liver cancer using the signature expression of lncRNA genes. The identified lncRNAs might be used as early diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for patients with liver cancer.

hTERT-Immortalized Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: Large-Scale Manufacturing, Cargo Profiling, and Functional Effects in Retinal Epithelial Cells

As the economic burden associated with vision loss and ocular damage continues to rise, there is a need to explore novel treatment strategies. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are enriched with various biological cargo, and there is abundant literature supporting the reparative and immunomodulatory properties of stem cell EVs across a broad range of pathologies. However, one area that requires further attention is the reparative effects of stem cell EVs in the context of ocular damage. Additionally, most of the literature focuses on EVs isolated from primary stem cells; the use of EVs isolated from human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)-immortalized stem cells has not been thoroughly examined. Using our large-scale EV-manufacturing platform, we reproducibly manufactured EVs from hTERT-immortalized mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and employed various methods to characterize and profile their associated cargo. We also utilized well-established cell-based assays to compare the effects of these EVs on both healthy and damaged retinal pigment epithelial cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to establish proof of concept for reproducible, large-scale manufacturing of hTERT-immortalized MSC EVs and to investigate their potential reparative properties against damaged retinal cells. The results from our studies confirm that hTERT-immortalized MSC EVs exert reparative effects in vitro that are similar to those observed in primary MSC EVs. Therefore, hTERT-immortalized MSCs may represent a more consistent and reproducible platform than primary MSCs for generating EVs with therapeutic potential.

Molecular Stratification and Treatment Monitoring of Lung Cancer Using a Small Extracellular Vesicle-Activated Nanocavity Architecture

Development of molecular diagnostics for lung cancer stratification and monitoring is crucial for the rational planning and timely adjustment of treatments to improve clinical outcomes. In this regard, we propose a nanocavity architecture to sensitively profile the protein signature on small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) to enable accurate, noninvasive staging and treatment monitoring of lung cancer. The nanocavity architecture is formed by molecular recognition through the binding of sEVs with the nanobox-based core-shell surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) barcodes and mirrorlike, asymmetric gold microelectrodes. By imposing an alternating current on the gold microelectrodes, a nanofluidic shear force was stimulated that supported the binding of sEVs and the efficient assembly of the nanoboxes. The binding of sEVs further induced a nanocavity between the nanobox and the gold microelectrode that significantly amplified the electromagnetic field to enable the simultaneous enhancement of Raman signals from four SERS barcodes and generate patient-specific molecular sEV signatures. Importantly, evaluated on a cohort of clinical samples (n = 76) on the nanocavity architecture, the acquired patient-specific sEV molecular signatures achieved accurate identification, stratification, and treatment monitoring of lung cancer patients, highlighting its potential for transition to clinical utility.

The role of Tetraspanins in digestive system tumor development: update and emerging evidence

Digestive system malignancies, including cancers of the esophagus, pancreas, stomach, liver, and colorectum, are the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide due to their high morbidity and poor prognosis. The lack of effective early diagnosis methods is a significant factor contributing to the poor prognosis for these malignancies. Tetraspanins (Tspans) are a superfamily of 4-transmembrane proteins (TM4SF), classified as low-molecular-weight glycoproteins, with 33 Tspan family members identified in humans to date. They interact with other membrane proteins or TM4SF members to form a functional platform on the cytoplasmic membrane called Tspan-enriched microdomain and serve multiple functions including cell adhesion, migration, propagation and signal transduction. In this review, we summarize the various roles of Tspans in the progression of digestive system tumors and the underlying molecular mechanisms in recent years. Generally, the expression of CD9, CD151, Tspan1, Tspan5, Tspan8, Tspan12, Tspan15, and Tspan31 are upregulated, facilitating the migration and invasion of digestive system cancer cells. Conversely, Tspan7, CD82, CD63, Tspan7, and Tspan9 are downregulated, suppressing digestive system tumor cell metastasis. Furthermore, the connection between Tspans and the metastasis of malignant bone tumors is reviewed. We also summarize the potential role of Tspans as novel immunotherapy targets and as an approach to overcome drug resistance. Finally, we discuss the potential clinical value and therapeutic targets of Tspans in the treatments of digestive system malignancies and provide some guidance for future research.

Generation of a Novel SORT1×HER2 Bispecific Antibody-Drug Conjugate Targeting HER2-Low-Expression Tumor

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is considered an ideal antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) target because the gene is overexpressed in many tumors compared to normal tissues. Multiple anti-HER2 ADCs conjugated with different toxic payloads bring benefits to patients with high HER2 expression. However, HER2-targeted ADC technology needs further optimization to improve its effect for the treatment of patients with low HER2 expression. We hypothesized that bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (bsADC) targeting HER2 and Sortilin-1 (SORT1) would overcome this limitation. SORT1 is a suitable target for pairing with HER2 to generate a bispecific antibody (BsAb) since the gene is co-expressed with HER2 in tumors and possesses rapid internalization. We developed a BsAb (bsSORT1×HER2) that exhibited strong binding and internalization activity on HER2-low-expression tumor cells and facilitated higher HER2 degradation. The bsSORT1×HER2 was further conjugated with DXd to generate a bsADC (bsSORT1×HER2-DXd) that showed strong cytotoxicity on HER2-low-expression tumor cells and antitumor efficacy in an MDA-MB-231 xenograft mice model. These results demonstrated that employment of a SORT1×HER2-targeted bsADC may be promising to improve the antitumor efficacy of HER2-targeted ADC for the treatment of tumors with low HER2 expression.

Platelet proteo-transcriptomic profiling validates mediators of thrombosis and proteostasis in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms

Patients with chronic Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN) including polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET) exhibit unique clinical features, such as a tendency toward thrombosis and hemorrhage, and risk of disease progression to secondary bone marrow fibrosis and/or acute leukemia. Although an increase in blood cell lineage counts (quantitative features) contribute to these morbid sequelae, the significant qualitative abnormalities of myeloid cells that contribute to vascular risk are not well understood. Here, we address this critical knowledge gap via a comprehensive and untargeted profiling of the platelet proteome in a large (n= 140) cohort of patients (from two independent sites) with an established diagnosis of PV and ET (and complement prior work on the MPN platelet transcriptome from a third site). We discover distinct MPN platelet protein expression and confirm key molecular impairments associated with proteostasis and thrombosis mechanisms of potential relevance to MPN pathology. Specifically, we validate expression of high-priority candidate markers from the platelet transcriptome at the platelet proteome (e.g., calreticulin (CALR), Fc gamma receptor (FcγRIIA) and galectin-1 (LGALS1) pointing to their likely significance in the proinflammatory, prothrombotic and profibrotic phenotypes in patients with MPN. Together, our proteo-transcriptomic study identifies the peripherally-derived platelet molecular profile as a potential window into MPN pathophysiology and demonstrates the value of integrative multi-omic approaches in gaining a better understanding of the complex molecular dynamics of disease.

Exploring the JAK/STAT Signaling Pathway in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Unraveling Signaling Complexity and Therapeutic Implications

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) continues to pose a substantial global health challenge due to its high incidence and limited therapeutic options. In recent years, the Janus Kinase (JAK) and Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) pathway has emerged as a critical signaling cascade in HCC pathogenesis. The review commences with an overview of the JAK/STAT pathway, delving into the dynamic interplay between the JAK/STAT pathway and its numerous upstream activators, such as cytokines and growth factors enriched in pathogenic livers afflicted with chronic inflammation and cirrhosis. This paper also elucidates how the persistent activation of JAK/STAT signaling leads to diverse oncogenic processes during hepatocarcinogenesis, including uncontrolled cell proliferation, evasion of apoptosis, and immune escape. In the context of therapeutic implications, this review summarizes recent advancements in targeting the JAK/STAT pathway for HCC treatment. Preclinical and clinical studies investigating inhibitors and modulators of JAK/STAT signaling are discussed, highlighting their potential in suppressing the deadly disease. The insights presented herein underscore the necessity for continued research into targeting the JAK/STAT signaling pathway as a promising avenue for HCC therapy.

Tetraspanin CD63 reduces the progression and metastasis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma via KRT1-mediated cell cycle arrest

Despite the fact that metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, fundamental questions about the mechanisms that enable or inhibit metastasis remain unanswered. Tetraspanin CD63 has been linked to tumor progression and metastasis. However, few studies have examined the role of CD63 in HNSCC. In this study, we discovered that CD63 levels were abnormally altered in HNSCC tissue compared to adjacent tissue (n = 69 pairs), and that this was linked to prognosis. Through functional in vitro and in vivo experiments, the roles of CD63 in HNSCC were confirmed. Overexpression of CD63 inhibited the progression and metastasis of HNSCC cells. Using mass spectrometry and co-immunoprecipitation assays, we discovered that KRT1 could be a direct interacting partner of CD63. Furthermore, both CD63 and KRT1 expression was significantly decreased in metastatic tissue compared with primary tumor tissue (n = 13 pairs), suggesting that CD63 and KRT1 play a role in reducing the metastasis of HNSCC. In summary, we reveal a previously unrecognized role of CD63 in regulating KRT1-mediated cell cycle arrest in HNSCC cells, and our findings contribute to defining an important mechanism of HNSCC progression and metastasis.

Repurposing live attenuated trivalent MMR vaccine as cost-effective cancer immunotherapy

It has long been known that oncolytic viruses wield their therapeutic capability by priming an inflammatory state within the tumor and activating the tumor immune microenvironment, resulting in a multifaceted antitumor immune response. Vaccine-derived viruses, such as measles and mumps, have demonstrated promising potential for treating human cancer in animal models and clinical trials. However, the extensive cost of manufacturing current oncolytic viral products makes them far out of reach for most patients. Here by analyzing the impact of intratumoral (IT) administrations of the trivalent live attenuated measles, mumps, and rubella viruses (MMR) vaccine, we unveil the cellular and molecular basis of MMR-induced anti-cancer activity. Strikingly, we found that IT delivery of low doses of MMR correlates with tumor control and improved survival in murine hepatocellular cancer and colorectal cancer models via increased tumor infiltration of CD8+ granzyme B+ T-cells and decreased macrophages. Moreover, our data indicate that MMR activates key cellular effectors of the host’s innate and adaptive antitumor immunity, culminating in an immunologically coordinated cancer cell death. These findings warrant further work on the potential for MMR to be repurposed as safe and cost-effective cancer immunotherapy to impact cancer patients globally.

TM4SF5-Mediated Regulation of Hepatocyte Transporters during Metabolic Liver Diseases

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is found in up to 30% of the world’s population and can lead to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which has a poor 5-year relative survival rate of less than 40%. Clinical therapeutic strategies are not very successful. The co-occurrence of metabolic disorders and inflammatory environments during the development of steatohepatitis thus needs to be more specifically diagnosed and treated to prevent fatal HCC development. To improve diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, the identification of molecules and/or pathways responsible for the initiation and progression of chronic liver disease has been explored in many studies, but further study is still required. Transmembrane 4 L six family member 5 (TM4SF5) has been observed to play roles in the regulation of metabolic functions and activities in hepatocytes using in vitro cell and in vivo animal models without or with TM4SF5 expression in addition to clinical liver tissue samples. TM4SF5 is present on the membranes of different organelles or vesicles and cooperates with transporters for fatty acids, amino acids, and monocarbohydrates, thus regulating nutrient uptake into hepatocytes and metabolism and leading to phenotypes of chronic liver diseases. In addition, TM4SF5 can remodel the immune environment by interacting with immune cells during TM4SF5-mediated chronic liver diseases. Because TM4SF5 may act as an NAFLD biomarker, this review summarizes crosstalk between TM4SF5 and nutrient transporters in hepatocytes, which is related to chronic liver diseases.

Tetraspanins as Potential Modulators of Glutamatergic Synaptic Function

Tetraspanins (Tspans) comprise a membrane protein family structurally defined by four transmembrane domains and intracellular N and C termini that is found in almost all cell types and tissues of eukaryotes. Moreover, they are involved in a bewildering multitude of diverse biological processes such as cell adhesion, motility, protein trafficking, signaling, proliferation, and regulation of the immune system. Beside their physiological roles, they are linked to many pathophysiological phenomena, including tumor progression regulation, HIV-1 replication, diabetes, and hepatitis. Tetraspanins are involved in the formation of extensive protein networks, through interactions not only with themselves but also with numerous other specific proteins, including regulatory proteins in the central nervous system (CNS). Interestingly, recent studies showed that Tspan7 impacts dendritic spine formation, glutamatergic synaptic transmission and plasticity, and that Tspan6 is correlated with epilepsy and intellectual disability (formerly known as mental retardation), highlighting the importance of particular tetraspanins and their involvement in critical processes in the CNS. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of tetraspanin functions in the brain, with a particular focus on their impact on glutamatergic neurotransmission. In addition, we compare available resolved structures of tetraspanin family members to those of auxiliary proteins of glutamate receptors that are known for their modulatory effects.

A Genome-Scale CRISPR Knock-Out Screen Identifies MicroRNA-5197-5p as a Promising Radiosensitive Biomarker in Colorectal Cancer

Radioresistance is one of the main reasons causing unsatisfactory curative effects of ionizing radiation (IR) against colorectal cancer (CRC). However, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear yet. In the present study, we applied a genome-scale CRISPR knockout screen in combination of NGS sequencing upon CRC cell lines to explore regulatory factors involved radioresistance of CRC, and 3 candidate genes were identified. Cytotoxicity of IR was determined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation assay and apoptosis assay, and microRNA-5197-5p (miR-5197) was found to significantly enhance the cytotoxicity of IR to CRC cells. By further mechanistic investigation, we demonstrated that miR-5197 directly targeted CDK6 and inhibited its expression in RKO cells, which induced cell cycle arrest at G1/S phase and inhibited cell division, thereby radiosensitivity was enhanced by miR-5197. Our findings revealed that miR-5197 might be a critical factor regulating CRC cell radiosensitivity and provided novel insights into the development of therapeutic strategies for CRC patients who are resistant to IR.

EGR3-HDAC6-IL-27 Axis Mediates Allergic Inflammation and Is Necessary for Tumorigenic Potential of Cancer Cells Enhanced by Allergic Inflammation-Promoted Cellular Interactions

The objective of this study was to investigate mechanisms of allergic inflammation both in vitro and in vivo in details. For this, RNA sequencing was performed. Early growth response 3 gene (Egr3) was one of the most highly upregulated genes in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL2H3) cells stimulated by antigen. The role of Egr3 in allergic inflammation has not been studied extensively. Egr3 was necessary for passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) and passive systemic anaphylaxis (PSA). Egr3 promoter sequences contained potential binding site for NF-κB p65. NF-κB p65 directly regulated Egr3 expression and mediated allergic inflammation in vitro. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) is known to be involved in allergic airway inflammation. HDAC6 promoter sequences contained potential binding site for EGR3. EGR3 showed binding to promoter sequences of HDAC6. EGR3 was necessary for increased expression of histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) in antigen-stimulated RBL2H3 cells. HDAC6 mediated allergic inflammation in vitro and PSA. TargetScan analysis predicted that miR-182-5p was a negative regulator of EGR3. Luciferase activity assay confirmed that miR-182-5p was a direct regulator of EGR3. MiR-182-5p mimic inhibited allergic inflammation both in vitro and in vivo. Cytokine array showed that HDAC6 was necessary for increased interleukin-27 (IL-27) expression in BALB/C mouse model of PSA. Antigen stimulation did not affect expression of EBI3, another subunit of IL-27 in RBL2H3 cells or BALB/C mouse model of PCA or PSA. IL-27 receptor alpha was shown to be able to bind to HDAC6. IL-27 p28 mediated allergic inflammation in vitro, PCA, and PSA. Mouse recombinant IL-27 protein promoted features of allergic inflammation in an antigen-independent manner. HDAC6 was necessary for tumorigenic and metastatic potential enhanced by PSA. PSA enhanced the metastatic potential of mouse melanoma B16F1 cells in an IL-27-dependent manner. Experiments employing culture medium and mouse recombinant IL-27 protein showed that IL-27 mediated and promoted cellular interactions involving B16F1 cells, lung macrophages, and mast cells during allergic inflammation. IL-27 was present in exosomes of antigen-stimulated RBL2H3 cells. Exosomes from antigen-stimulated RBL2H3 cells enhanced invasion of B16F1 melanoma cells in an IL-27-dependemt manner. These results present evidence that EGR3-HDAC6-IL-27 axis can regulate allergic inflammation by mediating cellular interactions.