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Schmauch B, Elsoukkary SS, Moro A, Raj R, Wehrle CJ, Sasaki K, Calderaro J, Sin-Chan P, Aucejo F, Roberts DE. Combining a deep learning model with clinical data better predicts hepatocellular carcinoma behavior following surgery. J Pathol Inform 2024; 15:100360. [PMID: 38292073 PMCID: PMC10825615 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpi.2023.100360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most common cancers worldwide, and tumor recurrence following liver resection or transplantation is one of the highest contributors to mortality in HCC patients after surgery. Using artificial intelligence (AI), we developed an interdisciplinary model to predict HCC recurrence and patient survival following surgery. We collected whole-slide H&E images, clinical variables, and follow-up data from 300 patients with HCC who underwent transplant and 169 patients who underwent resection at the Cleveland Clinic. A deep learning model was trained to predict recurrence-free survival (RFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) from the H&E-stained slides. Repeated cross-validation splits were used to compute robust C-index estimates, and the results were compared to those obtained by fitting a Cox proportional hazard model using only clinical variables. While the deep learning model alone was predictive of recurrence and survival among patients in both cohorts, integrating the clinical and histologic models significantly increased the C-index in each cohort. In every subgroup analyzed, we found that a combined clinical and deep learning model better predicted post-surgical outcome in HCC patients compared to either approach independently.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah S. Elsoukkary
- Owkin Lab, Owkin, Inc., New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Amika Moro
- Department of Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Roma Raj
- Department of Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | | | - Kazunari Sasaki
- Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Julien Calderaro
- Department of Pathology, Henri Mondor University Hospital, Créteil, France
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Zhang N, Ye S, Wang X, Wang K, Zhong F, Yao F, Liu J, Huang B, Xu F, Wang X. Hepatic Symbiotic Bacterium L. reuteri FLRE5K1 Inhibits the Development and Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Activating the IFN-γ/CXCL10/CXCR3 Pathway. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2024; 16:1158-1171. [PMID: 37289406 DOI: 10.1007/s12602-023-10098-y] [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] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Symbiotic bacteria participate in the formation of the structure and function of the tissues and organs in which they live, and play an essential role in maintaining the balance between health and disease. Lactobacillus reuteri FLRE5K1 was isolated from the liver of healthy mice and proved to be a probiotic with anti-melanoma activity in previous studies. The relationship between hepatic symbiotic probiotics and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been reported yet. In the present study, L. reuteri FLRE5K1 was initially confirmed to successfully enter the liver after being administered by gavage, and the efficacy of probiotic feeding on HCC and its potential mechanism of inhibiting tumor progression were investigated by an orthotopic liver cancer model established. The results showed that L. reuteri FLRE5K1 significantly reduced the tumor formation rate and inhibited tumor growth in mice. From the perspective of mechanism, activation of the IFN-γ/CXCL10/CXCR3 pathway, as well as its positive feedback on the secretion of IFN-γ, induced the polarization of Th0 cell to Th1 cells and inhibited the differentiation of Tregs, which played a key role in the inhibitory effect of L. reuteri FLRE5K1 on the development and progression of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zhang
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, Jiangxi, China
| | - Shuiwen Ye
- Department of Blood Transfusion, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, Jiangxi, China
| | - Xinlu Wang
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, Jiangxi, China
| | - Kang Wang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, Jiangxi, China
| | - Fangmin Zhong
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, Jiangxi, China
| | - Fangyi Yao
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, Jiangxi, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, Jiangxi, China
| | - Bo Huang
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, Jiangxi, China
| | - Feng Xu
- Jiangxi-Oai Joint Research Institute, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, Jiangxi, China.
| | - Xiaozhong Wang
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Clinical Laboratory, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, Jiangxi, China.
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Zhuang RZ, Zhuo JY, Dong SY, Ling Q, Zhu HK, Xu X. Prognostic value of innate immune cell densities in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation. Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int 2024:S1499-3872(24)00104-8. [PMID: 39089944 DOI: 10.1016/j.hbpd.2024.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Run-Zhou Zhuang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Jian-Yong Zhuo
- NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Si-Yi Dong
- National Center for Healthcare Quality Management of Liver Transplant, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Qi Ling
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Heng-Kai Zhu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Liver Transplantation, Shulan (Hangzhou) Hospital, Zhejiang Shuren University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310022, China
| | - Xiao Xu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-organ Transplantation, Hangzhou, 310003, China; Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou 310014, China; Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China.
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4
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Aublin-Gex A, Jacolin F, Diaz O, Jacquemin C, Marçais A, Walzer T, Lotteau V, Vidalain PO, Perrin-Cocon L. Tethering of hexokinase 2 to mitochondria promotes resistance of liver cancer cells to natural killer cell cytotoxicity. Eur J Immunol 2024:e2350954. [PMID: 38837415 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202350954] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Hexokinases (HKs) control the first step of glucose catabolism. A switch of expression from liver HK (glucokinase, GCK) to the tumor isoenzyme HK2 is observed in hepatocellular carcinoma progression. Our prior work revealed that HK isoenzyme switch in hepatocytes not only regulates hepatic metabolic functions but also modulates innate immunity and sensitivity to Natural Killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity. This study investigates the impact of HK2 expression and its mitochondrial binding on the resistance of human liver cancer cells to NK-cell-induced cytolysis. We have shown that HK2 expression induces resistance to NK cell cytotoxicity in a process requiring mitochondrial binding of HK2. Neither HK2 nor GCK expression affects target cells' ability to activate NK cells. In contrast, mitochondrial binding of HK2 reduces effector caspase 3/7 activity both at baseline and upon NK-cell activation. Furthermore, HK2 tethering to mitochondria enhances their resistance to cytochrome c release triggered by tBID. These findings indicate that HK2 mitochondrial binding in liver cancer cells is an intrinsic resistance factor to cytolysis and an escape mechanism from immune surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Aublin-Gex
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Team Viral Infection, Metabolism and Immunity, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Florentine Jacolin
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Team Viral Infection, Metabolism and Immunity, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Olivier Diaz
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Team Viral Infection, Metabolism and Immunity, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Clémence Jacquemin
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Team Viral Infection, Metabolism and Immunity, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Antoine Marçais
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Team Lymphocyte activation and signaling, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Thierry Walzer
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Team Lymphocyte activation and signaling, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Vincent Lotteau
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Team Viral Infection, Metabolism and Immunity, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Pierre-Olivier Vidalain
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Team Viral Infection, Metabolism and Immunity, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Laure Perrin-Cocon
- CIRI, Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Team Viral Infection, Metabolism and Immunity, Univ Lyon, Inserm, U1111, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5308, ENS de Lyon, Lyon, France
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Wang Y, Mang X, Guo X, Pu J. Distinct cuproptosis patterns in hepatocellular carcinoma patients correlate with unique immune microenvironment characteristics and cell-cell communication, contributing to varied overall survival outcomes. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1379690. [PMID: 38868777 PMCID: PMC11168106 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1379690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a prevalent cancer, is linked to cuproptosis in tumor progression. However, cuproptosis's impact on HCC prognosis and its role in the tumor microenvironment remain unclear. We aimed to explore the correlation between cellular cuproptosis and the immune microenvironment in HCC, providing potential immunotherapeutic insights. Methods Examining cuproptosis-related genes and the immune microenvironment through consensus clustering and WGCNA. Risk models were constructed using LASSO Cox analysis and validated in an independent cohort. Gene expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were utilized. We scored cuproptosis expression and explored immunoinfiltration and cell-cell communication. Differential signals in T_memory cells were compared across different cuproptosis levels. Results Cuproptosis genes associated with fibroblast recruitment (GLS) and macrophage infiltration (FDX1). Liver cancer patients categorized into two subtypes based on cuproptosis gene expression. High expression of DLAT, GLS, and CDKN2A linked to immunosuppression (TGF-β), while high FDX1, MTF1, LIAS, and LIPT1 expression enhanced communication with non-immune cells. Developed reliable prognostic signature score and nomogram using cuproptosis-related genes. Single-cell analysis revealed differences in T_memory and TAM infiltration based on cuproptosis scores, with SPP1 and MIF as dominant signaling molecules. Finally, the results of in vitro experiments showed that when DLAT or CDKN2A was knocked down, the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells were significantly decreased. Conclusion Our study demonstrates that cuproptosis affects the immune microenvironment and cell-cell communication. Identified 9 genetic markers predicting survival outcomes and immunotherapy responses. Evaluating cuproptosis signaling can optimize immunotherapeutic strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhong Wang
- Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital, and School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Department of Pharmacy, People's Hospital of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Xinyu Mang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaohong Guo
- Department of Pharmacy, People's Hospital of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Junfeng Pu
- Department of Pharmacy, People's Hospital of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
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Xiao R, Tian Y, Zhang J, Li N, Qi M, Liu L, Wang J, Li Z, Zhang J, Zhao F, Wang T, Tan S, Li C, Wu Z, Yu M, Jiang X, Zhan P, Gao L, Han B, Liu X, Liang X, Ma C. Increased Siglec-9/Siglec-9L interactions on NK cells predict poor HCC prognosis and present a targetable checkpoint for immunotherapy. J Hepatol 2024; 80:792-804. [PMID: 38331327 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2024.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Natural killer (NK) cell-based anti-hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) therapy is an increasingly attractive approach that warrants further study. Siglec-9 interacts with its ligand (Siglec-9L) and restrains NK cell functions, suggesting it is a potential therapeutic target. However, in situ Siglec-9/Siglec-9L interactions in HCC have not been reported, and a relevant interventional strategy is lacking. Herein, we aim to illustrate Siglec-9/Siglec-9L-mediated cell sociology and identify small-molecule inhibitors targeting Siglec-9 that could improve the efficacy of NK cell-based immunotherapy for HCC. METHODS Multiplexed immunofluorescence staining was performed to analyze the expression pattern of Siglec-7, -9 and their ligands in HCC tissues. Then we conducted docking-based virtual screening combined with bio-layer interferometry assays to identify a potent small-molecule Siglec-9 inhibitor. The therapeutic potential was further evaluated in vitro and in hepatoma-bearing NCG mice. RESULTS Siglec-9 expression, rather than Siglec-7, was markedly upregulated on tumor-infiltrating NK cells, which correlated significantly with reduced survival of patients with HCC. Moreover, the number of Siglec-9L+ cells neighboring Siglec-9+ NK cells was increased in HCC tissues and was also associated with tumor recurrence and reduced survival, further suggesting that Siglec-9/Siglec-9L interactions are a potential therapeutic target in HCC. In addition, we identified a small-molecule Siglec-9 inhibitor MTX-3937 which inhibited phosphorylation of Siglec-9 and downstream SHP1 and SHP2. Accordingly, MTX-3937 led to considerable improvement in NK cell function. Notably, MTX-3937 enhanced cytotoxicity of both human peripheral and tumor-infiltrating NK cells. Furthermore, transfer of MTX-3937-treated NK92 cells greatly suppressed the growth of hepatoma xenografts in NCG mice. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides the rationale for HCC treatment by targeting Siglec-9 on NK cells and identifies a promising small-molecule inhibitor against Siglec-9 that enhances NK cell-mediated HCC surveillance. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Herein, we found that Siglec-9 expression is markedly upregulated on tumor-infiltrating natural killer (TINK) cells and correlates with reduced survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Moreover, the number of Siglec-9L+ cells neighboring Siglec-9+ NK cells was increased in HCC tissues and was also associated with tumor recurrence and reduced survival. More importantly, we identified a small-molecule inhibitor targeting Siglec-9 that augments NK cell functions, revealing a novel immunotherapy strategy for liver cancer that warrants further clinical investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Xiao
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education & Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Ye Tian
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education & Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Jiwei Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Na Li
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education & Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Mei Qi
- Department of Pathology, Shandong University Qilu Hospital, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Ling Liu
- Department of Pathology, Dezhou Municipal Hospital, Dezhou 253036, Shandong, China
| | - Jianping Wang
- Department of Liver Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Zhenyu Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Advanced Medical Research Institute and Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Ministry of Education, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Fabao Zhao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Tixiao Wang
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education & Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Siyu Tan
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education & Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Chunyang Li
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Zhuanchang Wu
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education & Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Mingyan Yu
- Shandong Institute for Food and Drug Control, Jinan 250101, Shandong, China
| | - Xuemei Jiang
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education & Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Peng Zhan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Lifen Gao
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education & Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Bo Han
- Department of Pathology, Shandong University Qilu Hospital, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China.
| | - Xinyong Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China.
| | - Xiaohong Liang
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education & Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China.
| | - Chunhong Ma
- Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of Ministry of Education & Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong, China.
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Mitra A, Kumar A, Amdare NP, Pathak R. Current Landscape of Cancer Immunotherapy: Harnessing the Immune Arsenal to Overcome Immune Evasion. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:307. [PMID: 38785789 PMCID: PMC11118874 DOI: 10.3390/biology13050307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Cancer immune evasion represents a leading hallmark of cancer, posing a significant obstacle to the development of successful anticancer therapies. However, the landscape of cancer treatment has significantly evolved, transitioning into the era of immunotherapy from conventional methods such as surgical resection, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted drug therapy. Immunotherapy has emerged as a pivotal component in cancer treatment, harnessing the body's immune system to combat cancer and offering improved prognostic outcomes for numerous patients. The remarkable success of immunotherapy has spurred significant efforts to enhance the clinical efficacy of existing agents and strategies. Several immunotherapeutic approaches have received approval for targeted cancer treatments, while others are currently in preclinical and clinical trials. This review explores recent progress in unraveling the mechanisms of cancer immune evasion and evaluates the clinical effectiveness of diverse immunotherapy strategies, including cancer vaccines, adoptive cell therapy, and antibody-based treatments. It encompasses both established treatments and those currently under investigation, providing a comprehensive overview of efforts to combat cancer through immunological approaches. Additionally, the article emphasizes the current developments, limitations, and challenges in cancer immunotherapy. Furthermore, by integrating analyses of cancer immunotherapy resistance mechanisms and exploring combination strategies and personalized approaches, it offers valuable insights crucial for the development of novel anticancer immunotherapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Mitra
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Anoop Kumar
- Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, National Institute of Biologicals, Noida 201309, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Nitin P. Amdare
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Rajiv Pathak
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
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Sakata T, Yoshio S, Yamazoe T, Mori T, Kakazu E, Aoki Y, Aoyanagi N, Okamoto T, Ito T, Toyoda H, Kawaguchi T, Ono Y, Takahashi Y, Taketomi A, Kanto T. Immunoglobulin-like transcript 2 as an impaired anti-tumor cytotoxicity marker of natural killer cells in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1389411. [PMID: 38638429 PMCID: PMC11024250 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1389411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Natural killer (NK) cells play a pivotal role in immune surveillance in the liver. We aimed to identify potential targets for NK cell-mediated immune intervention by revealing the functional molecules on NK cells in HCC patients. Methods To evaluate the impact of aging on NK cell phenotypes, we examined NK cells from healthy volunteers (HVs) of various ages. Because ILT2 expression on CD56dim NK cells increased with increasing age, we enrolled age-matched HCC patients and HVs. We determined the NK cell phenotypes in blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and intrahepatic lymphocytes (IHLs) from cancerous and non-cancerous tissues. We evaluated cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) of NK cells in vitro. Results ILT2-positive CD56dim NK cells in PBMCs were increased in HCC patients compared with HVs. In HCC patients, ILT2-positive CD56dim NK cells were increased in cancerous IHLs compared with non-cancerous IHLs and PBMCs. We examined the impact of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) on ILT2 expression in co-cultures of HCC cells and NK cells. The enhanced expression of ILT2 on CD56dim NK cells from HCC patients was inhibited by masking antibodies against MIF and CXCR4. ILT2-positive CD56dim NK cells exhibited lower capacities for cytotoxicity and ADCC than ILT2-negative cells, which were partially restored by ILT2 blockade. Conclusions In HCC patients, ILT2 is a signature molecule for cancerous CD56dim NK cells with impaired cytolytic capacity. The MIF-CXCR4 interaction is associated with ILT2 induction on CD56dim NK cells and ILT2 serves as a target for functional NK cell restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshihiro Sakata
- Department of Liver Diseases, The Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Chiba, Japan
- Department of Gastoenterological Surgery I, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Sachiyo Yoshio
- Department of Liver Diseases, The Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Taiji Yamazoe
- Department of Liver Diseases, The Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Taizo Mori
- Department of Liver Diseases, The Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Eiji Kakazu
- Department of Liver Diseases, The Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Aoki
- Kohnodai Hospital, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Nobuyoshi Aoyanagi
- Kohnodai Hospital, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Chiba, Japan
| | - Toru Okamoto
- Department of Microbiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takanori Ito
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Aichi, Japan
| | - Hidenori Toyoda
- Department of Gastroenterology, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, Gifu, Japan
| | - Takumi Kawaguchi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Ono
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yu Takahashi
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Cancer Institute Hospital, Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akinobu Taketomi
- Department of Gastoenterological Surgery I, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Kanto
- Department of Liver Diseases, The Research Center for Hepatitis and Immunology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Chiba, Japan
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9
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Yuan Z, Yang X, Hu Z, Gao Y, Yan P, Zheng F, Hong K, Cen K, Mai Y, Bai Y, Guo Y, Zhou J. Investigating the impact of inflammatory response-related genes on renal fibrosis diagnosis: a machine learning-based study with experimental validation. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38381715 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2317992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Renal fibrosis plays a crucial role in the progression of renal diseases, yet the lack of effective diagnostic markers poses challenges in scientific and clinical practices. In this study, we employed machine learning techniques to identify potential biomarkers for renal fibrosis. Utilizing two datasets from the GEO database, we applied LASSO, SVM-RFE and RF algorithms to screen for differentially expressed genes related to inflammatory responses between the renal fibrosis group and the control group. As a result, we identified four genes (CCL5, IFITM1, RIPK2, and TNFAIP6) as promising diagnostic indicators for renal fibrosis. These genes were further validated through in vivo experiments and immunohistochemistry, demonstrating their utility as reliable markers for assessing renal fibrosis. Additionally, we conducted a comprehensive analysis to explore the relationship between these candidate biomarkers, immunity, and drug sensitivity. Integrating these findings, we developed a nomogram with a high discriminative ability, achieving a concordance index of 0.933, enabling the prediction of disease risk in patients with renal fibrosis. Overall, our study presents a predictive model for renal fibrosis and highlights the significance of four potential biomarkers, facilitating clinical diagnosis and personalized treatment. This finding presents valuable insights for advancing precision medicine approaches in the management of renal fibrosis.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziwei Yuan
- Department of Endocrinology, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xuejia Yang
- Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Hepato-Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zujian Hu
- Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Hepato-Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yuanyuan Gao
- Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Hepato-Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Penghua Yan
- Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Hepato-Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Fan Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Hepato-Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Kai Hong
- Department of General Surgery, Ningbo First Hospital, Ningbo, China
| | - Kenan Cen
- Department of General Surgery, Ningbo First Hospital, Ningbo, China
| | - Yifeng Mai
- Department of General Surgery, Ningbo First Hospital, Ningbo, China
| | - Yongheng Bai
- Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Hepato-Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yangyang Guo
- Department of General Surgery, Ningbo First Hospital, Ningbo, China
| | - Jingzong Zhou
- Department of Endocrinology, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
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10
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Cao H, Huang P, Qiu J, Gong X, Cao H. Immune landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma tumor microenvironment identifies a prognostic relevant model. Heliyon 2024; 10:e24861. [PMID: 38317886 PMCID: PMC10839619 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Various studies highlighted that immune cell-mediated inflammatory processes play crucial roles in the progression and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the immune microenvironment of HCC is still poorly characterized. Exploring the role of immune-related genes (IRGs) and describing the immune landscape in HCC would provide insights into tumor-immune co-evolution along HCC progression. Methods We integrated the datasets with complete prognostic information from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and GEO DataSets (GSE14520, GSE76427, and GSE54236) to construct a novel immune landscape based on the Cibersort algorithm and reveal the prognostic signature in HCC patients. Results To describe the tumor microenvironment (TME) in HCC, immune infiltration patterns were defined using the CIBERSORT method, and a prognostic signature contains 5 types of immune cells, including 3 high-risk immune cells (T.cells. CD4. memory. resting, Macrophages.M0, Macrophages.M2) and 2 low-risk immune cells (Plasma. cells, T.cells.CD8), were finally constructed. A novel prognostic index, based on prognostic immune risk score (pIRG), was developed using the univariate Cox regression analyses and LASSO Cox regression algorithm. Furthermore, the ROC curve and KM curve showed that the TME signatures had a stable value in predicting the prognosis of HCC patients in the internal training cohort, internal validation, and external validation cohort. Differential genes analysis and qPCR experiment showed that the expression levels of AKR1B10, LAPTM4B, MMP9, and SPP1 were significantly increased in high-risk patients, while the expression of CD5L was lower. Further analysis found that AKR1B10 and MMP9 were associated with higher M0 macrophage infiltration, while CD5L was associated with higher plasma cell infiltration. Conclusions Taken together, we performed a comprehensive evaluation of the immune landscape of HCC and constructed a novel and robust prognostic prediction model. AKR1B10, LAPTM4B, MMP9, SPP1, and CD5L were involved in important processes in the HCC tumor microenvironment and were expected to become HCC prediction markers and potential targets of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongru Cao
- Department of Nephrology, Affiliated Hospital of Chifeng University, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, 024000, PR China
| | - Ping Huang
- Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Hospital of Chifeng City, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, 024000, PR China
| | - Jiawei Qiu
- Institute of Cardiovascular Disease of Chifeng University, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, 024000, PR China
| | - Xiaohui Gong
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Chifeng University, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, 024000, PR China
- Institute of Cardiovascular Disease of Chifeng University, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, 024000, PR China
| | - Hongfei Cao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Chifeng University, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, 024000, PR China
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11
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Wang X, Yuan Z, Li Z, He X, Zhang Y, Wang X, Su J, Wu X, Li M, Du F, Chen Y, Deng S, Zhao Y, Shen J, Yi T, Xiao Z. Key oncogenic signaling pathways affecting tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma: basic principles and recent advances. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1354313. [PMID: 38426090 PMCID: PMC10902128 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1354313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks first among primary liver cancers, and its mortality rate exhibits a consistent annual increase. The treatment of HCC has witnessed a significant surge in recent years, with the emergence of targeted immune therapy as an adjunct to early surgical resection. Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) using tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) has shown promising results in other types of solid tumors. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the intricate interactions between different types of TILs and their impact on HCC, elucidate strategies for targeting neoantigens through TILs, and address the challenges encountered in TIL therapies along with potential solutions. Furthermore, this article specifically examines the impact of oncogenic signaling pathways activation within the HCC tumor microenvironment on the infiltration dynamics of TILs. Additionally, a concise overview is provided regarding TIL preparation techniques and an update on clinical trials investigating TIL-based immunotherapy in solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Zijun Yuan
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Zhengbo Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Longmatan District People’s Hospital, Luzhou, China
| | - Xinyu He
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Yinping Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xingyue Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jiahong Su
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xu Wu
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Mingxing Li
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Fukuan Du
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Shuai Deng
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Yueshui Zhao
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Jing Shen
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Tao Yi
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Zhangang Xiao
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
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12
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Eresen A, Pang Y, Zhang Z, Hou Q, Chen Z, Yu G, Wang Y, Yaghmai V, Zhang Z. Sorafenib plus memory like natural killer cell combination therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma. Am J Cancer Res 2024; 14:344-354. [PMID: 38323279 PMCID: PMC10839321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Sorafenib, FDA-approved therapy for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), leads to limited improvement in overall survival. However, it may indirectly impact the expansion and activity of natural killer (NK) cells. While NK cell-based immunotherapies generally exhibit favorable safety profiles, their effectiveness in controlling solid tumor growth is constrained, primarily due to the absence of antigen specificity and suboptimal expansion and persistence within the tumor microenvironment. In this study, we postulated that enhancing NK cell functionality via cytokine activation could bolster their viability and cytotoxic capabilities, leading to an improved therapeutic response when combined with sorafenib. Memory-like (ML)-NK cells were generated through the supplementation of optimal concentrations of interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-18 cytokines. Following a single day of treatment, cytotoxicity against rat and human HCC cells was evaluated via flow cytometry analysis. A rat HCC model was developed in 30 animals via subcapsular implantation and assigned to control, NK, sorafenib, ML-NK, and combination groups. Sorafenib was administered orally, and NK cells were delivered via the intrahepatic artery. Tumor growth was measured one week after treatment evaluation. Therapeutic efficacy during in-vitro and in-vivo analysis was investigated through a one-way ANOVA test, followed by pairwise two-tailed Student t-tests, considering P < 0.05 statistically significant. The in-vitro experiment results demonstrated that sorafenib and conventional NK cell therapies induced more substantial cell death than the control group (P < 0.01). ML NK cells significantly improved cell death compared to conventional NK cell immunotherapy. Furthermore, sorafenib in combination with ML-NK cells significantly decreased the viability of HCC cells (P < 0.05) compared to sorafenib plus conventional NK cell combination therapy. In vivo experiments have shown that sorafenib and ML-NK cell immunotherapy reduced the growth rate of HCC tumors compared to conventional NK immunotherapy and control groups. Notably, a combination of sorafenib and ML-NK cell immunochemotherapy resulted in the most significant suppression of tumor growth when compared to other therapies. In conclusion, our experimental findings demonstrate that the concurrent administration of sorafenib and ML-NK immunotherapy enhances cytotoxicity against HCC by optimizing the therapeutic response through cytokine activation, resulting in a significant decrease in tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aydin Eresen
- Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California IrvineIrvine, CA, USA
| | - Yongsheng Pang
- Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California IrvineIrvine, CA, USA
| | - Zigeng Zhang
- Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California IrvineIrvine, CA, USA
| | - Qiaoming Hou
- Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California IrvineIrvine, CA, USA
| | - Zhilin Chen
- Department of Human Biology and Business Administration, University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Guangbo Yu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California IrvineIrvine, CA, USA
| | - Yining Wang
- Department of Radiology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing, China
| | - Vahid Yaghmai
- Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California IrvineIrvine, CA, USA
- Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California IrvineIrvine, CA, USA
| | - Zhuoli Zhang
- Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California IrvineIrvine, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California IrvineIrvine, CA, USA
- Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California IrvineIrvine, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California IrvineIrvine, CA, USA
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13
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Nguyen T, Chen PC, Pham J, Kaur K, Raman SS, Jewett A, Chiang J. Current and Future States of Natural Killer Cell-Based Immunotherapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Crit Rev Immunol 2024; 44:71-85. [PMID: 38618730 DOI: 10.1615/critrevimmunol.2024052486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphoid cells that exhibit high levels of cytotoxicity against NK-specific targets. NK cells also produce various cytokines, and interact with T cells, B cells, and dendritic cells to effectively serve as frontliners of the innate immune system. Produce various cytokines, and interact with T cells, B cells, and dendritic cells to effectively serve as frontliners of the innate immune system. Moreover, NK cells constitute the second most common immune cell in the liver. These properties have drawn significant attention towards leveraging NK cells in treating liver cancer, especially hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which accounts for 75% of all primary liver cancer and is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Notable anti-cancer functions of NK cells against HCC include activating antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC), facilitating Gasdermin E-mediated pyroptosis of HCC cells, and initiating an antitumor response via the cGAS-STING signaling pathway. In this review, we describe how these mechanisms work in the context of HCC. We will then discuss the existing preclinical and clinical studies that leverage NK cell activity to create single and combined immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tu Nguyen
- UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
| | - Po-Chun Chen
- Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, The Jane and Jerry Weintraub Center for Reconstructive Biotechnology, University of California School of Dentistry, 10833 Le Conte Ave, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Janet Pham
- Department of Radiology, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kawaljit Kaur
- Division of Oral Biology and Medicine The Jane and Jerry Weintraub Center of Reconstructive Biotechnology University of California School of Dentistry Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steven S Raman
- Department of Radiology, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA; The Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA School of Dentistry and Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anahid Jewett
- Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, The Jane and Jerry Weintraub Center for Reconstructive Biotechnology, University of California School of Dentistry, 10833 Le Conte Ave, 90095 Los Angeles, CA, USA; The Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA School of Dentistry and Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jason Chiang
- Department of Radiology, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA; The Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA School of Dentistry and Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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14
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Giannone F, Slovic N, Pessaux P, Schuster C, Baumert TF, Lupberger J. Inflammation-related prognostic markers in resected hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1267870. [PMID: 38144522 PMCID: PMC10746354 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1267870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma is usually detected late and therapeutic options are unsatisfactory. Despite marked progress in patient care, HCC remains among the deadliest cancers world-wide. While surgical resection remains a key option for early-stage HCC, the 5-year survival rates after surgical resection are limited. One reason for limited outcomes is the lack of reliable prognostic biomarkers to predict HCC recurrence. HCC prognosis has been shown to correlate with different systemic and pathological markers which are associated with patient survival and HCC recurrence. Liver inflammatory processes offer a large variety of systemic and pathological markers which may be exploited to improve the reliability of prognosis and decision making of liver surgeons and hepatologists. The following review aims to dissect the potential tools, targets and prognostic meaning of inflammatory markers in patients with resectable HCC. We analyze changes in circulant cellular populations and assess inflammatory biomarkers as a surrogate of impaired outcomes and provide an overview on predictive gene expression signatures including inflammatory transcriptional patterns, which are representative of poor survival in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Giannone
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR)_S1110, Strasbourg, France
- Unité de Chirurgie Hépato-Biliaire et Pancréatique, Service de Chirurgie Viscérale and Digestive, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU), Strasbourg, France
| | - Nevena Slovic
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR)_S1110, Strasbourg, France
| | - Patrick Pessaux
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR)_S1110, Strasbourg, France
- Unité de Chirurgie Hépato-Biliaire et Pancréatique, Service de Chirurgie Viscérale and Digestive, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU), Strasbourg, France
| | - Catherine Schuster
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR)_S1110, Strasbourg, France
| | - Thomas F. Baumert
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR)_S1110, Strasbourg, France
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU), Strasbourg, France
- Service d’hépato-gastroentérologie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
| | - Joachim Lupberger
- Université de Strasbourg, Inserm, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR)_S1110, Strasbourg, France
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15
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Jung HI, Ahn H, Oh MH, Yun J, Lee H, Bae SH, Kim YK, Kim SY, Baek MJ, Lee MS. Prognostic significance of programmed cell death-ligand 1 expression on immune cells and epithelial-mesenchymal transition expression in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Ann Surg Treat Res 2023; 105:297-309. [PMID: 38023431 PMCID: PMC10648616 DOI: 10.4174/astr.2023.105.5.297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been shown significant oncological improvements in several cancers. However, ICIs are still in their infancy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) have been known as prognostic factors in HCC. Therefore, we have focused on identifying the molecular mechanisms between each marker to evaluate a predictive role. Methods Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples were obtained from 166 patients with HCC who underwent surgery. The expression of PD-L1 and TILs and EMT marker were evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis. Results The multivariate analysis showed that TIL expression (hazard ratio [HR], 0.483; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.269-0.866; P = 0.015) were independent prognostic factors for overall survival. The prognostic factors for disease-free survival were EMT marker expression (HR, 1.565; 95% CI, 1.019-2.403; P = 0.005). Patients with high expression of TILs had significantly better survival compared to patients with low expression (P = 0.023). Patients who were TIL+/EMT- showed a significantly better prognosis than those who were TIL-/EMT+ (P = 0.049). Conclusion This study demonstrates that PD-L1 expression of TILs is closely associated with EMT marker expression in HCC. Clinical investigations using anti-PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in patients with EMT-associated PD-L1 upregulation are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hae Il Jung
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Hyein Ahn
- Department of Pathology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Mee-Hye Oh
- Department of Pathology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - JongHyuk Yun
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Hyunyong Lee
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Sang Ho Bae
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Yung Kil Kim
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Sung Yong Kim
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Moo-Jun Baek
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Moon-Soo Lee
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
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16
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Yang KD, Zhang X, Shao MC, Wang LN. Aconite aqueous extract inhibits the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma through CCL2-dependent enhancement of natural killer cell infiltration. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE 2023; 21:575-583. [PMID: 37957089 DOI: 10.1016/j.joim.2023.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Aconite is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine that has been found to inhibit the development of liver cancer; however, its exact molecular mechanisms in this process remain unclear. This study explores how aconite aqueous extract (AAE) inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS An in vivo mouse model of subcutaneous liver cancer was established. After AAE treatment, immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to determine the effect of AAE on natural killer (NK) cells. Subsequently, C57BL/6 mice were used to establish the subcutaneous tumor model, and a group of these mice were treated with anti-PK163 antibody to remove NK cells, which was verified by flow cytometry and IHC. The effect of AAE on the proliferation of HCC cells in vitro was determined using cell counting kit-8. The effect of AAE on chemokine production in HCC cells was measured using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The effect of AAE on the migration of NK cells was determined using a transwell assay. Finally, the molecular mechanism was investigated using the Western blotting method. RESULTS We demonstrated that the ability of AAE to induce overexpression of the cytokine C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) in HCC cells is fundamental to the infiltration of NK cells into the tumor bed. Mechanistically, we found that the upregulation of CCL2 was achieved by the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase but not extracellular regulated protein kinase or p38. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that AAE can be used as an effective immune adjuvant to enhance antitumor immunity by increasing NK cell infiltration into tumors, which could help to improve the efficacy of HCC treatments. Please cite this article as: Yang KD, Zhang X, Shao MC, Wang LN. Aconite aqueous extract inhibits the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma through CCL2-dependent enhancement of natural killer cell infiltration. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(6): 575-583.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang-di Yang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Ming-Cong Shao
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Li-Na Wang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.
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Tang X, Luo B, Huang S, Jiang J, Chen Y, Ren W, Shi X, Zhang W, Shi L, Zhong X, Lü M. FANCD2 as a novel prognostic biomarker correlated with immune and drug therapy in Hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma. Eur J Med Res 2023; 28:419. [PMID: 37821996 PMCID: PMC10566141 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-023-01411-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ferroptosis is related to the immunosuppression of tumors and plays a critical role in cancer progression. Fanconi anemia complementation group D2 (FANCD2) is a vital gene that regulates ferroptosis. However, the mechanism of action of FANCD2 in Hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the prognostic significance and mechanism of action of FANCD2 in Hepatitis B-related HCC. METHODS The expression of FANCD2 in Hepatitis B-related HCC was explored using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and validated using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to analyze the relationship between FANCD2 expression and the overall survival of patients with Hepatitis B-related HCC. Protein-protein interaction networks for FANCD2 were built using the STRING website. In addition, correlations between FANCD2 expression and the dryness index, tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability (MSI), immune pathways, genes involved in iron metabolism, and sorafenib chemotherapeutic response were analyzed. RESULTS Our results indicated that FANCD2 was significantly overexpressed in Hepatitis B-related HCC and demonstrated a strong predictive ability for diagnosis (Area Under Curve, 0.903) and prognosis of the disease. High FANCD2 expression was associated with poor prognosis, high-grade tumors, high expression of PDL-1, high MSI scores, and low sorafenib IC50 in Hepatitis B-related HCC. BRCA1, BRCA2, FAN1, and FANCC were vital proteins interacting with FANCD2. The expression level of FANCD2 significantly correlated with the infiltration levels of Treg cells, B cells, CD8 + T cells, CD4 + T cells, neutrophils, macrophages, myeloid dendritic cells, and NK cells in Hepatitis B-related HCC. FANCD2 was positively correlated with the tumor proliferation signature pathway, DNA repair, and cellular response to hypoxia. CONCLUSION Our study indicated that FANCD2 was a potential novel biomarker and immunotherapeutic target against Hepatitis B-related HCC, which might be related to the chemotherapeutic response to sorafenib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Tang
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Bei Luo
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Shu Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, the People's Hospital of Lianshui, Huaian, China
| | - Jiao Jiang
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Yuan Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Wensen Ren
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xiaomin Shi
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Lei Shi
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xiaolin Zhong
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Muhan Lü
- Department of Gastroenterology, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.
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Liu Y, Yang L, Yu M, Huang F, Zeng J, Lu Y, Yang C. Construction of a ceRNA network to reveal a vascular invasion associated prognostic model in hepatocellular carcinoma. Open Med (Wars) 2023; 18:20230795. [PMID: 37724126 PMCID: PMC10505303 DOI: 10.1515/med-2023-0795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study is to explore the prognostic value of vascular invasion (VI) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by searching for competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) network and constructing a new prognostic model for HCC. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between HCC and normal tissues were identified from GEO and TCGA. StarBase and miRanda prediction tools were applied to construct a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network. The DEGs between HCC with and without VI were also identified. Then, the hub genes were screened to build a prognostic risk score model through the method of least absolute shrinkage and selection operator. The prognostic ability of the model was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis. In result, there were 221 up-regulated and 47 down-regulated differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs) in HCC compared with normal tissue. A circRNA-related ceRNA network was established, containing 11 DEcircRNAs, 12 DEmiRNAs, and 161 DEmRNAs. Meanwhile, another DEG analysis revealed 625 up-regulated and 123 down-regulated DEGs between HCC with and without VI, and then a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was built based on 122 VI-related DEGs. From the intersection of DEGs within the PPI and ceRNA networks, we obtained seven hub genes to build a novel prognostic risk score model. HCC patients with high-risk scores had shorter survival time and presented more advanced T/N/M stages as well as VI occurrence. In conclusion a novel prognostic model based on seven VI-associated DEGs within a circRNA-related ceRNA network was constructed in this study, with great ability to predict the outcome of HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570102, P.R. China
| | - Lu Yang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570102, P.R. China
| | - Mengsi Yu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang 830054, P.R. China
| | - Fen Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570102, P.R. China
| | - Jiangzheng Zeng
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570102, P.R. China
| | - Yanda Lu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan 570102, P.R. China
| | - Changcheng Yang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, 31 Longhua Road, Haikou, Hainan 570102, P.R. China
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Jin WJ, Zangl LM, Hyun M, Massoud E, Schroeder K, Alexandridis RA, Morris ZS. ATM inhibition augments type I interferon response and antitumor T-cell immunity when combined with radiation therapy in murine tumor models. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007474. [PMID: 37730275 PMCID: PMC10510866 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007474] [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] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Radiation therapy (RT) elicits DNA double-strand breaks, resulting in tumor cytotoxicity and a type I interferon (IFN) response via stimulator of interferon genes (STING) activation. We investigated whether combining RT with an ataxia-telangiectasia mutated inhibitor promoted these effects and amplified tumor immunity. METHODS Mice-bearing syngeneic flank tumors (MOC2 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma or B78 melanoma) were treated with tumor-directed RT and oral administration of AZD0156. Specific immune cell depletion, type 1 interferon receptor 1 knock-out mice (IFNAR1-KO), and STING-deficient tumor cells were used to investigate tumor-immune crosstalk following RT and AZD0156 treatment. RESULTS Combining RT and AZD0156 reduced tumor growth compared with RT or AZD0156 alone in mice bearing MOC2 or B78 tumors. Low-dose AZD0156 (1-100 nM) alone did not affect tumor cell proliferation but suppressed tumor cell clonogenicity in combination with RT. Low-dose AZD0156 with RT synergistically increased IFN-β, major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-I, and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in tumor cells. In contrast to wild-type mice, IFNAR1-KO mice showed reduced CD8+T cell tumor infiltration and poor survival following RT+AZD0156 treatment. CD8+T cell depletion reduced antitumor response during RT+AZD0156 treatment. STING-deficient MOC2 (MOC2-STING+/-) or B78 (B78-STING-/-) tumors eliminated the effects of RT+AZD0156 on the expression of IFN-β, MHC-I, and PD-L1, and reduced CD8+T cell infiltration and migration. Additional anti-PD-L1 therapy promoted antitumor response by elevation of tumor-MHC-I and lymphocyte activation. CONCLUSIONS Combined radiation and AZD0156 increase STING-dependent antitumor response. Tumor-derived cell-autonomous IFN-β amplification drives both MHC-I and PD-L1 induction at the tumor cell surface, which is required by anti-PD-L1 therapy to promote antitumor immune response following RT and AZD0156 combination therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won Jong Jin
- Department Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Luke M Zangl
- Department Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Meredith Hyun
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Elian Massoud
- Department Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Kaleb Schroeder
- Department Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Roxana A Alexandridis
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Zachary S Morris
- Department Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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20
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Feng Q, Huang Z, Song L, Wang L, Lu H, Wu L. Combining bulk and single-cell RNA-sequencing data to develop an NK cell-related prognostic signature for hepatocellular carcinoma based on an integrated machine learning framework. Eur J Med Res 2023; 28:306. [PMID: 37649103 PMCID: PMC10466881 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-023-01300-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The application of molecular targeting therapy and immunotherapy has notably prolonged the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, multidrug resistance and high molecular heterogeneity of HCC still prevent the further improvement of clinical benefits. Dysfunction of tumor-infiltrating natural killer (NK) cells was strongly related to HCC progression and survival benefits of HCC patients. Hence, an NK cell-related prognostic signature was built up to predict HCC patients' prognosis and immunotherapeutic response. METHODS NK cell markers were selected from scRNA-Seq data obtained from GSE162616 data set. A consensus machine learning framework including a total of 77 algorithms was developed to establish the gene signature in TCGA-LIHC data set, GSE14520 data set, GSE76427 data set and ICGC-LIRI-JP data set. Moreover, the predictive efficacy on ICI response was externally validated by GSE91061 data set and PRJEB23709 data set. RESULTS With the highest C-index among 77 algorithms, a 11-gene signature was established by the combination of LASSO and CoxBoost algorithm, which classified patients into high- and low-risk group. The prognostic signature displayed a good predictive performance for overall survival rate, moderate to high predictive accuracy and was an independent risk factor for HCC patients' prognosis in TCGA, GEO and ICGC cohorts. Compared with high-risk group, low-risk patients showed higher IPS-PD1 blocker, IPS-CTLA4 blocker, common immune checkpoints expression but lower TIDE score, which indicated low-risk patients might be prone to benefiting from ICI treatment. Moreover, a real-world cohort, PRJEB23709, also revealed better immunotherapeutic response in low-risk group. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the present study developed a gene signature based on NK cell-related genes, which offered a novel platform for prognosis and immunotherapeutic response evaluation of HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Feng
- Department of Emergency, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330000, China
| | - Zhihao Huang
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 1st min de Road, Nanchang, 330000, China
| | - Lei Song
- Department of General Practice, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330000, China
| | - Le Wang
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330000, China
| | - Hongcheng Lu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 1st min de Road, Nanchang, 330000, China.
| | - Linquan Wu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 1st min de Road, Nanchang, 330000, China.
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Wenpei G, Yuan L, Liangbo L, Jingjun M, Bo W, Zhiqiang N, Yijie N, Lixin L. Predictive value of preoperative inflammatory indexes for postoperative early recurrence of hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1142168. [PMID: 37519805 PMCID: PMC10373589 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1142168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To investigate the predictive value of preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), and systemic immune inflammation index (SII) for early recurrence after liver resection in patients with hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 162 patients who underwent hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) resection between January 2013 and April 2016. The Youden index was utilized to calculate the optimal cut-off value. The Pearson Chi-square test was applied to analyze the relationship between inflammatory indexes and common clinical and pathological features. The Kaplan-Meier method and Log-Rank test were implemented to compare the recurrence-free survival rate within 2 years of the population. The Cox regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for early postoperative recurrence. Results The best cut-off values of SIRI, PLR, NLR and SII were 0.785, 86.421, 2.231 and 353.64, respectively. Tumor diameter, degree of tumor differentiation, vascular invasion, SIRI>0.785, PLR>86.421, NLR>2.231 and SII>353.64 were risk factors for early recurrence. Combining the above seven risk factors to construct a joint index, the AUC of the joint prediction model was 0.804. The areas under the ROC curves of SIRI, PLR, NLR, and SII were 0.659, 0.725, 0.680, and 0.723, respectively. There was no significant difference in the predictive ability between the single inflammatory index models, but the predictive performance of the joint prediction model was significantly higher than that of the single inflammatory index models. The patients with lower SIRI, PLR, NLR, SII and joint index value had longer recurrence-free survival within 2 years. Conclusion The joint index CIP, constructed by combining preoperative SIRI, PLR, NLP and SII with pathological features, can better predict the early recurrence of HBV-related HCC patients after surgery, which is beneficial in identifying high-risk patients and assisting clinicians to make better clinical choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo Wenpei
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Li Yuan
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital, Shanxi Hospital Affiliated to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Li Liangbo
- Department of Stomatology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Mu Jingjun
- Department of Urinary Surgery, Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital, Shanxi Hospital Affiliated to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Wang Bo
- Department of Pathology, Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Niu Zhiqiang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Ning Yijie
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Liu Lixin
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Experimental Center of Science and Research, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Institute of Liver Diseases and Organ Transplantation, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
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Takada H, Yamashita K, Osawa L, Komiyama Y, Nakakuki N, Muraoka M, Suzuki Y, Sato M, Kobayashi S, Yoshida T, Takano S, Maekawa S, Enomoto N. Relationship between Plasma IP-10/CXCL10 Levels and the Initial Therapeutic Response in Patients Treated with Atezolizumab plus Bevacizumab for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Oncology 2023; 101:655-663. [PMID: 37379802 DOI: 10.1159/000531689] [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: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab combination therapy (AB) was the first-line treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (u-HCC). IFN-γ-induced protein 10 (IP-10/CXCL10) is a chemokine to inhibit HCC proliferation by promoting the migration of cytotoxic T cells. We focused on the relationship between plasma IP-10/CXCL10 levels and the initial therapeutic response in patients receiving AB therapy. METHODS Forty-six patients receiving AB therapy were enrolled. Plasma IP-10/CXCL10 levels were measured at baseline, 3-7 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, and 8-12 weeks after the start of AB therapy. The initial therapeutic response was evaluated at 8-12 weeks. RESULTS The baseline IP-10/CXCL10 levels of partial response (PR) group was higher than that of stable disease (SD) or progressive disease (PD) group. Patients with the baseline IP-10/CXCL10 of 84 pg/mL or higher were likely to present PR than patients below (71 vs. 35%, p = 0.031), but prediction of PD using the baseline IP-10/CXCL10 levels was difficult. In contrast, IP-10/CXCL10 ratio of the PR group was lower than that of the SD/PD group at 3, 6, and 8-12 weeks. Patients with the 3, 6, and 8-12 weeks IP-10/CXCL10 ratio of 1.3, 0.4, and 0.4 or lower were likely to present PR than patients with ≥1.3, 0.4, and 0.4 (88, 35, 35 vs. 30, 3.8, 0%, p < 0.001, 0.011, 0.002). In other hand, the 3, 6, and 8-12 weeks IP-10/CXCL10 ratio for PD group was higher than that for non-PD group. Patients with the 3, 6, and 8-12 weeks IP-10/CXCL10 ratio of 1.3, 1.7, and 1.9 or higher were likely to present PD than patients below (85, 62, 57 vs. 32, 23, 14%, p = 0.002, 0.034, 0.009). CONCLUSION High baseline IP-10/CXCL10 levels may be associated with better outcome, and high IP-10/CXCL10 ratio after 3-12 weeks may be associated with worse outcome in u-HCC patients receiving AB therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitomi Takada
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Koji Yamashita
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Leona Osawa
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Komiyama
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Natsuko Nakakuki
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Masaru Muraoka
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Suzuki
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Mitsuaki Sato
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Shoji Kobayashi
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Takashi Yoshida
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Shinichi Takano
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Shinya Maekawa
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Enomoto
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
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Shi Q, Xue C, Zeng Y, Gu X, Wang J, Li L. A novel prognostic model for hepatocellular carcinoma based on pyruvate metabolism-related genes. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9780. [PMID: 37328616 PMCID: PMC10275940 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37000-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent form of primary liver cancer, accounting for over 90% of cases. As pyruvate metabolic pathways are often dysregulated in cancer cells, investigating pyruvate metabolism-related genes may help identify prognostic gene signature and develop potential strategies for the management of patients with HCC. The mRNA expression profile, gene mutation data, and clinical information of HCC were obtained from open-source databases. A list of pyruvate metabolism-related genes was downloaded from the MSigDB dataset. Our findings revealed that certain pyruvate metabolism-related genes had copy number variations and single nucleotide variations in patients with liver cancer. Based on pyruvate metabolism-related genes, we stratified patients with HCC into three subtypes with different prognoses, clinical features, mutation profiles, functional annotation, and immune infiltration status. Next, we identified 13 key pyruvate metabolism-related genes significantly correlated with the prognosis of HCC using six machine learning algorithms and constructed a risk model. We also observed that the risk score was positively associated with a worse prognosis and increased immune infiltration. In summary, our study established a prognostic risk model for HCC based on pyruvate metabolism-related genes, which may contribute to the identification of potential prognostic targets and the development of new clinical management strategies for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingmiao Shi
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Rd., Hangzhou City, 310003, China
| | - Chen Xue
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Rd., Hangzhou City, 310003, China
| | - Yifan Zeng
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Rd., Hangzhou City, 310003, China
| | - Xinyu Gu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Rd., Hangzhou City, 310003, China
| | - Jinzhi Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Rd., Hangzhou City, 310003, China
| | - Lanjuan Li
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Rd., Hangzhou City, 310003, China.
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Li M, Huang J, Zhan G, Li Y, Fang C, Xiang B. The Novel-Natural-Killer-Cell-Related Gene Signature Predicts the Prognosis and Immune Status of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119587. [PMID: 37298537 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The current understanding of the prognostic significance of natural killer (NK) cells and their tumor microenvironment (TME) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is limited. Thus, we screened for NK-cell-related genes by single-cell transcriptome data analysis and developed an NK-cell-related gene signature (NKRGS) using multi-regression analyses. Patients in the Cancer Genome Atlas cohort were stratified into high- and low-risk groups according to their median NKRGS risk scores. Overall survival between the risk groups was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and a NKRGS-based nomogram was constructed. Immune infiltration profiles were compared between the risk groups. The NKRGS risk model suggests significantly worse prognoses in patients with high NKRGS risk (p < 0.05). The NKRGS-based nomogram showed good prognostic performance. The immune infiltration analysis revealed that the high-NKRGS-risk patients had significantly lower immune cell infiltration levels (p < 0.05) and were more likely to be in an immunosuppressive state. The enrichment analysis revealed that immune-related and tumor metabolism pathways highly correlated with the prognostic gene signature. In this study, a novel NKRGS was developed to stratify the prognosis of HCC patients. An immunosuppressive TME coincided with the high NKRGS risk among the HCC patients. The higher KLRB1 and DUSP10 expression levels correlated with the patients' favorable survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minjun Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Juntao Huang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Guohua Zhan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Yuankuan Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Chunye Fang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Bangde Xiang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning 530021, China
- Key Laboratory of Early Prevention and Treatment for Regional High Frequency Tumor, Ministry of Education, Nanning 530021, China
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25
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M Naeini M, Newell F, Aoude LG, Bonazzi VF, Patel K, Lampe G, Koufariotis LT, Lakis V, Addala V, Kondrashova O, Johnston RL, Sharma S, Brosda S, Holmes O, Leonard C, Wood S, Xu Q, Thomas J, Walpole E, Tao Mai G, Ackland SP, Martin J, Burge M, Finch R, Karapetis CS, Shannon J, Nott L, Bohmer R, Wilson K, Barnes E, Zalcberg JR, Mark Smithers B, Simes J, Price T, Gebski V, Nones K, Watson DI, Pearson JV, Barbour AP, Waddell N. Multi-omic features of oesophageal adenocarcinoma in patients treated with preoperative neoadjuvant therapy. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3155. [PMID: 37258531 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38891-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Oesophageal adenocarcinoma is a poor prognosis cancer and the molecular features underpinning response to treatment remain unclear. We investigate whole genome, transcriptomic and methylation data from 115 oesophageal adenocarcinoma patients mostly from the DOCTOR phase II clinical trial (Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry-ACTRN12609000665235), with exploratory analysis pre-specified in the study protocol of the trial. We report genomic features associated with poorer overall survival, such as the APOBEC mutational and RS3-like rearrangement signatures. We also show that positron emission tomography non-responders have more sub-clonal genomic copy number alterations. Transcriptomic analysis categorises patients into four immune clusters correlated with survival. The immune suppressed cluster is associated with worse survival, enriched with myeloid-derived cells, and an epithelial-mesenchymal transition signature. The immune hot cluster is associated with better survival, enriched with lymphocytes, myeloid-derived cells, and an immune signature including CCL5, CD8A, and NKG7. The immune clusters highlight patients who may respond to immunotherapy and thus may guide future clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjan M Naeini
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Felicity Newell
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Lauren G Aoude
- Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Vanessa F Bonazzi
- Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Kalpana Patel
- Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Guy Lampe
- Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | | | - Vanessa Lakis
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Venkateswar Addala
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Olga Kondrashova
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Rebecca L Johnston
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Sowmya Sharma
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
- Anatomical Pathology, Australian Clinical Labs, 2153, Sydney, Australia
| | - Sandra Brosda
- Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Oliver Holmes
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Conrad Leonard
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Scott Wood
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Qinying Xu
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Janine Thomas
- Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
- Mater Research Institute, Mater Misericordiae, South Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia
| | - Euan Walpole
- Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - G Tao Mai
- Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Stephen P Ackland
- Department of Medical Oncology, Calvary Mater Newcastle, Waratah, NSW, 2298, Australia
| | - Jarad Martin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Calvary Mater Newcastle, Waratah, NSW, 2298, Australia
| | - Matthew Burge
- Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD, 4029, Australia
| | - Robert Finch
- Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD, 4029, Australia
| | - Christos S Karapetis
- Flinders University Department of Medical Oncology, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Jenny Shannon
- Nepean Cancer Care Centre, Nepean Hospital, Sydney, NSW, 2747, Australia
| | - Louise Nott
- Department of Medical Oncology, Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Robert Bohmer
- Department of General Surgery, Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Kate Wilson
- NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Barnes
- NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - John R Zalcberg
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - B Mark Smithers
- Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - John Simes
- NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Timothy Price
- Medical Oncology Unit, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5011, Australia
| | - Val Gebski
- NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Katia Nones
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - David I Watson
- Flinders University Discipline of Surgery, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - John V Pearson
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Andrew P Barbour
- Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia.
- Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia.
| | - Nicola Waddell
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia.
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Zhu J, Xu X, Jiang M, Yang F, Mei Y, Zhang X. Comprehensive characterization of ferroptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma revealing the association with prognosis and tumor immune microenvironment. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1145380. [PMID: 37051544 PMCID: PMC10083400 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1145380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundFerroptosis is a type of regulatory cell death (RCD) mode that depends on iron-mediated oxidative damage. It has the potential to improve the efficacy of tumor immunotherapy by modulating the tumor microenvironment (TME). Currently, immunotherapy has significantly improved the overall treatment strategy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the distinct immune microenvironment and high tolerance to the immune make massive differences in the immunotherapy effect of HCC patients. As a result, it is imperative to classify HCC patients who may benefit from immune checkpoint therapy. Simultaneously, the predictive value of ferroptosis in HCC and its potential role in TME immune cell infiltration also need to be further clarified.MethodsThree ferroptosis molecular models were built on the basis of mRNA expression profiles of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs), with notable variations in immunocyte infiltration, biological function, and survival prediction. In order to further investigate the predictive impact of immunotherapy response in HCC patients, the ferroptosis score was constructed using the principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm to quantify the ferroptosis molecular models of individual tumors.ResultsIn HCC, there were three totally different ferroptosis molecular models. The ferroptosis score can be used to assess genetic variation, immunotherapy response, TME characteristics, and prognosis. Notably, tumors with low ferroptosis scores have extensive tumor mutations and immune exhaustion, which are associated with a poor prognosis and enhanced immunotherapy response.ConclusionsOur study indicates that ferroptosis plays an indispensable role in the regulation of the tumor immune microenvironment. For HCC, the ferroptosis score is an independent prognostic indicator. Assessing the molecular model of ferroptosis in individual tumors will assist us in better understanding the characteristics of TME, predicting the effect of immunotherapy in HCC patients, and thus guiding a more reasonable immunotherapy program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjuan Zhu
- Cancer Precision Medical Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiao Xu
- Cancer Precision Medical Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Man Jiang
- Cancer Precision Medical Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Fangfang Yang
- Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yingying Mei
- Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiaochun Zhang
- Cancer Precision Medical Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaochun Zhang,
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Dong Y, Hung Y, Zhang Z, Chen A, Li L, Tian M, Shen J, Shao J. iRGD-modified memory-like NK cells exhibit potent responses to hepatocellular carcinoma. J Transl Med 2023; 21:205. [PMID: 36932395 PMCID: PMC10022190 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04024-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cytokine-induced memory-like natural killer (CIML NK) cells have been found to possess potent antitumor responses and induce complete remissions in patients with leukemia. However, the poor infiltration of transferred NK cells is a major obstacle in developing adoptive cell immunotherapy for solid tumors. In our study, we explored the potential of using the tumor-penetrating peptide iRGD to deliver activated CIML NK cells deep into tumor tissues. METHODS After being briefly stimulated with interleukin-12 (IL-12), IL-15, and IL-18, CIML NK cells were assessed for their phenotype and function with flow cytometry. The penetrating and killing capability of iRGD-modified CIML NK cells in tumor spheroids was revealed by confocal microscopy. The anti-tumor efficacy of these modified CIML NK cells was tested in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) xenograft mouse models. RESULTS Treating NK cells with cytokines led to a substantial activation, which was evidenced by the upregulation of CD25 and CD137. After a resting period of six days, CIML NK cells were still able to display strong activation when targeting HepG2 and SK-Hep-1 HCC cell lines. Additionally, CIML NK cells produced increased amounts of cytokines (interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor alpha) and exhibited heightened cytotoxicity towards HCC cell lines. The iRGD modification enabled CIML NK cells to infiltrate multicellular spheroids (MCSs) and, consequently, to induce cytotoxicity against the target cancer cells. Moreover, the CIML NK cells modified with iRGD significantly decreased tumor growth in a HCC xenograft mouse model. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate that CIML NK cells possess augmented potency and durability against HCC cell lines in vitro. Additionally, we have seen that the incorporation of iRGD to CIML NK cells facilitates enhanced infiltration and targeted destruction of MCSs. Moreover, the application of iRGD-modified CIML NK cells reveal remarkable anti-tumor efficacy against HCC in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanbing Dong
- Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ying Hung
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Department of Oncology, The Second People's Hospital of Huai'an, Huai'an, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Aoxing Chen
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Lin Li
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Manman Tian
- Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jie Shen
- Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Jie Shao
- Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
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Chen R, Hou B, Zhou Y, Zhang T, Wang Z, Chen X, Zhang Y, Chen M. Recurrence after percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma: Analysis of the pattern and risk factors. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1018715. [PMID: 36910605 PMCID: PMC9997710 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1018715] [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: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) frequently relapses after minimally invasive treatment. This study aimed to observe the influencing factors of different recurrence patterns after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of recurrence. Methods The medical records of HCC patients who underwent RFA between January 2010 and January 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. HCC recurrence is classified into three types: local tumour progression (LTP), intrahepatic distant metastasis, and extrahepatic metastasis. Risk factors, overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS) were assessed for each modality. Among the risk factors are age, gender, liver function tests, blood tests, and tumour size. The OS and DFS curves were measured by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results 406 patients who had undergone RFA were included in the study. The median survival for OS and DFS were 120 and 43.6 months. During follow-up, 39, 312, and 55 patients developed LTP, intrahepatic distant metastasis, and extrahepatic metastatic recurrence, respectively. The independent risk factors for each type were as follows: WBC > 5.55*109/L was an independent risk factor for local recurrence. Multiple tumours, extrahepatic metastases, and AFP > 200 ng/ml were used for intrahepatic metastases. Age (P = 0.030), recurrence pattern (P < 0.001) and Child-Pugh class B (P = 0.015) were independent predictors of OS. Conclusions According to our classification, each pattern of recurrence has different risk factors for recurrence, OS, and DFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Chen
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Beining Hou
- Faculty of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Yanzhao Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Tuo Zhang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Zhengzheng Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xun Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yingwei Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mobile Computing and Pervasive Device, Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Man Chen
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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29
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Huang N, Zhang J, Kuang S, Li Z, Zhao H, Wu J, Liu M, Wang L. Role of NCF2 as a potential prognostic factor and immune infiltration indicator in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer Med 2023; 12:8991-9004. [PMID: 36680322 PMCID: PMC10134316 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.5597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the major causes of cancer-related deaths globally. The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a crucial role in the prognosis and treatment of HCC. Hence, it is important to exploit new biomarkers for survival surveillance and TME estimation of HCC. METHODS HCC samples data was collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) database, and clinical samples were collected from our center. The TME of HCC were explored with ESTIMATE (Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumor tissues using Expression data), ssGSEA (single sample Gene Sets Enrichment Analysis) and CIBERSORT algorithm. Differentially expressed genes were analyzed with functional enrichment analysis. Immunohistochemistry was implemented to validate the results. RESULTS Based on TCGA database, we found that Neutrophil Cytosolic Factor 2 (NCF2) was significantly associated with the prognosis of HCC patients, involved in immune-related biological processes of HCC and closely associated with some types of immunocompetent cells. The survival analysis based on NCF2 expression assessed by immunohistochemistry also confirmed that NCF2-positive group had a shorter relapse free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) than NCF2-negative group. Multivariate Cox regression revealed NCF2 expression level and lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) were independent risk factors for HCC patients. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that the combination of NCF2 and LVSI had higher predictive efficacy on the 1-year RFS rate and 5-year OS rate than each of them alone. Besides, the expression level of NCF2 was positively associated with M0 and M2 macrophages infiltration. Furthermore, NCF2 expression was positively correlated with CSF1, IL4, IL10, CD206, CD163, CSF1R and TGFβ1. CONCLUSION We proposed that higher NCF2 expression predicted an adverse prognosis and more M2 macrophages infiltration in HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Huang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Shuwen Kuang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zhuo Li
- Department of Pathology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Hong Zhao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jianxiong Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Mei Liu
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology & State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Liming Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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30
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Chen L, Liu S, Adah D, Sun Q, Liang Z, Ho M, Sun B. Soluble programmed death ligand-1-induced immunosuppressive effects on chimeric antigen receptor-natural killer cells targeting Glypican-3 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Immunology 2023; 169:204-218. [PMID: 36640111 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the pre-clinical study of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-natural killer (NK) cell was effective against various tumours, immunosuppression mediated by tumour microenvironment hampers their application and several efforts have been explored to improve their effect in combating solid tumours. Glypican 3 (GPC3) is a promising target for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and CAR-T cells targeting GPC3 have been tested in clinical trials. Based on an affinity-enhanced antibody (hYP7) targeting GPC3, we constructed GPC3-CAR-NK cells to explore their potential function in the treatment of HCC. We found that patients with HCC secreted high levels of soluble programmed death-ligand 1 (sPD-L1), which inhibits the function of CAR-NK cells targeting GPC3. In addition, we combined high-affinity sPD-L1 variant (L3C7c-Fc) with GPC3-CAR-NK cells to solve the problem of GPC3-CAR-NK inhibition. Our studies demonstrated that L3C7c-Fc could enhance the therapeutic effect of CAR-NK cells by reversing the suppression of sPD-L1, which provides the experimental evidence for the subsequent development of HCC immunotherapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Siyuan Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Dickson Adah
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Center of Infection and Immunity, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Science, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingyang Sun
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaoduan Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Center of Infection and Immunity, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Science, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Mitchell Ho
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Beicheng Sun
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.,Department of Hepatobiliary surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
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31
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Li B, Liu S, Yang Q, Li Z, Li J, Wu J, Sun S, Xu Z, Sun S, Wu Q. Macrophages in Tumor-Associated Adipose Microenvironment Accelerate Tumor Progression. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2023; 7:e2200161. [PMID: 36266968 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202200161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Adipose-tissue macrophages (ATMs), a complex ensemble of diverse macrophage subtypes, are prevalent in the tumor-adipose microenvironment (TAME) and facilitate tumor growth. However, the mechanisms in which the tumor-adipocyte crosstalk may enable the properties and plasticity of macrophages remain unclear. The single-cell RNA-sequence profiling reveals that a subset of macrophages expressed CD163, CCL2, and CCL5 in TAME, exhibiting an immunosuppressive subtype. It is demonstrated that CD163+ macrophages aggregate to surround adipocytes in breast cancer tissues. The expressions of CCL2 and CCL5 are also elevated in TAME and enable the recruitment and polarize macrophages. Mechanically, the level of exosomal miRNA-155 increased in the coculture of tumor cells and adipocytes, and then it promoted the generation and release of CCL2 and CCL5 from adipocytes by targeting the SOCS6/STAT3 pathway. Inhibition of exosomal miRNA-155 in tumor cells reduced the CCL2 and CCL5 levels in tumor-adipocytes coculture and further retarded tumor growth. Finally, the deletion of macrophages partially inhibited adipocyte-induced tumor proliferation. Likewise, inhibiting chemokines and their receptors or suppressing the phosphorylation of STAT3 decreased tumor burden in preclinical models. These results demonstrate that the niche factors in TAME, such as exosomal miRNA-155, regulate the function and polarity of macrophages to facilitate tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bei Li
- Department of Pathology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, P. R. China
| | - Siqing Liu
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, P. R. China
| | - Qian Yang
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, P. R. China
| | - Zhiyu Li
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, P. R. China
| | - Juanjuan Li
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, P. R. China
| | - Juan Wu
- Department of Pathology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, P. R. China
| | - Shengrong Sun
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, P. R. China
| | - Zhiliang Xu
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, P. R. China
| | - Si Sun
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, P. R. China
| | - Qi Wu
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, P. R. China.,Tongji University Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, P. R. China
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32
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Fang C, Luo R, Zhang Y, Wang J, Feng K, Liu S, Chen C, Yao R, Shi H, Zhong C. Hepatectomy versus transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for resectable BCLC stage A/B hepatocellular carcinoma beyond Milan criteria: A randomized clinical trial. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1101162. [PMID: 36923427 PMCID: PMC10010190 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1101162] [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: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatectomy is the recommended option for radical treatment of BCLC stage A/B hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that has progressed beyond the Milan criteria. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of preoperative neoadjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for these patients. Methods In this prospective, randomized, open-label clinical study, BCLC stage A/B HCC patients beyond the Milan criteria were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either neoadjuvant TACE prior to hepatectomy (NT group) or hepatectomy alone (OP group). The primary outcome was overall survival (OS), while the secondary outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS) and adverse events (AEs). Results Of 249 patients screened, 164 meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to either the NT group (n = 82) or OP group (n = 82) and completed follow-up requirements. Overall survival was significantly greater in the NT group compared to the OP group at 1 year (97.2% vs. 82.4%), two years (88.4% vs. 60.4%), and three years (71.6% vs. 45.7%) (p = 0.0011) post-treatment. Similarly, PFS was significantly longer in the NT group than the OP group at 1 year (60.1% vs. 39.9%), 2 years (53.4% vs. 24.5%), and 3 years (42.2% vs. 24.5%) (p = 0.0003). No patients reported adverse events of grade 3 or above in either group. Conclusions Neoadjuvant TACE prolongs the survival of BCLC stage A/B HCC patients beyond the Milan criteria without increasing severe adverse events frequency. Clinical trial registration https://www.chictr.org.cn/, identifier ChiCTR2200055618.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chongkai Fang
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Lingnan Medical Research Center of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui Luo
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Lingnan Medical Research Center of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Lingnan Medical Research Center of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinan Wang
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Lingnan Medical Research Center of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kunliang Feng
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Lingnan Medical Research Center of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Silin Liu
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Lingnan Medical Research Center of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chuyao Chen
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Lingnan Medical Research Center of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruiwei Yao
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Lingnan Medical Research Center of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hanqian Shi
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Lingnan Medical Research Center of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chong Zhong
- The First Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.,Lingnan Medical Research Center of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
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Chung A, Nasralla D, Quaglia A. Understanding the Immunoenvironment of Primary Liver Cancer: A Histopathology Perspective. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2022; 9:1149-1169. [PMID: 36349146 PMCID: PMC9637345 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s382310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most common cancers worldwide, primary liver cancer remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality. Hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma represent the majority of primary liver cancer cases. Despite advances in the development of novel anti-cancer therapies that exploit targets within the immune system, survival rates from liver cancer remain poor. Furthermore, responses to immunotherapies, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, have revealed limited and variable responses amongst patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, although combination immunotherapies have shown recent breakthroughs in clinical trials. This has shifted the focus towards improving our understanding of the underlying immune and molecular characteristics of liver tumours that may influence their response to immune-modulating treatments. In this review, we outline the complex interactions that occur in the tumour microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma, respectively, from a histopathological perspective. We explore the potential role of a classification system based on immune-specific characteristics within each cancer type, the importance of understanding inter- and intra-tumoural heterogeneity and consider the future role of histopathology and novel technologies within this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabelle Chung
- Department of Cellular Pathology, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK,Correspondence: Annabelle Chung, Department of Cellular Pathology, Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, London, NW3 2QG, UK, Tel +44 20 7794 0500 ext. 35641, Email
| | - David Nasralla
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK
| | - Alberto Quaglia
- Department of Cellular Pathology, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK
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Sim TM. Nanoparticle-assisted targeting of the tumour microenvironment. OPENNANO 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.onano.2022.100097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Ahmad M, Dhasmana A, Harne PS, Zamir A, Hafeez BB. Chemokine clouding and liver cancer heterogeneity: Does it impact clinical outcomes? Semin Cancer Biol 2022; 86:1175-1185. [PMID: 35189322 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2022.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Tumor heterogeneity is a predominant feature of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that plays a crucial role in chemoresistance and limits the efficacy of available chemo/immunotherapy regimens. Thus, a better understanding regarding the molecular determinants of tumor heterogeneity will help in developing newer strategies for effective HCC management. Chemokines, a sub-family of cytokines are one of the key molecular determinants of tumor heterogeneity in HCC and are involved in cell survival, growth, migration, and angiogenesis. Herein, we provide a panoramic insight into the role of chemokines in HCC heterogeneity at genetic, epigenetic, metabolic, immune cell composition, and tumor microenvironment levels and its impact on clinical outcomes. Interestingly, our in-silico analysis data showed that expression of chemokine receptors impacts infiltration of various immune cell populations into the liver tumor and leads to heterogeneity. Thus, it is evident that aberrant chemokines clouding impacts HCC tumor heterogeneity and understanding this phenomenon in depth could be harnessed for the development of personalized medicine strategies in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mudassier Ahmad
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, TX 78504, United States
| | - Anupam Dhasmana
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, TX 78504, United States; Department of Biosciences and Cancer Research Institute, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Swami Rama Himalayan University, Dehradun, India
| | - Prateek Suresh Harne
- DHR Health Gastroenterology, 5520 Leonardo da Vinci Drive, Suite 100, Edinburg, TX 78539, United States
| | - Asif Zamir
- South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, TX 78504, United States; DHR Health Gastroenterology, 5520 Leonardo da Vinci Drive, Suite 100, Edinburg, TX 78539, United States
| | - Bilal Bin Hafeez
- South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, TX 78504, United States; Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, TX 78504, United States.
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36
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Wu G, Yang Y, Ye R, Yue H, Zhang H, Huang T, Liu M, Zheng Y, Wang Y, Zhou Y, Guo Q. Development and validation of an ECM-related prognostic signature to predict the immune landscape of human hepatocellular carcinoma. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:1036. [PMID: 36195857 PMCID: PMC9531523 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-10049-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The global burden of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing, negatively impacting social health and economies. The discovery of novel and valuable biomarkers for the early diagnosis and therapeutic guidance of HCC is urgently needed. Methods Extracellular matrix (ECM)-related gene sets, transcriptome data and mutation profiles were downloaded from the Matrisome Project and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-LIHC datasets. Coexpression analysis was initially performed with the aim of identifying ECM-related lncRNAs (r > 0.4, p < 0.001). The screened lncRNAs were subjected to univariate analysis to obtain a series of prognosis-related lncRNA sets, which were incorporated into least absolute selection and shrinkage operator (LASSO) regression for signature establishment. Following the grouping of LIHC samples according to risk score, the correlations between the signature and clinicopathological, tumour immune infiltration, and mutational characteristics as well as therapeutic response were also analysed. lncRNA expression levels used for modelling were finally examined at the cellular and tissue levels by real-time PCR. All analyses were based on R software. Results AL031985.3 and MKLN1-AS were ultimately identified as signature-related lncRNAs, and both were significantly upregulated in HCC tissue samples and cell lines. The prognostic value of the signature reflected by the AUC value was superior to that of age, sex, grade and stage. Correlation analysis results demonstrated that high-risk groups exhibited significant enrichment of immune cells (DCs, macrophages and Tregs) and increased expression levels of all immune checkpoint genes. Prominent differences in clinicopathological profiles, immune functions, tumour mutation burden (TMB) and drug sensitivity were noted between the two risk groups. Conclusions Our signature represents a valuable predictive tool in the prognostic management of HCC patients. Further validation of the mechanisms involved is needed. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-10049-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guozhi Wu
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, No.1 West Donggang Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China.,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Yuan Yang
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, No.1 West Donggang Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China.,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Rong Ye
- Department of Radiology, the First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Hanxun Yue
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, No.1 West Donggang Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China.,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Huiyun Zhang
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, No.1 West Donggang Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China.,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Taobi Huang
- The First Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China.,Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, No.1 West Donggang Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China.,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Min Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, No.1 West Donggang Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China.,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Ya Zheng
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, No.1 West Donggang Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China.,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Yuping Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, No.1 West Donggang Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China.,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China
| | - Yongning Zhou
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, No.1 West Donggang Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China. .,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China.
| | - Qinghong Guo
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, No.1 West Donggang Road, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China. .,Gansu Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, China.
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Predicting Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Based on the Expression Signatures of Mitophagy Genes. DISEASE MARKERS 2022; 2022:4835826. [PMID: 36157211 PMCID: PMC9507775 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4835826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Background. The unbalance of mitophagy was closely related to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. At present, it has not been uncovered about the influence of mitophagy genes on HCC prognosis and their potential pathogenesis. Materials and Methods. The expression and clinical information of HCC in TCGA cohort were used to identify mitophagy differentially expressed genes (MDEGs) with prognostic value. The prognostic model of mitophagy genes was built and externally validated by LASSO regression in TCGA cohort and ICGC cohort, respectively. The function of the prognostic signature and its association with immune cell infiltration were explored. The profile of MDEGs was validated with 39 pairs HCC and paracarcinoma tissues by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR). Results. A total of 18 mitophagy genes that were upregulated and contributed to poor prognosis in HCC were identified. These genes could interact with each other. The correlation analysis showed that there was positively correlation among mitophagy genes. According to optimal
value, 8 mitophagy gene signatures were involved in prognostic model. Based on median risk scores, HCC patients were divided into high-risk group and low-risk group. Compared with the low-risk group, the high-risk group has worse overall survival in TCGA cohort and ICGC cohort. The univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that risk score was an independent prognostic factor of HCC patients. Time-dependent ROC curve was used to identify and validate good predicting performance of the prognostic model. Enrichment analysis showed that risk differentially expressed genes were enriched in various metabolism and cell division processes. The immune cell infiltration score and immune function were significantly different in two groups. qRT-PCR validation result showed that QSTM1, CSNK2B, PGAM5, and ATG5 were upregulated. Conclusion. Mitophagy genes could influence HCC progression through regulating the metabolism and immune functions and could be used to predict prognosis and considered as potential prognostic biomarker and precise therapeutic target of HCC.
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Mantovani S, Varchetta S, Mele D, Maiello R, Donadon M, Soldani C, Franceschini B, Torzilli G, Tartaglia G, Maestri M, Piccolo G, Barabino M, Opocher E, Bernuzzi S, Mondelli MU, Oliviero B. Defective DNAM-1 Dependent Cytotoxicity in Hepatocellular Carcinoma-Infiltrating NK Cells. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14164060. [PMID: 36011052 PMCID: PMC9406989 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14164060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of primary liver cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Although therapeutic options have improved in the last few years, mortality remains disturbingly high. The key role of innate immunity, particularly of natural killer (NK) cells, in tumor surveillance and response is well established. The anti-tumor NK cell activity is modulated by interactions between NK cells activating or inhibiting receptors and their ligands, expressed or released by tumor cells. Alterations in these networks lead to inadequate NK cell responses and a lack of cancer control. In our study, we focus on NK cells activating receptor DNAM-1 and its ligand CD155, expressed in HCC cells. We provide evidence of impaired NK cytotoxic function as a result of altered receptor/ligand axis. We conclude that this may represent a tumor escape mechanism and a possible target for new immunotherapeutic approaches to HCC treatment. Abstract Background: Natural killer (NK) cells play a key role in immune surveillance and response to tumors, their function regulated by NK cell receptors and their ligands. The DNAM-1 activating receptor recognizes the CD155 molecule expressed in several tumor cells, such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to investigate the role of the DNAM-1/CD155 axis in mediating the NK cell response in patients with HCC. Methods: Soluble CD155 was measured by ELISA. CD155 expression was sought in HCC cells by immunohistochemistry, qPCR, and flow cytometry. DNAM-1 modulation in NK cells was evaluated in transwell experiments and by a siRNA-mediated knockdown. NK cell functions were examined by direct DNAM-1 triggering. Results: sCD155 was increased in sera from HCC patients and correlated with the parameters of an advanced disease. The expression of CD155 in HCC showed a positive trend toward better overall survival. DNAM-1 downmodulation was induced by CD155-expressing HCC cells, in agreement with lower DNAM-1 expressions in tumor-infiltrating NK (NK-TIL) cells. DNAM-1-mediated cytotoxicity was defective both in circulating NK cells and in NK-TIL of HCC patients. Conclusions: We provide evidence of alterations in the DNAM-1/CD155 axis in HCC, suggesting a possible mechanism of tumor resistance to innate immune surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Mantovani
- Division of Clinical Immunology-Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Stefania Varchetta
- Division of Clinical Immunology-Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Dalila Mele
- Division of Clinical Immunology-Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Roberta Maiello
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Matteo Donadon
- Department of Biomedical Science, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, 20090 Milan, Italy
- Department of Hepatobiliary and General Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
| | - Cristiana Soldani
- Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Immunopathology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Franceschini
- Laboratory of Hepatobiliary Immunopathology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
| | - Guido Torzilli
- Department of Biomedical Science, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, 20090 Milan, Italy
- Department of Hepatobiliary and General Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, 20089 Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Tartaglia
- Division of General Surgery 1, Department of Surgery, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Marcello Maestri
- Division of General Surgery 1, Department of Surgery, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Gaetano Piccolo
- Unit of HepatoBilioPancreatic and Digestive Surgery, Department of Health Sciences, San Paolo Hospital, University of Milan, 20142 Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Barabino
- Unit of HepatoBilioPancreatic and Digestive Surgery, Department of Health Sciences, San Paolo Hospital, University of Milan, 20142 Milan, Italy
| | - Enrico Opocher
- Unit of HepatoBilioPancreatic and Digestive Surgery, Department of Health Sciences, San Paolo Hospital, University of Milan, 20142 Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Bernuzzi
- Immunohematology and Transfusion Service, Department of Diagnostic Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Mario U. Mondelli
- Division of Clinical Immunology-Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Barbara Oliviero
- Division of Clinical Immunology-Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
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The unique role of innate lymphoid cells in cancer and the hepatic microenvironment. Cell Mol Immunol 2022; 19:1012-1029. [PMID: 35962192 PMCID: PMC9424527 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-022-00901-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a complex disease, and despite incredible progress over the last decade, it remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Liver cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and liver metastases are distinct from other cancers in that they typically emerge as a consequence of long-term low-grade inflammation. Understanding the mechanisms that underpin inflammation-driven tissue remodeling of the hepatic immune environment is likely to provide new insights into much needed treatments for this devastating disease. Group 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), which include natural killer (NK) cells and ILC1s, are particularly enriched in the liver and thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of a number of liver diseases, including cancer. NK cells are an attractive, but underexplored, therapeutic target in hepatic disease due to their role in immunosurveillance and their ability to recognize and eliminate malignant cells. ILC1s are closely related to and share many phenotypic features with NK cells but are less well studied. Thus, their utility in immunotherapeutic approaches is not yet well understood. Here, we review our current understanding of ILCs in cancer with a particular focus on liver and liver-related diseases.
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40
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Tian Z, Hong B, Chen J, Tang Z. Combination of Radiofrequency Ablation With Resiquimod to Treat Hepatocellular Carcinoma Via Inflammation of Tumor Immune Microenvironment and Suppression of Angiogenesis. Front Oncol 2022; 12:891724. [PMID: 35719978 PMCID: PMC9201999 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.891724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) destroys tumors through hyperthermic injury, which induces the release of immunogenic intracellular substrates and damages associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) to evoke a systemic immune response, but its therapeutic effect is limited. This study aimed to combine RFA with an immunomodulator, resiquimod (R848), to enhance the RFA-induced antitumor immunity. Methods We performed RFA on subcutaneous tumors in immunocompetent mice and intraperitoneally injected R848 to observe the efficacy of the combination therapy. Our research investigated changes in the composition of tumor-infiltrating immune cells in primary and distant tumors by flow cytometry. Natural killer (NK) cell depletion experiment was applied to confirm the role of NK cell in the combination therapy. The expression levels of cytokines and chemokines were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. Immunohistochemical test was conducted to reveal tumor angiogenesis, tumor proliferation, and apoptosis after the different treatments. Results and Conclusion Compared with RFA or R848 monotherapy, the combination therapy significantly slowed the tumor growth, prolonged the survival time, and shrank the tumor-draining lymph nodes of tumor-bearing mice. The flow cytometry results showed that tumor-infiltrating immune cells, total T cells, the ratio of CD8+ T and NK cells to CD45+ cells, and functional NK cells were obviously increased after the combined treatment. Distal tumor growth was also suppressed, and the profile of tumor-infiltrating immune cells was remodeled, too. In addition, the additive effect of the combination therapy disappeared after NK cell depletion. Furthermore, immunohistochemical results verified that R848 inhibited tumor angiogenesis in murine liver cancer, and the combination therapy promoted tumor cell apoptosis. In conclusion, our data suggest that RFA combined with R848 stimulated a stronger antitumor immune response and effectively inhibited liver cancer progression in a NK cell-dependent manner. Meanwhile, we confirmed that R848 inhibited tumor angiogenesis and promoted apoptosis in murine liver cancer. Overall, this is a promising therapeutic strategy to improve the efficacy of RFA in the treatment of liver cancer and provides a novel option for combined thermal ablation and immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhou Tian
- Department of Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, China
| | - Baojian Hong
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianzhong Chen
- Institute of Immunology School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammatory Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhe Tang
- Department of Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, China.,Department of Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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41
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Identification of an inflammatory response signature associated with prognostic stratification and drug sensitivity in lung adenocarcinoma. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10110. [PMID: 35710585 PMCID: PMC9203558 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14323-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence has confirmed the close connection between inflammatory response and tumorigenesis. However, the relationship between inflammatory response genes (IRGs) and the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) as well as the response to drug therapy remains poorly investigated. Here, we comprehensively analyzed IRGs RNA expression profiling and clinical features of over 2000 LUAD patients from 12 public datasets. The Cox regression method and LASSO analysis were combined to develop a novel IRG signature for risk stratification and drug efficacy prediction in LUAD patients. Enriched pathways, tumor microenvironment (TME), genomic and somatic mutation landscape in different subgroups were evaluated and compared with each other. This established IRG signature including 11 IRGs (ADM, GPC3, IL7R, NMI, NMURI, PSEN1, PTPRE, PVR, SEMA4D, SERPINE1, SPHK1), could well categorize patients into significantly different prognostic subgroups, and have better predictive in independently assessing survival as compared to a single clinical factor. High IRG scores (IRGS) patients might benefit more from immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Comprehensive analysis uncovered significant differences in enriched pathways, TME, genomic and somatic mutation landscape between the two subgroups. Additionally, integrating the IRGS and TNM stage, a reliable prognostic nomogram was developed to optimize survival prediction, and validated in an independent external dataset for clinical application. Take together, the proposed IRG signature in this study is a promising biomarker for risk stratification and drug efficacy prediction in LUAD patients. This study may be meaningful for explaining the responses of clinical therapeutic drugs and providing new strategies for administrating sufferer of LUAD.
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Chu J, Gao F, Yan M, Zhao S, Yan Z, Shi B, Liu Y. Natural killer cells: a promising immunotherapy for cancer. J Transl Med 2022; 20:240. [PMID: 35606854 PMCID: PMC9125849 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03437-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
As a promising alternative platform for cellular immunotherapy, natural killer cells (NK) have recently gained attention as an important type of innate immune regulatory cell. NK cells can rapidly kill multiple adjacent cancer cells through non-MHC-restrictive effects. Although tumors may develop multiple resistance mechanisms to endogenous NK cell attack, in vitro activation, expansion, and genetic modification of NK cells can greatly enhance their anti-tumor activity and give them the ability to overcome drug resistance. Some of these approaches have been translated into clinical applications, and clinical trials of NK cell infusion in patients with hematological malignancies and solid tumors have thus far yielded many encouraging clinical results. CAR-T cells have exhibited great success in treating hematological malignancies, but their drawbacks include high manufacturing costs and potentially fatal toxicity, such as cytokine release syndrome. To overcome these issues, CAR-NK cells were generated through genetic engineering and demonstrated significant clinical responses and lower adverse effects compared with CAR-T cell therapy. In this review, we summarize recent advances in NK cell immunotherapy, focusing on NK cell biology and function, the types of NK cell therapy, and clinical trials and future perspectives on NK cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Chu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China
| | - Fengcai Gao
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Meimei Yan
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China
| | - Shuang Zhao
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China
| | - Zheng Yan
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China
| | - Bian Shi
- Department of Chinese and Western Medicine, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China.
| | - Yanyan Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450008, Henan, China.
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Sajid M, Liu L, Sun C. The Dynamic Role of NK Cells in Liver Cancers: Role in HCC and HBV Associated HCC and Its Therapeutic Implications. Front Immunol 2022; 13:887186. [PMID: 35669776 PMCID: PMC9165341 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.887186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains an important complication of chronic liver disease, especially when cirrhosis occurs. Existing treatment strategies include surgery, loco-regional techniques, and chemotherapy. Natural killer cells are distinctive cytotoxic lymphocytes that play a vital role in fighting tumors and infections. As an important constituent of the innate immune system against cancer, phenotypic and functional deviations of NK cells have been demonstrated in HCC patients who also exhibit perturbation of the NK-activating receptor/ligand axis. The rate of recurrence of tumor-infiltrating and circulating NK cells are positively associated with survival benefits in HCC and have prognostic significance, suggesting that NK cell dysfunction is closely related to HCC progression. NK cells are the first-line effector cells of viral hepatitis and play a significant role by directly clearing virus-infected cells or by activating antigen-specific T cells by producing IFN-γ. In addition, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) engineered NK cells suggest an exclusive opportunity to produce CAR-NKs with several specificities with fewer side effects. In the present review, we comprehensively discuss the innate immune landscape of the liver, particularly NK cells, and the impact of tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) on the function of NK cells and the biological function of HCC. Furthermore, the role of NK cells in HCC and HBV-induced HCC has also been comprehensively elaborated. We also elaborate on available NK cell-based immunotherapeutic approaches in HCC treatment and summarize current advancements in the treatment of HCC. This review will facilitate researchers to understand the importance of the innate immune landscape of NK cells and lead to devising innovative immunotherapeutic strategies for the systematic treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Sajid
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Anhui Provincial Clinical Research Center for Hepatobiliary Diseases, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Heifei, China
- Transplant and Immunology Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Lianxin Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Anhui Provincial Clinical Research Center for Hepatobiliary Diseases, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Heifei, China
| | - Cheng Sun
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Anhui Provincial Clinical Research Center for Hepatobiliary Diseases, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Heifei, China
- Transplant and Immunology Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Institute of Immunology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
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44
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Tang Y, Guo C, Yang Z, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Wang D. Identification of a Tumor Immunological Phenotype-Related Gene Signature for Predicting Prognosis, Immunotherapy Efficacy, and Drug Candidates in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:862527. [PMID: 35493471 PMCID: PMC9039265 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.862527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the predominant subtype of primary liver cancer and represents a highly heterogeneous disease, making it hard to predict the prognosis and therapy efficacy. Here, we established a novel tumor immunological phenotype-related gene index (TIPRGPI) consisting of 11 genes by Univariate Cox regression and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm to predict HCC prognosis and immunotherapy response. TIPRGPI was validated in multiple datasets and exhibited outstanding performance in predicting the overall survival of HCC. Multivariate analysis verified it as an independent predictor and a TIPRGPI-integrated nomogram was constructed to provide a quantitative tool for clinical practice. Distinct mutation profiles, hallmark pathways, and infiltration of immune cells in tumor microenvironment were shown between the TIPRGPI high and low-risk groups. Notably, significant differences in tumor immunogenicity and tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) were observed between the two risk groups, suggesting a better response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy of the low-risk group. Besides, six potential drugs binding to the core target of the TIPRGPI signature were predicted via molecular docking. Taken together, our study shows that the proposed TIPRGPI was a reliable signature to predict the risk classification, immunotherapy response, and drugs candidate with potential application in the clinical decision and treatment of HCC. The novel “TIP genes”-guided strategy for predicting the survival and immunotherapy efficacy, we reported here, might be also applied to more cancers other than HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqin Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Chengbin Guo
- Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
| | - Zhao Yang
- West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yumei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Yongqiang Zhang
- Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
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45
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Bourayou E, Golub R. Signaling Pathways Tuning Innate Lymphoid Cell Response to Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:846923. [PMID: 35281021 PMCID: PMC8904901 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.846923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide and its incidence continues to rise globally. Various causes can lead to its development such as chronic viral infections causing hepatitis, cirrhosis or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The contribution of immune cells to HCC development and progression has been extensively studied when it comes to adaptive lymphocytes or myeloid populations. However, the role of the innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) is still not well defined. ILCs are a family of lymphocytes comprising five subsets including circulating Natural Killer (NK) cells, ILC1s, ILC2s, ILC3s and lymphocytes tissue-inducer cells (LTi). Mostly located at epithelial surfaces, tissue-resident ILCs and NK cells can rapidly react to environmental changes to mount appropriate immune responses. Here, we provide an overview of their roles and actions in HCC with an emphasis on the importance of diverse signaling pathways (Notch, TGF-β, Wnt/β-catenin…) in the tuning of their response to HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa Bourayou
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM U1223, Lymphocyte and Immunity Unit, Paris, France
| | - Rachel Golub
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM U1223, Lymphocyte and Immunity Unit, Paris, France
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46
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Xue JS, Ding ZN, Meng GX, Yan LJ, Liu H, Li HC, Yao SY, Tian BW, Dong ZR, Chen ZQ, Hong JG, Wang DX, Li T. The Prognostic Value of Natural Killer Cells and Their Receptors/Ligands in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:872353. [PMID: 35464489 PMCID: PMC9021421 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.872353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Natural killer (NK) cells play major roles in eliminating tumor cells. Preliminary studies have shown that NK cells and their receptors/ligands have prognostic value in malignant tumors. However, the relevance of NK cells and their receptors/ligands level to the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. Methods Several electronic databases were searched from database inception to November 8, 2021. Random effects were introduced to this meta-analysis. The relevance of NK cells and their receptors/ligands level to the prognosis of HCC was evaluated using hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI). Results 26 studies were included in the analysis. The pooled results showed that high NK cells levels were associated with better overall survival (HR=0.70, 95%CI 0.57–0.86, P=0.001) and disease-free survival (HR=0.61, 95%CI 0.40-0.93, P=0.022) of HCC patients. In subgroup analysis for overall survival, CD57+ NK cells (HR=0.70, 95%CI 0.55-0.89, P=0.004) had better prognostic value over CD56+ NK cells (HR=0.69, 95%CI 0.38-1.25, P=0.224), and intratumor NK cells had better prognostic value (HR=0.71, 95%CI 0.55-0.90, P=0.005) over peripheral NK cells (HR=0.66, 95%CI 0.41-1.06, P=0.088). In addition, high level of NK cell inhibitory receptors predicted increased recurrence of HCC, while the prognostic role of NK cell activating receptors remained unclear. Conclusion NK cells and their inhibitory receptors have prognostic value for HCC. The prognostic role of NK cell activating receptors is unclear and more high-quality prospective studies are essential to evaluate the prognostic value of NK cells and their receptors/ligands for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Shuai Xue
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Zi-Niu Ding
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Guang-Xiao Meng
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Lun-Jie Yan
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Hai-Chao Li
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Sheng-Yu Yao
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Bao-Wen Tian
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Zhao-Ru Dong
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jian-Guo Hong
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Dong-Xu Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Tao Li
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China.,Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
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47
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Nomogram for prediction of long-term survival with hepatocellular carcinoma based on NK cell counts. Ann Hepatol 2022; 27:100672. [PMID: 35065261 DOI: 10.1016/j.aohep.2022.100672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Among all immune cells, natural killer (NK) cells play an important role as the first line of defense against tumor. The purpose of our study is to observe whether the NK cell counts can predict the overall survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS To develop a novel model, from January 2010 to June 2015, HCC patients enrolled in Beijing Ditan hospital were divided into training and validation cohort. Cox multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the independent risk factors for 1-year, 3-year and 5-year overall survival (OS) of patients with HCC, and the nomogram was used to establish the prediction model. In addition, the decision tree was established to verify the contribution of NK cell counts to the survival of patients with HCC. RESULTS The model used in predicting overall survival of HCC included six variables (namely, NK cell counts, albumin (ALB) level, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT), tumor number and treatment). The C-index of nomogram model in HCC patients predicting 1-year, 3-year and 5-year overall survival was 0.858, 0.788 and 0.782 respectively, which was higher than tumor-lymph node-metastasis (TNM) staging system, Okuda, model for end-stage liver disease (MELD), MELD-Na, the Chinese University Prognostic Index (CUPI) and Japan Integrated Staging (JIS) scores (p < 0.001). The decision tree showed the specific 5-year OS probability of HCC patients under different risk factors, and found that NK cell counts were the third in the column contribution. CONCLUSIONS Our study emphasizes the utility of NK cell counts for exploring interactions between long-term survival of HCC patients and predictor variables.
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Cai S, Du R, Zhang Y, Yuan Z, Shang J, Yang Y, Han B, Zhong W, Yuan H, Li Z. Construction and Comprehensive Analysis of ceRNA Networks and Tumor-Infiltrating Immune Cells in Hepatocellular Carcinoma With Vascular Invasion. FRONTIERS IN BIOINFORMATICS 2022; 2:836981. [PMID: 36304284 PMCID: PMC9580849 DOI: 10.3389/fbinf.2022.836981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant cancer. Metastasis plays a critical role in tumor progression, and vascular invasion is considered one of the most crucial factors for HCC metastasis. However, comprehensive analysis focusing on competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) and immune infiltration in the vascular invasion of HCC is lacking. Methods: The gene expression profiles of 321 samples, including 210 primary HCC cases and 111 HCC cases with vascular invasion, were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas-Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma project, and used in identifying significant differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs), miRNAs (DEmiRNAs), and mRNAs (DEmRNAs). The RNAs associated with vascular invasion were used in constructing a ceRNA network. A multigene-based risk signature was constructed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm. We detected the fractions of 28 immune cell types in HCC through single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). Finally, the relationship between the ceRNA network and immune cells was determined through correlation analysis and used in clarifying the potential mechanism involved in vascular invasion. Results: Overall, 413 DElncRNAs, 27 DEmiRNAs, and 397 DEmRNAs were recognized in HCC. A specific ceRNA network based on the interaction among 3 lncRNA–miRNA pairs and 24 miRNA–mRNA pairs were established. A ceRNA-based prognostic signature was constructed and used in dividing samples into high- and low-risk subgroups. The signature showed significant efficacy; its 3- and 5-year areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves were 0.712 and 0.653, respectively. ceRNA and ssGSEA integration analysis demonstrated that PART1 (p = 0, R = −0.33) and CDK5R2 (p = 0.01, R = −0.15) were negatively correlated to natural killer cells. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that vascular invasion in HCC might be related to PART1, and its role in regulating CDK5R2 and NK cells. A nomogram was developed to predict the prognosis of patients with HCC and demonstrated the value of the ceRNA network and tumor-infiltrating immune cells value in improving personalized management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijiao Cai
- Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Renle Du
- Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhengyi Yuan
- Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Jie Shang
- Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Bin Han
- Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Weilong Zhong
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Weilong Zhong, ; Hengjie Yuan, ; Zhengxiang Li,
| | - Hengjie Yuan
- Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Weilong Zhong, ; Hengjie Yuan, ; Zhengxiang Li,
| | - Zhengxiang Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Weilong Zhong, ; Hengjie Yuan, ; Zhengxiang Li,
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49
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Spiliopoulou P, Spear S, Mirza H, Garner I, McGarry L, Grundland-Freile F, Cheng Z, Ennis DP, Iyer N, McNamara S, Natoli M, Mason S, Blyth K, Adams PD, Roxburgh P, Fuchter MJ, Brown B, McNeish IA. Dual G9A/EZH2 Inhibition Stimulates Antitumor Immune Response in Ovarian High-Grade Serous Carcinoma. Mol Cancer Ther 2022; 21:522-534. [PMID: 35131874 PMCID: PMC9377747 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-21-0743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) prognosis correlates directly with presence of intratumoral lymphocytes. However, cancer immunotherapy has yet to achieve meaningful survival benefit in patients with HGSC. Epigenetic silencing of immunostimulatory genes is implicated in immune evasion in HGSC and re-expression of these genes could promote tumor immune clearance. We discovered that simultaneous inhibition of the histone methyltransferases G9A and EZH2 activates the CXCL10-CXCR3 axis and increases homing of intratumoral effector lymphocytes and natural killer cells while suppressing tumor-promoting FoxP3+ CD4 T cells. The dual G9A/EZH2 inhibitor HKMTI-1-005 induced chromatin changes that resulted in the transcriptional activation of immunostimulatory gene networks, including the re-expression of elements of the ERV-K endogenous retroviral family. Importantly, treatment with HKMTI-1-005 improved the survival of mice bearing Trp53-/- null ID8 ovarian tumors and resulted in tumor burden reduction. These results indicate that inhibiting G9A and EZH2 in ovarian cancer alters the immune microenvironment and reduces tumor growth and therefore positions dual inhibition of G9A/EZH2 as a strategy for clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavlina Spiliopoulou
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Spear
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hasan Mirza
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ian Garner
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lynn McGarry
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Fabio Grundland-Freile
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Zhao Cheng
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Darren P. Ennis
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Nayana Iyer
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie McNamara
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marina Natoli
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Susan Mason
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Karen Blyth
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Peter D. Adams
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, San Diego, California
| | - Patricia Roxburgh
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J. Fuchter
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bob Brown
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Iain A. McNeish
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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50
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Nguyen PHD, Wasser M, Tan CT, Lim CJ, Lai HLH, Seow JJW, DasGupta R, Phua CZJ, Ma S, Yang J, Suthen SD, Tam WL, Lim TKH, Yeong J, Leow WQ, Pang YH, Soon G, Loh TJ, Wan WK, Chan CY, Cheow PC, Toh HC, Kow A, Dan YY, Kam JH, Iyer S, Madhavan K, Chung A, Bonney GK, Goh BKP, Fu N, Yu VC, Zhai W, Albani S, Chow PKH, Chew V. Trajectory of immune evasion and cancer progression in hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1441. [PMID: 35301339 PMCID: PMC8931110 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29122-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune evasion is key to cancer initiation and later at metastasis, but its dynamics at intermediate stages, where potential therapeutic interventions could be applied, is undefined. Here we show, using multi-dimensional analyses of resected tumours, their adjacent non-tumour tissues and peripheral blood, that extensive immune remodelling takes place in patients with stage I to III hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We demonstrate the depletion of anti-tumoural immune subsets and accumulation of immunosuppressive or exhausted subsets along with reduced tumour infiltration of CD8 T cells peaking at stage II tumours. Corresponding transcriptomic modification occur in the genes related to antigen presentation, immune responses, and chemotaxis. The progressive immune evasion is validated in a murine model of HCC. Our results show evidence of ongoing tumour-immune co-evolution during HCC progression and offer insights into potential interventions to reverse, prevent or limit the progression of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phuong H D Nguyen
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Martin Wasser
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, 169856, Singapore.,Duke-Nus Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
| | - Chong Teik Tan
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117559, Singapore
| | - Chun Jye Lim
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Hannah L H Lai
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138672, Singapore
| | - Justine Jia Wen Seow
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138672, Singapore
| | - Ramanuj DasGupta
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138672, Singapore
| | - Cheryl Z J Phua
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138672, Singapore
| | - Siming Ma
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138672, Singapore
| | - Jicheng Yang
- Duke-Nus Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
| | - Sheena D/O Suthen
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Wai Leong Tam
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138672, Singapore.,School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore.,Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore.,Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117596, Singapore
| | - Tony K H Lim
- Duke-Nus Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.,Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Joe Yeong
- Duke-Nus Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.,Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, 169856, Singapore.,Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Wei Qiang Leow
- Duke-Nus Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.,Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Yin Huei Pang
- Department of Pathology, National University Hospital, Singapore, 119074, Singapore
| | - Gwyneth Soon
- Department of Pathology, National University Hospital, Singapore, 119074, Singapore
| | - Tracy Jiezhen Loh
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Wei Keat Wan
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Chung Yip Chan
- Duke-Nus Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.,Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 169608, Singapore
| | - Peng Chung Cheow
- Duke-Nus Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.,Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 169608, Singapore
| | - Han Chong Toh
- Duke-Nus Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.,Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 169610, Singapore
| | - Alfred Kow
- Division of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University Surgical Cluster, National University Health System, Singapore, 119074, Singapore
| | - Yock Young Dan
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Singapore
| | - Juinn Huar Kam
- Duke-Nus Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.,Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 169608, Singapore
| | - Shridhar Iyer
- Division of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University Surgical Cluster, National University Health System, Singapore, 119074, Singapore
| | - Krishnakumar Madhavan
- Division of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University Surgical Cluster, National University Health System, Singapore, 119074, Singapore
| | - Alexander Chung
- Duke-Nus Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.,Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 169608, Singapore
| | - Glenn K Bonney
- Division of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University Surgical Cluster, National University Health System, Singapore, 119074, Singapore
| | - Brian K P Goh
- Duke-Nus Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.,Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 169608, Singapore
| | - Naiyang Fu
- Duke-Nus Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
| | - Victor C Yu
- Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117559, Singapore
| | - Weiwei Zhai
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138672, Singapore.,Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100107, China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunan, 650223, China
| | - Salvatore Albani
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, 169856, Singapore. .,Duke-Nus Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.
| | - Pierce K H Chow
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Transplant Surgery, Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, 169608, Singapore. .,Academic Clinical Programme for Surgery, SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre (AMC), Singapore, 169857, Singapore.
| | - Valerie Chew
- Translational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore, 169856, Singapore. .,Duke-Nus Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.
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