CD147 as a Novel Prognostic Biomarker for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis

Antibody-drug conjugates for hepato-pancreato-biliary malignancies: "Magic bullets" to the rescue?

Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) malignancies constitute a highly aggressive group of cancers that have a dismal prognosis. Patients not amenable to curative intent surgical resection are managed with systemic chemotherapy which, however, confers little survival benefit. Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) are tripartite compounds that merge the intricate selectivity and specificity of monoclonal antibodies with the cytodestructive potency of attached supertoxic payloads. In view of the unmet need for drugs that will enhance the survival rates of HPB cancer patients, the assessment of ADCs for treating HPB malignancies has become the focus of extensive clinical and preclinical investigation, showing encouraging preliminary results. In the current review, we offer a comprehensive overview of the growing body of evidence on ADC approaches tested for HPB malignancies. Starting from a concise discussion of the functional principles of ADCs, we summarize here all available data from preclinical and clinical studies evaluating ADCs in HPB cancers.

BSG Isoform 2 (ENST00000353555) Is a Better Component Than Total BSG Expression in Generating Prognostic Signature for Overall Survival of Liver Cancer

BACKGROUND

The basigin (BSG) gene, also known as CD147, has been implicated in the progression and prognosis of various cancers, including liver cancer. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the prognostic value of total BSG expression and its specific transcript variants, ENST00000353555 and ENST00000545507, in a large cohort of patients with primary liver cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The prognostic values of total BSG, ENST00000353555, and ENST00000545507 expression in overall survival (OS) and progression-free interval (PFI) of patients with primary liver cancer were assessed using The Cancer Genome Atlas Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma (TCGA-LIHC) dataset. Survival analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and validation of an extracellular matrix (ECM)-related prognostic signature were performed.

RESULTS

In univariate and multivariate analyses, total BSG, ENST00000353555, and ENST00000545507 expression were associated with poor OS in liver cancer patients. ENST00000353555 showed the highest hazard ratio among the three prognostic indicators. ROC analysis revealed that ENST00000353555 had better prognostic performance than total BSG expression. Replacing total BSG with ENST00000353555 in an existing ECM-related prognostic signature marginally increased the area under the curve values for one year from 0.79 to 0.80, and five-year OS from 0.72 to 0.73. ENST00000353555 showed isoform-specific positive correlations with EDNRB, IL10, C10orf54, and VEGFA.

CONCLUSIONS

ENST00000353555 serves as a better prognostic biomarker than total BSG expression in liver cancer, either as an individual marker or as a component of an ECM-related gene signature. Additionally, ENST00000353555 exhibited isoform-specific positive correlations with several immunosuppressive genes, suggesting a potential role in regulating the tumor microenvironment.

Anchoring super-enhancer-driven oncogenic lncRNAs for anti-tumor therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma

Super-enhancer (SE) plays a vital role in the determination of cell identity and fate. Up-regulated expression of coding genes is frequently associated with SE. However, the transcription dysregulation driven by SE, from the viewpoint of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), remains unclear. Here, SE-associated lncRNAs in HCC are comprehensively outlined for the first time. This study integrally screens and identifies several novel SE-associated lncRNAs that are highly abundant and sensitive to JQ1. Especially, HSAL3 is identified as an uncharacterized SE-driven oncogenic lncRNA, which is activated by transcription factors HCFC1 and HSF1 via its super-enhancer. HSAL3 interference negatively regulates NOTCH signaling, implying the potential mechanism of its tumor-promoting role. The expression of HSAL3 is increased in HCC samples, and higher HSAL3 expression indicates an inferior overall survival of HCC patients. Furthermore, siHSAL3 loaded nanoparticles exert anti-tumor effect on HCC in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, this is the first comprehensive survey of SE-associated lncRNAs in HCC. HSAL3 is a novel SE-driven oncogenic lncRNA, and siHSAL3 loaded nanoparticles are therapeutic candidates for HCC. This work sheds lights on the merit of anchoring SE-driven oncogenic lncRNAs for HCC treatment.

Role of CD147 in the development and diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer, and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. HCC is characterized by insidious onset, and most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage with a poor prognosis. Identification of biomarkers for HCC onset and progression is imperative to development of effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. CD147 is a glycoprotein that is involved in tumor cell invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis through multiple mechanisms. In this review, we describe the molecular structure of CD147 and its role in regulating HCC invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. We highlight its potential as a diagnostic and therapeutic target for HCC.

Expression of CD147 after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and its relationship with prognosis in patients with triple negative breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has rapid development and a worse prognosis, without special treatment. It is necessary to explore targeted treatment.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the significance of CD147 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in TNBC and their influence on prognosis.

METHODS

81 TNBC patients admitted to our hospital and 86 healthy individuals undergoing physical examination from August 2014 to August 2016 were included. The concentrations of serum CD147 and MMP-9, their diagnostic value, and their relationship with clinicopathologic features were analyzed. A 3-year follow-up visit was conducted to assess the prognostic effect of CD147. Its effect on the biologic behavior of breast cancer cells was also determined.

RESULTS

Higher serum CD147 and MMP-9 levels were found in TNBC patients than healthy individuals (P<0.05). CD147 and MMP-9 were closely related to the pathologic stage, metastasis, and differentiation of the tumors (P<0.05). A positive correlation between CD147 and MMP-9 was detected before chemotherapy (n=127, r=0.609, P<0.01), with similar expression rates of CD147 (76.9%) and MMP-9 (80.67%) (P>0.05). The 2 markers were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in TNBC (P_CD147=0.023; P_MMP-9=0.015), and increased CD147/MMP-9 expression was significantly related to treatment failure. After chemotherapy, the expression of CD147 in TNBC patients decreased, and higher expression predicted death (P<0.05). The sensitivity and specificity of CD147 for death in 3-year follow-up were 76.92% and 88.89%, and the expression of CD147 in breast cancer cells was increased (P<0.001). Interfering with CD147 can decrease the proliferation and invasion of breast cancer cells and increase apoptotic rate (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

CD147 can promote the proliferation and invasion of breast cancer cells, which underlines its value in the diagnosis and treatment of TNBC.

Development of a Novel Human CD147 Knock-in NSG Mouse Model to Test SARS-CoV-2 Viral Infection

Background: An animal model that can mimic the SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans is critical to understanding the rapidly evolving SARS-CoV-2 virus and for development of prophylactic and therapeutic strategies to combat emerging mutants. Studies show that the spike proteins of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 bind to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2, a well-recognized, functional receptor for SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) to mediate viral entry. Several hACE2 transgenic (hACE2Tg) mouse models are being widely used, which are clearly invaluable. However, the hACE2Tg mouse model cannot fully explain: 1) low expression of ACE2 observed in human lung and heart, but lung or heart failure occurs frequently in severe COVID-19 patients; 2) low expression of ACE2 on immune cells, but lymphocytopenia occurs frequently in COVID-19 patients; and 3) hACE2Tg mice do not mimic the natural course of SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans. Moreover, one of most outstanding features of coronavirus infection is the diversity of receptor usage, which includes the newly proposed human CD147 (hCD147) as a possible co-receptor for SARS-CoV-2 entry. It is still debatable whether CD147 can serve as a functional receptor for SARS-CoV-2 infection or entry. Results: Here we successfully generated a hCD147 knock-in mouse model (hCD147KI) in the NOD- scid IL2Rgamma null (NSG) background. In this hCD147KI-NSG mouse model, the hCD147 genetic sequence was placed downstream of the endogenous mouse promoter for mouse CD147 (mCD147), which creates an in vivo model that may better recapitulate physiological expression of hCD147 proteins at the molecular level compared to the existing and well-studied K18-hACE2-B6 (JAX) model. In addition, the hCD147KI-NSG mouse model allows further study of SARS-CoV-2 in the immunodeficiency condition which may assist our understanding of this virus in the context of high-risk populations in immunosuppressed states. Our data show 1) the human CD147 protein is expressed in various organs (including bronchiolar epithelial cells) in hCD147KI-NSG mice by immunohistochemical staining and flow cytometry; 2) hCD147KI-NSG mice are marginally sensitive to SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to WT-NSG littermates characterized by increased viral copies by qRT-PCR and moderate body weight decline compared to baseline; 3) a significant increase in leukocytes in the lungs of hCD147KI-NSG mice, compared to infected WT-NSG mice. Conclusions: hCD147KI-NSG mice are more sensitive to COVID-19 infection compared to WT-NSG mice. The hCD147KI-NSG mouse model can serve as an additional animal model for further interrogation whether CD147 serve as an independent functional receptor or accessory receptor for SARS-CoV-2 entry and immune responses.

Chimeric antigen receptor T cells targeting CD147 for non-small cell lung cancer therapy

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a highly malignant tumor, with a significant mortality and morbidity. With the development of tumor immunotherapy, chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CART) gets increasingly attention and achieves prominent contributions in the treatment of hematologic malignancies. However, CART therapy for NSCLC proceeds slowly and further researches need to be investigated. In our study, we performed bioinformatics analysis to evaluate the significant role of CD147 in NSCLC. The expression level of CD147 was detected in human NSCLC cell lines and NSCLC tissues. Meanwhile, CD147-CART was constructed and identified. Cell cytotoxicity and cytokine secretion were performed to evaluate the efficacy of CD147-CART. We also constructed cell-derived xenograft (CDX) model and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model, which was used to further investigate the safety and efficacy of CD147-CART in vivo. Our observations show that CD147 is a specific tumor antigen of NSCLC and plays an essential role in NSCLC progression, which can be used as a target for CART therapy in NSCLC. CD147-CART cells exhibit robust cytotoxicity and cytokine production in vitro, suggesting a strong anti-tumor activity against NSCLC tumor cells. Importantly, CD147-CART cells have strong anti-tumor activity against NSCLC cells in vivo in both CDX and PDX models and no adverse side effects. Our findings show that CD147-CART immunotherapy for NSCLC is safe and effective, which is an ideal and promising medical patch for treating NSCLC.

Development of a Novel Human CD147 Transgenic NSG Mouse Model to test SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Immune Responses

An animal model that can mimic the SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans is critical to understanding the newly emerged, rapidly spreading SARS-CoV-2 and development of therapeutic strategies. Studies show that the spike (S) proteins of SARS-CoV (SARS-CoV-S-1-S) and SARS-CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2-S) bind to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2, a well-recognized, functional receptor for SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) to mediate viral entry. Several hACE2 transgenic (hACE2Tg) mouse models are being widely used, which is clearly invaluable. However, the hACE2Tg mouse model cannot fully explain: 1) low expression of ACE2 observed in human lung and heart, but lung or heart failure occurs frequently in severe COVID-19 patients); 2) low expression of ACE2 on immune cells, but lymphocytopenia occurs frequently in COVID-19 patients; and 3) hACE2Tg mice do not develop strong clinical disease following SARS-CoV-2 infection in contrast to SARS-CoV-1. Moreover, one of most outstanding features of coronaviruses is the diversity of receptor usage, which includes the newly proposed human CD147 (hCD147) as a receptor for SARS-CoV-2-S. It is still debatable whether CD147 can serve as a functional receptor for SARS-CoV-2 infection or entry. Here we successfully generated a hCD147Tg mouse model in the NOD-scid IL2Rgamma^null (NSG) background. In this hCD147Tg-NSG mouse model, the hCD147 genetic sequence was placed following the endogenous mouse promoter for mouse CD147 (mCD147), which creates an in vivo model that may better recapitulate physiological expression of CD147 proteins at the molecular level compared to the existing and well-studied K18-hACE2-B6 model. In addition, the hCD147Tg-NSG mouse model allows further study of SARS-CoV-2 in the immunodeficiency condition which may assist our understanding of this virus in the context of high-risk populations with immunosuppressed conditions. The hCD147Tg-NSG mouse mode can serve as an additional animal model for interrogate whether CD147 serve as an independent functional receptor or accessory receptor for SARS-CoV-2 entry and immune responses.

Identification of Mitochondrial-Related Prognostic Biomarkers Associated With Primary Bile Acid Biosynthesis and Tumor Microenvironment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of tumor-associated deaths worldwide. Despite great progress in early diagnosis and multidisciplinary tumor management, the long-term prognosis of HCC remains poor. Currently, metabolic reprogramming during tumor development is widely observed to support rapid growth and proliferation of cancer cells, and several metabolic targets that could be used as cancer biomarkers have been identified. The liver and mitochondria are the two centers of human metabolism at the whole organism and cellular levels, respectively. Thus, identification of prognostic biomarkers based on mitochondrial-related genes (Mito-RGs)—the coding-genes of proteins located in the mitochondria—that reflect metabolic changes associated with HCC could lead to better interventions for HCC patients. In the present study, we used HCC data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to construct a classifier containing 10 Mito-RGs (ACOT7, ADPRHL2, ATAD3A, BSG, FAM72A, PDK3, PDSS1, RAD51C, TOMM34, and TRMU) for predicting the prognosis of HCC by using 10-fold Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operation (LASSO) cross-validation Cox regression. Based on the risk score calculated by the classifier, the samples were divided into high- and low-risk groups. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), gene set variation analysis (GSVA), t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE), and consensus clusterPlus algorithms were used to identify metabolic pathways that were significantly different between the high- and low-risk groups. We further investigated the relationship between metabolic status and infiltration of immune cells into HCC tumor samples by using the Cell-type Identification By Estimating Relative Subsets Of RNA Transcripts (CIBERSORT) algorithm combined with the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database. Our results showed that the classifier based on Mito-RGs could act as an independent biomarker for predicting survival of HCC patients. Repression of primary bile acid biosynthesis plays a vital role in the development and poor prognosis of HCC, which provides a potential approach to treatment. Our study revealed cross-talk between bile acid and infiltration of tumors by immune cells, which may provide novel insight into immunotherapy of HCC. Furthermore, our research may provide a novel method for HCC metabolic therapy based on modulation of mitochondrial function.

Characterization of CD147, CA9, and CD70 as Tumor-Specific Markers on Extracellular Vesicles in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are secreted by healthy and tumor cells and are involved in cell–cell communication. Tumor-released EVs could represent a new class of biomarkers from liquid biopsies. The aim of this study was to identify tumor-specific EV markers in clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) using cell lines and patient-derived tissue samples. EVs from ccRCC cell lines (786-O, RCC53, Caki1, and Caki2) and patient tissues were isolated via ultracentrifugation. EVs were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and Western blotting using exosome and putative tumor markers (epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA9), CD70, CD147). The tumor markers were verified using immunohistochemistry. CA9 was expressed in Caki2 cells and EVs, and CD147 was found in the cells and EVs of all tested ccRCC cell lines. In tumor tissues, we found an increased expression of CA9, CD70, and CD147 were increased in cell lysates and EV fractions compared to normal tissues. In contrast, EpCAM was heterogeneously expressed in tumor samples and positive in normal tissue. To conclude, we developed an effective technique to isolate EVs directly from human tissue samples with high purity and high concentration. In contrast to EpCAM, CA9, CD70, and CD147 could represent promising markers to identify tumor-specific EVs in ccRCC.

Efficacy of anti-CD147 chimeric antigen receptors targeting hepatocellular carcinoma

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy is a promising immunotherapeutic strategy for treating multiple refractory blood cancers, but further advances are required for solid tumor CAR therapy. One challenge is identifying a safe and effective tumor antigen. Here, we devise a strategy for targeting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, one of the deadliest malignancies). We report that T and NK cells transduced with a CAR that recognizes the surface marker, CD147, also known as Basigin, can effectively kill various malignant HCC cell lines in vitro, and HCC tumors in xenograft and patient-derived xenograft mouse models. To minimize any on-target/off-tumor toxicity, we use logic-gated (log) GPC3–synNotch-inducible CD147-CAR to target HCC. LogCD147-CAR selectively kills dual antigen (GPC3⁺CD147⁺), but not single antigen (GPC3^-CD147⁺) positive HCC cells and does not cause severe on-target/off-tumor toxicity in a human CD147 transgenic mouse model. In conclusion, these findings support the therapeutic potential of CD147-CAR-modified immune cells for HCC patients.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-based therapy for the treatment of liver cancer represents a promising therapeutic strategy. Here the authors show that CD147-targeting CAR-NK or CAR-T can induce anti-tumor activity against hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo.

Cell Surface Proteins in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: From Bench to Bedside

Cell surface proteins act as the go-between in carrying the information from the extracellular environment to the intracellular signaling proteins. However, these proteins are often deregulated in neoplastic diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma. This review discusses several recent studies that have investigated the role of cell surface proteins in the occurrence and progression of HCC, highlighting the possibility to use them as biomarkers of the disease and/or targets for vaccines and therapeutics.

Overexpression of SLC7A11: a novel oncogene and an indicator of unfavorable prognosis for liver carcinoma

AIM

SLC7A11 is a gene that encodes a cystine-glutamate antiporter, which has been detected to be overexpressed in various cancers. Thus, we aimed to validate its expression and clinical significance in liver cancer.

METHODS

Bioinformatic analysis was conducted and a tissue microarray was utilized for detecting SLC7A11 expression in liver cancer tissues by immunohistochemistry assay.

RESULTS

High expressions of SLC7A11 have no association with clinical parameters such as age, sex and clinical stages, except for advanced pathological stages. Cox regression analysis revealed that SLC7A11 might be an independent prognostic factor for liver cancer patients.

CONCLUSION

SLC7A11 overexpression might be a novel biomarker and a potential unfavorable prognostic factor as well as a potential therapeutic target for liver carcinoma.

Cancer vaccines and immunotherapeutic approaches in hepatobiliary and pancreatic cancers

Hepatobiliary and pancreatic cancers along with other gastrointestinal malignancies remain the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Strategies developed in the recent years on immunotherapy and cancer vaccines in the setting of primary liver cancer as well as in pancreatic cancer are the scope of this review. Significance of orthotopic and autochthonous animal models which mimic and/or closely reflect human malignancies allowing for a prompt and trustworthy analysis of new therapeutics is underlined. Combinational approaches that on one hand, specifically target a defined cancer-driving pathway, and on the other hand, restore the functions of immune cells, which effector functions are often suppressed by a tumor milieu, are shown to have the strongest perspectives and future directions. Among combinational immunotherapeutic approaches a personalized- and individual cancer case-based therapy is of special importance.

Integrative analysis of BSG expression in NPC through immunohistochemistry and public high-throughput gene expression data

BACKGROUND

Though basigin (BSG) was reported to be overexpressed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and correlate with the development of NPC, the molecular basis of BSG in NPC remained elusive. The aim of the research was to investigate BSG expression in NPC and the potential molecular mechanism underlying it.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

BSG expression in NPC tissues was detected with immunohistochemistry. Chi-square test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman correlation test were performed to examine the relationship between BSG expression and the clinico-pathological features as well as EGFR and P-53 expression in NPC. In addition, data from the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database and oncomine were collected to validate BSG expression in NPC. Meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the association between BSG expression and the clinico-pathological variables of NPC. The prognostic value and the alteration of BSG gene status were also analyzed with data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).

RESULTS

BSG presented notably higher expression in NPC tissues than in non-cancer tissues. Moreover, IHC results showed that BSG expression was significantly correlated with tumor progression. A positive correlation was also found between BSG expression and EGFR, P53 expression. Meta-analysis confirmed that BSG was indicative of lymph node metastasis and TNM stage in NPC. Additionally, data from cBioPortal indicated that alteration of BSG gene existed in 5% of NPC cases and BSG correlative genes were obtained from the Co-expression Analysis in TCGA.

CONCLUSION

BSG was overexpressed in NPC and might have an oncogenic effect on the tumorigenesis and progression of NPC.