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Wang Y, Zhang J, Yang Y, Chen J, Tan F, Zheng J. Single-cell analysis revealed that MTIF2 could promote hepatocellular carcinoma progression through modulating the ROS pathway. Heliyon 2024; 10:e34438. [PMID: 39082024 PMCID: PMC11284438 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34438] [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: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Aims To analyze the expression of mitochondrial translational initiation factor 2 (MTIF2) and the biological functions of the gene in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Background The treatment of HCC treatment and its prognostic prediction are limited by a lack of comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms in HCC. OBJECTIVE: To determine the cells expressing MTIF2 in HCC and the function of the MTIF2+ cell subpopulation. Methods Gene expression analysis on TIMER 2.0, UALCAN, and GEPIA databases was performed to measure the expression of MTIF2 in HCC tissues. Cell clustering subgroups and annotation were conducted based on the single-cell sequencing data of HCC and paracancerous tissues in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. MTIF2 expression in different cell types was analyzed. Further, biological pathways potentially regulated by MTIF2 in each cell type were identified. In addition, protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks of MTIF2 with genes in its regulated biological pathways were developed. The cell function assay was performed to verify the effects of superoxide dismutase-2 (SOD2) and MTIF2 on HCC cells. Finally, we screened virtual drugs targeting MTIF2 and SOD2 employing database screening, molecular docking and molecular dynamics. Results MTIF2 showed a remarkably high expression in HCC tissues. We identified a total of 10 cell types between HCC tissues and paracancerous tissues. MTIF2 expression was upregulated in epithelial cells, macrophages, and hepatocytes. More importantly, high-expressed MTIF2 in HCC tissues was mainly derived from epithelial cells and hepatocytes, in which the reactive oxygen species (ROS) pathway was significantly positively correlated with MTIF2. In the PPI network, there was a unique interaction pair between SOD2 and MTIF2 in the ROS pathway. Cell function experiments showed that overexpression of MTIF2 enhanced the proliferative and invasive capacities of HCC, which could synergize with SOD2 to co-promote the development of HCC. Finally, molecular dynamics simulations showed that DB00183 maintained a high structural stability with MTIF2 and SOD2 proteins during the simulation process. Conclusion Our study confirmed that the high-expressed MTIF2 in HCC tissues was derived from epithelial cells and hepatocytes. MTIF2 might act on SOD2 to regulate the ROS pathway, thereby affective the progression of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wang
- Medical and Healthcare Center, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570102, China
| | - Jingqiu Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Wuhan No. 1 Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Yu Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570102, China
| | - Jinhao Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570102, China
| | - Fengwu Tan
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570102, China
| | - Jinfang Zheng
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570102, China
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Li J, Feng J, Li Z, Ni Y, Liu L, Lei X, Chai Z, Zhuang N, Xu J, He Y, Shan J, Qian C. B cell lymphoma 6 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression by inhibiting tumor infiltrating CD4 +T cell cytotoxicity through ESM1. NPJ Precis Oncol 2024; 8:139. [PMID: 38956432 PMCID: PMC11220024 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-024-00625-7] [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: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy exhibited potential effects for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, unfortunately, the clinical benefits are often countered by cancer adaptive immune suppressive response. Uncovering the mechanism how cancer cells evade immune surveillance would help to develop new immunotherapy approaches and combination therapy. In this article, by analyzing the transcriptional factors which modulate the differentially expressed genes between T cell infiltration high group and low group, we identified oncoprotein B cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6) suppresses the infiltration and activation of tumor infiltrating T lymphocytes, thus correlated with poorer clinical outcome. By using antibody deletion experiment, we further demonstrated that CD4+T cells but not CD8+T cells are the main lymphocyte population suppressed by Bcl6 to promote HCC development. Mechanistically, BCL6 decreases cancer cell expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and T lymphocyte chemokines such as IL6, IL1F6, and CCL5. Moreover, BCL6 upregulates Endothelial cell-specific molecule 1 (ESM1) to inhibit T lymphocyte recruitment and activation possibly through ICAM-1/LFA-1 signaling pathway. Our findings uncovered an unappreciated paracrine mechanism how cancer cell-derived BCL6 assists cancer cell immune evasion, and highlighted the role of CD4+T cells in HCC immune surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiatao Li
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, 400030, China
| | - Juan Feng
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, 400030, China
| | - Ziyong Li
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, 400030, China
- School of Medicine Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China
| | - Yuanli Ni
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, 400030, China
| | - Limei Liu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, 400030, China
| | - Xia Lei
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, 400030, China
- School of Medicine Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China
| | - Zixuan Chai
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, 400030, China
| | - Na Zhuang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, 400030, China
| | - Jiake Xu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, 400030, China
| | - Yongpeng He
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, 400030, China
| | - Juanjuan Shan
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, 400030, China.
- School of Medicine Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China.
| | - Cheng Qian
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing, 400030, China.
- School of Medicine Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400030, China.
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3
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Apisutimaitri K, Saeyup P, Suppipat K, Sirichindakul P, Wanasrisant N, Nonsri C, Lertprapai P. Effects of propofol-based total intravenous anesthesia versus desflurane anesthesia on natural killer cell cytotoxicity after hepatocellular carcinoma resection. J Anaesthesiol Clin Pharmacol 2024; 40:395-402. [PMID: 39391643 PMCID: PMC11463923 DOI: 10.4103/joacp.joacp_174_23] [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: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims Inhalation anesthesia suppresses the immune system and stimulates the growth of tumor cells, contrary to intravenous anesthesia. However, no consensus exists on which anesthetic technique is better for preventing cancer recurrence. Therefore, this study compared the effects of two different anesthetic techniques on natural killer cell cytotoxicity (NKCC) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing open hepatic resection. Material and Methods Patients diagnosed with nonmetastatic HCC were scheduled for hepatic resection and randomly assigned to receive either propofol- or desflurane-based anesthesia. The primary outcome was pre- and postoperative NKCC assay. Cytokine levels were assessed by measuring interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels, and the secondary outcome was postoperative cancer recurrence evaluated using diagnostic imaging scans for 2 years. Results Twenty-eight patients were analyzed, including 15 and 13 in the total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) and inhalation (INH) groups, respectively. Two patients in the INH group were excluded due to non-HCC postoperative pathologic results. At 24 h, the postoperative change in NKCC between both groups showed no significant differences at a ratio of effector cell: target cell = 1:1, 5:1, and 10:1 (P = 0.345, 0.345, and 0.565, respectively). Also, there were no significant differences in IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ levels (P = 0.588, 0.182, 0.730, 0.076, 0.518, 0.533, respectively). Postoperative tumor recurrence occurred in five and six patients in the TIVA and INH groups, respectively. Conclusion NKCC did not differ significantly among HCC patients undergoing open hepatic resection under either propofol or desflurane anesthesia 24 h postoperatively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirada Apisutimaitri
- Department of Anesthesiology, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pipat Saeyup
- Department of Anesthesiology, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Koramit Suppipat
- Department of Cellular Immunotherapy Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pongserath Sirichindakul
- Department of Surgery, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nattanit Wanasrisant
- Department of Anesthesiology, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chawisachon Nonsri
- Department of Anesthesiology, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Panas Lertprapai
- Department of Anesthesiology, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Du YN, Zhao JW. GDF15: Immunomodulatory Role in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Implications. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2024; 11:1171-1183. [PMID: 38911292 PMCID: PMC11193986 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s471239] [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: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally and the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Evidence shows that growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) contributes to hepatocarcinogenesis through various mechanisms. This paper reviews the latest insights into the role of GDF15 in the development of HCC, its role in the immune microenvironment of HCC, and its molecular mechanisms in metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD)-related HCC. Additionally, as a serum biomarker for HCC, diagnostic and prognostic value of GDF15 for HCC is summarized. The article elaborates on the immunological effects of GDF15, elucidating its effects on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), liver fibrosis, as well as its role in HCC metastasis and tumor angiogenesis, and its interactions with anticancer drugs. Based on the impact of GDF15 on the immune response in HCC, future research should identify its signaling pathways, affected immune cells, and tumor microenvironment interactions. Clinical studies correlating GDF15 levels with patient outcomes can aid personalized treatment. Additionally, exploring GDF15-targeted therapies with immunotherapies could improve anti-tumor responses and patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ning Du
- Department of Medical Sciences, Li Ka-shing School of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jin-Wei Zhao
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, People’s Republic of China
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5
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Ryan AT, Kim M, Lim K. Immune Cell Migration to Cancer. Cells 2024; 13:844. [PMID: 38786066 PMCID: PMC11120175 DOI: 10.3390/cells13100844] [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: 03/23/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune cell migration is required for the development of an effective and robust immune response. This elegant process is regulated by both cellular and environmental factors, with variables such as immune cell state, anatomical location, and disease state that govern differences in migration patterns. In all cases, a major factor is the expression of cell surface receptors and their cognate ligands. Rapid adaptation to environmental conditions partly depends on intrinsic cellular immune factors that affect a cell's ability to adjust to new environment. In this review, we discuss both myeloid and lymphoid cells and outline key determinants that govern immune cell migration, including molecules required for immune cell adhesion, modes of migration, chemotaxis, and specific chemokine signaling. Furthermore, we summarize tumor-specific elements that contribute to immune cell trafficking to cancer, while also exploring microenvironment factors that can alter these cellular dynamics within the tumor in both a pro and antitumor fashion. Specifically, we highlight the importance of the secretome in these later aspects. This review considers a myriad of factors that impact immune cell trajectory in cancer. We aim to highlight the immunotherapeutic targets that can be harnessed to achieve controlled immune trafficking to and within tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison T. Ryan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (A.T.R.); (M.K.)
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Minsoo Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (A.T.R.); (M.K.)
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Kihong Lim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (A.T.R.); (M.K.)
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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Lu Q, Kou D, Lou S, Ashrafizadeh M, Aref AR, Canadas I, Tian Y, Niu X, Wang Y, Torabian P, Wang L, Sethi G, Tergaonkar V, Tay F, Yuan Z, Han P. Nanoparticles in tumor microenvironment remodeling and cancer immunotherapy. J Hematol Oncol 2024; 17:16. [PMID: 38566199 PMCID: PMC10986145 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-024-01535-8] [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: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy and vaccine development have significantly improved the fight against cancers. Despite these advancements, challenges remain, particularly in the clinical delivery of immunomodulatory compounds. The tumor microenvironment (TME), comprising macrophages, fibroblasts, and immune cells, plays a crucial role in immune response modulation. Nanoparticles, engineered to reshape the TME, have shown promising results in enhancing immunotherapy by facilitating targeted delivery and immune modulation. These nanoparticles can suppress fibroblast activation, promote M1 macrophage polarization, aid dendritic cell maturation, and encourage T cell infiltration. Biomimetic nanoparticles further enhance immunotherapy by increasing the internalization of immunomodulatory agents in immune cells such as dendritic cells. Moreover, exosomes, whether naturally secreted by cells in the body or bioengineered, have been explored to regulate the TME and immune-related cells to affect cancer immunotherapy. Stimuli-responsive nanocarriers, activated by pH, redox, and light conditions, exhibit the potential to accelerate immunotherapy. The co-application of nanoparticles with immune checkpoint inhibitors is an emerging strategy to boost anti-tumor immunity. With their ability to induce long-term immunity, nanoarchitectures are promising structures in vaccine development. This review underscores the critical role of nanoparticles in overcoming current challenges and driving the advancement of cancer immunotherapy and TME modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Lu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Xi'an, 710038, China
| | - Dongquan Kou
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Chongqing Public Health Medical Center, Chongqing, China
| | - Shenghan Lou
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Milad Ashrafizadeh
- Department of General Surgery, Institute of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Digestive System Tumors, Carson International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University General Hospital, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, China
- Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250000, Shandong, China
| | - Amir Reza Aref
- Xsphera Biosciences, Translational Medicine Group, 6 Tide Street, Boston, MA, 02210, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Israel Canadas
- Blood Cell Development and Function Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yu Tian
- School of Public Health, Benedictine University, Lisle, USA
| | - Xiaojia Niu
- Department of Urologic Sciences and Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6H3Z6, Canada
| | - Yuzhuo Wang
- Department of Urologic Sciences and Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6H3Z6, Canada
| | - Pedram Torabian
- Cumming School of Medicine, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Lingzhi Wang
- NUS Center for Cancer Research (N2CR), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 16 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117600, Singapore
| | - Gautam Sethi
- NUS Center for Cancer Research (N2CR), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117599, Singapore.
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 16 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117600, Singapore.
| | - Vinay Tergaonkar
- Laboratory of NF-κB Signalling, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, 138673, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Franklin Tay
- The Graduate School, Augusta University, 30912, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Zhennan Yuan
- Department of Oncology Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China.
| | - Peng Han
- Department of Oncology Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China.
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunology in Heilongjiang, Harbin, China.
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Hsu CY, Mustafa MA, Kumar A, Pramanik A, Sharma R, Mohammed F, Jawad IA, Mohammed IJ, Alshahrani MY, Ali Khalil NAM, Shnishil AT, Abosaoda MK. Exploiting the immune system in hepatic tumor targeting: Unleashing the potential of drugs, natural products, and nanoparticles. Pathol Res Pract 2024; 256:155266. [PMID: 38554489 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2024.155266] [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: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
Hepatic tumors present a formidable challenge in cancer therapeutics, necessitating the exploration of novel treatment strategies. In recent years, targeting the immune system has attracted interest to augment existing therapeutic efficacy. The immune system in hepatic tumors includes numerous cells with diverse actions. CD8+ T lymphocytes, T helper 1 (Th1) CD4+ T lymphocytes, alternative M1 macrophages, and natural killer (NK) cells provide the antitumor immunity. However, Foxp3+ regulatory CD4+ T cells (Tregs), M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are the key immune inhibitor cells. Tumor stroma can also affect these interactions. Targeting these cells and their secreted molecules is intriguing for eliminating malignant cells. The current review provides a synopsis of the immune system components involved in hepatic tumor expansion and highlights the molecular and cellular pathways that can be targeted for therapeutic intervention. It also overviews the diverse range of drugs, natural products, immunotherapy drugs, and nanoparticles that have been investigated to manipulate immune responses and bolster antitumor immunity. The review also addresses the potential advantages and challenges associated with these approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chou-Yi Hsu
- Department of Pharmacy, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan City 71710, Taiwan
| | | | - Ashwani Kumar
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, Jain (Deemed-to-be) University, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560069, India; Department of Pharmacy, Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur, Rajasthan 303012, India
| | - Atreyi Pramanik
- Institute of Pharma Sciences and Research, Chandigarh University, Mohali, India
| | - Rajiv Sharma
- Institute of Pharma Sciences and Research, Chandigarh University, Mohali, India
| | - Faraj Mohammed
- Department of Pharmacy, Al-Manara College for Medical Sciences, Maysan, Iraq
| | | | - Imad Jasim Mohammed
- College of Pharmacy, National University of Science and Technology, Dhi Qar, Iraq
| | - Mohammad Y Alshahrani
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
| | | | | | - Munther Kadhim Abosaoda
- College of technical engineering, the Islamic University, Najaf, Iraq; College of technical engineering, the Islamic University of Al Diwaniyah, Iraq; College of technical engineering, the Islamic University of Babylon, Iraq
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8
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Zhou T, Cao J, Tang Q, Jin J, Liang Y, Feng B. Exploring the role of NAA40 in immune infiltrates and prognostic prediction in hepatocellular carcinoma. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 13:26-34. [PMID: 38496356 PMCID: PMC10944357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
NAA40 belongs to the N-terminal acetyltransferase (NATs) family, responsible for protein N-terminal modification, and it exerts crucial roles across various cancers. However, its impact on patient prognosis and immune infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains elusive. To address this, our study delved into the comprehensive analysis of NAA40 in the context of cancer. Our pan-cancer analysis unveiled elevated NAA40 expression in multiple tumor types, including BLCA, BRCA, CHOL, COAD, ESCA, HNSC, LIHC, LUAD, LUSC, STAD, and THCA. Additionally, through a comprehensive examination across various cancer types within TCGA, we discovered that high NAA40 gene expression correlated with poor prognosis in HCC, pointing toward its role in promoting oncogenesis. Further investigation illuminated the association of increased NAA40 expression with T stage, pathologic stage, tumor status, and histologic grade. Interestingly, we noted a significant inverse correlation between NAA40 expression and the infiltration levels of immune cells, such as DC cells, neutrophils, NK cells, and T cells, in liver cancer. This observation underpins the hypothesis that NAA40 influences HCC development by modulating immune cell infiltration. Functional enrichment analysis provided valuable insights into the pathways influenced by NAA40. Enriched pathways encompassed oxidative phosphorylation, xenobiotic metabolism, bile acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, G2M checkpoint, and E2F targets. These findings collectively position NAA40 as a potential biomarker for prognostic prediction and monitoring the effects of immunotherapy in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Zhou
- Center for Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow UniversitySuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Medical College of Soochow UniversitySuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jun Cao
- Center for Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow UniversitySuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qingqin Tang
- Center for Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow UniversitySuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jieyu Jin
- Center for Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow UniversitySuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuting Liang
- Center for Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow UniversitySuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bin Feng
- Center for Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow UniversitySuzhou, Jiangsu, China
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9
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Mo Y, Zou Z, Chen E. Targeting ferroptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatol Int 2024; 18:32-49. [PMID: 37880567 DOI: 10.1007/s12072-023-10593-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor with complex survival mechanism and drug resistance, resulting in cancer-related high mortality in the world. Ferroptosis represents a form of regulated cell death, typically distinguished by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. Cancer cells often employ antioxidant defenses to evade the harmful effects of excess iron. Recent research has proposed that directing interventions towards ferroptosis could serve as an effective strategy in curbing the proliferation and invasion of HCC. Immunotherapy has made some preliminary progress in the remodeling of immune microenvironment, but it has not completely inhibited HCC growth, invasion and drug resistance. Furthermore, ferroptosis is widely observed in the formation of immune microenvironment of HCC and mediates the response of many targeted drugs and immunotherapy. Clarifying the role of ferroptosis in these complex processes is expected to provide a new prospect for HCC treatment. In this review, we outline the mechanisms by which HCC develops invasiveness and drug resistance by evading iron-dependent death, and paint a comprehensive landscape of ferroptosis in different cell types in the HCC immune microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqian Mo
- School of Public Health, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhilin Zou
- Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Erbao Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518036, Guangdong, China.
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10
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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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11
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Aasarey R, Yadav K, Kashyap BK, Prabha S, Kumar P, Kumar A, Ruokolainen J, Kesari KK. Role of Immunological Cells in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Disease and Associated Pathways. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2023; 6:1801-1816. [PMID: 38093838 PMCID: PMC10714437 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.3c00216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains one of the predominant causes of cancer-related mortality across the globe. It is attributed to obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, and infection by the hepatitis virus. Early diagnosis of HCC is essential, and local treatments such as surgical excision and percutaneous ablation are effective. Palliative systemic therapy, primarily with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor Sorafenib, is used in advanced cases. However, the prognosis for advanced HCC remains poor. This Review additionally describes the pathophysiological mechanisms of HCC, which include aberrant molecular signaling, genomic instability, persistent inflammation, and the paradoxical position of the immune system in promoting and suppressing HCC. The paper concludes by discussing the growing body of research on the relationship between mitochondria and HCC, suggesting that mitochondrial dysfunction may contribute to the progression of HCC. This Review focuses on immunological interactions between different mechanisms of HCC progression, including obesity, viral infection, and alcohol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ram Aasarey
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine, All India Institute
of Medical Science, New Delhi-11029, India
| | - Kajal Yadav
- Department
of Biotechnology, All India Institute of
Medical Science, New Delhi-11029, India
| | - Brijendra Kumar Kashyap
- Department
of Biotechnology Engineering, Institute of Engineering and Technology, Bundelkhand University, Jhansi-284128, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sarit Prabha
- Department
of Biological Science and Engineering, Maulana
Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal-462003, Madhya Pradesh,India
| | - Pramod Kumar
- Indian
Council of Medical Research, National Institute
of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR), l-7, Sector-39, Noida-201301, National Capital Region, India
| | - Anil Kumar
- Department
of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Central University of Jharkhand, Cheri-Manatu, Karmre, Kanke-835222, Ranchi, India
| | - Janne Ruokolainen
- Department
of Applied Physics, School of Science, Aalto
University, FI-00076 Espoo, Finland
| | - Kavindra Kumar Kesari
- Department
of Applied Physics, School of Science, Aalto
University, FI-00076 Espoo, Finland
- Research
and Development Cell, Lovely Professional
University, Phagwara-144411, Punjab, India
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12
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Wu D, Li Y. Application of adoptive cell therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma. Immunology 2023; 170:453-469. [PMID: 37435926 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a global health challenge. Novel treatment modalities are urgently needed to extend the overall survival of patients. The liver plays an immunomodulatory function due to its unique physiological structural characteristics. Therefore, following surgical resection and radiotherapy, immunotherapy regimens have shown great potential in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Adoptive cell immunotherapy is rapidly developing in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. In this review, we summarize the latest research on adoptive immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. The focus is on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells and T cell receptor (TCR) engineered T cells. Then tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), natural killer (NK) cells, cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells, and macrophages are briefly discussed. The main overview of the application and challenges of adoptive immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma. It aims to provide the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the current status of HCC adoptive immunotherapy and offers some strategies. We hope to provide new ideas for the clinical treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dengqiang Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Ningbo No. 6 Hospital, Ningbo, China
| | - Yujie Li
- Clinical Laboratory of Ningbo Medical Centre Lihuili Hospital, Ningbo University, Zhejiang, Ningbo, China
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13
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Tian L, Wang Y, Zhang Z, Feng X, Xiao F, Zong M. CD72, a new immune checkpoint molecule, is a novel prognostic biomarker for kidney renal clear cell carcinoma. Eur J Med Res 2023; 28:531. [PMID: 37980541 PMCID: PMC10656955 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-023-01487-8] [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: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The incidence and mortality of clear cell carcinoma of the kidney increases yearly. There are limited screening methods and advances in treating kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC). It is important to find new biomarkers to screen, diagnose and predict the prognosis of KIRC. Some studies have shown that CD72 influences the development and progression of colorectal cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, and acute lymphoid leukemia. However, there is a lack of research on the role of CD72 in the pathogenesis of KIRC. This study aimed to determine whether CD72 is associated with the prognosis and immune infiltration of KIRC, providing an essential molecular basis for the early non-invasive diagnosis and immunotherapy of KIRC. METHODS Using TCGA, GTE, GEO, and ImmPort databases, we obtained the differentially expressed mRNA (DEmRNA) associated with the prognosis and immunity of KIRC patients. We used the Kruskal-Wallis test to identify clinicopathological parameters associated with target gene expression. We performed univariate and multivariate COX regression analyses to determine the effect of target gene expression and clinicopathological parameters on survival. We analyzed the target genes' relevant functions and signaling pathways through enrichment analysis. Finally, the correlation of target genes with tumor immune infiltration was explored by ssGSEA and Spearman correlation analysis. RESULTS The results revealed that patients with KIRC with higher expression of CD72 have a poorer prognosis. CD72 was associated with the Pathologic T stage, Pathologic stage, Pathologic M stage, Pathologic N stage, Histologic grade in KIRC patients, Laterality, and OS event. It was an independent predictor of the overall survival of KIRC patients. Functional enrichment analysis showed that CD72 was significantly enriched in oncogenic and immune-related pathways. According to ssGSEA and Spearman correlation analysis, CD72 expression was significantly associated with tumor immune cells and immune checkpoints. CONCLUSION Our study suggests that CD72 is associated with tumor immunity and may be a biomarker relevant to the diagnosis and prognosis of KIRC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lv Tian
- Department of Rehabilitation, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130033, China
- School of Nursing, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yiming Wang
- School of Nursing, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhiyuan Zhang
- School of Nursing, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xuechao Feng
- School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Fengjun Xiao
- Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, 100850, China.
| | - Minru Zong
- Department of Rehabilitation, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130033, China.
- School of Nursing, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
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14
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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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Liu J, Liu B, Li Y, Mi Z, Tan H, Rong P. PCMT1 is a potential target related to tumor progression and immune infiltration in liver cancer. Eur J Med Res 2023; 28:289. [PMID: 37596654 PMCID: PMC10436427 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-023-01216-1] [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: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver cancer is a prevalent and deadly form of cancer with high incidence and mortality rates. The PCMT1 protein has been linked to cell anti-apoptosis and tumor metastasis, but its significance in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) remains largely unexplored. METHODS We conducted a pan-cancer analysis to examine the expression differences of PCMT1. Kaplan-Meier curves were employed to assess the prognostic impact of PCMT1 on LIHC patients, and we investigated the association between PCMT1 and clinical features, which we validated using a GEO therapeutic dataset. Gene enrichment analysis helped identify signaling pathways associated with PCMT1 expression. Moreover, we evaluated the relationship between PCMT1 and immune cell infiltration, as well as the differences in gene mutations between high-expression and low-expression groups. In vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to assess the effect of PCMT1 on tumor cell lines and mouse tumor models, and potential pathways were explored through gene sequencing. RESULT PCMT1 is highly expressed in most tumors and exhibits a significant association with prognosis in LIHC patients. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that PCMT1 is involved in cell cycle regulation, immunity, and other processes. Further immune analysis demonstrated that high expression of PCMT1 could reduce tumor-killing immune cell infiltration. In vitro experiments indicated that PCMT1 knockdown could inhibit cancer cell proliferation and migration while promoting apoptosis. In vivo experiments showed that PCMT1 knockdown significantly reduced tumor growth rate, enhanced CD8+T cell infiltration, and increased caspase-3 expression in the tumor area. Gene sequencing suggested that PCMT1 may function through the PI3K-AKT pathway. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that PCMT1 acts as a promoter of liver cancer progression and may serve as a novel prognostic indicator and therapeutic target for patients with LIHC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahao Liu
- Department of Radiology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410000 China
| | - Baiying Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yanan Li
- Department of Radiology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410000 China
| | - Ze Mi
- Department of Radiology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410000 China
| | - Hongpei Tan
- Department of Radiology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410000 China
| | - Pengfei Rong
- Department of Radiology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410000 China
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16
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Liu L, Wang Q, Wu L, Zhang L, Huang Y, Yang H, Guo L, Fang Z, Wang X. Overexpression of POLA2 in hepatocellular carcinoma is involved in immune infiltration and predicts a poor prognosis. Cancer Cell Int 2023; 23:138. [PMID: 37452331 PMCID: PMC10349470 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-023-02949-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second malignancy worldwide. POLA2 initiates DNA replication, regulates cell cycle and gene repair that promote tumorigenesis and disease progression. However, the prognostic and biological function roles of POLA2 in HCC had not been conclusively determined. METHODS The expression levels and prognosis role of POLA1 and POLA2 in HCC were analyzed based on TCGA-LIHC database and recruited 24 HCC patients. Gene mutations were analyzed using "maftools" package. POLA2 and immune cells correlations were analyzed by TIMER. POLA2 co-expressed genes functional enrichment were evaluated using Metascape. The mRNA and protein level of POLA2 was detected in HCC cells and tissues. Cell migration, invasion, proliferation, cell cycle and HCC cell lines derived xenograft model were performed to investigate POLA2 biological function. RESULTS POLA2 was significantly high expressed in HCC than in normal liver tissue in both TCGA-LIHC and our collected HCC samples. In validation cohort, POLA2 significantly related to tumor differentiation, tumor size and Ki-67 (p < 0.05). In TCGA-LIHC cohort, overexpression of POLA2 predicted a low OS and associated with different clinical stages. Multivariate Cox regression showed overexpression of POLA2 effectively distinguished the prognosis at different T, N, M, stages and grades of HCC. POLA2 expression correlated with mutation burden, immune cells infiltration and immune-associated genes expression of HCC. Functional enrichment revealed that POLA2 co-expressed genes were linked to cellular activity, plasma membrane protein complex and leukocyte activity, immune response-regulated cell surface receptor signaling pathway, and immune response-regulated signaling pathway. Moreover, POLA2 was also positively co-expressed with some immune checkpoints (CD274, CTL-4, HAVCR2, PDCD1, PDCD1LG2, TIGIT, and LAG3) (p < 0.001). Gene knockdown revealed that POLA2 promoted proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell cycle of SMMC-7721 and HepG2. The HCC xenograft tumor model also demonstrated remarkably tumor size inhibition, tumor proliferation inhibtion and tumor necrosis promotion when POLA2 knockdown. CONCLUSIONS POLA2 influenced immune microenvironment and tumor progression of HCC indicated that it might be a potential molecular marker for prognostic evaluation or a therapeutic target for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Linhai, 317000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, 317000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Linjun Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Linhai, 317000, Zhejiang, China
- Taizhou Hospital Library, Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, 317000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lele Zhang
- Department of Medical Laboratory, School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - Yuxi Huang
- Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, 317000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Haihua Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Linhai, 317000, Zhejiang, China
- Key Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Techniques & Rapid Rehabilitation of Digestive, System Tumor of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang, China
| | - Le Guo
- Department of Medical Laboratory, School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China
| | - Zheping Fang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University, Linhai, 317000, Zhejiang, China.
- Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, 317000, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Xuequan Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Linhai, 317000, Zhejiang, China.
- Key Laboratory of Minimally Invasive Techniques & Rapid Rehabilitation of Digestive, System Tumor of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang, China.
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Oh HR, Ko MK, Son D, Ki YW, Kim SI, Lee SY, Kang KW, Cheon GJ, Hwang DW, Youn H. Activated Natural Killer Cell Inoculation Alleviates Fibrotic Liver Pathology in a Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Liver Cirrhosis Mouse Model. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11041090. [PMID: 37189708 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11041090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a detrimental role in liver fibrosis progression. Natural killer (NK) cells are known to selectively recognize abnormal or transformed cells via their receptor activation and induce target cell apoptosis and, therefore, can be used as a potential therapeutic strategy for liver cirrhosis. In this study, we examined the therapeutic effects of NK cells in the carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver cirrhosis mouse model. NK cells were isolated from the mouse spleen and expanded in the cytokine-stimulated culture medium. Natural killer group 2, member D (NKG2D)-positive NK cells were significantly increased after a week of expansion in culture. The intravenous injection of NK cells significantly alleviated liver cirrhosis by reducing collagen deposition, HSC marker activation, and macrophage infiltration. For in vivo imaging, NK cells were isolated from codon-optimized luciferase-expressing transgenic mice. Luciferase-expressing NK cells were expanded, activated and administrated to the mouse model to track them. Bioluminescence images showed increased accumulation of the intravenously inoculated NK cells in the cirrhotic liver of the recipient mouse. In addition, we conducted QuantSeq 3' mRNA sequencing-based transcriptomic analysis. From the transcriptomic analysis, 33 downregulated genes in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and 41 downregulated genes involved in the inflammatory response were observed in the NK cell-treated cirrhotic liver tissues from the 1532 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). This result indicated that the repetitive administration of NK cells alleviated the pathology of liver fibrosis in the CCl4-induced liver cirrhosis mouse model via anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Taken together, our research demonstrated that NK cells could have therapeutic effects in a CCl4-induced liver cirrhosis mouse model. In particular, it was elucidated that extracellular matrix genes and inflammatory response genes, which were mainly affected after NK cell treatment, could be potential targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho Rim Oh
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Kyung Ko
- Research & Development Center, THERABEST, Co., Ltd., Seoul 06656, Republic of Korea
| | - Daehee Son
- Research & Development Center, THERABEST, Co., Ltd., Seoul 06656, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Wook Ki
- Research & Development Center, THERABEST, Co., Ltd., Seoul 06656, Republic of Korea
| | - Shin-Il Kim
- Research & Development Center, THERABEST, Co., Ltd., Seoul 06656, Republic of Korea
| | - Seok-Yong Lee
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Cancer Imaging Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Keon Wook Kang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Gi Jeong Cheon
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Do Won Hwang
- Research & Development Center, THERABEST, Co., Ltd., Seoul 06656, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyewon Youn
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Cancer Imaging Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
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18
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Maretti-Mira AC, Salomon MP, Hsu AM, Dara L, Golden-Mason L. Etiology of end-stage liver cirrhosis impacts hepatic natural killer cell heterogenicity. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1137034. [PMID: 37063898 PMCID: PMC10098346 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1137034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The natural killer (NK) cell population is a critical component of the innate immune compartment of the liver, and its functions are deeply affected by the surrounding environment. In the late stage of fibrosis, NK cells become dysfunctional, but the influence of disease etiology on NK cell behavior during cirrhosis remains unclear. Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), we characterized the hepatic NK cells from end-stage cirrhotic livers from subjects with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), chronic hepatitis C infection (HCV) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Here, we show that although NK cells shared similar dysfunctions, the disease etiology impacts hepatic NK cell heterogeneity. Therapeutical strategies targeting NK cells for the prevention or treatment of fibrosis should consider liver disease etiology in their design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C. Maretti-Mira
- USC Research Center for Liver Disease, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Ana C. Maretti-Mira,
| | - Matthew P. Salomon
- USC Research Center for Liver Disease, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Angela M. Hsu
- USC Research Center for Liver Disease, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Lily Dara
- USC Research Center for Liver Disease, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Lucy Golden-Mason
- USC Research Center for Liver Disease, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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19
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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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Xue X, Wang J, Fu K, Dai S, Wu R, Peng C, Li Y. The role of miR-155 on liver diseases by modulating immunity, inflammation and tumorigenesis. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 116:109775. [PMID: 36753984 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.109775] [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: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The liver is a well-known metabolic organ that can be susceptible to external stimuli to affect its normal physiological function. Worldwide, the morbidity and mortality of liver diseases are skyrocketing every year, causing human health crises. Recently, new approaches such as biotechnology have been introduced to achieve optimal treatment and prognostic management of liver diseases. microRNAs (miRNAs), a kind of small non-coding RNA molecule, have the advantages of biodiversity, wide distribution and numerous members. Among these miRNAs, miR-155 is an important regulator of inflammation, immunity and tumorigenesis. In this review, the PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched from 2009 to 2022. After inclusion and exclusion, 64 articles were selected for a systematic review to comprehensively summarize the mechanisms of miR-155 regulating inflammation, immunity and tumorigenesis in liver diseases and liver cancer, covering in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies. Existing preclinical studies and clinical trials have listed that the up-regulation and down-regulation of miR-155 are significant in alcoholic liver injury, viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, infectious liver injury, liver transplantation and liver cancer. The immune and inflammation effects of miR-155 are manifested by regulating macrophage polarization, NK cell killing, Th17 cell and Th1/Th2 cell differentiation. Additionally, miR-155 is also committed to participating in the cell cycle, invasion and metastasis, immune escape and other processes to promote and intensify the development of liver cancer. In conclusion, miR-155 is not only a biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of liver diseases, but also plays a therapeutic role via regulating immunity, inflammation and tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyan Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Key Laboratory of Standardization for Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Key Laboratory of Standardization for Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Ke Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Key Laboratory of Standardization for Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Shu Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Key Laboratory of Standardization for Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Rui Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Key Laboratory of Standardization for Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China
| | - Cheng Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Key Laboratory of Standardization for Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China.
| | - Yunxia Li
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Key Laboratory of Standardization for Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, China.
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Wang Q, Li X, Chen Y, Gong J, Hu B. Classification and survival prediction in early-stage cirrhosis by gene expression profiling. J Viral Hepat 2023; 30:116-128. [PMID: 36355440 DOI: 10.1111/jvh.13769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Liver cirrhosis has been increasingly diagnosed at an early stage owing to the non-invasive diagnostic techniques. However, it is difficult to identify patients at high risk of disease progression. Screening cirrhotic patients with poor prognosis who are most in need of surveillance is still challenging. Gene expression data GSE15654 and GSE14520 were downloaded for performing unsupervised clustering analysis. The prognostic differences between the different clusters were explored by Cox regression. Integrative analysis of gene expression signature, immune cell enrichments and clinical characterization was performed for different clusters. Two distinctive subclasses were identified in HCV-related GSE15654, and Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that subtype 2 had lower survival rates than subtype 1 (p = 0.0399). Further analysis revealed subtype 2 had a higher density of follicular T helper cells, resting natural killer cells and M0, M2 macrophages while subtype 1 with a higher fraction of naive B cells, memory B cells, resting memory CD 4 T cells, activated natural killer cells and monocytes. 226 differentially expressed genes were identified between the two subtypes, and Reactome analysis showed the mainly enriched pathways were biological oxidations and fatty acid metabolism. Five hub genes (AKT1, RPS16, CDC42, CCND1 and PCBP2) and three significant modules were extracted from the PPI network. The results were validated in HBV-related GSE14520 cohort. We identified two subtypes of patients with different prognosis for hepatitis C-related early-stage liver cirrhosis. Bioinformatics analysis of the gene expression and immune cell profile may provide fresh insight into understanding the prognosis difference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingliang Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaojie Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yaqiong Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiao Gong
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bo Hu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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22
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MiR-30c facilitates natural killer cell cytotoxicity to lung cancer through targeting GALNT7. Genes Genomics 2023; 45:247-260. [PMID: 36040682 DOI: 10.1007/s13258-022-01306-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to play important roles in regulating natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity to cancer cells. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the effects and potential mechanism of miR-30c in regulating NK cell cytotoxicity to lung cancer cells. METHODS Primary NK cells were derived from the peripheral blood of lung cancer and normal participants. Exosomes were isolated and validated via transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis. The levels of miR-30c, polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 7 (GALNT7) and proteins in PI3K/AKT pathway were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction or western blot. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ) levels and the cytotoxicity of effector NK cells to target lung cancer cells were measured via enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, cell apoptosis or xenograft experiments. The relationship between miR-30c and GALNT7 was analyzed by luciferase activity, RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. And a xenograft mice model was established to verify the effect of miR-30c in regulating NK cell cytotoxicity to lung cancer cells in vivo. RESULTS NK cell-derived exosomes carrying miR-30c, and miR-30c level was significantly downregulated in primary NK cells of lung cancer patients. MiR-30c overexpression promoted TNF-α and IFN-γ secretion and enhanced the cytotoxicity of interleukin 2 (IL-2)-treated NK cells to lung cancer cells, while knockdown of miR-30c played an opposite effect in regulating the cytotoxicity of NK cells to lung cancer cells. GALNT7 was a target of miR-30c and was negatively regulated by miR-30c. Besides, miR-30c targeted GALNT7 to exert its function in regulating NK cell cytotoxicity. Furthermore, GALNT7 prompted the activation of PI3K/AKT pathway in NK cells. Additionally, miR-30c overexpression enhanced NK cell cytotoxicity to lung cancer cells and inhibited tumor growth in vivo. CONCLUSION miR-30c enhanced NK cell cytotoxicity to lung cancer cells via decreasing GALNT7 and inactivating the PI3K/AKT pathway, suggesting that regulating miR-30c expression maybe a promising approach for enhancing NK cell-based antitumor therapies.
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23
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Zhao H, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Chen C, Liu H, Yang Y, Wang H. The role of NLRP3 inflammasome in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1150325. [PMID: 37153780 PMCID: PMC10157400 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1150325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammasomes play an important role in innate immunity. As a signal platform, they deal with the excessive pathogenic products and cellular products related to stress and injury. So far, the best studied and most characteristic inflammasome is the NLR-family pyrin domain-containing protein 3(NLRP3) inflammasome, which is composed of NLRP3, apoptosis associated speck like protein (ASC) and pro-caspase-1. The formation of NLRP3 inflammasome complexes results in the activation of caspase-1, the maturation of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18, and pyroptosis. Many studies have demonstrated that NLRP3 inflammasome not only participates in tumorigenesis, but also plays a protective role in some cancers. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer-related mortality. Currently, due to the lack of effective treatment methods for HCC, the therapeutic effect of HCC has not been ideal. Therefore, it is particularly urgent to explore the pathogenesis of HCC and find its effective treatment methods. The increasing evidences indicate that NLRP3 inflammasome plays a vital role in HCC, however, the related mechanisms are not fully understood. Hence, we focused on the recent progress about the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in HCC, and analyzed the relevant mechanisms in detail to provide reference for the future in-depth researches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huijie Zhao
- Institute of Chronic Disease Risks Assessment, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Yiming Zhang
- Institute of Nursing and Health, School of Nursing and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China
| | - Yanting Zhang
- Institute of Chronic Disease Risks Assessment, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Chaoran Chen
- Institute of Nursing and Health, School of Nursing and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China
- *Correspondence: Honggang Wang, ; Chaoran Chen,
| | - Huiyang Liu
- Institute of Chronic Disease Risks Assessment, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Yihan Yang
- Institute of Chronic Disease Risks Assessment, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Honggang Wang
- Institute of Chronic Disease Risks Assessment, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
- *Correspondence: Honggang Wang, ; Chaoran Chen,
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24
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Immune index: A gene and cell prognostic signature for immunotherapy response prediction in hepatocellular carcinoma. Pharmacol Res 2023; 187:106583. [PMID: 36574578 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The heterogeneity of tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) plays important roles in the development and immunotherapy response of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Using machine learning algorithms, we introduced the immune index (IMI), a prognostic model based on the HCC immune landscape. We found that IMI low HCCs were enriched in stem cell and proliferating signatures, and yielded more TP53 mutation and 17p loss compared with IMI high HCCs. More importantly, patients with high IMI exhibited better immune-checkpoint blockade (ICB) response. To facilitate clinical application, we employed machine learning algorithms to develop a gene model of the IMI (IMIG), which contained 10 genes. According to our HCC cohort examination and single-cell level analysis, we found that IMIG high HCCs exhibited favorable survival outcomes and high levels of NK and CD8+ T cells infiltration. Finally, after coculture with autologous tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, IMIG high tumor cells exhibited a better response to nivolumab treatment. Collectively, the IMI and IMIG may serve as powerful tools for the prognosis, classification and ICB treatment response prediction of HCC.
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25
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Kim HY, Min HK, Song HW, Yoo A, Lee S, Kim KP, Park JO, Choi YH, Choi E. Delivery of human natural killer cell-derived exosomes for liver cancer therapy: an in vivo study in subcutaneous and orthotopic animal models. Drug Deliv 2022; 29:2897-2911. [PMID: 36068970 PMCID: PMC9467548 DOI: 10.1080/10717544.2022.2118898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Exosomes are nanosized extracellular vesicles secreted by various cell types, including those of the immune system, such as natural killer (NK) cells. They play a role in intercellular communication by transporting signal molecules between the cells. Recent studies have reported that NK cell-derived exosomes (NK-exo) contain cytotoxic proteins-induced cell death. However, the characteristics and potential functions of NK-exo, especially for the liver cancer are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the anti-tumor effects of NK-exo in the primary liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), using the orthotopic and subcutaneous tumor model. We found that NK-exo expressed both typical exosomal markers (e.g. CD63, CD81, and Alix) and cytotoxic proteins (e.g. perforin, granzyme B, FasL, and TRAIL). NK-exo were selectively taken up by HCC cells (e.g. Hep3B, HepG2, and Huh 7). Interestingly, Hep3B cells induced the highest cytotoxicity compared with HepG2 and Huh7 cells, and substantially enhanced the apoptosis by NK-exo. Furthermore, we demonstrated that NK-exo inhibited the phosphorylation of serine/threonine protein kinases (e.g. AKT and ERK1/2), and enhanced the activation of specific apoptosis markers (e.g. caspase-3, -7, -8, -9, and PARP) in Hep3B cells. NK-exo also exhibit the active targeting ability and potent therapeutic effects in both orthotopic and subcutaneous HCC mouse models. Overall, these results suggest that NK-exo indicate strong anti-tumor effects in HCC, which are mediated by novel regulatory mechanisms involved in serine/threonine kinase pathway-associated cell proliferation and caspase activation pathway-associated apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho Yong Kim
- Korea Institute of Medical Microrobotics, Buk-gu, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Ki Min
- Korea Institute of Medical Microrobotics, Buk-gu, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeong-Woo Song
- Korea Institute of Medical Microrobotics, Buk-gu, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Ami Yoo
- Korea Institute of Medical Microrobotics, Buk-gu, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Seonmin Lee
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyu-Pyo Kim
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Oh Park
- Korea Institute of Medical Microrobotics, Buk-gu, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.,School of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Buk, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - You Hee Choi
- Korea Institute of Medical Microrobotics, Buk-gu, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunpyo Choi
- Korea Institute of Medical Microrobotics, Buk-gu, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.,School of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Buk, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
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26
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Han HT, Jin WL, Li X. Mesenchymal stem cells-based therapy in liver diseases. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2022; 3:23. [PMID: 35895169 PMCID: PMC9326420 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-022-00088-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple immune cells and their products in the liver together form a complex and unique immune microenvironment, and preclinical models have demonstrated the importance of imbalances in the hepatic immune microenvironment in liver inflammatory diseases and immunocompromised liver diseases. Various immunotherapies have been attempted to modulate the hepatic immune microenvironment for the purpose of treating liver diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have a comprehensive and plastic immunomodulatory capacity. On the one hand, they have been tried for the treatment of inflammatory liver diseases because of their excellent immunosuppressive capacity; On the other hand, MSCs have immune-enhancing properties in immunocompromised settings and can be modified into cellular carriers for targeted transport of immune enhancers by genetic modification, physical and chemical loading, and thus they are also used in the treatment of immunocompromised liver diseases such as chronic viral infections and hepatocellular carcinoma. In this review, we discuss the immunological basis and recent strategies of MSCs for the treatment of the aforementioned liver diseases. Specifically, we update the immune microenvironment of the liver and summarize the distinct mechanisms of immune microenvironment imbalance in inflammatory diseases and immunocompromised liver diseases, and how MSCs can fully exploit their immunotherapeutic role in liver diseases with both immune imbalance patterns.
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27
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Ye J, Lin Y, Gao X, Lu L, Huang X, Huang S, Bai T, Wu G, Luo X, Li Y, Liang R. Prognosis-Related Molecular Subtypes and Immune Features Associated with Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14225721. [PMID: 36428813 PMCID: PMC9688639 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14225721] [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: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioinformatics tools were used to identify prognosis-related molecular subtypes and biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Differential expression analysis of four datasets identified 3330 overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the same direction in all four datasets. Those genes were involved in the cell cycle, FOXO signaling pathway, as well as complement and coagulation cascades. Based on non-negative matrix decomposition, two molecular subtypes of HCC with different prognoses were identified, with subtype C2 showing better overall survival than subtype C1. Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that 217 of the overlapping DEGs were closely associated with HCC prognosis. The subset of those genes showing an area under the curve >0.80 was used to construct random survival forest and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator models, which identified seven feature genes (SORBS2, DHRS1, SLC16A2, RCL1, IGFALS, GNA14, and FANCI) that may be involved in HCC occurrence and prognosis. Based on the feature genes, risk score and recurrence models were constructed, while a univariate Cox model identified FANCI as a key gene involved mainly in the cell cycle, DNA replication, and mismatch repair. Further analysis showed that FANCI had two mutation sites and that its gene may undergo methylation. Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis showed that Th2 and T helper cells are significantly upregulated in HCC patients compared to controls. Our results identify FANCI as a potential prognostic biomarker for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiazhou Ye
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Yan Lin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Xing Gao
- Department of Medical Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Lu Lu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Xi Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Shilin Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Tao Bai
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Guobin Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Xiaoling Luo
- Department of Experimental Research, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Yongqiang Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning 530021, China
- Correspondence: (Y.L.); (R.L.); Tel./Fax: +86-771-5335155 (Y.L. & R.L.)
| | - Rong Liang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning 530021, China
- Correspondence: (Y.L.); (R.L.); Tel./Fax: +86-771-5335155 (Y.L. & R.L.)
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28
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Nakamura T, Hagi T, Asanuma K, Sudo A. Is Lymphocyte C-Reactive Protein Ratio Useful for Predicting Survival in Patients with Non-Metastatic Soft Tissue Sarcoma? Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14215214. [PMID: 36358634 PMCID: PMC9655955 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14215214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Recently, the lymphocyte-to-CRP ratio (LCR) was found to have a prognostic role in many cancers. However, the clinical significance of LCR in patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) has not yet been established. This study aimed to determine whether LCR can predict disease-specific survival (DSS) and event-free survival (EFS) in patients with STS. Methods: In this study, 132 patients were enrolled. The mean follow-up periods were 76.5 months. Blood examinations were performed prior to treatment for all patients. Results: The 5-year DSS in patients with higher and lower LCR was 86.5% and 52.8%, respectively (p < 0.001). Patients with lower LCR had worse survival than those with higher LCR. The 5-year EFS in patients with higher and lower LCR was 66.2% and 31.2%, respectively (p < 0.001). On Receiver operating characteristic analysis, however, there was no significant difference in the area under curve (AUC) between CRP level (AUC = 0.72) and LCR (AUC = 0.711). Conclusions: LCR may be a prognostic factor for predicting oncological events in multivariate analysis, although ROC analysis could not show the superiority of LCR to CRP for predicting oncological outcomes in patients with STS.
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29
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Liu R, Cao X, Liang Y, Li X, Jin Q, Li Y, Du H, Zao X, Ye Y. Downregulation of ST6GAL1 Promotes Liver Inflammation and Predicts Adverse Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Inflamm Res 2022; 15:5801-5814. [PMID: 36238765 PMCID: PMC9553312 DOI: 10.2147/jir.s385491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant tumors worldwide. The ST6 β-galactoside α-2, 6-sialyltransferase 1 (ST6GAL1) has been found aberrantly expressed in a variety of cancers including HCC, but its function and mechanism in regulating liver inflammation remain to be investigated. This study aimed to explore the role of ST6GAL1 in HCC. The data of ST6GAL1 expression, prognosis, and clinical parameters were collected and further analyzed from the public databases including The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Human Protein Atlas (HPA), and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The HCC rat model was constructed by intraperitoneal injection of diethylnitrosamine. The mRNA and protein expression levels of ST6GAL1 in rat liver tissues were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, capillary electrophoresis, and Western blot. Results The ST6GAL1 mRNA and protein expression levels were both lower in HCC tissues compared with normal liver tissues in the public databases and HCC rat model. The survival analysis showed that upregulation of ST6GAL1 was an independent prognostic factor for good prognosis in HCC patients. The ST6GAL1 mRNA expression showed a negative correlation with ST6GAL1 methylation levels. Enrichment analysis showed that ST6GAL1 expression was most associated with metabolic, cancer, estrogen, axon guidance, cAMP, and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways. The ST6GAL1 mRNA expression negatively correlated with liver inflammation status and proportion of NK CD56bright, NK CD56dim, pDC, and CD8+ T cells in liver. Conclusion Compared with normal tissues, ST6GAL1 was lower expressed in HCC tumor tissues, and the downregulation of ST6GAL1 was associated with a poor prognosis in HCC patients. ST6GAL1 could further affect the infiltration of immune cells to exert anti-inflammation function in liver. Our study indicated that ST6GAL1 could be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target to assess the prognosis and regulate the immune cells infiltration level of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruijia Liu
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China,Institute of Liver Diseases, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xu Cao
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China,Institute of Liver Diseases, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yijun Liang
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China,Institute of Liver Diseases, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaobin Li
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qian Jin
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ying Li
- Third Affiliated Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hongbo Du
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China,Institute of Liver Diseases, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaobin Zao
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China,Key Laboratory of Chinese Internal Medicine of Ministry of Education and Beijing, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yong’an Ye
- Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China,Institute of Liver Diseases, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China,Correspondence: Yong’an Ye; Xiaobin Zao, Email ;
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lncRNA MANCR Inhibits NK Cell Killing Effect on Lung Adenocarcinoma by Targeting miRNA-30d-5p. Cell Microbiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1155/2022/4928635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Background. NK cells are imperative in spontaneous antitumor response of various cancers. Currently, lncRNAs are considered important modulators of the tumor microenvironment. This study investigated the molecular mechanism by which mitotically associated long noncoding RNA (MANCR) controls killing effect of NK cells on lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) in the tumor microenvironment. Methods. The interplay between MANCR and miRNA-30d-5p was analyzed by bioinformatics. Expression of MANCR mRNA and miRNA-30d-5p was examined using qRT-PCR. Dual-luciferase reporter and RIP assays were utilized to verify the targeted relationship between MANCR and miRNA-30d-5p. To investigate regulation of MANCR/miRNA-30d-5p axis in NK cell killing effect on LUAD cells, western blot tested the protein level of perforin and granzyme B. ELISA determined the level of IFN-γ. CytoTox 96 Non-Radioactive Cytotoxicity Assay kit was applied for cytotoxicity detection of NK cells. Perforin and granzyme B fluorescence intensity was measured via immunofluorescence, and cell apoptosis levels were also revealed via flow cytometry. Results. MANCR was found to be upregulated, while miRNA-30d-5p expression was downregulated in LUAD tissues. Overexpression of MANCR in LUAD cells significantly reduced NK cell IFN-γ secretion, expression of granzyme B and perforin, and NK cell killing effect. In addition, MANCR could target and downregulate miRNA-30d-5p expression, and miRNA-30d-5p overexpression reversed the inhibition of NK cell killing effect caused by MANCR overexpression. Conclusion. MANCR inhibited the killing effect of NK cells on LUAD via targeting and downregulating miRNA-30d-5p and provided new ideas for antitumor therapy based on tumor microenvironment.
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31
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A Ferroptosis-Related LncRNA Signature Associated with Prognosis, Tumor Immune Environment, and Genome Instability in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. COMPUTATIONAL AND MATHEMATICAL METHODS IN MEDICINE 2022; 2022:6284540. [PMID: 36035299 PMCID: PMC9410853 DOI: 10.1155/2022/6284540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Background Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of cell death. In this study, we identified ferroptosis-related long noncoding RNAs (FRlncRNAs) to investigate their association with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in prognosis, tumor immune environment, and genome instability. Methods Transcriptome profile data of HCC were retrieved from a public database. FRlncRNAs were identified by co-expression analysis. Patients were randomly divided into training and test cohorts. Univariate Cox analysis and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) Cox regression were performed to construct a risk model. Patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups based on the risk model. AUC and C index were used to assess the risk model. Survival analysis, immune status, and genome instability were compared between the two groups. Results Sixteen FRlncRNAs were identified and used to construct an FRlncRNA signature for the risk model. The Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients in the high-risk group had poorer overall survival than patients in the low-risk group. The area under curve of the risk model was 0.879, 0.809, and 0.757 in the training cohort and 0.635, 0.688, and 0.739 in the test cohort at 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively. The risk model was an independent prognostic predictor and showed excellent prediction of prognosis compared with clinicopathological features. For the differentially expressed ferroptosis-related genes, many enriched metabolic pathways were identified in the functional enrichment analysis. Immune cells such as CD8+ T cells, macrophages M1, natural killer cells, and B cells, which may be associated with antitumor immune responses, differed between the high- and low-risk groups. Genome instability based on the risk model was also explored. A total of 61 genes were differently mutated between the two risk groups, and among them, TP53, HECW2, TRIM66, MCTP2, and KIAA1551 had the most significant mutation frequency differences. Conclusion The FRlncRNA signature is closely related with overall survival, tumor immune environment, and genome instability in HCC.
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The Hepatic Pre-Metastatic Niche. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14153731. [PMID: 35954395 PMCID: PMC9367402 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14153731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The pre-metastatic niche is a recently established concept that could lead to targeted therapies that prevent metastasis before ever occurring. Considering that 90% of cancer mortality results from metastasis, the PMN is thus a salient opportunity for intervention. The purpose of the current review is to cover what is known specifically about the hepatic pre-metastatic niche, a topic that has garnered increasing research focus within the last decade. We discuss the methods of communication between primary tumors and the liver, the involved cell populations, the key changes within liver tissue, and perspectives on the future of the field. Abstract Primary tumors can communicate with the liver to establish a microenvironment that favors metastatic colonization prior to dissemination, forming what is termed the “pre-metastatic niche” (PMN). Through diverse signaling mechanisms, distant malignancies can both influence hepatic cells directly as well as recruit immune cells into the PMN. The result is a set of changes within the hepatic tissue that increase susceptibility of tumor cell invasion and outgrowth upon dissemination. Thus, the PMN offers a novel step in the traditional metastatic cascade that could offer opportunities for clinical intervention. The involved signaling molecules also offer promise as biomarkers. Ultimately, while the existence of the hepatic PMN is well-established, continued research effort and use of innovative models are required to reach a functional knowledge of PMN mechanisms that can be further targeted.
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Hammad R, Eldosoky MA, Mosaad AM, El-Nasser AM, Kotb FM, Elshennawy SI, Eldesoky NAR, Selim MA, Naguib GG, Ahmed OA, Alboraie M, Aglan RB. Natural Killer Group 2D Receptor and B1a Cells Crosstalk in Post-Hepatitis C Virus Infection Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Cirrhosis. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2022; 9:609-619. [PMID: 35879974 PMCID: PMC9307915 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s360886] [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: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Natural killer (NK) and B1a cells are implicated in innate immune surveillance against chronic hepatitis C virus (CHCV). NK group 2D (NKG2D) receptor is important for B cell differentiation. This study was designed to assess whether B1a cells and NK Cells expressing NKG2D are implicated in post-hepatitis C infection hepatocellular carcinoma (post-HCV HCC) and cirrhosis using flow cytometry and investigate the association between NK-expressing NKG2D and B1a in complications of CHCV infection. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 111 participants were included and divided into the post-HCV HCC (n = 50), post-HCV liver cirrhosis (n = 31), and CHCV (n = 30) groups. Results The percentage of B1a cells (B1a%) and the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of NKG2D (NKG2D MFI) showed a significant increase in the CHCV group compared with those in the post-HCV liver cirrhosis and post-HCV HCC groups (P < 0.05). A positive correlation was observed between NKG2D MFI and B1a% (r = 0.6, P < 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve revealed that NKG2D MFI and B1a% differentiated between patients with CHCV infection and those with HCC with a sensitivity of 92% and 98%, respectively, and differentiated between patients with CHCV infection and those with liver cirrhosis with a sensitivity of 94% and 90%, respectively. Conclusion Downregulation of B1a frequency and NKG2D intensity is implicated in the progression of CHCV infection to cirrhosis and HCC. NKG2D receptor is associated with the frequency of circulating B1a cells. NKG2D intensity and B1a% can be used as indicators of CHCV progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reham Hammad
- Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine (for Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mona A Eldosoky
- Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine (for Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Alshaimaa M Mosaad
- Hepatogastroenterology and Infectious Diseases Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Asmaa M El-Nasser
- Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine (for Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Fatma M Kotb
- Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Salwa I Elshennawy
- Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine (for Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Noha Abdel-Rahman Eldesoky
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (for Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed A Selim
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science (for Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Gina G Naguib
- Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ossama A Ahmed
- Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Alboraie
- Department of internal medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Reda Badr Aglan
- Hepatology and Gastroenterology Department, National Liver Institute Menoufia university, Menoufia, Egypt
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Ran GH, Lin YQ, Tian L, Zhang T, Yan DM, Yu JH, Deng YC. Natural killer cell homing and trafficking in tissues and tumors: from biology to application. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:205. [PMID: 35768424 PMCID: PMC9243142 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-01058-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells, a subgroup of innate lymphoid cells, act as the first line of defense against cancer. Although some evidence shows that NK cells can develop in secondary lymphoid tissues, NK cells develop mainly in the bone marrow (BM) and egress into the blood circulation when they mature. They then migrate to and settle down in peripheral tissues, though some special subsets home back into the BM or secondary lymphoid organs. Owing to its success in allogeneic adoptive transfer for cancer treatment and its "off-the-shelf" potential, NK cell-based immunotherapy is attracting increasing attention in the treatment of various cancers. However, insufficient infiltration of adoptively transferred NK cells limits clinical utility, especially for solid tumors. Expansion of NK cells or engineered chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) NK cells ex vivo prior to adoptive transfer by using various cytokines alters the profiles of chemokine receptors, which affects the infiltration of transferred NK cells into tumor tissue. Several factors control NK cell trafficking and homing, including cell-intrinsic factors (e.g., transcriptional factors), cell-extrinsic factors (e.g., integrins, selectins, chemokines and their corresponding receptors, signals induced by cytokines, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), etc.), and the cellular microenvironment. Here, we summarize the profiles and mechanisms of NK cell homing and trafficking at steady state and during tumor development, aiming to improve NK cell-based cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang He Ran
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical, Jiamusi University, 154007, Jiamusi, China
- Institute of Materia Medica, College of Pharmacy, Army Medical University, 400038, Chongqing, China
| | - Yu Qing Lin
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical, Jiamusi University, 154007, Jiamusi, China
- Institute of Materia Medica, College of Pharmacy, Army Medical University, 400038, Chongqing, China
| | - Lei Tian
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical, Jiamusi University, 154007, Jiamusi, China.
| | - Dong Mei Yan
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical, Jiamusi University, 154007, Jiamusi, China.
| | - Jian Hua Yu
- Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 91010, USA.
| | - You Cai Deng
- Institute of Materia Medica, College of Pharmacy, Army Medical University, 400038, Chongqing, China.
- Department of Clinical Hematology, College of Pharmacy, Army Medical University, 400038, Chongqing, China.
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Zecca A, Barili V, Olivani A, Biasini E, Boni C, Fisicaro P, Montali I, Tiezzi C, Dalla Valle R, Ferrari C, Cariani E, Missale G. Targeting Stress Sensor Kinases in Hepatocellular Carcinoma-Infiltrating Human NK Cells as a Novel Immunotherapeutic Strategy for Liver Cancer. Front Immunol 2022; 13:875072. [PMID: 35677052 PMCID: PMC9168800 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.875072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells may become functionally exhausted entering hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and this has been associated with tumor progression and poor clinical outcome. Hypoxia, low nutrients, immunosuppressive cells, and soluble mediators characterize the intratumor microenvironment responsible for the metabolic deregulation of infiltrating immune cells such as NK cells. HCC-infiltrating NK cells from patients undergoing liver resection for HCC were sorted, and genome-wide transcriptome profiling was performed. We have identified a marked general upregulation of gene expression profile along with metabolic impairment of glycolysis, OXPHOS, and autophagy as well as functional defects of NK cells. Targeting p38 kinase, a stress-responsive mitogen-activated protein kinase, we could positively modify the metabolic profile of NK cells with functional restoration in terms of TNF-α production and cytotoxicity. We found a metabolic and functional derangement of HCC-infiltrating NK cells that is part of the immune defects associated with tumor progression and recurrence. NK cell exhaustion due to the hostile tumor microenvironment may be restored with p38 inhibitors with a selective mechanism that is specific for tumor-infiltrating-not affecting liver-infiltrating-NK cells. These results may represent the basis for the development of a new immunotherapeutic strategy to integrate and improve the available treatments for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Zecca
- Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Laboratory of Viral Immunopathology, Azienda Ospedaliero–Universitaria of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Valeria Barili
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Andrea Olivani
- Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Laboratory of Viral Immunopathology, Azienda Ospedaliero–Universitaria of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Biasini
- Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Laboratory of Viral Immunopathology, Azienda Ospedaliero–Universitaria of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Carolina Boni
- Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Laboratory of Viral Immunopathology, Azienda Ospedaliero–Universitaria of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Paola Fisicaro
- Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Laboratory of Viral Immunopathology, Azienda Ospedaliero–Universitaria of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Ilaria Montali
- Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Laboratory of Viral Immunopathology, Azienda Ospedaliero–Universitaria of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Camilla Tiezzi
- Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Laboratory of Viral Immunopathology, Azienda Ospedaliero–Universitaria of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | | | - Carlo Ferrari
- Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Laboratory of Viral Immunopathology, Azienda Ospedaliero–Universitaria of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | | | - Gabriele Missale
- Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Laboratory of Viral Immunopathology, Azienda Ospedaliero–Universitaria of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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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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Research Progress on the Mechanism of Persistent Low-Level HBsAg Expression in the Serum of Patients with Chronic HBV Infection. J Immunol Res 2022; 2022:1372705. [PMID: 35465353 PMCID: PMC9020929 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1372705] [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: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Among HBV-infected persons, there is a group of people with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) showing persistently low levels of expression. The production of low-level HBsAg does not mean a good outcome of chronic HBV infection. Patients still have virus replication and sustained liver damage, and they have the potential to transmit the infection. This risk poses a challenge to clinical diagnosis and blood transfusion safety and is a major concern of experts. However, the mechanism behind persistent low-level HBsAg expression in serum is not completely clear, and complete virus clearance by the host is vital. In this review, we summarize the research progress on the mechanism behind low-level expression of HBsAg in patients with chronic HBV infection in recent years.
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Albuquerque-Souza E, Sahingur SE. Periodontitis, chronic liver diseases, and the emerging oral-gut-liver axis. Periodontol 2000 2022; 89:125-141. [PMID: 35244954 PMCID: PMC9314012 DOI: 10.1111/prd.12427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The liver carries out a wide range of functions ranging from the control of metabolites, nutrient storage, and detoxification to immunosurveillance. While inflammation is essential for the tissue remodeling and maintenance of homeostasis and normal liver physiology, constant exposure to dietary and microbial products creates a niche for potentially prolonged immune activation and unresolved inflammation in susceptible host. Failure to restrain inflammation can lead to development of chronic liver diseases characterized by fibrosis, cirrhosis and eventually liver failure. The liver maintains close interactions with numerous organs which can influence its metabolism and physiology. It is also known that oral cavity microenvironment can influence the physiological conditions of other organs and emerging evidence implicates that this could be true for the liver as well. Presence of chronic inflammation and dysbiotic microbiota is a common feature leading to clinical pathology both in periodontitis and chronic liver diseases (CLDs). In fact, known CLDs appear to have some relationship with periodontitis, which impacts the onset or progression of these conditions in a bidirectional crosstalk. In this review, we explore the emerging association between oral‐gut‐liver axis focusing on periodontitis and common CLDs including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, chronic viral hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular cancer. We highlight the immune pathways and oral microbiome interactions which can link oral cavity and liver health and offer perspectives for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Albuquerque-Souza
- Department of Periodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sinem E Sahingur
- Department of Periodontics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Xu L, Zheng Q, Liu W. Combination of ferroptosis and pyroptosis to construct a prognostic classifier and predict immune landscape, chemotherapeutic efficacy and immunosuppressive molecules in hepatocellular carcinoma. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:229. [PMID: 35236323 PMCID: PMC8892773 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09301-0] [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: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The induction of ferroptosis and pyroptosis has been highlighted as a novel approach to decide cancer cell fate. However, few studies have systematically explored the role of combining these two novel cell death modalities in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS Ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) and pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) were retrieved and downloaded from FerrDb and GeneCards database, respectively. A prognostic classifier integrating with prognostic differentially expressed FRGs and PRGs was constructed by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm in the TCGA-LIHC dataset and verified using the ICGC (LIRI-JP) dataset. RESULTS A total of 194 differentially expressed FRGs and PRGs were identified and named as differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and, out of them 79 were found dramatically correlated with prognosis in HCC. Based on 13 key DEGs with prognostic value, a novel expression signature was constructed and used to stratify HCC patients into 2 groups. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that high-risk patients had a more dismal prognosis. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and multivariate Cox analysis confirmed its predictive power and independent characteristic. Immune profile analysis demonstrated that high-risk group had prominent upregulation of immunosuppressive cells, including macrophages, Th2_cells and Treg. The correlation analysis between this signature and immunosuppressive molecules, Immunophenoscore (IPS) and chemotherapeutic efficacy demonstrated that low-risk group had a higher IC50 of cisplatin, mitomycin and doxorubicin and negatively related with CTLA4, HAVCR2, LAG3, PDCD1, TIGIT and ICIs treatment represented by CTLA4-/PD-1-, CTLA4 + /PD-1-, CTLA4-/PD-1 + . CONCLUSIONS In this research, a novel expression signature was identified based on FRGs and PRGs in HCC, and this signature could be used to predict prognosis and select patients potentially benefiting from immunotherapies and chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Xu
- Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Center, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, P.R. China
| | - Qing Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Center, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ministry of Health, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Disease, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, P.R. China.
| | - Wenwen Liu
- Department of Geratology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China.
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Zhao C, Wu X, Chen J, Qian G. The therapeutic effect of IL-21 combined with IFN-γ inducing CD4 +CXCR5 +CD57 +T cells differentiation on hepatocellular carcinoma. J Adv Res 2022; 36:89-99. [PMID: 35127167 PMCID: PMC8799868 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2021.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Liver cancer is a malignant tumor with high incidence and short survival time. In order to increase the cure rate and disease-free survival rate of liver cancer, it is necessary to seek effective treatment methods. Objectives The objective of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic effects of IL-21 and IFN-γ inducing the formation of CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells on liver cancer. Methods The methods of analyze the relationship between CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells and the survival time of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and study the effect of IL-21 combined with IFN-γ in inducing stem cells to differentiate into CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells. The effects of IL-21 combined with IFN-γ induced CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells on liver cancer were studied through animal experiments, and the regulatory mechanism, and the effect of hepatitis B virus (HBV) on it. Results The study found that the number of CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells in serum of liver cancer patients with prolonged survival time increased significantly, the expression of CD4, CD57, and CXCR5 in the tumor microenvironment increased, and the serum IL-21 and IFN-γ concentrations increased. IL-21 and IFN-γ induce stem cells to differentiate into CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells and induce HepG2 cells apoptosis. HBV leads to a decrease in the number of CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells and a chronic inflammatory response. Treg cells can regulate CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells. IL-21 combined with IFN-γ induced an increase in the number of CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells in hepatocarcinoma-bearing mice, which has an inhibitory effect on H22 liver cancer. Conclusion The conclusion of the study is that IL-21 combined with IFN-γ induces stem cells to differentiate into CD4+CXCR5+CD57+T cells, Treg can control the increase in their number, and HBV can cause their number to decrease, which can control the growth of liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changlin Zhao
- School of Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510310, China
| | - Xianlin Wu
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632,China
| | - Jia Chen
- School of Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510310, China
| | - Guoqiang Qian
- School of Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510310, China
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Chen H, Sun L, Feng L, Yin Y, Zhang W. Role of Innate lymphoid Cells in Obesity and Insulin Resistance. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:855197. [PMID: 35574038 PMCID: PMC9091334 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.855197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity, a growing chronic metabolic disease, greatly increases the risk of metabolic syndrome which includes type 2 diabetes, fatty liver and cardiovascular diseases. Obesity-associated metabolic diseases significantly contribute to mortality and reduce life expectancy. Recently, innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) have emerged as crucial regulators of metabolic homeostasis and tissue inflammation. This review focuses on the roles of ILCs in different metabolic tissues, including adipose tissue, liver, pancreas, and intestine. We briefly outline the relationship between obesity, inflammation, and insulin resistance. We then discuss how ILCs in distinct metabolic organs may function to maintain metabolic homeostasis and contribute to obesity and its associated metabolic diseases. The potential of ILCs as the therapeutic target for obesity and insulin resistance is also addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Chen
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Lijun Sun
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Lu Feng
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yue Yin
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Weizhen Zhang, ; Yue Yin,
| | - Weizhen Zhang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- *Correspondence: Weizhen Zhang, ; Yue Yin,
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Kwon HJ, Lee S, Lee HH, Cho H, Jung J. Korean Red Ginseng Enhances Immunotherapeutic Effects of NK Cells via Eosinophils in Metastatic Liver Cancer Model. Nutrients 2021; 14:nu14010134. [PMID: 35011007 PMCID: PMC8747263 DOI: 10.3390/nu14010134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis decreases the survival rate of patients with liver cancer. Therefore, novel anti-metastatic strategies are needed. Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) is often ingested as a functional food with an immune-boosting effect. We investigated a combination of KRG and natural killer (NK) cells as a novel immunotherapy approach. SK-Hep1 cells were injected into the tail vein of NRGA mice to establish an experimental metastasis model. KRG, NK cells, or a combination of KRG and NK cells were administered. Tumor growth was observed using an in vivo imaging system, and metastatic lesions were evaluated by histological analysis and immunohistochemistry. Bioluminescence intensity was lower in the KRG and NK cell combination group than in the other groups, indicating that the combination treatment suppressed the progression of metastasis. CD56 expression was used as a NK cell marker and hematological analysis was performed. The combination treatment also decreased the expression of matrix metalloproteinases and the area of metastatic lesions in liver and bone tissues, as well as increased the eosinophil count. Expression of cytokines-related eosinophils and NK cells was determined by Western blotting analysis. The expression of interleukin 33 (IL33) was induced by the combination of KRG and NK cells. High IL33 expression was associated with prolonged overall survival in the Kaplan–Meier plotter. Our results suggest that KRG enhances the immune activity of NK cells by IL-33 through eosinophils and suppresses metastatic liver cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hee Jung Kwon
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Duksung Women’s University, Seoul 01369, Korea; (H.J.K.); (H.C.)
- Duksung Innovative Drug Center, Duksung Women’s University, Seoul 01369, Korea; (S.L.); (H.H.L.)
| | - Sunyi Lee
- Duksung Innovative Drug Center, Duksung Women’s University, Seoul 01369, Korea; (S.L.); (H.H.L.)
| | - Hwan Hee Lee
- Duksung Innovative Drug Center, Duksung Women’s University, Seoul 01369, Korea; (S.L.); (H.H.L.)
| | - Hyosun Cho
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Duksung Women’s University, Seoul 01369, Korea; (H.J.K.); (H.C.)
- Duksung Innovative Drug Center, Duksung Women’s University, Seoul 01369, Korea; (S.L.); (H.H.L.)
| | - Joohee Jung
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Duksung Women’s University, Seoul 01369, Korea; (H.J.K.); (H.C.)
- Duksung Innovative Drug Center, Duksung Women’s University, Seoul 01369, Korea; (S.L.); (H.H.L.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-2-901-8731
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43
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Zhao L, Shi W, Hu F, Song X, Cheng Z, Zhou J. Prolonged oral ingestion of microplastics induced inflammation in the liver tissues of C57BL/6J mice through polarization of macrophages and increased infiltration of natural killer cells. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 227:112882. [PMID: 34700168 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (< 5 mm diameter) are one of most important environmental pollutants and contaminants worldwide. However, how microplastics affect liver immune microenvironment in not well understood. Microplastics (0.5 µm) were administered orally to C57BL/6J mice for 4 consecutive weeks at the rate of 0.5 mg/day. Non-parenchymal cells were isolated from of the mice through fractionation of fresh hepatic tissues. The immune landscape for four cell populations of B cells, T cells, NK cells and macrophages in the liver tissues was then evaluated using flow cytometry. The secretion level of inflammatory cytokines and associated signaling pathway were investigated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot. Oral ingestion of microplastics increases liver weight, general liver index as well as expression of serum, liver function-related indicators. Microplastics also increased the infiltration of natural killer cells and macrophages to non-parenchymal liver cells, but reduced that of B cells to the same tissues. However, microplastics had no effect on the infiltration of T cell to non-parenchymal liver cells. Ingestion of MPs also up-regulated the expression of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-33 mRNA, but down-regulated that of IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-18 and TGF-β1. Overall, the aforementioned processes were regulated via the NF-κB pathway in the hepatic non-parenchymal cells. Microplastics disrupts inflammatory process in liver tissues via the NF-κB signaling pathway. These findings provide a strong foundation on immune processes in hepatic tissues following prolonged ingestion of microplastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangtao Zhao
- Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Center, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Wenyuan Shi
- Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Center, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Fangfang Hu
- Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Center, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xujun Song
- Department of General Surgery, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Zhangjun Cheng
- Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Center, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Jiahua Zhou
- Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Center, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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44
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Eresen A, Yang J, Scotti A, Cai K, Yaghmai V, Zhang Z. Combination of natural killer cell-based immunotherapy and irreversible electroporation for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2021; 9:1089. [PMID: 34423001 PMCID: PMC8339821 DOI: 10.21037/atm-21-539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most lethal cancer types despite great advancement in overall survival of the patients over the last decades. Surgical resection or partial hepatectomy has been approved as the curative treatment for early-stage HCC patients however only up to 30% of them are eligible for the procedures. Natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic lymphocytes recognized for killing virally infected cells and improving immune functions for defending the body against malignant cells. Although autologous NK cells failed to demonstrate significant clinical benefit, transfer of allogeneic adoptive NK cells arises as a promising approach for the treatment of solid tumors. The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and inadequate homing efficiency of NK cells to tumors can inhibit adoptive transfer immunotherapy (ATI) efficacy. However, potential of the NK cells is challenged by the transfection efficiency. The local ablation techniques that employ thermal or chemical energy have been investigated for the destruction of solid tumors for three decades and demonstrated promising benefits for individuals not eligible for surgical resection or partial hepatectomy. Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is one of the most recent minimally invasive ablation methods that destruct the cell within the targeted region through non-thermal energy. IRE destroys the tumor cell membrane by delivering high-frequency electrical energy in short pulses and overcomes tumor immunosuppression. The previous studies demonstrated that IRE can induce immune changes which can facilitate activation of specific immune responses and improve transfection efficiency. In this review paper, we have discussed the mechanism of NK cell immunotherapy and IRE ablation methods for the treatment of HCC patients and the combinatorial benefits of NK cell immunotherapy and IRE ablation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aydin Eresen
- Department of Radiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Jia Yang
- Department of Radiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Alessandro Scotti
- Department of Radiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kejia Cai
- Department of Radiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Vahid Yaghmai
- Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Zhuoli Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.,Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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45
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A Novel Expression Signature from the Perspective of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transition for Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Regard to Prognosis, Clinicopathological Features, Immune Cell Infiltration, Chemotherapeutic Efficacy, and Immunosuppressive Molecules. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2021; 2021:5033416. [PMID: 34367283 PMCID: PMC8342179 DOI: 10.1155/2021/5033416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET), a reverse biological process to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), is involved in tumor metastasis and invasion. However, the role of MET-related genes (MRGs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis remains unclear. Methods In this research, we obtained MRGs data and clinical information from public databases. In the TCGA dataset, a prognostic signature for HCC was constructed by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method and externally verified using the ICGC dataset. Results There were 148 differentially expressed MRGs (DEMRGs), out of which 37 MRGs were found associated with overall survival (OS) in the univariate Cox analysis. A novel signature integrating of 5 MRGs was constructed, which split patients into high- and low-risk groups. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that high-risk patients had unfavorable OS than those low-risk counterparts. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) showed great performance of this signature in predictive ability. Multivariate Cox analysis confirmed that this signature could independently predict HCC prognosis. The analysis of immune cell infiltration demonstrated that immune status varied differently between high- and low-risk groups. The analysis of clinicopathological characteristics suggested that tumor grade, clinical stage, and T stage were different between risk groups. The analysis between this signature and chemotherapeutic efficacy and immunosuppressive molecules indicated that this signature could serve as a promising predictor. Conclusions In conclusion, we constructed and verified a novel signature from the perspective of MET, which was significantly associated with HCC prognosis, clinicopathological features, immune status, chemotherapeutic efficacy, and immunosuppressive biomarkers.
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46
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Zhou D, Luan J, Huang C, Li J. Tumor-Associated Macrophages in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Friend or Foe? Gut Liver 2021; 15:500-516. [PMID: 33087588 PMCID: PMC8283292 DOI: 10.5009/gnl20223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, and it has diverse etiologies with multiple mechanisms. The diagnosis of HCC typically occurs at advanced stages when there are limited therapeutic options. Hepatocarcinogenesis is considered a multistep process, and hepatic macrophages play a critical role in the inflammatory process leading to HCC. Emerging evidence has shown that tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are crucial components defining the HCC immune microenvironment and represent an appealing option for disrupting the formation and development of HCC. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the polarization and function of TAMs in the pathogenesis of HCC, as well as the mechanisms underlying TAM-related anti-HCC therapies. Eventually, novel insights into these important aspects of TAMs and their roles in the HCC microenvironment might lead to promising TAM-focused therapeutic strategies for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dexi Zhou
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Yijishan Hospital, Wuhu, China.,Key Laboratory of Non-coding RNA Transformation Research of Anhui Higher Education Institution, Wuhu, China.,School of Pharmacy, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China
| | - Jiajie Luan
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Yijishan Hospital, Wuhu, China.,Key Laboratory of Non-coding RNA Transformation Research of Anhui Higher Education Institution, Wuhu, China.,School of Pharmacy, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jun Li
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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47
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Marofi F, Abdul-Rasheed OF, Rahman HS, Budi HS, Jalil AT, Yumashev AV, Hassanzadeh A, Yazdanifar M, Motavalli R, Chartrand MS, Ahmadi M, Cid-Arreguid A, Jarahian M. CAR-NK cell in cancer immunotherapy; A promising frontier. Cancer Sci 2021; 112:3427-3436. [PMID: 34050690 PMCID: PMC8409419 DOI: 10.1111/cas.14993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have a unique facet of synthetic biology and offer a paradigm shift in personalized medicine as they can use and redirect the patient's immune cells to attack cancer cells. CAR‐natural killer (NK) cells combine the targeted specificity of antigens with the subsequent intracellular signaling ability of the receptors to increase their anti‐cancer functions. Importantly, CAR‐NK cells can be utilized as universal cell‐based therapy without requiring human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching or earlier contact with tumor‐associated antigens (TAAs). Indeed, CAR‐NK cells can be adapted to recognize various antigens, hold higher proliferation capacity, and in vivo persistence, show improved infiltration into the tumors, and the ability to overcome the resistant tumor microenvironment leading to sustained cytotoxicity against tumors. Accumulating evidence from recent in vivo studies rendering CAR‐NK cell anti‐cancer competencies renewed the attention in the context of cancer immunotherapy, as these redirected effector cells can be used in the development of the “off‐the‐shelf” anti‐cancer immunotherapeutic products. In the current review, we focus on the therapeutic efficacy of CAR‐NK cell therapies for treating various human malignancies, including hematological malignancies and solid tumors, and will discuss the recent findings in this regard, with a special focus on animal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faroogh Marofi
- Immunology Research Center (IRC), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Omar F Abdul-Rasheed
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq
| | - Heshu Sulaiman Rahman
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Suleimanyah, Suleimanyah, Iraq
| | - Hendrik Setia Budi
- Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | | | | | - Ali Hassanzadeh
- Department of Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahboubeh Yazdanifar
- Department of Pediatrics, Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Roza Motavalli
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | | | - Majid Ahmadi
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Angel Cid-Arreguid
- Targeted Tumor Vaccines Unit, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mostafa Jarahian
- German Cancer Research Center, Toxicology and Chemotherapy Unit (G401), Heidelberg, Germany
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48
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Highton AJ, Schuster IS, Degli-Esposti MA, Altfeld M. The role of natural killer cells in liver inflammation. Semin Immunopathol 2021; 43:519-533. [PMID: 34230995 PMCID: PMC8260327 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-021-00877-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The liver is an important immunological site that can promote immune tolerance or activation. Natural killer (NK) cells are a major immune subset within the liver, and therefore understanding their role in liver homeostasis and inflammation is crucial. Due to their cytotoxic function, NK cells are important in the immune response against hepatotropic viral infections but are also involved in the inflammatory processes of autoimmune liver diseases and fatty liver disease. Whether NK cells primarily promote pro-inflammatory or tolerogenic responses is not known for many liver diseases. Understanding the involvement of NK cells in liver inflammation will be crucial in effective treatment and future immunotherapeutic targeting of NK cells in these disease settings. Here, we explore the role that NK cells play in inflammation of the liver in the context of viral infection, autoimmunity and fatty liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Highton
- Heinrich Pette Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - I S Schuster
- Experimental and Viral Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,Experimental Immunology, Lions Eye Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - M A Degli-Esposti
- Experimental and Viral Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,Experimental Immunology, Lions Eye Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - M Altfeld
- Institute for Immunology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
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49
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Wu F, Wei H, Liu G, Zhang Y. Bioinformatics Profiling of Five Immune-Related lncRNAs for a Prognostic Model of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2021; 11:667904. [PMID: 34123835 PMCID: PMC8195283 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.667904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most common tumors worldwide, has the fifth highest mortality rate, which is increasing every year. At present, many studies have revealed that immunotherapy has an important effect on many malignant tumors. The main purpose of our research was to verify and establish a new immune-related lncRNA model and to explore the potential immune mechanisms. We analysed the pathways and mechanisms of immune-related lncRNAs by bioinformatics analysis, screened key lncRNAs based on Cox regression analysis, and determined the characteristics of the immune-related lncRNAs. On this basis, a predictive model was established. Through a comparison of specificity and sensitivity, we found that the constructed model was superior to the known markers of HCC. Then, the cell types were identified by the relative subgroup (CIBERSORT) algorithm for RNA transcripts. A signature model was eventually constructed, and we proved that it was a survival factor for HCC. Moreover, five kinds of immune cells were significantly positively correlated with the signature. The results indicated that these five kinds of lncRNAs may be related to the immune infiltration of hepatocellular carcinoma. To verify these findings, we selected the top coexpressed lncRNA, AC099850.3, for further study. We found that AC099850.3 could promote the migration and proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro. RT-PCR experiments found that AC099850.3 could promote the expression of the cell cycle molecules BUB1, CDK1, PLK1, and TTK, and western blotting to prove that the expression of the molecules CD155 and PD-L1 was inhibited in the interference group. In conclusion, we used five kinds of immune-related lncRNAs to construct prognostic signatures to explore the mechanism, which provides a new way to study therapies for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahong Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Hepatic-biliary-pancreatic Institute, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China
| | - Hangzhi Wei
- Department of General Surgery, Hepatic-biliary-pancreatic Institute, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China
| | - Guiyuan Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Hepatic-biliary-pancreatic Institute, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China
| | - Youcheng Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Hepatic-biliary-pancreatic Institute, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China
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50
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Natural Killer Cells and T Cells in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Viral Hepatitis: Current Status and Perspectives for Future Immunotherapeutic Approaches. Cells 2021; 10:cells10061332. [PMID: 34071188 PMCID: PMC8227136 DOI: 10.3390/cells10061332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells account for 25–50% of the total number of hepatic lymphocytes, which implicates that NK cells play an important role in liver immunity. The frequencies of both circulating and tumor infiltrating NK cells are positively correlated with survival benefit in hepatocellular cancer (HCC) and have prognostic implications, which suggests that functional impairment in NK cells and HCC progression are strongly associated. In HCC, T cell exhaustion is accompanied by the interaction between immune checkpoint ligands and their receptors on tumor cells and antigen presenting cells (APC). Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been shown to interfere with this interaction and have altered the therapeutic landscape of multiple cancer types including HCC. Immunotherapy with check-point inhibitors, aimed at rescuing T-cells from exhaustion, has been applied as first-line therapy for HCC. NK cells are the first line effectors in viral hepatitis and play an important role by directly eliminating virus infected cells or by activating antigen specific T cells through IFN-γ production. Furthermore, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered NK cells and T cells offer unique opportunities to create CAR-NK with multiple specificities learning from the experience gained with CAR-T cells with potentially less adverse effects. This review focus on the abnormalities of NK cells, T cells, and their functional impairment in patients with chronic viral hepatitis, which contributes to progression to hepatic malignancy. Furthermore, we discuss and summarize recent advances in the NK cell and T cell based immunotherapeutic approaches in HCC.
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