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Rodríguez-Bejarano OH, Parra-López C, Patarroyo MA. A review concerning the breast cancer-related tumour microenvironment. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2024; 199:104389. [PMID: 38734280 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2024.104389] [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: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) is currently the most common malignant tumour in women and one of the leading causes of their death around the world. New and increasingly personalised diagnostic and therapeutic tools have been introduced over the last few decades, along with significant advances regarding the study and knowledge related to BC. The tumour microenvironment (TME) refers to the tumour cell-associated cellular and molecular environment which can influence conditions affecting tumour development and progression. The TME is composed of immune cells, stromal cells, extracellular matrix (ECM) and signalling molecules secreted by these different cell types. Ever deeper understanding of TME composition changes during tumour development and progression will enable new and more innovative therapeutic strategies to become developed for targeting tumours during specific stages of its evolution. This review summarises the role of BC-related TME components and their influence on tumour progression and the development of resistance to therapy. In addition, an account on the modifications in BC-related TME components associated with therapy is given, and the completed or ongoing clinical trials related to this topic are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Hernán Rodríguez-Bejarano
- Health Sciences Faculty, Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales (U.D.C.A), Calle 222#55-37, Bogotá 111166, Colombia; Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Carrera 50#26-20, Bogotá 111321, Colombia; PhD Programme in Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 45#26-85, Bogotá 111321, Colombia
| | - Carlos Parra-López
- Microbiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 45#26-85, Bogotá 111321, Colombia.
| | - Manuel Alfonso Patarroyo
- Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Carrera 50#26-20, Bogotá 111321, Colombia; Microbiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 45#26-85, Bogotá 111321, Colombia.
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Jana S, Li W, Lei PJ, Wang Z, Kibara S, Huang P, Jones D. Isolation and Characterization of a Novel Mammary Adenocarcinoma, MCa-P1362, with Hormone Receptor Expression, Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 Positivity, and Enrichment in Cancer and Mesenchymal Stem Cells. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2024; 194:1137-1153. [PMID: 38749609 PMCID: PMC11156160 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2024.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Preclinical models that display spontaneous metastasis are necessary to improve the therapeutic options for hormone receptor-positive breast cancers. Within this study, detailed cellular and molecular characterization was conducted on MCa-P1362, a newly established mouse model of metastatic breast cancer that is syngeneic in BALB/c mice. MCa-P1362 cancer cells express estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. MCa-P1362 cancer cells proliferate in vitro and in vivo in response to estrogen, yet do not depend on steroid hormones for growth and tumor progression. Analysis of MCa-P1362 tumor explants revealed the tumors contained a mixture of cancer cells and mesenchymal stromal cells. Through transcriptomic and functional analyses of both cancer and stromal cells, stem cells were detected within both populations. Functional studies demonstrated that MCa-P1362 cancer stem cells drove tumor initiation, whereas stromal cells from these tumors contributed to drug resistance. MCa-P1362 may serve as a useful preclinical model to investigate the cellular and molecular basis of breast tumor progression and therapeutic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samir Jana
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Wende Li
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories for Tumor Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Pin-Ji Lei
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories for Tumor Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Zixiong Wang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Shaye Kibara
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Peigen Huang
- Edwin L. Steele Laboratories for Tumor Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
| | - Dennis Jones
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
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Liu Y, Han X, Han Y, Bi J, Wu Y, Xiang D, Zhang Y, Bi W, Xu M, Li J. Integrated transcriptomic analysis systematically reveals the heterogeneity and molecular characterization of cancer-associated fibroblasts in osteosarcoma. Gene 2024; 907:148286. [PMID: 38367852 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148286] [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: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Osteosarcoma (OS), with a peak incidence during the adolescent growth spurt, is correlated with poor prognosis for its high malignancy. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is highly complicated, with frequent interactions between tumor and stromal cells. The cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the TME have been considered to actively involve in the progression, metastasis, and drug resistance of OS. This study aimed to characterize cellular heterogeneity and molecular characterization in CAFs subtypes and explore the potential targeting therapeutic strategies to improve the prognosis of OS patients. METHODS The single-cell atlas of human OS tumor lesions were constructed from the GEO database. Then significant marker genes and potential biological functions for each CAFs subtype were identified and explored using the Seurat R package. Next, by performing the survival analyses and constructing the risk scores for CAFs subtypes, we aimed to identify and characterize the prognostic values of specific marker genes and different CAFs subtypes. Furthermore, we explored the therapeutic targets and innovative drugs targeting different CAFs subtypes based on the GDSC database. Finally, prognoses related CAFs subtypes were further validated through immunohistochemistry (IHC) on clinical OS specimens. RESULTS Overall, nine main cell clusters and five subtypes of CAFs were identified. The differentially expressed marker genes for each CAFs clusters were then identified. Moreover, through Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, we defined the CAFs_2 (upregulated CXCL14 and C3), which was closely related to leukocyte migration and chemotaxis, as inflammatory CAFs (iCAFs). Likewise, we defined the CAFs_4 (upregulated CD74, HLA-DRA and HLA-DRB1), which was closely related to antigen process and presentation, as antigen-presenting CAFs (apCAFs). Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier analyses showed that CAFs_2 and CAFs_4 were correlated with poor clinical prognosis of OS patients. Meanwhile, therapeutic drugs targeting CAFs_2 and CAFs_4, such as 17-AAG/Docetaxel/Bleomycin and PHA-793887/NG-25/KIN001-102, were also explored, respectively. Finally, IHC assay confirmed the abundant CAFs_2 and CAFs_4 subtypes infiltration in the OS microenvironment compared with adjacent tissues. CONCLUSION Our study revealed the diversity, complexity, and heterogeneity of CAFs in OS, and complemented the single-cell atlas in OS TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyang Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, 920th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force, Kunming 650032, Yunnan, China; Chinese PLA Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Center, Kunming, Yunnan 650032, China
| | - Xinli Han
- School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300074, China
| | - Yuchen Han
- Senior Department of Orthopedics, the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China; Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Jingyou Bi
- Senior Department of Orthopedics, the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Yanan Wu
- Senior Department of Orthopedics, the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Dongquan Xiang
- Senior Department of Orthopedics, the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Yinglong Zhang
- Senior Department of Orthopedics, the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Wenzhi Bi
- Senior Department of Orthopedics, the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China; School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300074, China; Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Meng Xu
- Senior Department of Orthopedics, the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China; Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100853, China.
| | - Jianxiong Li
- Senior Department of Orthopedics, the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China.
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Ye C, Zhang X, Wang Y, Jing Y, Song Y, Celentano A, Ni Y. Effects of cancer-associated fibroblasts deletion using HSVtk suicide system in OSCC. Oral Dis 2024; 30:1981-1988. [PMID: 37203377 DOI: 10.1111/odi.14612] [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: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the biological characteristics of oral cancer cells co-cultured with cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs)-HSVtk and to assess the reliability of the CAFs-HSVtk suicide system in a co-culture model. METHODS CAFs were lentivirus-transfected with PCDH-HSVtk. Ganciclovir (GCV) was added and the survival rates of the CAFs-HSVtk were measured. In parallel with the selective elimination of CAFs, comparison was made of the effects of CAF-HSVtk on tumor cell proliferation/migration in a CAFs-tumor co-cultural system. Cell death of co-cultured oral cancer cells was evaluated by flow cytometry. RESULTS Q-PCR analysis showed that the expression of HSVtk in the CAFs-HSVtk group was significantly higher than in the control group (p < 0.01). The survival rates of CAFs-HSVtk with GCV were significantly reduced (p < 0.01). Following selective depletion of CAFs-HSVtk, the growth and migration rates of oral cancer cells co-cultured with CAFs-HSVtk were reduced in a mixture ratio of 1:2 (p < 0.01, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Enhanced proliferation and migration rates of oral cancer cells in co-culture were seriously impaired after deleting CAFs using the HSVtk suicide system, while oral tumor cell death was not affected. Therefore, CAFs-HSVtk can be utilized as a valid model for CAF signature identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanjin Ye
- Department of Oral Pathology, Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoxin Zhang
- Central Laboratory of Stomatology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuhan Wang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue Jing
- Central Laboratory of Stomatology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuxian Song
- Central Laboratory of Stomatology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Antonio Celentano
- Melbourne Dental School, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yanhong Ni
- Central Laboratory of Stomatology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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Xue X, Wang X, Pang M, Yu L, Qian J, Li X, Tian M, Lu C, Xiao C, Liu Y. An exosomal strategy for targeting cancer-associated fibroblasts mediated tumors desmoplastic microenvironments. J Nanobiotechnology 2024; 22:196. [PMID: 38644492 PMCID: PMC11032607 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-024-02452-1] [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: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumors desmoplastic microenvironments are characterized by abundant stromal cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), as the most abundant of all stromal cells, play significant role in mediating microenvironments, which not only remodel ECM to establish unique pathological barriers to hinder drug delivery in desmoplastic tumors, but also talk with immune cells and cancer cells to promote immunosuppression and cancer stem cells-mediated drug resistance. Thus, CAFs mediated desmoplastic microenvironments will be emerging as promising strategy to treat desmoplastic tumors. However, due to the complexity of microenvironments and the heterogeneity of CAFs in such tumors, an effective deliver system should be fully considered when designing the strategy of targeting CAFs mediated microenvironments. Engineered exosomes own powerful intercellular communication, cargoes delivery, penetration and targeted property of desired sites, which endow them with powerful theranostic potential in desmoplastic tumors. Here, we illustrate the significance of CAFs in tumors desmoplastic microenvironments and the theranostic potential of engineered exosomes targeting CAFs mediated desmoplastic microenvironments in next generation personalized nano-drugs development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxia Xue
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Xiangpeng Wang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Mingshi Pang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Liuchunyang Yu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Jinxiu Qian
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Xiaoyu Li
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Meng Tian
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Cheng Lu
- Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Cheng Xiao
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, China.
| | - Yuanyan Liu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
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Kranjčević JK, Čonkaš J, Ozretić P. The Role of Estrogen and Estrogen Receptors in Head and Neck Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1575. [PMID: 38672656 PMCID: PMC11049451 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16081575] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common histological form of head and neck tumors (HNTs), which originate from the epithelium of the lips and oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, salivary glands, nasal cavity, and sinuses. The main risk factors include consumption of tobacco in all forms and alcohol, as well as infections with high-risk human papillomaviruses or the Epstein-Barr virus. Regardless of the etiological agent, the risk of developing different types of HNTs is from two to more than six times higher in males than in females. The reason for such disparities probably lies in a combination of both biological and psychosocial factors. Therefore, it is hypothesized that exposure to female sex hormones, primarily estrogen, provides women with protection against the formation and metastasis of HNTs. In this review, we synthesized available knowledge on the role of estrogen and estrogen receptors (ERs) in the development and progression of HNTs, with special emphasis on membrane ERs, which are much less studied. We can summarize that in addition to epidemiologic studies unequivocally pointing to the protective effect of estrogen in women, an increased expression of both nuclear ERs, ERα, and ERβ, and membrane ERs, ERα36, GPER1, and NaV1.2, was present in different types of HNSCC, for which anti-estrogens could be used as an effective therapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Petar Ozretić
- Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer, Division of Molecular Medicine, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia (J.Č.)
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Gou Z, Li J, Liu J, Yang N. The hidden messengers: cancer associated fibroblasts-derived exosomal miRNAs as key regulators of cancer malignancy. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1378302. [PMID: 38694824 PMCID: PMC11061421 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1378302] [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: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), a class of stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME), play a key role in controlling cancer cell invasion and metastasis, immune evasion, angiogenesis, and resistance to chemotherapy. CAFs mediate their activities by secreting soluble chemicals, releasing exosomes, and altering the extracellular matrix (ECM). Exosomes contain various biomolecules, such as nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins. microRNA (miRNA), a 22-26 nucleotide non-coding RNA, can regulate the cellular transcription processes. Studies have shown that miRNA-loaded exosomes secreted by CAFs engage in various regulatory communication networks with other TME constituents. This study focused on the roles of CAF-derived exosomal miRNAs in generating cancer malignant characteristics, including immune modulation, tumor growth, migration and invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and treatment resistance. This study thoroughly examines miRNA's dual regulatory roles in promoting and suppressing cancer. Thus, changes in the CAF-derived exosomal miRNAs can be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of patients, and their specificity can be used to develop newer therapies. This review also discusses the pressing problems that require immediate attention, aiming to inspire researchers to explore more novel avenues in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zixuan Gou
- Bethune First Clinical School of Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jiannan Li
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jianming Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Na Yang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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Wu Z, Zang Y, Li C, He Z, Liu J, Du Z, Ma X, Jing L, Duan H, Feng J, Yan X. CD146, a therapeutic target involved in cell plasticity. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2024:10.1007/s11427-023-2521-x. [PMID: 38613742 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-023-2521-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Since its identification as a marker for advanced melanoma in the 1980s, CD146 has been found to have multiple functions in both physiological and pathological processes, including embryonic development, tissue repair and regeneration, tumor progression, fibrosis disease, and inflammations. Subsequent research has revealed that CD146 is involved in various signaling pathways as a receptor or co-receptor in these processes. This correlation between CD146 and multiple diseases has sparked interest in its potential applications in diagnosis, prognosis, and targeted therapy. To better comprehend the versatile roles of CD146, we have summarized its research history and synthesized findings from numerous reports, proposing that cell plasticity serves as the underlying mechanism through which CD146 contributes to development, regeneration, and various diseases. Targeting CD146 would consequently halt cell state shifting during the onset and progression of these related diseases. Therefore, the development of therapy targeting CD146 holds significant practical value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Wu
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yuzhe Zang
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chuyi Li
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhiheng He
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jingyu Liu
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhaoqi Du
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xinran Ma
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lin Jing
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Hongxia Duan
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Nanozyme Laboratory in Zhongyuan, Henan Academy of Innovations in Medical Science, Zhengzhou, 451163, China.
| | - Jing Feng
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Xiyun Yan
- CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Nanozyme Laboratory in Zhongyuan, Henan Academy of Innovations in Medical Science, Zhengzhou, 451163, China.
- Joint Laboratory of Nanozymes in Zhengzhou University, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
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Gao Z, Zhang N, An B, Li D, Fang Z, Xu D. Comprehensive analyses of the cancer-associated fibroblast subtypes and their score system for prediction of outcomes and immunosuppressive microenvironment in prostate cancer. Cancer Cell Int 2024; 24:127. [PMID: 38580966 PMCID: PMC10996219 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-024-03305-5] [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: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) drive cancer progression and treatment failure on one hand, while their tumor-restraining functions are also observed on the other. Recent single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analyses demonstrates heterogeneity of CAFs and defines molecular subtypes of CAFs, which help explain their different functions. However, it remains unclear whether these CAF subtypes have the same or different biological/clinical implications in prostate cancer (PCa) or other malignancies. METHODS PCa cells were incubated with supernatant from normal fibroblasts and CAFs to assess their effects on cell behaviors. Sequencing, genomic, and clinical data were collected from TCGA, MSKCC, CPGEA and GEO databases. CAF molecular subtypes and total CAF scores were constructed and grouped into low and high groups based on CAF-specific gene expression. Progression free interval (PFI), clinicopathological features, telomere length, immune cell infiltration, drug treatment and somatic mutations were compared among CAF molecular subtypes and low/high score groups. RESULTS The PCa CAF-derived supernatant promoted PCa cell proliferation and invasion. Based on differentially expressed genes identified by scRNA-seq analyses, we classified CAFs into 6 molecular subtypes in PCa tumors, and each subtype was then categorized into score-high and low groups according to the subtype-specific gene expression level. Such score models in 6 CAF subtypes all predicted PFI. Telomeres were significantly shorter in high-score tumors. The total CAF score from 6 CAF subtypes was also associated with PFI in PCa patients inversely, which was consistent with results from cellular experiments. Immunosuppressive microenvironment occurred more frequently in tumors with a high CAF score, which was characterized by increased CTLA4 expression and indicated better responses to CTLA4 inhibitors. Moreover, this model can also serve as a useful PFI predictor in pan-cancers. CONCLUSION By combining scRNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq data analyses, we develop a CAF subtype score system as a prognostic factor for PCa and other cancer types. This model system also helps distinguish different immune-suppressive mechanisms in PCa, suggesting its implications in predicting response to immunotherapy. Thus, the present findings should contribute to personalized PCa intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze Gao
- Department of Urology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
- Institute of Andrology, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Bingzheng An
- Department of Urology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Dawei Li
- Department of Urology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
- Institute of Andrology, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China
| | - Zhiqing Fang
- Department of Urology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
- Institute of Andrology, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
| | - Dawei Xu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Bioclinicum, Karolinska Institute and, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Stockholm, SE-17176, Sweden.
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Pietras K, Sjölund J. Cellular plasticity in the breast cancer ecosystem. Ups J Med Sci 2024; 129:10629. [PMID: 38571887 PMCID: PMC10989214 DOI: 10.48101/ujms.v129.10629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The complex interplay between genetically diverse tumor cells and their microenvironment significantly influences cancer progression and therapeutic responses. This review highlights recent findings on cellular plasticity and heterogeneity within the breast cancer ecosystem, focusing on the roles of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). We discuss evidence suggesting that breast cancer cells exhibit phenotypic plasticity driven by both intrinsic genetic factors and external microenvironmental cues, impacting treatment responses and disease recurrence. Moreover, single-cell RNA sequencing studies reveal diverse subtypes of CAFs and TAMs, each with distinct functional gene expression programs and spatial organization within the tumor microenvironment. Understanding the hierarchical relationships and niche cues governing cellular phenotypes offers new opportunities for targeted therapeutic interventions. By elucidating the organizational principles of the tumor ecosystem, future therapies may target phenotypic states or entire cellular niches, advancing precision medicine approaches in breast cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Pietras
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jonas Sjölund
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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11
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Reid SE, Pantaleo J, Bolivar P, Bocci M, Sjölund J, Morsing M, Cordero E, Larsson S, Malmberg M, Seashore-Ludlow B, Pietras K. Cancer-associated fibroblasts rewire the estrogen receptor response in luminal breast cancer, enabling estrogen independence. Oncogene 2024; 43:1113-1126. [PMID: 38388711 PMCID: PMC10997519 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-024-02973-x] [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: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Advanced breast cancers represent a major therapeutic challenge due to their refractoriness to treatment. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the most abundant constituents of the tumor microenvironment and have been linked to most hallmarks of cancer. However, the influence of CAFs on therapeutic outcome remains largely unchartered. Here, we reveal that spatial coincidence of abundant CAF infiltration with malignant cells was associated with reduced estrogen receptor (ER)-α expression and activity in luminal breast tumors. Notably, CAFs mediated estrogen-independent tumor growth by selectively regulating ER-α signaling. Whereas most prototypical estrogen-responsive genes were suppressed, CAFs maintained gene expression related to therapeutic resistance, basal-like differentiation, and invasion. A functional drug screen in co-cultures identified effector pathways involved in the CAF-induced regulation of ER-α signaling. Among these, the Transforming Growth Factor-β and the Janus kinase signaling cascades were validated as actionable targets to counteract the CAF-induced modulation of ER-α activity. Finally, genes that were downregulated in cancer cells by CAFs were predictive of poor response to endocrine treatment. In conclusion, our work reveals that CAFs directly control the luminal breast cancer phenotype by selectively modulating ER-α expression and transcriptional function, and further proposes novel targets to disrupt the crosstalk between CAFs and tumor cells to reinstate treatment response to endocrine therapy in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven E Reid
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jessica Pantaleo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Paulina Bolivar
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Matteo Bocci
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jonas Sjölund
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Mikkel Morsing
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Eugenia Cordero
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Sara Larsson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria Malmberg
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Brinton Seashore-Ludlow
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, SciLifeLab, Stockholm, Sweden
- Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden (CBCS), Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kristian Pietras
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
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12
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Oliphant MUJ, Akshinthala D, Muthuswamy SK. Establishing conditions for the generation and maintenance of estrogen receptor-positive organoid models of breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res 2024; 26:56. [PMID: 38553763 PMCID: PMC10979603 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-024-01798-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Patient-derived organoid models of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer would provide a much-needed tool to understand drug resistance and disease progression better. However, the establishment and long-term maintenance of ER expression, function, and response in vitro remains a significant challenge. Here, we report the development of an ER+ breast tumor organoid medium (BTOM-ER) that conserves ER expression, estrogen responsiveness, and dependence, as well as sensitivity to endocrine therapy of ER+ patient-derived xenograft organoids (PDXO). Our findings demonstrate the utility of subtype-specific culture conditions that better mimic the characteristics of the breast epithelial biology and microenvironment, providing a powerful platform for investigating therapy response and disease progression of ER+ breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael U J Oliphant
- Department of Cell Biology and Ludwig Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dipikaa Akshinthala
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center For Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Senthil K Muthuswamy
- Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Center For Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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13
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Lujano Olazaba O, Farrow J, Monkkonen T. Fibroblast heterogeneity and functions: insights from single-cell sequencing in wound healing, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and melanoma. Front Genet 2024; 15:1304853. [PMID: 38525245 PMCID: PMC10957653 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2024.1304853] [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: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer has been described as the wound that does not heal, in large part due to fibroblast involvement. Activation of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) contributes to critical features of the tumor microenvironment, including upregulation of key marker proteins, recruitment of immune cells, and deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM)-similar to fibroblast activation in injury-induced wound healing. Prior to the widespread availability of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA seq), studies of CAFs or fibroblasts in wound healing largely relied on models guided by individual fibroblast markers, or methods with less resolution to unravel the heterogeneous nature of CAFs and wound healing fibroblasts (especially regarding scarring outcome). Here, insights from the enhanced resolution provided by scRNA sequencing of fibroblasts in normal wound healing, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and melanoma are discussed. These data have revealed differences in expression of established canonical activation marker genes, epigenetic modifications, fibroblast lineages, new gene and proteins of clinical interest for further experimentation, and novel signaling interactions with other cell types that include spatial information.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Teresa Monkkonen
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
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14
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Galbo PM, Madsen AT, Liu Y, Peng M, Wei Y, Ciesielski MJ, Fenstermaker RA, Graff S, Montagna C, Segall JE, Sidoli S, Zang X, Zheng D. Functional Contribution and Clinical Implication of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Glioblastoma. Clin Cancer Res 2024; 30:865-876. [PMID: 38060213 PMCID: PMC10922678 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-23-0493] [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: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The abundance and biological contribution of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) in glioblastoma (GBM) are poorly understood. Here, we aim to uncover its molecular signature, cellular roles, and potential tumorigenesis implications. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We first applied single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and bioinformatics analysis to identify and characterize stromal cells with CAF transcriptomic features in human GBM tumors. Then, we performed functional enrichment analysis and in vitro assays to investigate their interactions with malignant GBM cells. RESULTS We found that CAF abundance was low but significantly correlated with tumor grade, poor clinical outcome, and activation of extracellular matrix remodeling using three large cohorts containing bulk RNA-seq data and clinical information. Proteomic analysis of a GBM-derived CAF line and its secretome revealed fibronectin (FN1) as a critical candidate factor mediating CAF functions. This was validated using in vitro cellular models, which demonstrated that CAF-conditioned media and recombinant FN1 could facilitate the migration and invasion of GBM cells. In addition, we showed that CAFs were more abundant in the mesenchymal-like state (or subtype) than in other states of GBMs. Interestingly, cell lines resembling the proneural state responded to the CAF signaling better for the migratory and invasive phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS Overall, this study characterized the molecular features and functional impacts of CAFs in GBM, alluding to novel cell interactions mediated by CAFs in the GBM microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip M. Galbo
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Anne Tranberg Madsen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Mou Peng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Yao Wei
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Michael J Ciesielski
- Department of Neurosurgery, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY
| | | | - Sarah Graff
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Cristina Montagna
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | - Jeffrey E. Segall
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Simone Sidoli
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Xingxing Zang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
- Department of Urology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
| | - Deyou Zheng
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
- Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
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15
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Bigos KJA, Quiles CG, Lunj S, Smith DJ, Krause M, Troost EGC, West CM, Hoskin P, Choudhury A. Tumour response to hypoxia: understanding the hypoxic tumour microenvironment to improve treatment outcome in solid tumours. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1331355. [PMID: 38352889 PMCID: PMC10861654 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1331355] [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: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia is a common feature of solid tumours affecting their biology and response to therapy. One of the main transcription factors activated by hypoxia is hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), which regulates the expression of genes involved in various aspects of tumourigenesis including proliferative capacity, angiogenesis, immune evasion, metabolic reprogramming, extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling, and cell migration. This can negatively impact patient outcomes by inducing therapeutic resistance. The importance of hypoxia is clearly demonstrated by continued research into finding clinically relevant hypoxia biomarkers, and hypoxia-targeting therapies. One of the problems is the lack of clinically applicable methods of hypoxia detection, and lack of standardisation. Additionally, a lot of the methods of detecting hypoxia do not take into consideration the complexity of the hypoxic tumour microenvironment (TME). Therefore, this needs further elucidation as approximately 50% of solid tumours are hypoxic. The ECM is important component of the hypoxic TME, and is developed by both cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and tumour cells. However, it is important to distinguish the different roles to develop both biomarkers and novel compounds. Fibronectin (FN), collagen (COL) and hyaluronic acid (HA) are important components of the ECM that create ECM fibres. These fibres are crosslinked by specific enzymes including lysyl oxidase (LOX) which regulates the stiffness of tumours and induces fibrosis. This is partially regulated by HIFs. The review highlights the importance of understanding the role of matrix stiffness in different solid tumours as current data shows contradictory results on the impact on therapeutic resistance. The review also indicates that further research is needed into identifying different CAF subtypes and their exact roles; with some showing pro-tumorigenic capacity and others having anti-tumorigenic roles. This has made it difficult to fully elucidate the role of CAFs within the TME. However, it is clear that this is an important area of research that requires unravelling as current strategies to target CAFs have resulted in worsened prognosis. The role of immune cells within the tumour microenvironment is also discussed as hypoxia has been associated with modulating immune cells to create an anti-tumorigenic environment. Which has led to the development of immunotherapies including PD-L1. These hypoxia-induced changes can confer resistance to conventional therapies, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the impact of hypoxia on the TME and its implications for therapy resistance. It also discusses the potential of hypoxia biomarkers as prognostic and predictive indictors of treatment response, as well as the challenges and opportunities of targeting hypoxia in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamilla JA. Bigos
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Conrado G. Quiles
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Sapna Lunj
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Danielle J. Smith
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Mechthild Krause
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), partner site Dresden and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- OncoRay – National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiooncology and Clinical Radiotherapy, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiation Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiooncology and Clinical Radiotherapy and Image-guided High Precision Radiotherapy, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiooncology and Clinical Radiotherapy and Image-guided High Precision Radiotherapy, Helmholtz Association / Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- School of Medicine, Technische Universitat Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Esther GC. Troost
- OncoRay – National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiation Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiooncology and Clinical Radiotherapy and Image-guided High Precision Radiotherapy, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Translational Radiooncology and Clinical Radiotherapy and Image-guided High Precision Radiotherapy, Helmholtz Association / Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden - Rossendorf (HZDR), Dresden, Germany
- School of Medicine, Technische Universitat Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Institute of Radiooncology – OncoRay, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Rossendorf, Germany
| | - Catharine M. West
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Christie Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Hoskin
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, Northwood, United Kingdom
| | - Ananya Choudhury
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, Germany
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16
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Lyu SI, Johannsen J, Simon AG, Knipper K, Wuerdemann N, Sharma SJ, Thelen M, Hansen KK, Fretter C, Klasen C, Esser J, Suchan MC, Abing H, Zimmermann PH, Schultheis AM, Schloesser HA, Klussmann JP, Quaas A, Eckel HNC. Co-expression patterns of cancer associated fibroblast markers reveal distinct subgroups related to patient survival in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1337361. [PMID: 38328551 PMCID: PMC10847231 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1337361] [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: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: The incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is rapidly increasing in high income countries due to its association with persistent high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. Recent scientific advances have highlighted the importance of the tumor microenvironment in OPSCC. In this study, including 216 OPSCC patients, we analyze the composition of four established markers of cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the context of intratumoral CD8 T-cell infiltration. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining for fibroblast activation protein (FAP), platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRb), periostin, alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and CD8 were analyzed digitally and their association with survival, tumor- and patient characteristics was assessed. Results: Co-expression of CAF markers was frequent but not associated with HPV status. FAPhigh and PDGFRbhigh expression were associated with increased CD8 T-cell infiltration. Low expression of PDGFRb improved patient survival in female patients but not in male patients. We identified PDGFRblow periostinlow α-SMAlow status as an independent predictor of improved survival (hazard ratio 0.377, p = 0.006). Conclusion: These findings elucidate the co-expression of four established CAF markers in OPSCC and underscore their association with T-cell infiltration and patient survival. Future analyses of CAF subgroups in OPSCC may enable the development of individualized therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Ir Lyu
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jannik Johannsen
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Adrian Georg Simon
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Karl Knipper
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nora Wuerdemann
- Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Shachi Jenny Sharma
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Martin Thelen
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kevin Karl Hansen
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Caroline Fretter
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Charlotte Klasen
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Julia Esser
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Malte Christian Suchan
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Helen Abing
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Philipp Heinrich Zimmermann
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Anne Maria Schultheis
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hans Anton Schloesser
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jens Peter Klussmann
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alexander Quaas
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hans Nikolaus Caspar Eckel
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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17
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Zheng J, Hao H. The importance of cancer-associated fibroblasts in targeted therapies and drug resistance in breast cancer. Front Oncol 2024; 13:1333839. [PMID: 38273859 PMCID: PMC10810416 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1333839] [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: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a substantial role in the tumor microenvironment, exhibiting a strong association with the advancement of various types of cancer, including breast, pancreatic, and prostate cancer. CAFs represent the most abundant mesenchymal cell population in breast cancer. Through diverse mechanisms, including the release of cytokines and exosomes, CAFs contribute to the progression of breast cancer by influencing tumor energy metabolism, promoting angiogenesis, impairing immune cell function, and remodeling the extracellular matrix. Moreover, CAFs considerably impact the response to treatment in breast cancer. Consequently, the development of interventions targeting CAFs has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach in the management of breast cancer. This article provides an analysis of the role of CAFs in breast cancer, specifically in relation to diagnosis, treatment, drug resistance, and prognosis. The paper succinctly outlines the diverse mechanisms through which CAFs contribute to the malignant behavior of breast cancer cells, including proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance. Furthermore, the article emphasizes the potential of CAFs as valuable tools for early diagnosis, targeted therapy, treatment resistance, and prognosis assessment in breast cancer, thereby offering novel approaches for targeted therapy and overcoming treatment resistance in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hua Hao
- Department of Pathology, Yangpu Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
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18
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Anajafi S, Paryan M, Khoshnazar A, Soleimani M, Mohammadi-Yeganeh S. miRNAs Delivery for Cancer-associated Fibroblasts' Activation and Drug Resistance in Cancer Microenvironment. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets 2024; 24:333-347. [PMID: 37612874 DOI: 10.2174/1871530323666230823094556] [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: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) as a major component of cancer stroma contribute to diverse procedures of most solid tumors and might be a targeted cancer therapy approach. Their specified features, related signaling pathways, distinct biomarkers, and sub-populations need to be deciphered. There is a need for CAF extraction or induction for in vitro investigations. Some miRNAs could activate CAF-like phenotype and they also interfere in CAF-mediated drug resistance, aggressiveness, and metastatic behaviors of several cancer cell types. Due to the complex relevance of miRNA and CAFs, these non-coding oligonucleotides may serve as attractive scope for anti-cancer targeted therapies, but the lack of an efficient delivery system is still a major hurdle. Here, we have summarized the investigated information on CAF features, isolation, and induction procedures, and highlighted the miRNA-CAF communications, providing special insight into nano-delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Anajafi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Paryan
- Department of Research and Development, Production and Research Complex, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amineh Khoshnazar
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masoud Soleimani
- Medical Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samira Mohammadi-Yeganeh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Medical Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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19
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Kashyap D, Bhattacharya S, Irinike S, Khare S, Das A, Singh G, Bal A. Cancer associated fibroblasts modulate the cytotoxicity of anti-cancer drugs in breast cancer: An in vitro study. Breast Dis 2024; 43:25-36. [PMID: 38517765 DOI: 10.3233/bd-230011] [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] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumour microenvironment (TME) contributes to resistance to anti-cancer drugs through multiple mechanisms including secretion of pro-survival factors by cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs). In this study, we determined the chemotherapy resistance producing potential of CAFs in molecular subtypes of breast cancer. METHODS The CAFs were isolated from fresh lumpectomy/mastectomy specimens of different molecular subtypes of breast cancer. The CAFs were cultured and secretome was collected from each breast cancer subtype. Breast cancer cell lines MCF-7, SK-BR3, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-468 were treated with different doses of tamoxifen, trastuzumab, cisplatin, and doxorubicin alone respectively and in combination with secretome of CAFs from respective subtypes. MTT assay was done to check cell death after drug treatment. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS) analysis of CAF secretome was also done. RESULTS MTT assay showed that anti-cancer drugs alone had growth inhibitory effect on the cancer cells however, presence of CAF secretome reduced the anti-cancer effect of the drugs. Resistant to drugs in the presence of secretome, was determined by increased cell viability i.e., MCF-7, 51.02% to 63.02%; SK-BR-3, 34.22% to 44.88%; MDA-MB-231, 52.59% to 78.63%; and MDA-MB-468, 48.92% to 55.08%. LCMS analysis of the secretome showed the differential abundance of CAFs secreted proteins across breast cancer subtypes. CONCLUSIONS The treatment of breast cancer cell lines with anti-cancer drugs in combination with secretome isolated from molecular subtype specific CAFs, reduced the cytotoxic effect of the drugs. In addition, LCMS data also highlighted different composition of secreted proteins from different breast cancer associated fibroblasts. Thus, TME has heterogenous population of CAFs across the breast cancer subtypes and in vitro experiments highlight their contribution to chemotherapy resistance which needs further validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dharambir Kashyap
- Department of Histopathology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Sector-12, Chandigarh, India
| | - Shalmoli Bhattacharya
- Department of Biophysics, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Sector-12, Chandigarh, India
| | - Santosh Irinike
- Department of General Surgery, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Sector-12, Chandigarh, India
| | - Siddhant Khare
- Department of General Surgery, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Sector-12, Chandigarh, India
| | - Ashim Das
- Department of Histopathology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Sector-12, Chandigarh, India
| | - Gurpreet Singh
- Department of General Surgery, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Sector-12, Chandigarh, India
| | - Amanjit Bal
- Department of Histopathology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Sector-12, Chandigarh, India
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20
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Sitte Z, Miranda Buzetta AA, Jones SJ, Lin ZW, Whitman NA, Lockett MR. Paper-Based Coculture Platform to Evaluate the Effects of Fibroblasts on Estrogen Signaling in ER+ Breast Cancers. ACS MEASUREMENT SCIENCE AU 2023; 3:479-487. [PMID: 38145029 PMCID: PMC10740124 DOI: 10.1021/acsmeasuresciau.3c00032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Cell-based assays enable molecular-level studies of cellular responses to drug candidates or potential toxins. Transactivation assays quantify the activation or inhibition of nuclear receptors, key transcriptional regulators of gene targets in mamalian cells. One such assay couples the expression of luciferase to the transcriptional activity of estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα). While this assay is regularly used to screen for agonists and antagonists of the estrogen signaling pathway, the setup relies on monolayer cultures in which cells are plated directly onto the surface of cell-compatible plasticware. The tumor microenvironment is more than a collection of cancerous cells and is profoundly influenced by tissue architecture, the presence of extracellular matrices, and intercellular signaling molecules produced by non-cancerous neighboring cells (e.g., fibroblasts). There exists a need for three-dimensional culture platforms that can be rapidly prototyped to assess new configurations and readily produced in the large numbers needed for translational studies and screening applications. Here, we demonstrate the utility of the paper-based culture platform to probe the effects of intercellular signaling between two cell types. We used paper scaffolds to generate tumor-like environments, forming a defined volume of breast cancer cells suspended in collagen. By placing the paper scaffolds in commercial 96-well plates, we compared monocultures of only breast cancer cells with coculture configurations containing fibroblasts in different locations that mimicked the stages of breast cancer progression. We show that ERα transactivation in the T47D-KBluc cell line is affected by the presence, number, and proximity of fibroblasts, and is a consequence of intercellular signaling molecules. After screening a small library of fibroblast-secreted signaling molecules, we showed that interleukin-6 (IL-6) was the primary driver of reduced estradiol sensitivity. These effects were mitigated in the coculture configurations by the addition of an IL-6 neutralizing antibody. We also assessed estrogen receptor expression and transcriptional regulation, further demonstrating the utility of the paper-based platform for detailed mechanistic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary
R. Sitte
- Department
of Chemistry, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, Kenan and Caudill Laboratories, 125 South Road, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
| | - Abel Andre Miranda Buzetta
- Department
of Chemistry, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, Kenan and Caudill Laboratories, 125 South Road, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
| | - Sarina J. Jones
- Department
of Chemistry, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, Kenan and Caudill Laboratories, 125 South Road, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
| | - Zhi-Wei Lin
- Department
of Chemistry, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, Kenan and Caudill Laboratories, 125 South Road, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
| | - Nathan Ashbrook Whitman
- Department
of Chemistry, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, Kenan and Caudill Laboratories, 125 South Road, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
| | - Matthew R. Lockett
- Department
of Chemistry, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, Kenan and Caudill Laboratories, 125 South Road, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
- Lineberger
Comprehensive Cancer Center, University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 450 West Drive, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7295, United States
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21
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Wang G, Zhang H, Shen X, Jin W, Wang X, Zhou Z. Characterization of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and development of a CAF-based risk model for triple-negative breast cancer. Cancer Cell Int 2023; 23:294. [PMID: 38007443 PMCID: PMC10676599 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-023-03152-w] [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: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast Cancer (TNBC) is a highly malignant cancer with unclear pathogenesis. Within the tumor microenvironment (TME), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) vitally influence tumor onset and progression. Thus, this research aimed to identify distinct subgroups of CAF using single-cell and TNBC-related information from the GEO and TCGA databases, respectively. The primary aim was to establish a novel predictive model based on the CAF features and their clinical relevance. Moreover, the CAFs were analyzed for their immune characteristics, response to immunotherapy, and sensitivity to different drugs. The developed predictive model demonstrated significant effectiveness in determining the prognosis of patients with TNBC, TME, and the immune landscape of the tumor. Of note, the expression of GPR34 was significantly higher in TNBC tissues compared to that in other breast cancer (non-TNBC) tissues, indicating that GPR34 plays a crucial role in the onset and progression of TNBC. In summary, this research has yielded a novel predictive model for TNBC that holds promise for the accurate prediction of prognosis and response to immunotherapy in patients with TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganggang Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, Shanghai, 201399, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, Shanghai, 201399, China
| | - Xiaowei Shen
- Department of General Surgery, Qingpu Branch of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenzhi Jin
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, Shanghai, 201399, China
| | - Xiaoliang Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, Shanghai, 201399, China.
| | - Zhijie Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University Pudong Medical Center, Shanghai, 201399, China.
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22
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Zhang W, Wang J, Liu C, Li Y, Sun C, Wu J, Wu Q. Crosstalk and plasticity driving between cancer-associated fibroblasts and tumor microenvironment: significance of breast cancer metastasis. J Transl Med 2023; 21:827. [PMID: 37978384 PMCID: PMC10657029 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04714-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the most abundant stromal cell population in breast tumors. A functionally diverse population of CAFs increases the dynamic complexity of the tumor microenvironment (TME). The intertwined network of the TME facilitates the interaction between activated CAFs and breast cancer cells, which can lead to the proliferation and invasion of breast cells. Considering the special transmission function of CAFs, the aim of this review is to summarize and highlight the crosstalk between CAFs and breast cancer cells in the TME as well as the relationship between CAFs and extracellular matrix (ECM), soluble cytokines, and other stromal cells in the metastatic state. The crosstalk between cancer-associated fibroblasts and tumor microenvironment also provides a plastic therapeutic target for breast cancer metastasis. In the course of the study, the inhibitory effects of different natural compounds on targeting CAFs and the advantages of different drug combinations were summarized. CAFs are also widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. The cumulative research on this phenomenon supports the establishment of a targeted immune microenvironment as a possible breakthrough in the prevention of invasive metastasis of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, and Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, 999078, Macau, China
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261000, China
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China
| | - Jia Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, and Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, 999078, Macau, China
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China
| | - Cun Liu
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261000, China
| | - Ye Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, and Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, 999078, Macau, China
| | - Changgang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, and Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, 999078, Macau, China.
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261000, China.
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang, 261000, China.
| | - Jibiao Wu
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China.
| | - Qibiao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, and Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, 999078, Macau, China.
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23
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Portillo AL, Monteiro JK, Rojas EA, Ritchie TM, Gillgrass A, Ashkar AA. Charting a killer course to the solid tumor: strategies to recruit and activate NK cells in the tumor microenvironment. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1286750. [PMID: 38022679 PMCID: PMC10663242 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1286750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to expand and activate natural Killer (NK) cells ex vivo has dramatically changed the landscape in the development of novel adoptive cell therapies for treating cancer over the last decade. NK cells have become a key player for cancer immunotherapy due to their innate ability to kill malignant cells while not harming healthy cells, allowing their potential use as an "off-the-shelf" product. Furthermore, recent advancements in NK cell genetic engineering methods have enabled the efficient generation of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing NK cells that can exert both CAR-dependent and antigen-independent killing. Clinically, CAR-NK cells have shown promising efficacy and safety for treating CD19-expressing hematologic malignancies. While the number of pre-clinical studies using CAR-NK cells continues to expand, it is evident that solid tumors pose a unique challenge to NK cell-based adoptive cell therapies. Major barriers for efficacy include low NK cell trafficking and infiltration into solid tumor sites, low persistence, and immunosuppression by the harsh solid tumor microenvironment (TME). In this review we discuss the barriers posed by the solid tumor that prevent immune cell trafficking and NK cell effector functions. We then discuss promising strategies to enhance NK cell infiltration into solid tumor sites and activation within the TME. This includes NK cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms such as NK cell engineering to resist TME-mediated inhibition and use of tumor-targeted agents such as oncolytic viruses expressing chemoattracting and activating payloads. We then discuss opportunities and challenges for using combination therapies to extend NK cell therapies for the treatment of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L. Portillo
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Jonathan K. Monteiro
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Eduardo A. Rojas
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Tyrah M. Ritchie
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Amy Gillgrass
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Ali A. Ashkar
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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24
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Cohn DE, Forder A, Marshall EA, Vucic EA, Stewart GL, Noureddine K, Lockwood WW, MacAulay CE, Guillaud M, Lam WL. Delineating spatial cell-cell interactions in the solid tumour microenvironment through the lens of highly multiplexed imaging. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1275890. [PMID: 37936700 PMCID: PMC10627006 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1275890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The growth and metastasis of solid tumours is known to be facilitated by the tumour microenvironment (TME), which is composed of a highly diverse collection of cell types that interact and communicate with one another extensively. Many of these interactions involve the immune cell population within the TME, referred to as the tumour immune microenvironment (TIME). These non-cell autonomous interactions exert substantial influence over cell behaviour and contribute to the reprogramming of immune and stromal cells into numerous pro-tumourigenic phenotypes. The study of some of these interactions, such as the PD-1/PD-L1 axis that induces CD8+ T cell exhaustion, has led to the development of breakthrough therapeutic advances. Yet many common analyses of the TME either do not retain the spatial data necessary to assess cell-cell interactions, or interrogate few (<10) markers, limiting the capacity for cell phenotyping. Recently developed digital pathology technologies, together with sophisticated bioimage analysis programs, now enable the high-resolution, highly-multiplexed analysis of diverse immune and stromal cell markers within the TME of clinical specimens. In this article, we review the tumour-promoting non-cell autonomous interactions in the TME and their impact on tumour behaviour. We additionally survey commonly used image analysis programs and highly-multiplexed spatial imaging technologies, and we discuss their relative advantages and limitations. The spatial organization of the TME varies enormously between patients, and so leveraging these technologies in future studies to further characterize how non-cell autonomous interactions impact tumour behaviour may inform the personalization of cancer treatment..
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Affiliation(s)
- David E. Cohn
- Department of Integrative Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Aisling Forder
- Department of Integrative Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Erin A. Marshall
- Department of Integrative Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Emily A. Vucic
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Greg L. Stewart
- Department of Integrative Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kouther Noureddine
- Department of Integrative Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - William W. Lockwood
- Department of Integrative Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Calum E. MacAulay
- Department of Integrative Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Martial Guillaud
- Department of Integrative Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Wan L. Lam
- Department of Integrative Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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25
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Yuan J, Yang L, Li Z, Zhang H, Wang Q, Huang J, Wang B, Mohan CD, Sethi G, Wang G. The role of the tumor microenvironment in endocrine therapy resistance in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1261283. [PMID: 37900137 PMCID: PMC10611521 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1261283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Endocrine therapy is the prominent strategy for the treatment of hormone-positive breast cancers. The emergence of resistance to endocrine therapy is a major health concern among hormone-positive breast cancer patients. Resistance to endocrine therapy demands the design of newer therapeutic strategies. The understanding of underlying molecular mechanisms of endocrine resistance, components of the tumor microenvironment (TME), and interaction of resistant breast cancer cells with the cellular/acellular components of the intratumoral environment are essential to formulate new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of endocrine therapy-resistant breast cancers. In the first half of the article, we have discussed the general mechanisms (including mutations in estrogen receptor gene, reregulated activation of signaling pathways, epigenetic changes, and cell cycle alteration) responsible for endocrine therapy resistance in hormone-positive breast cancers. In the latter half, we have emphasized the precise role of cellular (cancer-associated fibroblasts, immune cells, and cancer stem cells) and acellular components (collagen, fibronectin, and laminin) of TME in the development of endocrine resistance in hormone-positive breast cancers. In sum, the article provides an overview of the relationship between endocrine resistance and TME in hormone-positive breast cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yuan
- Department of Endocrine and Vascular Surgery, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Li Yang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China
| | - Zhi Li
- Department of Endocrine and Vascular Surgery, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- Department of Endocrine and Vascular Surgery, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China
| | - Qun Wang
- Department of Endocrine and Vascular Surgery, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China
| | - Jun Huang
- Department of Endocrine and Vascular Surgery, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China
| | - Bei Wang
- Department of Endocrine and Vascular Surgery, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China
| | - Chakrabhavi Dhananjaya Mohan
- Department of Studies in Molecular Biology, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore Karnataka, India
- FEST Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Gautam Sethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Geng Wang
- Department of Endocrine and Vascular Surgery, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China
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26
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Oliphant MU, Akshinthala D, Muthuswamy SK. Establishing conditions for the generation and maintenance of estrogen receptor-positive organoid models of breast cancer. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3341539. [PMID: 37886440 PMCID: PMC10602055 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3341539/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Patient-derived organoid models of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer would provide a much-needed tool to understand drug resistance and disease progression better. However, the establishment and long-term maintenance of ER expression, function, and response in vitro remains a significant challenge. Here, we report the development of an ER+ breast tumor organoid medium (BTOM-ER) that conserves ER expression, estrogen responsiveness, and dependence, as well as sensitivity to endocrine therapy of ER+ patient-derived xenograft organoids (PDXO). Our findings demonstrate the utility of subtype-specific culture conditions that better mimic the characteristics of the breast epithelial biology and microenvironment, providing a powerful platform for investigating therapy response and disease progression of ER+ breast cancer.
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27
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Atallah NM, Wahab N, Toss MS, Makhlouf S, Ibrahim AY, Lashen AG, Ghannam S, Mongan NP, Jahanifar M, Graham S, Bilal M, Bhalerao A, Ahmed Raza SE, Snead D, Minhas F, Rajpoot N, Rakha E. Deciphering the Morphology of Tumor-Stromal Features in Invasive Breast Cancer Using Artificial Intelligence. Mod Pathol 2023; 36:100254. [PMID: 37380057 DOI: 10.1016/j.modpat.2023.100254] [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: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Tumor-associated stroma in breast cancer (BC) is complex and exhibits a high degree of heterogeneity. To date, no standardized assessment method has been established. Artificial intelligence (AI) could provide an objective morphologic assessment of tumors and stroma, with the potential to identify new features not discernible by visual microscopy. In this study, we used AI to assess the clinical significance of (1) stroma-to-tumor ratio (S:TR) and (2) the spatial arrangement of stromal cells, tumor cell density, and tumor burden in BC. Whole-slide images of a large cohort (n = 1968) of well-characterized luminal BC cases were examined. Region and cell-level annotation was performed, and supervised deep learning models were applied for automated quantification of tumor and stromal features. S:TR was calculated in terms of surface area and cell count ratio, and the S:TR heterogeneity and spatial distribution were also assessed. Tumor cell density and tumor size were used to estimate tumor burden. Cases were divided into discovery (n = 1027) and test (n = 941) sets for validation of the findings. In the whole cohort, the stroma-to-tumor mean surface area ratio was 0.74, and stromal cell density heterogeneity score was high (0.7/1). BC with high S:TR showed features characteristic of good prognosis and longer patient survival in both the discovery and test sets. Heterogeneous spatial distribution of S:TR areas was predictive of worse outcome. Higher tumor burden was associated with aggressive tumor behavior and shorter survival and was an independent predictor of worse outcome (BC-specific survival; hazard ratio: 1.7, P = .03, 95% CI, 1.04-2.83 and distant metastasis-free survival; hazard ratio: 1.64, P = .04, 95% CI, 1.01-2.62) superior to absolute tumor size. The study concludes that AI provides a tool to assess major and subtle morphologic stromal features in BC with prognostic implications. Tumor burden is more prognostically informative than tumor size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nehal M Atallah
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Egypt
| | - Noorul Wahab
- Tissue Image Analytics Centre, University of Warwick, Conventry, UK
| | - Michael S Toss
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Histopathology Department, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - Shorouk Makhlouf
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt
| | - Asmaa Y Ibrahim
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Egypt
| | - Ayat G Lashen
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Egypt
| | - Suzan Ghannam
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Egypt
| | - Nigel P Mongan
- Biodiscovery Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine and Sciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK; Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York
| | | | - Simon Graham
- Tissue Image Analytics Centre, University of Warwick, Conventry, UK
| | - Mohsin Bilal
- Tissue Image Analytics Centre, University of Warwick, Conventry, UK
| | - Abhir Bhalerao
- Tissue Image Analytics Centre, University of Warwick, Conventry, UK
| | | | - David Snead
- Cellular Pathology, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, UK
| | - Fayyaz Minhas
- Tissue Image Analytics Centre, University of Warwick, Conventry, UK
| | - Nasir Rajpoot
- Tissue Image Analytics Centre, University of Warwick, Conventry, UK.
| | - Emad Rakha
- Academic Unit for Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Egypt; Pathology Department, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
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28
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Geng Z, Pan X, Xu J, Jia X. Friend and foe: the regulation network of ascites components in ovarian cancer progression. J Cell Commun Signal 2023; 17:391-407. [PMID: 36227507 PMCID: PMC10409702 DOI: 10.1007/s12079-022-00698-8] [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: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) and its complex role in cancer progression have been hotspots of cancer research in recent years. Ascites, which occurs frequently in patients with ovarian cancer especially in advanced stages, represents a unique TME. Malignant ascites contains abundant cellular and acellular components that play important roles in tumorigenesis, growth, metastasis, and chemoresistance of ovarian cancer through complex molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways. As a valuable liquid biopsy sample, ascites fluid is also of great significance for the prognostic analysis of ovarian cancer. The components of ovarian cancer ascites are generally considered to comprise tumor-promoting factors; however, in recent years studies have found that ascites also contains tumor-suppressing factors, raising new perspectives on interactions between ascites and tumors. Malignant ascites directly constitutes the ovarian cancer microenvironment, therefore, the study of its components will aid in the development of new therapeutic strategies. This article reviews the current research on tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressing factors and molecular mechanisms of their actions in ovarian cancer-derived ascites and therapeutic strategies targeting ascites, which may provide references for the development of novel therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Geng
- Department of Gynecology, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, 123 Mochou Rd, Nanjing, 210004, China
| | - Xinxing Pan
- Department of Gynecology, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, 123 Mochou Rd, Nanjing, 210004, China
| | - Juan Xu
- Department of Gynecology, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, 123 Mochou Rd, Nanjing, 210004, China.
| | - Xuemei Jia
- Department of Gynecology, Women's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, 123 Mochou Rd, Nanjing, 210004, China.
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29
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Murillo OD, Petrosyan V, LaPlante EL, Dobrolecki LE, Lewis MT, Milosavljevic A. Deconvolution of cancer cell states by the XDec-SM method. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011365. [PMID: 37578979 PMCID: PMC10449115 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Proper characterization of cancer cell states within the tumor microenvironment is a key to accurately identifying matching experimental models and the development of precision therapies. To reconstruct this information from bulk RNA-seq profiles, we developed the XDec Simplex Mapping (XDec-SM) reference-optional deconvolution method that maps tumors and the states of constituent cells onto a biologically interpretable low-dimensional space. The method identifies gene sets informative for deconvolution from relevant single-cell profiling data when such profiles are available. When applied to breast tumors in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), XDec-SM infers the identity of constituent cell types and their proportions. XDec-SM also infers cancer cells states within individual tumors that associate with DNA methylation patterns, driver somatic mutations, pathway activation and metabolic coupling between stromal and breast cancer cells. By projecting tumors, cancer cell lines, and PDX models onto the same map, we identify in vitro and in vivo models with matching cancer cell states. Map position is also predictive of therapy response, thus opening the prospects for precision therapy informed by experiments in model systems matched to tumors in vivo by cancer cell state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar D. Murillo
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Varduhi Petrosyan
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Emily L. LaPlante
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Lacey E. Dobrolecki
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Michael T. Lewis
- Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Aleksandar Milosavljevic
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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Hogstrom JM, Cruz KA, Selfors LM, Ward MN, Mehta TS, Kanarek N, Philips J, Dialani V, Wulf G, Collins LC, Patel JM, Muranen T. Simultaneous isolation of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer organoids and fibroblasts reveals stroma-mediated resistance mechanisms. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105021. [PMID: 37423299 PMCID: PMC10415704 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Recurrent hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer kills more than 600,000 women annually. Although HR+ breast cancers typically respond well to therapies, approximately 30% of patients relapse. At this stage, the tumors are usually metastatic and incurable. Resistance to therapy, particularly endocrine therapy is typically thought to be tumor intrinsic (e.g., estrogen receptor mutations). However, tumor-extrinsic factors also contribute to resistance. For example, stromal cells, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), residing in the tumor microenvironment, are known to stimulate resistance and disease recurrence. Recurrence in HR+ disease has been difficult to study due to the prolonged clinical course, complex nature of resistance, and lack of appropriate model systems. Existing HR+ models are limited to HR+ cell lines, a few HR+ organoid models, and xenograft models that all lack components of the human stroma. Therefore, there is an urgent need for more clinically relevant models to study the complex nature of recurrent HR+ breast cancer, and the factors contributing to treatment relapse. Here, we present an optimized protocol that allows a high take-rate, and simultaneous propagation of patient-derived organoids (PDOs) and matching CAFs, from primary and metastatic HR+ breast cancers. Our protocol allows for long-term culturing of HR+ PDOs that retain estrogen receptor expression and show responsiveness to hormone therapy. We further show the functional utility of this system by identifying CAF-secreted cytokines, such as growth-regulated oncogene α , as stroma-derived resistance drivers to endocrine therapy in HR+ PDOs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny M Hogstrom
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kayla A Cruz
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Laura M Selfors
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Madelyn N Ward
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tejas S Mehta
- Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Naama Kanarek
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jordana Philips
- Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vandana Dialani
- Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gerburg Wulf
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Laura C Collins
- Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jaymin M Patel
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Taru Muranen
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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31
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Inoue C, Miki Y, Suzuki T. New Perspectives on Sex Steroid Hormones Signaling in Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3620. [PMID: 37509283 PMCID: PMC10377312 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15143620] [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: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The importance of sex hormones, especially estrogen, in the pathogenesis of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has attracted attention due to its high incidence among young adults and nonsmokers, especially those who are female. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) reside in the cancer stroma and influence cancer growth, invasion, metastasis, and acquisition of drug resistance through interactions with cancer cells and other microenvironmental components. Hormone-mediated cell-cell interactions are classic cell-cell interactions and well-known phenomena in breast cancer and prostate cancer CAFs. In cancers of other organs, including NSCLC, the effects of CAFs on hormone-receptor expression and hormone production in cancer tissues have been reported; however, there are few such studies. Many more studies have been performed on breast and prostate cancers. Recent advances in technology, particularly single-cell analysis techniques, have led to significant advances in the classification and function of CAFs. However, the importance of sex hormones in cell-cell interactions of CAFs in NSCLC remains unclear. This review summarizes reports on CAFs in NSCLC and sex hormones in cancer and immune cells surrounding CAFs. Furthermore, we discuss the prospects of sex-hormone research involving CAFs in NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chihiro Inoue
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Miki
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Takashi Suzuki
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
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32
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Li Y, Wang C, Huang T, Yu X, Tian B. The role of cancer-associated fibroblasts in breast cancer metastasis. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1194835. [PMID: 37496657 PMCID: PMC10367093 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1194835] [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: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer deaths are primarily caused by metastasis. There are several treatment options that can be used to treat breast cancer. There are, however, a limited number of treatments that can either prevent or inhibit the spread of breast tumor metastases. Thus, novel therapeutic strategies are needed. Studies have increasingly focused on the importance of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in metastasis of breast cancer. As the most abundant cells in the TME, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play important roles in cancer pathogenesis. They can remodel the structure of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and engage in crosstalk with cancer cells or other stroma cells by secreting growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines, as well as components of the ECM, which assist the tumor cells to invade through the TME and cause distant metastasis. Clinically, CAFs not only foster the initiation, growth, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis of breast cancer but also serve as biomarkers for diagnosis, therapy, and prediction of prognosis. In this review, we summarize the biological characteristics and subtypes of CAFs and their functions in breast cancer metastasis, focusing on their important roles in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of breast cancer. Recent studies suggest that CAFs are vital partners of breast cancer cells that assist metastasis and may represent ideal targets for prevention and treatment of breast cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Li
- Department of Breast Surgery, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Changyuan Wang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Hepatobiliary Surgery Department II, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China
| | - Ting Huang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xijie Yu
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Laboratory of Endocrinology and Metabolism, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bole Tian
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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33
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Peng Z, Ren Z, Tong Z, Zhu Y, Zhu Y, Hu K. Interactions between MFAP5 + fibroblasts and tumor-infiltrating myeloid cells shape the malignant microenvironment of colorectal cancer. J Transl Med 2023; 21:405. [PMID: 37344903 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04281-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The therapeutic targeting of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in colorectal cancer (CRC) has not yet been fully developed and utilized because of the complexity of the cell-cell interactions within the TME. The further exploration of these interactions among tumor-specific clusters would provide more detailed information about these communication networks with potential curative value. METHODS Single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and bulk RNA sequencing datasets were integrated in this study to explore the biological properties of MFAP5 + fibroblasts and their interactions with tumor-infiltrating myeloid cells in colorectal cancer. Immunohistochemistry and multiplex immunohistochemistry were performed to confirm the results of these analyses. RESULTS We profiled heterogeneous single-cell landscapes across 27,414 cells obtained from tumors and adjacent tissues. We mainly focused on the pro-tumorigenic functions of the identified MFAP5 + fibroblasts. We demonstrated that tumor-resident MFAP5 + fibroblasts and myeloid cells (particularly C1QC + macrophages) were positively correlated in both spatial transcriptomics and bulk RNA-seq public cohorts. These cells and their interactions might shape the malignant behavior of CRC. Intercellular interaction analysis suggested that MFAP5 + fibroblasts could reciprocally communicate with C1QC + macrophages and other myeloid cells to remodel unfavorable conditions via MIF/CD74, IL34/CSF1R, and other tumor-promoting signaling pathways. CONCLUSION Our study has elucidated the underlying pro-tumor mechanisms of tumor-resident MFAP5 + fibroblasts and provided valuable targets for the disruption of their properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Peng
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
| | - Zihao Ren
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
| | - Zhiwei Tong
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
| | - Yinan Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
| | - Yansong Zhu
- School of Life Science, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
| | - Kongwang Hu
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China.
- Department of General Surgery, Fuyang Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Fuyang, 236000, Anhui, China.
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34
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Jana S, Li W, Lei PJ, Wang Z, Huang P, Jones D. "Isolation and characterization of a novel hormone receptor positive mammary adenocarcinoma MCa-P1362 with stromal drivers of tumor growth, metastasis, and drug resistance". BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.02.543434. [PMID: 37333242 PMCID: PMC10274631 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.02.543434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Preclinical models that display spontaneous metastasis are necessary to improve therapeutic options for hormone receptor positive breast cancers. In this study, we conducted a detailed cellular and molecular characterization of MCa-P1362, a novel syngeneic Balb/c mouse model of metastatic breast cancer. MCa-P1362 cancer cells expressed estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR), and HER-2 receptors. MCa-P1362 cells proliferate in vitro and in vivo in response to estrogen, yet do not depend on steroid hormones for tumor progression. Further characterization of MCa-P1362 tumor explants shows that they contain a mixture of epithelial cancer cells and stromal cells. Based on transcriptomic and functional analyses of cancer and stromal cells, stem cells are present in both populations. Functional studies demonstrate that crosstalk between cancer and stromal cells promotes tumor growth, metastasis, and drug resistance. MCa-P1362 may serve as a useful preclinical model to investigate the cellular and molecular basis of hormone receptor positive tumor progression and therapeutic resistance.
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Ora M, Soni N, Nazar AH, Dixit M, Singh R, Puri S, Graham MM, Gambhir S. Fibroblast Activation Protein Inhibitor-Based Radionuclide Therapies: Current Status and Future Directions. J Nucl Med 2023:jnumed.123.265594. [PMID: 37268422 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.123.265594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastatic malignancies have limited management strategies and variable treatment responses. Cancer cells develop beside and depend on the complex tumor microenvironment. Cancer-associated fibroblasts, with their complex interaction with tumor and immune cells, are involved in various steps of tumorigenesis, such as growth, invasion, metastasis, and treatment resistance. Prooncogenic cancer-associated fibroblasts emerged as attractive therapeutic targets. However, clinical trials have achieved suboptimal success. Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) inhibitor-based molecular imaging has shown encouraging results in cancer diagnosis, making them innovative targets for FAP inhibitor-based radionuclide therapies. This review summarizes the results of preclinical and clinical FAP-based radionuclide therapies. We will describe advances and FAP molecule modification in this novel therapy, as well as its dosimetry, safety profile, and efficacy. This summary may guide future research directions and optimize clinical decision-making in this emerging field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Ora
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, SGPGIMS, Lucknow, India;
| | - Neetu Soni
- Department of Radiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York
| | | | - Manish Dixit
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, SGPGIMS, Lucknow, India
| | - Rohit Singh
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington, Vermont; and
| | - Savita Puri
- Department of Radiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York
| | - Michael M Graham
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, University of Iowa Health Care, Iowa City, Iowa
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36
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Peng Z, Tong Z, Ren Z, Ye M, Hu K. Cancer-associated fibroblasts and its derived exosomes: a new perspective for reshaping the tumor microenvironment. Mol Med 2023; 29:66. [PMID: 37217855 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-023-00665-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the most abundant stromal cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME). They extensively communicate with the other cells. Exosome-packed bioactive molecules derived from CAFs can reshape the TME by interacting with other cells and the extracellular matrix, which adds a new perspective for their clinical application in tumor targeted therapy. An in-depth understanding of the biological characteristics of CAF-derived exosomes (CDEs) is critical for depicting the detailed landscape of the TME and developing tailored therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. In this review, we have summarized the functional roles of CAFs in the TME, particularly focusing on the extensive communication mediated by CDEs that contain biological molecules such as miRNAs, proteins, metabolites, and other components. In addition, we have also highlighted the prospects for diagnostic and therapeutic applications based on CDEs, which could guide the future development of exosome-targeted anti-tumor drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Peng
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Zhiwei Tong
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Zihao Ren
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Manping Ye
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Major Autoimmune Diseases, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Anhui, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Kongwang Hu
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui, Hefei, 230022, China.
- Department of General Surgery, Fuyang Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui, Fuyang, 236000, China.
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37
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Cao Y. Neural induction drives body axis formation during embryogenesis, but a neural induction-like process drives tumorigenesis in postnatal animals. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1092667. [PMID: 37228646 PMCID: PMC10203556 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1092667] [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: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Characterization of cancer cells and neural stem cells indicates that tumorigenicity and pluripotency are coupled cell properties determined by neural stemness, and tumorigenesis represents a process of progressive loss of original cell identity and gain of neural stemness. This reminds of a most fundamental process required for the development of the nervous system and body axis during embryogenesis, i.e., embryonic neural induction. Neural induction is that, in response to extracellular signals that are secreted by the Spemann-Mangold organizer in amphibians or the node in mammals and inhibit epidermal fate in ectoderm, the ectodermal cells lose their epidermal fate and assume the neural default fate and consequently, turn into neuroectodermal cells. They further differentiate into the nervous system and also some non-neural cells via interaction with adjacent tissues. Failure in neural induction leads to failure of embryogenesis, and ectopic neural induction due to ectopic organizer or node activity or activation of embryonic neural genes causes a formation of secondary body axis or a conjoined twin. During tumorigenesis, cells progressively lose their original cell identity and gain of neural stemness, and consequently, gain of tumorigenicity and pluripotency, due to various intra-/extracellular insults in cells of a postnatal animal. Tumorigenic cells can be induced to differentiation into normal cells and integrate into normal embryonic development within an embryo. However, they form tumors and cannot integrate into animal tissues/organs in a postnatal animal because of lack of embryonic inducing signals. Combination of studies of developmental and cancer biology indicates that neural induction drives embryogenesis in gastrulating embryos but a similar process drives tumorigenesis in a postnatal animal. Tumorigenicity is by nature the manifestation of aberrant occurrence of pluripotent state in a postnatal animal. Pluripotency and tumorigenicity are both but different manifestations of neural stemness in pre- and postnatal stages of animal life, respectively. Based on these findings, I discuss about some confusion in cancer research, propose to distinguish the causality and associations and discriminate causal and supporting factors involved in tumorigenesis, and suggest revisiting the focus of cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Cao
- Shenzhen Research Institute of Nanjing University, Shenzhen, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Model Animals for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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38
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Zhao Z, Li T, Yuan Y, Zhu Y. What is new in cancer-associated fibroblast biomarkers? Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:96. [PMID: 37143134 PMCID: PMC10158035 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01125-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment is one of the important drivers of tumor development. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major component of the tumor stroma and actively participate in tumor development, invasion, metastasis, drug resistance, and other biological behaviors. CAFs are a highly heterogeneous group of cells, a reflection of the diversity of their origin, biomarkers, and functions. The diversity of CAF origin determines the complexity of CAF biomarkers, and CAF subpopulations expressing different biomarkers may play contrasting roles in tumor progression. In this review, we provide an overview of these emerging CAF biomarkers and the biological functions that they suggest, which may give a better understanding of the relationship between CAFs and tumor cells and be of great significance for breakthroughs in precision targeted therapy for tumors. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehua Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology (Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University), No. 44 of Xiaoheyan Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, 110042, China
| | - Tianming Li
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology (Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University), No. 44 of Xiaoheyan Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, 110042, China
| | - Yuan Yuan
- Tumor Etiology and Screening Department of Cancer Institute and General Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Etiology and Prevention in Liaoning Education Department, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
- Key Laboratory of GI Cancer Etiology and Prevention in Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, No. 155 of Nanjing Road, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001, China.
| | - Yanmei Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology (Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University), No. 44 of Xiaoheyan Road, Dadong District, Shenyang, 110042, China.
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39
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Hu C, Zhang Y, Wu C, Huang Q. Heterogeneity of cancer-associated fibroblasts in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: opportunities and challenges. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:124. [PMID: 37055382 PMCID: PMC10102018 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01428-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is among the most severe and complex malignant diseases with a high level of heterogeneity and, as a result, a wide range of therapeutic responses, regardless of clinical stage. Tumor progression depends on ongoing co-evolution and cross-talk with the tumor microenvironment (TME). In particular, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), embedded in the extracellular matrix (ECM), induce tumor growth and survival by interacting with tumor cells. Origin of CAFs is quite varied, and the activation patterns of CAFs are also heterogeneous. Crucially, the heterogeneity of CAFs appears to play a key role in ongoing tumor expansion, including facilitating proliferation, enhancing angiogenesis and invasion, and promoting therapy resistance, through the production of cytokines, chemokines, and other tumor-promotive molecules in the TME. This review describes the various origin and heterogeneous activation mechanisms of CAFs, and biological heterogeneity of CAFs in HNSCC is also included. Moreover, we have highlighted versatility of CAFs heterogeneity in HNSCC progression, and have discussed different tumor-promotive functions of CAFs respectively. In the future, it is a promising strategy for the therapy of HNSCC that specifically targeting tumor-promoting CAF subsets or the tumor-promoting functional targets of CAFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Hu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing TongRen Hospital, Capital Medical University, 100730, Beijing, China
| | - Yifan Zhang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, 200031, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunping Wu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, 200031, Shanghai, China.
| | - Qiang Huang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, 200031, Shanghai, China.
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40
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Dzobo K, Dandara C. The Extracellular Matrix: Its Composition, Function, Remodeling, and Role in Tumorigenesis. Biomimetics (Basel) 2023; 8:146. [PMID: 37092398 PMCID: PMC10123695 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics8020146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a ubiquitous member of the body and is key to the maintenance of tissue and organ integrity. Initially thought to be a bystander in many cellular processes, the extracellular matrix has been shown to have diverse components that regulate and activate many cellular processes and ultimately influence cell phenotype. Importantly, the ECM's composition, architecture, and stiffness/elasticity influence cellular phenotypes. Under normal conditions and during development, the synthesized ECM constantly undergoes degradation and remodeling processes via the action of matrix proteases that maintain tissue homeostasis. In many pathological conditions including fibrosis and cancer, ECM synthesis, remodeling, and degradation is dysregulated, causing its integrity to be altered. Both physical and chemical cues from the ECM are sensed via receptors including integrins and play key roles in driving cellular proliferation and differentiation and in the progression of various diseases such as cancers. Advances in 'omics' technologies have seen an increase in studies focusing on bidirectional cell-matrix interactions, and here, we highlight the emerging knowledge on the role played by the ECM during normal development and in pathological conditions. This review summarizes current ECM-targeted therapies that can modify ECM tumors to overcome drug resistance and better cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Dzobo
- Medical Research Council, SA Wound Healing Unit, Hair and Skin Research Laboratory, Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Groote Schuur Hospital, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Collet Dandara
- Division of Human Genetics and Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- The South African Medical Research Council-UCT Platform for Pharmacogenomics Research and Translation, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
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41
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Amini P, Hajihosseini M, Pyne S, Dinu I. Geographically weighted linear combination test for gene-set analysis of a continuous spatial phenotype as applied to intratumor heterogeneity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1065586. [PMID: 36998245 PMCID: PMC10044624 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1065586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The impact of gene-sets on a spatial phenotype is not necessarily uniform across different locations of cancer tissue. This study introduces a computational platform, GWLCT, for combining gene set analysis with spatial data modeling to provide a new statistical test for location-specific association of phenotypes and molecular pathways in spatial single-cell RNA-seq data collected from an input tumor sample.Methods: The main advantage of GWLCT consists of an analysis beyond global significance, allowing the association between the gene-set and the phenotype to vary across the tumor space. At each location, the most significant linear combination is found using a geographically weighted shrunken covariance matrix and kernel function. Whether a fixed or adaptive bandwidth is determined based on a cross-validation cross procedure. Our proposed method is compared to the global version of linear combination test (LCT), bulk and random-forest based gene-set enrichment analyses using data created by the Visium Spatial Gene Expression technique on an invasive breast cancer tissue sample, as well as 144 different simulation scenarios.Results: In an illustrative example, the new geographically weighted linear combination test, GWLCT, identifies the cancer hallmark gene-sets that are significantly associated at each location with the five spatially continuous phenotypic contexts in the tumors defined by different well-known markers of cancer-associated fibroblasts. Scan statistics revealed clustering in the number of significant gene-sets. A spatial heatmap of combined significance over all selected gene-sets is also produced. Extensive simulation studies demonstrate that our proposed approach outperforms other methods in the considered scenarios, especially when the spatial association increases.Conclusion: Our proposed approach considers the spatial covariance of gene expression to detect the most significant gene-sets affecting a continuous phenotype. It reveals spatially detailed information in tissue space and can thus play a key role in understanding the contextual heterogeneity of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Payam Amini
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- School of Medicine, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Morteza Hajihosseini
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Stanford Department of Urology, Center for Academic Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Saumyadipta Pyne
- Health Analytics Network, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Saumyadipta Pyne, ; Irina Dinu,
| | - Irina Dinu
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- *Correspondence: Saumyadipta Pyne, ; Irina Dinu,
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PDPN positive CAFs contribute to HER2 positive breast cancer resistance to trastuzumab by inhibiting antibody-dependent NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Drug Resist Updat 2023; 68:100947. [PMID: 36812747 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2023.100947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Trastuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody, and has been clinical employed to treat human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive breast cancer. However, drug resistance to trastuzumab remains a challenge due to the generally uncharacterized interactive immune responses within the tumor tissue. In this study, by means of single-cell sequencing, we identified a novel podoplanin-positive (PDPN+) cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) subset, which was enriched in trastuzumab resistant tumor tissues. Furthermore, we found that PDPN+ CAFs promote resistance to trastuzumab in HER2+ breast cancer by secreting immunosuppressive factors indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) as well as tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase 2 (TDO2), thereby suppressing antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), which was mediated by functional NK cells. A dual inhibitor IDO/TDO-IN-3 simultaneously targeting IDO1 and TDO2 showed a promising effect on reversing PDPN+ CAFs-induced suppression of NK cells mediated ADCC. Collectively, a novel subset of PDPN+ CAFs was identified in this study, which induced trastuzumab resistance in breast cancer of HER2+ status via inhibiting ADCC immune response mediated by NK cells, hinting that PDPN+ CAFs could be a novel target of treatment to increase the sensitivity of HER2+ breast cancer to trastuzumab.
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Villegas-Pineda JC, Ramírez-de-Arellano A, Bueno-Urquiza LJ, Lizarazo-Taborda MDR, Pereira-Suárez AL. Cancer-associated fibroblasts in gynecological malignancies: are they really allies of the enemy? Front Oncol 2023; 13:1106757. [PMID: 37168385 PMCID: PMC10164963 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1106757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular and cellular components of the tumor microenvironment are essential for cancer progression. The cellular element comprises cancer cells and heterogeneous populations of non-cancer cells that satisfy tumor needs. Immune, vascular, and mesenchymal cells provide the necessary factors to feed the tumor mass, promote its development, and favor the spread of cancer cells from the primary site to adjacent and distant anatomical sites. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are mesenchymal cells that promote carcinogenesis and progression of various malignant neoplasms. CAFs act through the secretion of metalloproteinases, growth factors, cytokines, mitochondrial DNA, and non-coding RNAs, among other molecules. Over the last few years, the evidence on the leading role of CAFs in gynecological cancers has notably increased, placing them as the cornerstone of neoplastic processes. In this review, the recently reported findings regarding the promoting role that CAFs play in gynecological cancers, their potential use as therapeutic targets, and the new evidence suggesting that they could act as tumor suppressors are analyzed and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio César Villegas-Pineda
- Departamento de Microbiología y Patología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Adrián Ramírez-de-Arellano
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Lesly Jazmín Bueno-Urquiza
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
- Departamento de Fisiología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | | | - Ana Laura Pereira-Suárez
- Departamento de Microbiología y Patología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
- *Correspondence: Ana Laura Pereira-Suárez,
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Andrade de Oliveira K, Sengupta S, Yadav AK, Clarke R. The complex nature of heterogeneity and its roles in breast cancer biology and therapeutic responsiveness. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1083048. [PMID: 36909339 PMCID: PMC9997040 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1083048] [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: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneity is a complex feature of cells and tissues with many interacting components. Depending on the nature of the research context, interacting features of cellular, drug response, genetic, molecular, spatial, temporal, and vascular heterogeneity may be present. We describe the various forms of heterogeneity with examples of their interactions and how they play a role in affecting cellular phenotype and drug responses in breast cancer. While cellular heterogeneity may be the most widely described and invoked, many forms of heterogeneity are evident within the tumor microenvironment and affect responses to the endocrine and cytotoxic drugs widely used in standard clinical care. Drug response heterogeneity is a critical determinant of clinical response and curative potential and also is multifaceted when encountered. The interactive nature of some forms of heterogeneity is readily apparent. For example, the process of metastasis has the properties of both temporal and spatial heterogeneity within the host, whereas each individual metastatic deposit may exhibit cellular, genetic, molecular, and vascular heterogeneity. This review describes the many forms of heterogeneity, their integrated activities, and offers some insights into how heterogeneity may be understood and studied in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla Andrade de Oliveira
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Piaui, Piauí, Brazil
| | - Surojeet Sengupta
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN, United States
| | - Anil Kumar Yadav
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN, United States
| | - Robert Clarke
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN, United States
- *Correspondence: Robert Clarke,
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Xu A, Xu XN, Luo Z, Huang X, Gong RQ, Fu DY. Identification of prognostic cancer-associated fibroblast markers in luminal breast cancer using weighted gene co-expression network analysis. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1191660. [PMID: 37207166 PMCID: PMC10191114 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1191660] [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: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a pivotal role in cancer progression and are known to mediate endocrine and chemotherapy resistance through paracrine signaling. Additionally, they directly influence the expression and growth dependence of ER in Luminal breast cancer (LBC). This study aims to investigate stromal CAF-related factors and develop a CAF-related classifier to predict the prognosis and therapeutic outcomes in LBC. Methods The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases were utilized to obtain mRNA expression and clinical information from 694 and 101 LBC samples, respectively. CAF infiltrations were determined by estimating the proportion of immune and cancer cells (EPIC) method, while stromal scores were calculated using the Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumors using Expression data (ESTIMATE) algorithm. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify stromal CAF-related genes. A CAF risk signature was developed through univariate and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method (LASSO) Cox regression model. The Spearman test was used to evaluate the correlation between CAF risk score, CAF markers, and CAF infiltrations estimated through EPIC, xCell, microenvironment cell populations-counter (MCP-counter), and Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) algorithms. The TIDE algorithm was further utilized to assess the response to immunotherapy. Additionally, Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was applied to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the findings. Results We constructed a 5-gene prognostic model consisting of RIN2, THBS1, IL1R1, RAB31, and COL11A1 for CAF. Using the median CAF risk score as the cutoff, we classified LBC patients into high- and low-CAF-risk groups and found that those in the high-risk group had a significantly worse prognosis. Spearman correlation analyses demonstrated a strong positive correlation between the CAF risk score and stromal and CAF infiltrations, with the five model genes showing positive correlations with CAF markers. In addition, the TIDE analysis revealed that high-CAF-risk patients were less likely to respond to immunotherapy. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) identified significant enrichment of ECM receptor interaction, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and TGF-β signaling pathway gene sets in the high-CAF-risk group patients. Conclusion The five-gene prognostic CAF signature presented in this study was not only reliable for predicting prognosis in LBC patients, but it was also effective in estimating clinical immunotherapy response. These findings have significant clinical implications, as the signature may guide tailored anti-CAF therapy in combination with immunotherapy for LBC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- An Xu
- Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiang-Nan Xu
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhou Luo
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiao Huang
- Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Rong-Quan Gong
- Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - De-Yuan Fu
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Northern Jiangsu People’s Hospital, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- *Correspondence: De-Yuan Fu,
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Gu L, Liao P, Liu H. Cancer-associated fibroblasts in acute leukemia. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1022979. [PMID: 36601484 PMCID: PMC9806275 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1022979] [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: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the prognosis for acute leukemia has greatly improved, treatment of relapsed/refractory acute leukemia (R/R AL) remains challenging. Recently, increasing evidence indicates that the bone marrow microenvironment (BMM) plays a crucial role in leukemogenesis and therapeutic resistance; therefore, BMM-targeted strategies should be a potent protocol for treating R/R AL. The targeting of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in solid tumors has received much attention and has achieved some progress, as CAFs might act as an organizer in the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, over the last 10 years, attention has been drawn to the role of CAFs in the BMM. In spite of certain successes in preclinical and clinical studies, the heterogeneity and plasticity of CAFs mean targeting them is a big challenge. Herein, we review the heterogeneity and roles of CAFs in the BMM and highlight the challenges and opportunities associated with acute leukemia therapies that involve the targeting of CAFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Gu
- Department of Pediatrics, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,The Joint Laboratory for Lung Development and Related Diseases of West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University and School of Life Sciences of Fudan University, West China Institute of Women and Children’s Health, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,NHC Key Laboratory of Chronobiology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,*Correspondence: Ling Gu, ; Ping Liao, ; Hanmin Liu,
| | - Ping Liao
- Calcium Signalling Laboratory, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore, Singapore,Academic & Clinical Development, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore,Health and Social Sciences, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore, Singapore,*Correspondence: Ling Gu, ; Ping Liao, ; Hanmin Liu,
| | - Hanmin Liu
- Department of Pediatrics, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,The Joint Laboratory for Lung Development and Related Diseases of West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University and School of Life Sciences of Fudan University, West China Institute of Women and Children’s Health, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,NHC Key Laboratory of Chronobiology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,Sichuan Birth Defects Clinical Research Center, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,*Correspondence: Ling Gu, ; Ping Liao, ; Hanmin Liu,
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Feng L, Guo L, Tanaka Y, Su L. Tumor-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles Involved in Breast Cancer Progression and Drug Resistance. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315236. [PMID: 36499561 PMCID: PMC9736664 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the most serious and terrifying threats to the health of women. Recent studies have demonstrated that interaction among cancer cells themselves and those with other cells, including immune cells, in a tumor microenvironment potentially and intrinsically regulate and determine cancer progression and metastasis. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), a type of lipid-bilayer particles derived from cells, with a size of less than 200 nm, are recognized as one form of important mediators in cell-to-cell communication. sEVs can transport a variety of bioactive substances, including proteins, RNAs, and lipids. Accumulating evidence has revealed that sEVs play a crucial role in cancer development and progression, with a significant impact on proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. In addition, sEVs systematically coordinate physiological and pathological processes, such as coagulation, vascular leakage, and stromal cell reprogramming, to bring about premetastatic niche formation and to determine metastatic organ tropism. There are a variety of oncogenic factors in tumor-derived sEVs that mediate cellular communication between local stromal cells and distal microenvironment, both of which are important in cancer progression and metastasis. Tumor-derived sEVs contain substances that are similar to parental tumor cells, and as such, sEVs could be biomarkers in cancer progression and potential therapeutic targets, particularly for predicting and preventing future metastatic development. Here, we review the mechanisms underlying the regulation by tumor-derived sEVs on cancer development and progression, including proliferation, metastasis, drug resistance, and immunosuppression, which coordinately shape the pro-metastatic microenvironment. In addition, we describe the application of sEVs to the development of cancer biomarkers and potential therapeutic modalities and discuss how they can be engineered and translated into clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyun Feng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Lijuan Guo
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Yoshimasa Tanaka
- Center for Medical Innovation, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1, Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8588, Japan
- Correspondence: (Y.T.); (L.S.); Tel.: +81-95-819-7063 (Y.T.); +86-27-8779-2024 (L.S.); Fax: +81-95-819-2189 (Y.T.); +86-27-8779-2072 (L.S.)
| | - Li Su
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
- Correspondence: (Y.T.); (L.S.); Tel.: +81-95-819-7063 (Y.T.); +86-27-8779-2024 (L.S.); Fax: +81-95-819-2189 (Y.T.); +86-27-8779-2072 (L.S.)
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Yang M, Sun Y, Ji H, Zhang Q. Identification and validation of endocrine resistance-related and immune-related long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) signatures for predicting endocrinotherapy response and prognosis in breast cancer. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2022; 10:1399. [PMID: 36660659 PMCID: PMC9843421 DOI: 10.21037/atm-22-6158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Background Endocrine resistance remains a major challenge in breast cancer (BRCA). Increasing evidence has revealed that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) are closely implicated in tumorigenesis, drug resistance, and the immune-related pathways of cancer. However, the immune-related lncRNA remains to be thoroughly investigated in predicting the endocrine therapeutic response and prognosis of BRCA. Methods Based on the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases, and calculating the correlation of lncRNAs with immune-related genes obtained from ImmPort and InnateDB databases, we finally obtained endocrine resistance-related and immune-related long non-coding RNAs (ERIR-lncRNAs). Univariate Cox and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression were performed to screen prognosis-associated ERIR-lncRNAs and establish signatures, using 2 separate datasets from GEO for external validation. Principal component analysis (PCA), Kaplan-Meier analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and multivariate Cox regression were performed to demonstrate the robustness and predictability of the signature. We investigated tumor immune infiltration and tumor mutation burden (TMB) between high- and low-risk groups, and the role of key lncRNAs in endocrine resistant breast cancer was confirmed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK 8) and transwell assays. Results A total of 781 endocrine resistance related lncRNAs were identified, of which 12 lncRNAs were associated with immunity. Then, three ERIR-lncRNAs with prognostic relevance were screened to successfully construct the risk signature. Compared to sensitive patients, the endocrine resistant patients had higher risk scores in both the training and validation sets (P<0.05). The high-risk group had significantly shorter survival times (P<0.001) with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.710, 0.649, and 0.672 at 1, 3, and 5 years. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression indicated that our signature was an independent prognostic factor (P<0.001). Through immune infiltration analysis, it was revealed that the high-risk scores were associated with T follicular helper (Tfh) differentiation and exhibited a pro-tumor phenomenon with the Th1/Th2 balance shifting toward Th2. The key lncRNAs promote cell proliferation and migration as confirmed by qRT-PCR, CCK-8 and transwell assays. Conclusions The ERIR-lncRNA signature is valuable in predicting endocrine therapeutic response and prognosis of BRCA, revealing a potential relationship between endocrine resistance and TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Yang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yutian Sun
- Department of Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Hongfei Ji
- Institute of Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China;,Heilongjiang Cancer Prevention and Treatment Institute, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Qingyuan Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China;,Institute of Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China;,Heilongjiang Cancer Prevention and Treatment Institute, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Harbin, China
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Fang Z, Meng Q, Xu J, Wang W, Zhang B, Liu J, Liang C, Hua J, Zhao Y, Yu X, Shi S. Signaling pathways in cancer-associated fibroblasts: recent advances and future perspectives. CANCER COMMUNICATIONS (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2022; 43:3-41. [PMID: 36424360 PMCID: PMC9859735 DOI: 10.1002/cac2.12392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
As a critical component of the tumor microenvironment (TME), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play important roles in cancer initiation and progression. Well-known signaling pathways, including the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), Hedgehog (Hh), Notch, Wnt, Hippo, nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathways, as well as transcription factors, including hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1), P53, Snail, and Twist, constitute complex regulatory networks in the TME to modulate the formation, activation, heterogeneity, metabolic characteristics and malignant phenotype of CAFs. Activated CAFs remodel the TME and influence the malignant biological processes of cancer cells by altering the transcriptional and secretory characteristics, and this modulation partially depends on the regulation of signaling cascades. The results of preclinical and clinical trials indicated that therapies targeting signaling pathways in CAFs demonstrated promising efficacy but were also accompanied by some failures (e.g., NCT01130142 and NCT01064622). Hence, a comprehensive understanding of the signaling cascades in CAFs might help us better understand the roles of CAFs and the TME in cancer progression and may facilitate the development of more efficient and safer stroma-targeted cancer therapies. Here, we review recent advances in studies of signaling pathways in CAFs and briefly discuss some future perspectives on CAF research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zengli Fang
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Qingcai Meng
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Jin Xu
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Jiang Liu
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Chen Liang
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Jie Hua
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Yingjun Zhao
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Institutes of Biomedical SciencesShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Xianjun Yu
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
| | - Si Shi
- Department of Pancreatic SurgeryFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032P. R. China,Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer InstituteShanghai200032P. R. China,Pancreatic Cancer InstituteFudan UniversityShanghai200032P. R. China
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Rizzolio S, Giordano S, Corso S. The importance of being CAFs (in cancer resistance to targeted therapies). J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2022; 41:319. [PMID: 36324182 PMCID: PMC9632140 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02524-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last two decades, clinical oncology has been revolutionized by the advent of targeted drugs. However, the efficacy of these therapies is significantly limited by primary and acquired resistance, that relies not only on cell-autonomous mechanisms but also on tumor microenvironment cues. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are extremely plastic cells of the tumor microenvironment. They not only produce extracellular matrix components that build up the structure of tumor stroma, but they also release growth factors, chemokines, exosomes, and metabolites that affect all tumor properties, including response to drug treatment. The contribution of CAFs to tumor progression has been deeply investigated and reviewed in several works. However, their role in resistance to anticancer therapies, and in particular to molecular therapies, has been largely overlooked. This review specifically dissects the role of CAFs in driving resistance to targeted therapies and discusses novel CAF targeted therapeutic strategies to improve patient survival.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Silvia Giordano
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Italy
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Simona Corso
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Candiolo, Italy.
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.
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