1
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Armesto M, Nemours S, Arestín M, Bernal I, Solano-Iturri JD, Manrique M, Basterretxea L, Larrinaga G, Angulo JC, Lecumberri D, Iturregui AM, López JI, Lawrie CH. Identification of miRNAs and Their Target Genes Associated with Sunitinib Resistance in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Patients. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6881. [PMID: 38999991 PMCID: PMC11241516 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25136881] [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: 05/20/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Sunitinib has greatly improved the survival of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patients in recent years. However, 20-30% of treated patients do not respond. To identify miRNAs and genes associated with a response, comparisons were made between biopsies from responder and non-responder ccRCC patients. Using integrated transcriptomic analyses, we identified 37 miRNAs and 60 respective target genes, which were significantly associated with the NF-kappa B, PI3K-Akt and MAPK pathways. We validated expression of the miRNAs (miR-223, miR-155, miR-200b, miR-130b) and target genes (FLT1, PRDM1 and SAV1) in 35 ccRCC patients. High levels of miR-223 and low levels of FLT1, SAV1 and PRDM1 were associated with worse overall survival (OS), and combined miR-223 + SAV1 levels distinguished responders from non-responders (AUC = 0.92). Using immunohistochemical staining of 170 ccRCC patients, VEGFR1 (FLT1) expression was associated with treatment response, histological grade and RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors) score, whereas SAV1 and BLIMP1 (PRDM1) were associated with metachronous metastatic disease. Using in situ hybridisation (ISH) to detect miR-155 we observed higher tumoural cell expression in non-responders, and non-tumoural cell expression with increased histological grade. In summary, our preliminary analysis using integrated miRNA-target gene analyses identified several novel biomarkers in ccRCC patients that surely warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Armesto
- Molecular Oncology Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain; (M.A.); (S.N.); (M.A.); (I.B.); (L.B.)
| | - Stéphane Nemours
- Molecular Oncology Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain; (M.A.); (S.N.); (M.A.); (I.B.); (L.B.)
| | - María Arestín
- Molecular Oncology Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain; (M.A.); (S.N.); (M.A.); (I.B.); (L.B.)
| | - Iraide Bernal
- Molecular Oncology Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain; (M.A.); (S.N.); (M.A.); (I.B.); (L.B.)
- Pathology Department, Donostia University Hospital, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain; (J.D.S.-I.); (M.M.)
| | - Jon Danel Solano-Iturri
- Pathology Department, Donostia University Hospital, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain; (J.D.S.-I.); (M.M.)
| | - Manuel Manrique
- Pathology Department, Donostia University Hospital, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain; (J.D.S.-I.); (M.M.)
| | - Laura Basterretxea
- Molecular Oncology Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain; (M.A.); (S.N.); (M.A.); (I.B.); (L.B.)
- Medical Oncology Department, Donostia University Hospital, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Gorka Larrinaga
- Biobizkaia Health Research Institute, 48903 Barakaldo, Spain; (G.L.); (J.I.L.)
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Javier C. Angulo
- Clinical Department, Faculty of Medical Sciences, European University of Madrid, 28905 Getafe, Spain;
- Department of Urology, University Hospital of Getafe, 28907 Madrid, Spain
| | - David Lecumberri
- Department of Urology, Urduliz University Hospital, 48610 Urduliz, Spain;
| | | | - José I. López
- Biobizkaia Health Research Institute, 48903 Barakaldo, Spain; (G.L.); (J.I.L.)
- Pathology Department, Cruces University Hospital, 48903 Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Charles H. Lawrie
- Molecular Oncology Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, 20014 San Sebastián, Spain; (M.A.); (S.N.); (M.A.); (I.B.); (L.B.)
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
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2
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Wirth M, Schneider G. A Hypoxia-Epigenetics Axis Drives EMT in Pancreatic Cancer. Cancer Res 2024; 84:1739-1741. [PMID: 38831749 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-23-3578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a classical cellular plasticity process induced by various cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic triggers. Although prominent factors, such as TGFβ, mediate EMT via well-characterized pathways, alternative avenues are less well understood. Transcriptomic subtyping of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has demonstrated that basal-like PDACs enrich a mesenchymal-like expression program, emphasizing the relevance of EMT in the disease. In this issue of Cancer Research, Brown and colleagues demonstrate the tight connection of EMT to hypoxia. Through a detailed mechanistic analysis, the authors deciphered that hypoxia-induced signals are integrated by the histone H3 lysine 36 di-methylation (H3K36me2) mark. On the one hand, hypoxia decreased activity of the H3K36me2 eraser KDM2A, while on the other hand promoting stabilization of the H3K36me2 writer NSD2. Hypoxia diminished the expression of a set of serine-threonine phosphatases, subsequently resulting in SRC kinase family-dependent activation of canonical MEK, ERK, and JNK signaling to impinge on NSD2 expression. In addition, reduced expression of the protein phosphatase PP2Cδ was linked to increased NSD2 protein expression. These discoveries illuminate the close relationship of hypoxia signaling to the epigenetic machinery and cellular plasticity processes. See related article by Brown et al., p. 1764.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Wirth
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Cancer Immunology, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
- Max Delbrück Center, Berlin, Germany
| | - Günter Schneider
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- CCC-N (Comprehensive Cancer Center Lower Saxony), Göttingen, Germany
- Clinical Research Unit KFO5002, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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3
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Fowler EA, Farias Amorim C, Mostacada K, Yan A, Amorim Sacramento L, Stanco RA, Hales ED, Varkey A, Zong W, Wu GD, de Oliveira CI, Collins PL, Novais FO. Neutrophil-mediated hypoxia drives pathogenic CD8+ T cell responses in cutaneous leishmaniasis. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e177992. [PMID: 38833303 PMCID: PMC11245163 DOI: 10.1172/jci177992] [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: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania parasites exhibits a wide range of clinical manifestations. Although parasites influence disease severity, cytolytic CD8+ T cell responses mediate disease. Although these responses originate in the lymph node, we found that expression of the cytolytic effector molecule granzyme B was restricted to lesional CD8+ T cells in Leishmania-infected mice, suggesting that local cues within inflamed skin induced cytolytic function. Expression of Blimp-1 (Prdm1), a transcription factor necessary for cytolytic CD8+ T cell differentiation, was driven by hypoxia within the inflamed skin. Hypoxia was further enhanced by the recruitment of neutrophils that consumed oxygen to produce ROS and ultimately increased the hypoxic state and granzyme B expression in CD8+ T cells. Importantly, lesions from patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis exhibited hypoxia transcription signatures that correlated with the presence of neutrophils. Thus, targeting hypoxia-driven signals that support local differentiation of cytolytic CD8+ T cells may improve the prognosis for patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis, as well as for other inflammatory skin diseases in which cytolytic CD8+ T cells contribute to pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin A. Fowler
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Klauss Mostacada
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Allison Yan
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Rae A. Stanco
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Emily D.S. Hales
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Aditi Varkey
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Wenjing Zong
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Gary D. Wu
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Camila I. de Oliveira
- Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, FIOCRUZ, Salvador, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Doenças Tropicais, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Patrick L. Collins
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Fernanda O. Novais
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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4
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Ferrer CM, Cho HM, Boon R, Bernasocchi T, Wong LP, Cetinbas M, Haggerty ER, Mitsiades I, Wojtkiewicz GR, McLoughlin DE, Aboushousha R, Abdelhamid H, Kugel S, Rheinbay E, Sadreyev R, Juric D, Janssen-Heininger YMW, Mostoslavsky R. The glutathione S-transferase Gstt1 drives survival and dissemination in metastases. Nat Cell Biol 2024; 26:975-990. [PMID: 38862786 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-024-01426-7] [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: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Identifying the adaptive mechanisms of metastatic cancer cells remains an elusive question in the treatment of metastatic disease, particularly in pancreatic cancer (pancreatic adenocarcinoma, PDA). A loss-of-function shRNA targeted screen in metastatic-derived cells identified Gstt1, a member of the glutathione S-transferase superfamily, as uniquely required for dissemination and metastasis, but dispensable for primary tumour growth. Gstt1 is expressed in latent disseminated tumour cells (DTCs), is retained within a subpopulation of slow-cycling cells within existing metastases, and its inhibition leads to complete regression of macrometastatic tumours. This distinct Gstt1high population is highly metastatic and retains slow-cycling phenotypes, epithelial-mesenchymal transition features and DTC characteristics compared to the Gstt1low population. Mechanistic studies indicate that in this subset of cancer cells, Gstt1 maintains metastases by binding and glutathione-modifying intracellular fibronectin, in turn promoting its secretion and deposition into the metastatic microenvironment. We identified Gstt1 as a mediator of metastasis, highlighting the importance of heterogeneity and its influence on the metastatic tumour microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M Ferrer
- The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Hyo Min Cho
- The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ruben Boon
- The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Galapagos NV, 2800 Mechelen, Belgium
| | - Tiziano Bernasocchi
- The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Lai Ping Wong
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Murat Cetinbas
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth R Haggerty
- The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Irene Mitsiades
- The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Daniel E McLoughlin
- The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Termeer Center for Targeted Therapies, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Reem Aboushousha
- University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Hend Abdelhamid
- University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Sita Kugel
- Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Esther Rheinbay
- The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ruslan Sadreyev
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dejan Juric
- The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Termeer Center for Targeted Therapies, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Raul Mostoslavsky
- The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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5
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Geng DY, Chen QS, Chen WX, Zhou LS, Han XS, Xie QH, Guo GH, Chen XF, Chen JS, Zhong XP. Molecular targets and mechanisms of different aberrant alternative splicing in metastatic liver cancer. World J Clin Oncol 2024; 15:531-539. [PMID: 38689626 PMCID: PMC11056863 DOI: 10.5306/wjco.v15.i4.531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Metastasis remains a major challenge in the successful management of malignant diseases. The liver is a major site of metastatic disease and a leading cause of death from gastrointestinal malignancies such as colon, stomach, and pancreatic cancers, as well as melanoma, breast cancer, and sarcoma. As an important factor that influences the development of metastatic liver cancer, alternative splicing drives the diversity of RNA transcripts and protein subtypes, which may provide potential to broaden the target space. In particular, the dysfunction of splicing factors and abnormal expression of splicing variants are associated with the occurrence, progression, aggressiveness, and drug resistance of cancers caused by the selective splicing of specific genes. This review is the first to provide a detailed summary of the normal splicing process and alterations that occur during metastatic liver cancer. It will cover the role of alternative splicing in the mechanisms of metastatic liver cancer by examining splicing factor changes, abnormal splicing, and the contribution of hypoxia to these changes during metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- De-Yi Geng
- Department of Plastic and Burns Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
- Plastic Surgery Research Institute, Ear Deformities Treatment Center and Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment Center of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Qing-Shan Chen
- Department of Plastic and Burns Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
- Plastic Surgery Research Institute, Ear Deformities Treatment Center and Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment Center of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Wan-Xian Chen
- Department of Plastic and Burns Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
- Plastic Surgery Research Institute, Ear Deformities Treatment Center and Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment Center of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Lin-Sa Zhou
- Department of Plastic and Burns Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
- Plastic Surgery Research Institute, Ear Deformities Treatment Center and Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment Center of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xiao-Sha Han
- Department of Plastic and Burns Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
- Plastic Surgery Research Institute, Ear Deformities Treatment Center and Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment Center of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Qi-Hu Xie
- Department of Plastic and Burns Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
- Plastic Surgery Research Institute, Ear Deformities Treatment Center and Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment Center of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Geng-Hong Guo
- Department of Plastic and Burns Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
- Plastic Surgery Research Institute, Ear Deformities Treatment Center and Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment Center of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xue-Fen Chen
- Department of Plastic and Burns Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
- Plastic Surgery Research Institute, Ear Deformities Treatment Center and Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment Center of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jia-Sheng Chen
- Department of Plastic and Burns Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
- Plastic Surgery Research Institute, Ear Deformities Treatment Center and Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment Center of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xiao-Ping Zhong
- Department of Plastic and Burns Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
- Plastic Surgery Research Institute, Ear Deformities Treatment Center and Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment Center of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515000, Guangdong Province, China
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6
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Krauß L, Schneider C, Hessmann E, Saur D, Schneider G. Epigenetic control of pancreatic cancer metastasis. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2023; 42:1113-1131. [PMID: 37659057 PMCID: PMC10713713 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-023-10132-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Surgical resection, when combined with chemotherapy, has been shown to significantly improve the survival rate of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, this treatment option is only feasible for a fraction of patients, as more than 50% of cases are diagnosed with metastasis. The multifaceted process of metastasis is still not fully understood, but recent data suggest that transcriptional and epigenetic plasticity play significant roles. Interfering with epigenetic reprogramming can potentially control the adaptive processes responsible for metastatic progression and therapy resistance, thereby enhancing treatment responses and preventing recurrence. This review will focus on the relevance of histone-modifying enzymes in pancreatic cancer, specifically on their impact on the metastatic cascade. Additionally, it will also provide a brief update on the current clinical developments in epigenetic therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Krauß
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Carolin Schneider
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Hessmann
- Department of Gastroenterology, Gastrointestinal Oncology and Endocrinology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
- Clinical Research Unit 5002, KFO5002, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
- CCC-N (Comprehensive Cancer Center Lower Saxony), 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dieter Saur
- Institute for Translational Cancer Research and Experimental Cancer Therapy, Technical University Munich, 81675, Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Günter Schneider
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.
- CCC-N (Comprehensive Cancer Center Lower Saxony), 37075, Göttingen, Germany.
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7
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Fowler EA, Amorim CF, Mostacada K, Yan A, Sacramento LA, Stanco RA, Hales EDS, Varkey A, Zong W, Wu GD, de Oliveira CI, Collins PL, Novais FO. Pathogenic CD8 T cell responses are driven by neutrophil-mediated hypoxia in cutaneous leishmaniasis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.18.562926. [PMID: 37904953 PMCID: PMC10614852 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.18.562926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania parasites exhibits a wide range of clinical manifestations. Although parasites influence disease severity, cytolytic CD8 T cell responses mediate disease. While these responses originate in the lymph node, we find that expression of the cytolytic effector molecule granzyme B is restricted to lesional CD8 T cells in Leishmania - infected mice, suggesting that local cues within inflamed skin induce cytolytic function. Expression of Blimp-1 ( Prdm1 ), a transcription factor necessary for cytolytic CD8 T cell differentiation, is driven by hypoxia within the inflamed skin. Hypoxia is further enhanced by the recruitment of neutrophils that consume oxygen to produce reactive oxygen species, ultimately increasing granzyme B expression in CD8 T cells. Importantly, lesions from cutaneous leishmaniasis patients exhibit hypoxia transcription signatures that correlate with the presence of neutrophils. Thus, targeting hypoxia-driven signals that support local differentiation of cytolytic CD8 T cells may improve the prognosis for patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis, as well as other inflammatory skin diseases where cytolytic CD8 T cells contribute to pathogenesis.
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8
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Ildiz ES, Gvozdenovic A, Kovacs WJ, Aceto N. Travelling under pressure - hypoxia and shear stress in the metastatic journey. Clin Exp Metastasis 2023; 40:375-394. [PMID: 37490147 PMCID: PMC10495280 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-023-10224-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cell invasion, intravasation and survival in the bloodstream are early steps of the metastatic process, pivotal to enabling the spread of cancer to distant tissues. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) represent a highly selected subpopulation of cancer cells that tamed these critical steps, and a better understanding of their biology and driving molecular principles may facilitate the development of novel tools to prevent metastasis. Here, we describe key research advances in this field, aiming at describing early metastasis-related processes such as collective invasion, shedding, and survival of CTCs in the bloodstream, paying particular attention to microenvironmental factors like hypoxia and mechanical stress, considered as important influencers of the metastatic journey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ece Su Ildiz
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ana Gvozdenovic
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Werner J Kovacs
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nicola Aceto
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich), Zurich, Switzerland.
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9
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Pasquier C, Guerlais V, Pallez D, Rapetti-Mauss R, Soriani O. A network embedding approach to identify active modules in biological interaction networks. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202201550. [PMID: 37339804 PMCID: PMC10282331 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201550] [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: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The identification of condition-specific gene sets from transcriptomic experiments is important to reveal regulatory and signaling mechanisms associated with a given cellular response. Statistical methods of differential expression analysis, designed to assess individual gene variations, have trouble highlighting modules of small varying genes whose interaction is essential to characterize phenotypic changes. To identify these highly informative gene modules, several methods have been proposed in recent years, but they have many limitations that make them of little use to biologists. Here, we propose an efficient method for identifying these active modules that operates on a data embedding combining gene expressions and interaction data. Applications carried out on real datasets show that our method can identify new groups of genes of high interest corresponding to functions not revealed by traditional approaches. Software is available at https://github.com/claudepasquier/amine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claude Pasquier
- Laboratoire d'Informatique, Signaux et Systèmes de Sophia-Antipolis, I3S - UMR7271 - UNS CNRS, Les Algorithmes - bât. Euclide B, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Vincent Guerlais
- Laboratoire d'Informatique, Signaux et Systèmes de Sophia-Antipolis, I3S - UMR7271 - UNS CNRS, Les Algorithmes - bât. Euclide B, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Denis Pallez
- Laboratoire d'Informatique, Signaux et Systèmes de Sophia-Antipolis, I3S - UMR7271 - UNS CNRS, Les Algorithmes - bât. Euclide B, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Raphaël Rapetti-Mauss
- iBV - Institut de Biologie Valrose, Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, Faculté des Sciences, Parc Valrose, Nice cedex 2, France
| | - Olivier Soriani
- iBV - Institut de Biologie Valrose, Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, Faculté des Sciences, Parc Valrose, Nice cedex 2, France
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10
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Githaka JM, Pirayeshfard L, Goping IS. Cancer invasion and metastasis: Insights from murine pubertal mammary gland morphogenesis. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2023; 1867:130375. [PMID: 37150225 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2023.130375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Cancer invasion and metastasis accounts for the majority of cancer related mortality. A better understanding of the players that drive the aberrant invasion and migration of tumors cells will provide critical targets to inhibit metastasis. Postnatal pubertal mammary gland morphogenesis is characterized by highly proliferative, invasive, and migratory normal epithelial cells. Identifying the molecular regulators of pubertal gland development is a promising strategy since tumorigenesis and metastasis is postulated to be a consequence of aberrant reactivation of developmental stages. In this review, we summarize the pubertal morphogenesis regulators that are involved in cancer metastasis and revisit pubertal mammary gland transcriptome profiling to uncover both known and unknown metastasis genes. Our updated list of pubertal morphogenesis regulators shows that most are implicated in invasion and metastasis. This review highlights molecular linkages between development and metastasis and provides a guide for exploring novel metastatic drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Maringa Githaka
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada.
| | - Leila Pirayeshfard
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Ing Swie Goping
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada; Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada.
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11
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Torres AJF, Duryea J, McDonald OG. Pancreatic cancer epigenetics: adaptive metabolism reprograms starving primary tumors for widespread metastatic outgrowth. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2023; 42:389-407. [PMID: 37316634 PMCID: PMC10591521 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-023-10116-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a paradigm for adaptation to extreme stress. That is because genetic drivers are selected during tissue injury with epigenetic imprints encoding wound healing responses. Ironically, epigenetic memories of trauma that facilitate neoplasia can also recreate past stresses to restrain malignant progression through symbiotic tumor:stroma crosstalk. This is best exemplified by positive feedback between neoplastic chromatin outputs and fibroinflammatory stromal cues that encase malignant glands within a nutrient-deprived desmoplastic stroma. Because epigenetic imprints are chemically encoded by nutrient-derived metabolites bonded to chromatin, primary tumor metabolism adapts to preserve malignant epigenetic fidelity during starvation. Despite these adaptations, stromal stresses inevitably awaken primordial drives to seek more hospitable climates. The invasive migrations that ensue facilitate entry into the metastatic cascade. Metastatic routes present nutrient-replete reservoirs that accelerate malignant progression through adaptive metaboloepigenetics. This is best exemplified by positive feedback between biosynthetic enzymes and nutrient transporters that saturate malignant chromatin with pro-metastatic metabolite byproducts. Here we present a contemporary view of pancreatic cancer epigenetics: selection of neoplastic chromatin under fibroinflammatory pressures, preservation of malignant chromatin during starvation stresses, and saturation of metastatic chromatin by nutritional excesses that fuel lethal metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaldo J Franco Torres
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Rosenstiel Medical Sciences Building Room 4086A, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Jeffrey Duryea
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Rosenstiel Medical Sciences Building Room 4086A, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Oliver G McDonald
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Rosenstiel Medical Sciences Building Room 4086A, Miami, FL, USA.
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
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12
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Hebert JD, Neal JW, Winslow MM. Dissecting metastasis using preclinical models and methods. Nat Rev Cancer 2023; 23:391-407. [PMID: 37138029 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-023-00568-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Metastasis has long been understood to lead to the overwhelming majority of cancer-related deaths. However, our understanding of the metastatic process, and thus our ability to prevent or eliminate metastases, remains frustratingly limited. This is largely due to the complexity of metastasis, which is a multistep process that likely differs across cancer types and is greatly influenced by many aspects of the in vivo microenvironment. In this Review, we discuss the key variables to consider when designing assays to study metastasis: which source of metastatic cancer cells to use and where to introduce them into mice to address different questions of metastasis biology. We also examine methods that are being used to interrogate specific steps of the metastatic cascade in mouse models, as well as emerging techniques that may shed new light on previously inscrutable aspects of metastasis. Finally, we explore approaches for developing and using anti-metastatic therapies, and how mouse models can be used to test them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jess D Hebert
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Joel W Neal
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Monte M Winslow
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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13
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Sherman MH, Beatty GL. Tumor Microenvironment in Pancreatic Cancer Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Resistance. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PATHOLOGY 2023; 18:123-148. [PMID: 36130070 PMCID: PMC9877114 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathmechdis-031621-024600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 99.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) features a prominent stromal microenvironment with remarkable cellular and spatial heterogeneity that meaningfully impacts disease biology and treatment resistance. Recent advances in tissue imaging capabilities, single-cell analytics, and disease modeling have shed light on organizing principles that shape the stromal complexity of PDAC tumors. These insights into the functional and spatial dependencies that coordinate cancer cell biology and the relationships that exist between cells and extracellular matrix components present in tumors are expected to unveil therapeutic vulnerabilities. We review recent advances in the field and discuss current understandings of mechanisms by which the tumor microenvironment shapes PDAC pathogenesis and therapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara H Sherman
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology; and Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA;
| | - Gregory L Beatty
- Abramson Cancer Center; and Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA;
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14
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Evan T, Wang VMY, Behrens A. The roles of intratumour heterogeneity in the biology and treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Oncogene 2022; 41:4686-4695. [PMID: 36088504 PMCID: PMC9568427 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-022-02448-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Intratumour heterogeneity (ITH) has become an important focus of cancer research in recent years. ITH describes the cellular variation that enables tumour evolution, including tumour progression, metastasis and resistance to treatment. The selection and expansion of genetically distinct treatment-resistant cancer cell clones provides one explanation for treatment failure. However, tumour cell variation need not be genetically encoded. In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in particular, the complex tumour microenvironment as well as crosstalk between tumour and stromal cells result in exceptionally variable tumour cell phenotypes that are also highly adaptable. In this review we discuss four different types of phenotypic heterogeneity within PDAC, from morphological to metabolic heterogeneity. We suggest that these different types of ITH are not independent, but, rather, can inform one another. Lastly, we highlight recent findings that suggest how therapeutic efforts may halt PDAC progression by constraining cellular heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodore Evan
- Cancer Stem Cell Laboratory, The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | | | - Axel Behrens
- Cancer Stem Cell Laboratory, The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK.
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
- CRUK Convergence Science Centre, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, London, UK.
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15
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Shi S, Luo Y, Wang M, Lin Z, Song M, Li Z, Peng Z, Feng ST. Tumor fibrosis correlates with the survival of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma and is predictable using clinicoradiological features. Eur Radiol 2022; 32:6314-6326. [PMID: 35420301 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-022-08745-z] [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: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the prognostic value of fibrosis for patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and preoperatively predict fibrosis using clinicoradiological features. Tumor fibrosis plays an important role in the chemoresistance of PDAC. However, the prognostic value of tumor fibrosis remains contradiction and accurate prediction of tumor fibrosis is required. METHODS The study included 131 patients with PDAC who underwent first-line surgery. The prognostic value of fibrosis and rounded cutoff fibrosis points for median overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were determined using Cox regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. Then the whole cohort was randomly divided into training (n = 88) and validation (n = 43) sets. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to select independent risk factors for fibrosis in the training set, and a nomogram was constructed. Nomogram performance was assessed using a calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS Hazard ratios of fibrosis for OS and DFS were 1.121 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.082-1.161) and 1.110 (95% CI: 1.067-1.155). ROC analysis identified 40% as the rounded cutoff fibrosis point for median OS and DFS. Tumor diameter, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 level, and peripancreatic tumor infiltration were independent risk factors; areas under the nomogram curve were 0.810 and 0.804 in the training and validation sets, respectively. The calibration curve indicated good agreement of the nomogram, and DCA demonstrated good clinical usefulness. CONCLUSIONS Tumor fibrosis was associated with poor OS and DFS in patients with PDAC. The nomogram incorporating clinicoradiological features was useful for preoperatively predicting tumor fibrosis. KEY POINTS • Tumor fibrosis is correlated with poor prognosis in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. • Tumor fibrosis can be categorized according to its association with overall survival and disease-free survival. • A nomogram incorporating carbohydrate antigen 19-9 level, tumor diameter, and peripancreatic tumor infiltration is useful for preoperatively predicting tumor fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siya Shi
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 58, Second Zhongshan Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Yanji Luo
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 58, Second Zhongshan Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Meng Wang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 58, Second Zhongshan Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhi Lin
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 58, Second Zhongshan Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Meiyi Song
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ziping Li
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 58, Second Zhongshan Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhenpeng Peng
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 58, Second Zhongshan Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China.
| | - Shi-Ting Feng
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 58, Second Zhongshan Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China.
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16
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Paganos P, Ronchi P, Carl J, Mizzon G, Martinez P, Benvenuto G, Arnone MI. Integrating single cell transcriptomics and volume electron microscopy confirms the presence of pancreatic acinar-like cells in sea urchins. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:991664. [PMID: 36060803 PMCID: PMC9437490 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.991664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The identity and function of a given cell type relies on the differential expression of gene batteries that promote diverse phenotypes and functional specificities. Therefore, the identification of the molecular and morphological fingerprints of cell types across taxa is essential for untangling their evolution. Here we use a multidisciplinary approach to identify the molecular and morphological features of an exocrine, pancreas-like cell type harbored within the sea urchin larval gut. Using single cell transcriptomics, we identify various cell populations with a pancreatic-like molecular fingerprint that are enriched within the S. purpuratus larva digestive tract. Among these, in the region where they reside, the midgut/stomach domain, we find that populations of exocrine pancreas-like cells have a unique regulatory wiring distinct from the rest the of the cell types of the same region. Furthermore, Serial Block-face scanning Electron Microscopy (SBEM) of the exocrine cells shows that this reported molecular diversity is associated to distinct morphological features that reflect the physiological and functional properties of this cell type. Therefore, we propose that these sea urchin exocrine cells are homologous to the well-known mammalian pancreatic acinar cells and thus we trace the origin of this particular cell type to the time of deuterostome diversification. Overall, our approach allows a thorough characterization of a complex cell type and shows how both the transcriptomic and morphological information contribute to disentangling the evolution of cell types and organs such as the pancreatic cells and pancreas.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paolo Ronchi
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jil Carl
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Giulia Mizzon
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Pedro Martinez
- Institut Català de Recerca i Estudis Avancats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain,Genetics Department, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Maria Ina Arnone
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), Naples, Italy,*Correspondence: Maria Ina Arnone,
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17
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Blimp-1 is a prognostic indicator for progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2022; 148:1991-2002. [PMID: 35386001 PMCID: PMC9294030 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-022-03993-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Background Progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) to higher grade disease is associated with persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and an absence of immune-mediated regression. However, the immune microenvironment that distinguishes progression from persistent or regressing lesions has not been well defined. Methods A total of 69 patients under the age of 25 with high-risk HPV-positive cytology and biopsy-confirmed p16-positive CIN2 were included in the study. Biopsies were stained using 20 antibodies to a range of immune markers. Based on a 2-year follow-up, samples were analysed in “progressor” (CIN3 +) or “persister/regressor” (CIN1, 2 or normal) groups. Results Progression was most strongly associated with Blimp-1 positive cell staining in the lesion (P = 0.0019) and with low numbers of infiltrating CD4 cells in the dermal region beneath the lesion (P = 0.0022). The presence of CD4, CD8 and T bet-positive cells in the dermal region most strongly correlated with CD11c cells in the persister/regressor but not the progressor group. Conclusion High numbers of Blimp-1 + cells in CIN2 lesions may predict progression to more severe disease. Measurement of Blimp-1 may have diagnostic utility for the determination of the need to treat women with cervical pre-cancer. Highlights CIN2 progression is associated with high numbers of Blimp-1 positive cells in the lesion. Detection of Blimp-1 in the lesion may have utility as a prognostic test to inform the need to treat CIN2. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00432-022-03993-4.
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18
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McDonald OG. The biology of pancreatic cancer morphology. Pathology 2022; 54:236-247. [PMID: 34872751 PMCID: PMC8891077 DOI: 10.1016/j.pathol.2021.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal of all human malignancies. PDAC precursor lesions, invasive primary PDAC, and metastatic PDAC each display distinct morphologies that reflect unique biology. This 'biomorphology' is determined by a complex neoplastic history of clonal phylogenetic relationships, geographic locations, external environmental exposures, intrinsic metabolic demands, and tissue migration patterns. Understanding the biomorphological evolution of PDAC progression is not only of academic interest but also of great practical value. Applying this knowledge to surgical pathology practice facilitates the correct diagnosis on routine H&E stains without additional ancillary studies in most cases. Here I provide a concise overview of the entire biomorphological spectrum of PDAC progression beginning with initial neoplastic transformation and ending in terminal distant metastasis. Most biopsy and resection specimens are currently obtained prior to treatment. As such, our understanding of untreated PDAC biomorphology is mature. The biomorphology of treated PDAC is less defined but will assume greater importance as the frequency of neoadjuvant therapy increases. Although this overview is slanted towards pathology, it is written so that pathologists, clinicians, and scientists alike might find it instructive for their respective disciplines.
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19
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Krauß L, Urban BC, Hastreiter S, Schneider C, Wenzel P, Hassan Z, Wirth M, Lankes K, Terrasi A, Klement C, Cernilogar FM, Öllinger R, de Andrade Krätzig N, Engleitner T, Schmid RM, Steiger K, Rad R, Krämer OH, Reichert M, Schotta G, Saur D, Schneider G. HDAC2 Facilitates Pancreatic Cancer Metastasis. Cancer Res 2022; 82:695-707. [PMID: 34903606 PMCID: PMC9359718 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-3209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The mortality of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is strongly associated with metastasis, a multistep process that is incompletely understood in this disease. Although genetic drivers of PDAC metastasis have not been defined, transcriptional and epigenetic rewiring can contribute to the metastatic process. The epigenetic eraser histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) has been connected to less differentiated PDAC, but the function of HDAC2 in PDAC has not been comprehensively evaluated. Using genetically defined models, we show that HDAC2 is a cellular fitness factor that controls cell cycle in vitro and metastasis in vivo, particularly in undifferentiated, mesenchymal PDAC cells. Unbiased expression profiling detected a core set of HDAC2-regulated genes. HDAC2 controlled expression of several prosurvival receptor tyrosine kinases connected to mesenchymal PDAC, including PDGFRα, PDGFRβ, and EGFR. The HDAC2-maintained program disabled the tumor-suppressive arm of the TGFβ pathway, explaining impaired metastasis formation of HDAC2-deficient PDAC. These data identify HDAC2 as a tractable player in the PDAC metastatic cascade. The complexity of the function of epigenetic regulators like HDAC2 implicates that an increased understanding of these proteins is needed for implementation of effective epigenetic therapies. SIGNIFICANCE HDAC2 has a context-specific role in undifferentiated PDAC and the capacity to disseminate systemically, implicating HDAC2 as targetable protein to prevent metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Krauß
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, München, Germany
| | - Bettina C. Urban
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, München, Germany
| | - Sieglinde Hastreiter
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, München, Germany
| | - Carolin Schneider
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, München, Germany
| | - Patrick Wenzel
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, München, Germany
| | - Zonera Hassan
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, München, Germany
| | - Matthias Wirth
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Tumor Immunology, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, German
| | - Katharina Lankes
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, München, Germany
| | - Andrea Terrasi
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Christine Klement
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, Technical University Munich, München, Germany
| | - Filippo M. Cernilogar
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Rupert Öllinger
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, Technical University Munich, München, Germany
| | - Niklas de Andrade Krätzig
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, Technical University Munich, München, Germany
| | - Thomas Engleitner
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, Technical University Munich, München, Germany
| | - Roland M. Schmid
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, München, Germany
| | - Katja Steiger
- Institute of Pathology, Technische Universität München, München, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Roland Rad
- Institute of Molecular Oncology and Functional Genomics, Technical University Munich, München, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Oliver H. Krämer
- Department of Toxicology, University of Mainz Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Maximilian Reichert
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, München, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gunnar Schotta
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Dieter Saur
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for Translational Cancer Research and Experimental Cancer Therapy, Technical University Munich, München, Germany
| | - Günter Schneider
- Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich, München, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of General, Visceral and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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20
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Chen D, Huang H, Zang L, Gao W, Zhu H, Yu X. Development and Verification of the Hypoxia- and Immune-Associated Prognostic Signature for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Front Immunol 2021; 12:728062. [PMID: 34691034 PMCID: PMC8526937 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.728062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
We aim to construct a hypoxia- and immune-associated risk score model to predict the prognosis of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). By unsupervised consensus clustering algorithms, we generate two different hypoxia clusters. Then, we screened out 682 hypoxia-associated and 528 immune-associated PDAC differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of PDAC using Pearson correlation analysis based on the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression project (GTEx) dataset. Seven hypoxia and immune-associated signature genes (S100A16, PPP3CA, SEMA3C, PLAU, IL18, GDF11, and NR0B1) were identified to construct a risk score model using the Univariate Cox regression and the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) Cox regression, which stratified patients into high- and low-risk groups and were further validated in the GEO and ICGC cohort. Patients in the low-risk group showed superior overall survival (OS) to their high-risk counterparts (p < 0.05). Moreover, it was suggested by multivariate Cox regression that our constructed hypoxia-associated and immune-associated prognosis signature might be used as the independent factor for prognosis prediction (p < 0.001). By CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE algorithms, we discovered that patients in high-risk groups had lower immune score, stromal score, and immune checkpoint expression such as PD-L1, and different immunocyte infiltration states compared with those low-risk patients. The mutation spectrum also differs between high- and low-risk groups. To sum up, our hypoxia- and immune-associated prognostic signature can be used as an approach to stratify the risk of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongjie Chen
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hui Huang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Longjun Zang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Wenzhe Gao
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hongwei Zhu
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiao Yu
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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21
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Hu W, Li M, Wu J, Chen H, Zhao T, Zhang C, Wang Z. Inhibition of Dishevelled-2 suppresses the biological behavior of pancreatic cancer by downregulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Oncol Lett 2021; 22:769. [PMID: 34589148 PMCID: PMC8442142 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2021.13030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Dishevelled-2 (DVL2) has been proven to be involved in the tumorigenesis of several human cancers, such as colorectal cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, etc. However, its role in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclear. The present study investigated the effects of aberrantly expressed DVL2 on PDAC. A total of 97 pancreatic cancer (PC) samples and 85 adjacent normal samples were obtained from patients who were histopathologically diagnosed with primary PDAC. The present study demonstrated that DVL2 expression was upregulated in PDAC tissues and was positively associated with advanced clinical stage and lymph node metastasis in patients with PDAC. In addition, patients with high expression of DVL2 had a shorter overall survival rate compared with those with low expression. To elucidate the role of DVL2 in PDAC, lentivirus-mediated short hairpin RNA was used to silence DVL2 and its physiological function was analyzed in CFPAC-1 and PANC-1 cells. The results indicated that DVL2 downregulation significantly impaired its oncogenic functions including cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Furthermore, DVL2 knockdown inhibits the proliferation and invasion of PC cells in vivo. In addition, co-immunoprecipitation assays revealed that DVL2 interacted with β-catenin; knockdown of DVL2 reduced the expression level of β-catenin and inhibited β-catenin translocation into the nucleus. In conclusion the findings of the present study suggested that DVL2 may be a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Hu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu 222001, P.R. China.,Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu 222001, P.R. China
| | - Mingxu Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu 222001, P.R. China
| | - Junyi Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian 350001, P.R. China
| | - Hong Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu 222001, P.R. China.,Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu 222001, P.R. China
| | - Ting Zhao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu 222001, P.R. China.,Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu 222001, P.R. China
| | - Chunjie Zhang
- Department of Pathology, The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang, Lianyungang, Jiangsu 222001, P.R. China
| | - Zhong Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu 222001, P.R. China.,Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Lianyungang, Jiangsu 222001, P.R. China
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22
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Maddipati R, Norgard RJ, Baslan T, Rathi KS, Zhang A, Saeid A, Higashihara T, Wu F, Kumar A, Annamalai V, Bhattacharya S, Raman P, Adkisson CA, Pitarresi JR, Wengyn MD, Yamazoe T, Li J, Balli D, LaRiviere MJ, Ngo TVC, Folkert IW, Millstein ID, Bermeo J, Carpenter EL, McAuliffe JC, Oktay MH, Brekken RA, Lowe SW, Iacobuzio-Donahue CA, Notta F, Stanger BZ. MYC levels regulate metastatic heterogeneity in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Cancer Discov 2021; 12:542-561. [PMID: 34551968 PMCID: PMC8831468 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-20-1826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The degree of metastatic disease varies widely amongst cancer patients and impacts clinical outcomes. However, the biological and functional differences that drive the extent of metastasis are poorly understood. We analyzed primary tumors and paired metastases using a multi-fluorescent lineage-labeled mouse model of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) - a tumor type where most patients present with metastases. Genomic and transcriptomic analysis revealed an association between metastatic burden and gene amplification or transcriptional upregulation of MYC and its downstream targets. Functional experiments showed that MYC promotes metastasis by recruiting tumor associated macrophages (TAMs), leading to greater bloodstream intravasation. Consistent with these findings, metastatic progression in human PDAC was associated with activation of MYC signaling pathways and enrichment for MYC amplifications specifically in metastatic patients. Collectively, these results implicate MYC activity as a major determinant of metastatic burden in advanced PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert J Norgard
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Timour Baslan
- Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
| | - Komal S Rathi
- Division of Oncology and Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
| | - Amy Zhang
- PanCuRx Translational Research Initiative, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
| | - Asal Saeid
- The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
| | | | - Feng Wu
- The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
| | - Angad Kumar
- Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
| | - Valli Annamalai
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Taiji Yamazoe
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Jinyang Li
- School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | - David Balli
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | | | - Tuong-Vi C Ngo
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, and Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
| | | | - Ian D Millstein
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Jonathan Bermeo
- David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
| | | | - John C McAuliffe
- Sarcoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
| | | | - Rolf A Brekken
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, Departments of Surgery and Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
| | - Scott W Lowe
- Cancer Biology and Genetics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
| | | | | | - Ben Z Stanger
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
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23
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Venkat S, Alahmari AA, Feigin ME. Drivers of Gene Expression Dysregulation in Pancreatic Cancer. Trends Cancer 2021; 7:594-605. [PMID: 33618999 PMCID: PMC8217125 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2021.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a devastating disease with a poor prognosis. The functional consequences of common genetic aberrations and their roles in treatment strategies have been extensively reviewed. In addition to these genomic aberrations, consideration of non-genetic drivers of altered oncogene expression is essential to account for the diversity in PDAC phenotypes. In this review we seek to assess our current understanding of mechanisms of gene expression dysregulation. We focus on four drivers of gene expression dysregulation, including mutations, transcription factors, epigenetic regulators, and RNA stability/isoform regulation, in the context of PDAC pathogenesis. Recent studies provide much-needed insight into the role of gene expression dysregulation in dissecting tumor heterogeneity and stratifying patients for the development of personalized treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Venkat
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Abdulrahman A Alahmari
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA; Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj, Saudi Arabia
| | - Michael E Feigin
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA.
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24
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Subhan MA, Yalamarty SSK, Filipczak N, Parveen F, Torchilin VP. Recent Advances in Tumor Targeting via EPR Effect for Cancer Treatment. J Pers Med 2021; 11:571. [PMID: 34207137 PMCID: PMC8234032 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11060571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer causes the second-highest rate of death world-wide. A major shortcoming inherent in most of anticancer drugs is their lack of tumor selectivity. Nanodrugs for cancer therapy administered intravenously escape renal clearance, are unable to penetrate through tight endothelial junctions of normal blood vessels and remain at a high level in plasma. Over time, the concentration of nanodrugs builds up in tumors due to the EPR effect, reaching several times higher than that of plasma due to the lack of lymphatic drainage. This review will address in detail the progress and prospects of tumor-targeting via EPR effect for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Abdus Subhan
- Department of Chemistry, Shah Jalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet 3114, Bangladesh
| | - Satya Siva Kishan Yalamarty
- CPBN, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (S.S.K.Y.); (N.F.); (F.P.)
| | - Nina Filipczak
- CPBN, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (S.S.K.Y.); (N.F.); (F.P.)
| | - Farzana Parveen
- CPBN, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (S.S.K.Y.); (N.F.); (F.P.)
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab 63100, Pakistan
| | - Vladimir P. Torchilin
- CPBN, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (S.S.K.Y.); (N.F.); (F.P.)
- Department of Oncology, Radiotherapy and Plastic Surgery, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 119991 Moscow, Russia
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25
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Pitarresi JR, Norgard RJ, Chiarella AM, Suzuki K, Bakir B, Sahu V, Li J, Zhao J, Marchand B, Wengyn MD, Hsieh A, Kim IK, Zhang A, Sellin K, Lee V, Takano S, Miyahara Y, Ohtsuka M, Maitra A, Notta F, Kremer R, Stanger BZ, Rustgi AK. PTHrP Drives Pancreatic Cancer Growth and Metastasis and Reveals a New Therapeutic Vulnerability. Cancer Discov 2021; 11:1774-1791. [PMID: 33589425 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-20-1098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer metastasis is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths, yet very little is understood regarding the underlying biology. As a result, targeted therapies to inhibit metastasis are lacking. Here, we report that the parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP encoded by PTHLH) is frequently amplified as part of the KRAS amplicon in patients with pancreatic cancer. PTHrP upregulation drives the growth of both primary and metastatic tumors in mice and is highly enriched in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma metastases. Loss of PTHrP-either genetically or pharmacologically-dramatically reduces tumor burden, eliminates metastasis, and enhances overall survival. These effects are mediated in part through a reduction in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, which reduces the ability of tumor cells to initiate metastatic cascade. Spp1, which encodes osteopontin, is revealed to be a downstream effector of PTHrP. Our results establish a new paradigm in pancreatic cancer whereby PTHrP is a driver of disease progression and emerges as a novel therapeutic vulnerability. SIGNIFICANCE: Pancreatic cancer often presents with metastases, yet no strategies exist to pharmacologically inhibit this process. Herein, we establish the oncogenic and prometastatic roles of PTHLH, a novel amplified gene in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. We demonstrate that blocking PTHrP activity reduces primary tumor growth, prevents metastasis, and prolongs survival in mice.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1601.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason R Pitarresi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Robert J Norgard
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Anna M Chiarella
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Kensuke Suzuki
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Basil Bakir
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Varun Sahu
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Jinyang Li
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jun Zhao
- Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research and the Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Benoît Marchand
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Maximilian D Wengyn
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Antony Hsieh
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Il-Kyu Kim
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Amy Zhang
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karine Sellin
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, McGill University and McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Vivian Lee
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Shigetsugu Takano
- Department of General Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yoji Miyahara
- Department of General Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Masayuki Ohtsuka
- Department of General Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Anirban Maitra
- Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research and the Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Faiyaz Notta
- Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Richard Kremer
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, McGill University and McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ben Z Stanger
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Anil K Rustgi
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York.
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26
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Gaida MM. [The ambiguous role of the inflammatory micromilieu in solid tumors]. DER PATHOLOGE 2021; 41:118-123. [PMID: 33104890 DOI: 10.1007/s00292-020-00837-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Besides host defense against infections, the main function of the immune system is to eliminate tumor cells. Therefore, nearly, all solid tumors have a heterogeneous fibro-inflammatory microenvironment, which consists of myofibroblastic cells, extracellular matrix components, and infiltrates from various types of immune cell. In particular, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a prototype of a tumor with a pronounced inflammatory microenvironment, in which the majority of the tumor mass consists of nonneoplastic stromal and immune cells. Our own data and data from the literature indicate a protective role of tumor-infiltrating T cells for the host. On the other hand, we were able to show that a defined T cell subpopulation paradoxically promotes the progression of the tumor. Our investigations now focus on these cells, known as "Th17," in the tumor microenvironment. OBJECTIVES To elucidate the mechanisms of the infiltrated immune cells and their mediators in the tumor microenvironment. MATERIALS AND METHODS Human pancreatic cancer tissue was used for (immune) histological staining and morphometric analysis and the results were correlated with clinical parameters and with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging images. The molecular mechanisms were analyzed in cell culture approaches using human tumor cells and human immune cells. With molecular biological methods and functional assays cell growth, invasion and colony formation were assessed. The in vivo correlation of the results and functional interventions were tested in murine and avian (xenograft) models. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION Tumor-infiltrating immune cells of type Th17 and their mediators promoted the progression of the tumor depending on density, activation status, and cytokine profile. On molecular level, we identified a Th17-mediated increase of tumor cell migration and invasion, an increased neoangiogenesis, as well as a reorganization of the tumor stroma and microarchitecture. The data show that the progression of pancreatic cancer, depends on the status of activation and the cytokine profile of the infiltrated T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias M Gaida
- Institut für Pathologie, Universitätsmedizin der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Deutschland.
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27
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Tao J, Yang G, Zhou W, Qiu J, Chen G, Luo W, Zhao F, You L, Zheng L, Zhang T, Zhao Y. Targeting hypoxic tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer. J Hematol Oncol 2021; 14:14. [PMID: 33436044 PMCID: PMC7805044 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-020-01030-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 206] [Impact Index Per Article: 68.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Attributable to its late diagnosis, early metastasis, and poor prognosis, pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal diseases worldwide. Unlike other solid tumors, pancreatic cancer harbors ample stromal cells and abundant extracellular matrix but lacks vascularization, resulting in persistent and severe hypoxia within the tumor. Hypoxic microenvironment has extensive effects on biological behaviors or malignant phenotypes of pancreatic cancer, including metabolic reprogramming, cancer stemness, invasion and metastasis, and pathological angiogenesis, which synergistically contribute to development and therapeutic resistance of pancreatic cancer. Through various mechanisms including but not confined to maintenance of redox homeostasis, activation of autophagy, epigenetic regulation, and those induced by hypoxia-inducible factors, intratumoral hypoxia drives the above biological processes in pancreatic cancer. Recognizing the pivotal roles of hypoxia in pancreatic cancer progression and therapies, hypoxia-based antitumoral strategies have been continuously developed over the recent years, some of which have been applied in clinical trials to evaluate their efficacy and safety in combinatory therapies for patients with pancreatic cancer. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying hypoxia-induced aggressive and therapeutically resistant phenotypes in both pancreatic cancerous and stromal cells. Additionally, we focus more on innovative therapies targeting the tumor hypoxic microenvironment itself, which hold great potential to overcome the resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy and to enhance antitumor efficacy and reduce toxicity to normal tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxin Tao
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Gang Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Wenchuan Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Jiangdong Qiu
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Guangyu Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Wenhao Luo
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Fangyu Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Lei You
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Lianfang Zheng
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Taiping Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China. .,Clinical Immunology Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Yupei Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Wangfujing Street, Beijing, 100730, China.
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28
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Patel SA, Rodrigues P, Wesolowski L, Vanharanta S. Genomic control of metastasis. Br J Cancer 2021; 124:3-12. [PMID: 33144692 PMCID: PMC7782491 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-020-01127-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastasis remains the leading cause of cancer-associated mortality, and a detailed understanding of the metastatic process could suggest new therapeutic avenues. However, how metastatic phenotypes arise at the genomic level has remained a major open question in cancer biology. Comparative genetic studies of primary and metastatic cancers have revealed a complex picture of metastatic evolution with diverse temporal patterns and trajectories to dissemination. Whole-genome amplification is associated with metastatic cancer clones, but no metastasis-exclusive driver mutations have emerged. Instead, genetically activated oncogenic pathways that drive tumour initiation and early progression acquire metastatic traits by co-opting physiological programmes from stem cell, developmental and regenerative pathways. The functional consequences of oncogenic driver mutations therefore change via epigenetic mechanisms to promote metastasis. Increasing evidence is starting to uncover the molecular mechanisms that determine how specific oncogenic drivers interact with various physiological programmes, and what triggers their activation in support of metastasis. Detailed insight into the mechanisms that control metastasis is likely to reveal novel opportunities for intervention at different stages of metastatic progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saroor A Patel
- MRC Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, Box 197, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0XZ, UK
| | - Paulo Rodrigues
- MRC Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, Box 197, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0XZ, UK
| | - Ludovic Wesolowski
- MRC Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, Box 197, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0XZ, UK
| | - Sakari Vanharanta
- MRC Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, Box 197, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0XZ, UK.
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29
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Mayer P, Kraft A, Witzel HR, Marnet N, Hörner N, Roth W, Heinrich S, Hackert T, Bergmann F, Kauczor HU, Klauss M, Gaida MM. Restricted Water Diffusion in Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Pancreatic Cancer is Associated with Tumor Hypoxia. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 13:cancers13010089. [PMID: 33396818 PMCID: PMC7801953 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13010089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Pancreatic cancer is characterized by a dense network of connective tissue surrounding clusters of cancer cells, the so-called stroma. This ubiquitous connective tissue impairs the delivery of oxygen to cancer cells. This results in hypoxia, which renders the cancer more aggressive and more resistant to treatment. In the present study, we investigated whether the extent of hypoxia in pancreatic cancer can be predicted by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a widely used medical imaging technique. More specifically, we used an MRI sequence which can quantitate the random motion (i.e., diffusion) of water molecules within the cancer tissue, namely diffusion-weighted (DW) MRI. We found that the random motion of water molecules is lower in cancer lesions with high hypoxia compared to those with low hypoxia. The findings from our study imply that DW-MRI can be used to identify pancreatic cancer lesions with high hypoxia which are at high risk for treatment failure. Abstract Hypoxia is a hallmark of pancreatic cancer (PDAC) due to its compact and extensive fibrotic tumor stroma. Hypoxia contributes to high lethality of this disease, by inducing a more malignant phenotype and resistance to radiation and chemotherapy. Thus, non-invasive methods to quantify hypoxia could be helpful for treatment decisions, for monitoring, especially in non-resectable tumors, or to optimize personalized therapy. In the present study, we investigated whether tumor hypoxia in PDAC is reflected by diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI), a functional imaging technique, frequently used in clinical practice for identification and characterization of pancreatic lesions. DW-MRI assesses the tissue microarchitecture by measuring the diffusion of water molecules, which is more restricted in highly compact tissues. As reliable surrogate markers for hypoxia, we determined Blimp-1 (B-lymphocyte induced maturation protein), a transcription factor, as well as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which are up-regulated in response to hypoxia. In 42 PDAC patients, we observed a close association between restricted water diffusion in DW-MRI and tumor hypoxia in matched samples, as expressed by high levels of Blimp-1 and VEGF in tissue samples of the respective patients. In summary, our data show that DW-MRI is well suited for the evaluation of tumor hypoxia in PDAC and could potentially be used for the identification of lesions with a high hypoxic fraction, which are at high risk for failure of radiochemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Mayer
- Clinic for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (H.-U.K.); (M.K.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-6221-5637-345
| | - Anne Kraft
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Mainz, JGU-Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (A.K.); (H.R.W.); (N.M.); (N.H.); (W.R.); (M.M.G.)
| | - Hagen R. Witzel
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Mainz, JGU-Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (A.K.); (H.R.W.); (N.M.); (N.H.); (W.R.); (M.M.G.)
| | - Nicole Marnet
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Mainz, JGU-Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (A.K.); (H.R.W.); (N.M.); (N.H.); (W.R.); (M.M.G.)
| | - Nina Hörner
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Mainz, JGU-Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (A.K.); (H.R.W.); (N.M.); (N.H.); (W.R.); (M.M.G.)
| | - Wilfried Roth
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Mainz, JGU-Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (A.K.); (H.R.W.); (N.M.); (N.H.); (W.R.); (M.M.G.)
| | - Stefan Heinrich
- Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Mainz, JGU-Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Thilo Hackert
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
| | - Frank Bergmann
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
- Clinical Pathology, Klinikum Darmstadt GmbH, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Hans-Ulrich Kauczor
- Clinic for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (H.-U.K.); (M.K.)
| | - Miriam Klauss
- Clinic for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (H.-U.K.); (M.K.)
| | - Matthias M. Gaida
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Mainz, JGU-Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (A.K.); (H.R.W.); (N.M.); (N.H.); (W.R.); (M.M.G.)
- Research Center for Immunotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, JGU-Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
- Joint Unit Immunopathology, Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center, JGU-Mainz and TRON, Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center, JGU-Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
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30
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Wu C, Wu Z, Tian B. Five gene signatures were identified in the prediction of overall survival in resectable pancreatic cancer. BMC Surg 2020; 20:207. [PMID: 32943033 PMCID: PMC7499920 DOI: 10.1186/s12893-020-00856-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Although genes have been previously detected in pancreatic cancer (PC), aberrant genes that play roles in resectable pancreatic cancer should be further assessed. Methods Messenger RNA samples and clinicopathological data corrected with PC were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Resectable PC patients were randomly divided into a primary set and a validation set. Univariable Cox regression analysis, lasso-penalized Cox regression analysis, and multivariable Cox analysis were implemented to distinguish survival-related genes (SRGs). A risk score based on the SRGs was calculated by univariable Cox regression analysis. A genomic-clinical nomogram was established by integrating the risk score and clinicopathological data to predict overall survival (OS) in resectable PC. Results Five survival-related genes (AADAC, DEF8, HIST1H1C, MET, and CHFR) were significantly correlated with OS in resectable PC. The resectable PC patients, based on risk score, were sorted into a high-risk group that showed considerably unfavorable OS (p < 0.001) than the low-risk group, in both the primary set and the validation set. The concordance index (C-index) was calculated to evaluate the predictive performance of the nomogram were respectively in the primary set [0.696 (0.608–0.784)] and the validation set [0.682 (0.606–0.758)]. Additionally, gene set enrichment Analysis discovered several meaningful enriched pathways. Conclusion Our study identified five prognostic gene biomarkers for OS prediction and which facilitate postoperative molecular target therapy for the resectable PC, especially the nomic-clinical nomogram which may be used as an effective model for the postoperative OS evaluation and also an optimal therapeutic tool for the resectable PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Zuowei Wu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Bole Tian
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.
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Raskov H, Orhan A, Christensen JP, Gögenur I. Cytotoxic CD8 + T cells in cancer and cancer immunotherapy. Br J Cancer 2020; 124:359-367. [PMID: 32929195 PMCID: PMC7853123 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-020-01048-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 685] [Impact Index Per Article: 171.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The functions of, and interactions between, the innate and adaptive immune systems are vital for anticancer immunity. Cytotoxic T cells expressing cell-surface CD8 are the most powerful effectors in the anticancer immune response and form the backbone of current successful cancer immunotherapies. Immune-checkpoint inhibitors are designed to target immune-inhibitory receptors that function to regulate the immune response, whereas adoptive cell-transfer therapies use CD8+ T cells with genetically modified receptors—chimaeric antigen receptors—to specify and enhance CD8+ T-cell functionality. New generations of cytotoxic T cells with genetically modified or synthetic receptors are being developed and evaluated in clinical trials. Furthermore, combinatory regimens might optimise treatment effects and reduce adverse events. This review summarises advances in research on the most prominent immune effectors in cancer and cancer immunotherapy, cytotoxic T cells, and discusses possible implications for future cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Raskov
- Center for Surgical Science, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, Denmark.
| | - Adile Orhan
- Center for Surgical Science, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, Denmark.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Ismail Gögenur
- Center for Surgical Science, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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32
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Yamasaki A, Yanai K, Onishi H. Hypoxia and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Cancer Lett 2020; 484:9-15. [PMID: 32380129 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Chemotherapy and immunotherapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have limited success. One reason for this is thought to be the cancer microenvironment surrounding PDAC. Hypoxia is a feature of the cancer microenvironment. Under hypoxia, different various molecules and signaling pathways are activated compared with normoxia. To develop a new effective therapeutic strategy for PDAC, we need to target these hypoxic conditions to overcome PDAC. To inhibit the malignant phenotype, the cellular changes that occur under hypoxia should be elucidated. Various molecules and signaling that are activated by hypoxia may contribute to the induction of malignant phenotypes of PDAC such as proliferation, invasion, tumorigenesis, chemosensitivity, and autophagy. If we can develop therapeutic approaches to target one of these molecules or signaling pathways, we may proceed to the next therapeutic step of successfully treating refractory PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akio Yamasaki
- Department of Cancer Therapy and Research, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kosuke Yanai
- Department of Cancer Therapy and Research, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Hideya Onishi
- Department of Cancer Therapy and Research, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
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33
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Ng SR, Rideout WM, Akama-Garren EH, Bhutkar A, Mercer KL, Schenkel JM, Bronson RT, Jacks T. CRISPR-mediated modeling and functional validation of candidate tumor suppressor genes in small cell lung cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:513-521. [PMID: 31871154 PMCID: PMC6955235 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1821893117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive subtype of lung cancer that remains among the most lethal of solid tumor malignancies. Recent genomic sequencing studies have identified many recurrently mutated genes in human SCLC tumors. However, the functional roles of most of these genes remain to be validated. Here, we have adapted the CRISPR-Cas9 system to a well-established murine model of SCLC to rapidly model loss-of-function mutations in candidate genes identified from SCLC sequencing studies. We show that loss of the gene p107 significantly accelerates tumor progression. Notably, compared with loss of the closely related gene p130, loss of p107 results in fewer but larger tumors as well as earlier metastatic spread. In addition, we observe differences in proliferation and apoptosis as well as altered distribution of initiated tumors in the lung, resulting from loss of p107 or p130 Collectively, these data demonstrate the feasibility of using the CRISPR-Cas9 system to model loss of candidate tumor suppressor genes in SCLC, and we anticipate that this approach will facilitate efforts to investigate mechanisms driving tumor progression in this deadly disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Rong Ng
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - William M Rideout
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Elliot H Akama-Garren
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Arjun Bhutkar
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Kim L Mercer
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Jason M Schenkel
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Roderick T Bronson
- Department of Pathology, Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA 01536
| | - Tyler Jacks
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139;
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
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Ayres Pereira M, Chio IIC. Metastasis in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Current Standing and Methodologies. Genes (Basel) 2019; 11:E6. [PMID: 31861620 PMCID: PMC7016631 DOI: 10.3390/genes11010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is an extremely aggressive disease with a high metastatic potential. Most patients are diagnosed with metastatic disease, at which the five-year survival rate is only 3%. A better understanding of the mechanisms that drive metastasis is imperative for the development of better therapeutic interventions. Here, we take the reader through our current knowledge of the parameters that support metastatic progression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and the experimental models that are at our disposal to study this process. We also describe the advantages and limitations of these models to study the different aspects of metastatic dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Iok In Christine Chio
- Institute for Cancer Genetics, Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA;
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35
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Cheng Y, He C, Wang M, Ma X, Mo F, Yang S, Han J, Wei X. Targeting epigenetic regulators for cancer therapy: mechanisms and advances in clinical trials. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2019; 4:62. [PMID: 31871779 PMCID: PMC6915746 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-019-0095-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 589] [Impact Index Per Article: 117.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic alternations concern heritable yet reversible changes in histone or DNA modifications that regulate gene activity beyond the underlying sequence. Epigenetic dysregulation is often linked to human disease, notably cancer. With the development of various drugs targeting epigenetic regulators, epigenetic-targeted therapy has been applied in the treatment of hematological malignancies and has exhibited viable therapeutic potential for solid tumors in preclinical and clinical trials. In this review, we summarize the aberrant functions of enzymes in DNA methylation, histone acetylation and histone methylation during tumor progression and highlight the development of inhibitors of or drugs targeted at epigenetic enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Cheng
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Cai He
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Manni Wang
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuelei Ma
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Fei Mo
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shengyong Yang
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Junhong Han
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiawei Wei
- Laboratory of Aging Research and Cancer Drug Target, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Interleukin 21 Receptor/Ligand Interaction Is Linked to Disease Progression in Pancreatic Cancer. Cells 2019; 8:cells8091104. [PMID: 31540511 PMCID: PMC6770770 DOI: 10.3390/cells8091104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) displays a marked fibro-inflammatory microenvironment in which infiltrated immune cells fail to eliminate the tumor cells and often—rather paradoxically—promote tumor progression. Of special interest are tumor-promoting T cells that assume a Th17-like phenotype because their presence in PDAC tissue is associated with a poor prognosis. In that context, the role of IL-21, a major cytokine released by Th17-like cells, was assessed. In all tissue samples (n = 264) IL-21+ immune cells were detected by immunohistochemistry and high density of those cells was associated with poor prognosis. In the majority of patients (221/264), tumor cells expressed the receptor for IL-21 (IL-21R) and also a downstream target of IL-21, Blimp-1 (199/264). Blimp-1 expression closely correlated with IL-21R expression and multivariate analysis revealed that expression of both IL-21R and Blimp-1 was associated with shorter survival time of the patients. In vitro data using pancreatic tumor cells lines provided a possible explanation: IL-21 activated ERK and STAT3 pathways and upregulated Blimp-1. Moreover, IL-21 increased invasion of tumor cell lines in a Blimp-1-dependent manner. As an in vivo correlate, an avian xenograft model was used. Here again Blimp-1 expression was significantly upregulated in IL-21 stimulated tumor cells. In summary, our data showed an association of IL-21+ immune cell infiltration and IL-21 receptor expression in PDAC with poor survival, most likely due to an IL-21-mediated promotion of tumor cell invasion and enhanced colony formation, supporting the notion of the tumor-promoting abilities of the tumor microenvironment.
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37
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McDonald PC, Chafe SC, Brown WS, Saberi S, Swayampakula M, Venkateswaran G, Nemirovsky O, Gillespie JA, Karasinska JM, Kalloger SE, Supuran CT, Schaeffer DF, Bashashati A, Shah SP, Topham JT, Yapp DT, Li J, Renouf DJ, Stanger BZ, Dedhar S. Regulation of pH by Carbonic Anhydrase 9 Mediates Survival of Pancreatic Cancer Cells With Activated KRAS in Response to Hypoxia. Gastroenterology 2019; 157:823-837. [PMID: 31078621 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2019.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 05/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Most pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) express an activated form of KRAS, become hypoxic and dysplastic, and are refractory to chemo and radiation therapies. To survive in the hypoxic environment, PDAC cells upregulate enzymes and transporters involved in pH regulation, including the extracellular facing carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA9). We evaluated the effect of blocking CA9, in combination with administration of gemcitabine, in mouse models of pancreatic cancer. METHODS We knocked down expression of KRAS in human (PK-8 and PK-1) PDAC cells with small hairpin RNAs. Human and mouse (KrasG12D/Pdx1-Cre/Tp53/RosaYFP) PDAC cells were incubated with inhibitors of MEK (trametinib) or extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and some cells were cultured under hypoxic conditions. We measured levels and stability of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1A), endothelial PAS domain 1 protein (EPAS1, also called HIF2A), CA9, solute carrier family 16 member 4 (SLC16A4, also called MCT4), and SLC2A1 (also called GLUT1) by immunoblot analyses. We analyzed intracellular pH (pHi) and extracellular metabolic flux. We knocked down expression of CA9 in PDAC cells, or inhibited CA9 with SLC-0111, incubated them with gemcitabine, and assessed pHi, metabolic flux, and cytotoxicity under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Cells were also injected into either immune-compromised or immune-competent mice and growth of xenograft tumors was assessed. Tumor fragments derived from patients with PDAC were surgically ligated to the pancreas of mice and the growth of tumors was assessed. We performed tissue microarray analyses of 205 human PDAC samples to measure levels of CA9 and associated expression of genes that regulate hypoxia with outcomes of patients using the Cancer Genome Atlas database. RESULTS Under hypoxic conditions, PDAC cells had increased levels of HIF1A and HIF2A, upregulated expression of CA9, and activated glycolysis. Knockdown of KRAS in PDAC cells, or incubation with trametinib, reduced the posttranscriptional stabilization of HIF1A and HIF2A, upregulation of CA9, pHi, and glycolysis in response to hypoxia. CA9 was expressed by 66% of PDAC samples analyzed; high expression of genes associated with metabolic adaptation to hypoxia, including CA9, correlated with significantly reduced survival times of patients. Knockdown or pharmacologic inhibition of CA9 in PDAC cells significantly reduced pHi in cells under hypoxic conditions, decreased gemcitabine-induced glycolysis, and increased their sensitivity to gemcitabine. PDAC cells with knockdown of CA9 formed smaller xenograft tumors in mice, and injection of gemcitabine inhibited tumor growth and significantly increased survival times of mice. In mice with xenograft tumors grown from human PDAC cells, oral administration of SLC-0111 and injection of gemcitabine increased intratumor acidosis and increased cell death. These tumors, and tumors grown from PDAC patient-derived tumor fragments, grew more slowly than xenograft tumors in mice given control agents, resulting in longer survival times. In KrasG12D/Pdx1-Cre/Tp53/RosaYFP genetically modified mice, oral administration of SLC-0111 and injection of gemcitabine reduced numbers of B cells in tumors. CONCLUSIONS In response to hypoxia, PDAC cells that express activated KRAS increase expression of CA9, via stabilization of HIF1A and HIF2A, to regulate pH and glycolysis. Disruption of this pathway slows growth of PDAC xenograft tumors in mice and might be developed for treatment of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul C McDonald
- Department of Integrative Oncology, BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Shawn C Chafe
- Department of Integrative Oncology, BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Wells S Brown
- Department of Integrative Oncology, BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Saeed Saberi
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mridula Swayampakula
- Department of Integrative Oncology, BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Geetha Venkateswaran
- Department of Integrative Oncology, BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Oksana Nemirovsky
- Department of Integrative Oncology, BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jordan A Gillespie
- Department of Integrative Oncology, BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Joanna M Karasinska
- Pancreas Centre BC, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Steve E Kalloger
- Pancreas Centre BC, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Claudiu T Supuran
- NEUROFARBA Department, Sezione di Scienze Farmaceutiche e Nutraceutiche, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - David F Schaeffer
- Pancreas Centre BC, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ali Bashashati
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sohrab P Shah
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - James T Topham
- Pancreas Centre BC, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Donald T Yapp
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jinyang Li
- Gastroenterology Division, Department of Medicine and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Daniel J Renouf
- Medical Oncology, BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ben Z Stanger
- Gastroenterology Division, Department of Medicine and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Shoukat Dedhar
- Department of Integrative Oncology, BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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Qian J, Rankin EB. Hypoxia-Induced Phenotypes that Mediate Tumor Heterogeneity. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1136:43-55. [PMID: 31201715 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-12734-3_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Intratumoral heterogeneity is an important factor contributing to metastasis and therapy resistance. The phenotypic diversity of cancer cells within the tumor microenvironment is strongly influenced by microenvironmental factors such as hypoxia. Clinically, hypoxia and the hypoxia inducible transcription factors HIF-1 and HIF-2 are associated with cancer stem cells, metastasis and drug resistance in multiple tumor types. Experimental models have demonstrated an important functional role for HIF signaling in driving CSC, metastatic and drug resistant phenotypes in vitro and in vivo. Here we will review recent studies that highlight novel mechanisms by which hypoxia promotes cancer stem cell, metastatic and drug resistant phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Qian
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Erinn B Rankin
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA. .,Department of Obstetrics & Gynecologic Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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Yan X, Wan H, Hao X, Lan T, Li W, Xu L, Yuan K, Wu H. Importance of gene expression signatures in pancreatic cancer prognosis and the establishment of a prediction model. Cancer Manag Res 2018; 11:273-283. [PMID: 30643453 PMCID: PMC6312063 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s185205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and aim Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most common tumors with a poor prognosis. The current American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system, based on the anatomical features of tumors, is insufficient to predict PC outcomes. The current study is endeavored to identify important prognosis-related genes and build an effective predictive model. Methods Multiple public datasets were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and survival-related genes (SRGs). Bioinformatics analysis of DEGs was used to identify the main biological processes and pathways involved in PC. A risk score based on SRGs was computed through a univariate Cox regression analysis. The performance of the risk score in predicting PC prognosis was evaluated with survival analysis, Harrell's concordance index (C-index), area under the curve (AUC), and calibration plots. A predictive nomogram was built through integrating the risk score with clinicopathological information. Results A total of 945 DEGs were identified in five Gene Expression Omnibus datasets, and four SRGs (LYRM1, KNTC1, IGF2BP2, and CDC6) were significantly associated with PC progression and prognosis in four datasets. The risk score showed relatively good performance in predicting prognosis in multiple datasets. The predictive nomogram had greater C-index and AUC values, compared with those of the AJCC stage and risk score. Conclusion This study identified four new biomarkers that are significantly associated with the carcinogenesis, progression, and prognosis of PC, which may be helpful in studying the underlying mechanism of PC carcinogenesis. The predictive nomogram showed robust performance in predicting PC prognosis. Therefore, the current model may provide an effective and reliable guide for prognosis assessment and treatment decision-making in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaokai Yan
- Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,
| | - Haifeng Wan
- Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,
| | - Xiangyong Hao
- Department of General Surgery, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Tian Lan
- Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,
| | - Lin Xu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, .,Laboratory of Liver Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,
| | - Kefei Yuan
- Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, .,Laboratory of Liver Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,
| | - Hong Wu
- Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, .,Laboratory of Liver Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,
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40
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Aytes A, Giacobbe A, Mitrofanova A, Ruggero K, Cyrta J, Arriaga J, Palomero L, Farran-Matas S, Rubin MA, Shen MM, Califano A, Abate-Shen C. NSD2 is a conserved driver of metastatic prostate cancer progression. Nat Commun 2018; 9:5201. [PMID: 30518758 PMCID: PMC6281610 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07511-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Deciphering cell-intrinsic mechanisms of metastasis progression in vivo is essential to identify novel therapeutic approaches. Here we elucidate cell-intrinsic drivers of metastatic prostate cancer progression through analyses of genetically engineered mouse models (GEMM) and correlative studies of human prostate cancer. Expression profiling of lineage-marked cells from mouse primary tumors and metastases defines a signature of de novo metastatic progression. Cross-species master regulator analyses comparing this mouse signature with a comparable human signature identifies conserved drivers of metastatic progression with demonstrable clinical and functional relevance. In particular, nuclear receptor binding SET Domain Protein 2 (NSD2) is robustly expressed in lethal prostate cancer in humans, while its silencing inhibits metastasis of mouse allografts in vivo. We propose that cross-species analysis can elucidate mechanisms of metastasis progression, thus providing potential additional therapeutic opportunities for treatment of lethal prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Aytes
- Department of Urology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 160 Fort Washington Ave, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Programs of Molecular Mechanisms and Experimental Therapeutics in Oncology (ONCOBell), and Cancer Therapeutics Resistance (ProCURE), Catalan Institute of Oncology, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Gran Via de L'Hospitalet, 199, 08908, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Arianna Giacobbe
- Department of Urology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 160 Fort Washington Ave, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630W 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Antonina Mitrofanova
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 1130 Saint Nicholas Ave, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Health Informatics, Rutgers School of Health Professions, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 65 Bergen Street, Newark, NJ, 07101, USA
| | - Katia Ruggero
- Programs of Molecular Mechanisms and Experimental Therapeutics in Oncology (ONCOBell), and Cancer Therapeutics Resistance (ProCURE), Catalan Institute of Oncology, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Gran Via de L'Hospitalet, 199, 08908, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joanna Cyrta
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Juan Arriaga
- Department of Urology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 160 Fort Washington Ave, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630W 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Luis Palomero
- Programs of Molecular Mechanisms and Experimental Therapeutics in Oncology (ONCOBell), and Cancer Therapeutics Resistance (ProCURE), Catalan Institute of Oncology, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Gran Via de L'Hospitalet, 199, 08908, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sonia Farran-Matas
- Programs of Molecular Mechanisms and Experimental Therapeutics in Oncology (ONCOBell), and Cancer Therapeutics Resistance (ProCURE), Catalan Institute of Oncology, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Gran Via de L'Hospitalet, 199, 08908, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mark A Rubin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 35, CH-3008, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Michael M Shen
- Department of Urology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 160 Fort Washington Ave, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630W 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 1130 Saint Nicholas Ave, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 701 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 1130 Saint Nicholas Ave, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Andrea Califano
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 1130 Saint Nicholas Ave, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 1130 Saint Nicholas Ave, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 701 West 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| | - Cory Abate-Shen
- Department of Urology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 160 Fort Washington Ave, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630W 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 1130 Saint Nicholas Ave, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 1130 Saint Nicholas Ave, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630W 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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Abstract
Although we have come a long way in our understanding of the signals that drive cancer growth, and how these signals can be targeted, effective control of this disease remains a key scientific and medical challenge. The therapy resistance and relapse that are commonly seen are driven in large part by the inherent heterogeneity within cancers that allows drugs to effectively eliminate some, but not all, malignant cells. Here, we focus on the fundamental drivers of this heterogeneity by examining emerging evidence that shows that these traits are often controlled by the disruption of normal cell fate and aberrant adoption of stem cell signals. We discuss how undifferentiated cells are preferentially primed for transformation and often serve as the cell of origin for cancers. We also consider evidence showing that activation of stem cell programmes in cancers can lead to progression, therapy resistance and metastatic growth and that targeting these attributes may enable better control over a difficult disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikki K Lytle
- Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alison G Barber
- Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Moores Cancer Center, San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tannishtha Reya
- Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Moores Cancer Center, San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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42
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Hmga2 is dispensable for pancreatic cancer development, metastasis, and therapy resistance. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14008. [PMID: 30228296 PMCID: PMC6143627 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-32159-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Expression of the chromatin-associated protein HMGA2 correlates with progression, metastasis and therapy resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Hmga2 has also been identified as a marker of a transient subpopulation of PDAC cells that has increased metastatic ability. Here, we characterize the requirement for Hmga2 during growth, dissemination, and metastasis of PDAC in vivo using conditional inactivation of Hmga2 in well-established autochthonous mouse models of PDAC. Overall survival, primary tumour burden, presence of disseminated tumour cells in the peritoneal cavity or circulating tumour cells in the blood, and presence and number of metastases were not significantly different between mice with Hmga2-wildtype or Hmga2-deficient tumours. Treatment of mice with Hmga2-wildtype and Hmga2-deficient tumours with gemcitabine did not uncover a significant impact of Hmga2-deficiency on gemcitabine sensitivity. Hmga1 and Hmga2 overlap in their expression in both human and murine PDAC, however knockdown of Hmga1 in Hmga2-deficient cancer cells also did not decrease metastatic ability. Thus, Hmga2 remains a prognostic marker which identifies a metastatic cancer cell state in primary PDAC, however Hmga2 has limited if any direct functional impact on PDAC progression and therapy resistance.
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43
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Gao D, Mittal V, Ban Y, Lourenco AR, Yomtoubian S, Lee S. Metastatic tumor cells - genotypes and phenotypes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 13:277-286. [PMID: 30774650 DOI: 10.1007/s11515-018-1513-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metastasis is the primary cause of mortality in cancer patients. Therefore, elucidating the genetics and epigenetics of metastatic tumor cells and the mechanisms by which tumor cells acquire metastatic properties constitute significant challenges in cancer research. OBJECTIVE To summarize the current understandings of the specific genotype and phenotype of the metastatic tumor cells. METHOD and RESULT In-depth genetic analysis of tumor cells, especially with advances in the next-generation sequencing, have revealed insights of the genotypes of metastatic tumor cells. Also, studies have shown that the cancer stem cell (CSC) and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotypes are associated with the metastatic cascade. CONCLUSION In this review, we will discuss recent advances in the field by focusing on the genomic instability and phenotypic dynamics of metastatic tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dingcheng Gao
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Neuberger Berman Lung Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065, USA
| | - Vivek Mittal
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Neuberger Berman Lung Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065, USA
| | - Yi Ban
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Neuberger Berman Lung Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065, USA
| | - Ana Rita Lourenco
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Neuberger Berman Lung Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065, USA
| | - Shira Yomtoubian
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Neuberger Berman Lung Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065, USA
| | - Sharrell Lee
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Neuberger Berman Lung Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY10065, USA
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44
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Abstract
<b/> Pathways that stimulate metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells are critical for understanding tumor evolution and can serve as potential therapeutic targets. The microenvironment produces a host of metabolic perturbations and tropic factors that may play a formative role in this process. Cancer Discov; 7(10); 1067-8. ©2017 AACR.See related article by Chiou et al., p. 1184.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David A Tuveson
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York.
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45
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Wang Y, Fang T, Huang L, Wang H, Zhang L, Wang Z, Cui Y. Neutrophils infiltrating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma indicate higher malignancy and worse prognosis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018; 501:313-319. [PMID: 29738769 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
CD177 is considered to represent neutrophils. We analyzed mRNA expression level of CD177 and clinical follow-up survey of PDAC to estimate overall survival (OS) from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset (GSE21501, containing samples from 102 PDAC patients) by R2 platform (http://r2.amc.nl). We also analyzed correlated genes of CD177 by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis to predict the potential relationship between neutrophils and prognosis of PDAC. We then performed hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and immunohistochemical staining of surgical specimens to verify infiltration of neutrophils in PDAC tissues. After analyzing mRNA expression data and clinical follow-up survey provided in the GEO dataset (GSE21501, containing samples from 102 PDAC patients) and clinicopathological data of 23 PDAC patients, we demonstrated that CD177 was correlated with poor prognosis. The univariate Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that OS was inversely associated with increased expression of CD177 (P = 0.012). Expression of phosphodiesterase (PDE)4D was positively related to CD177 in gene correlation analysis (R = 0.413, P < 0.001) by R2 platform. H&E staining and immunohistochemistry of CD177 in 23 PDAC surgical samples showed accumulation of neutrophils in the stroma and blood vessels around the cancer cells. In addition, immunohistochemical staining showed that CD177 was highly expressed in the stroma and blood vessels around tumor tissues of PDAC, which was similar to H&E staining. Expression of CD177 can be used to represent infiltration of neutrophils, which may have potential prognostic value in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufu Wang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150000, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Tianyi Fang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150000, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Lining Huang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150000, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150000, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150000, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Zhidong Wang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150000, Heilongjiang Province, China.
| | - Yunfu Cui
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150000, Heilongjiang Province, China.
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46
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Vennin C, Murphy KJ, Morton JP, Cox TR, Pajic M, Timpson P. Reshaping the Tumor Stroma for Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer. Gastroenterology 2018; 154:820-838. [PMID: 29287624 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2017.11.280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is accompanied by a fibrotic reaction that alters interactions between tumor cells and the stroma to promote tumor progression. Consequently, strategies to target the tumor stroma might be used to treat patients with pancreatic cancer. We review recently developed approaches for reshaping the pancreatic tumor stroma and discuss how these might improve patient outcomes. We also describe relationships between the pancreatic tumor extracellular matrix, the vasculature, the immune system, and metabolism, and discuss the implications for the development of stromal compartment-specific therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Vennin
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; The Kinghorn Cancer Center, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kendelle J Murphy
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; The Kinghorn Cancer Center, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jennifer P Morton
- Cancer Research UK, The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas R Cox
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; The Kinghorn Cancer Center, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Marina Pajic
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; The Kinghorn Cancer Center, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Paul Timpson
- The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; The Kinghorn Cancer Center, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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