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Li M, Freeman S, Franco-Barraza J, Cai KQ, Kim A, Jin S, Cukierman E, Ye K. A bioprinted sea-and-island multicellular model for dissecting human pancreatic tumor-stroma reciprocity and adaptive metabolism. Biomaterials 2024; 310:122631. [PMID: 38815457 PMCID: PMC11186049 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2024.122631] [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: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) presents a formidable clinical challenge due to its intricate microenvironment characterized by desmoplasia and complex tumor-stroma interactions. Conventional models hinder studying cellular crosstalk for therapeutic development. To recapitulate key features of PDAC masses, this study creates a novel sea-and-island PDAC tumor construct (s&i PTC). The s&i PTC consists of 3D-printed islands of human PDAC cells positioned within an interstitial extracellular matrix (ECM) populated by human cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). This design closely mimics the in vivo desmoplastic architecture and nutrient-poor conditions. The model enables studying dynamic tumor-stroma crosstalk and signaling reciprocity, revealing both known and yet-to-be-discovered multicellular metabolic adaptations. Using the model, we discovered the orchestrated dynamic alterations of CAFs under nutrient stress, resembling critical in vivo human tumor niches, such as the secretion of pro-tumoral inflammatory factors. Additionally, nutrient scarcity induces dynamic alterations in the ECM composition and exacerbates poor cancer cell differentiation-features well-established in PDAC progression. Proteomic analysis unveiled the enrichment of proteins associated with aggressive tumor behavior and ECM remodeling in response to poor nutritional conditions, mimicking the metabolic stresses experienced by avascular pancreatic tumor cores. Importantly, the model's relevance to patient outcomes is evident through an inverse correlation between biomarker expression patterns in the s&i PTCs and PDAC patient survival rates. Key findings include upregulated MMPs and key ECM proteins (such as collagen 11 and TGFβ) under nutrient-avid conditions, known to be regulated by CAFs, alongside the concomitant reduction in E-cadherin expression associated with a poorly differentiated PDAC state under nutrient deprivation. Furthermore, elevated levels of hyaluronic acid (HA) and integrins in response to nutrient deprivation underscore the model's fidelity to the PDAC microenvironment. We also observed increased IL-6 and reduced α-SMA expression under poor nutritional conditions, suggesting a transition of CAFs from myofibroblastic to inflammatory phenotypes under a nutrient stress akin to in vivo niches. In conclusion, the s&i PTC represents a significant advancement in engineering clinically relevant 3D models of PDAC masses. It offers a promising platform for elucidating tumor-stroma interactions and guiding future therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine, Binghamton University, SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Sebastian Freeman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine, Binghamton University, SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Janusz Franco-Barraza
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Marvin and Concetta Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Lewis Katz Temple School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kathy Q Cai
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Marvin and Concetta Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Lewis Katz Temple School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amy Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine, Binghamton University, SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Sha Jin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine, Binghamton University, SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Edna Cukierman
- Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program, Marvin and Concetta Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Lewis Katz Temple School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Kaiming Ye
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center of Biomanufacturing for Regenerative Medicine, Binghamton University, SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA.
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2
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Zhou M, Ge X, Xu X, Sheng B, Wang H, Shi H, Liu S, Tan B, Xu K, Wang J. A hot and cold tumor‑related prognostic signature for stage II colorectal cancer. Oncol Lett 2024; 28:419. [PMID: 39006949 PMCID: PMC11240279 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2024.14552] [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: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most lethal and prevalent malignancies. Based on the presence of immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment, CRC can be divided into immunologically 'hot' or 'cold' tumors, which in turn leads to the differential efficacy of immunotherapy. However, the immune characteristics of hot and cold CRC tumors remain largely elusive, prompting further investigation of their properties regarding the tumor microenvironment. In the present study, a predictive model was developed based on the differential expression of proteins between cold and hot CRC tumors. First, the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified using digital spatial profiling and mass spectrometry-based proteomics analysis, and the pathway features of the DEPs were analyzed using functional enrichment analysis. A novel eight-gene signature prognostic risk model was developed (IDO1, MAT1A, NPEPL1, NT5C, PTGR2, RPL29, TMEM126A and TUBB4B), which was validated using data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The results revealed that the risk score of the eight-gene signature acted as an independent prognostic indicator in patients with stage II CRC (T3-4N0M0). It was also found that a high-risk score in the eight-gene signature was associated with high immune cell infiltration in patients with CRC. Taken together, these findings revealed some of the differential immune characteristics of hot and cold CRC tumors, and an eight-gene signature prognostic risk model was developed, which may serve as an independent prognostic indicator for patients with stage II CRC (T3-4N0M0).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Zhou
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Center for Medical Research and Innovation in Digestive System Tumors, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoxu Ge
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Center for Medical Research and Innovation in Digestive System Tumors, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoming Xu
- Department of Pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
| | - Biao Sheng
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Center for Medical Research and Innovation in Digestive System Tumors, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Center for Medical Research and Innovation in Digestive System Tumors, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
| | - Haoyu Shi
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Center for Medical Research and Innovation in Digestive System Tumors, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
| | - Sikun Liu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Center for Medical Research and Innovation in Digestive System Tumors, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
| | - Boren Tan
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Center for Medical Research and Innovation in Digestive System Tumors, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
| | - Kailun Xu
- Department of Breast Surgery and Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery and Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Center for Medical Research and Innovation in Digestive System Tumors, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
- Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
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3
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Li H, Liu D, Li K, Wang Y, Zhang G, Qi L, Xie K. Pancreatic stellate cells and the interleukin family: Linking fibrosis and immunity to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (Review). Mol Med Rep 2024; 30:159. [PMID: 38994764 PMCID: PMC11258612 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2024.13283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an extremely aggressive form of cancer with a low survival rate. A successful treatment strategy should not be limited to targeting cancer cells alone, but should adopt a more comprehensive approach, taking into account other influential factors. These include the extracellular matrix (ECM) and immune microenvironment, both of which are integral components of the tumor microenvironment. The present review describes the roles of pancreatic stellate cells, differentiated cancer‑associated fibroblasts and the interleukin family, either independently or in combination, in the progression of precursor lesions in pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia and PDAC. These elements contribute to ECM deposition and immunosuppression in PDAC. Therapeutic strategies that integrate interleukin and/or stromal blockade for PDAC immunomodulation and fibrogenesis have yielded inconsistent results. A deeper comprehension of the intricate interplay between fibrosis, and immune responses could pave the way for more effective treatment targets, by elucidating the mechanisms and causes of ECM fibrosis during PDAC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haichao Li
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Affiliated Qingyuan Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, Guangdong 511518, P.R. China
| | - Donglian Liu
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Affiliated Qingyuan Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, Guangdong 511518, P.R. China
| | - Kaishu Li
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Affiliated Qingyuan Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, Guangdong 511518, P.R. China
| | - Yichen Wang
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Affiliated Qingyuan Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, Guangdong 511518, P.R. China
| | - Gengqiang Zhang
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Affiliated Qingyuan Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, Guangdong 511518, P.R. China
| | - Ling Qi
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Affiliated Qingyuan Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan, Guangdong 511518, P.R. China
| | - Keping Xie
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, P.R. China
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4
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Qu J, Yan Z, Lei D, Zhong T, Fang C, Wen Z, Liu J, Lai Z, Yu XF, Zheng B, Geng S. Effect of Bioactive Black Phosphorus Nanomaterials on Cancer-Associated Fibroblast Heterogeneity in Pancreatic Cancer. ACS NANO 2024; 18:19354-19368. [PMID: 38975953 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c06147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Tumor-stromal interactions and stromal heterogeneity in the tumor microenvironment are critical factors that influence the progression, metastasis, and chemoresistance of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Here, we used spatial transcriptome technology to profile the gene expression landscape of primary PDAC and liver metastatic PDAC after bioactive black phosphorus nanomaterial (bioactive BP) treatment using a murine model of PDAC (LSL-KrasG12D/+; LSL-Trp53R172H/+; and Pdx-1-Cre mice). Bioinformatic and biochemical analyses showed that bioactive BP contributes to the tumor-stromal interplay by suppressing cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) activation. Our results showed that bioactive BP contributes to CAF heterogeneity by decreasing the amount of inflammatory CAFs and myofibroblastic CAFs, two CAF subpopulations. Our study demonstrates the influence of bioactive BP on tumor-stromal interactions and CAF heterogeneity and suggests bioactive BP as a potential PDAC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhua Qu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518036, China
| | - Zilong Yan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518036, China
| | - Defeng Lei
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518036, China
| | - Tongning Zhong
- Central Laboratory, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518036, China
| | - Chongzhou Fang
- Central Laboratory, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518036, China
| | - Zonghua Wen
- Department of Pathology, Shenzhen University General Hospital, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jikui Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518036, China
| | - Zhengquan Lai
- Department of Pharmacy, Shenzhen University General Hospital/Shenzhen University Clinical Medical Academy, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xue-Feng Yu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Micro/Nano Biosensing, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Biao Zheng
- Department of Surgery, The First Dongguan Affiliated Hospital, Guangdong Medical University, No. 42 Jiaoping Road, Tangxia Town, Dongguan 523710, China
| | - Shengyong Geng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Micro/Nano Biosensing, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
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5
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Assouline B, Kahn R, Hodali L, Condiotti R, Engel Y, Elyada E, Mordechai-Heyn T, Pitarresi JR, Atias D, Steinberg E, Bidany-Mizrahi T, Forkosh E, Katz LH, Benny O, Golan T, Hofree M, Stewart SA, Atlan KA, Zamir G, Stanger BZ, Berger M, Ben-Porath I. Senescent cancer-associated fibroblasts in pancreatic adenocarcinoma restrict CD8 + T cell activation and limit responsiveness to immunotherapy in mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6162. [PMID: 39039076 PMCID: PMC11263607 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50441-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Senescent cells within tumors and their stroma exert complex pro- and anti-tumorigenic functions. However, the identities and traits of these cells, and the potential for improving cancer therapy through their targeting, remain poorly characterized. Here, we identify a senescent subset within previously-defined cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) and in premalignant lesions in mice and humans. Senescent CAFs isolated from mouse and humans expressed elevated levels of immune-regulatory genes. Depletion of senescent CAFs, either genetically or using the Bcl-2 inhibitor ABT-199 (venetoclax), increased the proportion of activated CD8+ T cells in mouse pancreatic carcinomas, whereas induction of CAF senescence had the opposite effect. Combining ABT-199 with an immune checkpoint therapy regimen significantly reduced mouse tumor burden. These results indicate that senescent CAFs in PDAC stroma limit the numbers of activated cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, and suggest that their targeted elimination through senolytic treatment may enhance immunotherapy.
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Grants
- R01 CA217208 NCI NIH HHS
- R01 CA276512 NCI NIH HHS
- R00 CA252153 NCI NIH HHS
- 2621/18 Israel Science Foundation (ISF)
- R01 CA252225 NCI NIH HHS
- R01 AG059244 NIA NIH HHS
- Israel Cancer Research Fund (Israel Cancer Research Fund, Inc.)
- This study was supported by grants from the Israel Science Foundation - Broad Institute program (2621/18, I.B.-P.), Israel Precision Medicine Partnership (3755/21, I.B.-P.), Israel Science Foundation Mid-Career Program (1923/22, I.B.-P.), the Israel Ministry of Science and Technology DKFZ-MOST program (4062, I.B.-P.), the Chief Scientist of the Israel Ministry of Health (3-15017, I.B.-P.), the Alex U. Soyka Program (I.B.-P., B.A., R.K., L.H.), the Israel Cancer Research Fund International Collaboration Program (I.B.-P)
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Assouline
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Rachel Kahn
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Lutfi Hodali
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Reba Condiotti
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yarden Engel
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ela Elyada
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tzlil Mordechai-Heyn
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Department of Surgery, Hadassah Medical Center, and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Jason R Pitarresi
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Department of Molecular Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Dikla Atias
- Pancreatic Cancer Translational Research Laboratory, Oncology Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel, and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Eliana Steinberg
- Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tirza Bidany-Mizrahi
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Esther Forkosh
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hadassah Medical Center, and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Lior H Katz
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hadassah Medical Center, and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ofra Benny
- Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Talia Golan
- Pancreatic Cancer Translational Research Laboratory, Oncology Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel, and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Matan Hofree
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- The Rachel and Selim Benin School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Sheila A Stewart
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Karine A Atlan
- Department of Pathology, Hadassah Medical Center, and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Gideon Zamir
- Department of Surgery, Hadassah Medical Center, and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ben Z Stanger
- Department of Medicine and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Michael Berger
- The Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ittai Ben-Porath
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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6
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Kuhn NF, Zaleta-Linares I, Nyberg WA, Eyquem J, Krummel MF. Localized in vivo gene editing of murine cancer-associated fibroblasts. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.11.603114. [PMID: 39071432 PMCID: PMC11275728 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.11.603114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Discovering the role of fibroblasts residing in the tumor microenvironment (TME) requires controlled, localized perturbations because fibroblasts play critical roles in regulating immunity and tumor biology at multiple sites. Systemic perturbations can lead to unintended, confounding secondary effects, and methods to locally genetically engineer fibroblasts are lacking. To specifically investigate murine stromal cell perturbations restricted to the TME, we developed an adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based method to target any gene-of-interest in fibroblasts at high efficiency (>80%). As proof of concept, we generated single (sKO) and double gene KOs (dKO) of Osmr , Tgfbr2 , and Il1r1 in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and investigated how their cell states and those of other cells of the TME subsequently change in mouse models of melanoma and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Furthermore, we developed an in vivo knockin-knockout (KIKO) strategy to achieve long-term tracking of CAFs with target gene KO via knocked-in reporter gene expression. This validated in vivo gene editing toolbox is fast, affordable, and modular, and thus holds great potential for further exploration of gene function in stromal cells residing in tumors and beyond.
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7
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Li Z, Sun S, Wang Y, Hua Y, Liu M, Zhou Y, Zhong L, Li T, Zhao H, Zhou X, Zeng X, Chen Q, Li J. PA28γ coordinates the cross-talk between cancer-associated fibroblasts and tumor cells to promote OSCC progression via HDAC1/E2F3/IGF2 signaling. Cancer Lett 2024; 594:216962. [PMID: 38768680 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216962] [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: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
PA28γ overexpression is aberrant and accompanied by poor patient prognosis in various cancers, the precise regulatory mechanism of this crucial gene in the tumor microenvironment remains incompletely understood. In this study, using oral squamous cell carcinoma as a model, we demonstrated that PA28γ exhibits high expression in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and its expression significantly correlates with the severity of clinical indicators of malignancy. Remarkably, we found that elevated levels of secreted IGF2 from PA28γ+ CAFs can enhance stemness maintenance and promote tumor cell aggressiveness through the activation of the MAPK/AKT pathway in a paracrine manner. Mechanistically, PA28γ upregulates IGF2 expression by stabilizing the E2F3 protein, a transcription factor of IGF2. Further mechanistic insights reveal that HDAC1 predominantly mediates the deacetylation and subsequent ubiquitination and degradation of E2F3. Notably, PA28γ interacts with HDAC1 and accelerates its degradation via a 20S proteasome-dependent pathway. Additionally, PA28γ+ CAFs exert an impact on the tumor immune microenvironment by secreting IGF2. Excitingly, our study suggests that targeting PA28γ+ CAFs or secreted IGF2 could increase the efficacy of PD-L1 therapy. Thus, our findings reveal the pivotal role of PA28γ in cell interactions in the tumor microenvironment and propose novel strategies for augmenting the effectiveness of immune checkpoint blockade in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaiye Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Silu Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yufei Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Ming Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Liang Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Taiwen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Hang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Xikun Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xin Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Qianming Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
| | - Jing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Center for Stomatology & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
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8
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Fu Y, Tao J, Liu T, Liu Y, Qiu J, Su D, Wang R, Luo W, Cao Z, Weng G, Zhang T, Zhao Y. Unbiasedly decoding the tumor microenvironment with single-cell multiomics analysis in pancreatic cancer. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:140. [PMID: 38982491 PMCID: PMC11232163 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-02050-7] [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: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. Research on the tumor microenvironment (TME) of PDAC has propelled the development of immunotherapeutic and targeted therapeutic strategies with a promising future. The emergence of single-cell sequencing and mass spectrometry technologies, coupled with spatial omics, has collectively revealed the heterogeneity of the TME from a multiomics perspective, outlined the development trajectories of cell lineages, and revealed important functions of previously underrated myeloid cells and tumor stroma cells. Concurrently, these findings necessitated more refined annotations of biological functions at the cell cluster or single-cell level. Precise identification of all cell clusters is urgently needed to determine whether they have been investigated adequately and to identify target cell clusters with antitumor potential, design compatible treatment strategies, and determine treatment resistance. Here, we summarize recent research on the PDAC TME at the single-cell multiomics level, with an unbiased focus on the functions and potential classification bases of every cellular component within the TME, and look forward to the prospects of integrating single-cell multiomics data and retrospectively reusing bulk sequencing data, hoping to provide new insights into the PDAC TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Fu
- General Surgery Department, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
- 4+4 Medical Doctor Program, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Jinxin Tao
- General Surgery Department, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Tao Liu
- General Surgery Department, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Yueze Liu
- General Surgery Department, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Jiangdong Qiu
- General Surgery Department, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Dan Su
- General Surgery Department, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Ruobing Wang
- General Surgery Department, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Wenhao Luo
- General Surgery Department, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Zhe Cao
- General Surgery Department, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Guihu Weng
- General Surgery Department, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Taiping Zhang
- General Surgery Department, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
- Clinical Immunology Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
| | - Yupei Zhao
- General Surgery Department, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
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Mancini A, Gentile MT, Pentimalli F, Cortellino S, Grieco M, Giordano A. Multiple aspects of matrix stiffness in cancer progression. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1406644. [PMID: 39015505 PMCID: PMC11249764 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1406644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The biophysical and biomechanical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) are crucial in the processes of cell differentiation and proliferation. However, it is unclear to what extent tumor cells are influenced by biomechanical and biophysical changes of the surrounding microenvironment and how this response varies between different tumor forms, and over the course of tumor progression. The entire ensemble of genes encoding the ECM associated proteins is called matrisome. In cancer, the ECM evolves to become highly dysregulated, rigid, and fibrotic, serving both pro-tumorigenic and anti-tumorigenic roles. Tumor desmoplasia is characterized by a dramatic increase of α-smooth muscle actin expressing fibroblast and the deposition of hard ECM containing collagen, fibronectin, proteoglycans, and hyaluronic acid and is common in many solid tumors. In this review, we described the role of inflammation and inflammatory cytokines, in desmoplastic matrix remodeling, tumor state transition driven by microenvironment forces and the signaling pathways in mechanotransduction as potential targeted therapies, focusing on the impact of qualitative and quantitative variations of the ECM on the regulation of tumor development, hypothesizing the presence of matrisome drivers, acting alongside the cell-intrinsic oncogenic drivers, in some stages of neoplastic progression and in some tumor contexts, such as pancreatic carcinoma, breast cancer, lung cancer and mesothelioma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Mancini
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
- BioUp Sagl, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Maria Teresa Gentile
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
| | - Francesca Pentimalli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, LUM University “Giuseppe De Gennaro,” Casamassima, Bari, Italy
| | - Salvatore Cortellino
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Responsible Research Hospital, Campobasso, Italy
- Scuola Superiore Meridionale (SSM), Clinical and Translational Oncology, Naples, NA, Italy
- Sbarro Health Research Organization (S.H.R.O.) Italia Foundation ETS, Candiolo, TO, Italy
| | - Michele Grieco
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
| | - Antonio Giordano
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
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10
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Yang D, Sun X, Moniruzzaman R, Wang H, Citu C, Zhao Z, Wistuba II, Wang H, Maitra A, Chen Y. Genetic Deletion of Galectin-3 Inhibits Pancreatic Cancer Progression and Enhances the Efficacy of Immunotherapy. Gastroenterology 2024; 167:298-314. [PMID: 38467382 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2024.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a desmoplastic tumor stroma and immunosuppressive microenvironment. Galectin-3 (GAL3) is enriched in PDAC, highly expressed by cancer cells and myeloid cells. However, the functional roles of GAL3 in the PDAC microenvironment remain elusive. METHODS We generated a novel transgenic mouse model (LSL-KrasG12D/+;Trp53loxP/loxP;Pdx1-Cre;Lgals3-/- [KPPC;Lgals3-/-]) that allows the genetic depletion of GAL3 from both cancer cells and myeloid cells in spontaneous PDAC formation. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis was used to identify the alterations in the tumor microenvironment upon GAL3 depletion. We investigated both the cancer cell-intrinsic function and immunosuppressive function of GAL3. We also evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of GAL3 inhibition in combination with immunotherapy. RESULTS Genetic deletion of GAL3 significantly inhibited the spontaneous pancreatic tumor progression and prolonged the survival of KPPC;Lgals3-/- mice. Single-cell analysis revealed that genetic deletion of GAL3 altered the phenotypes of immune cells, cancer cells, and other cell populations. GAL3 deletion significantly enriched the antitumor myeloid cell subpopulation with high major histocompatibility complex class II expression. We also identified that GAL3 depletion resulted in CXCL12 upregulation, which could act as a potential compensating mechanism on GAL3 deficiency. Combined inhibition of the CXCL12-CXCR4 axis and GAL3 enhanced the efficacy of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy, leading to significantly inhibited PDAC progression. In addition, deletion of GAL3 also inhibited the basal/mesenchymal-like phenotype of pancreatic cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS GAL3 promotes PDAC progression and immunosuppression via both cancer cell-intrinsic and immune-related mechanisms. Combined treatment targeting GAL3, CXCL12-CXCR4 axis, and PD-1 represents a novel therapeutic strategy for PDAC.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/genetics
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/immunology
- Pancreatic Neoplasms/therapy
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/genetics
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/pathology
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/immunology
- Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal/therapy
- Galectin 3/genetics
- Galectin 3/metabolism
- Galectin 3/antagonists & inhibitors
- Tumor Microenvironment/immunology
- Disease Progression
- Mice
- Humans
- Receptors, CXCR4/genetics
- Receptors, CXCR4/metabolism
- Disease Models, Animal
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Gene Deletion
- Mice, Transgenic
- Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/antagonists & inhibitors
- Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/metabolism
- Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/genetics
- Mice, Knockout
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use
- Immunotherapy/methods
- Signal Transduction
- Galectins/genetics
- Galectins/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Daowei Yang
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas; Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Xinlei Sun
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas; Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Rohan Moniruzzaman
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of GI Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Citu Citu
- Center for Precision Health, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Zhongming Zhao
- Center for Precision Health, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Ignacio I Wistuba
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Huamin Wang
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas; Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas; Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Anirban Maitra
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas; Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Yang Chen
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas; Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
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11
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Hu J, Xu H, Ma X, Bai M, Zhou Y, Miao R, Wang F, Li X, Cheng B. Modulating PCGF4/BMI1 Stability Is an Efficient Metastasis-Regulatory Strategy Used by Distinct Subtypes of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2024; 194:1388-1404. [PMID: 38670529 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2024.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a highly malignant neoplasm prone to metastasis. Whether cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) affect the metastasis of ICC is unclear. Herein, ICC patient-derived CAF lines and related cancerous cell lines were established and the effects of CAFs on the tumor progressive properties of the ICC cancerous cells were analyzed. CAFs could be classified into cancer-restraining or cancer-promoting categories based on distinct tumorigenic effects. The RNA-sequencing analyses of ICC cancerous cell lines identified polycomb group ring finger 4 (PCGF4; alias BMI1) as a potential metastasis regulator. The changes of PCGF4 levels in ICC cells mirrored the restraining or promoting effects of CAFs on ICC migration. Immunohistochemical analyses on the ICC tissue microarrays indicated that PCGF4 was negatively correlated with overall survival of ICC. The promoting effects of PCGF4 on cell migration, drug resistance activity, and stemness properties were confirmed. Mechanistically, cancer-restraining CAFs triggered the proteasome-dependent degradation of PCGF4, whereas cancer-promoting CAFs enhanced the stability of PCGF4 via activating the IL-6/phosphorylated STAT3 pathway. In summary, the current data identified the role of CAFs in ICC metastasis and revealed a new mechanism of the CAFs on ICC progression in which PCGF4 acted as the key effector by both categories of CAFs. These findings shed light on developing comprehensive therapeutic strategies for ICC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinjing Hu
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China; Key Laboratory Biotherapy and Regenerative Medicine of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
| | - Hao Xu
- The Fourth Department of General Surgery, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China; The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaojun Ma
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Mingzhen Bai
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yongqiang Zhou
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ruidong Miao
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Fanghong Wang
- The Fourth Department of General Surgery, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China; The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xun Li
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China; Department of General Surgery, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
| | - Bo Cheng
- School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, Ministry of Education, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
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12
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Meng X, Liu Z, Deng L, Yang Y, Zhu Y, Sun X, Hao Y, He Y, Fu J. Hydrogen Therapy Reverses Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Phenotypes and Remodels Stromal Microenvironment to Stimulate Systematic Anti-Tumor Immunity. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2401269. [PMID: 38757665 PMCID: PMC11267370 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202401269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an important role in the tumor progression. Among TME components, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) show multiple tumor-promoting effects and can induce tumor immune evasion and drug-resistance. Regulating CAFs can be a potential strategy to augment systemic anti-tumor immunity. Here, the study observes that hydrogen treatment can alleviate intracellular reactive oxygen species of CAFs and reshape CAFs' tumor-promoting and immune-suppressive phenotypes. Accordingly, a controllable and TME-responsive hydrogen therapy based on a CaCO3 nanoparticles-coated magnesium system (Mg-CaCO3) is developed. The hydrogen therapy by Mg-CaCO3 can not only directly kill tumor cells, but also inhibit pro-tumor and immune suppressive factors in CAFs, and thus augment immune activities of CD4+ T cells. As implanted in situ, Mg-CaCO3 can significantly suppress tumor growth, turn the "cold" primary tumor into "hot", and stimulate systematic anti-tumor immunity, which is confirmed by the bilateral tumor transplantation models of "cold tumor" (4T1 cells) and "hot tumor" (MC38 cells). This hydrogen therapy system reverses immune suppressive phenotypes of CAFs, thus providing a systematic anti-tumor immune stimulating strategy by remodeling tumor stromal microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Meng
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial & Head and Neck OncologyShanghai Ninth People's HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai200011P. R. China
- College of StomatologyNational Center for StomatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesShanghai Key Laboratory of StomatologyShanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghai200011P. R. China
| | - Zhonglong Liu
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial & Head and Neck OncologyShanghai Ninth People's HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai200011P. R. China
- College of StomatologyNational Center for StomatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesShanghai Key Laboratory of StomatologyShanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghai200011P. R. China
| | - Liang Deng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopaedic ImplantDepartment of Orthopaedic SurgeryShanghai Ninth People's HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai200011P. R. China
- Clinical and Translational Research Center for 3D Printing TechnologyShanghai Engineering Research Center of Innovative Orthopaedic Instruments and Personalized MedicineShanghai200011P. R. China
| | - Yangzi Yang
- Department of Orthopedic SurgerySpine CenterChangzheng HospitalNavy Medical UniversityNo. 415 Fengyang RoadShanghai200003P. R. China
| | - Yingchun Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Inorganic Coating MaterialsShanghai Institute of CeramicsChinese Academy of SciencesShanghai200050P. R. China
| | - Xiaoying Sun
- College of SciencesShanghai UniversityShanghai200444P. R. China
| | - Yongqiang Hao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopaedic ImplantDepartment of Orthopaedic SurgeryShanghai Ninth People's HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai200011P. R. China
- Clinical and Translational Research Center for 3D Printing TechnologyShanghai Engineering Research Center of Innovative Orthopaedic Instruments and Personalized MedicineShanghai200011P. R. China
| | - Yue He
- Department of Oral Maxillofacial & Head and Neck OncologyShanghai Ninth People's HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai200011P. R. China
- College of StomatologyNational Center for StomatologyNational Clinical Research Center for Oral DiseasesShanghai Key Laboratory of StomatologyShanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghai200011P. R. China
| | - Jingke Fu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopaedic ImplantDepartment of Orthopaedic SurgeryShanghai Ninth People's HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghai200011P. R. China
- Clinical and Translational Research Center for 3D Printing TechnologyShanghai Engineering Research Center of Innovative Orthopaedic Instruments and Personalized MedicineShanghai200011P. R. China
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13
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McAndrews KM, Mahadevan KK, Kalluri R. Mouse Models to Evaluate the Functional Role of the Tumor Microenvironment in Cancer Progression and Therapy Responses. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2024; 14:a041411. [PMID: 38191175 PMCID: PMC11216184 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complex ecosystem of both cellular and noncellular components that functions to impact the evolution of cancer. Various aspects of the TME have been targeted for the control of cancer; however, TME composition is dynamic, with the overall abundance of immune cells, endothelial cells (ECs), fibroblasts, and extracellular matrix (ECM) as well as subsets of TME components changing at different stages of progression and in response to therapy. To effectively treat cancer, an understanding of the functional role of the TME is needed. Genetically engineered mouse models have enabled comprehensive insight into the complex interactions within the TME ecosystem that regulate disease progression. Here, we review recent advances in mouse models that have been employed to understand how the TME regulates cancer initiation, progression, metastasis, and response to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M McAndrews
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, USA
| | - Krishnan K Mahadevan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, USA
| | - Raghu Kalluri
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77054, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77251, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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14
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Mahadevan KK, Dyevoich AM, Chen Y, Li B, Sugimoto H, Sockwell AM, McAndrews KM, Sthanam LK, Wang H, Shalapour S, Watowich SS, Kalluri R. Type I conventional dendritic cells facilitate immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer. Science 2024; 384:eadh4567. [PMID: 38935717 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh4567] [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: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Inflammation and tissue damage associated with pancreatitis can precede or occur concurrently with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We demonstrate that in PDAC coupled with pancreatitis (ptPDAC), antigen-presenting type I conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s) are specifically activated. Immune checkpoint blockade therapy (iCBT) leads to cytotoxic CD8+ T cell activation and elimination of ptPDAC with restoration of life span even upon PDAC rechallenge. Using PDAC antigen-loaded cDC1s as a vaccine, immunotherapy-resistant PDAC was rendered sensitive to iCBT with elimination of tumors. cDC1 vaccination coupled with iCBT identified specific CDR3 sequences in the tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells with potential therapeutic importance. This study identifies a fundamental difference in the immune microenvironment in PDAC concurrent with, or without, pancreatitis and provides a rationale for combining cDC1 vaccination with iCBT as a potential treatment option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishnan K Mahadevan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Allison M Dyevoich
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yang Chen
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bingrui Li
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hikaru Sugimoto
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Amari M Sockwell
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kathleen M McAndrews
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lakshmi Kavitha Sthanam
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Huamin Wang
- Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shabnam Shalapour
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Stephanie S Watowich
- Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Raghu Kalluri
- Department of Cancer Biology, Metastasis Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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15
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Zhou X, Tong Y, Yu C, Pu J, Zhu W, Zhou Y, Wang Y, Xiong Y, Sun X. FAP positive cancer-associated fibroblasts promote tumor progression and radioresistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by transferring exosomal lncRNA AFAP1-AS1. Mol Carcinog 2024. [PMID: 38934786 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are abundant and heterogeneous stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment, which play important roles in regulating tumor progression and therapy resistance by transferring exosomes to cancer cells. However, how CAFs modulate esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) progression and radioresistance remains incompletely understood. The expression of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) in CAFs was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 174 ESCC patients who underwent surgery and 78 pretreatment biopsy specimens of ESCC patients who underwent definitive chemoradiotherapy. We sorted CAFs according to FAP expression, and the conditioned medium (CM) was collected to culture ESCC cells. The expression levels of several lncRNAs that were considered to regulate ESCC progression and/or radioresistance were measured in exosomes derived from FAP+ CAFs and FAP- CAFs. Subsequently, cell counting kit-8, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine, transwell, colony formation, and xenograft assays were performed to investigate the functional differences between FAP+ CAFs and FAP- CAFs. Finally, a series of in vitro and in vivo assays were used to evaluate the effect of AFAP1-AS1 on radiosensitivity of ESCC cells. FAP expression in stromal CAFs was positively correlated with nerve invasion, vascular invasion, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, lack of clinical complete response and poor survival. Culture of ESCC cells with CM/FAP+ CAFs significantly increased cancer proliferation, migration, invasion and radioresistance, compared with culture with CM/FAP- CAFs. Importantly, FAP+ CAFs exert their roles by directly transferring the functional lncRNA AFAP1-AS1 to ESCC cells via exosomes. Functional studies showed that AFAP1-AS1 promoted radioresistance by enhancing DNA damage repair in ESCC cells. Clinically, high levels of plasma AFAP1-AS1 correlated with poor responses to dCRT in ESCC patients. Our findings demonstrated that FAP+ CAFs promoted radioresistance in ESCC cells through transferring exosomal lncRNA AFAP1-AS1; and may be a potential therapeutic target for ESCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xilei Zhou
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Affiliated Huaian No.1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an, China
| | - Yusuo Tong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Affiliated Huaian No.1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an, China
| | - Changhua Yu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Affiliated Huaian No.1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an, China
| | - Juan Pu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Lianshui County People's Hospital, Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an, China
| | - Weiguo Zhu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Affiliated Huaian No.1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an, China
| | - Yun Zhou
- Department of Radiotherapy, Xuzhou Central Hospital, The Xuzhou School of Clinical Medicine of Nanjing Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yuandong Wang
- Department of Radiotherapy, Affiliated People's Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Yaozu Xiong
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The Affiliated Huaian No.1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an, China
| | - Xinchen Sun
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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16
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Norgard RJ, Budhani P, O'Brien SA, Xia Y, Egan JN, Flynn B, Tagore JR, Seco J, Peet GW, Mikucka A, Wasti R, Chan LC, Hinkel M, Martinez-Morilla S, Pignatelli J, Trapani F, Corse E, Feng D, Kostyrko K, Hofmann MH, Liu K, Kashyap AS. Reshaping the Tumor Microenvironment of KRASG12D Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma with Combined SOS1 and MEK Inhibition for Improved Immunotherapy Response. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:1548-1560. [PMID: 38727236 PMCID: PMC11191876 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-24-0172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
KRAS inhibitors have demonstrated exciting preclinical and clinical responses, although resistance occurs rapidly. Here, we investigate the effects of KRAS-targeting therapies on the tumor microenvironment using a library of KrasG12D, p53-mutant, murine pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma-derived cell lines (KPCY) to leverage immune-oncology combination strategies for long-term tumor efficacy. Our findings show that SOS1 and MEK inhibitors (SOS1i+MEKi) suppressed tumor growth in syngeneic models and increased intratumoral CD8+ T cells without durable responses. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed an increase in inflammatory cancer-associated fibroblasts (iCAF), M2 macrophages, and a decreased dendritic cell (DC) quality that ultimately resulted in a highly immunosuppressive microenvironment driven by IL6+ iCAFs. Agonist CD40 treatment was effective to revert macrophage polarization and overcome the lack of mature antigen-presenting DCs after SOS1i+MEKi therapy. Treatment increased the overall survival of KPCY tumor-bearing mice. The addition of checkpoint blockade to SOS1i+MEKi combination resulted in tumor-free mice with established immune memory. Our data suggest that KRAS inhibition affects myeloid cell maturation and highlights the need for combining KRAS cancer-targeted therapy with myeloid activation to enhance and prolong antitumor effects. SIGNIFICANCE Combination of SOS1 and MEK inhibitors increase T cell infiltration while blunting pro-immune myeloid cell maturation and highlights the need for combining KRAS cancer-targeted therapy with myeloid activation to enhance and prolong anti-tumor effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Norgard
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, Connecticut
| | - Pratha Budhani
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, Connecticut
| | - Sarah A. O'Brien
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, Connecticut
| | - Youli Xia
- Global Computational Biology and Digital Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, Connecticut
| | - Jessica N. Egan
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, Connecticut
| | - Brianna Flynn
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, Connecticut
| | - Joshua R. Tagore
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, Connecticut
| | - Joseph Seco
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, Connecticut
| | - Gregory W. Peet
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, Connecticut
| | - Ania Mikucka
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, Connecticut
| | - Ruby Wasti
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, Connecticut
| | - Li-Chuan Chan
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, Connecticut
| | - Melanie Hinkel
- Late Stage Cancer Research, Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sandra Martinez-Morilla
- Translational Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, Connecticut
| | - Jeanine Pignatelli
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, Connecticut
| | - Francesca Trapani
- Translational Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, Vienna, Austria
| | - Emily Corse
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, Connecticut
| | - Di Feng
- Global Computational Biology and Digital Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, Connecticut
| | - Kaja Kostyrko
- Late Stage Cancer Research, Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marco H. Hofmann
- Cancer Pharmacology and Disease Positioning Department, Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kang Liu
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, Connecticut
| | - Abhishek S. Kashyap
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, Connecticut
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17
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Zhou L, Li Y, Zheng D, Zheng Y, Cui Y, Qin L, Tang Z, Peng D, Wu Q, Long Y, Yao Y, Wong N, Lau J, Li P. Bispecific CAR-T cells targeting FAP and GPC3 have the potential to treat hepatocellular carcinoma. MOLECULAR THERAPY. ONCOLOGY 2024; 32:200817. [PMID: 38882528 PMCID: PMC11179089 DOI: 10.1016/j.omton.2024.200817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has demonstrated robust efficacy against hematological malignancies, but there are still some challenges regarding treating solid tumors, including tumor heterogeneity, antigen escape, and an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Here, we found that SNU398, a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line, exhibited high expression levels of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and Glypican 3 (GPC3), which were negatively correlated with patient prognosis. The HepG2 HCC cell line highly expressed GPC3, while the SNU387 cell line exhibited high expression of FAP. Thus, we developed bispecific CAR-T cells to simultaneously target FAP and GPC3 to address tumor heterogeneity in HCC. The anti-FAP-GPC3 bispecific CAR-T cells could recognize and be activated by FAP or GPC3 expressed by tumor cells. Compared with anti-FAP CAR-T cells or anti-GPC3 CAR-T cells, bispecific CAR-T cells achieved more robust activity against tumor cells expressing FAP and GPC3 in vitro. The anti-FAP-GPC3 bispecific CAR-T cells also exhibited superior antitumor efficacy and significantly prolonged the survival of mice compared with single-target CAR-T cells in vivo. Overall, the use of anti-FAP-GPC3 bispecific CAR-T cells is a promising treatment approach to reduce tumor recurrence caused by tumor antigen heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linfu Zhou
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedicine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, the CUHK-GIBH Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yao Li
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedicine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, the CUHK-GIBH Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Diwei Zheng
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedicine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, the CUHK-GIBH Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yongfang Zheng
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedicine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, the CUHK-GIBH Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuanbin Cui
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedicine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, the CUHK-GIBH Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Le Qin
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedicine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, the CUHK-GIBH Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Guangdong Zhaotai Cell Biology Technology Ltd., Foshan, China
| | - Zhaoyang Tang
- Guangdong Zhaotai Cell Biology Technology Ltd., Foshan, China
| | - Dongdong Peng
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedicine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, the CUHK-GIBH Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qiting Wu
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedicine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, the CUHK-GIBH Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Youguo Long
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedicine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, the CUHK-GIBH Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yao Yao
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedicine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, the CUHK-GIBH Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Nathalie Wong
- Department of Surgery of the Faculty of Medicine, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Hong Kong, China
| | - James Lau
- Department of Surgery of the Faculty of Medicine, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Hong Kong, China
| | - Peng Li
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Biomedicine and Health, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, the CUHK-GIBH Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Surgery of the Faculty of Medicine, the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Hong Kong, China
- Key Laboratory of Biological Targeting Diagnosis, Therapy and Rehabilitation of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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18
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Xiao Y, Wang Z, Gu M, Wei P, Wang X, Li W. Cancer-associated fibroblasts: heterogeneity and their role in the tumor immune response. Clin Exp Med 2024; 24:126. [PMID: 38864912 PMCID: PMC11169017 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-024-01375-3] [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: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
In recent decades, many reports have been published on the composition and function of the tumor microenvironment (TME), among which cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have received much attention. CAFs have different degrees of heterogeneity in terms of their origin, phenotype, and function and can be divided into different subpopulations. These subgroups may play different roles in the occurrence and development of tumors. In addition, CAFs are closely associated with tumor immunity and have been found to regulate immune cell activity and to suppress the tumor immune response. In this review, we systematize the heterogeneity and characteristics of CAFs, discuss how specific CAF subgroups contribute to cancer progression by inducing an immunosuppressive microenvironment, and finally, we examine the future clinical applications of CAF subgroups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxuan Xiao
- Cancer Research Center, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Ziyu Wang
- Cancer Research Center, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Gu
- Cancer Research Center, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Panjian Wei
- Cancer Research Center, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojue Wang
- Cancer Research Center, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Weiying Li
- Cancer Research Center, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing, China.
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19
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Zhu Y, Xiang M, Brulois KF, Lazarus NH, Pan J, Butcher EC. Endothelial cell Notch signaling programs cancer-associated fibroblasts to promote tumor immune evasion. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4538031. [PMID: 38947054 PMCID: PMC11213189 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4538031/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Stromal cells within the tumor tissue promote immune evasion as a critical strategy for cancer development and progression, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we explore the role of endothelial cells (ECs) in the regulation of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Using mouse pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) models, we found that canonical Notch signaling in endothelial cells suppresses the recruitment of antitumor T cells and promotes tumor progression by inhibiting the pro-inflammatory functions of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Abrogation of endothelial Notch signaling modulates EC-derived angiocrine factors to enhance the pro-inflammatory activities of CAFs, which drive CXCL9/10-CXCR3-mediated T cell recruitment to inhibit tumor growth. Additionally, abrogation of endothelial Notch unleashed interferon gamma responses in the tumor microenvironment, upregulated PDL1 expression on tumor cells, and sensitized PDAC to PD1-based immunotherapy. Collectively, these data uncover a pivotal role of endothelial cells in shaping the immunosuppressive microenvironment, and suggest the potential of targeting EC-CAF interaction as a novel therapeutic modality to boost antitumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhu
- Laboratory of Immunology and Vascular Biology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Menglan Xiang
- Laboratory of Immunology and Vascular Biology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Kevin F. Brulois
- Laboratory of Immunology and Vascular Biology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Nicole H. Lazarus
- Laboratory of Immunology and Vascular Biology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Junliang Pan
- Laboratory of Immunology and Vascular Biology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Eugene C. Butcher
- Laboratory of Immunology and Vascular Biology, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
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20
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Varveri A, Papadopoulou M, Papadovasilakis Z, Compeer EB, Legaki AI, Delis A, Damaskou V, Boon L, Papadogiorgaki S, Samiotaki M, Foukas PG, Eliopoulos AG, Hatzioannou A, Alissafi T, Dustin ML, Verginis P. Immunological synapse formation between T regulatory cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts promotes tumour development. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4988. [PMID: 38862534 PMCID: PMC11167033 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49282-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have emerged as a dominant non-hematopoietic cell population in the tumour microenvironment, serving diverse functions in tumour progression. However, the mechanisms via which CAFs influence the anti-tumour immunity remain poorly understood. Here, using multiple tumour models and biopsies from cancer patients, we report that α-SMA+ CAFs can form immunological synapses with Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in tumours. Notably, α-SMA+ CAFs can phagocytose and process tumour antigens and exhibit a tolerogenic phenotype which instructs movement arrest, activation and proliferation in Tregs in an antigen-specific manner. Moreover, α-SMA+ CAFs display double-membrane structures resembling autophagosomes in their cytoplasm. Single-cell transcriptomic data showed an enrichment in autophagy and antigen processing/presentation pathways in α-SMA-expressing CAF clusters. Conditional knockout of Atg5 in α-SMA+ CAFs promoted inflammatory re-programming in CAFs, reduced Treg cell infiltration and attenuated tumour development. Overall, our findings reveal an immunosuppressive mechanism entailing the formation of synapses between α-SMA+ CAFs and Tregs in an autophagy-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athina Varveri
- Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery & Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation and Tolerance, Division of Basic Sciences, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Miranta Papadopoulou
- Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery & Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation and Tolerance, Division of Basic Sciences, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Zacharias Papadovasilakis
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation and Tolerance, Division of Basic Sciences, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Ewoud B Compeer
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Aigli-Ioanna Legaki
- Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery & Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Anastasios Delis
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Vasileia Damaskou
- 2nd Department of Pathology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | | | | | - Martina Samiotaki
- Institute for Bioinnovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre Alexander Fleming, Vari, Athens, 166 72, Greece
| | - Periklis G Foukas
- 2nd Department of Pathology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Aristides G Eliopoulos
- Laboratory of Biology, School of Medicine, Medical School National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Aikaterini Hatzioannou
- Laboratory of Biology, School of Medicine, Medical School National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus of TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Themis Alissafi
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Laboratory of Biology, School of Medicine, Medical School National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Michael L Dustin
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Panayotis Verginis
- Center of Clinical, Experimental Surgery & Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece.
- Laboratory of Immune Regulation and Tolerance, Division of Basic Sciences, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece.
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Heraklion, Greece.
- Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus of TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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21
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Qin Q, Yu R, Eriksson JE, Tsai HI, Zhu H. Cancer-associated fibroblasts in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma therapy: Challenges and opportunities. Cancer Lett 2024; 591:216859. [PMID: 38615928 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216859] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a solid organ malignancy with a high mortality rate. Statistics indicate that its incidence has been increasing as well as the associated deaths. Most patients with PDAC show poor response to therapies making the clinical management of this cancer difficult. Stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) contribute to the development of resistance to therapy in PDAC cancer cells. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the most prevalent stromal cells in the TME, promote a desmoplastic response, produce extracellular matrix proteins and cytokines, and directly influence the biological behavior of cancer cells. These multifaceted effects make it difficult to eradicate tumor cells from the body. As a result, CAF-targeting synergistic therapeutic strategies have gained increasing attention in recent years. However, due to the substantial heterogeneity in CAF origin, definition, and function, as well as high plasticity, majority of the available CAF-targeting therapeutic approaches are not effective, and in some cases, they exacerbate disease progression. This review primarily elucidates on the effect of CAFs on therapeutic efficiency of various treatment modalities, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. Strategies for CAF targeting therapies are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Qin
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China
| | - Rong Yu
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China
| | - John E Eriksson
- Cell Biology, Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, FI-20520 Finland
| | - Hsiang-I Tsai
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China; Department of Medical Imaging, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China.
| | - Haitao Zhu
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China; Department of Medical Imaging, The Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212001, China.
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22
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Xiong Z, Yu SL, Xie ZX, Zhuang RL, Peng SR, Wang Q, Gao Z, Li BH, Xie JJ, Huang H, Li KW. Cancer-associated fibroblasts promote enzalutamide resistance and PD-L1 expression in prostate cancer through CCL5-CCR5 paracrine axis. iScience 2024; 27:109674. [PMID: 38646169 PMCID: PMC11031830 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109674] [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: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been shown to play a key role in prostate cancer treatment resistance, but the role of CAFs in the initial course of enzalutamide therapy for prostate cancer remains unclear. Our research revealed that CAFs secrete CCL5, which promotes the upregulation of androgen receptor (AR) expression in prostate cancer cells, leading to resistance to enzalutamide therapy. Furthermore, CCL5 also enhances the expression of tumor programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), resulting in immune escape. Mechanistically, CCL5 binds to the receptor CCR5 on prostate cancer cells and activates the AKT signaling pathway, leading to the upregulation of AR and PD-L1. The CCR5 antagonist maraviroc to inhibit the CAFs mediated CCL5 signaling pathway can effectively reduce the expression of AR and PD-L1, and improve the efficacy of enzalutamide. This study highlights a promising therapeutic approach targeting the CCL5-CCR5 signaling pathway to improve the effectiveness of enzalutamide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Xiong
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Shun-Li Yu
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Zhao-Xiang Xie
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Rui-Lin Zhuang
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Shi-Rong Peng
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Qiong Wang
- Department of Urology, Southern Medical University Nanfang Hospital, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Ze Gao
- Department of Urology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250063, China
| | - Bing-Heng Li
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Jun-Jia Xie
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
| | - Hai Huang
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Urological Diseases, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
- Department of Urology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People’s Hospital, Qingyuan 511518, Guangdong, China
| | - Kai-Wen Li
- Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510120, China
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23
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Chen Q, Luo J, Liu J, Yu H, Zhou M, Yu L, Chen Y, Zhang S, Mo Z. Integrating single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to elucidate the crosstalk between cancer-associated fibroblasts and cancer cells in hepatocellular carcinoma with spleen-deficiency syndrome. J Tradit Complement Med 2024; 14:321-334. [PMID: 38707923 PMCID: PMC11068993 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2023.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and aim Most patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in China have been diagnosed with spleen deficiency syndrome (SDS), which accelerates the progression of HCC by disrupting the tumor microenvironment homeostasis. This study aimed to investigate the intercellular crosstalk in HCC with SDS. Experimental procedure An HCC-SDS mouse model was established using orthotopic HCC transplantation based on reserpine-induced SDS. Single-cell data analysis and cancer cell prediction were conducted using Seurat and CopyKAT package, respectively. Intercellular interactions were explored using CellPhoneDB and CellChat and subsequently validated using co-culture assays, ELISA and histological staining. We performed pathway activity analysis using gene set variation analysis and the Seurat package. The extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling was assessed using a gel contraction assay, atomic force microscopy, and Sirius red staining. The deconvolution of the spatial transcriptomics data using the "CARD" package based on single-cell data. Results and conclusion We successfully established the HCC-SDS mouse model. Twenty-nine clusters were identified. The interactions between cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) were significantly enhanced via platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) signaling in HCC-SDS. CAFs recruited in HCC-SDS lead to ECM remodeling and the activation of TGF-β signaling pathway. Deconvolution of the spatial transcriptome data revealed that CAFs physically surround cancer cells in HCC-SDS. This study reveals that the crosstalk of CAFs-cancer cells is crucial for the tumor-promoting effect of SDS. CAFs recruited by HCC via PDGFA may lead to ECM remodeling through activation of the TGF-β pathway, thereby forming a physical barrier to block immune cell infiltration under SDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuxia Chen
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510080, China
| | - Jin Luo
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510080, China
| | - Jiahui Liu
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510080, China
| | - He Yu
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510080, China
| | - Meiling Zhou
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510080, China
| | - Ling Yu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Second Clinical College to Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510630, China
| | - Shijun Zhang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510080, China
| | - Zhuomao Mo
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, 311113, China
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24
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Lee DU, Han BS, Jung KH, Hong SS. Tumor Stroma as a Therapeutic Target for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Biomol Ther (Seoul) 2024; 32:281-290. [PMID: 38590092 PMCID: PMC11063484 DOI: 10.4062/biomolther.2024.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a poor prognosis owing to its desmoplastic stroma. Therefore, therapeutic strategies targeting this tumor stroma should be developed. In this study, we describe the heterogeneity of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and their diverse roles in the progression, immune evasion, and resistance to treatment of PDAC. We subclassified the spatial distribution and functional activity of CAFs to highlight their effects on prognosis and drug delivery. Extracellular matrix components such as collagen and hyaluronan are described for their roles in tumor behavior and treatment outcomes, implying their potential as therapeutic targets. We also discussed the roles of extracellular matrix (ECM) including matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitors in PDAC progression. Finally, we explored the role of the adaptive and innate immune systems in shaping the PDAC microenvironment and potential therapeutic strategies, with a focus on immune cell subsets, cytokines, and immunosuppressive mechanisms. These insights provide a comprehensive understanding of PDAC and pave the way for the development of prognostic markers and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dae Ui Lee
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon 22332, Republic of Korea
| | - Beom Seok Han
- Program in Biomedical Science & Engineering, The Graduate School, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Hee Jung
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon 22332, Republic of Korea
| | - Soon-Sun Hong
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Inha University, Incheon 22332, Republic of Korea
- Program in Biomedical Science & Engineering, The Graduate School, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea
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25
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Gou Z, Li J, Liu J, Yang N. The hidden messengers: cancer associated fibroblasts-derived exosomal miRNAs as key regulators of cancer malignancy. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1378302. [PMID: 38694824 PMCID: PMC11061421 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1378302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), a class of stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME), play a key role in controlling cancer cell invasion and metastasis, immune evasion, angiogenesis, and resistance to chemotherapy. CAFs mediate their activities by secreting soluble chemicals, releasing exosomes, and altering the extracellular matrix (ECM). Exosomes contain various biomolecules, such as nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins. microRNA (miRNA), a 22-26 nucleotide non-coding RNA, can regulate the cellular transcription processes. Studies have shown that miRNA-loaded exosomes secreted by CAFs engage in various regulatory communication networks with other TME constituents. This study focused on the roles of CAF-derived exosomal miRNAs in generating cancer malignant characteristics, including immune modulation, tumor growth, migration and invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and treatment resistance. This study thoroughly examines miRNA's dual regulatory roles in promoting and suppressing cancer. Thus, changes in the CAF-derived exosomal miRNAs can be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of patients, and their specificity can be used to develop newer therapies. This review also discusses the pressing problems that require immediate attention, aiming to inspire researchers to explore more novel avenues in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zixuan Gou
- Bethune First Clinical School of Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jiannan Li
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jianming Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Na Yang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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26
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Yu S, Zhang L, Yang Y, Wang M, Liu T, Ji W, Liu Y, Lv H, Zhao Y, Chen X, Hu T. Polydopamine-Based Resveratrol-Hyaluronidase Nanomedicine Inhibited Pancreatic Cancer Cell Invasive Phenotype in Hyaluronic Acid Enrichment Tumor Sphere Model. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2024; 7:1013-1022. [PMID: 38633596 PMCID: PMC11020062 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.3c00304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
The dense storm microenvironment formed by an excessively cross-linked extracellular matrix, such as hyaluronic acid and collagens, serves as a major barrier that prevents drugs from reaching the deeper tumor. Current traditional two-dimensional (2D) cultures are not capable of modeling this drug delivery barrier in vitro. Thus, tumor spheroids have become increasingly important in cancer research due to their three-dimensional structure. Currently, various methods have been developed to construct tumor spheroids. However, there are still challenges, such as lengthy construction time, complex composition of added growth factors, and high cultivation costs. To address this technical bottleneck, our study combined the GelMA hydrogel system to develop a rapid and high-yield method for tumor spheroids generation. Additionally, we proposed an evaluation scheme to assess the effects of drugs on tumor spheroids. Building on the hyaluronic acid-rich pathological tumor microenvironment, we constructed a resveratrol-loaded nano-drug delivery system with tumor stroma modulation capability and used a three-dimensional (3D) tumor sphere model to simulate in vivo tumor conditions. This process was utilized to completely evaluate the ability of the nano-drug delivery system to enhance the deep penetration of resveratrol in the tumor microenvironment, providing new insights into future oncology drug screening, efficacy assessment, and drug delivery methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Yu
- Department
of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710061, China
- Department
of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated
Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710004, China
- Bioinspired
Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710000, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- National
& Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnosis and
Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital
of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710004, China
| | - Yanshen Yang
- Bioinspired
Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710000, China
| | - Meijuan Wang
- Department
of Anesthesia, Guangdong Provincial People’s
Hospital, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Tingting Liu
- Department
of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Wenwen Ji
- Department
of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department
of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated
Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710004, China
| | - Hao Lv
- Department
of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated
Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710004, China
| | - Yang Zhao
- National
& Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnosis and
Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital
of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710004, China
| | - Xi Chen
- National
& Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnosis and
Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital
of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710004, China
| | - Tinghua Hu
- Department
of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710061, China
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27
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Olaoba OT, Yang M, Adelusi TI, Maidens T, Kimchi ET, Staveley-O’Carroll KF, Li G. Targeted Therapy for Highly Desmoplastic and Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1470. [PMID: 38672552 PMCID: PMC11048089 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16081470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal malignancy with a very poor prognosis. Despite advancements in treatment strategies, PDAC remains recalcitrant to therapies because patients are often diagnosed at an advanced stage. The advanced stage of PDAC is characterized by metastasis, which typically renders it unresectable by surgery or untreatable by chemotherapy. The tumor microenvironment (TME) of PDAC comprises highly proliferative myofibroblast-like cells and hosts the intense deposition of a extracellular matrix component that forms dense fibrous connective tissue, a process called the desmoplastic reaction. In desmoplastic TMEs, the incessant aberration of signaling pathways contributes to immunosuppression by suppressing antitumor immunity. This feature offers a protective barrier that impedes the targeted delivery of drugs. In addition, the efficacy of immunotherapy is compromised because of the immune cold TME of PDAC. Targeted therapy approaches towards stromal and immunosuppressive TMEs are challenging. In this review, we discuss cellular and non-cellular TME components that contain actionable targets for drug development. We also highlight findings from preclinical studies and provide updates about the efficacies of new investigational drugs in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olamide T. Olaoba
- Department of Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; (O.T.O.); (M.Y.); (T.I.A.); (T.M.); (E.T.K.)
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Ming Yang
- Department of Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; (O.T.O.); (M.Y.); (T.I.A.); (T.M.); (E.T.K.)
| | - Temitope I. Adelusi
- Department of Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; (O.T.O.); (M.Y.); (T.I.A.); (T.M.); (E.T.K.)
- Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Tessa Maidens
- Department of Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; (O.T.O.); (M.Y.); (T.I.A.); (T.M.); (E.T.K.)
| | - Eric T. Kimchi
- Department of Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; (O.T.O.); (M.Y.); (T.I.A.); (T.M.); (E.T.K.)
- Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital, Columbia, MO 65201, USA
- Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Kevin F. Staveley-O’Carroll
- Department of Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; (O.T.O.); (M.Y.); (T.I.A.); (T.M.); (E.T.K.)
- Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital, Columbia, MO 65201, USA
- Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Guangfu Li
- Department of Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; (O.T.O.); (M.Y.); (T.I.A.); (T.M.); (E.T.K.)
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
- Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital, Columbia, MO 65201, USA
- Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
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28
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Reid SE, Pantaleo J, Bolivar P, Bocci M, Sjölund J, Morsing M, Cordero E, Larsson S, Malmberg M, Seashore-Ludlow B, Pietras K. Cancer-associated fibroblasts rewire the estrogen receptor response in luminal breast cancer, enabling estrogen independence. Oncogene 2024; 43:1113-1126. [PMID: 38388711 PMCID: PMC10997519 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-024-02973-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Advanced breast cancers represent a major therapeutic challenge due to their refractoriness to treatment. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the most abundant constituents of the tumor microenvironment and have been linked to most hallmarks of cancer. However, the influence of CAFs on therapeutic outcome remains largely unchartered. Here, we reveal that spatial coincidence of abundant CAF infiltration with malignant cells was associated with reduced estrogen receptor (ER)-α expression and activity in luminal breast tumors. Notably, CAFs mediated estrogen-independent tumor growth by selectively regulating ER-α signaling. Whereas most prototypical estrogen-responsive genes were suppressed, CAFs maintained gene expression related to therapeutic resistance, basal-like differentiation, and invasion. A functional drug screen in co-cultures identified effector pathways involved in the CAF-induced regulation of ER-α signaling. Among these, the Transforming Growth Factor-β and the Janus kinase signaling cascades were validated as actionable targets to counteract the CAF-induced modulation of ER-α activity. Finally, genes that were downregulated in cancer cells by CAFs were predictive of poor response to endocrine treatment. In conclusion, our work reveals that CAFs directly control the luminal breast cancer phenotype by selectively modulating ER-α expression and transcriptional function, and further proposes novel targets to disrupt the crosstalk between CAFs and tumor cells to reinstate treatment response to endocrine therapy in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven E Reid
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jessica Pantaleo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Paulina Bolivar
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Matteo Bocci
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jonas Sjölund
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Mikkel Morsing
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Eugenia Cordero
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Sara Larsson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria Malmberg
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Brinton Seashore-Ludlow
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, SciLifeLab, Stockholm, Sweden
- Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden (CBCS), Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kristian Pietras
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Translational Cancer Research, Lund University Cancer Centre, Medicon Village, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
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29
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Lloyd EG, Henríquez JA, Biffi G. Modelling the micro- and macro- environment of pancreatic cancer: from patients to pre-clinical models and back. Dis Model Mech 2024; 17:dmm050624. [PMID: 38639944 PMCID: PMC11051978 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal malignancy with very low survival rates. Over the past 50 years, improvements in PDAC survival have significantly lagged behind the progress made in other cancers. PDAC's dismal prognosis is due to typical late-stage diagnosis combined with lack of effective treatments and complex mechanisms of disease. We propose that improvements in survival are partly hindered by the current focus on largely modelling and targeting PDAC as one disease, despite it being heterogeneous. Implementing new disease-representative pre-clinical mouse models that capture this complexity could enable the development of transformative therapies. Specifically, these models should recapitulate human PDAC late-stage biology, heterogeneous genetics, extensive non-malignant stroma, and associated risk factors and comorbidities. In this Perspective, we focus on how pre-clinical mouse models could be improved to exemplify key features of PDAC micro- and macro- environments, which would drive clinically relevant patient stratification, tailored treatments and improved survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloise G. Lloyd
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Joaquín Araos Henríquez
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Giulia Biffi
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
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30
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Huang H, Lu W, Zhang X, Pan J, Cao F, Wen L. Fibroblast subtypes in pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis: from mechanisms to therapeutic strategies. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2024; 47:383-396. [PMID: 37721678 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-023-00874-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Excessive fibrosis is a predominant feature of pancreatic stroma and plays a crucial role in the development and progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and chronic pancreatitis (CP). Emerging evidence showed diversity and heterogeneity of fibroblasts play crucial and somewhat contradictory roles, the interactions between fibroblasts and pancreatic cells or infiltrating immune cells are of great importance during PDAC and CP progression, with some promising therapeutic strategies being tested. Therefore, in this review, we describe the classification of fibroblasts and their functions in PDAC and pancreatitis, the mechanisms by which fibroblasts mediate the development and progression of PDAC and CP through direct or indirect interaction between fibroblast and pancreatic parenchymal cells, or by remodeling the pancreatic immune microenvironment mediates the development and progression of PDAC and CP. Finally, we summarized the current therapeutic strategies and agents that directly target subtypes of fibroblasts or interfere with their essential functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huizhen Huang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Diseases, Shanghai General Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wanyi Lu
- Center for Biomarker Discovery and Validation, National Infrastructures for Translational Medicine (PUMCH), Institute of Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Complex, Severe, and Rare Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xiuli Zhang
- Center for Biomarker Discovery and Validation, National Infrastructures for Translational Medicine (PUMCH), Institute of Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Complex, Severe, and Rare Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Jiachun Pan
- Center for Biomarker Discovery and Validation, National Infrastructures for Translational Medicine (PUMCH), Institute of Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Complex, Severe, and Rare Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Cao
- Department of General Surgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
| | - Li Wen
- Center for Biomarker Discovery and Validation, National Infrastructures for Translational Medicine (PUMCH), Institute of Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Complex, Severe, and Rare Diseases, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
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31
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Lu W, Wu G, Miao X, Ma J, Wang Y, Xu H, Shentu D, Xue S, Xia Q, Wang Y, Wang L. The radiomics nomogram predicts the prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients with hepatic metastasis after chemoimmunotherapy. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2024; 73:87. [PMID: 38554161 PMCID: PMC10981596 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03644-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To construct a prognostic model based on MR features and clinical data to evaluate the progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and objective response rate (ORR) of pancreatic cancer patients with hepatic metastases who received chemoimmunotherapy. METHODS 105 pancreatic cancer patients with hepatic metastases who received chemoimmunotherapy were assigned to the training set (n = 52), validation set (n = 22), and testing set (n = 31). Multi-lesion volume of interest were delineated, multi-sequence radiomics features were extracted, and the radiomics models for predicting PFS, OS and ORR were constructed, respectively. Clinical variables were extracted, and the clinical models for predicting PFS, OS and ORR were constructed, respectively. The nomogram was jointly constructed by radiomics model and clinical model. RESULT The ORR exhibits no significant correlation with either PFS or OS. The area under the curve (AUC) of nomogram for predicting 6-month PFS reached 0.847 (0.737-0.957), 0.786 (0.566-1.000) and 0.864 (0.735-0.994) in the training set, validation set and testing set, respectively. The AUC of nomogram for predicting 1-year OS reached 0.770 (0.635-0.906), 0.743 (0.479-1.000) and 0.818 (0.630-1.000), respectively. The AUC of nomogram for predicting ORR reached 0.914 (0.828-1.00), 0.938 (0.840-1.00) and 0.846 (0.689-1.00), respectively. CONCLUSION The prognostic models based on MR imaging features and clinical data are effective in predicting the PFS, OS and ORR of chemoimmunotherapy in pancreatic cancer patients with hepatic metastasis, and can be used to evaluate the prognosis of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxin Lu
- Department of Oncology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Guangyu Wu
- Department of Radiology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Xianyuan Miao
- Department of Oncology, Ning Bo Hangzhou Bay Hospital, Ningbo, 315336, China
| | - Jingyu Ma
- Department of Oncology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Yanling Wang
- Department of Oncology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Haiyan Xu
- Department of Oncology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Daiyuan Shentu
- Department of Oncology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Shengbai Xue
- Department of Oncology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Qing Xia
- Department of Oncology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Oncology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China.
| | - Liwei Wang
- Department of Oncology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer of Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China.
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32
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Bueno-Urquiza LJ, Godínez-Rubí M, Villegas-Pineda JC, Vega-Magaña AN, Jave-Suárez LF, Puebla-Mora AG, Aguirre-Sandoval GE, Martínez-Silva MG, Ramírez-de-Arellano A, Pereira-Suárez AL. Phenotypic Heterogeneity of Cancer Associated Fibroblasts in Cervical Cancer Progression: FAP as a Central Activation Marker. Cells 2024; 13:560. [PMID: 38606999 PMCID: PMC11010959 DOI: 10.3390/cells13070560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth leading cancer among women and is one of the principal gynecological malignancies. In the tumor microenvironment, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a crucial role during malignant progression, exhibiting a variety of heterogeneous phenotypes. CAFs express phenotypic markers like fibroblast activation protein (FAP), vimentin, S100A4, α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA), and functional markers such as MMP9. This study aimed to evaluate the protein expression of vimentin, S100A4, αSMA, FAP, and MMP9 in mesenchymal stem cells (MSC)-CAF cells, as well as in cervical cancer samples. MSC cells were stimulated with HeLa and SiHa tumor cell supernatants, followed by protein evaluation and cytokine profile to confirm differentiation towards a CAF phenotype. In addition, automated immunohistochemistry (IHQa) was performed to evaluate the expression of these proteins in CC samples at different stages. Our findings revealed a high expression of FAP in stimulated MSC cells, accompanied by the secretion of pro/anti-inflammatory cytokines. In the other hand, CC samples were observed to have high expression of FAP, vimentin, αSMA, and MMP9. Most importantly, there was a high expression of their activation proteins αSMA and FAP during the different stages. In the early stages, a myofibroblast-like phenotype (CAFs αSMA+ FAP+), and in the late stages a protumoral phenotype (CAF αSMA- FAP+). In summary, FAP has a crucial role in the activation of CAFs during cervical cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lesly Jazmin Bueno-Urquiza
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44340, Mexico; (L.J.B.-U.); (A.N.V.-M.); (A.R.-d.-A.)
| | - Marisol Godínez-Rubí
- Departamento de Microbiología y Patología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44340, Mexico; (M.G.-R.); (J.C.V.-P.); (A.G.P.-M.); (G.E.A.-S.)
| | - Julio César Villegas-Pineda
- Departamento de Microbiología y Patología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44340, Mexico; (M.G.-R.); (J.C.V.-P.); (A.G.P.-M.); (G.E.A.-S.)
| | - Alejandra Natali Vega-Magaña
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44340, Mexico; (L.J.B.-U.); (A.N.V.-M.); (A.R.-d.-A.)
- Departamento de Microbiología y Patología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44340, Mexico; (M.G.-R.); (J.C.V.-P.); (A.G.P.-M.); (G.E.A.-S.)
| | - Luis Felipe Jave-Suárez
- División de Inmunología, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Guadalajara 44340, Mexico;
| | - Ana Graciela Puebla-Mora
- Departamento de Microbiología y Patología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44340, Mexico; (M.G.-R.); (J.C.V.-P.); (A.G.P.-M.); (G.E.A.-S.)
| | - Gloria Estefanía Aguirre-Sandoval
- Departamento de Microbiología y Patología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44340, Mexico; (M.G.-R.); (J.C.V.-P.); (A.G.P.-M.); (G.E.A.-S.)
| | - María Guadalupe Martínez-Silva
- Departamento de Anatomía Patológica, Centro Médico Nacional de Occidente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Guadalajara 44340, Mexico;
| | - Adrián Ramírez-de-Arellano
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44340, Mexico; (L.J.B.-U.); (A.N.V.-M.); (A.R.-d.-A.)
| | - Ana Laura Pereira-Suárez
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44340, Mexico; (L.J.B.-U.); (A.N.V.-M.); (A.R.-d.-A.)
- Departamento de Microbiología y Patología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara 44340, Mexico; (M.G.-R.); (J.C.V.-P.); (A.G.P.-M.); (G.E.A.-S.)
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Li Y, Zhang C, Jiang A, Lin A, Liu Z, Cheng X, Wang W, Cheng Q, Zhang J, Wei T, Luo P. Potential anti-tumor effects of regulatory T cells in the tumor microenvironment: a review. J Transl Med 2024; 22:293. [PMID: 38509593 PMCID: PMC10953261 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05104-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) expressing the transcription factor FoxP3 are essential for maintaining immunological balance and are a significant component of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Single-cell RNA sequencing (ScRNA-seq) technology has shown that Tregs exhibit significant plasticity and functional diversity in various tumors within the TME. This results in Tregs playing a dual role in the TME, which is not always centered around supporting tumor progression as typically believed. Abundant data confirms the anti-tumor activities of Tregs and their correlation with enhanced patient prognosis in specific types of malignancies. In this review, we summarize the potential anti-tumor actions of Tregs, including suppressing tumor-promoting inflammatory responses and boosting anti-tumor immunity. In addition, this study outlines the spatial and temporal variations in Tregs function to emphasize that their predictive significance in malignancies may change. It is essential to comprehend the functional diversity and potential anti-tumor effects of Tregs to improve tumor therapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Li
- The Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cangang Zhang
- Department of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Aimin Jiang
- Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, China
| | - Anqi Lin
- The Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zaoqu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Department of Pathophysiology, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Xiangshu Cheng
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, 157 Baojian Road. Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongiiang, China
| | - Wanting Wang
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Quan Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Jian Zhang
- The Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Ting Wei
- The Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Peng Luo
- The Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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Wang M, Xue W, Yuan H, Wang Z, Yu L. Nano-Drug Delivery Systems Targeting CAFs: A Promising Treatment for Pancreatic Cancer. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:2823-2849. [PMID: 38525013 PMCID: PMC10959015 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s451151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Currently, pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most lethal malignant tumors. PC is typically diagnosed at a late stage, exhibits a poor response to conventional treatment, and has a bleak prognosis. Unfortunately, PC's survival rate has not significantly improved since the 1960s. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a key component of the pancreatic tumor microenvironment (TME). They play a vital role in maintaining the extracellular matrix and facilitating the intricate communication between cancer cells and infiltrated immune cells. Exploring therapeutic approaches targeting CAFs may reverse the current landscape of PC therapy. In recent years, nano-drug delivery systems have evolved rapidly and have been able to accurately target and precisely release drugs with little or no toxicity to the whole body. In this review, we will comprehensively discuss the origin, heterogeneity, potential targets, and recent advances in the nano-drug delivery system of CAFs in PC. We will also propose a novel integrated treatment regimen that utilizes a nano-drug delivery system to target CAFs in PC, combined with radiotherapy and immunotherapy. Additionally, we will address the challenges that this regimen currently faces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingjie Wang
- Department of Radiotherapy, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenxiang Xue
- NHC Key Laboratory of Radiobiology, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hanghang Yuan
- NHC Key Laboratory of Radiobiology, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhicheng Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Radiobiology, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lei Yu
- Department of Radiotherapy, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
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Zhao Y, Jia Y, Wang J, Chen X, Han J, Zhen S, Yin S, Lv W, Yu F, Wang J, Xu F, Zhao X, Liu L. circNOX4 activates an inflammatory fibroblast niche to promote tumor growth and metastasis in NSCLC via FAP/IL-6 axis. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:47. [PMID: 38459511 PMCID: PMC10921747 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01957-5] [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: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) orchestrate a supportive niche that fuels cancer metastatic development in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Due to the heterogeneity and plasticity of CAFs, manipulating the activated phenotype of fibroblasts is a promising strategy for cancer therapy. However, the underlying mechanisms of fibroblast activation and phenotype switching that drive metastasis remain elusive. METHODS The clinical implications of fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-positive CAFs (FAP+CAFs) were evaluated based on tumor specimens from NSCLC patients and bioinformatic analysis of online databases. CAF-specific circular RNAs (circRNAs) were screened by circRNA microarrays of primary human CAFs and matched normal fibroblasts (NFs). Survival analyses were performed to assess the prognostic value of circNOX4 in NSCLC clinical samples. The biological effects of circNOX4 were investigated by gain- and loss-of-function experiments in vitro and in vivo. Fluorescence in situ hybridization, luciferase reporter assays, RNA immunoprecipitation, and miRNA rescue experiments were conducted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of fibroblast activation. Cytokine antibody array, transwell coculture system, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were performed to investigate the downstream effectors that promote cancer metastasis. RESULTS FAP+CAFs were significantly enriched in metastatic cancer samples, and their higher abundance was correlated with the worse overall survival in NSCLC patients. A novel CAF-specific circRNA, circNOX4 (hsa_circ_0023988), evoked the phenotypic transition from NFs into CAFs and promoted the migration and invasion of NSCLC in vitro and in vivo. Clinically, circNOX4 correlated with the poor prognosis of advanced NSCLC patients. Mechanistically, circNOX4 upregulated FAP by sponging miR-329-5p, which led to fibroblast activation. Furthermore, the circNOX4/miR-329-5p/FAP axis activated an inflammatory fibroblast niche by preferentially inducing interleukin-6 (IL-6) and eventually promoting NSCLC progression. Disruption of the intercellular circNOX4/IL-6 axis significantly suppressed tumor growth and metastatic colonization in vivo. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals a role of the circRNA-induced fibroblast niche in tumor metastasis and highlights that targeting the circNOX4/FAP/IL-6 axis is a promising strategy for the intervention of NSCLC metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhao
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050035, China
- Department of Oncology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Yunlong Jia
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050035, China
| | - Jiali Wang
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050035, China
| | - Xiaolin Chen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Jingya Han
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Shuman Zhen
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050035, China
| | - Shuxian Yin
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050035, China
| | - Wei Lv
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050035, China
| | - Fan Yu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China
| | - Jiaqi Wang
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050035, China
| | - Fan Xu
- Departments of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, 067000, China
| | - Xinming Zhao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China.
- Hebei Provincial Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Drug Resistance, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China.
| | - Lihua Liu
- Department of Tumor Immunotherapy, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University and Hebei Provincial Tumor Hospital, Shijiazhuang, 050035, China.
- Cancer Research Institute of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China.
- International Cooperation Laboratory of Stem Cell Research, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050011, China.
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Li J, Wei T, Ma K, Zhang J, Lu J, Zhao J, Huang J, Zeng T, Xie Y, Liang Y, Li X, Zhang Q, Liang T. Single-cell RNA sequencing highlights epithelial and microenvironmental heterogeneity in malignant progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Cancer Lett 2024; 584:216607. [PMID: 38246225 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216607] [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: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) of the pancreas are bona fide precursor lesions of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Single-cell transcriptomics provides a unique perspective for dissecting the epithelial and microenvironmental heterogeneity that accompanies progression from benign IPMNs to invasive PDAC. Single-cell RNA sequencing was performed through droplet-based sequencing on 35 693 cells from three high-grade IPMNs and two IPMN-derived PDACs (all surgically resected). Analysis of single-cell transcriptomes revealed heterogeneous alterations within the epithelium and the tumor microenvironment during the progression of noninvasive dysplasia to invasive cancer. For epithelial cells, we identified acinar-ductal cells and isthmus-pit cells enriched in IPMN lesions and profiled three types of PDAC-unique ductal cells. Notably, a proinflammatory immune component was distinctly observed in IPMNs, comprising CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and B cells, whereas M2 macrophages were significantly accumulated in PDAC. Through the analysis of cellular communication, the osteopontin gene (SPP1)-CD44 pathway between macrophages and epithelial cells were particularly strengthened in the PDAC group. Further prognostic analysis revealed that SPP1 is a biomarker of IPMN carcinogenesis for surveillance. This study demonstrates the ability to perform high-resolution profiling of single cellular transcriptomes during the progression of high-grade IPMNs to cancer. Notably, single-cell analysis provides an unparalleled insight into both epithelial and microenvironmental heterogeneity associated with early cancer pathogenesis and provides practical markers for surveillance and targets for cancer interception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
| | - Tao Wei
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
| | - Ke Ma
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
| | - Jianfeng Lu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
| | - Jianhui Zhao
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
| | - Jinyan Huang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
| | - Tao Zeng
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
| | - Yali Xie
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
| | - Yingjiqiong Liang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
| | - Xuejie Li
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Zhejiang University, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China
| | - Tingbo Liang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Zhejiang Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China; Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China.
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Rampioni Vinciguerra GL, Capece M, Reggiani Bonetti L, Nigita G, Calore F, Rentsch S, Magistri P, Ballarin R, Di Benedetto F, Distefano R, Cirombella R, Vecchione A, Belletti B, Baldassarre G, Lovat F, Croce CM. Nutrient restriction-activated Fra-2 promotes tumor progression via IGF1R in miR-15a downmodulated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:31. [PMID: 38342897 PMCID: PMC10859382 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01740-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal disease, characterized by an intense desmoplastic reaction that compresses blood vessels and limits nutrient supplies. PDAC aggressiveness largely relies on its extraordinary capability to thrive and progress in a challenging tumor microenvironment. Dysregulation of the onco-suppressor miR-15a has been extensively documented in PDAC. Here, we identified the transcription factor Fos-related antigen-2 (Fra-2) as a miR-15a target mediating the adaptive mechanism of PDAC to nutrient deprivation. We report that the IGF1 signaling pathway was enhanced in nutrient deprived PDAC cells and that Fra-2 and IGF1R were significantly overexpressed in miR-15a downmodulated PDAC patients. Mechanistically, we discovered that miR-15a repressed IGF1R expression via Fra-2 targeting. In miR-15a-low context, IGF1R hyperactivated mTOR, modulated the autophagic flux and sustained PDAC growth in nutrient deprivation. In a genetic mouse model, Mir15aKO PDAC showed Fra-2 and Igf1r upregulation and mTOR activation in response to diet restriction. Consistently, nutrient restriction improved the efficacy of IGF1R inhibition in a Fra-2 dependent manner. Overall, our results point to a crucial role of Fra-2 in the cellular stress response due to nutrient restriction typical of pancreatic cancer and support IGF1R as a promising and vulnerable target in miR-15a downmodulated PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210, OH, USA
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, 00189, Italy
| | - Marina Capece
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210, OH, USA
| | - Luca Reggiani Bonetti
- Department of Diagnostic, Clinic and Public Health Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, 41100, Italy
| | - Giovanni Nigita
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210, OH, USA
| | - Federica Calore
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210, OH, USA
| | - Sydney Rentsch
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210, OH, USA
| | - Paolo Magistri
- Hepato-pancreato-biliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, 41100, Italy
| | - Roberto Ballarin
- Hepato-pancreato-biliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, 41100, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Di Benedetto
- Hepato-pancreato-biliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation Unit, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, 41100, Italy
| | - Rosario Distefano
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210, OH, USA
| | - Roberto Cirombella
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, 00189, Italy
| | - Andrea Vecchione
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome "Sapienza", Rome, 00189, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano, 33081, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Division of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), National Cancer Institute, Aviano, 33081, Italy
| | - Francesca Lovat
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210, OH, USA.
| | - Carlo M Croce
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, 43210, OH, USA.
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Tushoski-Alemán GW, Herremans KM, Underwood PW, Akki A, Riner AN, Trevino JG, Han S, Hughes SJ. Infiltration of CD3+ and CD8+ lymphocytes in association with inflammation and survival in pancreatic cancer. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297325. [PMID: 38346068 PMCID: PMC10861089 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) have heterogeneous tumor microenvironments relatively devoid of infiltrating immune cells. We aimed to quantitatively assess infiltrating CD3+ and CD8+ lymphocytes in a treatment-naïve patient cohort and assess associations with overall survival and microenvironment inflammatory proteins. METHODS Tissue microarrays were immunohistochemically stained for CD3+ and CD8+ lymphocytes and quantitatively assessed using QuPath. Levels of inflammation-associated proteins were quantified by multiplexed, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay panels on matching tumor and tissue samples. RESULTS Our findings revealed a significant increase in both CD3+ and CD8+ lymphocytes populations in PDAC compared with non-PDAC tissue, except when comparing CD8+ percentages in PDAC versus intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) (p = 0.5012). Patients with quantitatively assessed CD3+ low tumors (lower 50%) had shorter survival (median 273 days) compared to CD3+ high tumors (upper 50%) with a median overall survival of 642.5 days (p = 0.2184). Patients with quantitatively assessed CD8+ low tumors had significantly shorter survival (median 240 days) compared to CD8+ high tumors with a median overall survival of 1059 days (p = 0.0003). Of 41 proteins assessed in the inflammation assay, higher levels of IL-1B and IL-2 were significantly associated with decreased CD3+ infiltration (r = -0.3704, p = 0.0187, and r = -0.4275, p = 0.0074, respectively). Higher levels of IL-1B were also significantly associated with decreased CD8+ infiltration (r = -0.4299, p = 0.0045), but not IL-2 (r = -0.0078, p = 0.9616). Principal component analysis of the inflammatory analytes showed diverse inflammatory responses in PDAC. CONCLUSION In this work, we found a marked heterogeneity in infiltrating CD3+ and CD8+ lymphocytes and individual inflammatory responses in PDAC. Future mechanistic studies should explore personalized therapeutic strategies to target the immune and inflammatory components of the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerik W. Tushoski-Alemán
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Kelly M. Herremans
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Patrick W. Underwood
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Ashwin Akki
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Andrea N. Riner
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Jose G. Trevino
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Song Han
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Steven J. Hughes
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
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Lu Y, Li H, Zhao P, Tian L, Liu Y, Sun X, Cheng Y. Dynamic phenotypic reprogramming and chemoresistance induced by lung fibroblasts in small cell lung cancer. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2884. [PMID: 38311608 PMCID: PMC10838940 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52687-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: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is heterogenous in phenotype and microenvironment. Dynamic phenotypic reprogramming, leading to heterogeneity, is prevalent in SCLC, while the mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) possess comprehensive roles in cancer progression, while their function in phenotypic reprogramming of SCLC remain elusive. Here, we obtained transcriptome data of SCLC tissues from publicly available databases, subsequently estimated abundance of CAFs. We found CAF-abundant SCLC exhibited non-neuroendocrine (Non-NE) characteristics. Supporting this, the positive correlation of expression level of α-SMA, the CAF marker, and expression level of REST, protein typically expressed in Non-NE type SCLC, was identified in SCLC tissue arrays. Moreover, we revealed that fibroblasts inhibited NE markers expression and cell proliferation of SCLC cells in the co-culture system comprising lung fibroblasts and SCLC cells, indicating a phenotypic reprogramming from NE to Non-NE. During this process, fibroblast-derived IL-6 activated the JAK2/STAT3 signaling, upregulated c-MYC expression, and subsequently activated the NOTCH pathway, driving phenotypic reprogramming. Moreover, CAF-enriched SCLC exhibited increased immune cell infiltration, elevated expression of immune activation-related signatures, and checkpoint molecules. Our data also highlighted the chemoresistance induced by fibroblasts in SCLC cells, which was effectively reversed by JAK inhibitor. In conclusion, fibroblasts induced phenotypic reprogramming of SCLC cells from NE to Non-NE, likely contributes to inflamed immune microenvironment and chemoresistance. These findings provide novel insights into the clinical implications of CAFs in SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanhua Lu
- Postdoctoral Research Workstation, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, China
| | - Hui Li
- Medical Oncology Translational Research Lab, Jilin Cancer Hospital, No. 1066, Jinhu Road, High-tech District, Changchun, 130012, Jilin, China
| | - Peiyan Zhao
- Medical Oncology Translational Research Lab, Jilin Cancer Hospital, No. 1066, Jinhu Road, High-tech District, Changchun, 130012, Jilin, China
| | - Lin Tian
- Postdoctoral Research Workstation, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Medical Oncology Translational Research Lab, Jilin Cancer Hospital, No. 1066, Jinhu Road, High-tech District, Changchun, 130012, Jilin, China
| | - XiaoDan Sun
- Department of 1st Gynecologic Oncology Surgery, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, China
| | - Ying Cheng
- Medical Oncology Translational Research Lab, Jilin Cancer Hospital, No. 1066, Jinhu Road, High-tech District, Changchun, 130012, Jilin, China.
- Department of Medical Thoracic Oncology, Jilin Cancer Hospital, Changchun, China.
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Hartupee C, Nagalo BM, Chabu CY, Tesfay MZ, Coleman-Barnett J, West JT, Moaven O. Pancreatic cancer tumor microenvironment is a major therapeutic barrier and target. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1287459. [PMID: 38361931 PMCID: PMC10867137 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1287459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is projected to become the 2nd leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Limitations in early detection and treatment barriers contribute to the lack of substantial success in the treatment of this challenging-to-treat malignancy. Desmoplasia is the hallmark of PDAC microenvironment that creates a physical and immunologic barrier. Stromal support cells and immunomodulatory cells face aberrant signaling by pancreatic cancer cells that shifts the complex balance of proper repair mechanisms into a state of dysregulation. The product of this dysregulation is the desmoplastic environment that encases the malignant cells leading to a dense, hypoxic environment that promotes further tumorigenesis, provides innate systemic resistance, and suppresses anti-tumor immune invasion. This desmoplastic environment combined with the immunoregulatory events that allow it to persist serve as the primary focus of this review. The physical barrier and immune counterbalance in the tumor microenvironment (TME) make PDAC an immunologically cold tumor. To convert PDAC into an immunologically hot tumor, tumor microenvironment could be considered alongside the tumor cells. We discuss the complex network of microenvironment molecular and cellular composition and explore how they can be targeted to overcome immuno-therapeutic challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conner Hartupee
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Louisiana State University (LSU) Health, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Bolni Marius Nagalo
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Little Rock, AR, United States
- The Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Chiswili Y. Chabu
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
- Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Mulu Z. Tesfay
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Joycelynn Coleman-Barnett
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Louisiana State University (LSU) Health, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, Louisiana Cancer Research Center, Louisiana State University (LSU) Health, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - John T. West
- Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, Louisiana Cancer Research Center, Louisiana State University (LSU) Health, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Omeed Moaven
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Louisiana State University (LSU) Health, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, Louisiana Cancer Research Center, Louisiana State University (LSU) Health, New Orleans, LA, United States
- Louisiana State University - Louisiana Children's Medical Center (LSU - LCMC) Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
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Zhang G, Shu Z, Yu J, Li J, Yi P, Wu B, Deng D, Yan S, Li Y, Ren D, Hou Y, Lan C. High ANO1 expression is a prognostic factor and correlated with an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1341209. [PMID: 38352864 PMCID: PMC10861777 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1341209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Aminooctylamine (ANO1) plays an oncogenic role in various cancers. However. its role in pancreatic cancer (PC) has rarely been studied. This study investigated the prognostic value of ANO1 and its correlation with the tumor microenvironment (TME) in PC. Methods Consecutive patients with PC (n = 119) were enrolled. The expression of ANO1 in cancer cells, the expression of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and alpha smooth muscle actin in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and the numbers of CD8- and FOXP3-positive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were evaluated using immunohistochemistry. The prognostic value of ANO1 and its correlation with CAF subgroups and TILs were analyzed. The possible mechanism of ANO1 in the TME of PC was predicted using the the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. Results The expression of AN01 was correlated with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival. Multi-factor analysis showed that high ANO1 expression was an independent adverse prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio, 4.137; P = 0.001). ANO1 expression was positively correlated with the expression of FAP in CAFs (P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with the number of CD8-positive TILs (P = 0.005), which was also validated by bioinformatics analysis in the TCGA dataset. Moreover, bioinformatic analysis of the TCGA dataset revealed that ANO1 may induce an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer in a paracrine manner. Conclusion ANO1 is a prognostic factor in patients with PC after radical resection. ANO1 may induce an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in PC in a paracrine manner, suggesting that ANO1 may be a novel therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangnian Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Zhihui Shu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Jun Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Jianshui Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Pengsheng Yi
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Bin Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Dawei Deng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Shu Yan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Yong Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Dongmei Ren
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
| | - Yifu Hou
- Department of Organ Transplantation, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Clinical Immunology Translational Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & Organ Transplantation Center, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Chuan Lan
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Center of Severe Acute Pancreatitis, The Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, China
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Han H, Qian C, Song M, Zhong C, Zhao Y, Lu Y. Fibroblasts: invigorated targets in pre-metastatic niche formation. Int J Biol Sci 2024; 20:1110-1124. [PMID: 38322116 PMCID: PMC10845297 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.87680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
At present, tumor metastasis still remains the leading contributor to high recurrence and mortality in cancer patients. There have been no clinically effective therapeutic strategies for treating patients with metastatic cancer. In recent years, a growing body of evidence has shown that the pre-metastatic niche (PMN) plays a crucial role in driving tumor metastasis. Nevertheless, a clear and detailed understanding of the formation of PMN is still lacking given the fact that PMN formation involves in a wealth of complicated communications and underlying mechanisms between primary tumors and metastatic target organs. Despite that the roles of numerous components including tumor exosomes and extracellular vesicles in influencing the evolution of PMN have been well documented, the involvement of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment for controlling PMN formation is frequently overlooked. It has been increasingly recognized that fibroblasts trigger the formation of PMN by virtue of modulating exosomes, metabolism and so on. In this review, we mainly summarize the underlying mechanisms of fibroblasts from diverse origins in exerting impacts on PMN evolution, and further highlight the prospective strategies for targeting fibroblasts to prevent PMN formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongkuan Han
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
- Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Cheng Qian
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
- Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Mengyao Song
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
- Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Chongjin Zhong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yang Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yin Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
- Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
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Xu K, Li D, Qian J, Zhang Y, Zhang M, Zhou H, Hou X, Jiang J, Zhang Z, Sun H, Shi G, Dai H, Liu H. Single-cell disulfidptosis regulator patterns guide intercellular communication of tumor microenvironment that contribute to kidney renal clear cell carcinoma progression and immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1288240. [PMID: 38292868 PMCID: PMC10824999 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1288240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Disulfidptosis, an emerging type of programmed cell death, plays a pivotal role in various cancer types, notably impacting the progression of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) through the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the specific involvement of disulfidptosis within the TME remains elusive. Methods Analyzing 41,784 single cells obtained from seven samples of KIRC through single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), this study employed nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) to assess 24 disulfidptosis regulators. Pseudotime analysis, intercellular communication mapping, determination of transcription factor activities (TFs), and metabolic profiling of the TME subgroup in KIRC were conducted using Monocle, CellChat, SCENIC, and scMetabolism. Additionally, public cohorts were utilized to predict prognosis and immune responses within the TME subgroup of KIRC. Results Through NMF clustering and differential expression marker genes, fibroblasts, macrophages, monocytes, T cells, and B cells were categorized into four to six distinct subgroups. Furthermore, this investigation revealed the correlation between disulfidptosis regulatory factors and the biological traits, as well as the pseudotime trajectories of TME subgroups. Notably, disulfidptosis-mediated TME subgroups (DSTN+CD4T-C1 and FLNA+CD4T-C2) demonstrated significant prognostic value and immune responses in patients with KIRC. Multiple immunohistochemistry (mIHC) assays identified marker expression within both cell clusters. Moreover, CellChat analysis unveiled diverse and extensive interactions between disulfidptosis-mediated TME subgroups and tumor epithelial cells, highlighting the TNFSF12-TNFRSF12A ligand-receptor pair as mediators between DSTN+CD4T-C1, FLNA+CD4T-C2, and epithelial cells. Conclusion Our study sheds light on the role of disulfidptosis-mediated intercellular communication in regulating the biological characteristics of the TME. These findings offer valuable insights for patients with KIRC, potentially guiding personalized immunotherapy approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangjie Xu
- Central Laboratory Department, Binhai County People’s Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dongling Li
- Nephrology Department, Binhai County People’s Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jinke Qian
- Urology Department, Binhai County People’s Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yanhua Zhang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Binhai County People’s Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Minglei Zhang
- Oncology Department, Binhai County People’s Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hai Zhou
- Central Laboratory Department, Binhai County People’s Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xuefeng Hou
- Central Laboratory Department, Binhai County People’s Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jian Jiang
- Central Laboratory Department, Binhai County People’s Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zihang Zhang
- Pathology Department, Binhai County People’s Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hang Sun
- Urology Department, Binhai County People’s Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guodong Shi
- Medical Department, Binhai County People’s Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hua Dai
- Yangzhou University Clinical Medical College, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Experimental & Translational Non-coding RNA Research, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Urology Department, Binhai County People’s Hospital, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
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Mucciolo G, Araos Henríquez J, Jihad M, Pinto Teles S, Manansala JS, Li W, Ashworth S, Lloyd EG, Cheng PSW, Luo W, Anand A, Sawle A, Piskorz A, Biffi G. EGFR-activated myofibroblasts promote metastasis of pancreatic cancer. Cancer Cell 2024; 42:101-118.e11. [PMID: 38157863 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2023.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a dismal prognosis. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are recognized potential therapeutic targets, but poor understanding of these heterogeneous cell populations has limited the development of effective treatment strategies. We previously identified transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) as a main driver of myofibroblastic CAFs (myCAFs). Here, we show that epidermal growth factor receptor/Erb-B2 receptor (EGFR/ERBB2) signaling is induced by TGF-β in myCAFs through an autocrine process mediated by amphiregulin. Inhibition of this EGFR/ERBB2-signaling network in PDAC organoid-derived cultures and mouse models differentially impacts distinct CAF subtypes, providing insights into mechanisms underpinning their heterogeneity. Remarkably, EGFR-activated myCAFs promote PDAC metastasis in mice, unmasking functional significance in myCAF heterogeneity. Finally, analyses of other cancer datasets suggest that these processes might operate in other malignancies. These data provide functional relevance to myCAF heterogeneity and identify a candidate target for preventing tumor invasion in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Mucciolo
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Joaquín Araos Henríquez
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Muntadher Jihad
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Sara Pinto Teles
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Judhell S Manansala
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Wenlong Li
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Sally Ashworth
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Eloise G Lloyd
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Priscilla S W Cheng
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Weike Luo
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Akanksha Anand
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Ashley Sawle
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Anna Piskorz
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK
| | - Giulia Biffi
- University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre, Robinson way, Cambridge CB2 0RE, UK.
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Luo W, Wen T, Qu X. Tumor immune microenvironment-based therapies in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: time to update the concept. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:8. [PMID: 38167055 PMCID: PMC10759657 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-023-02935-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal solid tumors. The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) formed by interactions among cancer cells, immune cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF), and extracellular matrix (ECM) components drives PDAC in a more immunosuppressive direction: this is a major cause of therapy resistance and poor prognosis. In recent years, research has advanced our understanding of the signaling mechanism by which TIME components interact with the tumor and the evolution of immunophenotyping. Through revolutionary technologies such as single-cell sequencing, we have gone from simply classifying PDACs as "cold" and "hot" to a more comprehensive approach of immunophenotyping that considers all the cells and matrix components. This is key to improving the clinical efficacy of PDAC treatments. In this review, we elaborate on various TIME components in PDAC, the signaling mechanisms underlying their interactions, and the latest research into PDAC immunophenotyping. A deep understanding of these network interactions will contribute to the effective combination of TIME-based therapeutic approaches, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), adoptive cell therapy, therapies targeting myeloid cells, CAF reprogramming, and stromal normalization. By selecting the appropriate integrated therapies based on precise immunophenotyping, significant advances in the future treatment of PDAC are possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Luo
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China
- Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drugs and Biotherapy of Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China
- Clinical Cancer Research Center of Shenyang, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors, Ministry of Education, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China
| | - Ti Wen
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China.
- Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drugs and Biotherapy of Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China.
- Clinical Cancer Research Center of Shenyang, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors, Ministry of Education, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China.
| | - Xiujuan Qu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China.
- Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drugs and Biotherapy of Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China.
- Clinical Cancer Research Center of Shenyang, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.
- Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumors, Ministry of Education, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China.
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Lyu Y, Xie F, Chen B, Shin WS, Chen W, He Y, Leung KT, Tse GMK, Yu J, To KF, Kang W. The nerve cells in gastrointestinal cancers: from molecular mechanisms to clinical intervention. Oncogene 2024; 43:77-91. [PMID: 38081962 PMCID: PMC10774121 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02909-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer is a formidable malignancy with significant morbidity and mortality rates. Recent studies have shed light on the complex interplay between the nervous system and the GI system, influencing various aspects of GI tumorigenesis, such as the malignance of cancer cells, the conformation of tumor microenvironment (TME), and the resistance to chemotherapies. The discussion in this review first focused on exploring the intricate details of the biological function of the nervous system in the development of the GI tract and the progression of tumors within it. Meanwhile, the cancer cell-originated feedback regulation on the nervous system is revealed to play a crucial role in the growth and development of nerve cells within tumor tissues. This interaction is vital for understanding the complex relationship between the nervous system and GI oncogenesis. Additionally, the study identified various components within the TME that possess a significant influence on the occurrence and progression of GI cancer, including microbiota, immune cells, and fibroblasts. Moreover, we highlighted the transformation relationship between non-neuronal cells and neuronal cells during GI cancer progression, inspiring the development of strategies for nervous system-guided anti-tumor drugs. By further elucidating the deep mechanism of various neuroregulatory signals and neuronal intervention, we underlined the potential of these targeted drugs translating into effective therapies for GI cancer treatment. In summary, this review provides an overview of the mechanisms of neuromodulation and explores potential therapeutic opportunities, providing insights into the understanding and management of GI cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Lyu
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Sir Y.K. Pao Cancer Center, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Institute of Digestive Disease, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- CUHK-Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fuda Xie
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Sir Y.K. Pao Cancer Center, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Institute of Digestive Disease, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- CUHK-Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bonan Chen
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Sir Y.K. Pao Cancer Center, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Institute of Digestive Disease, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- CUHK-Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wing Sum Shin
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Sir Y.K. Pao Cancer Center, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digestive Cancer Research, Digestive Diseases Center, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yulong He
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digestive Cancer Research, Digestive Diseases Center, Scientific Research Center, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kam Tong Leung
- Department of Pediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Gary M K Tse
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Sir Y.K. Pao Cancer Center, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jun Yu
- Institute of Digestive Disease, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ka Fai To
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Sir Y.K. Pao Cancer Center, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wei Kang
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Sir Y.K. Pao Cancer Center, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
- Institute of Digestive Disease, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
- CUHK-Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China.
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Gu Y, Chen Q, Yin H, Zeng M, Gao S, Wang X. Cancer-associated fibroblasts in neoadjuvant setting for solid cancers. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2024; 193:104226. [PMID: 38056580 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.104226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic approaches for cancer have become increasingly diverse in recent times. A comprehensive understanding of the tumor microenvironment (TME) holds great potential for enhancing the precision of tumor therapies. Neoadjuvant therapy offers the possibility of alleviating patient symptoms and improving overall quality of life. Additionally, it may facilitate the reduction of inoperable tumors and prevent potential preoperative micrometastases. Within the TME, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a prominent role as they generate various elements that contribute to tumor progression. Particularly, extracellular matrix (ECM) produced by CAFs prevents immune cell infiltration into the TME, hampers drug penetration, and diminishes therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, this review provides a summary of the heterogeneity and interactions of CAFs within the TME, with a specific focus on the influence of neoadjuvant therapy on the microenvironment, particularly CAFs. Finally, we propose several potential and promising therapeutic strategies targeting CAFs, which may efficiently eliminate CAFs to decrease stroma density and impair their functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Gu
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital and Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Interventional Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Qiangda Chen
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Hanlin Yin
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Cancer Center, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Mengsu Zeng
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital and Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shanshan Gao
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital and Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Xiaolin Wang
- Department of Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital and Shanghai Institute of Medical Imaging, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Interventional Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Tang PC, Chan MK, Chung JY, Chan AS, Zhang D, Li C, Leung K, Ng CS, Wu Y, To K, Lan H, Tang PM. Hematopoietic Transcription Factor RUNX1 is Essential for Promoting Macrophage-Myofibroblast Transition in Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2302203. [PMID: 37967345 PMCID: PMC10767400 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202302203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Macrophage-myofibroblast transition (MMT) is a newly discovered pathway for mass production of pro-tumoral cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) in a TGF-β1/Smad3 dependent manner. Better understanding its regulatory signaling in tumor microenvironment (TME) may identify druggable target for the development of precision medicine. Here, by dissecting the transcriptome dynamics of tumor-associated macrophage at single-cell resolution, a crucial role of a hematopoietic transcription factor Runx1 in MMT formation is revealed. Surprisingly, integrative bioinformatic analysis uncovers Runx1 as a key regulator in the downstream of MMT-specific TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling. Stromal Runx1 level positively correlates with the MMT-derived CAF abundance and mortality in NSCLC patients. Mechanistically, macrophage-specific Runx1 promotes the transcription of genes related to CAF signatures in MMT cells at genomic level. Importantly, macrophage-specific genetic deletion and systemic pharmacological inhibition of TGF-β1/Smad3/Runx1 signaling effectively prevent MMT-driven CAF and tumor formation in vitro and in vivo, representing a potential therapeutic target for clinical NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Chiu‐Tsun Tang
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular PathologyState Key Laboratory of Translational OncologyThe Chinese University of Hong KongShatin999077Hong Kong
| | - Max Kam‐Kwan Chan
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular PathologyState Key Laboratory of Translational OncologyThe Chinese University of Hong KongShatin999077Hong Kong
| | - Jeff Yat‐Fai Chung
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular PathologyState Key Laboratory of Translational OncologyThe Chinese University of Hong KongShatin999077Hong Kong
| | - Alex Siu‐Wing Chan
- Department of Applied Social SciencesThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHunghom999077Hong Kong
| | - Dongmei Zhang
- College of PharmacyJinan UniversityGuangzhou510632China
| | - Chunjie Li
- Department of Head and Neck OncologyWest China Hospital of StomatologySichuan UniversityChengduSichuan610041China
| | - Kam‐Tong Leung
- Department of PaediatricsThe Chinese University of Hong KongShatin999077Hong Kong
| | - Calvin Sze‐Hang Ng
- Department of SurgeryThe Chinese University of Hong KongShatin999077Hong Kong
| | - Yi Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to DiseasesSchool of Basic Medical SciencesXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'an710061China
| | - Ka‐Fai To
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular PathologyState Key Laboratory of Translational OncologyThe Chinese University of Hong KongShatin999077Hong Kong
| | - Hui‐Yao Lan
- Department of Medicine and TherapeuticsLi Ka Shing Institute of Health SciencesThe Chinese University of Hong KongShatin999077Hong Kong
| | - Patrick Ming‐Kuen Tang
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular PathologyState Key Laboratory of Translational OncologyThe Chinese University of Hong KongShatin999077Hong Kong
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Zhao J, Lin E, Bai Z, Jia Y, Wang B, Dai Y, Zhuo W, Zeng G, Liu X, Cai C, Li P, Zou B, Li J. Cancer-associated fibroblasts induce sorafenib resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma cells through CXCL12/FOLR1. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:1198. [PMID: 38057830 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11613-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to the high drug resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), sorafenib has limited efficacy in the treatment of advanced HCC. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play an important regulatory role in the induction of chemoresistance. This study aimed to clarify the mechanism underlying CAF-mediated resistance to sorafenib in HCC. METHODS Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence showed that the activation of CAFs was enhanced in HCC tissues. CAFs and paracancerous normal fibroblasts (NFs) were isolated from the cancer and paracancerous tissues of HCC, respectively. Cell cloning assays, ELISAs, and flow cytometry were used to detect whether CAFs induced sorafenib resistance in HCC cells via CXCL12. Western blotting and qPCR showed that CXCL12 induces sorafenib resistance in HCC cells by upregulating FOLR1. We investigated whether FOLR1 was the target molecule of CAFs regulating sorafenib resistance in HCC cells by querying gene expression data for human HCC specimens from the GEO database. RESULTS High levels of activated CAFs were present in HCC tissues but not in paracancerous tissues. CAFs decreased the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib. We found that CAFs secrete CXCL12, which upregulates FOLR1 in HCC cells to induce sorafenib resistance. CONCLUSIONS CAFs induce sorafenib resistance in HCC cells through CXCL12/FOLR1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiali Zhao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China.
| | - En Lin
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Zirui Bai
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Yingbin Jia
- Department of Urology Surgery, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Yihua Dai
- Department of Anesthesiology, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Wenfeng Zhuo
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Guifang Zeng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Xialei Liu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Chaonong Cai
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China
| | - Peiping Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China.
| | - Baojia Zou
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China.
| | - Jian Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519000, Guangdong, China.
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50
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Liu Z, Zhang Y, Wu C. Single-cell sequencing in pancreatic cancer research: A deeper understanding of heterogeneity and therapy. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 168:115664. [PMID: 37837881 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115664] [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: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs), is a malignant tumor with characteristics of tumor-stroma interactions. Patients often have a poor prognosis and a poor long-term survival rate. In recent years, rapidly-developing single-cell sequencing techniques have been used to analyze cell populations at a single-cell resolution, so that it is now possible to have a more in-depth and clearer understanding of the genetic composition of pancreatic cancer. In this review, we provide an overview of the current single-cell sequencing techniques and their applications in the exploration of intratumoral heterogeneity, the tumor microenvironment, therapy resistance, and novel treatments. Our hope is to provide new insight into the potential of precision therapy, which will perhaps one day lead to significant advances in PDAC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuomiao Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yalin Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Chunli Wu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
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