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Jiang J, Xu Y, Chen D, Li J, Zhu X, Pan J, Zhang L, Cheng P, Huang J. Pan-cancer analysis of immune checkpoint receptors and ligands in various cells in the tumor immune microenvironment. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:11683-11728. [PMID: 39120585 PMCID: PMC11346784 DOI: 10.18632/aging.206053] [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: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Drugs that target immune checkpoint have become the most popular weapon in cancer immunotherapy, yet only have practical benefits for a small percentage of patients. Tumor cells constantly interact with their microenvironment, which is made up of a variety of immune cells as well as endothelial cells and fibroblasts. Immune checkpoint expression and blocked signaling of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are key to tumor progression. In this study, we perform deliberation convolution on the TCGA database for human lung, breast, and colorectal cancer to infer crosstalk between immune checkpoint receptors (ICRs) and ligands (ICLs) in TME of pan-carcinogenic solid tumor types, validated by flow cytometry. Analysis of immune checkpoints showed that there was little variation between different tumor types. It showed that CD160, LAG3, TIGIT were found to be highly expressed in CD8+ T cells instead of CD4+ T cells, PD-L1, PD-L2, CD86, LGALS9, TNFRSF14, LILRB4 and other ligands were highly expressed on macrophages, FVR, NECTIN2, FGL1 were highly expressed on Epithelial cells, CD200 was highly expressed in Endothelial cells, and CD80 was highly expressed in CD8 High expression on T cells. Overall, our study provides a new resource for the expression of immune checkpoints in TME on various types of cells. Significance: This study provides immune checkpoint expression of immune cells of multiple cancer types to infer immune mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment and provide ideas for the development of new immune checkpoint-blocking drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahuan Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Yazhang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Di Chen
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
- Department of Breast Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Jiaxin Li
- Department of Neurology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Yiwu 322000, China
| | - Xiaoling Zhu
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Yiwu 322000, China
| | - Jun Pan
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
- Department of Breast Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Leyi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
- Department of Breast Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Pu Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou 310009, China
| | - Jian Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
- Department of Breast Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China
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Qi Y, Wei Y, Li L, Ge H, Wang Y, Zeng C, Ma F. Genetic factors in the pathogenesis of cardio-oncology. J Transl Med 2024; 22:739. [PMID: 39103883 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05537-5] [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: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, with advancements in medicine, the survival period of patients with tumours has significantly increased. The adverse effects of tumour treatment on patients, especially cardiac toxicity, have become increasingly prominent. In elderly patients with breast cancer, treatment-related cardiovascular toxicity has surpassed cancer itself as the leading cause of death. Moreover, in recent years, an increasing number of novel antitumour drugs, such as multitargeted agents, antibody‒drug conjugates (ADCs), and immunotherapies, have been applied in clinical practice. The cardiotoxicity induced by these drugs has become more pronounced, leading to a complex and diverse mechanism of cardiac damage. The risks of unintended cardiovascular toxicity are increased by high-dose anthracyclines, immunotherapies, and concurrent radiation, in addition to traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, and obesity. However, these factors do not fully explain why only a subset of individuals experience treatment-related cardiac toxicity, whereas others with similar clinical features do not. Recent studies indicate that genetics play a significant role in susceptibility to the development of cardiovascular toxicity from cancer therapies. These genes are involved in drug metabolism, oxidative damage, cardiac dysfunction, and other processes. Moreover, emerging evidence suggests that epigenetics also plays a role in drug-induced cardiovascular toxicity. We conducted a review focusing on breast cancer as an example to help oncologists and cardiologists better understand the mechanisms and effects of genetic factors on cardiac toxicity. In this review, we specifically address the relationship between genetic alterations and cardiac toxicity, including chemotherapy-related genetic changes, targeted therapy-related genetic changes, and immune therapy-related genetic changes. We also discuss the role of epigenetic factors in cardiac toxicity. We hope that this review will improve the risk stratification of patients and enable therapeutic interventions that mitigate these unintended adverse consequences of life-saving cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yalong Qi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Hospital, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Chaoyang District, Pan jia yuan nan Road 17, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Yuhan Wei
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Hospital, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Chaoyang District, Pan jia yuan nan Road 17, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Lixi Li
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Hospital, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Chaoyang District, Pan jia yuan nan Road 17, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Hewei Ge
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Hospital, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Chaoyang District, Pan jia yuan nan Road 17, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Yuanyi Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Hospital, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Chaoyang District, Pan jia yuan nan Road 17, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Cheng Zeng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Hospital, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Chaoyang District, Pan jia yuan nan Road 17, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Fei Ma
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Hospital, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Chaoyang District, Pan jia yuan nan Road 17, Beijing, 100021, China.
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3
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Gergely TG, Drobni ZD, Kallikourdis M, Zhu H, Meijers WC, Neilan TG, Rassaf T, Ferdinandy P, Varga ZV. Immune checkpoints in cardiac physiology and pathology: therapeutic targets for heart failure. Nat Rev Cardiol 2024; 21:443-462. [PMID: 38279046 DOI: 10.1038/s41569-023-00986-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint molecules are physiological regulators of the adaptive immune response. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as monoclonal antibodies targeting programmed cell death protein 1 or cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4, have revolutionized cancer treatment and their clinical use is increasing. However, ICIs can cause various immune-related adverse events, including acute and chronic cardiotoxicity. Of these cardiovascular complications, ICI-induced acute fulminant myocarditis is the most studied, although emerging clinical and preclinical data are uncovering the importance of other ICI-related chronic cardiovascular complications, such as accelerated atherosclerosis and non-myocarditis-related heart failure. These complications could be more difficult to diagnose, given that they might only be present alongside other comorbidities. The occurrence of these complications suggests a potential role of immune checkpoint molecules in maintaining cardiovascular homeostasis, and disruption of physiological immune checkpoint signalling might thus lead to cardiac pathologies, including heart failure. Although inflammation is a long-known contributor to the development of heart failure, the therapeutic targeting of pro-inflammatory pathways has not been successful thus far. The increasingly recognized role of immune checkpoint molecules in the failing heart highlights their potential use as immunotherapeutic targets for heart failure. In this Review, we summarize the available data on ICI-induced cardiac dysfunction and heart failure, and discuss how immune checkpoint signalling is altered in the failing heart. Furthermore, we describe how pharmacological targeting of immune checkpoints could be used to treat heart failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamás G Gergely
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- HCEMM-SU Cardiometabolic Immunology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-SE Momentum Cardio-Oncology and Cardioimmunology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsófia D Drobni
- Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marinos Kallikourdis
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
- Adaptive Immunity Lab, Humanitas Research Hospital IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Han Zhu
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Wouter C Meijers
- Erasmus MC, Cardiovascular Institute, Thorax Center, Department of Cardiology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tomas G Neilan
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tienush Rassaf
- Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, West German Heart and Vascular Center Essen, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Péter Ferdinandy
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Pharmahungary Group, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zoltán V Varga
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
- HCEMM-SU Cardiometabolic Immunology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary.
- MTA-SE Momentum Cardio-Oncology and Cardioimmunology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary.
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Lv Y, Jiang Z, Zhou W, Yang H, Jin G, Wang D, Kong C, Qian Z, Gu Y, Chen S, Zhu L. Low-Shear Stress Promotes Atherosclerosis via Inducing Endothelial Cell Pyroptosis Mediated by IKKε/STAT1/NLRP3 Pathway. Inflammation 2024; 47:1053-1066. [PMID: 38315275 PMCID: PMC11147929 DOI: 10.1007/s10753-023-01960-w] [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: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Atherosclerosis is initiated by vascular endothelial dysfunction, and low-shear stress (LSS) of blood flow is a key factor leading to endothelial dysfunction. Growing evidence suggests that endothelial cell pyroptosis plays an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. Studies have shown that low-shear stress can induce endothelial cell pyroptosis, but the exact mechanism remains unclear. Our experiments demonstrated that low-shear stress induced endothelial cell pyroptosis and the phosphorylation of IκB kinase ε (IKKε). IKKε knockdown not only significantly attenuated atherosclerosis lesions of aortic arch areas in ApoE-/- mice fed with high cholesterol diets, but also markedly reduced endothelial cell pyroptosis and NLRP3 expression triggered by low-shear stress. Further mechanism studies showed that IKKε promoted the expression of NLRP3 via activating signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) and the subsequent binding of STAT1 to NLRP3 promoter region. These results suggest that low-shear stress plays a pro-atherosclerotic role by promoting endothelial cell pyroptosis through the IKKε/STAT1/NLRP3 pathway, which provides new insights into the formation of atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifei Lv
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210000, China
| | - Zihao Jiang
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210000, China
| | - Wenying Zhou
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210000, China
| | - Hongfeng Yang
- Department of Intensive Care Unit, Affiliated People's Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212000, China
| | - Guozhen Jin
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210000, China
| | - Dongchen Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210000, China
| | - Chaohua Kong
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210000, China
| | - Zhiyuan Qian
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210000, China
| | - Yue Gu
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210000, China
| | - Shaoliang Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210000, China.
| | - Linlin Zhu
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210000, China.
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Nitz K, Herrmann J, Lerman A, Lutgens E. Costimulatory and Coinhibitory Immune Checkpoints in Atherosclerosis: Therapeutic Targets in Atherosclerosis? JACC Basic Transl Sci 2024; 9:827-843. [PMID: 39070270 PMCID: PMC11282889 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacbts.2023.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
The benefits of current state-of-the-art treatments to combat atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) have stagnated. Treatments are mostly based on controlling cardiovascular risk factors, especially hyperlipidemia. Although the most recent advances with PCSK-9 inhibitors support the hyperlipidemia aspect of ASCVD, several lines of experimental evidence have outlined that atherosclerosis is also driven by inflammation. In the past years, phase 1, 2, and 3 clinical trials targeting inflammation to combat ASCVD have revealed that patients do tolerate such immune therapies, show decreases in inflammatory markers, and/or have reductions in cardiovascular endpoints. However, the search for the optimal anti-inflammatory or immune-modulating strategy and the stratification of patients who would benefit from such treatments and appropriate treatment regimens to combat ASCVD is only just beginning. In this review, we focus on immune checkpoint-based therapeutics (costimulation and coinhibition), many of which are already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of cancer or autoimmune diseases, and discuss their use as a novel immunotherapeutic strategy to treat ASCVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Nitz
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Joerg Herrmann
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Amir Lerman
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Esther Lutgens
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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Royer P, Björnson E, Adiels M, Álvez MB, Fagerberg L, Bäckhed F, Uhlén M, Gummesson A, Bergström G. Plasma proteomics for prediction of subclinical coronary artery calcifications in primary prevention. Am Heart J 2024; 271:55-67. [PMID: 38325523 DOI: 10.1016/j.ahj.2024.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Recent developments in high-throughput proteomic technologies enable the discovery of novel biomarkers of coronary atherosclerosis. The aims of this study were to test if plasma protein subsets could detect coronary artery calcifications (CAC) in asymptomatic individuals and if they add predictive value beyond traditional risk factors. METHODS Using proximity extension assays, 1,342 plasma proteins were measured in 1,827 individuals from the Impaired Glucose Tolerance and Microbiota (IGTM) study and 883 individuals from the Swedish Cardiopulmonary BioImage Study (SCAPIS) aged 50-64 years without history of ischaemic heart disease and with CAC assessed by computed tomography. After data-driven feature selection, extreme gradient boosting machine learning models were trained on the IGTM cohort to predict the presence of CAC using combinations of proteins and traditional risk factors. The trained models were validated in SCAPIS. RESULTS The best plasma protein subset (44 proteins) predicted CAC with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.691 in the validation cohort. However, this was not better than prediction by traditional risk factors alone (AUC = 0.710, P = .17). Adding proteins to traditional risk factors did not improve the predictions (AUC = 0.705, P = .6). Most of these 44 proteins were highly correlated with traditional risk factors. CONCLUSIONS A plasma protein subset that could predict the presence of subclinical CAC was identified but it did not outperform nor improve a model based on traditional risk factors. Thus, support for this targeted proteomics platform to predict subclinical CAC beyond traditional risk factors was not found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Royer
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden; Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Clinical Physiology, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Critical Care, University Hospital of Martinique, Fort-de-France, France
| | - Elias Björnson
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Martin Adiels
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden; School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - María Bueno Álvez
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Linn Fagerberg
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Bäckhed
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden; Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Clinical Physiology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mathias Uhlén
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anders Gummesson
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden; Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Clinical Genetics and Genomics, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Göran Bergström
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden; Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Clinical Physiology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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Xu X, Qiu F, Yang M, Liu X, Tao S, Zheng B. Unveiling Atherosclerotic Plaque Heterogeneity and SPP1 +/VCAN + Macrophage Subtype Prognostic Significance Through Integrative Single-Cell and Bulk-Seq Analysis. J Inflamm Res 2024; 17:2399-2426. [PMID: 38681071 PMCID: PMC11055562 DOI: 10.2147/jir.s454505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Dysregulated macrophages are important causes of Atherosclerosis (AS) formation and increased plaque instability, but the heterogeneity of these plaques and the role of macrophage subtypes in plaque instability have yet to be clarified. Methods This study integrates single-cell and bulk-seq data to analyze atherosclerotic plaques. Unsupervised clustering was used to reveal distinct plaque subtypes, while survival analysis and gene set variation analysis (GSVA) methods helped in understanding their clinical outcomes. Enrichment of differential expression of macrophage genes (DEMGs) score and pseudo-trajectory analysis were utilized to explore the biological functions and differentiation stages of macrophage subtypes in AS progression. Additionally, CellChat and the BayesPrism deconvolution method were used to elucidate macrophage subtype interaction and their prognostic significance at single-cell resolution. Finally, the expression of biomarkers was validated in mouse experiments. Results Three distinct AS plaque subtypes were identified, with cluster 3 plaque subtype being particularly associated with higher immune infiltration and poorer prognosis. The DEMGs score exhibited a significant elevation in three macrophage subtypes (SPP1+/VCAN+ macrophages, IL1B+ macrophages, and FLT3LG+ macrophages), associated with cluster 3 plaque subtype and highlighted the prognostic significance of these subtypes. Activation trajectory of the macrophage subtypes is divided into three states (Pre-branch, Cell fate 1, and Cell fate 2), and Cell fate 2 (SPP1+/VCAN+ macrophages, IL1B+ macrophages, and FLT3LG+ macrophages dominant) exhibiting the highest DEMGs score, distinct interactions with other cell components, and relating to poorer prognosis of ischemic events. This study also uncovered a unique SPP1+/VCAN+ macrophage subtype, rare in quantity but significant in influencing AS progression. Machine learning algorithms identified 10 biomarkers crucial for AS diagnosis. The validation of these biomarkers was performed using Mendelian Randomization analysis and in vitro methods, supporting their relevance in AS pathology. Conclusion Our study provides a comprehensive view of AS plaque heterogeneity and the prognostic significance of macrophage subtypes in plaque instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Xu
- School of Medicine, Yunnan University, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fuling Qiu
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Man Yang
- School of Medicine, Dali University, Dali City, Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyong Liu
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Siming Tao
- Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bingrong Zheng
- School of Medicine, Yunnan University, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China
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8
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Geng S, Wu Y, Li L. Immune Homeostasis Maintenance Through Advanced Immune Therapeutics to Target Atherosclerosis. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2782:25-37. [PMID: 38622390 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3754-8_2] [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: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Atherosclerosis remains the leading cause of coronary heart disease (CHD) with enormous health and societal tolls. Traditional drug development approaches have been focused on small molecule-based compounds that aim to lower plasma lipids and reduce systemic inflammation, two primary causes of atherosclerosis. However, despite the widely available lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory small compounds and biologic agents, CHD prevalence still remains high. Based on recent advances revealing disrupted immune homeostasis during atherosclerosis pathogenesis, novel strategies aimed at rejuvenating immune homeostasis with engineered immune leukocytes are being developed. This chapter aims to assess basic and translational efforts on these emerging strategies for the effective development of atherosclerosis treatment, as well as key challenges in this important translational field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Geng
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Yajun Wu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Liwu Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
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9
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Dib L, Koneva LA, Edsfeldt A, Zurke YX, Sun J, Nitulescu M, Attar M, Lutgens E, Schmidt S, Lindholm MW, Choudhury RP, Cassimjee I, Lee R, Handa A, Goncalves I, Sansom SN, Monaco C. Lipid-associated macrophages transition to an inflammatory state in human atherosclerosis increasing the risk of cerebrovascular complications. NATURE CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH 2023; 2:656-672. [PMID: 38362263 PMCID: PMC7615632 DOI: 10.1038/s44161-023-00295-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
The immune system is integral to cardiovascular health and disease. Targeting inflammation ameliorates adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Atherosclerosis, a major underlying cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD), is conceptualised as a lipid-driven inflammation where macrophages play a non-redundant role. However, evidence emerging so far from single cell atlases suggests a dichotomy between lipid associated and inflammatory macrophage states. Here, we present an inclusive reference atlas of human intraplaque immune cell communities. Combining scRNASeq of human surgical carotid endarterectomies in a discovery cohort with bulk RNASeq and immunohistochemistry in a validation cohort (the Carotid Plaque Imaging Project-CPIP), we reveal the existence of PLIN2hi/TREM1hi macrophages as a toll-like receptor-dependent inflammatory lipid-associated macrophage state linked to cerebrovascular events. Our study shifts the current paradigm of lipid-driven inflammation by providing biological evidence for a pathogenic macrophage transition to an inflammatory lipid-associated phenotype and for its targeting as a new treatment strategy for CVD.
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Grants
- FS/18/63/34184 British Heart Foundation
- Novo Nordisk Fonden (Novo Nordisk Foundation)
- British Heart Foundation (BHF)
- Fondation Leducq
- European Commission (EC)
- Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research (KENN161701, KENN202101, KENN192004), Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre.
- Vetenskapsrådet (Swedish Research Council)
- The Swedish Society for Medical Research, Crafoord foundation; The Swedish Society of Medicine, the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation, Diabetes foundation, SUS foundation, Lund University Diabetes Center, The Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundation, the Medical Faculty at Lund University and Region Skåne.
- Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research (KENN161701, KENN202101, KENN192004)
- Netcare-Physicians-Partnership trust
- Stiftelsen för Strategisk Forskning (Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research)
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Dib
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Lada A. Koneva
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Andreas Edsfeldt
- Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Clinical Research Center, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- Department of Cardiology, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
- Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Yasemin-Xiomara Zurke
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jiangming Sun
- Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Clinical Research Center, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Mihaela Nitulescu
- Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Clinical Research Center, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Moustafa Attar
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Esther Lutgens
- Cardiovascular Medicine and Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN USA
| | - Steffen Schmidt
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, RNA Therapeutics Research, Roche Innovation Center Copenhagen, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Marie W. Lindholm
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, RNA Therapeutics Research, Roche Innovation Center Copenhagen, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | | | - Ismail Cassimjee
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Regent Lee
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ashok Handa
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Isabel Goncalves
- Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Clinical Research Center, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- Department of Cardiology, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Stephen N. Sansom
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Claudia Monaco
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Lutgens E, Mulder WJM. CHECKPOINT ATHERO: developing immune checkpoint-based therapeutics for atherosclerosis. Eur Heart J 2023; 44:1010-1012. [PMID: 36691949 DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehac793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Esther Lutgens
- Experimental CardioVascular Immunology Lab, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, 55905, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Willem J M Mulder
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious diseases (RCI), Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
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Jing J, Zhu C, Gong R, Qi X, Zhang Y, Zhang Z. Research progress on the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine in the intervention of atherosclerosis: A promising natural immunotherapeutic adjuvant. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 159:114201. [PMID: 36610225 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.114201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by disorders of lipid metabolism. Abnormal deposition of low-density lipoproteins in the arterial wall stimulates the activation of immune cells, including the adhesion and infiltration of monocytes, the proliferation and differentiation of macrophages and lymphocytes, and the activation of their functions. The complex interplay between immune cells coordinates the balance between pro- and anti-inflammation and plays a key role in the progression of AS. Therefore, targeting immune cell activity may lead to the development of more selective drugs with fewer side effects to treat AS without compromising host defense mechanisms. At present, an increasing number of studies have found that the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can regulate the function of immune cells in multiple ways to against AS, showing great potential for the treatment of AS and promising clinical applications. In this paper, we review the mechanisms of immune cell action in AS lesions and the potential targets and/or pathways for immune cell regulation by the active ingredients of TCM to promote the understanding of the immune system interactions of AS and provide a relevant basis for the use of active ingredients of TCM as natural adjuvants for AS immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinpeng Jing
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China.
| | - Chaojun Zhu
- Surgical Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Second Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300193, China.
| | - Rui Gong
- The First Clinical Medical College of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250014, China.
| | - Xue Qi
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250001, China.
| | - Yue Zhang
- Peripheral Vascular Disease Department, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250014, China.
| | - Zhaohui Zhang
- Surgical Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Second Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300193, China.
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Huang Y, Ma K, Qin R, Fang Y, Zhou J, Dai X. Pristane attenuates atherosclerosis in Apoe mice via IL-4-secreting regulatory plasma cell-mediated M2 macrophage polarization. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 155:113750. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
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Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes and Prediction of Expression Regulation Networks in Dysfunctional Endothelium. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13091563. [PMID: 36140731 PMCID: PMC9498925 DOI: 10.3390/genes13091563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The detection of early coronary atherosclerosis (ECA) is still a challenge and the mechanism of endothelial dysfunction remains unclear. In the present study, we aimed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and the regulatory network of miRNAs as well as TFs in dysfunctional endothelium to elucidate the possible pathogenesis of ECA and find new potential markers. The GSE132651 data set of the GEO database was used for the bioinformatic analysis. Principal component analysis (PCA), the identification of DEGs, correlation analysis between significant DEGs, the prediction of regulatory networks of miRNA and transcription factors (TFs), the validation of the selected significant DEGs, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis as well as area under the curve (AUC) values were performed. We identified ten genes with significantly upregulated signatures and thirteen genes with significantly downregulated signals. Following this, we found twenty-two miRNAs regulating two or more DEGs based on the miRNA–target gene regulatory network. TFs with targets ≥ 10 were E2F1, RBPJ, SSX3, MMS19, POU3F3, HOXB5, and KLF4. Finally, three significant DEGs (TOX, RasGRP3, TSPAN13) were selected to perform validation experiments. Our study identified TOX, RasGRP3, and TSPAN13 in dysfunctional endothelium and provided potential biomarkers as well as new insights into the possible molecular mechanisms of ECA.
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Poderoso T, De la Riva PM, Álvarez B, Domínguez J, Ezquerra Á, Revilla C. CD200R family receptors are expressed on porcine monocytes and modulate the production of IL-8 and TNF-α triggered by TLR4 or TLR7 in these cells. Mol Immunol 2022; 144:166-177. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2022.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Abstract
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the arterial wall, characterized by the formation of plaques containing lipid, connective tissue and immune cells in the intima of large and medium-sized arteries. Over the past three decades, a substantial reduction in cardiovascular mortality has been achieved largely through LDL-cholesterol-lowering regimes and therapies targeting other traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus and obesity. However, the overall benefits of targeting these risk factors have stagnated, and a huge global burden of cardiovascular disease remains. The indispensable role of immunological components in the establishment and chronicity of atherosclerosis has come to the forefront as a clinical target, with proof-of-principle studies demonstrating the benefit and challenges of targeting inflammation and the immune system in cardiovascular disease. In this Review, we provide an overview of the role of the immune system in atherosclerosis by discussing findings from preclinical research and clinical trials. We also identify important challenges that need to be addressed to advance the field and for successful clinical translation, including patient selection, identification of responders and non-responders to immunotherapies, implementation of patient immunophenotyping and potential surrogate end points for vascular inflammation. Finally, we provide strategic guidance for the translation of novel targets of immunotherapy into improvements in patient outcomes. In this Review, the authors provide an overview of the immune cells involved in atherosclerosis, discuss preclinical research and published and ongoing clinical trials assessing the therapeutic potential of targeting the immune system in atherosclerosis, highlight emerging therapeutic targets from preclinical studies and identify challenges for successful clinical translation. Inflammation is an important component of the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease; an imbalance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory processes drives chronic inflammation and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in the vessel wall. Clinical trials assessing canakinumab and colchicine therapies in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease have provided proof-of-principle of the benefits associated with therapeutic targeting of the immune system in atherosclerosis. The immunosuppressive adverse effects associated with the systemic use of anti-inflammatory drugs can be minimized through targeted delivery of anti-inflammatory drugs to the atherosclerotic plaque, defining the window of opportunity for treatment and identifying more specific targets for cardiovascular inflammation. Implementing immunophenotyping in clinical trials in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease will allow the identification of immune signatures and the selection of patients with the highest probability of deriving benefit from a specific therapy. Clinical stratification via novel risk factors and discovery of new surrogate markers of vascular inflammation are crucial for identifying new immunotherapeutic targets and their successful translation into the clinic.
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Fernández-Ruiz I. CD200 is an atheroprotective immune checkpoint. Nat Rev Cardiol 2021; 18:461. [PMID: 34045725 DOI: 10.1038/s41569-021-00578-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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