1
|
Pathania AS. Immune Microenvironment in Childhood Cancers: Characteristics and Therapeutic Challenges. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:2201. [PMID: 38927907 PMCID: PMC11201451 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16122201] [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: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The tumor immune microenvironment is pivotal in cancer initiation, advancement, and regulation. Its molecular and cellular composition is critical throughout the disease, as it can influence the balance between suppressive and cytotoxic immune responses within the tumor's vicinity. Studies on the tumor immune microenvironment have enriched our understanding of the intricate interplay between tumors and their immunological surroundings in various human cancers. These studies illuminate the role of significant components of the immune microenvironment, which have not been extensively explored in pediatric tumors before and may influence the responsiveness or resistance to therapeutic agents. Our deepening understanding of the pediatric tumor immune microenvironment is helping to overcome challenges related to the effectiveness of existing therapeutic strategies, including immunotherapies. Although in the early stages, targeted therapies that modulate the tumor immune microenvironment of pediatric solid tumors hold promise for improved outcomes. Focusing on various aspects of tumor immune biology in pediatric patients presents a therapeutic opportunity that could improve treatment outcomes. This review offers a comprehensive examination of recent literature concerning profiling the immune microenvironment in various pediatric tumors. It seeks to condense research findings on characterizing the immune microenvironment in pediatric tumors and its impact on tumor development, metastasis, and response to therapeutic modalities. It covers the immune microenvironment's role in tumor development, interactions with tumor cells, and its impact on the tumor's response to immunotherapy. The review also discusses challenges targeting the immune microenvironment for pediatric cancer therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anup Singh Pathania
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Expression of Cell Cycle Markers and Proliferation Factors during Human Eye Embryogenesis and Tumorigenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169421. [PMID: 36012688 PMCID: PMC9409163 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The expression pattern of the markers p19, Ki-67, MSX1, MSX2, PDL1, pRB, and CYCLINA2 was quantitatively and semiquantitatively analyzed in histologic sections of the developing and postnatal human eye at week 8, in retinoblastoma, and in various uveal melanomas post hoc studies by double immunofluorescence. The p19 immunoreactivity characterized retinal and/or choroidal cells in healthy and tumor tissues: expression was lower in the postnatal retina than in the developing retina and retinoblastoma, whereas it was high in epithelioid melanomas. Ki67 expression was high in the developing eye, retinoblastoma, and choroidal melanomas. MSX1 and MSX2 expression was similar in the developing eye and retinoblastoma, whereas it was absent in the postnatal eye. Their different expression was evident between epithelioid and myxoid melanomas. Similarly, PDL1 was absent in epithelioid melanomas, whereas it was highly expressed in developing and tumor tissues. Expression of pRB and CYCA2 was characteristic of developing and tumorous eye samples but not of the healthy postnatal eye. The observed expression differences of the analyzed markers correlate with the origin and stage of cell differentiation of the tissue samples. The fine balance of expression could play a role in both human eye development and ocular tumorigenesis. Therefore, understanding their relationship and interplay could open new avenues for potential therapeutic interventions and a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the developmental plasticity of the eye and the development of neoplasms.
Collapse
|
3
|
Wang Z, Chen N, Liu C, Cao G, Ji Y, Yang W, Jiang Q. UBE2T is a prognostic biomarker and correlated with Th2 cell infiltrates in retinoblastoma. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 614:138-144. [PMID: 35594577 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.04.096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to screen anaplasia-related genes that influence the progression of retinoblastoma (RB) and to identify immune cells associated with the poor prognosis. METHODS Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between retina and RB samples were acquired from gene expression omnibus (GEO) database. Candidate hub genes were screened by taking intersections among the co-expressed genes, the hub nodes, and DEGs of the validation set. The hub genes were identified by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Immune infiltration levels of RB tissues were estimated using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). The functions of RB cells were detected by CCK8, EDU and flow cytometry assays. RESULTS 665 DEGs involved in the genesis and progression of RB were acquired from GEO database. 29 candidate hub genes were screened by examining 43 co-expressed genes and 63 hub nodes. 9 hub genes (CHEK1, EXO1, FANCI, GTSE1, MELK, MKI67, NCAPH, PRC1, and UBE2T) strongly related to the anaplastic grades were validated by ROC curve analysis (AUC >0.8). Based on the ssGSEA scores, the immune infiltration levels of Th2 cells were positively associated with anaplastic grade. qPCR assay showed that 9 hub genes were upregulated in RB cells, and UBE2T expressed remarkably high. CCK 8, EDU, and flow cytometry assays revealed that UBE2T silencing inhibited the proliferation of RB cells and incited apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS The increased infiltration of Th2 cells and upregulated expression of 9 hub genes predict a poor prognosis of RB. UBE2T can be a therapeutic target for RB treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Wang
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Nan Chen
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Shanghai Medical College, Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guofan Cao
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuke Ji
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Weihua Yang
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Qin Jiang
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Single-cell characterization of malignant phenotypes and microenvironment alteration in retinoblastoma. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:438. [PMID: 35523772 PMCID: PMC9076657 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04904-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy of childhood. It is known that the tumor microenvironment (TME) regulates tumorigenesis and metastasis. However, how the malignant progression in RB is determined by the heterogeneity of tumor cells and TME remains uncharacterized. Here, we conducted integrative single-cell transcriptome and whole-exome sequencing analysis of RB patients with detailed pathological and clinical measurements. By single-cell transcriptomic sequencing, we profiled around 70,000 cells from tumor samples of seven RB patients. We identified that the major cell types in RB were cone precursor-like (CP-like) and MKI67+ cone precursor (MKI67+ CP) cells. By integrating copy number variation (CNV) analysis, we found that RB samples had large clonal heterogeneity, where the malignant MKI67+ CP cells had significantly larger copy number changes. Enrichment analysis revealed that the conversion of CP-like to MKI67+ CP resulted in the loss of photoreceptor function and increased cell proliferation ability. The TME in RB was composed of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), astrocyte-like, and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Particularly, during the invasion process, TAMs created an immunosuppressive environment, in which the proportion of TAMs decreased, M1-type macrophage was lost, and the TAMs-related immune functions were depressed. Finally, we identified that TAMs regulated tumor cells through GRN and MIF signaling pathways, while TAMs self-regulated through inhibition of CCL and GALECTIN signaling pathways during the invasion process. Altogether, our study creates a detailed transcriptomic map of RB with single-cell characterization of malignant phenotypes and provides novel molecular insights into the occurrence and progression of RB.
Collapse
|
5
|
Schaiquevich P, Francis JH, Cancela MB, Carcaboso AM, Chantada GL, Abramson DH. Treatment of Retinoblastoma: What Is the Latest and What Is the Future. Front Oncol 2022; 12:822330. [PMID: 35433448 PMCID: PMC9010858 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.822330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The management of retinoblastoma, the most common intraocular malignancy in children, has changed drastically over the last decade. Landmark developments in local drug delivery, namely, safer techniques for intravitreal chemotherapy injection and ophthalmic artery chemosurgery, have resulted in eye globe salvages that were not previously attainable using systemic chemotherapy or external beam irradiation. Novel drugs, oncolytic viruses, and immunotherapy are promising approaches in the treatment of intraocular retinoblastoma. Importantly, emerging studies of the pattern of tumor dissemination and local drug delivery may provide the first steps toward new treatments for metastatic disease. Here, we review recent advances in retinoblastoma treatment, especially with regard to local drug delivery, that have enabled successful conservative management of intraocular retinoblastoma. We also review emerging data from preclinical and clinical studies on innovative approaches that promise to lead to further improvement in outcomes, namely, the mechanisms and potential uses of new and repurposed drugs and non-chemotherapy treatments, and discuss future directions for therapeutic development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paula Schaiquevich
- Unit of Innovative Treatments, Hospital de Pediatría JP Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina,National Scientific and Technological Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jasmine H. Francis
- Ophthalmic Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States,Department of Ophthalmology, Weill/Cornell Medical School, New York, NY, United States
| | - María Belén Cancela
- Unit of Innovative Treatments, Hospital de Pediatría JP Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina,National Scientific and Technological Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Angel Montero Carcaboso
- Hemato-Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Guillermo L. Chantada
- National Scientific and Technological Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina,Hemato-Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain,Institute for Translational Research, Universidad Austral, Buenos Aires, Argentina,Research Department, Fundacion Perez-Scremini, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - David H. Abramson
- Ophthalmic Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States,Department of Ophthalmology, Weill/Cornell Medical School, New York, NY, United States,*Correspondence: David H. Abramson,
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Cuadrado‐Vilanova M, Liu J, Paco S, Aschero R, Burgueño V, Sirab N, Pascual‐Pasto G, Correa G, Balaguer‐Lluna L, Castillo‐Ecija H, Perez‐Jaume S, Muñoz‐Aznar O, Roldan M, Suñol M, Schaiquevich P, Aerts I, Doz F, Cassoux N, Lubieniecki F, Benitez‐Ribas D, Lavarino C, Mora J, Chantada GL, Catala‐Mora J, Radvanyi F, Carcaboso AM. Identification of immunosuppressive factors in retinoblastoma cell secretomes and aqueous humor from patients. J Pathol 2022; 257:327-339. [DOI: 10.1002/path.5893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cuadrado‐Vilanova
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
- Pediatric Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
| | - Jing Liu
- Institut Curie, CNRS, UMR144, SIREDO Oncology Center Paris France
- Institut Curie PSL Research University Paris France
| | - Sonia Paco
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
- Pediatric Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
| | - Rosario Aschero
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
- Pediatric Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
| | - Victor Burgueño
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
- Pediatric Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
| | - Nanor Sirab
- Institut Curie, CNRS, UMR144, SIREDO Oncology Center Paris France
- Institut Curie PSL Research University Paris France
| | - Guillem Pascual‐Pasto
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
- Pediatric Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
| | - Genoveva Correa
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
- Pediatric Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
| | - Leire Balaguer‐Lluna
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
- Pediatric Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
| | - Helena Castillo‐Ecija
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
- Pediatric Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
| | - Sara Perez‐Jaume
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
- Pediatric Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
| | - Oscar Muñoz‐Aznar
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
- Pediatric Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
| | - Monica Roldan
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
- Genetic and Molecular Medicine ‐ IPER, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Esplugues de Llobregat Barcelona Spain
| | - Mariona Suñol
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
- Pathology, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
| | - Paula Schaiquevich
- Precision Medicine, Hospital de Pediatria JP Garrahan Buenos Aires Argentina
- CONICET Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Isabelle Aerts
- Institut Curie, CNRS, UMR144, SIREDO Oncology Center Paris France
| | - François Doz
- Institut Curie, CNRS, UMR144, SIREDO Oncology Center Paris France
- University of Paris Paris France
| | - Nathalie Cassoux
- University of Paris Paris France
- Institut Curie, Ophthalmic Oncology Paris France
| | | | | | - Cinzia Lavarino
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
- Pediatric Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
| | - Jaume Mora
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
- Pediatric Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
| | - Guillermo L. Chantada
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
- Pediatric Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
- CONICET Buenos Aires Argentina
- Universidad Austral‐CONICET Institute for Research in Translational Medicine (IIMT) Pilar Argentina
| | | | - François Radvanyi
- Institut Curie, CNRS, UMR144, SIREDO Oncology Center Paris France
- Institut Curie PSL Research University Paris France
| | - Angel M. Carcaboso
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
- Pediatric Oncology, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu Barcelona Spain
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
SOX2 maintains the stemness of retinoblastoma stem-like cells through Hippo/YAP signaling pathway. Exp Eye Res 2021; 214:108887. [PMID: 34890603 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2021.108887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To explore the mechanisms underlying stemness maintenance of retinoblastoma (RB) stem cells (RSCs). METHODS The retinoblastoma stem-like cells (RSLCs) were isolated by single cell cloning in combination of examination of sphere-forming capacities. The stemness of the cells were characterized by the sphere-forming capacity and the expression levels of RSCs markers. Gene manipulation was performed by lentivirus system. Transcriptional regulation was identified by qRT-PCR, luciferase reporter, nuclear run-on and DNA pull-down assay. Spearman analysis was employed for correlation analysis of genes in tumor tissues of RB patients. RESULTS The isolated RSLCs exhibited enhanced sphere-forming capacity and constantly higher levels of CD44, ABCG2, SOX2 and PAX6, but not CD133. SOX2 positively regulated the stemness of RSLCs. SOX2 directly binds to the promoters of WWTR1 and YAP and transcriptionally activates WWTR1 and YAP. Knockdown of WWTR1 or YAP partially abolished the effect of SOX2 on the stemness of RSLCs. CONCLUSIONS SOX2, as a key deriver, maintains RB stemness by activating Hippo/YAP signaling. Inhibition of Hippo/YAP signaling would be an effective strategy for human RB caused by SOX2 upregulation.
Collapse
|