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Pan B, Yan S, Yuan L, Xiang H, Ju M, Xu S, Jia W, Li J, Zhao Q, Zheng M. Multiomics sequencing and immune microenvironment characteristics define three subtypes of small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix. J Pathol 2024; 263:372-385. [PMID: 38721894 DOI: 10.1002/path.6290] [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: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Small cell cervical carcinoma (SCCC) is the most common neuroendocrine tumor in the female genital tract, with an unfavorable prognosis and lacking an evidence-based therapeutic approach. Until now, the distinct subtypes and immune characteristics of SCCC combined with genome and transcriptome have not been described. We performed genomic (n = 18), HPV integration (n = 18), and transcriptomic sequencing (n = 19) of SCCC samples. We assessed differences in immune characteristics between SCCC and conventional cervical cancer, and other small cell neuroendocrine carcinomas, through bioinformatics analysis and immunohistochemical assays. We stratified SCCC patients through non-negative matrix factorization and described the characteristics of these distinct types. We further validated it using multiplex immunofluorescence (n = 77) and investigated its clinical prognostic effect. We confirmed a high frequency of PIK3CA and TP53 alterations and HPV18 integrations in SCCC. SCCC and other small cell carcinoma had similar expression signatures and immune cell infiltration patterns. Comparing patients with SCCC to those with conventional cervical cancer, the former presented immune excluded or 'desert' infiltration. The number of CD8+ cells in the invasion margin of SCCC patients predicted favorable clinical outcomes. We identified three transcriptome subtypes: an inflamed phenotype with high-level expression of genes related to the MHC-II complex (CD74) and IFN-α/β (SCCC-I), and two neuroendocrine subtypes with high-level expression of ASCL1 or NEUROD1, respectively. Combined with multiple technologies, we found that the neuroendocrine groups had more TP53 mutations and SCCC-I had more PIK3CA mutations. Multiplex immunofluorescence validated these subtypes and SCCC-I was an independent prognostic factor of overall survival. These results provide insights into SCCC tumor heterogeneity and potential therapies. © 2024 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoyue Pan
- Department of Gynecology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Shumei Yan
- Department of Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Linjing Yuan
- Department of Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Huiling Xiang
- Department of Gynecology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Mingxiu Ju
- Department of Gynecology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Shijie Xu
- Department of Gynecology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Weihua Jia
- Biobank of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Jundong Li
- Department of Gynecology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Qi Zhao
- Department of Experimental Research, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Min Zheng
- Department of Gynecology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, PR China
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Kim HD, Park YG, Kim S, Kim KP, Park SR, Ryu MH, Ryoo BY, Yoo C. Organ-specific response with first-line atezolizumab-bevacizumab versus lenvatinib for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatol Int 2024; 18:973-983. [PMID: 38214792 DOI: 10.1007/s12072-023-10626-6] [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: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based treatments have become the mainstay of first-line treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but there has been a concern that intrahepatic HCC lesions may be less responsive to ICI monotherapy. We aimed to investigate the organ-specific response patterns among unresectable HCC patients treated with first-line atezolizumab-bevacizumab or lenvatinib. METHODS This retrospective study included 386 patients with Child-Pugh A unresectable HCC who were treated with first-line atezolizumab-bevacizumab (n = 217) or lenvatinib (n = 169). The organ-specific response was separately evaluated according to the site of the lesions: liver, lung, lymph node (LN), and intraabdomen based on a radiological evaluation adopted from RECIST v 1.1. RESULTS The median age was 60 years. Hepatitis B infection was the most common etiology (n = 270, 69.9%), and 291 (75.4%) patients had a viral etiology. The proportion of patients achieving a ≥ 30% reduction in the tumor burden for each organ category was overall higher in the atezolizumab-bevacizumab group than that in the lenvatinib group: 20.2% vs. 11.8%, 23.0% vs. 12.2%, 27.9% vs. 17.9% and 33.3% vs. 15.0% for intrahepatic, lung, LN, and intraabdominal lesions, respectively. The corresponding values for the subgroup with a viral etiology were 17.3% vs. 8.1%, 18.8% vs. 13.3%, 28.9% vs. 3.6%, and 36.0% vs. 12.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION Compared to lenvatinib, atezolizumab-bevacizumab was associated with a favorable organ-specific response regardless of the site of the tumor lesions. Unlike anti-PD-1 monotherapy, atezolizumab-bevacizumab had a comparable organ-specific response between intrahepatic and extrahepatic lesions, especially for those with viral etiology HCCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyung-Don Kim
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Gyu Park
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Sejin Kim
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyu-Pyo Kim
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Sook-Ryun Park
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Hee Ryu
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Baek-Yeol Ryoo
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
| | - Changhoon Yoo
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88, Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea.
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3
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He K, Xie MY, Gao XJ, Wang H, Li JD. The Correlation of Centromere Protein Q with Diagnosis and Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Pharmgenomics Pers Med 2024; 17:271-288. [PMID: 38827182 PMCID: PMC11141762 DOI: 10.2147/pgpm.s456965] [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: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the major types of liver cancer. Previous studies have shown that the centromere protein family is associated with malignant biological behaviors such as HCC proliferation. As a member of the centromere protein family, centromere protein Q (CENPQ) is closely associated with immunotherapy and immune cell infiltration in various tumors. However, the role and mechanism of CENPQ in HCC remain unclear. Methods Multiple public databases and RT-qPCR were used to study the expression of CENPQ in HCC. Based on TCGA data, the correlation between CENPQ and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of HCC patients was analyzed, and its diagnostic value was evaluated. The potential biological functions of CENPQ in HCC were explored by functional enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes. The distribution of tumor-infiltrating immune cell types was assessed using single-sample GSEA, and immune checkpoint gene expression was analyzed using Spearman correlation. Subsequently, loss-of-function experiments were performed to determine the function of CENPQ on the cell cycle and proliferation of HCC cells in vitro. Results CENPQ was found highly expressed in HCC and correlated with weight, BMI, age, AFP, T stage, pathologic stage, histologic grade, and prothrombin time (all p < 0.05). ROC and Kaplan-Meier analyses indicated that CENPQ may be potentially used as a diagnostic marker for HCC (AUC = 0.881), and its upregulation is associated with decreased OS (p = 0.002), DSS (p < 0.001), and PFI (p = 0.002). Functional enrichment analysis revealed an association of CENPQ with biological processes such as immune cell infiltration, cell cycle, and hippo-merlin signaling deregulation in HCC. Furthermore, knockdown of CENPQ manifested in HCC cells with G0/1 phase cycle arrest and decreased proliferative capacity. Conclusion CENPQ expression was higher in HCC tissues than in normal liver tissues. It was significantly associated with poor prognosis, immune cell infiltration, cell cycle, and proliferation. Therefore, CENPQ may become a promising prognostic biomarker for HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun He
- Institute of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Intestinal Diseases, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Meng-yi Xie
- Institute of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Intestinal Diseases, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiao-jin Gao
- Institute of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Intestinal Diseases, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hao Wang
- Institute of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Intestinal Diseases, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing-dong Li
- Institute of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Intestinal Diseases, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China
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Ramirez CFA, Taranto D, Ando-Kuri M, de Groot MHP, Tsouri E, Huang Z, de Groot D, Kluin RJC, Kloosterman DJ, Verheij J, Xu J, Vegna S, Akkari L. Cancer cell genetics shaping of the tumor microenvironment reveals myeloid cell-centric exploitable vulnerabilities in hepatocellular carcinoma. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2581. [PMID: 38519484 PMCID: PMC10959959 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46835-2] [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: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Myeloid cells are abundant and plastic immune cell subsets in the liver, to which pro-tumorigenic, inflammatory and immunosuppressive roles have been assigned in the course of tumorigenesis. Yet several aspects underlying their dynamic alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression remain elusive, including the impact of distinct genetic mutations in shaping a cancer-permissive tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, in newly generated, clinically-relevant somatic female HCC mouse models, we identify cancer genetics' specific and stage-dependent alterations of the liver TME associated with distinct histopathological and malignant HCC features. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-activated, NrasG12D-driven tumors exhibit a mixed phenotype of prominent inflammation and immunosuppression in a T cell-excluded TME. Mechanistically, we report a NrasG12D cancer cell-driven, MEK-ERK1/2-SP1-dependent GM-CSF secretion enabling the accumulation of immunosuppressive and proinflammatory monocyte-derived Ly6Clow cells. GM-CSF blockade curbs the accumulation of these cells, reduces inflammation, induces cancer cell death and prolongs animal survival. Furthermore, GM-CSF neutralization synergizes with a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor to restrain HCC outgrowth. These findings underscore the profound alterations of the myeloid TME consequential to MAPK pathway activation intensity and the potential of GM-CSF inhibition as a myeloid-centric therapy tailored to subsets of HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christel F A Ramirez
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel Taranto
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Masami Ando-Kuri
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marnix H P de Groot
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Efi Tsouri
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Zhijie Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Daniel de Groot
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Roelof J C Kluin
- Genomics Core facility, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Daan J Kloosterman
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joanne Verheij
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jing Xu
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, PR China
| | - Serena Vegna
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Leila Akkari
- Division of Tumor Biology and Immunology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Oncode Institute, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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5
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Kim HD, Jung S, Lim HY, Ryoo BY, Ryu MH, Chuah S, Chon HJ, Kang B, Hong JY, Lee HC, Moon DB, Kim KH, Kim TW, Tai D, Chew V, Lee JS, Finn RS, Koh JY, Yoo C. Regorafenib plus nivolumab in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: the phase 2 RENOBATE trial. Nat Med 2024; 30:699-707. [PMID: 38374347 PMCID: PMC10957471 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-02824-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: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Regorafenib has anti-tumor activity in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) with potential immunomodulatory effects, suggesting that its combination with immune checkpoint inhibitor may have clinically meaningful benefits in patients with uHCC. The multicenter, single-arm, phase 2 RENOBATE trial tested regorafenib-nivolumab as front-line treatment for uHCC. Forty-two patients received nivolumab 480 mg every 4 weeks and regorafenib 80 mg daily (3-weeks-on/1-week-off schedule). The primary endpoint was the investigator-assessed objective response rate (ORR) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1. The secondary endpoints included safety, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). ORR per RECIST version 1.1 was 31.0%, meeting the primary endpoint. The most common adverse events were palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (38.1%), alopecia (26.2%) and skin rash (23.8%). Median PFS was 7.38 months. The 1-year OS rate was 80.5%, and the median OS was not reached. Exploratory single-cell RNA sequencing analyses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells showed that long-term responders exhibited T cell receptor repertoire diversification, enrichment of genes representing immunotherapy responsiveness in MKI67+ proliferating CD8+ T cells and a higher probability of M1-directed monocyte polarization. Our data support further clinical development of the regorafenib-nivolumab combination as front-line treatment for uHCC and provide preliminary insights on immune biomarkers of response. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04310709 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyung-Don Kim
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seyoung Jung
- Genome Insight, Inc., San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho Yeong Lim
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Baek-Yeol Ryoo
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Hee Ryu
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Samuel Chuah
- Translational Immunology Institute, SingHealth-Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hong Jae Chon
- Department of Medical Oncology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Beodeul Kang
- Department of Medical Oncology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Yong Hong
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Han Chu Lee
- Department of Gastroenterology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Deok-Bog Moon
- Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki-Hun Kim
- Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Won Kim
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - David Tai
- Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Valerie Chew
- Translational Immunology Institute, SingHealth-Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jeong Seok Lee
- Genome Insight, Inc., San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Richard S Finn
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Changhoon Yoo
- Department of Oncology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Sun Z, Zhang T, Ahmad MU, Zhou Z, Qiu L, Zhou K, Xiong W, Xie J, Zhang Z, Chen C, Yuan Q, Chen Y, Feng W, Xu Y, Yu L, Wang W, Yu J, Li G, Jiang Y. Comprehensive assessment of immune context and immunotherapy response via noninvasive imaging in gastric cancer. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e175834. [PMID: 38271117 PMCID: PMC10940098 DOI: 10.1172/jci175834] [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: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUNDThe tumor immune microenvironment can provide prognostic and therapeutic information. We aimed to develop noninvasive imaging biomarkers from computed tomography (CT) for comprehensive evaluation of immune context and investigate their associations with prognosis and immunotherapy response in gastric cancer (GC).METHODSThis study involved 2,600 patients with GC from 9 independent cohorts. We developed and validated 2 CT imaging biomarkers (lymphoid radiomics score [LRS] and myeloid radiomics score [MRS]) for evaluating the IHC-derived lymphoid and myeloid immune context respectively, and integrated them into a combined imaging biomarker [LRS/MRS: low(-) or high(+)] with 4 radiomics immune subtypes: 1 (-/-), 2 (+/-), 3 (-/+), and 4 (+/+). We further evaluated the imaging biomarkers' predictive values on prognosis and immunotherapy response.RESULTSThe developed imaging biomarkers (LRS and MRS) had a high accuracy in predicting lymphoid (AUC range: 0.765-0.773) and myeloid (AUC range: 0.736-0.750) immune context. Further, similar to the IHC-derived immune context, 2 imaging biomarkers (HR range: 0.240-0.761 for LRS; 1.301-4.012 for MRS) and the combined biomarker were independent predictors for disease-free and overall survival in the training and all validation cohorts (all P < 0.05). Additionally, patients with high LRS or low MRS may benefit more from immunotherapy (P < 0.001). Further, a highly heterogeneous outcome on objective response rate was observed in 4 imaging subtypes: 1 (-/-) with 27.3%, 2 (+/-) with 53.3%, 3 (-/+) with 10.2%, and 4 (+/+) with 30.0% (P < 0.0001).CONCLUSIONThe noninvasive imaging biomarkers could accurately evaluate the immune context and provide information regarding prognosis and immunotherapy for GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zepang Sun
- Department of General Surgery & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Gastrointestinal Tumor, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Taojun Zhang
- Department of General Surgery & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Gastrointestinal Tumor, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | | | - Zixia Zhou
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Liang Qiu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Kangneng Zhou
- College of Computer Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenjun Xiong
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingjing Xie
- Graduate Group of Epidemiology, UCD, Davis, California, USA
| | - Zhicheng Zhang
- JancsiTech and Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chuanli Chen
- Department of Medical Imaging Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingyu Yuan
- Department of Medical Imaging Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Shenzhen Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wanying Feng
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yikai Xu
- Department of Medical Imaging Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lequan Yu
- The Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, The University of Hong Kong, HKSAR, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Gastric Surgery, and State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiang Yu
- Department of General Surgery & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Gastrointestinal Tumor, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Guoxin Li
- Department of General Surgery & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Gastrointestinal Tumor, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuming Jiang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
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Lin KY, Chen QJ, Tang SC, Lin ZW, Zhang JX, Zheng SM, Li YT, Wang XM, Lu Q, Fu J, Guo LB, Zheng LF, You PH, Wu MM, Lin KC, Zhou WP, Yang T, Zeng YY. Prognostic implications of alpha-fetoprotein and C-reactive protein elevation in hepatocellular carcinoma following resection (PACE): a large cohort study of 2770 patients. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:1190. [PMID: 38053048 PMCID: PMC10696803 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11693-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Routine clinical staging for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incorporates liver function, general health, and tumor morphology. Further refinement of prognostic assessments and treatment decisions may benefit from the inclusion of tumor biological marker alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and systemic inflammation indicator C-reactive protein (CRP). METHODS Data from a multicenter cohort of 2770 HCC patients undergoing hepatectomy were analyzed. We developed the PACE risk score (Prognostic implications of AFP and CRP Elevation) after initially assessing preoperative AFP and CRP's prognostic value. Subgroup analyzes were performed in BCLC cohorts A and B using multivariable Cox analysis to evaluate the prognostic stratification ability of the PACE risk score and its complementary utility for BCLC staging. RESULTS Preoperative AFP ≥ 400ng/mL and CRP ≥ 10 mg/L emerged as independent predictors of poorer prognosis in HCC patients who underwent hepatectomy, leading to the creation of the PACE risk score. PACE risk score stratified patients into low, intermediate, and high-risk groups with cumulative 5-year overall (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates of 59.6%/44.9%, 43.9%/38.4%, and 20.6%/18.0% respectively (all P < 0.001). Increased PACE risk scores correlated significantly with early recurrence and extrahepatic metastases frequency (all P < 0.001). The multivariable analysis identified intermediate and high-risk PACE scores as independently correlating with poor postoperative OS and RFS. Furthermore, the PACE risk score proficiently stratified the prognosis of BCLC stages A and B patients, with multivariable analyses demonstrating it as an independent prognostic determinant for both stages. CONCLUSION The PACE risk score serves as an effective tool for postoperative risk stratification, potentially supplementing the BCLC staging system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kong-Ying Lin
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350000, China
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350000, China
| | - Qing-Jing Chen
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350000, China
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350000, China
| | - Shi-Chuan Tang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350000, China
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350000, China
| | - Zhi-Wen Lin
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350000, China
| | - Jian-Xi Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Xiamen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Xiamen, 361000, China
| | - Si-Ming Zheng
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315000, China
| | - Yun-Tong Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
| | - Xian-Ming Wang
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Shandong, 250014, China
| | - Qiang Lu
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Third Hospital of Zhangzhou, Zhangzhou, 363000, China
| | - Jun Fu
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350000, China
| | - Luo-Bin Guo
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350000, China
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350000, China
| | - Li-Fang Zheng
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350000, China
| | - Peng-Hui You
- Biobank in Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350000, China
| | - Meng-Meng Wu
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350000, China
| | - Ke-Can Lin
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350000, China
| | - Wei-Ping Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Navy Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 200000, China
| | - Tian Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Navy Medical University (Second Military Medical University), Shanghai, 200000, China.
| | - Yong-Yi Zeng
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350000, China.
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350000, China.
- Liver Disease Research Center of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, 350000, China.
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Xihong Road 312, Fuzhou, 350025, China.
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8
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Li Z, Wang Y, Xing R, Zeng H, Yu XJ, Zhang YJ, Xu J, Zheng L. Cholesterol Efflux Drives the Generation of Immunosuppressive Macrophages to Promote the Progression of Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancer Immunol Res 2023; 11:1400-1413. [PMID: 37467346 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-22-0907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Cholesterol is often enriched in tumor microenvironment (TME); however, its impact on disease progression varies in different tissues and cells. Monocytes/macrophages (Mφ) are major components and regulators of the TME and play pivotal roles in tumor progression and therapeutic responses. We aimed to investigate the profile, effects, and regulatory mechanisms of Mφ cholesterol metabolism in the context of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we found that patients with high serum levels of cholesterol had shorter survival times and lower response rates to anti-PD-1 treatment. However, the cholesterol content in tumor-infiltrating monocytes/Mφ was significantly lower than that in their counterparts in paired nontumor tissues. The expression of the cholesterol efflux transporter, ABCA1, was upregulated in tumor monocytes/Mφ, and ABCA1 upregulation positively associated with decreased cellular cholesterol content and increased serum cholesterol levels. Mechanistically, autocrine cytokines from tumor-treated monocytes increased LXRα and ABCA1 expression, which led to the generation of immature and immunosuppressive Mφ. Although exogenous cholesterol alone had little direct effect on Mφ, it did act synergistically with tumor-derived factors to promote ABCA1 expression in Mφ with more immunosuppressive features. Moreover, high numbers of ABCA1+ Mφ in HCC tumors associated with reduced CD8+ T-cell infiltration and predicted poor clinical outcome for patients. Our results revealed that dysregulated cholesterol homeostasis, due to the collaborative effects of tumors and exogenous cholesterol, drives the generation of immunosuppressive Mφ. The selective modulation of cholesterol metabolism in Mφ may represent a novel strategy for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixiong Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yongchun Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Rui Xing
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Huilan Zeng
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Xing-Juan Yu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yao-Jun Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Jing Xu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Limin Zheng
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P.R. China
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9
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Hao L, Li S, Hu X. New insights into T-cell exhaustion in liver cancer: from mechanism to therapy. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:12543-12560. [PMID: 37423958 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-05083-5] [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: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Liver cancer is one of the most common malignancies. T-cell exhaustion is associated with immunosuppression of tumor and chronic infection. Although immunotherapies that enhance the immune response by targeting programmed cell death-1(PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) have been applied to malignancies, these treatments have shown limited response rates. This suggested that additional inhibitory receptors (IRs) also contributed to T-cell exhaustion and tumor prognosis. Exhausted T-cells (Tex) in the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) are usually in a dysfunctional state of exhaustion, such as impaired activity and proliferative ability, increased apoptosis rate, and reduced production of effector cytokines. Tex cells participate in the negative regulation of tumor immunity mainly through IRs on the cell surface, changes in cytokines and immunomodulatory cell types, causing tumor immune escape. However, T-cell exhaustion is not irreversible and targeted immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can effectively reverse the exhaustion of T-cells and restore the anti-tumor immune response. Therefore, the research on the mechanism of T-cell exhaustion in liver cancer, aimed at maintaining or restoring the effector function of Tex cells, might provide a new method for the treatment of liver cancer. In this review, we summarized the basic characteristics of Tex cells (such as IRs and cytokines), discussed the mechanisms associated with T-cell exhaustion, and specifically discussed how these exhaustion characteristics were acquired and shaped by key factors within TME. Then new insights into the molecular mechanism of T-cell exhaustion suggested a potential way to improve the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy, namely to restore the effector function of Tex cells. In addition, we also reviewed the research progress of T-cell exhaustion in recent years and provided suggestions for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyuan Hao
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 37 Shi-Er-Qiao Road, Chengdu, 610075, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China
- Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 39 Shi-Er-Qiao Road, Chengdu, 610072, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Shenghao Li
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 37 Shi-Er-Qiao Road, Chengdu, 610075, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China
- Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 39 Shi-Er-Qiao Road, Chengdu, 610072, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyu Hu
- Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 39 Shi-Er-Qiao Road, Chengdu, 610072, Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China.
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10
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Fu Y, Mackowiak B, Feng D, Lu H, Guan Y, Lehner T, Pan H, Wang XW, He Y, Gao B. MicroRNA-223 attenuates hepatocarcinogenesis by blocking hypoxia-driven angiogenesis and immunosuppression. Gut 2023; 72:1942-1958. [PMID: 36593103 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2022-327924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The current treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to block angiogenesis and immunosuppression provides some benefits only for a subset of patients with HCC, thus optimised therapeutic regimens are unmet needs, which require a thorough understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which tumour cells orchestrate an inflamed tumour microenvironment with significant myeloid cell infiltration. MicroRNA-223 (miR-223) is highly expressed in myeloid cells but its role in regulating tumour microenvironment remains unknown. DESIGN Wild-type and miR-223 knockout mice were subjected to two mouse models of inflammation-associated HCC induced by injection of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) or orthotopic HCC cell implantation in chronic carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-treated mice. RESULTS Genetic deletion of miR-223 markedly exacerbated tumourigenesis in inflammation-associated HCC. Compared with wild-type mice, miR-223 knockout mice had more infiltrated programmed cell death 1 (PD-1+) T cells and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1+) macrophages after DEN+CCl4 administration. Bioinformatic analyses of RNA sequencing data revealed a strong correlation between miR-223 levels and tumour hypoxia, a condition that is well-documented to regulate PD-1/PD-L1. In vivo and in vitro mechanistic studies demonstrated that miR-223 did not directly target PD-1 and PD-L1 in immune cells rather than indirectly downregulated them by modulating tumour microenvironment via the suppression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α-driven CD39/CD73-adenosine pathway in HCC. Moreover, gene delivery of miR-223 via adenovirus inhibited angiogenesis and hypoxia-mediated PD-1/PD-L1 activation in both HCC models, thereby hindering HCC progression. CONCLUSION The miR-223 plays a critical role in modulating hypoxia-induced tumour immunosuppression and angiogenesis, which may serve as a novel therapeutic target for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaojie Fu
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Bryan Mackowiak
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Dechun Feng
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Hongkun Lu
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Yukun Guan
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Taylor Lehner
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Hongna Pan
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Xin Wei Wang
- Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Liver Cancer Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yong He
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Bin Gao
- Laboratory of Liver Diseases, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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11
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Shi H, Huang J, Wang X, Li R, Shen Y, Jiang B, Ran J, Cai R, Guo F, Wang Y, Ren G. Development and validation of a copper-related gene prognostic signature in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1157841. [PMID: 37534104 PMCID: PMC10393034 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1157841] [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: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Reliable biomarkers are in need to predict the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Whilst recent evidence has established the critical role of copper homeostasis in tumor growth and progression, no previous studies have dealt with the copper-related genes (CRGs) signature with prognostic potential in HCC. Methods: To develop and validate a CRGs prognostic signature for HCC, we retrospectively included 353 and 142 patients as the development and validation cohort, respectively. Copper-related Prognostic Signature (Copper-PSHC) was developed using differentially expressed CRGs with prognostic value. The hazard ratio (HR) and the area under the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) during 3-year follow-up were utilized to evaluate the performance. Additionally, the Copper-PSHC was combined with age, sex, and cancer stage to construct a Copper-clinical-related Prognostic Signature (Copper-CPSHC), by multivariate Cox regression. We further explored the underlying mechanism of Copper-PSHC by analyzing the somatic mutation, functional enrichment, and tumor microenvironment. Potential drugs for the high-risk group were screened. Results: The Copper-PSHC was constructed with nine CRGs. Patients in the high-risk group demonstrated a significantly reduced overall survival (OS) (adjusted HR, 2.65 [95% CI, 1.83-3.84] and 3.30, [95% CI, 1.27-8.60] in the development and validation cohort, respectively). The Copper-PSHC achieved a 3-year AUC of 0.74 [95% CI, 0.67-0.82] and 0.71 [95% CI, 0.56-0.86] for OS in the development and validation cohort, respectively. Copper-CPSHC yield a 3-year AUC of 0.73 [95% CI, 0.66-0.80] and 0.72 [95% CI, 0.56-0.87] for OS in the development and validation cohort, respectively. Higher tumor mutation burden, downregulated metabolic processes, hypoxia status and infiltrated stroma cells were found for the high-risk group. Six small molecular drugs were screened for the treatment of the high-risk group. Conclusion: Copper-PSHC services as a promising tool to identify HCC with poor prognosis and to improve disease outcomes by providing potential clinical decision support in treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoting Shi
- Department of Radiation Therapy, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingxuan Huang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xue Wang
- Department of Pathology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Runchuan Li
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiqing Shen
- Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Bowen Jiang
- College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinjun Ran
- School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Rong Cai
- Department of Radiation Therapy, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Fang Guo
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yufei Wang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Gang Ren
- Department of Radiology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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12
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Warde KM, Smith LJ, Liu L, Stubben CJ, Lohman BK, Willett PW, Ammer JL, Castaneda-Hernandez G, Imodoye SO, Zhang C, Jones KD, Converso-Baran K, Ekiz HA, Barry M, Clay MR, Kiseljak-Vassiliades K, Giordano TJ, Hammer GD, Basham KJ. Senescence-induced immune remodeling facilitates metastatic adrenal cancer in a sex-dimorphic manner. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:846-865. [PMID: 37231196 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00420-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Aging markedly increases cancer risk, yet our mechanistic understanding of how aging influences cancer initiation is limited. Here we demonstrate that the loss of ZNRF3, an inhibitor of Wnt signaling that is frequently mutated in adrenocortical carcinoma, leads to the induction of cellular senescence that remodels the tissue microenvironment and ultimately permits metastatic adrenal cancer in old animals. The effects are sexually dimorphic, with males exhibiting earlier senescence activation and a greater innate immune response, driven in part by androgens, resulting in high myeloid cell accumulation and lower incidence of malignancy. Conversely, females present a dampened immune response and increased susceptibility to metastatic cancer. Senescence-recruited myeloid cells become depleted as tumors progress, which is recapitulated in patients in whom a low myeloid signature is associated with worse outcomes. Our study uncovers a role for myeloid cells in restraining adrenal cancer with substantial prognostic value and provides a model for interrogating pleiotropic effects of cellular senescence in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate M Warde
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Lorenzo J Smith
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Lihua Liu
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Chris J Stubben
- Bioinformatics Shared Resource, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Brian K Lohman
- Bioinformatics Shared Resource, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Parker W Willett
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Julia L Ammer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Sikiru O Imodoye
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Chenge Zhang
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Kara D Jones
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Kimber Converso-Baran
- Frankel Cardiovascular Center Physiology and Phenotyping Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - H Atakan Ekiz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, Urla Izmir, Turkey
| | - Marc Barry
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Michael R Clay
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado School of Medicine at Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Katja Kiseljak-Vassiliades
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine at Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Thomas J Giordano
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Endocrine Oncology Program, Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Gary D Hammer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Endocrine Oncology Program, Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kaitlin J Basham
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
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13
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Wang X, Chen D, Shi Y, Luo J, Zhang Y, Yuan X, Zhang C, Shu H, Yu W, Tian J. Copper and cuproptosis-related genes in hepatocellular carcinoma: therapeutic biomarkers targeting tumor immune microenvironment and immune checkpoints. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1123231. [PMID: 37153542 PMCID: PMC10157396 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1123231] [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: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most common cancers worldwide, exhibits high immune heterogeneity and mortality. Emerging studies suggest that copper (Cu) plays a key role in cell survival. However, the relationship between Cu and tumor development remains unclear. Methods We investigated the effects of Cu and cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) in patients with HCC in the TCGA-LIHC (The Cancer Genome Atlas-Liver cancer, n = 347) and ICGC-LIRI-JP (International Cancer Genome Consortium-Liver Cancer-Riken-Japan, n = 203) datasets. Prognostic genes were identified by survival analysis, and a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) regression model was constructed using the prognostic genes in the two datasets. Additionally, we analyzed differentially expressed genes and signal pathway enrichment. We also evaluated the effects of CRGs on tumor immune cell infiltration and their co-expression with immune checkpoint genes (ICGs) and performed validation in different tumor immune microenvironments (TIMs). Finally, we performed validation using clinical samples and predicted the prognosis of patients with HCC using a nomogram. Results A total of 59 CRGs were included for analysis, and 15 genes that significantly influenced the survival of patients in the two datasets were identified. Patients were grouped by risk scores, and pathway enrichment analysis suggested that immune-related pathways were substantially enriched in both datasets. Tumor immune cell infiltration analysis and clinical validation revealed that PRNP (Prion protein), SNCA (Synuclein alpha), and COX17 (Cytochrome c oxidase copper chaperone COX17) may be closely correlated with immune cell infiltration and ICG expression. A nomogram was constructed to predict the prognosis of patients with HCC using patients' characteristics and risk scores. Conclusion CRGs may regulate the development of HCC by targeting the TIM and ICGs. CRGs such as PRNP, SNCA, and COX17 could be promising targets for HCC immune therapy in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqiang Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Dongfang Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Fifth People’s Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yumiao Shi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiamei Luo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiqi Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaohong Yuan
- Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chaojin Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Huigang Shu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Weifeng Yu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Tian
- Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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14
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Peng ZP, Liu XC, Ruan YH, Jiang D, Huang AQ, Ning WR, Jiang ZZ, Zheng L, Wu Y. Downregulation of phosphoserine phosphatase potentiates tumor immune environments to enhance immune checkpoint blockade therapy. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:jitc-2022-005986. [PMID: 36849198 PMCID: PMC9972416 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-005986] [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] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Effects of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) treatment in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are limited. The current study explored the possibility of exploiting tumor metabolic switches to enhance HCC sensitivity to immune therapies. METHODS Levels of one-carbon (1C) metabolism and the expression of phosphoserine phosphatase (PSPH), an upstream enzyme of 1C pathway, were evaluated in paired non-tumor and tumor tissues from HCC. Underlying mechanisms mediating the role of PSPH in regulating the infiltration of monocytes/macrophages and CD8+ T lymphocytes were studied through both in vitro and in vivo experiments. RESULTS PSPH was significantly upregulated in tumor tissues of HCC and its levels were positively correlated with disease progression. PSPH knockdown inhibited tumor growth in immunocompetent mice, but not in those with macrophage or T lymphocyte deficiencies, indicating the pro-tumor effects of PSPH were dependent on both immune components. Mechanistically, PSPH facilitated monocytes/macrophages infiltration by inducing the production of C-C motif chemokine 2 (CCL2), while at the same time reduced CD8+ T lymphocytes recruitment through inhibiting the production of C-X-C Motif Chemokine 10 (CXCL10) in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)-conditioned cancer cells. Glutathione and S-adenosyl-methionine were partially involved in regulating the production of CCL2 and CXCL10, respectively. shPSPH (short hairpin RNA) transfection of cancer cells enhanced tumor sensitivity to anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) therapy in vivo, and interestingly, metformin could inhibit PSPH expression in cancer cells and mimic the effects of shPSPH in sensitizing tumors to anti-PD-1 treatment. CONCLUSIONS By tilting the immune balance towards a tumor-friendly composition, PSPH might be useful both as a marker in stratifying patients for ICB therapy, and as an attractive therapeutic target in the treatment of human HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Peng Peng
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China,State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xing-Chen Liu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yong-Hao Ruan
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Da Jiang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ai-Qi Huang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wan-Ru Ning
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ze-Zhou Jiang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Limin Zheng
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China .,State Key Laboratory of Oncology in Southern China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan Wu
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Functional Genes, MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
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15
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Greten TF. 'Invisible' immune checkpoint molecule causing resistance to anti-PD1 therapy in HCC. Gut 2023:gutjnl-2022-329099. [PMID: 36627186 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2022-329099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tim F Greten
- NCI, Center for Cancer Research, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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16
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Lacotte S, Slits F, Moeckli B, Peloso A, Koenig S, Tihy M, El Hajji S, Gex Q, Rubbia-Brandt L, Toso C. Anti-CD122 antibody restores specific CD8 + T cell response in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and prevents hepatocellular carcinoma growth. Oncoimmunology 2023; 12:2184991. [PMID: 36891258 PMCID: PMC9988345 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2023.2184991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) can lead to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although immunotherapy is used as first-line treatment for advanced HCC, the impact of NASH on anticancer immunity is only partially characterized. We assessed the tumor-specific T cell immune response in the context of NASH. In a mouse model of NASH, we observed an expansion of the CD44+CXCR6+PD-1+CD8+ T cells in the liver. After intra-hepatic injection of RIL-175-LV-OVA-GFP HCC cells, NASH mice had a higher percentage of peripheral OVA-specific CD8+ T cells than control mice, but these cells did not prevent HCC growth. In the tumor, the expression of PD-1 on OVA-specific CD44+CXCR6+CD8+ cells was higher in NASH mice suggesting lowered immune activity. Treating mice with an anti-CD122 antibody, which reduced the number of CXCR6+PD-1+ cells, we restored OVA-specific CD8 activity, and reduced HCC growth compared to untreated NASH mice. Human dataset confirmed that NASH-affected livers, NASH tissues adjacent to HCC and HCC in patients with NASH exhibited gene expression patterns supporting mouse observations. Our findings demonstrate the immune system fails to prevent HCC growth in NASH, primarily linked to a higher representation of CD44+CXCR6+PD-1+CD8+ T cells. Treatment with an anti-CD122 antibody reduces the number of these cells and prevents HCC growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Lacotte
- Transplantation and Hepatology Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Florence Slits
- Transplantation and Hepatology Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Beat Moeckli
- Transplantation and Hepatology Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Division of Abdominal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Peloso
- Transplantation and Hepatology Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Division of Abdominal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stéphane Koenig
- Department of Physiology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Matthieu Tihy
- Division of Clinical Pathology, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sofia El Hajji
- Transplantation and Hepatology Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Quentin Gex
- Transplantation and Hepatology Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Laura Rubbia-Brandt
- Division of Clinical Pathology, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christian Toso
- Transplantation and Hepatology Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Division of Abdominal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
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17
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Chen L, Zhang D, Zheng S, Li X, Gao P. Stemness analysis in hepatocellular carcinoma identifies an extracellular matrix gene–related signature associated with prognosis and therapy response. Front Genet 2022; 13:959834. [PMID: 36110210 PMCID: PMC9468756 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.959834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Tumor stemness is the stem-like phenotype of cancer cells, as a hallmark for multiple processes in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, comprehensive functions of the regulators of tumor cell’s stemness in HCC remain unclear.Methods: Gene expression data and clinical information of HCC samples were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset as the training set, and three validation datasets were derived from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC). Patients were dichotomized according to median mRNA expression–based stemness index (mRNAsi) scores, and differentially expressed genes were further screened out. Functional enrichment analysis of these DEGs was performed to identify candidate extracellular matrix (ECM)–related genes in key pathways. A prognostic signature was constructed by applying least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) to the candidate ECM genes. The Kaplan–Meier curve and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to evaluate the prognostic value of the signature. Correlations between signatures and genomic profiles, tumor immune microenvironment, and treatment response were also explored using multiple bioinformatic methods.Results: A prognostic prediction signature was established based on 10 ECM genes, including TRAPPC4, RSU1, ILK, LAMA1, LAMB1, FLNC, ITGAV, AGRN, ARHGEF6, and LIMS2, which could effectively distinguish patients with different outcomes in the training and validation sets, showing a good prognostic prediction ability. Across different clinicopathological parameter stratifications, the ECMs signature still retains its robust efficacy in discriminating patient with different outcomes. Based on the risk score, vascular invasion, α-fetoprotein (AFP), T stage, and N stage, we further constructed a nomogram (C-index = 0.70; AUCs at 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival = 0.71, 0.75, and 0.78), which is more practical for clinical prognostic risk stratification. The infiltration abundance of macrophages M0, mast cells, and Treg cells was significantly higher in the high-risk group, which also had upregulated levels of immune checkpoints PD-1 and CTLA-4. More importantly, the ECMs signature was able to distinguish patients with superior responses to immunotherapy, transarterial chemoembolization, and sorafenib.Conclusion: In this study, we constructed an ECM signature, which is an independent prognostic biomarker for HCC patients and has a potential guiding role in treatment selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Dafang Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shengmin Zheng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyu Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Pengji Gao
- Department of General Surgery, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Pengji Gao,
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18
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Ning YM, Lin K, Liu XP, Ding Y, Jiang X, Zhang Z, Xuan YT, Dong L, Liu L, Wang F, Zhao Q, Wang HZ, Fang J. NAPSB as a predictive marker for prognosis and therapy associated with an immuno-hot tumor microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma. BMC Gastroenterol 2022; 22:392. [PMID: 35987606 PMCID: PMC9392949 DOI: 10.1186/s12876-022-02475-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Napsin B Aspartic Peptidase, Pseudogene (NAPSB) was associated with CD4 + T cell infiltration in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. However, the biological role of NAPSB in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains to be determined. Methods The expression of NAPSB in HCC as well as its clinicopathological association were analyzed using data from several public datasets. qRT-PCR was used to verify the relative expression of NAPSB in patients with HCC using the Zhongnan cohort. Kaplan–Meier analyses, and univariate and multivariate Cox regression were conducted to determine the prognosis value of NAPSB on patients with HCC. Then enrichment analyses were performed to identify the possible biological functions of NAPSB. Subsequently, the immunological characteristics of NAPSB in the HCC tumor microenvironment (TME) were demonstrated comprehensively. The role of NAPSB in predicting hot tumors and its impact on immunotherapy and chemotherapy responses was also analyzed by bioinformatics methods. Results NAPSB was downregulated in patients with HCC and high NAPSB expression showed an improved survival outcome. Enrichment analyses showed that NAPSB was related to immune activation. NAPSB was positively correlated with immunomodulators, tumor-infiltrating immune cells, T cell inflamed score and cancer-immunity cycle, and highly expressed in immuno-hot tumors. High expression of NAPSB was sensitive to immunotherapy and chemotherapy, possibly due to its association with pyroptosis, apoptosis and necrosis. Conclusions NAPSB was correlated with an immuno-hot and inflamed TME, and tumor cell death. It can be utilized as a promising predictive marker for prognosis and therapy in HCC. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12876-022-02475-8.
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19
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Bourayou E, Golub R. Signaling Pathways Tuning Innate Lymphoid Cell Response to Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:846923. [PMID: 35281021 PMCID: PMC8904901 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.846923] [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: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide and its incidence continues to rise globally. Various causes can lead to its development such as chronic viral infections causing hepatitis, cirrhosis or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The contribution of immune cells to HCC development and progression has been extensively studied when it comes to adaptive lymphocytes or myeloid populations. However, the role of the innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) is still not well defined. ILCs are a family of lymphocytes comprising five subsets including circulating Natural Killer (NK) cells, ILC1s, ILC2s, ILC3s and lymphocytes tissue-inducer cells (LTi). Mostly located at epithelial surfaces, tissue-resident ILCs and NK cells can rapidly react to environmental changes to mount appropriate immune responses. Here, we provide an overview of their roles and actions in HCC with an emphasis on the importance of diverse signaling pathways (Notch, TGF-β, Wnt/β-catenin…) in the tuning of their response to HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsa Bourayou
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM U1223, Lymphocyte and Immunity Unit, Paris, France
| | - Rachel Golub
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM U1223, Lymphocyte and Immunity Unit, Paris, France
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20
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Sung PS, Park DJ, Roh PR, Mun KD, Cho SW, Lee GW, Jung ES, Lee SH, Jang JW, Bae SH, Choi JY, Choi J, Ahn J, Yoon SK. Intrahepatic inflammatory IgA +PD-L1 high monocytes in hepatocellular carcinoma development and immunotherapy. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2021-003618. [PMID: 35577505 PMCID: PMC9114848 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-003618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background IgA neutralizes pathogens to prevent infection at mucosal sites. However, emerging evidence shows that IgA contributes to aggravating inflammation or dismantling antitumor immunity in human diseased liver. The aim of this study was to elucidate the roles of inflammation-induced intrahepatic inflammatory IgA+ monocytes in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Patient cohorts including steatohepatitis cohort (n=61) and HCC cohort (n=271) were established. Patients’ surgical and biopsy specimens were analyzed using immunohistochemistry. Multicolor flow cytometry was performed with a subset of patient samples. Single-cell RNA-Seq analysis was performed using Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. Additionally, we performed in vitro differentiation of macrophages, stimulation with coated IgA, and RNA sequencing. Hepa1-6 cells and C57BL/6N mice were used to obtain HCC syngeneic mouse models. Results Serum IgA levels were associated (p<0.001) with fibrosis progression and HCC development in patients with chronic liver diseases. Additionally, immunohistochemical staining of inflamed livers or HCC revealed IgA positivity in monocytes, with a correlation between IgA+ cell frequency and IgA serum levels. Compared with IgA− monocytes, intrahepatic IgA+ monocytes expressed higher levels of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in inflamed livers and in HCC tumor microenvironment. Single-cell RNA sequencing using NCBI GEO database indicated an upregulation in inflammation-associated genes in the monocytes of patients whose plasma cell IGHA1 expression was greater than or equal to the median value. Bulk RNA sequencing demonstrated that in vitro stimulation of M2-polarized macrophages using coated IgA complex induced PD-L1 upregulation via YAP-mediated signaling. In vivo blockade of IgA signaling decreased the number of tumor-infiltrating IgA+PD-L1high macrophages and increased the number of CD69+CD8+ T cells to enhance antitumor effects in HCC mice models. Conclusions Overall, the findings of this study showed that serum IgA levels was correlated with intrahepatic and intratumoral infiltration of inflammatory IgA+PD-L1high monocytes in chronic liver diseases and HCC, providing potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pil Soo Sung
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea.,The Catholic University Liver Research Center, College of Medicine, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Dong Jun Park
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, College of Medicine, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Pu Reun Roh
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, College of Medicine, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kyoung Do Mun
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, College of Medicine, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sung Woo Cho
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, College of Medicine, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Gil Won Lee
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, College of Medicine, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Eun Sun Jung
- Department of Hospital Pathology, College of Medicine, Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sung Hak Lee
- Department of Hospital Pathology, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jeong Won Jang
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Si Hyun Bae
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jong Young Choi
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jonghwan Choi
- Department of Computer Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jaegyoon Ahn
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Incheon National University, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Seung Kew Yoon
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea .,The Catholic University Liver Research Center, College of Medicine, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
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21
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Gou Y, Yang D, Tian T, Zhu X, Zhang R, Ren J, Tu D, Luo Y, Miao Y, Zhao H, Wang Y, Wei B. The Transcription of ZIP9 Is Associated With the Macrophage Polarization and the Pathogenesis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:725595. [PMID: 35371096 PMCID: PMC8967370 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.725595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common digestive system cancers (DSCs) with a poor prognosis. Zinc‐regulated transporter (ZRT)/iron‐regulated transporter (IRT) like protein transporters (ZIPs) encode membrane transport proteins, which are responsible for the absorption of zinc and play important roles in the pathogenesis of various human cancers. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are important participants in the regulation of tumor microenvironment and the development of HCC. Individual role of each ZIP involved in hepatocarcinogenesis remains elusive. In this study, the transcription patterns of ZIPs in the DSCs were screened firstly through GEPIA2 database. Interestingly, the analysis of the DSCs data showed the distinct mRNA levels of ZIPs between DSCs tissues and healthy controls. Notably, the transcription levels of ZIP2, ZIP5, ZIP8, ZIP9 and ZIP14 were decreased significantly in the tissues of human liver cancer compared to paracarcinoma liver tissues. To further confirm the mRNA transcriptional changes of Zips in HCC, N-Nitrosodiethylamine (DEN) combined with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) inducing mouse model of HCC were established. Consistently, the mRNA levels of Zip2, Zip9, and Zip14 in liver tissues of HCC induced mice were also decreased compared with the healthy controls. In addition, mouse peritoneal elucidated macrophages (PEMs)-derived M1/M2 macrophages in vitro, as well as human patients of HCC-derived TAMs, were used to examine the transcription levels of ZIPs. Our results showed that both Zip2 and Zip9 were up-regulated in M2-polarized macrophages. Zip2 transcript was also up-regulated M1-polarized macrophages, but Zip9 was slightly down-regulated. TAMs generated from human liver cancer tissues also displayed a decrease in ZIP9 transcription compared to paracarcinoma tissues. To further explore the role of Zip9 in M1/M2 polarization, the siRNA knockdown results revealed that Zip9, but not Zip2, could promote M2 macrophage polarization and impair M1 macrophage polarization. Mechanistically, Zip9 enhances phosphorylated STAT6 to promote M2 macrophage polarization but suppresses the phosphorylation of IκBα/β to inhibit M1 macrophage polarization. Together, our results indicate that ZIP9 may involve in macrophages polarity in HCC development and may be a potent new biomarker for the diagnosis of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Gou
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Organ Repair, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China
| | - Taikun Tian
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Organ Repair, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xingguo Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Organ Repair, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Raorao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaqi Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China
| | - Dezhen Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Luo
- Department of Head & Neck Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center/Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuqing Miao
- Department of Respiration Medicine, Affiliated Nantong Hospital of Shanghai University, Nantong, China
| | - Huan Zhao
- Department of Respiration Medicine, Affiliated Nantong Hospital of Shanghai University, Nantong, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Head & Neck Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center/Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bin Wei
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Organ Repair, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.,Cancer Center, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
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22
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Liu M, Wu C, Luo S, Hua Q, Chen HT, Weng Y, Xu J, Lin H, Wang L, Li J, Zhu L, Guo Z, Zhuang SM, Kang T, Zheng L. PERK reprograms hematopoietic progenitor cells to direct tumor-promoting myelopoiesis in the spleen. J Exp Med 2022; 219:213062. [PMID: 35266960 PMCID: PMC8919616 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20211498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The spleen is an important site of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (HSPC) preconditioning and tumor-promoting myeloid cell generation in cancer, but the regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Here, we found that PKR-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) mediated HSPC reprogramming into committed MDSC precursors in the spleen via PERK-ATF4-C/EBPβ signaling. Pharmacological and genetic inhibition of this pathway in murine and human HSPCs prevented their myeloid descendant cells from becoming MDSCs even with subsequent exposure to tumor microenvironment (TME) factors. In mice, the selective delivery of PERK antagonists to the spleen was not only sufficient but more effective than the tumor-targeted strategy in preventing MDSC activation in the tumor, leading to profound TME reshaping and tumor regression. Clinically, HSPCs in the spleen of cancer patients exhibit increased PERK signaling correlated with enhanced myelopoiesis. Our findings indicate that PERK-mediated HSPC preconditioning plays a crucial role in MDSC generation, suggesting novel spleen-targeting therapeutic opportunities for restraining the tumor-promoting myeloid response at its source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chong Wu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shufeng Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiaomin Hua
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hai-Tian Chen
- First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yulan Weng
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junyu Xu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huiling Lin
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinheng Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lan Zhu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhenhong Guo
- National Key Laboratory of Medical Immunology & Institute of Immunology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shi-Mei Zhuang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tiebang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Limin Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China.,Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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23
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Liao J, Zeng DN, Li JZ, Hua QM, Huang CX, Xu J, Wu C, Zheng L, Wen WP, Wu Y. Type I IFNs repolarized a CD169 + macrophage population with anti-tumor potentials in hepatocellular carcinoma. Mol Ther 2022; 30:632-643. [PMID: 34563673 PMCID: PMC8821951 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Macrophages constitute a major component in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and perform various functions to facilitate disease progression. Reprogramming or reconstituting the tumor surveillance phenotypes of macrophages represents an attractive immunotherapeutic strategy in cancer treatments. The current study identified CD169 as a potential target for macrophage repolarization since it signified a population of macrophages positively correlated with an activated immune signature and better prognosis of patients with HCC. In vitro experiments revealed that a low dose of type I interferon (IFN) could effectively reprogram human monocyte-derived macrophages to upregulate CD169 expression, and such induced CD169+ macrophages exhibited significantly enhanced phagocytotic and CD8+ T cell-activating capacities compared to controls. A low dose of IFNα also inhibited hepatoma growth in mice in vivo, presumably through polarizing the CD169+ macrophage population and enhancing CD8+ T cell activities. Notably, IFNα also induced substantial PD-L1 expression on macrophages in vivo, and thus blockade of PD-L1 could further increase the anti-tumor efficacy of IFNα in the treatment of HCC. We propose a low dose of IFNα in combination with a PD-L1 blocking agent as a potential anti-tumor therapeutic strategy via its effects on macrophage polarization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China,Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Thyroid Center/Thyroid Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, China,Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, China
| | - Dan-Ni Zeng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
| | - Jin-Zhu Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China,Department of Pathology, Zhongshan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400, China
| | - Qiao-Min Hua
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
| | - Chun-Xia Huang
- Guangdong Institute of Gastroenterology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, China
| | - Jing Xu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, China
| | - Chong Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China
| | - Limin Zheng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China,Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, China
| | - Wei-Ping Wen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Thyroid Center/Thyroid Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510655, China,Corresponding author: Wei-Ping Wen, Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Thyroid Center/Thyroid Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 26 Yuan Cun Er Heng Road, Guangzhou, 510655, China.
| | - Yan Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China,Corresponding author: Yan Wu, MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 135 Xin Gang Xi Road, Guangzhou 510275, China.
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24
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Suresh A, Dhanasekaran R. Implications of genetic heterogeneity in hepatocellular cancer. Adv Cancer Res 2022; 156:103-135. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2022.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Fan T, Li C, He J. Prognostic value of immune-related genes and comparative analysis of immune cell infiltration in lung adenocarcinoma: sex differences. Biol Sex Differ 2021; 12:64. [PMID: 34863300 PMCID: PMC8642994 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-021-00406-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is one of the most important subtypes of lung cancer. Compared with male LUAD patients, female patients have a higher incidence, but better long-term survival rate, with unknown reasons. In this study, we aimed to explore the effect of sex differences on immune cell infiltration in lung tumor microenvironment (TME), and tried to clarify the reasons for the different clinical characteristics of male and female LUAD patients, by conducting a comparative analysis of the TME. Methods Using ESTIMATE algorithm, we calculated immune and stromal scores of tumor samples downloaded from TCGA database according to immune or stromal components in TME. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis were conducted to reveal biological processes of these intersecting genes of high- and low-score groups. Cox regression analysis and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis were performed to screen immune-related prognostic genes in female (CCR2, LCP2, and PTPRC) and male (BTK and CCR2) patients. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to evaluate prognostic value of these identified genes. Mann–Whitney test was used to compare various indicators of male patients and female patients. The main results were subsequently validated in 420 cases from GSE72094. Results 304 and 368 intersecting genes were identified in female and male patients, respectively. The immune score ranged from −943.17 to 3229.35 among female patients and from −541.75 to 3441.78 among male patients. The stromal score ranged from −1790.23 to 2097.27 among female patients and from −1786.94 to 1722.70 among male patients. The immune and stromal scores of women were higher than those of men (p < 0.05). CCR2, LCP2 and PTPRC were identified as the most important immune-related prognostic genes in female LUAD patients. BTK and CCR2 were identified as the most important immune-related prognostic genes in male LUAD patients. Female patients had a higher proportion of memory B cells than that of male patients, while the percentage of T cells CD4 naïve and resting NK cells was lower in female patients (p < 0.05). Conclusions This study comprehensively compared the differences in tumor immune microenvironment between male and female LUAD patients, and identified prognosis-related genes for patients of different sexes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13293-021-00406-y. We presented a detailed and comprehensive analysis of immune cell infiltration in tumor microenvironment (TME) of female and male patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). We compared the differences in the tumor immune microenvironment between female and male LUAD patients. The density of memory B cells in TME of female patients with LUAD was significantly higher than that of male patients, which may explain that female patients with LUAD have a better prognosis than that of male patients. We identified immune-related genes that predicted the prognosis of female and male LUAD patients, respectively, and their predictive value were verified by another independent cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Fan
- Department of Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, 238th Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430060, China.,Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Chunxiang Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
| | - Jie He
- Department of Oncology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, 238th Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430060, China. .,Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
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Liang J, Zhou H, Huang XQ, Liu YF, Zhang L, He D, Cui Y, Guo J, Hu K, Wu C. A Myeloid Signature-Based Nomogram Predicts the Postoperative Recurrence of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:742953. [PMID: 34722632 PMCID: PMC8548627 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.742953] [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: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is the second most common cancer in liver, with a high recurrence rate after surgery. Recently, we identified a CD11b-CD169-based myeloid response score (MRS), which showed remarkable prognostic potential in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we aimed to verify the prognostic value of the MRS in iCCA and establish an MRS-based nomogram to predict the postoperative prognosis of iCCA patients. From April 2005 to March 2017, a total of 84 patients from the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were enrolled. Preoperative clinical information and surgical specimens of enrolled patients were collected. Among these, tissues from 75 patients passed the clinical data quality control and the staining quality control. The protein expression of CD11b and CD169 in iCCA samples were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Kaplan-Meier analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves revealed that the MRS had a high discriminatory ability for predicting the time to recurrence (TTR) of iCCA patients after surgery. Three independent risk factors selected by a Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, namely, the MRS, the tumor size and the status of vascular invasion, were included to construct a nomogram to predict the recurrence of iCCA after resection surgery. ROC curves, calibration analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA) suggested that this nomogram had notable discriminatory power, stability and clinical usefulness in predicting the postoperative recurrence. Together, we explored the prognostic value of the MRS in iCCA, and constructed an MRS-based nomogram which may help to predict postoperative recurrence and aid clinical decisions for iCCA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liang
- Department of Pathology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hui Zhou
- Department of General Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiang-Qi Huang
- Department of Pathology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yan-Fei Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dan He
- Department of Pathology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yongmei Cui
- Department of Pathology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinrui Guo
- Department of Pathology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kunpeng Hu
- Department of General Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chong Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Sung PS. Crosstalk between tumor-associated macrophages and neighboring cells in hepatocellular carcinoma. Clin Mol Hepatol 2021; 28:333-350. [PMID: 34665953 PMCID: PMC9293612 DOI: 10.3350/cmh.2021.0308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment generally shows a substantial immunosuppressive activity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), accounting for the suboptimal efficacy of immune-based treatments for this difficult-to-treat cancer. The crosstalk between tumor cells and various cell types in the tumor microenvironment is strongly related to HCC progression and treatment resistance. Monocytes are recruited to the HCC tumor microenvironment by various factors and become tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) with distinct phenotypes. TAMs often contribute to weakened tumor-specific immune responses and a more aggressive phenotype of malignancy. Recent single-cell RNA-sequencing data have demonstrated the central roles of specific TAMs in tumorigenesis and treatment resistance by their interactions with various cell populations in the HCC tumor microenvironment. This review focuses on the roles of TAMs and the crosstalk between TAMs and neighboring cell types in the HCC tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pil Soo Sung
- The Catholic University Liver Research Center, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea.,Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
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28
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Feher B, Spandl LF, Lettner S, Ulm C, Gruber R, Kuchler U. Prediction of post-traumatic neuropathy following impacted mandibular third molar removal. J Dent 2021; 115:103838. [PMID: 34624417 DOI: 10.1016/j.jdent.2021.103838] [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: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The extraction of impacted mandibular third molars is a common surgical procedure often associated with complications including post-traumatic neuropathy. Previous work has focused on identifying confounding factors, but a robust preoperative risk prediction model remains elusive. METHODS Using a dataset of 648 patients and 812 impacted mandibular third molars, we used least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) to fit prediction models based on risk factors assessed at both the tooth and patient levels. In addition, we fitted multivariable logistic regression models with the Firth correction for generalized estimating equations (GEE). RESULTS The LASSO model for post-traumatic neuropathy identified distoangular impaction of ≥ 45° (odds ratio [OR] = 2.9), proximity to the inferior alveolar nerve of ≤ 3 mm (OR = 1.9), disadvantageous curving (OR = 1.4), and psychiatric conditions (OR = 2.1) as predictors [area under the receiving operator characteristic curve (AUC) = 0.75]. Among other complications analyzed, the LASSO model for bleeding identified deep embedding or full impaction (OR = 1.8), psychiatric conditions (OR = 1.3), and age (OR = 0.9) as predictors (AUC = 0.64). These associations between predictors and postoperative complications were fundamentally reinforced by the corresponding GEE models. CONCLUSIONS Our findings point to the predictability of post-traumatic neuropathy and bleeding based on tooth anatomy and patient characteristics, overall suggesting that preoperatively identifiable factors can predict the risk of adverse outcomes in the extraction of impacted mandibular third molars. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Mandibular third molar extraction is both a routine procedure and a leading cause of trigeminal neuropathy. Prevention of post-traumatic neuropathy, aided by individualized preoperative risk prediction, is of high clinical relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balazs Feher
- Department of Oral Biology, University Clinic of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Sensengasse 2a, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Department of Oral Surgery, University Clinic of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Sensengasse 2a, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lisa-Franziska Spandl
- Department of Dental Training, University Clinic of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Sensengasse 2a, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Lettner
- Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Vienna, Austria, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Donaueschingenstrasse 13, 1200 Vienna, Austria; Core Facility Hard Tissue and Biomaterial Research, Karl Donath Laboratory, University Clinic of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Sensengasse 2a, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Ulm
- Department of Oral Surgery, University Clinic of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Sensengasse 2a, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Reinhard Gruber
- Department of Oral Biology, University Clinic of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Sensengasse 2a, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Vienna, Austria, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Donaueschingenstrasse 13, 1200 Vienna, Austria; Department of Periodontology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 11, 3008 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ulrike Kuchler
- Department of Oral Surgery, University Clinic of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Sensengasse 2a, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
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Sanceau J, Gougelet A. Epigenetic mechanisms of liver tumor resistance to immunotherapy. World J Hepatol 2021; 13:979-1002. [PMID: 34630870 PMCID: PMC8473495 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v13.i9.979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver tumor, which stands fourth in rank of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The incidence of HCC is constantly increasing in correlation with the epidemic in diabetes and obesity, arguing for an urgent need for new treatments for this lethal cancer refractory to conventional treatments. HCC is the paradigm of inflammation-associated cancer, since more than 80% of HCC emerge consecutively to cirrhosis associated with a vast remodeling of liver microenvironment. In the recent decade, immunomodulatory drugs have been developed and have given impressive results in melanoma and later in several other cancers. In the present review, we will discuss the recent advancements concerning the use of immunotherapies in HCC, in particular those targeting immune checkpoints, used alone or in combination with other anti-cancers agents. We will address why these drugs demonstrate unsatisfactory results in a high proportion of liver cancers and the mechanisms of resistance developed by HCC to evade immune response with a focus on the epigenetic-related mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Sanceau
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, Paris 75006, France
| | - Angélique Gougelet
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, Paris 75006, France
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Natural Killer Cells and Type 1 Innate Lymphoid Cells in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22169044. [PMID: 34445750 PMCID: PMC8396475 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22169044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells and type 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILC1) are specific innate lymphoid cell subsets that are key for the detection and elimination of pathogens and cancer cells. In liver, while they share a number of characteristics, they differ in many features. These include their developmental pathways, tissue distribution, phenotype and functions. NK cells and ILC1 contribute to organ homeostasis through the production of key cytokines and chemokines and the elimination of potential harmful bacteria and viruses. In addition, they are equipped with a wide range of receptors, allowing them to detect “stressed cells’ such as cancer cells. Our understanding of the role of innate lymphoid cells in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is growing owing to the development of mouse models, the progress in immunotherapeutic treatment and the recent use of scRNA sequencing analyses. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of NK cells and ILC1 in hepatocellular carcinoma and discuss future strategies to take advantage of these innate immune cells in anti-tumor immunity. Immunotherapies hold great promise in HCC, and a better understanding of the role and function of NK cells and ILC1 in liver cancer could pave the way for new NK cell and/or ILC1-targeted treatment.
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Xu Y, Huang Z, Yu X, Li Z, Zheng L, Xu J. HHLA2 Expression is Associated with Poor Survival in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Biologics 2021; 15:329-341. [PMID: 34413629 PMCID: PMC8370585 DOI: 10.2147/btt.s325019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Background Human endogenous retrovirus-H long terminal repeat-associating protein 2 (HHLA2) is a member of the B7 family; however, little is known regarding its expression and clinical relevance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods To better characterize HHLA2 expression in HCC, we analyzed its expression by in situ staining and further investigated its correlation with immune infiltration and patient prognosis. Results HHLA2 was primarily expressed in the peri-tumor region of HCC tissues and co-localized with CD68+ monocytes/macrophages. In vitro analysis and multi-immunofluorescence staining showed up-regulated HHLA2 expression in tumor-activated monocytes/macrophages, and HHLA2+ monocytes/macrophages expressed high levels of HLA-DR in HCC tissue. A correlation analysis showed that samples displaying high HHLA2 expression in the peri-tumor region had significant tumor infiltration of CD204+ and CD11b+ cells, and low expression of genes associated with an anti-tumor immune response. The high level of peri-tumoral HHLA2 expression was associated with a poor patient overall survival (OS; P = 0.008). A multivariate analysis revealed that HHLA2 expression in the peri-tumor region was an independent prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio = 1.872, p = 0.003). Moreover, the expression of HHLA2 was negatively correlated with PD-L1, and patients exhibiting HHLA2 and programmed cell death-ligand 1(PD-L1) co-expression had the shortest survival time. Conclusion HHLA2 expression represented an immunosuppressive microenvironment in HCC, and may serve as a potential target for immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yituo Xu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhijie Huang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingjuan Yu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhixiong Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China
| | - Limin Zheng
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China.,MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Xu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China
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Xu SS, Li H, Li TJ, Li S, Xia HY, Long J, Wu CT, Wang WQ, Zhang WH, Gao HL, Han X, Ye LY, Lin X, Xu HX, Yu XJ, Liu L. Neutrophil Extracellular Traps and Macrophage Extracellular Traps Predict Postoperative Recurrence in Resectable Nonfunctional Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors. Front Immunol 2021; 12:577517. [PMID: 34084158 PMCID: PMC8168461 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.577517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Extracellular traps (ETs) and tumor-infiltrating immune cells can contribute to disease progression. The clinical significance of tumor-infiltrating neutrophils and macrophages and related extracellular traps in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to explore the prognostic value of tumor infiltration and ET formation by neutrophils and macrophages in pNETs. Methods A total of 135 patients with radical resection of nonfunctional pNETs were analyzed retrospectively. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were utilized to stain tumor tissue sections. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) of subgroups determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis was compared with the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify independent prognostic factors. A nomogram was established to predict 3-year RFS. Results Patients with high tumor-infiltrating neutrophils or macrophages or positive expression of neutrophils ETs or macrophage ETs displayed worse RFS (all p<0.05). Moreover, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that neutrophil and macrophage infiltration and ETs were independent prognostic factors for RFS (all p<0.05). A combined parameter including WHO grade, TNM stage, tumor-infiltrating neutrophils and macrophages, and neutrophil and macrophage ETs had the highest C-index (0.866) and lowest Akaike information criteria (326.557). The calibration plot of nomogram composed of the combined parameter exhibited excellent prognostic values for 3-year RFS. Conclusions Infiltration and ETs by neutrophils and macrophages can be used as biological indicators of patient prognosis, suggesting the treatment potential for targeting those in nonfunctional pNETs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai-Shuai Xu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tian-Jiao Li
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuo Li
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huan-Yu Xia
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiang Long
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chun-Tao Wu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen-Quan Wang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wu-Hu Zhang
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - He-Li Gao
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuan Han
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Long-Yun Ye
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuan Lin
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hua-Xiang Xu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xian-Jun Yu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Department of Pancreatic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Shanghai, China.,Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Yu ZL, Zhu ZM. Comprehensive analysis of N6-methyladenosine -related long non-coding RNAs and immune cell infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma. Bioengineered 2021; 12:1708-1724. [PMID: 33955330 PMCID: PMC8806206 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2021.1923381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We aimed to illustrate the influence of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and immune cell infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The relationship of lncRNAs and m6A was identified through gene expression analysis using PERL and R packages. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes gene expression enrichment analysis was performed via gene set enrichment analysis. Lasso regression was utilized to construct prognostic model. Differences in the tumor microenvironment and the immune correlation were analyzed to clarify immune cell infiltration in different clusters and their correlation with the clinical prognosis. Co-expression analysis showed that lncRNA expression was associated closely with m6A. Many lncRNAs were predictive risk factors of prognosis in HCC. m6A-lncRNAs were partially highly expressed in tumor tissue and could be used in a prognostic model to predict HCC prognosis, independent of other clinical characteristics. ‘NOTCH SIGNALING PATHWAY’ was most significantly enriched according to GSEA. CKLF-like MARVEL transmembrane domain-containing member 3 (CMTM3) was overexpressed in tumor tissue. Immune cells, such as activated CD4 memory T cells, CD8 T cells, and follicular helper T cells, highly infiltrated tissues in cluster 2. All related scores were higher in cluster 2, indicating a lower purity of tumor cells and higher density of immune-related cells in the tumor microenvironment. m6A-lncRNAs are closely related to HCC occurrence and progression. Corresponding prognostic models can help predict HCC prognosis. m6A-lncRNAs and the related immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment can provide novel therapeutic targets in HCC that need to be further studied. Graphical Abstract ![]() ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong Lin Yu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Zheng Ming Zhu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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Pan C, Wang Y, Liu Q, Hu Y, Fu J, Xie X, Zhang S, Xi M, Wen J. Phenotypic profiling and prognostic significance of immune infiltrates in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Oncoimmunology 2021; 10:1883890. [PMID: 33628625 PMCID: PMC7889084 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2021.1883890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) impacts tumor progression but is poorly understood. We obtained tumor tissues from 279 patients after esophagectomy and characterized the TME in intraepithelial and stromal regions using multiplex fluorescent immunohistochemistry (mfIHC). A heterogeneous immune population infiltrating tumor and the uninvolved esophageal tissue were observed. The infiltration of intraepithelial programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and stromal granzyme B+ activated cytotoxic T cells (aCTLs) correlated with both prolonged overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). The intraepithelial memory T cell infiltration predicted longer OS, while intraepithelial and stromal regulatory T cell (Treg) infiltration was associated with shortened OS and DFS, respectively. Multivariate models combining immune infiltrates and clinicopathological factors outperformed tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage in predicting OS and DFS at 3 and 5 years. The infiltration of Treg inversely correlated with that of the antitumor effectors including CTLs, aCTLs, and natural killer (NK) cells. Intraepithelial memory T cell infiltration also negatively correlated with PD-L1 expression. In spatial analysis, intraepithelial dendritic cell (DC)-memory T cell engagement increased in high PD-L1+ TAM infiltration group. The characterization of the TME revealed a complex interplay between immune populations and may be employed to stratify patient for prognosis prediction and immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuqing Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Qianwen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Department of Thoracic Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yihuai Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Department of Thoracic Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianhua Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Department of Thoracic Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiuying Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuishen Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Mian Xi
- Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Department of Radiotherapy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Institute, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
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Arlauckas S, Oh N, Li R, Weissleder R, Miller MA. Macrophage imaging and subset analysis using single-cell RNA sequencing. Nanotheranostics 2021; 5:36-56. [PMID: 33391974 PMCID: PMC7738942 DOI: 10.7150/ntno.50185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Macrophages have been associated with drug response and resistance in diverse settings, thus raising the possibility of using macrophage imaging as a companion diagnostic to inform personalized patient treatment strategies. Nanoparticle-based contrast agents are especially promising because they efficiently deliver fluorescent, magnetic, and/or radionuclide labels by leveraging the intrinsic capacity of macrophages to accumulate nanomaterials in their role as professional phagocytes. Unfortunately, current clinical imaging modalities are limited in their ability to quantify broad molecular programs that may explain (a) which particular cell subsets a given imaging agent is actually labeling, and (b) what mechanistic role those cells play in promoting drug response or resistance. Highly multiplexed single-cell approaches including single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) have emerged as resources to help answer these questions. In this review, we query recently published scRNAseq datasets to support companion macrophage imaging, with particular focus on using dextran-based nanoparticles to predict the action of anti-cancer nanotherapies and monoclonal antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Arlauckas
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Nuri Oh
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Ran Li
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ralph Weissleder
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Miles A Miller
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Importance of myeloid derived suppressor cells in cancer from a biomarker perspective. Cell Immunol 2020; 361:104280. [PMID: 33445053 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2020.104280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are a heterogenous population of immature myeloid cells that accumulate in tumor bearing host and migrate to lymphoid organs and tumor tissues. This process is controlled by a set of defined pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, which are upregulated in malignancies. MDSC have strong immunosuppressive potential and constitute a major component of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Tumor cells take advantage of the suppressive mechanisms of MDSC to establish an immunosuppressive TME which inhibits antitumor immune responses thereby promoting cancer progression. An immunosuppressive TME acts as a significant barrier to immunotherapeutic interventions. Pre-clinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that enrichment and activation of MDSC is correlated with tumor progression, recurrence and metastasis. In this review we discuss the potential impact of MDSC on tumor progression and its role as a biomarker of prognostic significance in cancer with a special focus on hepatocellular cancer (HCC).
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Atypical immunometabolism and metabolic reprogramming in liver cancer: Deciphering the role of gut microbiome. Adv Cancer Res 2020; 149:171-255. [PMID: 33579424 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2020.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Much recent research has delved into understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of HCC pathogenesis, which has revealed to be heterogenous and complex. Two major hallmarks of HCC include: (i) a hijacked immunometabolism and (ii) a reprogramming in metabolic processes. We posit that the gut microbiota is a third component in an entanglement triangle contributing to HCC progression. Besides metagenomic studies highlighting the diagnostic potential in the gut microbiota profile, recent research is pinpointing the gut microbiota as an instigator, not just a mere bystander, in HCC. In this chapter, we discuss mechanistic insights on atypical immunometabolism and metabolic reprogramming in HCC, including the examination of tumor-associated macrophages and neutrophils, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (e.g., T-cell exhaustion, regulatory T-cells, natural killer T-cells), the Warburg effect, rewiring of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and glutamine addiction. We further discuss the potential involvement of the gut microbiota in these characteristics of hepatocarcinogenesis. An immediate highlight is that microbiota metabolites (e.g., short chain fatty acids, secondary bile acids) can impair anti-tumor responses, which aggravates HCC. Lastly, we describe the rising 'new era' of immunotherapies (e.g., immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive T-cell transfer) and discuss for the potential incorporation of gut microbiota targeted therapeutics (e.g., probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation) to alleviate HCC. Altogether, this chapter invigorates for continuous research to decipher the role of gut microbiome in HCC from its influence on immunometabolism and metabolic reprogramming.
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Current perspectives on the tumor microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatol Int 2020; 14:947-957. [DOI: 10.1007/s12072-020-10104-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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