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Yi M, Li T, Niu M, Mei Q, Zhao B, Chu Q, Dai Z, Wu K. Exploiting innate immunity for cancer immunotherapy. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:187. [PMID: 38008741 PMCID: PMC10680233 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01885-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapies have revolutionized the treatment paradigms of various types of cancers. However, most of these immunomodulatory strategies focus on harnessing adaptive immunity, mainly by inhibiting immunosuppressive signaling with immune checkpoint blockade, or enhancing immunostimulatory signaling with bispecific T cell engager and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell. Although these agents have already achieved great success, only a tiny percentage of patients could benefit from immunotherapies. Actually, immunotherapy efficacy is determined by multiple components in the tumor microenvironment beyond adaptive immunity. Cells from the innate arm of the immune system, such as macrophages, dendritic cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, neutrophils, natural killer cells, and unconventional T cells, also participate in cancer immune evasion and surveillance. Considering that the innate arm is the cornerstone of the antitumor immune response, utilizing innate immunity provides potential therapeutic options for cancer control. Up to now, strategies exploiting innate immunity, such as agonists of stimulator of interferon genes, CAR-macrophage or -natural killer cell therapies, metabolic regulators, and novel immune checkpoint blockade, have exhibited potent antitumor activities in preclinical and clinical studies. Here, we summarize the latest insights into the potential roles of innate cells in antitumor immunity and discuss the advances in innate arm-targeted therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Yi
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, People's Republic of China
- Department of Breast Surgery, College of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianye Li
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310000, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengke Niu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Mei
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Zhao
- Department of Breast Surgery, College of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Chu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhijun Dai
- Department of Breast Surgery, College of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, People's Republic of China.
| | - Kongming Wu
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, People's Republic of China.
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Marvin DL, Dijkstra J, Zulfiqar RM, Vermeulen M, Ten Dijke P, Ritsma L. TGF-β Type I Receptor Signaling in Melanoma Liver Metastases Increases Metastatic Outgrowth. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108676. [PMID: 37240029 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite advances in treatment for metastatic melanoma patients, patients with liver metastasis have an unfavorable prognosis. A better understanding of the development of liver metastasis is needed. The multifunctional cytokine Transforming Growth Factor β (TGF-β) plays various roles in melanoma tumors and metastasis, affecting both tumor cells and cells from the surrounding tumor microenvironment. To study the role of TGF-β in melanoma liver metastasis, we created a model to activate or repress the TGF-β receptor pathway in vitro and in vivo in an inducible manner. For this, we engineered B16F10 melanoma cells to have inducible ectopic expression of a constitutively active (ca) or kinase-inactive (ki) TGF-β receptor I, also termed activin receptor-like kinase (ALK5). In vitro, stimulation with TGF-β signaling and ectopic caALK5 expression reduced B16F10 cell proliferation and migration. Contrasting results were found in vivo; sustained caALK5 expression in B16F10 cells in vivo increased the metastatic outgrowth in liver. Blocking microenvironmental TGF-β did not affect metastatic liver outgrowth of both control and caALK5 expressing B16F10 cells. Upon characterizing the tumor microenvironment of control and caALk5 expressing B16F10 tumors, we observed reduced (cytotoxic) T cell presence and infiltration, as well as an increase in bone marrow-derived macrophages in caALK5 expressing B16F10 tumors. This suggests that caALK5 expression in B16F10 cells induces changes in the tumor microenvironment. A comparison of newly synthesized secreted proteins upon caALK5 expression by B16F10 cells revealed increased secretion of matrix remodeling proteins. Our results show that TGF-β receptor activation in B16F10 melanoma cells can increase metastatic outgrowth in liver in vivo, possibly through remodeling of the tumor microenvironment leading to altered infiltration of immune cells. These results provide insights in the role of TGF-β signaling in B16F10 liver metastasis and could have implications regarding the use of TGF-β inhibitors for the treatment of melanoma patients with liver metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieuwke L Marvin
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jelmer Dijkstra
- Oncode Institute and Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rabia M Zulfiqar
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Michiel Vermeulen
- Oncode Institute and Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Ten Dijke
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Laila Ritsma
- Oncode Institute and Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZC Leiden, The Netherlands
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3
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Liu JX, Chen AN, Yu Q, Shi KT, Liu YB, Guo CL, Wang ZZ, Yao Y, Pan L, Lu X, Xu K, Wang H, Zeng M, Liu C, Schleimer RP, Wu N, Liao B, Liu Z. MEX3B inhibits collagen production in eosinophilic nasal polyps by downregulating epithelial cell TGFBR3 mRNA stability. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e159058. [PMID: 36976645 PMCID: PMC10243817 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.159058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the expression of Mex3 RNA-binding family member B (MEX3B) is upregulated in human nasal epithelial cells (HNECs) predominately in the eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) subtype, its functions as an RNA binding protein in airway epithelial cells remain unknown. Here, we revealed the role of MEX3B based on different subtypes of CRS and demonstrated that MEX3B decreased the TGF-β receptor III (TGFBR3) mRNA level by binding to its 3' UTR and reducing its stability in HNECs. TGF-βR3 was found to be a TGF-β2-specific coreceptor in HNECs. Knocking down or overexpressing MEX3B promoted or inhibited TGF-β2-induced phosphorylation of SMAD2 in HNECs, respectively. TGF-βR3 and phosphorylated SMAD2 levels were downregulated in CRSwNP compared with controls and CRS without nasal polyps with a more prominent downregulation in the eosinophilic CRSwNP. TGF-β2 promoted collagen production in HNECs. Collagen abundance decreased and edema scores increased in CRSwNP compared with control, again more prominently in the eosinophilic type. Collagen expression in eosinophilic CRSwNP was negatively correlated with MEX3B but positively correlated with TGF-βR3. These results suggest that MEX3B inhibits tissue fibrosis in eosinophilic CRSwNP by downregulating epithelial cell TGFBR3 expression; consequently, MEX3B might be a valuable therapeutic target against eosinophilic CRSwNP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Xin Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital; and
| | - Ao-Nan Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital; and
| | - Qihong Yu
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Clinical Medical Research Center of Hepatic Surgery at Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
| | - Ke-Tai Shi
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital; and
| | - Yi-Bo Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital; and
| | - Cui-Lian Guo
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital; and
| | - Zhe-Zheng Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital; and
| | - Yin Yao
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital; and
| | - Li Pan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital; and
| | - Xiang Lu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital; and
| | - Kai Xu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital; and
| | - Heng Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital; and
| | - Ming Zeng
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital; and
| | - Chaohong Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital; and
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Robert P. Schleimer
- Division of Allergy-Immunology, Department of Medicine; and
- Department of Otolaryngology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Ning Wu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital; and
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, and
- Cell Architecture Research Center, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Bo Liao
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital; and
| | - Zheng Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tongji Hospital; and
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Chen Z, Yu H, Chen X, Chen W, Song W, Li Z. Mutual regulation between glycosylation and transforming growth factor-β isoforms signaling pathway. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 236:123818. [PMID: 36858092 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123818] [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: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) superfamily members orchestrate a wide breadth of biological processes. Through Sma and Mad (Smad)-related dependent or noncanonical pathways, TGF-β members involve in the occurrence and development of many diseases such as cancers, fibrosis, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases and brain diseases. Glycosylation is one kind of the most common posttranslational modifications on proteins or lipids. Abnormal protein glycosylation can lead to protein malfunction and biological process disorder, thereby causing serious diseases. Previously, researchers commonly make comprehensive systematic overviews on the roles of TGF-β signaling in a specific disease or biological process. In recent years, more and more evidences associate glycosylation modification with TGF-β signaling pathway, and we can no longer disengage and ignore the roles of glycosylation from TGF-β signaling to make investigation. In this review, we provide an overview of current findings involved in glycosylation within TGF-βs and theirs receptors, and the interaction effects between glycosylation and TGF-β subfamily signaling, concluding that there is an intricate mutual regulation between glycosylation and TGF-β signaling, hoping to present the glycosylation regulatory patterns that concealed in TGF-βs signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Chen
- Laboratory for Functional Glycomics, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, PR China
| | - Hanjie Yu
- Laboratory for Functional Glycomics, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, PR China
| | - Xiangqin Chen
- Laboratory for Functional Glycomics, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, PR China
| | - Wentian Chen
- Laboratory for Functional Glycomics, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, PR China
| | - Wanghua Song
- Laboratory for Functional Glycomics, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, PR China
| | - Zheng Li
- Laboratory for Functional Glycomics, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, PR China.
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5
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Yang H, Wang L. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans in cancer: Pathogenesis and therapeutic potential. Adv Cancer Res 2023; 157:251-291. [PMID: 36725112 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acr.2022.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are glycoproteins that consist of a proteoglycan "core" protein and covalently attached heparan sulfate (HS) chain. HSPGs are ubiquitously expressed in mammalian cells on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and secretory vesicles. Within HSPGs, the protein cores determine when and where HSPG expression takes place, and the HS chains mediate most of HSPG's biological roles through binding various protein ligands, including cytokines, chemokines, growth factors and receptors, morphogens, proteases, protease inhibitors, and ECM proteins. Through these interactions, HSPGs modulate cell proliferation, adhesion, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis to display essential functions in physiology and pathology. Under physiological conditions, the expression and localization of HSPGs are finely regulated to orchestrate their physiological functions, and this is disrupted in cancer. The HSPG dysregulation elicits multiple oncogenic signaling, including growth factor signaling, ECM and Integrin signaling, chemokine and immune signaling, cancer stem cell, cell differentiation, apoptosis, and senescence, to prompt cell transformation, proliferation, tumor invasion and metastasis, tumor angiogenesis and inflammation, and immunotolerance. These oncogenic roles make HSPGs an attractive pharmacological target for anti-cancer therapy. Several therapeutic strategies have been under development, including anti-HSPG antibodies, peptides and HS mimetics, synthetic xylosides, and heparinase inhibitors, and shown promising anti-cancer efficacy. Therefore, much progress has been made in this line of study. However, it needs to bear in mind that the roles of HSPGs in cancer can be either oncogenic or tumor-suppressive, depending on the HSPG and the cancer cell type with the underlying mechanisms that remain obscure. Further studies need to address these to fill the knowledge gap and rationalize more efficient therapeutic targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Yang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Lianchun Wang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States; Bryd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States.
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Zhang X, Bai W, Hu L, Ha H, Du Y, Xiong W, Wang H, Shang P. The pleiotropic mode and molecular mechanism of macrophages in promoting tumor progression and metastasis. CLINICAL & TRANSLATIONAL ONCOLOGY : OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF SPANISH ONCOLOGY SOCIETIES AND OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE OF MEXICO 2023; 25:91-104. [PMID: 36071369 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-022-02932-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Macrophages are the most abundant immune cells in primary and metastatic tumor tissues. Studies have shown that macrophages mainly exhibit a tumor-promoting phenotype and play a key role in tumor progression and metastasis. Therefore, many macrophage-targeted drugs have entered clinical trials. However, compared to preclinical studies, some clinical trial results showed that macrophage-targeted therapy did not achieve the desired effect. This may be because most of what we know about macrophages comes from in vitro experiments and animal models, while macrophages in the more complex human microenvironment are still poorly understood. With the development of technologies such as single-cell RNA sequencing, we have gained a new understanding of the origin, classification and functional mechanism of tumor-associated macrophages. Therefore, this study reviewed the recent progress of macrophages in promoting tumor progression and metastasis, aiming to provide some help for the formulation of optimal strategies for macrophage-targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingxing Zhang
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, Gansu Nephro-Urological Clinical Center, Key Laboratory of Urological Diseases in Gansu Province, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, 730030, Gansu, China
| | - Wenxiu Bai
- Ultrasonic Special Examination Department, Tai An TSCM Hospital, Taian, 271000, Shandong, China
| | - Lisha Hu
- Ultrasonic Special Examination Department, Tai An TSCM Hospital, Taian, 271000, Shandong, China
| | - Hualan Ha
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, Gansu Nephro-Urological Clinical Center, Key Laboratory of Urological Diseases in Gansu Province, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, 730030, Gansu, China
| | - Yuelin Du
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, Gansu Nephro-Urological Clinical Center, Key Laboratory of Urological Diseases in Gansu Province, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, 730030, Gansu, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, Gansu Nephro-Urological Clinical Center, Key Laboratory of Urological Diseases in Gansu Province, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, 730030, Gansu, China
| | - Hongbo Wang
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, Gansu Nephro-Urological Clinical Center, Key Laboratory of Urological Diseases in Gansu Province, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, 730030, Gansu, China
| | - Panfeng Shang
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, Gansu Nephro-Urological Clinical Center, Key Laboratory of Urological Diseases in Gansu Province, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, 730030, Gansu, China.
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Villar VH, Subotički T, Đikić D, Mitrović-Ajtić O, Simon F, Santibanez JF. Transforming Growth Factor-β1 in Cancer Immunology: Opportunities for Immunotherapy. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1408:309-328. [PMID: 37093435 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-26163-3_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β) regulates a plethora of cell-intrinsic processes that modulate tumor progression in a context-dependent manner. Thus, although TGF-β acts as a tumor suppressor in the early stages of tumorigenesis, in late stages, this factor promotes tumor progression and metastasis. In addition, TGF-β also impinges on the tumor microenvironment by modulating the immune system. In this aspect, TGF-β exhibits a potent immunosuppressive effect, which allows both cancer cells to escape from immune surveillance and confers resistance to immunotherapy. While TGF-β inhibits the activation and antitumoral functions of T-cell lymphocytes, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells, it promotes the generation of T-regulatory cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, which hinder antitumoral T-cell activities. Moreover, TGF-β promotes tumor-associated macrophages and neutrophils polarization from M1 into M2 and N1 to N2, respectively. Altogether, these effects contribute to the generation of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and support tumor promotion. This review aims to analyze the relevant evidence on the complex role of TGF-β in cancer immunology, the current outcomes of combined immunotherapies, and the anti-TGF-β therapies that may improve the success of current and new oncotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor H Villar
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Tijana Subotički
- Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dragoslava Đikić
- Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Olivera Mitrović-Ajtić
- Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Felipe Simon
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Institute On Immunology and Immunotherapy, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus of Ion Channel-Associated Diseases, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan F Santibanez
- Institute for Medical Research, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
- Integrative Center for Biology and Applied Chemistry (CIBQA), Bernardo O'Higgins University, Santiago, Chile.
- Molecular Oncology Group, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr. Subotica 4, POB 102, 11129, Belgrade, Serbia.
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Yao Y, Li J, Qu K, Wang Y, Wang Z, Lu W, Yu Y, Wang L. Immunotherapy for lung cancer combining the oligodeoxynucleotides of TLR9 agonist and TGF-β2 inhibitor. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2022; 72:1103-1120. [PMID: 36326892 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-022-03315-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Tumor immunotherapies have shown promising antitumor effects, especially immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, only 12.46% of the patients benefit from the ICIs, the rest of them shows limited effects on ICIs or even accelerates the tumor progression due to the lack of the immune cell infiltration and activation in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In this study, we administrated a combination of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist CpG ODN and Transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2) antisense oligodeoxynucleotide TIO3 to mice intraperitoneally once every other day for a total of four injections, and the first injection was 24 h after LLC cell inoculation. We found that the combination induced the formation of TME toward the enrichment and activation of CD8+ T cells and NK cells, accompanied with a marked decrease of TGF-β2. The combined therapy also effectively inhibited the tumor growth and prolonged the survival of the mice, even protected the tumor-free mice from the tumor re-challenge. Both of CpG ODN and TIO3 are indispensable, because replacing CpG ODN with TLR9 inhibitor CCT ODN showed no antitumor effect, CpG ODN or TIO3 alone did not lead to ideal antitumor results. This effect was possibly initiated by the activation of dendritic cells at the tumor site. This systemic antitumor immunotherapy with a combination of the two oligonucleotides (an immune stimulant and an immunosuppressive cytokine inhibitor) before the tumor formation may provide a novel strategy for clinical prevention of the postoperative tumor recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunpeng Yao
- Department of Molecular Biology in College of Basic Medical Sciences and Institute of Pediatrics in The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianhua Li
- Department of Molecular Biology in College of Basic Medical Sciences and Institute of Pediatrics in The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Kuo Qu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Yangeng Wang
- Department of Molecular Biology in College of Basic Medical Sciences and Institute of Pediatrics in The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhe Wang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenting Lu
- Department of Molecular Biology in College of Basic Medical Sciences and Institute of Pediatrics in The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongli Yu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, People's Republic of China.
| | - Liying Wang
- Department of Molecular Biology in College of Basic Medical Sciences and Institute of Pediatrics in The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, People's Republic of China.
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Xia M, Wang S, Ye Y, Tu Y, Huang T, Gao L. Effect of the m6ARNA gene on the prognosis of thyroid cancer, immune infiltration, and promising immunotherapy. Front Immunol 2022; 13:995645. [PMID: 36389678 PMCID: PMC9664221 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.995645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accumulating evidence suggests that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation plays an important role in tumor proliferation and growth. However, its effect on the clinical prognosis, immune infiltration, and immunotherapy response of thyroid cancer patients has not been investigated in detail. METHODS Clinical data and RNA expression profiles of thyroid cancer were extracted from the Cancer Genome Atlas-thyroid carcinoma (TCGA-THCA) and preprocessed for consensus clustering. The risk model was constructed based on differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and Cox regression analyses. The associations between risk score and clinical traits, immune infiltration, Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), immune infiltration, and immunotherapy were assessed. Immunohistochemistry was used to substantiate the clinical traits of our samples. RESULTS Gene expression analysis showed that 17 genes, except YHTDF2, had significant differences (vs healthy control, P<0.001). Consensus clustering yielded 2 clusters according to their clinical features and estimated a poorer prognosis for Cluster 1 (P=0.03). The heatmap between the 2 clusters showed differences in T (P<0.01), N (P<0.001) and stage (P<0.01). Based on univariate Cox and LASSO regression, a risk model consisting of three high-risk genes (KIAA1429, RBM15, FTO) was established, and the expression difference between normal and tumor tissues of three genes was confirmed by immunohistochemical results of our clinical tissues. KEGG and GSEA analyses showed that the risk DEGs were related mainly to proteolysis, immune response, and cancer pathways. The levels of immune infiltration in the high- and low-risk groups were different mainly in iDCs (P<0.05), NK cells (P<0.05), and type-INF-II (P<0.001). Immunotherapy analysis yielded 30 drugs associated with the expression of each gene and 20 drugs associated with the risk score. CONCLUSIONS Our risk model can act as an independent marker for thyroid cancer and provides promising immunotherapy targets for its treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minqi Xia
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuo Wang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yingchun Ye
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yi Tu
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Tiantian Huang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ling Gao
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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Shukla N, Naik A, Moryani K, Soni M, Shah J, Dave H. TGF-β at the crossroads of multiple prognosis in breast cancer, and beyond. Life Sci 2022; 310:121011. [PMID: 36179816 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.121011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), a pluripotent cytokine and a multifunctional growth factor has a crucial role in varied biological mechanisms like invasion, migration, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, apoptosis, wound healing, and immunosuppression. Moreover, it also has an imperative role both in normal mammary gland development as well as breast carcinogenesis. TGF-β has shown to have a paradoxical role in breast carcinogenesis, by transitioning from a growth inhibitor to a growth promoter with the disease advancement. The inter-communication and crosstalk of TGF-β with different signaling pathways has strengthened the likelihood to explore it as a comprehensive biomarker. In the last two decades, TGF-β has been studied extensively and has been found to be a promising biomarker for early detection, disease monitoring, treatment selection, and tumor progression making it beneficial for disease management. In this review, we focus on the signaling pathways and biological activities of the TGF-β family in breast cancer pathogenesis and its role as a circulatory and independent biomarker for breast cancer progression and metastasis. Moreover, this review highlights TGF-β as a drug target, and the underlying mechanisms through which it is involved in tumorigenesis that will aid in the development of varied therapies targeting the different stages of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirali Shukla
- Institute of Science, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 382481, India
| | - Ankit Naik
- Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 390009, India
| | - Kamlesh Moryani
- Institute of Science, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 382481, India
| | - Molisha Soni
- Institute of Pharmacy, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 382481, India
| | - Jigna Shah
- Institute of Pharmacy, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 382481, India
| | - Heena Dave
- Institute of Science, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 382481, India.
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11
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Deb G, Cicala A, Papadas A, Asimakopoulos F. Matrix proteoglycans in tumor inflammation and immunity. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2022; 323:C678-C693. [PMID: 35876288 PMCID: PMC9448345 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00023.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Cancer immunoediting progresses through elimination, equilibrium, and escape. Each of these phases is characterized by breaching, remodeling, and rebuilding tissue planes and structural barriers that engage extracellular matrix (ECM) components, in particular matrix proteoglycans. Some of the signals emanating from matrix proteoglycan remodeling are readily co-opted by the growing tumor to sustain an environment of tumor-promoting and immune-suppressive inflammation. Yet other matrix-derived cues can be viewed as part of a homeostatic response by the host, aiming to eliminate the tumor and restore tissue integrity. These latter signals may be harnessed for therapeutic purposes to tip the polarity of the tumor immune milieu toward anticancer immunity. In this review, we attempt to showcase the importance and complexity of matrix proteoglycan signaling in both cancer-restraining and cancer-promoting inflammation. We propose that the era of matrix diagnostics and therapeutics for cancer is fast approaching the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gauri Deb
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California
| | - Alexander Cicala
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California
| | - Athanasios Papadas
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California
| | - Fotis Asimakopoulos
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California
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12
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Lee HK, Ji HJ, Shin SK, Koo J, Kim TH, Kim CW, Seong YH, Park JE, Choi KC. Targeting transforming growth factor-β2 by antisense oligodeoxynucleotide accelerates T cell-mediated tumor rejection in a humanized mouse model of triple-negative breast cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2022; 71:2213-2226. [DOI: 10.1007/s00262-022-03157-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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13
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Zou G, Wu Y, Ren B, Wu Y, Zhu Q, He J, Luo Z. Low expression of INHB co-receptor TGFBR3 in connection with metastasis and immune infiltration in lung adenocarcinoma. Am J Transl Res 2022; 14:5263-5279. [PMID: 36105051 PMCID: PMC9452337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Inhibin B (INHB) is one of the TGF-β superfamily member, consisting of α (INHA) and βB (INHBB) subunits. Studies have found that TGF-β receptor 3 (TGFBR3) binds to a convex α subunit on the surface of INHB, and enhances the binding affinity of activin receptor type-2 (ACVR2A/B) to INHβ subunit. This study tried to evaluate the roles of INHB subunits and its receptors (INHA, ACVR2A, ACVR2B, INHBB, TGFBR3) as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the effective treatment of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). METHODS We analyzed INHB subunits and its receptors' expression and the influence of LUAD from Oncomine, GEPIA, HCMDB, CancerSEA, TIMER databases and so on. Then, 41 cases of cancer tissue and 41 cases of adjacent epithelium were detected in LUAD patients by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS INHA, ACVR2A, ACVR2B, INHBB were up-regulated while TGFBR3 was down-regulated in LUAD. INHA, ACVR2A and TGFBR3 were found to be strongly associated with high-grade malignancies and advanced TNM, only TGFBR3 expression was negatively correlated with LUAD metastasis probably mainly through cell adhesion molecules and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, univariate and multivariate analysis suggested that overall survival was lower in LUAD cases with low TGFBR3 levels. Further analysis revealed that low TGFBR3 expression was related to reduced infiltration of immune cells into the LUAD, promoting metastasis of LUAD cells. TGFBR3 expression negatively correlates with lymphatic metastasis and clinical stage in patients with LUAD. CONCLUSION TGFBR3 could be a potential new metastatic biomarker for LUAD, with potential application as a prognostic marker and for immunotherapy of LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoying Zou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province Changsha 410007, Hunan, China
| | - Ying Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province Changsha 410007, Hunan, China
| | - Biqiong Ren
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province Changsha 410007, Hunan, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province Changsha 410007, Hunan, China
| | - Qing Zhu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province Changsha 410007, Hunan, China
| | - Junyu He
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province Changsha 410007, Hunan, China
| | - Zhihong Luo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province Changsha 410007, Hunan, China
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14
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Natural Killer Cell Recognition and Control of Epithelial Cancers. Cancer J 2022; 28:263-269. [PMID: 35880935 PMCID: PMC9336556 DOI: 10.1097/ppo.0000000000000610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells possess an innate ability to recognize cancer and are key mediators of cytotoxic efficacy for anticancer antibodies. Recent advances in the ability to generate, qualify, and safely infuse NK cells have led to a wide variety of clinical trials in oncology. Although their efficacy is best established for liquid cancers, their potential application in solid cancers has received increased attention. Here, we provide general background across a disparate group of exemplary solid tumors for which there is evidence for an NK cell role, discuss NK cell recognition motifs specific to each and murine and human studies of each that are supportive of NK cell adoptive immunotherapy, and end with special considerations relevant to the solid tumor microenvironment.
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15
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Chen B, Mu C, Zhang Z, He X, Liu X. The Love-Hate Relationship Between TGF-β Signaling and the Immune System During Development and Tumorigenesis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:891268. [PMID: 35720407 PMCID: PMC9204485 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.891268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Since TGF-β was recognized as an essential secreted cytokine in embryogenesis and adult tissue homeostasis a decade ago, our knowledge of the role of TGF-β in mammalian development and disease, particularly cancer, has constantly been updated. Mounting evidence has confirmed that TGF-β is the principal regulator of the immune system, as deprivation of TGF-β signaling completely abrogates adaptive immunity. However, enhancing TGF-β signaling constrains the immune response through multiple mechanisms, including boosting Treg cell differentiation and inducing CD8+ T-cell apoptosis in the disease context. The love-hate relationship between TGF-β signaling and the immune system makes it challenging to develop effective monotherapies targeting TGF-β, especially for cancer treatment. Nonetheless, recent work on combination therapies of TGF-β inhibition and immunotherapy have provide insights into the development of TGF-β-targeted therapies, with favorable outcomes in patients with advanced cancer. Hence, we summarize the entanglement between TGF-β and the immune system in the developmental and tumor contexts and recent progress on hijacking crucial TGF-β signaling pathways as an emerging area of cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baode Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chenglin Mu
- Institute for Intelligent Bio/Chem Manufacturing (iBCM), Zhejiang University (ZJU)-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhiwei Zhang
- Institute for Intelligent Bio/Chem Manufacturing (iBCM), Zhejiang University (ZJU)-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xuelin He
- Kidney Disease Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xia Liu
- Institute for Intelligent Bio/Chem Manufacturing (iBCM), Zhejiang University (ZJU)-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou, China
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16
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Blaye C, Boyer T, Peyraud F, Domblides C, Larmonier N. Beyond Immunosuppression: The Multifaceted Functions of Tumor-Promoting Myeloid Cells in Breast Cancers. Front Immunol 2022; 13:838040. [PMID: 35309358 PMCID: PMC8927658 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.838040] [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: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancers are commonly associated with an immunosuppressive microenvironment responsible for tumor escape from anti-cancer immunity. Cells of the myeloid lineage account for a major part of this tumor-promoting landscape. These myeloid cells are composed of heterogeneous subsets at different stages of differentiation and have traditionally been described by their cardinal ability to suppress innate and adaptive anticancer immunity. However, evidence has accumulated that, beyond their immunosuppressive properties, breast cancer-induced myeloid cells are also equipped with a broad array of “non-immunological” tumor-promoting functions. They therefore represent major impediments for anticancer therapies, particularly for immune-based interventions. We herein analyze and discuss current literature related to the versatile properties of the different myeloid cell subsets engaged in breast cancer development. We critically assess persisting difficulties and challenges in unequivocally discriminate dedicated subsets, which has so far prevented both the selective targeting of these immunosuppressive cells and their use as potential biomarkers. In this context, we propose the concept of IMCGL, “pro-tumoral immunosuppressive myeloid cells of the granulocytic lineage”, to more accurately reflect the contentious nature and origin of granulocytic cells in the breast tumor microenvironment. Future research prospects related to the role of this myeloid landscape in breast cancer are further considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Blaye
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientific (CNRS) Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5164, ImmunoConcEpT, Bordeaux, France.,Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Bergonié, Bordeaux, France
| | - Thomas Boyer
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientific (CNRS) Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5164, ImmunoConcEpT, Bordeaux, France
| | - Florent Peyraud
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientific (CNRS) Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5164, ImmunoConcEpT, Bordeaux, France
| | - Charlotte Domblides
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientific (CNRS) Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5164, ImmunoConcEpT, Bordeaux, France.,Service d'Oncologie Médicale, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire (CHU) Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Nicolas Larmonier
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientific (CNRS) Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5164, ImmunoConcEpT, Bordeaux, France.,Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
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17
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Peng D, Fu M, Wang M, Wei Y, Wei X. Targeting TGF-β signal transduction for fibrosis and cancer therapy. Mol Cancer 2022; 21:104. [PMID: 35461253 PMCID: PMC9033932 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-022-01569-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 263] [Impact Index Per Article: 131.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) has long been identified with its intensive involvement in early embryonic development and organogenesis, immune supervision, tissue repair, and adult homeostasis. The role of TGF-β in fibrosis and cancer is complex and sometimes even contradictory, exhibiting either inhibitory or promoting effects depending on the stage of the disease. Under pathological conditions, overexpressed TGF-β causes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) formation, which leads to fibrotic disease, and cancer. Given the critical role of TGF-β and its downstream molecules in the progression of fibrosis and cancers, therapeutics targeting TGF-β signaling appears to be a promising strategy. However, due to potential systemic cytotoxicity, the development of TGF-β therapeutics has lagged. In this review, we summarized the biological process of TGF-β, with its dual role in fibrosis and tumorigenesis, and the clinical application of TGF-β-targeting therapies.
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18
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Wang T, Yu Q, Zhang W, Gao L. Comprehensive Analysis of the PROSER2-AS1-Related ceRNA Network and Immune Cell Infiltration in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma. Int J Gen Med 2022; 15:1647-1663. [PMID: 35210835 PMCID: PMC8858959 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s338019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is a malignant tumor of the endocrine system, and distant metastasis leads to poor prognosis for patients with PTC. The competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network and tumor-infiltrating immune cells might participate in tumor prognosis and distant metastasis. However, few studies have focused on ceRNAs and immune cells in PTC. Methods We identified differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) using the GEO2R tool of the GEO database. Through comprehensive analysis, we selected lncRNA PROSER2-AS1 and constructed a PROSER2-AS1-mediated ceRNA network. Survival was analyzed with a Kaplan-Meier (KM) curve. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to determine the function of PROSER2-AS1 in the ceRNA network using TCGA database. Moreover, the relationship between PROSER2-AS1 and immune cell infiltration was analyzed with ssGSEA using the “GSVA” package in R. Results Comprehensive analysis of the GSE66783 dataset revealed 105 significantly differentially expressed lncRNAs. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to assess the prognostic significance of the DELs, and we identified lncRNA PROSER2-AS1 as an independent factor for prognosis in PTC (p < 0.05). Considering the online tools LncRNASNP2 and miRWalk3.0, we constructed a PROSER2-AS1-related ceRNA network. Furthermore, the GSEA results suggested that PROSER2-AS1 may be involved in immune cell infiltration and that PROSER2-AS1 was correlated with 14 types of tumor-infiltrating immune cells. PROSER2-AS1 might function through TGFBR3. Conclusion lncRNA PROSER2-AS1 and related mRNAs (TGFBR3) may be potential prognostic biomarkers in PTC and may correlate with immune infiltrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Wang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Shandong Institute of Nephrology, Ji’nan, 250014, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Tingting Wang, Email
| | - Qian Yu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266003, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Shandong Institute of Nephrology, Ji’nan, 250014, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li Gao
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong Key Laboratory of Rheumatic Disease and Translational Medicine, Shandong Institute of Nephrology, Ji’nan, 250014, People’s Republic of China
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19
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The Prognostic and Molecular Landscape of Autophagy-Related Long Noncoding RNA in Colorectal Cancer. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2022:5614915. [PMID: 35097120 PMCID: PMC8794669 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5614915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Current evidence suggests that autophagy is closely correlated with the pathogenesis and development of malignant tumors. This study is aimed at assessing the potential prognostic significance of autophagy-related long noncoding RNA (ARlncRNA) in colorectal cancer (CRC). 3145 ARlncRNAs were obtained from autophagy-related genes (ARGs) by Pearson correlation analysis, and we established a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network mediated by ARlncRNAs. A novel six-ARlncRNA prognostic signature was constructed based on TCGA samples used as the training group. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and independent prognosis analysis were performed on the internal (training and test groups) and external validations (GEO datasets) to assess the accuracy and clinical practicability. Moreover, the nomogram combining the two independent prognostic factors (age and ARlncRNA-risk score (ARlncRNA-RS)) intuitively displayed overall survival. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) conducted on the prognostic signature revealed that the gene set of the high-risk group was significantly enriched in the hallmark gene set “hypoxia” and the gene set of the low-risk group was enriched in KEGG pathways, including “peroxisome,” “the citrate cycle (TCA cycle),” and “other glycan degradation.” Assessment of antineoplastic therapy susceptibility and microsatellite instability (MSI) analysis were performed on CRC samples based on the prognostic signature. Moreover, Spearman correlation analysis was conducted on the expression of six ARlncRNAs of the prognostic signature and cancer stem cell (CSC) index as well as the tumor microenvironment (TME). In conclusion, this study established a six-ARlncRNA prognostic signature, which yielded favorable prognostic significance and demonstrated the correlation between ARlncRNAs and CRC progression.
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20
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Pawlak JB, Blobe GC. TGF-β superfamily co-receptors in cancer. Dev Dyn 2022; 251:137-163. [PMID: 33797167 PMCID: PMC8484463 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily signaling via their cognate receptors is frequently modified by TGF-β superfamily co-receptors. Signaling through SMAD-mediated pathways may be enhanced or depressed depending on the specific co-receptor and cell context. This dynamic effect on signaling is further modified by the release of many of the co-receptors from the membrane to generate soluble forms that are often antagonistic to the membrane-bound receptors. The co-receptors discussed here include TβRIII (betaglycan), endoglin, BAMBI, CD109, SCUBE proteins, neuropilins, Cripto-1, MuSK, and RGMs. Dysregulation of these co-receptors can lead to altered TGF-β superfamily signaling that contributes to the pathophysiology of many cancers through regulation of growth, metastatic potential, and the tumor microenvironment. Here we describe the role of several TGF-β superfamily co-receptors on TGF-β superfamily signaling and the impact on cellular and physiological functions with a particular focus on cancer, including a discussion on recent pharmacological advances and potential clinical applications targeting these co-receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gerard C. Blobe
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center,Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center,Corresponding author: Gerard Blobe, B354 LSRC, Box 91004 DUMC, Durham, NC 27708, , 919-668-1352
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21
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Shen M, Du Y, Ye Y. Tumor-associated macrophages, dendritic cells, and neutrophils: biological roles, crosstalk, and therapeutic relevance. MEDICAL REVIEW (BERLIN, GERMANY) 2021; 1:222-243. [PMID: 37724296 PMCID: PMC10388790 DOI: 10.1515/mr-2021-0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Tumor-associated myeloid cells constitute a series of plastic and heterogeneous cell populations within the tumor microenvironment (TME), and exhibit different phenotypes and functions in response to various microenvironmental signals. In light of promising preclinical data indicating that myeloid-based therapy can effectively suppress tumor growth, a series of novel immune-based therapies and approaches are currently undergoing clinical evaluation. A better understanding of the diversity and functional roles of different myeloid cell subtypes and of how they are associated with TME remodeling may help to improve cancer therapy. Herein, we focus on myeloid cells and discuss how tumor cells can simultaneously reprogram these cells through tumor-derived factors and metabolites. In addition, we discuss the interactions between myeloid cells and other cells in the TME that have the potential to directly or indirectly regulate tumor initiation, invasion, or angiogenesis. We further discuss the current and future potential applications of myeloid cells in the development of focused therapeutic strategies in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyi Shen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanhua Du
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Youqiong Ye
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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22
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Miao L, Feng G, Yuan H. CircRNAs: a family number of miRNA regulatory transcriptome in laryngeal carcinoma. J Clin Lab Anal 2021; 35:e24038. [PMID: 34617636 PMCID: PMC8605118 DOI: 10.1002/jcla.24038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Laryngeal carcinoma (LC) is a common head and neck cancer, which is the result of mutational changes due to gene dysregulation and etiological factors such as tobacco and smoking. A large number of patients received a poor prognosis due to diagnosis at an advanced stage. This highlights the need for definitive, early, and efficient diagnoses. With rapid development of high‐throughput sequencing, circular RNA (circRNA) has been reported to play a pivotal role in cancer. CircRNA functions as a microRNA (miRNA) sponge in the regulation of mRNA expression, forming circRNA‐miRNA regulatory axis. In this review, we described the axis in LC. The result indicated that CDR1as, hsa_circ_0042823, hsa_circ_0023028, circPARD3, hsa_circ_103862, hsa_circ_0000218, circMYLK, circCORO1C, hsa_circ_100290, circ‐CCND1, hsa_circ_0057481, circFLAN, and circRASSF2 expressed higher in LC, whereas, hsa_circ_0036722 and hsa_circ_0042666 expressed lower. The circRNAs regulated the target genes by sponging miRNAs and contributed to the pathogenesis of LC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limin Miao
- Department of Geriatric Dentistry, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guanying Feng
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Oral and Maxillofacial, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hua Yuan
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Oral and Maxillofacial, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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23
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Kvokačková B, Remšík J, Jolly MK, Souček K. Phenotypic Heterogeneity of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Mediated by Epithelial-Mesenchymal Plasticity. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:2188. [PMID: 34063254 PMCID: PMC8125677 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13092188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast carcinoma known for its unusually aggressive behavior and poor clinical outcome. Besides the lack of molecular targets for therapy and profound intratumoral heterogeneity, the relatively quick overt metastatic spread remains a major obstacle in effective clinical management. The metastatic colonization of distant sites by primary tumor cells is affected by the microenvironment, epigenetic state of particular subclones, and numerous other factors. One of the most prominent processes contributing to the intratumoral heterogeneity is an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), an evolutionarily conserved developmental program frequently hijacked by tumor cells, strengthening their motile and invasive features. In response to various intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli, malignant cells can revert the EMT state through the mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET), a process that is believed to be critical for the establishment of macrometastasis at secondary sites. Notably, cancer cells rarely undergo complete EMT and rather exist in a continuum of E/M intermediate states, preserving high levels of plasticity, as demonstrated in primary tumors and, ultimately, in circulating tumor cells, representing a simplified element of the metastatic cascade. In this review, we focus on cellular drivers underlying EMT/MET phenotypic plasticity and its detrimental consequences in the context of TNBC cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbora Kvokačková
- Department of Cytokinetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic;
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ján Remšík
- Human Oncology & Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA;
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India;
| | - Karel Souček
- Department of Cytokinetics, Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 612 65 Brno, Czech Republic;
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
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Sritharan S, Sivalingam N. A comprehensive review on time-tested anticancer drug doxorubicin. Life Sci 2021; 278:119527. [PMID: 33887349 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Doxorubicin or Adriamycin, is one of the most widely used chemotherapeutic drug for treating a myriad of cancers. It induces cell death through multiple intracellular targets: reactive oxygen species generation, DNA-adduct formation, topoisomerase II inhibition, histone eviction, Ca2+ and iron hemostasis regulation, and ceramide overproduction. Moreover, doxorubicin-treated dying cells undergo cellular modifications that enable neighboring dendritic cell activation and enhanced presentation of tumor antigen. In addition, doxorubicin also aids in the immune-mediated clearance of tumor cells. However, the development of chemoresistance and cardiotoxicity side effect has undermined its widespread applicability. Several formulations of doxorubicin and co-treatments with inhibitors, miRNAs, natural compounds and other chemotherapeutic drugs have been essential in reducing its dosage-dependent toxicity and combating the development of resistance. Further, more advanced research into the molecular mechanism of chemoresistance development would be vital in improving the overall survivability of clinical patients and in preventing cancer relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sruthi Sritharan
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioengineering, College of Engineering and Technology, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, SRM Nagar, Kattankulathur, 603 203 Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Nageswaran Sivalingam
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioengineering, College of Engineering and Technology, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, SRM Nagar, Kattankulathur, 603 203 Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu, India.
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25
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Yeung OWH, Qi X, Pang L, Liu H, Ng KTP, Liu J, Lo CM, Man K. Type III TGF-β Receptor Down-Regulation Promoted Tumor Progression via Complement Component C5a Induction in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13071503. [PMID: 33805946 PMCID: PMC8037431 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13071503] [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: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The clinical implications of TGFβR3 downregulation are currently unknown in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Clinically, we identified that HCC patients with low expression levels of tumoral TGFβR3 exhibited significantly late tumor stages and shortened survival outcomes. Moreover, HCC patients developed lower plasma levels of TGFβR3 (sTGFβR3) (8.9 ng/mL) compared to healthy individuals (15.9 ng/mL), which represented a potential diagnostic marker. Similar to tumoral TGFβR3, low levels of plasma sTGFβR3 are also associated with poor clinical outcomes in HCC. To determine its tumor-suppressing capacities, continuous injection of sTGFβR3 in an orthotopic liver tumor model was performed, resulting in 2-fold tumor volume reduction compared to control. Decreased expression of TGFβR3 induced the upregulation of tumoral complement component C5a in HCC, which was found to contribute to poor clinical outcomes and promote tumor progression via a novel function in activating the tumor-promoting macrophages. Abstract Background and Aims—Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling orchestrates tumorigenesis and one of the family members, TGF-β receptor type III (TGFβR3), are distinctively under-expressed in numerous malignancies. Currently, the clinical impact of TGFβR3 down-regulation and the underlying mechanism remains unclear in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we aimed to identify the tumor-promoting roles of decreased TGFβR3 expression in HCC progression. Materials and Methods—For clinical analysis, plasma and liver specimens were collected from 100 HCC patients who underwent curative resection for the quantification of TGFβR3 by q-PCR and ELISA. To study the tumor-promoting mechanism of TGFβR3 downregulation, HCC mouse models and TGFβR3 knockout cell lines were applied. Results—Significant downregulation of TGFβR3 and its soluble form (sTGFβR3) were found in HCC tissues and plasma compared to healthy individuals (p < 0.01). Patients with <9.4 ng/mL sTGFβR3 exhibited advanced tumor stage, higher recurrence rate and shorter disease-free survival (p < 0.05). The tumor-suppressive function of sTGFβR3 was further revealed in an orthotopic mouse HCC model, resulting in 2-fold tumor volume reduction. In TGFβR3 knockout hepatocyte and HCC cells, increased complement component C5a was observed and strongly correlated with shorter survival and advanced tumor stage (p < 0.01). Interestingly, C5a activated the tumor-promoting Th-17 response in tumor associated macrophages. Conclusion—TGFβR3 suppressed tumor progression, and decreased expression resulted in poor prognosis in HCC patients through upregulation of tumor-promoting complement C5a.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Kwan Man
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +852-39179646
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26
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Wang Y, Yang L, Dong X, Yang X, Zhang X, Liu Z, Zhao X, Wen T. Overexpression of NNT-AS1 Activates TGF- β Signaling to Decrease Tumor CD4 Lymphocyte Infiltration in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 2020:8216541. [PMID: 33426064 PMCID: PMC7775131 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8216541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase-antisense RNA1 (NNT-AS1) is a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) that has been shown to be overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the molecular mechanism involving NNT-AS1 in HCC remains to be extensively investigated. The activation of TGF-β signaling inhibits tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and results in tumor immune evasion. We thus planned to explore the mechanism by which NNT-AS1 activates the TGF-β signaling pathway and inhibits TILs in HCC. High levels of NNT-AS1 were detected in HCC tissues by both RNAscope and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assays. The levels of proteins involved in TGF-β signaling and those of CD4 T lymphocytes were quantified by immunohistochemistry (IHC). HCC cell lines (HepG2 and Huh7) were used to explore the effects of NNT-AS1 on TGF-β signaling activation. In these analyses, RNAscope detection demonstrated that NNT-AS1 levels were significantly increased in HCC cancer tissues (P = 0.0001). In addition, the elevated NNT-AS1 levels in cancer tissue were further confirmed by RT-qPCR analysis of HCC cancer tissues (n = 64) and normal tissues (n = 26) (P = 0.0003). Importantly, the overall survival time of HCC patients who exhibited higher levels of NNT-AS1 expression was significantly shorter than that of HCC patients who had lower levels of NNT-AS1 expression (P = 0.0402). Further mechanistic investigation indicated that NNT-AS1 inhibition significantly decreased the levels of TGF-β, TGFBR1, and SMAD5 in HCC cells. In HCC tissues, IHC detection showed that relatively high NNT-AS1 levels were associated with a reduction in infiltrated CD4 lymphocyte numbers. In conclusion, this research identifies a novel mechanism by which NNT-AS1 impairs CD4 T cell infiltration via activation of the TGF-β signaling pathway in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yakun Wang
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, China
| | - Lei Yang
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, China
| | - Xichen Dong
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, China
| | - Xin Yang
- Pathology Department, Beijing Cancer Hospital & Beijing Institute for Cancer Research, Beijing 100142, China
| | - Xinxue Zhang
- Hepatobiliary Surgery Department, Beijing Chao-yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Zhe Liu
- Hepatobiliary Surgery Department, Beijing Chao-yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- Hepatobiliary Surgery Department, Beijing Chao-yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Tao Wen
- Medical Research Center, Beijing Chao-yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, China
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Plasma levels and tissue expression of soluble TGFβrIII receptor in women with early-stage breast cancer and in healthy women: a prospective observational study. J Transl Med 2020; 18:478. [PMID: 33308241 PMCID: PMC7733279 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02659-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mammary carcinogenesis is partly regulated by the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signaling pathway. Its function in cancer progression and metastasis is highly dependent on disease stage, and it is likely modulated by the ratio of membrane-bound vs. soluble TGFβrIII (sTGFβrIII). In this prospective observational study, we assessed tissue expression and plasma levels of sTGFβrIII in healthy women, women with benign breast lesions and in early-stage breast cancer patients. METHODS In a preliminary study, plasma sTGFβrIII levels were determined in 13 healthy women (age 19-40 years) at different phases of the ovarian cycle, and in 15 patients (age 35-75 years) at different times of the day. The main study assessed plasma concentrations of sTGFβrIII in: (i) 158 healthy women in whom breast lesions were excluded; (ii) 65 women with benign breast lesions; (iii) 147 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer classified as American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stages 0 to IIB. Completers provided blood samples before surgery and at 10-30 and 160-180 days after surgery. Plasma sTGFβrIII concentrations were determined using an indirect ELISA kit. Part of the removed tissues underwent immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and analysis of tissue TGFβrIII expression. RESULTS There appeared no relevant variations in plasma sTGFßrIII levels at different times of the day or different ovarian cycle phases. Before surgery, breast cancer patients had somewhat higher sTGFβrIII than healthy women, or those with benign breast lesions (by 14.5 and 26 ng/mL, respectively), with a tendency of larger differences at higher age. This correlated with lower expression of TGFβrIII in breast cancer vs. healthy tissue samples. At 160-180 days after surgery, plasma sTGFβrIII levels in breast cancer patients declined by 23-26 ng/mL. CONCLUSIONS Plasma sTGFβrIII levels do not seem to relevantly vary during the day or the ovarian cycle. The coinciding higher plasma levels in newly diagnosed cancer patients than in healthy subjects and lower TGFβrIII expression in the malignant than in healthy breast tissue suggest ectodomain shedding as a source of circulating sTGFβrIII. Decline in plasma levels after tumor removal supports such a view.
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28
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Xue VW, Chung JYF, Córdoba CAG, Cheung AHK, Kang W, Lam EWF, Leung KT, To KF, Lan HY, Tang PMK. Transforming Growth Factor-β: A Multifunctional Regulator of Cancer Immunity. Cancers (Basel) 2020. [PMID: 33114183 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12113099.pmid:33114183;pmcid:pmc7690808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) was originally identified as an anti-tumour cytokine. However, there is increasing evidence that it has important roles in the tumour microenvironment (TME) in facilitating cancer progression. TGF-β actively shapes the TME via modulating the host immunity. These actions are highly cell-type specific and complicated, involving both canonical and non-canonical pathways. In this review, we systemically update how TGF-β signalling acts as a checkpoint regulator for cancer immunomodulation. A better appreciation of the underlying pathogenic mechanisms at the molecular level can lead to the discovery of novel and more effective therapeutic strategies for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian Weiwen Xue
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Jeff Yat-Fai Chung
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Cristina Alexandra García Córdoba
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Alvin Ho-Kwan Cheung
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Wei Kang
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Eric W-F Lam
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Kam-Tong Leung
- Department of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Ka-Fai To
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Hui-Yao Lan
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Patrick Ming-Kuen Tang
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
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Transforming Growth Factor-β: A Multifunctional Regulator of Cancer Immunity. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12113099. [PMID: 33114183 PMCID: PMC7690808 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12113099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) is a multifunctional cytokine that can restrict cancer onset but also promote cancer progression at late stages of cancer. The ability of TGF-β in producing diverse and sometimes opposing effects relies on its potential to control different cellular signalling and gene expression in distinct cell types, and environmental settings. The tumour promoting role of TGF-β is primarily mediated through its effects on the local tumour microenvironment (TME) of the cancer cells. In this review, we discuss the most recent research on the role and regulation of TGF-β, with a specific focus on its functions on promoting cancer progression through targeting different immune cells in the TME as well as its therapeutic perspectives. Abstract Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) was originally identified as an anti-tumour cytokine. However, there is increasing evidence that it has important roles in the tumour microenvironment (TME) in facilitating cancer progression. TGF-β actively shapes the TME via modulating the host immunity. These actions are highly cell-type specific and complicated, involving both canonical and non-canonical pathways. In this review, we systemically update how TGF-β signalling acts as a checkpoint regulator for cancer immunomodulation. A better appreciation of the underlying pathogenic mechanisms at the molecular level can lead to the discovery of novel and more effective therapeutic strategies for cancer.
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30
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Peng Y, Li X, Liu H, Deng X, She C, Liu C, Wang X, Liu A. microRNA-18a from M2 Macrophages Inhibits TGFBR3 to Promote Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Progression and Tumor Growth via TGF-β Signaling Pathway. NANOSCALE RESEARCH LETTERS 2020; 15:196. [PMID: 33006671 PMCID: PMC7532261 DOI: 10.1186/s11671-020-03416-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a type of nasopharyngeal disease with high metastasis and invasion properties. Tumor-associated alternative activated (M2) macrophages are evidenced to connect with NPC. Based on this, this study purposes to explore the mechanism and participation of microRNA-18a (miR-18a) from M2 macrophages in NPC. METHODS Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were differentiated to macrophages and macrophages were polarized to M2 type by interleukin-4. SUNE-1 and CNE2 cells were transfected with restored or depleted miR-18a or transforming growth factor-beta III receptor (TGFBR3) to explore their roles in NPC progression with the involvement of the TGF-β signaling pathway. Next, SUNE-1 and CNE2 cells were co-cultured with M2 macrophages that had been treated with restored or depleted miR-18a or TGFBR3 to comprehend their combined roles in NPC with the involvement of the TGF-β signaling pathway. RESULTS MiR-18a was highly expressed and TGFBR3 was lowly expressed in NPC cells. MiR-18a restoration, TGFBR3 knockdown or co-culture with miR-18a mimics, or si-TGFBR3-transfected M2 macrophages promoted SUNE-1 cell progression, tumor growth in mice, decreased p-Smad1/t-Smad1, and elevated p-Smad3/t-Smad3. miR-18a downregulation, TGFBR3 overexpression, or co-culture with miR-18a inhibitors or OE-TGFBR3-transfected M2 macrophages depressed CNE2 cell progression, tumor growth in mice, increased p-Smad1/t-Smad1, and decreased p-Smad3/t-Smad3. CONCLUSION Our study elucidates that miR-18a from M2 macrophages results in promoted NPC cell progression and tumor growth in nude mice via TGFBR3 repression, along with the Smad1 inactivation and Smad3 activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya Peng
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Changsha Hospital of Hunan Normal University, The Fourth Hospital of Changsha, Changsha, Hunan, 410006, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangsheng Li
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Changsha Hospital of Hunan Normal University, The Fourth Hospital of Changsha, Changsha, Hunan, 410006, People's Republic of China
| | - Huowang Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 138th Tongzipo Road, Yuelu District, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaowen Deng
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Changsha Hospital of Hunan Normal University, The Fourth Hospital of Changsha, Changsha, Hunan, 410006, People's Republic of China
| | - Chang She
- 5th Department of Cardiology, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, 410005, People's Republic of China
| | - Chenxi Liu
- Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 138th Tongzipo Road, Yuelu District, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinxing Wang
- Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 138th Tongzipo Road, Yuelu District, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, People's Republic of China
| | - An Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 138th Tongzipo Road, Yuelu District, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, People's Republic of China.
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Meireson A, Devos M, Brochez L. IDO Expression in Cancer: Different Compartment, Different Functionality? Front Immunol 2020; 11:531491. [PMID: 33072086 PMCID: PMC7541907 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.531491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a cytosolic haem-containing enzyme involved in the degradation of tryptophan to kynurenine. Although initially thought to be solely implicated in the modulation of innate immune responses during infection, subsequent discoveries demonstrated IDO1 as a mechanism of acquired immune tolerance. In cancer, IDO1 expression/activity has been observed in tumor cells as well as in the tumor-surrounding stroma, which is composed of endothelial cells, immune cells, fibroblasts, and mesenchymal cells. IDO1 expression/activity has also been reported in the peripheral blood. This manuscript reviews available data on IDO1 expression, mechanisms of its induction, and its function in cancer for each of these compartments. In-depth study of the biological function of IDO1 according to the expressing (tumor) cell can help to understand if and when IDO1 inhibition can play a role in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabel Meireson
- Department of Dermatology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.,Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Michael Devos
- Department of Dermatology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lieve Brochez
- Department of Dermatology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.,Cancer Research Institute Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
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32
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Larson C, Oronsky B, Carter CA, Oronsky A, Knox SJ, Sher D, Reid TR. TGF-beta: a master immune regulator. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2020; 24:427-438. [PMID: 32228232 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2020.1744568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Transforming Growth Factor-Beta (TGF-β) is a master regulator of numerous cellular functions including cellular immunity. In cancer, TGF-β can function as a tumor promoter via several mechanisms including immunosuppression. Since the immune checkpoint pathways are co-opted in cancer to induce T cell tolerance, this review posits that TGF-β is a master checkpoint in cancer, whose negative regulatory influence overrides and controls that of other immune checkpoints.Areas Covered: This review examines therapeutic agents that target TGF-β and its signaling pathways for the treatment of cancer which may be classifiable as checkpoint inhibitors in the broadest sense. This concept is supported by the observations that 1) only a subset of patients benefit from current checkpoint inhibitor therapies, 2) the presence of TGF-β in the tumor microenvironment is associated with excluded or cold tumors, and resistance to checkpoint inhibitors, and 3) existing biomarkers such as PD-1, PD-L1, microsatellite instability and tumor mutational burden are inadequate to reliably and adequately identify immuno-responsive patients. By contrast, TGF-β overexpression is a widespread and profoundly negative molecular hallmark in multiple tumor types.Expert Opinion: TGF-β status may serve as a biomarker to predict responsiveness and as a therapeutic target to increase the activity of immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Arnold Oronsky
- EpicentRx, San Diego, CA, USA.,InterWest Partners, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Susan J Knox
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - David Sher
- Department of Radiation Oncology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Tony R Reid
- Department of Medical Oncology, UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
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33
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DeVito NC, Plebanek MP, Theivanthiran B, Hanks BA. Role of Tumor-Mediated Dendritic Cell Tolerization in Immune Evasion. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2876. [PMID: 31921140 PMCID: PMC6914818 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The vast majority of cancer-related deaths are due to metastasis, a process that requires evasion of the host immune system. In addition, a significant percentage of cancer patients do not benefit from our current immunotherapy arsenal due to either primary or secondary immunotherapy resistance. Importantly, select subsets of dendritic cells (DCs) have been shown to be indispensable for generating responses to checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy. These observations are consistent with the critical role of DCs in antigen cross-presentation and the generation of effective anti-tumor immunity. Therefore, the evolution of efficient tumor-extrinsic mechanisms to modulate DCs is expected to be a potent strategy to escape immunosurveillance and various immunotherapy strategies. Despite this critical role, little is known regarding the methods by which cancers subvert DC function. Herein, we focus on those select mechanisms utilized by developing cancers to co-opt and tolerize local DC populations. We discuss the reported mechanisms utilized by cancers to induce DC tolerization in the tumor microenvironment, describing various parallels between the evolution of these mechanisms and the process of mesenchymal transformation involved in tumorigenesis and metastasis, and we highlight strategies to reverse these mechanisms in order to enhance the efficacy of the currently available checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas C. DeVito
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Michael P. Plebanek
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Bala Theivanthiran
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Brent A. Hanks
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
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34
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Bai X, Yi M, Jiao Y, Chu Q, Wu K. Blocking TGF-β Signaling To Enhance The Efficacy Of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor. Onco Targets Ther 2019; 12:9527-9538. [PMID: 31807028 PMCID: PMC6857659 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s224013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
During malignant transformation, a growing body of mutations accumulate in cancer cells which not only drive cancer progression but also endow cancer cells with high immunogenicity. However, because one or multiple steps in cancer-immunity cycle are impaired, anti-cancer immune response is too weak to effectively clear cancer cells. Therefore, how to restore robust immune response to malignant cells is a hot research topic in cancer therapeutics field. In the last decade, based on the deeper understanding of cancer immunity, great signs of progress have been made in cancer immunotherapies especially immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). ICIs could block negative immune co-stimulatory pathways and reactivate tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from exhausted status. ICIs exhibit potent anti-cancer effect and have been approved for the treatment of numerous cancer types. Parallel with durable and effective tumor control, the actual response rate of ICIs is unsatisfactory. Although a subset of patients benefit from ICIs treatment, a large proportion of patients show primary or acquired resistance. Previously intensive studies indicated that the efficacy of ICIs was determined by a series of factors including tumor mutation burden, programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression, and TILs status. Recently, it was reported that transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling pathway participated in cancer immune escape and ICI resistance. Concurrent TGF-β blockade might be a feasible strategy to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy and relieve ICI resistance. In this mini-review, we summarized the latest understanding of TGF-β signaling pathway and cancer immunity. Besides, we highlighted the synergistic effect of TGF-β blockade and ICIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianguang Bai
- Medical School, Pingdingshan University, Pingdingshan, Henan, People's Republic of China.,Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Yi
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Jiao
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Chu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Kongming Wu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, People's Republic of China.,Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People's Republic of China
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35
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CUB domain-containing protein 1 (CDCP1) binds transforming growth factor beta family members and increase TGF-β1 signaling pathway. Exp Cell Res 2019; 383:111499. [PMID: 31302030 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2019.111499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
CUB domains are most exclusively found in secreted proteins and in a few transmembrane proteins. These domains are approximately 110 amino acids long and have four conserved cysteines that form a β-sandwich fold. CUB domains proteins are involved in a wide range of biological functions. We have shown that CUB domains from Tolloid/BMP1 can bind BMP4 and block BMP signaling in the developing frog embryo. CUB domain-containing protein 1 (CDCP1) is one of the few transmembrane glycoprotein that contains three extracellular CUB domains and regulates anchorage-independent growth and cancer cell migration through activation of Src kinases. In the extracellular space, only a few proteins were found to interact with CDCP1 and at the moment no ligand was found. We demonstrate by using real time protein interaction on BIAcore chip that CDCP1 CUB domains bind directly to TGF-β1 and BMP4. CDCP1 enhances TGF-β1 signaling reporter activity and phosphorylated Smad2 levels but does not modulate BMP signaling pathway. CDCP1 actions on TGF-β/Smad2 signaling are dependent on Smad2 and TGFRI and do not require Src or PKCδ binding. Our findings uncover a new co-receptor for TGF-β1 and bring up new questions on whether CDCP1 cooperates with TGF-β1 to promote cancer progression.
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Transforming Growth Factor-β Signaling in Immunity and Cancer. Immunity 2019; 50:924-940. [PMID: 30995507 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2019.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1289] [Impact Index Per Article: 257.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β is a crucial enforcer of immune homeostasis and tolerance, inhibiting the expansion and function of many components of the immune system. Perturbations in TGF-β signaling underlie inflammatory diseases and promote tumor emergence. TGF-β is also central to immune suppression within the tumor microenvironment, and recent studies have revealed roles in tumor immune evasion and poor responses to cancer immunotherapy. Here, we present an overview of the complex biology of the TGF-β family and its context-dependent nature. Then, focusing on cancer, we discuss the roles of TGF-β signaling in distinct immune cell types and how this knowledge is being leveraged to unleash the immune system against the tumor.
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Ungefroren H. Blockade of TGF-β signaling: a potential target for cancer immunotherapy? Expert Opin Ther Targets 2019; 23:679-693. [PMID: 31232607 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2019.1636034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Malignant tumors often escape surveillance and eventual destruction by the host immune system through a variety of strategies including production of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β. Because of its generally immunosuppressive role, TGF-β has emerged as a promising therapeutic target in cancer immunotherapy. Areas covered: This article looks at specific mechanisms of how TGF-β controls the function of various immune cell subsets in the tumor microenvironment and focusses on T-cells. Various inhibition tools of TGF-β signaling and potential targets of therapeutic intervention are assessed along with the recent progress in combining TGF-β blockade and immune-mediated therapies. To round off the article, a summary of results from clinical trials is provided in which TGF-β blockade has shown therapeutic benefit for patients. Expert opinion: Data from preclinical models have shown that blocking TGF-β signaling can overcome resistance mechanisms and in combination with immune-checkpoint therapies, can yield additive or synergistic anti-tumor responses. The future of immunooncology will therefore be based on combination trials. Since response rates may critically depend on both cancer type and stage, selection of only those patients who can benefit from combinatorial immunotherapy regimens is of utmost importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Ungefroren
- a First Department of Medicine , University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, and University of Lübeck , Lübeck , Germany.,b Clinic for General Surgery, Visceral, Thoracic, Transplantation and Pediatric Surgery , University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein , Campus Kiel, Kiel , Germany
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Abstract
Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β is a crucial enforcer of immune homeostasis and tolerance, inhibiting the expansion and function of many components of the immune system. Perturbations in TGF-β signaling underlie inflammatory diseases and promote tumor emergence. TGF-β is also central to immune suppression within the tumor microenvironment, and recent studies have revealed roles in tumor immune evasion and poor responses to cancer immunotherapy. Here, we present an overview of the complex biology of the TGF-β family and its context-dependent nature. Then, focusing on cancer, we discuss the roles of TGF-β signaling in distinct immune cell types and how this knowledge is being leveraged to unleash the immune system against the tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduard Batlle
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Joan Massagué
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Huang JJ, Corona AL, Dunn BP, Cai EM, Prakken JN, Blobe GC. Increased type III TGF-β receptor shedding decreases tumorigenesis through induction of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Oncogene 2019; 38:3402-3414. [PMID: 30643193 PMCID: PMC6586422 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-018-0672-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The type III TGF-β receptor (TβRIII) is a TGF-β co-receptor that presents ligand to the type II TGF-β receptor to initiate signaling. TβRIII also undergoes ectodomain shedding to release a soluble form (sTβRIII) that can bind ligand, sequestering it away from cell surface receptors. We have previously identified a TβRIII extracellular mutant that has enhanced ectodomain shedding ("super shedding (SS)"-TβRIII-SS). Here, we utilize TβRIII-SS to study the balance of cell surface and soluble TβRIII in the context of lung cancer. We demonstrate that expressing TβRIII-SS in lung cancer cell models induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and that these TβRIII-SS (EMT) cells are less migratory, invasive and adhesive and more resistant to gemcitabine. Moreover, TβRIII-SS (EMT) cells exhibit decreased tumorigenicity but increased growth rate in vitro and in vivo. These studies suggest that the balance of cell surface and soluble TβRIII may regulate a dichotomous role for TβRIII during cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer J Huang
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Armando L Corona
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Brian P Dunn
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Elise M Cai
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jesse N Prakken
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Gerard C Blobe
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA. .,Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
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Wu M, Yuan H, Li X, Liao Q, Liu Z. Identification of a Five-Gene Signature and Establishment of a Prognostic Nomogram to Predict Progression-Free Interval of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2019; 10:790. [PMID: 31803141 PMCID: PMC6872544 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The incidence of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is high and increasing worldwide. Although prognosis is relatively good, it is important to select the minority of patients with poorer prognosis to avoid side effects associated with unnecessary over-treatment in low-risk patients; this requires accurate prognostic predictions. Materials and Methods: Six PTC expression datasets were obtained from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database. Level 3 mRNA expression and clinicopathological data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas Thyroid Cancer (TCGA-THCA) database. Through integrated analysis of these datasets, highly reliable differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) between tumor and normal tissue were identified and lasso Cox regression was applied to identify DEGs related to the progression-free interval (PFI) and to establish a prognostic gene signature. The performance of a five-gene signature was evaluated based on a Kaplan-Meier curve, receiver operating characteristic (ROC), and Harrell's concordance index (C-index). Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with PTC prognosis. Finally, a prognostic nomogram was established based on the TCGA-THCA dataset. Results: A novel five-gene signature was established to predict the PTC PFI, which included PLP2, LYVE1, FABP4, TGFBR3, and FXYD6, and the ROC curve and C-index showed good performance in both training and validation datasets. This could classify patients into high- and low-risk groups with distinct PFIs and differentiate PTC tumors from normal tissue. Univariate Cox regression revealed that this signature was an independent prognostic factor for PTC. The established nomogram, incorporating the prognostic gene signature and clinical parameters, was able to predict the PFI with high efficiency. The gene signature-based nomogram was superior to the American Thyroid Association (ATA) risk stratification to predict PTC PFI. Conclusions: Our study identified a five-gene signature and established a prognostic nomogram, which were reliable in predicting the PFI of PTC; this could be beneficial for individualized treatment and medical decision making.
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Zhao F, Evans K, Xiao C, DeVito N, Theivanthiran B, Holtzhausen A, Siska PJ, Blobe GC, Hanks BA. Stromal Fibroblasts Mediate Anti-PD-1 Resistance via MMP-9 and Dictate TGFβ Inhibitor Sequencing in Melanoma. Cancer Immunol Res 2018; 6:1459-1471. [PMID: 30209062 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-18-0086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Although anti-PD-1 therapy has improved clinical outcomes for select patients with advanced cancer, many patients exhibit either primary or adaptive resistance to checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy. The role of the tumor stroma in the development of these mechanisms of resistance to checkpoint inhibitors remains unclear. We demonstrated that pharmacologic inhibition of the TGFβ signaling pathway synergistically enhanced the efficacy of anti-CTLA-4 immunotherapy but failed to augment anti-PD-1/PD-L1 responses in an autochthonous model of BRAFV600E melanoma. Additional mechanistic studies revealed that TGFβ pathway inhibition promoted the proliferative expansion of stromal fibroblasts, thereby facilitating MMP-9-dependent cleavage of PD-L1 surface expression, leading to anti-PD-1 resistance in this model. Further work demonstrated that melanomas escaping anti-PD-1 therapy exhibited a mesenchymal phenotype associated with enhanced TGFβ signaling activity. Delayed TGFβ inhibitor therapy, following anti-PD-1 escape, better served to control further disease progression and was superior to a continuous combination of anti-PD-1 and TGFβ inhibition. This work illustrates that formulating immunotherapy combination regimens to enhance the efficacy of checkpoint blockade requires an in-depth understanding of the impact of these agents on the tumor microenvironment. These data indicated that stromal fibroblast MMP-9 may desensitize tumors to anti-PD-1 and suggests that TGFβ inhibition may generate greater immunologic efficacy when administered following the development of acquired anti-PD-1 resistance.See related Spotlight on p. 1444.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Zhao
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Kathy Evans
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Christine Xiao
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Nicholas DeVito
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Balamayooran Theivanthiran
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Alisha Holtzhausen
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Peter J Siska
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Gerard C Blobe
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Brent A Hanks
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina. .,Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
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Holmgaard RB, Schaer DA, Li Y, Castaneda SP, Murphy MY, Xu X, Inigo I, Dobkin J, Manro JR, Iversen PW, Surguladze D, Hall GE, Novosiadly RD, Benhadji KA, Plowman GD, Kalos M, Driscoll KE. Targeting the TGFβ pathway with galunisertib, a TGFβRI small molecule inhibitor, promotes anti-tumor immunity leading to durable, complete responses, as monotherapy and in combination with checkpoint blockade. J Immunother Cancer 2018; 6:47. [PMID: 29866156 PMCID: PMC5987416 DOI: 10.1186/s40425-018-0356-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 226] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background TGFβ signaling plays a pleotropic role in tumor biology, promoting tumor proliferation, invasion and metastasis, and escape from immune surveillance. Inhibiting TGFβ’s immune suppressive effects has become of particular interest as a way to increase the benefit of cancer immunotherapy. Here we utilized preclinical models to explore the impact of the clinical stage TGFβ pathway inhibitor, galunisertib, on anti-tumor immunity at clinically relevant doses. Results In vitro treatment with galunisertib reversed TGFβ and regulatory T cell mediated suppression of human T cell proliferation. In vivo treatment of mice with established 4T1-LP tumors resulted in strong dose-dependent anti-tumor activity with close to 100% inhibition of tumor growth and complete regressions upon cessation of treatment in 50% of animals. This effect was CD8+ T cell dependent, and led to increased T cell numbers in treated tumors. Mice with durable regressions rejected tumor rechallenge, demonstrating the establishment of immunological memory. Consequently, mice that rejected immunogenic 4T1-LP tumors were able to resist rechallenge with poorly immunogenic 4 T1 parental cells, suggesting the development of a secondary immune response via antigen spreading as a consequence of effective tumor targeting. Combination of galunisertib with PD-L1 blockade resulted in improved tumor growth inhibition and complete regressions in colon carcinoma models, demonstrating the potential synergy when cotargeting TGFβ and PD-1/PD-L1 pathways. Combination therapy was associated with enhanced anti-tumor immune related gene expression profile that was accelerated compared to anti-PD-L1 monotherapy. Conclusions Together these data highlight the ability of galunisertib to modulate T cell immunity and the therapeutic potential of combining galunisertib with current PD-1/L1 immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rikke B Holmgaard
- 0000 0000 2220 2544grid.417540.3Eli Lilly and Company 450 East 29th Street New York USA
| | - David A Schaer
- 0000 0000 2220 2544grid.417540.3Eli Lilly and Company 450 East 29th Street New York USA
| | - Yanxia Li
- 0000 0000 2220 2544grid.417540.3Eli Lilly and Company 450 East 29th Street New York USA
| | - Stephen P Castaneda
- 0000 0000 2220 2544grid.417540.3Eli Lilly and Company 450 East 29th Street New York USA
| | - Mary Y Murphy
- 0000 0000 2220 2544grid.417540.3Eli Lilly and Company 450 East 29th Street New York USA
| | - Xiaohong Xu
- 0000 0000 2220 2544grid.417540.3Eli Lilly and Company 450 East 29th Street New York USA
| | - Ivan Inigo
- 0000 0000 2220 2544grid.417540.3Eli Lilly and Company 450 East 29th Street New York USA
| | - Julie Dobkin
- 0000 0000 2220 2544grid.417540.3Eli Lilly and Company 450 East 29th Street New York USA
| | - Jason R Manro
- 0000 0000 2220 2544grid.417540.3Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company 46285 Indianapolis IN USA
| | - Philip W Iversen
- 0000 0000 2220 2544grid.417540.3Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company 46285 Indianapolis IN USA
| | - David Surguladze
- 0000 0000 2220 2544grid.417540.3Eli Lilly and Company 450 East 29th Street New York USA
| | - Gerald E Hall
- 0000 0000 2220 2544grid.417540.3Eli Lilly and Company 450 East 29th Street New York USA
| | - Ruslan D Novosiadly
- 0000 0000 2220 2544grid.417540.3Eli Lilly and Company 450 East 29th Street New York USA
| | - Karim A Benhadji
- 0000 0000 2220 2544grid.417540.3Eli Lilly and Company 450 East 29th Street New York USA
| | - Gregory D Plowman
- 0000 0000 2220 2544grid.417540.3Eli Lilly and Company 450 East 29th Street New York USA
| | - Michael Kalos
- 0000 0000 2220 2544grid.417540.3Eli Lilly and Company 450 East 29th Street New York USA.,Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson Spring House PA USA
| | - Kyla E Driscoll
- 0000 0000 2220 2544grid.417540.3Eli Lilly and Company 450 East 29th Street New York USA
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Translational control in the tumor microenvironment promotes lung metastasis: Phosphorylation of eIF4E in neutrophils. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E2202-E2209. [PMID: 29463754 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1717439115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The translation of mRNAs into proteins serves as a critical regulatory event in gene expression. In the context of cancer, deregulated translation is a hallmark of transformation, promoting the proliferation, survival, and metastatic capabilities of cancer cells. The best-studied factor involved in the translational control of cancer is the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E). We and others have shown that eIF4E availability and phosphorylation promote metastasis in mouse models of breast cancer by selectively augmenting the translation of mRNAs involved in invasion and metastasis. However, the impact of translational control in cell types within the tumor microenvironment (TME) is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that regulatory events affecting translation in cells of the TME impact cancer progression. Mice bearing a mutation in the phosphorylation site of eIF4E (S209A) in cells comprising the TME are resistant to the formation of lung metastases in a syngeneic mammary tumor model. This is associated with reduced survival of prometastatic neutrophils due to decreased expression of the antiapoptotic proteins BCL2 and MCL1. Furthermore, we demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of eIF4E phosphorylation prevents metastatic progression in vivo, supporting the development of phosphorylation inhibitors for clinical use.
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Zhao F, Xiao C, Evans KS, Theivanthiran T, DeVito N, Holtzhausen A, Liu J, Liu X, Boczkowski D, Nair S, Locasale JW, Hanks BA. Paracrine Wnt5a-β-Catenin Signaling Triggers a Metabolic Program that Drives Dendritic Cell Tolerization. Immunity 2018; 48:147-160.e7. [PMID: 29343435 PMCID: PMC5777287 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2017.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Revised: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Despite recent advances, many cancers remain refractory to available immunotherapeutic strategies. Emerging evidence indicates that the tolerization of local dendritic cells (DCs) within the tumor microenvironment promotes immune evasion. Here, we have described a mechanism by which melanomas establish a site of immune privilege via a paracrine Wnt5a-β-catenin-peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) signaling pathway that drives fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in DCs by upregulating the expression of the carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1A (CPT1A) fatty acid transporter. This FAO shift increased the protoporphyrin IX prosthetic group of indoleamine 2,3-dioxgenase-1 (IDO) while suppressing interleukin(IL)-6 and IL-12 cytokine expression, culminating in enhanced IDO activity and the generation of regulatory T cells. We demonstrated that blockade of this pathway augmented anti-melanoma immunity, enhanced the activity of anti-PD-1 antibody immunotherapy, and suppressed disease progression in a transgenic melanoma model. This work implicates a role for tumor-mediated metabolic reprogramming of local DCs in immune evasion and immunotherapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Zhao
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Christine Xiao
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Kathy S Evans
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | | | - Nicholas DeVito
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Alisha Holtzhausen
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Juan Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Xiaojing Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - David Boczkowski
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Sciences, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Smita Nair
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Sciences, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Jason W Locasale
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Brent A Hanks
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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Yang Z, Qi Y, Lai N, Zhang J, Chen Z, Liu M, Zhang W, Luo R, Kang S. Notch1 signaling in melanoma cells promoted tumor-induced immunosuppression via upregulation of TGF-β1. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2018; 37:1. [PMID: 29301578 PMCID: PMC5755139 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-017-0664-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Background The receptors of Notch family play an important role in controlling the development, differentiation, and function of multiple cell types. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of Notch1 signaling upon immune suppression induced by melanoma cells. Methods Melanoma cell line B16 cells were transfected by lentivirus containing mouse Notch1 gene or Notch1 shRNA to generate B16 cell line that highly or lowly expressed Notch1. Notch1 in anti-tumor immune response was comprehensively appraised in murine B16 melanoma tumor model in immunocompetent and immunodeficient mice. The ratios of CD3+CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, CD49b+NK cells, CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ Tregs and Gr1+CD11b+ MDSCs in tumor-DLN or spleen were examined by flow cytometry. After the co-culture of B16 cells and CD8+ T cells, the effects of Notch1 on the proliferation and activation of T cells were assessed by CCK8 assay, CFSE dilution and Chromium-release test. The mRNA expression and supernatant secretion of immunosuppressive cytokines, TGF-β1, VEGF, IL-10 and IFN-γ were measured by RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively. Results Downregulation or overexpression of Notch1 in B16 melanoma cells inhibited or promoted tumor growth in immunocompetent mice, respectively. Notch1 expression in B16 melanoma cells inhibited the infiltration of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes and NK cells and reduced IFN-γ release in tumor tissue. It could also enhance B16 cell-mediated inhibition of T cell proliferation and activation, and upregulate PD-1 expression on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. The percentage of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ Tregs and Gr1+CD11b+MDSCs were significantly increased in tumor microenvironment, and all these were attributed to the upregulation of TGF-β1. Conclusion These findings suggested that Notch1 signaling in B16 melanoma cells might inhibit antitumor immunity by upregulation of TGF-β1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zike Yang
- Cancer Center, Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, No.13, Shiliugang Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, 510315, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanxia Qi
- Cancer Center, The First People's Hospital of Huaihua City, Huaihua, 418000, Hunan Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Nan Lai
- Cancer Center, Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, No.13, Shiliugang Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, 510315, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiahe Zhang
- Cancer Center, Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, No.13, Shiliugang Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, 510315, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Zehong Chen
- Cancer Center, Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, No.13, Shiliugang Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, 510315, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingyu Liu
- Cancer Center, Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, No.13, Shiliugang Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, 510315, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Wan Zhang
- Cancer Center, Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, No.13, Shiliugang Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, 510315, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Rongcheng Luo
- Cancer Center, Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, No.13, Shiliugang Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, 510315, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shijun Kang
- Oncology Department, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, No.1838, North of Guangzhou Avenue, Baiyun District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510515, People's Republic of China.
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Nagarajan A, Malvi P, Wajapeyee N. Heparan Sulfate and Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans in Cancer Initiation and Progression. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2018; 9:483. [PMID: 30197623 PMCID: PMC6118229 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Heparan sulfate (HS) are complex unbranched carbohydrate chains that are heavily modified by sulfate and exist either conjugated to proteins or as free, unconjugated chains. Proteins with covalently bound Heparan sulfate chains are termed Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans (HSPGs). Both HS and HSPGs bind to various growth factors and act as co-receptors for different cell surface receptors. They also modulate the dynamics and kinetics of various ligand-receptor interactions, which in turn can influence the duration and potency of the signaling. HS and HSPGs have also been shown to exert a structural role as a component of the extracellular matrix, thereby altering processes such as cell adhesion, immune cell infiltration and angiogenesis. Previous studies have shown that HS are deregulated in a variety of solid tumors and hematological malignancies and regulate key aspects of cancer initiation and progression. HS deregulation in cancer can occur as a result of changes in the level of HSPGs or due to changes in the levels of HS biosynthesis and remodeling enzymes. Here, we describe the major cell-autonomous (proliferation, apoptosis/senescence and differentiation) and cell-non-autonomous (angiogenesis, immune evasion, and matrix remodeling) roles of HS and HSPGs in cancer. Finally, we discuss therapeutic opportunities for targeting deregulated HS biosynthesis and HSPGs as a strategy for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arvindhan Nagarajan
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Parmanand Malvi
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Narendra Wajapeyee
- Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- *Correspondence: Narendra Wajapeyee
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Jenkins LM, Horst B, Lancaster CL, Mythreye K. Dually modified transmembrane proteoglycans in development and disease. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2017; 39:124-136. [PMID: 29291930 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant cell signaling in response to secreted growth factors has been linked to the development of multiple diseases, including cancer. As such, understanding mechanisms that control growth factor availability and receptor-growth factor interaction is vital. Dually modified transmembrane proteoglycans (DMTPs), which are classified as cell surface macromolecules composed of a core protein decorated with covalently linked heparan sulfated (HS) and/or chondroitin sulfated (CS) glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains, provide one type of regulatory mechanism. Specifically, DMTPs betaglycan and syndecan-1 (SDC1) play crucial roles in modulating key cell signaling pathways, such as Wnt, transforming growth factor-β and fibroblast growth factor signaling, to affect epithelial cell biology and cancer progression. This review outlines current and potential functions for betaglycan and SDC1, with an emphasis on comparing individual roles for HS and CS modified DMTPs. We highlight the mutual dependence of DMTPs' GAG chains and core proteins and provide comprehensive knowledge on how these DMTPs, through regulation of ligand availability and receptor internalization, control cell signaling pathways involved in development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Jenkins
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
| | - Ben Horst
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
| | - Carly L Lancaster
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
| | - Karthikeyan Mythreye
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA; Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, South Carolina College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
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48
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Liu W, Huang Y, Huang G, Zhou C, Zeng X, Zhao S, Wu L, Zhou H, Wu Q, Dai L. Relationship of SOCS3 and TGF-β with IDO expression in early pregnancy chorionic villi and decidua. Exp Ther Med 2017; 14:4817-4824. [PMID: 29201185 PMCID: PMC5704277 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2017.5142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
We aimed to investigate the expression of suppressors cytokine signaling (SOCS)-3, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygense (IDO) and to analyse the relationship of SOCS3 and TGF-β with IDO expression in early pregnancy chorionic villi and decidua in the maternal-fetal interface. Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical method were used to detect the expression of TGF-β, SOCS3 and IDO in chorionic villi and decidua tissues of normal pregnant women. SOCS3, TGF-β and IDO protein was identified in chorionic villi and decidua tissues of normal pregnant women and there was a negative correlation between the expression of IDO and SOCS3, but TGF-β expression was positively correlated with IDO expression. The levels of IDO expression in the decidua from normal pregnancies were significantly higher than those in chorionic villi, while the expression of SOCS3 was no significant difference between decidua and chorionic villi. In normal physiological state of pregnancy, SOCS3 and TGF-β may be involved in the regulation of immune tolerance by positive or negative regulation of IDO expression at maternal fetal interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
- Reproductive Center, People's Hospital of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, Guizhou 550003, P.R. China
| | - Yongli Huang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
| | - Guanyou Huang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
- Correspondence to: Dr Guanyou Huang or Dr Congrong Zhou, Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, 28 Guiyi Street, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China, E-mail: ; , E-mail:
| | - Congrong Zhou
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
- Correspondence to: Dr Guanyou Huang or Dr Congrong Zhou, Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, 28 Guiyi Street, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China, E-mail: ; , E-mail:
| | - Xiaoling Zeng
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
| | - Shuyun Zhao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
| | - Lingfei Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong 515041, P.R. China
| | - Hua Zhou
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
| | - Qingqing Wu
- Central Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
| | - Lujun Dai
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550004, P.R. China
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49
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Dichotomous roles of TGF-β in human cancer. Biochem Soc Trans 2017; 44:1441-1454. [PMID: 27911726 DOI: 10.1042/bst20160065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Revised: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) mediates numerous biological processes, including embryonic development and the maintenance of cellular homeostasis in a context-dependent manner. Consistent with its central role in maintaining cellular homeostasis, inhibition of TGF-β signaling results in disruption of normal homeostatic processes and subsequent carcinogenesis, defining the TGF-β signaling pathway as a tumor suppressor. However, once carcinogenesis is initiated, the TGF-β signaling pathway promotes cancer progression. This dichotomous function of the TGF-β signaling pathway is mediated through altering effects on both the cancer cells, by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation, and the tumor microenvironment, by promoting angiogenesis and inhibiting immunosurveillance. Current studies support inhibition of TGF-β signaling either alone, or in conjunction with anti-angiogenic therapy or immunotherapy as a promising strategy for the treatment of human cancers.
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50
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Xu W, Jia G, Cai N, Huang S, Davie JR, Pitz M, Banerji S, Murphy L. A 16 Yin Yang gene expression ratio signature for ER+/node- breast cancer. Int J Cancer 2017; 140:1413-1424. [PMID: 27925180 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.30556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in women. It is a complex and heterogeneous disease with different clinical outcomes. Stratifying patients into subgroups with different outcomes could help guide clinical decision making. In this study, we used two opposing groups of genes, Yin and Yang, to develop a prognostic expression ratio signature. Using the METABRIC cohort we identified a16-gene signature capable of stratifying breast cancer patients into four risk levels with intention that low-risk patients would not undergo adjuvant systemic therapy, intermediate-low-risk patients will be treated with hormonal therapy only, and intermediate-high- and high-risk groups will be treated by chemotherapy in addition to the hormonal therapy. The 16-gene signature for four risk level stratifications of breast cancer patients has been validated using 14 independent datasets. Notably, the low-risk group (n = 51) of 205 estrogen receptor-positive and node negative (ER+/node-) patients from three different datasets who had not had any systemic adjuvant therapy had 100% 15-year disease-specific survival rate. The Concordance Index of YMR for ER+/node negative patients is close to the commercially available signatures. However, YMR showed more significance (HR = 3.7, p = 8.7e-12) in stratifying ER+/node- subgroup than OncotypeDx (HR = 2.7, p = 1.3e-7), MammaPrint (HR = 2.5, p = 5.8e-7), rorS (HR = 2.4, p = 1.4e-6), and NPI (HR = 2.6, p = 1.2e-6). YMR signature may be developed as a clinical tool to select a subgroup of low-risk ER+/node- patients who do not require any adjuvant hormonal therapy (AHT).
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Affiliation(s)
- Wayne Xu
- Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB.,Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB.,College of Pharmacy, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB
| | - Gaofeng Jia
- Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB
| | - Nianguang Cai
- Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB
| | - Shujun Huang
- Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB.,College of Pharmacy, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB
| | - James R Davie
- Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB.,Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB
| | - Marshall Pitz
- Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB.,Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB.,Department of Internal Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB
| | - Shantanu Banerji
- Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB.,Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB.,Department of Internal Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB
| | - Leigh Murphy
- Research Institute of Oncology and Hematology, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB.,Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB
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