Down-Regulation of C3aR/C5aR Inhibits Cell Proliferation and EMT in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

C5AR1-induced TLR1/2 pathway activation drives proliferation and metastasis in anaplastic thyroid cancer

This study aimed to elucidate the role and mechanisms of Complement C5a receptor 1 (C5AR1) in driving the malignant progression of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC). C5AR1 expression was assessed in ATC tissues and cell lines. Functional assays evaluated the effects of C5AR1 knockdown on the malignant features of ATC cells. The interaction between C5AR1 and miR-335-5p was confirmed using a luciferase reporter assay and Fluorescence in situ hybridization, and the impact of C5AR1 knockdown on the Toll-like receptor (TLR) 1/2 signaling pathway was examined. In vivo studies evaluated the effects of C5AR1 modulation on tumor growth and metastasis. C5AR1 levels were elevated in ATC tumor samples and associated with poor survival in ATC patients. C5AR1 knockdown impeded ATC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. MiR-335-5p was identified as an upstream regulator of C5AR1, which negatively modulates C5AR1 expression. C5AR1 knockdown diminished TLR1, TLR2, and myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88) levels, while C5AR1 overexpression activated this pathway. Blocking TLR1/2 signaling abrogated the oncogenic effects of C5AR1 overexpression. C5AR1 silencing inhibited tumor growth and lung metastasis of ATC cells in nude mice. C5AR1 contributes to ATC tumorigenesis and metastasis by activating the TLR1/2 pathway, and is negatively regulated by miR-335-5p. Targeting the miR-335-5p/C5AR1/TLR1/2 axis represents a potential therapeutic strategy for ATC.

β-Sitosterol activates autophagy to inhibit the development of hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating the complement C5a receptor 1/alpha fetoprotein axis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is highly refractory. β-Sitosterol has been reported to suppress proliferation and migration as well as interfere with cell metabolism in tumors. However, there is limited information on the effects of β-sitosterol on HCC. Herein, we used a xenograft mouse model to investigate the effects of β-sitosterol on HCC tumor growth. The molecular mechanism was elucidated using quantitative real-time PCR, western blotting, lentiviral transfection, CCK8, scratch, Transwell, and Ad-mCherry-GFP-LC3B assays. The results showed that HepG2 cells highly expressed complement C5a receptor 1. β-Sitosterol antagonized complement component 5a and exerted inhibitory effects on the proliferation and migration of HepG2 cells. The inhibitory effect of β-sitosterol was reversed by the knockdown of complement C5a receptor 1. Bioinformatics analysis suggested alpha fetoprotein (AFP) as a downstream factor of complement C5a receptor 1. β-Sitosterol inhibited AFP expression, which was reversed by complement C5a receptor 1 knockdown. The inhibitory effects of β-sitosterol on cell proliferation and migration were weakened by AFP overexpression. Furthermore, β-sitosterol induced autophagy in HepG2 cells, which was reversed by complement C5a receptor 1 knockdown and AFP overexpression. Blockade of autophagy by 3-MA attenuated β-sitosterol inhibition of proliferation and migration in HepG2 cells. Moreover, β-sitosterol inhibited HCC progression in vivo. Our findings demonstrate that β-sitosterol inhibits HCC advancement by activating autophagy through the complement C5a receptor 1/AFP axis. These findings recommend β-sitosterol as a promising therapy for HCC.

Harnessing function of EMT in hepatocellular carcinoma: From biological view to nanotechnological standpoint

Management of cancer metastasis has been associated with remarkable reduction in progression of cancer cells and improving survival rate of patients. Since 90% of mortality are due to cancer metastasis, its suppression can improve ability in cancer fighting. The EMT has been an underlying cause in increasing cancer migration and it is followed by mesenchymal transformation of epithelial cells. HCC is the predominant kind of liver tumor threatening life of many people around the world with poor prognosis. Increasing patient prognosis can be obtained via inhibiting tumor metastasis. HCC metastasis modulation by EMT and HCC therapy by nanoparticles are discussed here. First of all, EMT happens during progression and advanced stages of HCC and therefore, its inhibition can reduce tumor malignancy. Moreover, anti-cancer compounds including all-trans retinoic acid and plumbaging, among others, have been considered as inhibitors of EMT. The EMT association with chemoresistance has been evaluated. Moreover, ZEB1/2, TGF-β, Snail and Twist are EMT modulators in HCC and enhancing cancer invasion. Therefore, EMT mechanism and related molecular mechanisms in HCC are evaluated. The treatment of HCC has not been only emphasized on targeting molecular pathways with pharmacological compounds and since drugs have low bioavailability, their targeted delivery by nanoparticles promotes HCC elimination. Moreover, nanoparticle-mediated phototherapy impairs tumorigenesis in HCC by triggering cell death. Metastasis of HCC and even EMT mechanism can be suppressed by cargo-loaded nanoparticles.

Overexpression of complement C5a indicates poor survival and therapeutic response in metastatic renal cell carcinoma

INTRODUCTION

Complement C5a is an important component of the innate immune system. An increasing number of reports have revealed the relevance of C5a in tumor progression; however, its exact role in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) remains unknown.

METHODS

We evaluated C5a expression in tumor tissue microarrays of 231 mRCC patients and analyzed the relationship between C5a levels and clinical outcomes, and the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins, programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), and programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). In-vitro functional experiments using exogenous C5a stimulation and C5a silencing in renal cell carcinoma cells were used to validate the tissue findings.

RESULTS

High C5a expression was associated with poor therapeutic responses, poor overall and progression-free survival, and high expression of EMT-related proteins and PD-1/PD-L1 in mRCC patients. Exogenous C5a promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion of renal cell carcinoma cells, and induced the expression of EMT-related proteins and PD-1/PD-L1. Conversely, C5a silencing inhibited migration and invasion of renal cell carcinoma cells and decreased the expression of EMT-related proteins and PD-1/PD-L1.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that elevated C5a expression is associated with poor outcomes in patients with mRCC, and this effect may be partly attributed to the ability of C5a to promote EMT and PD-1/PD-L1 expression. C5a may be a potential novel target for the treatment of mRCC.

An update on the role of complement in hepatocellular carcinoma

As a main producer of complement, the environment in the liver is greatly affected by the complement system. Although the complement system is considered to have the ability of nonself discrimination, remarkable studies have revealed the tight association between improper complement activation in tumour initiation and progression. As complement activation predominantly occurs within the liver, the protumourigenic role of the complement system may contribute to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Improvement in the understanding of the molecular targets involved in complement-mediated tumour development, metastasis, and tumour-promoting inflammation in HCC would certainly aid in the development of better treatments. This minireview is focused on recent findings of the protumourigenic role of the complement system in HCC.

The Complement System: A Potential Therapeutic Target in Liver Cancer

Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer and the fourth most fatal cancer in the world. Immunotherapy has already achieved modest results in the treatment of liver cancer. Meanwhile, the novel and optimal combinatorial strategies need further research. The complement system, which consists of mediators, receptors, cofactors and regulators, acts as the connection between innate and adaptive immunity. Recent studies demonstrate that complement system can influence tumor progression by regulating the tumor microenvironment, tumor cells, and cancer stem cells in liver cancer. Our review concentrates on the potential role of the complement system in cancer treatment, which is a promising strategy for killing tumor cells by the activation of complement components. Conclusions: Our review demonstrates that complement components and regulators might function as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for liver cancer diagnosis and treatment.

The role of complement in the clinical course of hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

The complement system, an innate immune system, may either play an antitumor role, or promote tumorigenesis and cancer progression in different kinds of cancer. The function of complement in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear.

Methods

The gene expressions of the complement system were based on data obtained from TCGA and GEO. We explored gene expressions, mutation, enrichment analysis, clinicopathology, patients' outcome, and immune infiltration via Gepia2, cBioPortal, Metascape, UALCAN, Kaplan–Meier Plotter, and TIMER 2.

Results

Five complement genes, including C1R, C6, C7, CFP, and CFHR3, were not only found to be significantly downregulated in HCC samples compared with normal liver samples, but also found to be significantly associated with overall survival, disease‐free survival, and progress‐free survival in HCC patients. In addition, lower mRNA expression of C1R, C6, C7, and CFHR3 were found correlated with advanced cancer stages and higher tumor grades in HCC patients. Also, the expression levels of CFP were correlated with many sets of immune markers of tumor immune cells, such as those of CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, B cells, M2 macrophages, neutrophils, DCs, Th1 cells, Th2 cells, and T cell exhaustion in HCC. Based on that, we developed a prognostic model for HCC patients—Riskscore = (−0.0053)*C6+(−0.0498)*C7+(−0.1045)*CFHR3.

Conclusion

C1R, C6, C7, CFP, and CFHR3 could be prognostic biomarkers for patients with HCC.

Complement Factor H in cSCC: Evidence of a Link Between Sun Exposure and Immunosuppression in Skin Cancer Progression

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is a common form of skin cancer with an estimated 750,000 cases diagnosed annually in the United States. Most cases are successfully treated with a simple excision procedure, but ~5% of cases metastasize and have a 5-year survival rate of 25-45%. Thus, identification of biomarkers correlated to cSCC progression may be useful in the early identification of high-risk cSCC and in the development of new therapeutic strategies. This work investigates the role of complement factor H (CFH) in the development of cSCC. CFH is a regulatory component of the complement cascade which affects cell mediated immune responses and increases in complement proteins are associated with poor outcomes in multiple cancer types. We provide evidence that sun exposure may increase levels of CFH, suggesting an immunomodulatory role for CFH early in the development of cSCC. We then document increased levels of CFH in cSCC samples, compared to adjacent normal tissue (ANT) routinely excised in a dermatology clinic which, in paired samples, received the same level of sun exposure. We also provide evidence that levels of CFH are even greater in more advanced cases of cSCC. To provide a potential link between CFH and immune modulation, we assessed immune system function by measuring interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and FOXP3 in patient samples. IFN-γ levels were unchanged in cSCC relative to ANT which is consistent with an ineffective cell-mediated immune response. FOXP3 was used to assess prevalence of regulatory T cells within the tissues, indicating either a derailed or inhibitory immune response. Our data suggest that FOXP3 levels are higher in cSCC than in ANT. Our current working model is that increased CFH downstream of sun exposure is an early event in the development of cSCC as it interferes with proper immune surveillance and decreases the effectiveness of the immune response, and creates a more immunosuppressive environment, thus promoting cSCC progression.

Pan-Cancer Analysis of Immune Complement Signature C3/C5/C3AR1/C5AR1 in Association with Tumor Immune Evasion and Therapy Resistance

Despite the advances in our understanding of the genetic and immunological basis of cancer, cancer remains a major public health burden with an ever-increasing incidence rate globally. Nevertheless, increasing evidence suggests that the components of the complement system could regulate the tumor microenvironment (TME) to promote cancer progression, recurrence, and metastasis. In the present study, we used an integrative multi-omics analysis of clinical data to explore the relationships between the expression levels of and genetic and epigenetic alterations in C3, C5, C3AR1, and C5AR1 and tumor immune evasion, therapy response, and patient prognosis in various cancer types. We found that the complements C3, C5, C3AR1, and C5AR1 have deregulated expression in human malignancies and are associated with activation of immune-related oncogenic processes and poor prognosis of cancer patients. Furthermore, we found that the increased expression levels of C3, C5, C3AR1, and C5AR1 were primarily predicted by copy number variation and gene methylation and were associated with dysfunctional T-cell phenotypes. Single nucleotide variation in the gene signature co-occurred with multiple oncogenic mutations and is associated with the progression of onco-immune-related diseases. Further correlation analysis revealed that C3, C5, C3AR1, and C5AR1 were associated with tumor immune evasion via dysfunctional T-cell phenotypes with a lesser contribution of T-cell exclusion. Lastly, we also demonstrated that the expression levels of C3, C5, C3AR1, and C5AR1 were associated with context-dependent chemotherapy, lymphocyte-mediated tumor killing, and immunotherapy outcomes in different cancer types. In conclusion, the complement components C3, C5, C3AR1, and C5AR1 serve as attractive targets for strategizing cancer immunotherapy and response follow-up.