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Koltai T, Fliegel L. Dichloroacetate for Cancer Treatment: Some Facts and Many Doubts. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:744. [PMID: 38931411 PMCID: PMC11206832 DOI: 10.3390/ph17060744] [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: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Rarely has a chemical elicited as much controversy as dichloroacetate (DCA). DCA was initially considered a dangerous toxic industrial waste product, then a potential treatment for lactic acidosis. However, the main controversies started in 2008 when DCA was found to have anti-cancer effects on experimental animals. These publications showed contradictory results in vivo and in vitro such that a thorough consideration of this compound's in cancer is merited. Despite 50 years of experimentation, DCA's future in therapeutics is uncertain. Without adequate clinical trials and health authorities' approval, DCA has been introduced in off-label cancer treatments in alternative medicine clinics in Canada, Germany, and other European countries. The lack of well-planned clinical trials and its use by people without medical training has discouraged consideration by the scientific community. There are few thorough clinical studies of DCA, and many publications are individual case reports. Case reports of DCA's benefits against cancer have been increasing recently. Furthermore, it has been shown that DCA synergizes with conventional treatments and other repurposable drugs. Beyond the classic DCA target, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, new target molecules have also been recently discovered. These findings have renewed interest in DCA. This paper explores whether existing evidence justifies further research on DCA for cancer treatment and it explores the role DCA may play in it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Koltai
- Hospital del Centro Gallego de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires 2199, Argentina
| | - Larry Fliegel
- Department of Biochemistry, University Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada;
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2
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Zheng S, Li H, Li Y, Chen X, Shen J, Chen M, Zhang C, Wu J, Sun Q. The emerging role of glycolysis and immune evasion in gastric cancer. Cancer Cell Int 2023; 23:317. [PMID: 38071310 PMCID: PMC10710727 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-023-03169-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Similar to other types of tumors, GC cells undergo metabolic reprogramming and switch to a "predominantly glycolytic" metabolic pattern to promote its survival and metastasis, also known as "the Warburg effect", which is characterized by enhanced glucose uptake and lactate production. A large number of studies have shown that targeting cancer cells to enhanced glycolysis is a promising strategy, that can make cancer cells more susceptible to other conventional treatment methods of treatment, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy, and so on. Therefore, this review summarizes the metabolic characteristics of glycolysis in GC cells and focuses on how abnormal lactate concentration can lead to immunosuppression through its effects on the differentiation, metabolism, and function of infiltrating immune cells, and how targeting this phenomenon may be a potential strategy to improve the therapeutic efficacy of GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Zheng
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangyin Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangyin Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu, China
- No.1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Huaizhi Li
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangyin Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangyin Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu, China
- No.1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Yaqi Li
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangyin Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangyin Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu, China
- No.1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Xu Chen
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangyin Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangyin Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu, China
| | - Junyu Shen
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangyin Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangyin Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu, China
- No.1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Menglin Chen
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangyin Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangyin Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu, China
- No.1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Cancan Zhang
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangyin Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangyin Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu, China
- No.1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
| | - Jian Wu
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangyin Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangyin Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Qingmin Sun
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangyin Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangyin Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu, China.
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3
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Athni Hiremath S, Surulescu C. Data driven modeling of pseudopalisade pattern formation. J Math Biol 2023; 87:4. [PMID: 37300719 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-023-01933-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Pseudopalisading is an interesting phenomenon where cancer cells arrange themselves to form a dense garland-like pattern. Unlike the palisade structure, a similar type of pattern first observed in schwannomas by pathologist J.J. Verocay (Wippold et al. in AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 27(10):2037-2041, 2006), pseudopalisades are less organized and associated with a necrotic region at their core. These structures are mainly found in glioblastoma (GBM), a grade IV brain tumor, and provide a way to assess the aggressiveness of the tumor. Identification of the exact bio-mechanism responsible for the formation of pseudopalisades is a difficult task, mainly because pseudopalisades seem to be a consequence of complex nonlinear dynamics within the tumor. In this paper we propose a data-driven methodology to gain insight into the formation of different types of pseudopalisade structures. To this end, we start from a state of the art macroscopic model for the dynamics of GBM, that is coupled with the dynamics of extracellular pH, and formulate a terminal value optimal control problem. Thus, given a specific, observed pseudopalisade pattern, we determine the evolution of parameters (bio-mechanisms) that are responsible for its emergence. Random histological images exhibiting pseudopalisade-like structures are chosen to serve as target pattern. Having identified the optimal model parameters that generate the specified target pattern, we then formulate two different types of pattern counteracting ansatzes in order to determine possible ways to impair or obstruct the process of pseudopalisade formation. This provides the basis for designing active or live control of malignant GBM. Furthermore, we also provide a simple, yet insightful, mechanism to synthesize new pseudopalisade patterns by linearly combining the optimal model parameters responsible for generating different known target patterns. This particularly provides a hint that complex pseudopalisade patterns could be synthesized by a linear combination of parameters responsible for generating simple patterns. Going even further, we ask ourselves if complex therapy approaches can be conceived, such that some linear combination thereof is able to reverse or disrupt simple pseudopalisade patterns; this is investigated with the help of numerical simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandesh Athni Hiremath
- Mechanical and Process Engineering, TU Kaiserslautern, Gottlieb-Daimler-Straße 42, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
| | - Christina Surulescu
- Felix-Klein-Zentrum für Mathematik, TU Kaiserslautern, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 31, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
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4
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Hansen HHWB, Cha H, Ouyang L, Zhang J, Jin B, Stratton H, Nguyen NT, An H. Nanobubble technologies: Applications in therapy from molecular to cellular level. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 63:108091. [PMID: 36592661 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.108091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Nanobubbles are gaseous entities suspended in bulk liquids that have widespread beneficial usage in many industries. Nanobubbles are already proving to be versatile in furthering the effectiveness of disease treatment on cellular and molecular levels. They are functionalized with biocompatible and stealth surfaces to aid in the delivery of drugs. At the same time, nanobubbles serve as imaging agents due to the echogenic properties of the gas core, which can also be utilized for controlled and targeted delivery. This review provides an overview of the biomedical applications of nanobubbles, covering their preparation and characterization methods, discussing where the research is currently focused, and how they will help shape the future of biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena H W B Hansen
- Queensland Micro and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Haotian Cha
- Queensland Micro and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Lingxi Ouyang
- Queensland Micro and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Jun Zhang
- Queensland Micro and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Bo Jin
- School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Helen Stratton
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Nam-Trung Nguyen
- Queensland Micro and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia.
| | - Hongjie An
- Queensland Micro and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia.
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Bartos A, Sikora J. Bioinorganic Modulators of Ferroptosis: A Review of Recent Findings. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:3634. [PMID: 36835045 PMCID: PMC9967694 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Ferroptosis was first reported as a separate modality of regulated cell death in 2008 and distinguished under its current name in 2012 after it was first induced with erastin. In the following decade, multiple other chemical agents were researched for their pro- or anti-ferroptotic properties. Complex organic structures with numerous aromatic moieties make up the majority of this list. This review fills a more overlooked niche by gathering, outlining and setting out conclusions regarding less prominent cases of ferroptosis induced by bioinorganic compounds and reported on within the last few years. The article contains a short summary of the application of bioinorganic chemicals based on gallium, several chalcogens, transition metals and elements known as human toxicants used for the purpose of evoking ferroptotic cell death in vitro or in vivo. These are used in the form of free ions, salts, chelates, gaseous and solid oxides or nanoparticles. Knowledge of how exactly these modulators promote or inhibit ferroptosis could be beneficial in the context of future therapies aimed against cancer or neurodegenerative diseases, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Bartos
- Department of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lodz, Jana Muszynskiego 1, 90-151 Lodz, Poland
| | - Joanna Sikora
- Department of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lodz, Jana Muszynskiego 1, 90-151 Lodz, Poland
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6
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Alvarez MR, Alarcon JM, Roman CA, Lazaro D, Bobrowski-Khoury N, Baena-Caldas GP, Esber GR. Can a basic solution activate the inflammatory reflex? A review of potential mechanisms, opportunities, and challenges. Pharmacol Res 2023; 187:106525. [PMID: 36441036 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Stimulation of the inflammatory reflex (IR) is a promising strategy to treat systemic inflammatory disorders. However, this strategy is hindered by the cost and side effects of traditional IR activators. Recently, oral intake of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) has been suggested to activate the IR, providing a safe and inexpensive alternative. Critically, the mechanisms whereby NaHCO3 might achieve this effect and more broadly the pathways underlying the IR remain poorly understood. Here, we argue that the recognition of NaHCO3 as a potential IR activator presents exciting clinical and research opportunities. To aid this quest, we provide an integrative review of our current knowledge of the neural and cellular pathways mediating the IR and discuss the status of physiological models of IR activation. From this vantage point, we derive testable hypotheses on potential mechanisms whereby NaHCO3 might stimulate the IR and compare NaHCO3 with classic IR activators. Elucidation of these mechanisms will help determine the therapeutic value of NaHCO3 as an IR activator and provide new insights into the IR circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Rodriguez Alvarez
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
| | - Juan Marcos Alarcon
- Department of Pathology, The Robert F. Furchgott Center for Neural and Behavioral Science, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA
| | - Christopher A Roman
- Department of Cell Biology, State University of New York (SUNY) Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA
| | - Deana Lazaro
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Veterans Affairs New York Harbor Healthcare System, Brooklyn, NY, USA
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7
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Menchikov LG, Shestov AA, Popov AV. Warburg Effect Revisited: Embodiment of Classical Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry. Current State and Prospects. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2023; 88:S1-S20. [PMID: 37069111 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297923140018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
The Nobel Prize Winner (1931) Dr. Otto H. Warburg had established that the primary energy source of the cancer cell is aerobic glycolysis (the Warburg effect). He also postulated the hypothesis about "the prime cause of cancer", which is a matter of debate nowadays. Contrary to the hypothesis, his discovery was recognized entirely. However, the discovery had almost vanished in the heat of battle about the hypothesis. The prime cause of cancer is essential for the prevention and diagnosis, yet the effects that influence tumor growth are more important for cancer treatment. Due to the Warburg effect, a large amount of data has been accumulated on biochemical changes in the cell and the organism as a whole. Due to the Warburg effect, the recovery of normal biochemistry and oxygen respiration and the restoration of the work of mitochondria of cancer cells can inhibit tumor growth and lead to remission. Here, we review the current knowledge on the inhibition of abnormal glycolysis, neutralization of its consequences, and normalization of biochemical parameters, as well as recovery of oxygen respiration of a cancer cell and mitochondrial function from the point of view of classical biochemistry and organic chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonid G Menchikov
- N. D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Alexander A Shestov
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Anatoliy V Popov
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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8
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Apostolova P, Pearce EL. Lactic acid and lactate: revisiting the physiological roles in the tumor microenvironment. Trends Immunol 2022; 43:969-977. [PMID: 36319537 PMCID: PMC10905416 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2022.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Lactic acid production has been regarded as a mechanism by which malignant cells escape immunosurveillance. Recent technological advances in mass spectrometry and the use of cell culture media with a physiological nutrient composition have shed new light on the role of lactic acid and its conjugate lactate in the tumor microenvironment. Here, we review novel work identifying lactate as a physiological carbon source for mammalian tumors and immune cells. We highlight evidence that its use as a substrate is distinct from the immunosuppressive acidification of the extracellular milieu by lactic acid protons. Together, data suggest that neutralizing the effects of intratumoral acidity while maintaining physiological lactate metabolism in cytotoxic CD8+ T cells should be pursued to boost anti-tumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petya Apostolova
- Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
| | - Erika L Pearce
- Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
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9
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Feng Y, Liu Y, Ma X, Xu L, Ding D, Chen L, Wang Z, Qin R, Sun W, Chen H. Intracellular marriage of bicarbonate and Mn ions as "immune ion reactors" to regulate redox homeostasis and enhanced antitumor immune responses. J Nanobiotechnology 2022; 20:193. [PMID: 35440088 PMCID: PMC9020034 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-022-01404-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Different from Fe ions in Fenton reaction, Mn ions can function both as catalyst for chemodynamic therapy and immune adjuvant for antitumor immune responses. In Mn-mediated Fenton-like reaction, bicarbonate (\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$${\text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }$$\end{document}HCO3-), as the most important component to amplify therapeutic effects, must be present, however, intracellular \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$${\text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }$$\end{document}HCO3- is strictly limited because of the tight control by live cells. Results Herein, Stimuli-responsive manganese carbonate-indocyanine green complexes (MnCO3-ICG) were designed for intracellular marriage of bicarbonate and Mn ions as “immune ion reactors” to regulate intracellular redox homeostasis and antitumor immune responses. Under the tumor acidic environment, the biodegradable complex can release “ion reactors” of Mn2+ and \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$${\text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }$$\end{document}HCO3-, and ICG in the cytoplasm. The suddenly increased \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$${\text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }$$\end{document}HCO3- in situ inside the cells regulate intracellular pH, and accelerate the generation of hydroxyl radicals for the oxidative stress damage of tumors cells because \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$${\text{HCO}}_{3}^{ - }$$\end{document}HCO3- play a critical role to catalyze Mn-mediated Fenton-like reaction. Investigations in vitro and in vivo prove that the both CDT and phototherapy combined with Mn2+-enhanced immunotherapy effectively suppress tumor growth and realize complete tumor elimination. Conclusions The combination therapy strategy with the help of novel immune adjuvants would produce an enhanced immune response, and be used for the treatment of deep tumors in situ. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12951-022-01404-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yushuo Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics and Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Yaqing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics and Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Xiaoqian Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics and Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Lihua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics and Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Dandan Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics and Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Lei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics and Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Zongzhang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics and Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Ruixue Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics and Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Wenjing Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics and Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Hongmin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics and Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
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10
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Metabolomics and the Multi-Omics View of Cancer. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12020154. [PMID: 35208228 PMCID: PMC8880085 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12020154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is widely regarded to be a genetic disease. Indeed, over the past five decades, the genomic perspective on cancer has come to almost completely dominate the field. However, this genome-only view is incomplete and tends to portray cancer as a disease that is highly heritable, driven by hundreds of complex genetic interactions and, consequently, difficult to prevent or treat. New evidence suggests that cancer is not as heritable or purely genetic as once thought and that it really is a multi-omics disease. As highlighted in this review, the genome, the exposome, and the metabolome all play roles in cancer’s development and manifestation. The data presented here show that >90% of cancers are initiated by environmental exposures (the exposome) which lead to cancer-inducing genetic changes. The resulting genetic changes are, then, propagated through the altered DNA of the proliferating cancer cells (the genome). Finally, the dividing cancer cells are nourished and sustained by genetically reprogrammed, cancer-specific metabolism (the metabolome). As shown in this review, all three “omes” play roles in initiating cancer. Likewise, all three “omes” interact closely, often providing feedback to each other to sustain or enhance tumor development. Thanks to metabolomics, these multi-omics feedback loops are now much more evident and their roles in explaining the hallmarks of cancer are much better understood. Importantly, this more holistic, multi-omics view portrays cancer as a disease that is much more preventable, easier to understand, and potentially, far more treatable.
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11
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Watson MJ, Delgoffe GM. Fighting in a wasteland: deleterious metabolites and antitumor immunity. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:148549. [PMID: 35040434 PMCID: PMC8759785 DOI: 10.1172/jci148549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
As cancers progress, they produce a local environment that acts to redirect, paralyze, exhaust, or otherwise evade immune detection and destruction. The tumor microenvironment (TME) has long been characterized as a metabolic desert, depleted of essential nutrients such as glucose, oxygen, and amino acids, that starves infiltrating immune cells and renders them dysfunctional. While not incorrect, this perspective is only half the picture. The TME is not a metabolic vacuum, only consuming essential nutrients and never producing by-products. Rather, the by-products of depleted nutrients, “toxic” metabolites in the TME such as lactic acid, kynurenine, ROS, and adenosine, play an important role in shaping immune cell function and cannot be overlooked in cancer immunotherapy. Moreover, while the metabolic landscape is distinct, it is not unique, as these toxic metabolites are encountered in non-tumor tissues, where they evolutionarily shape immune cells and their response. In this Review, we discuss how depletion of essential nutrients and production of toxic metabolites shape the immune response within the TME and how toxic metabolites can be targeted to improve current cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- McLane J Watson
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Tumor Microenvironment Center, Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Greg M Delgoffe
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.,Tumor Microenvironment Center, Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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12
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Batool Z, Hu G, Xinyue H, Wu Y, Fu X, Cai Z, Huang X, Ma M. A comprehensive review on functional properties of preserved eggs as an excellent food ingredient with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer aspects. FOOD BIOSCI 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbio.2021.101347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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13
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Blaszczak W, Swietach P. What do cellular responses to acidity tell us about cancer? Cancer Metastasis Rev 2021; 40:1159-1176. [PMID: 34850320 PMCID: PMC8825410 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-021-10005-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The notion that invasive cancer is a product of somatic evolution is a well-established theory that can be modelled mathematically and demonstrated empirically from therapeutic responses. Somatic evolution is by no means deterministic, and ample opportunities exist to steer its trajectory towards cancer cell extinction. One such strategy is to alter the chemical microenvironment shared between host and cancer cells in a way that no longer favours the latter. Ever since the first description of the Warburg effect, acidosis has been recognised as a key chemical signature of the tumour microenvironment. Recent findings have suggested that responses to acidosis, arising through a process of selection and adaptation, give cancer cells a competitive advantage over the host. A surge of research efforts has attempted to understand the basis of this advantage and seek ways of exploiting it therapeutically. Here, we review key findings and place these in the context of a mathematical framework. Looking ahead, we highlight areas relating to cellular adaptation, selection, and heterogeneity that merit more research efforts in order to close in on the goal of exploiting tumour acidity in future therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiktoria Blaszczak
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PT, England
| | - Pawel Swietach
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PT, England.
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14
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Lee S, Shanti A. Effect of Exogenous pH on Cell Growth of Breast Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22189910. [PMID: 34576073 PMCID: PMC8464873 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22189910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women and the most life-threatening cancer in females worldwide. One key feature of cancer cells, including breast cancer cells, is a reversed pH gradient which causes the extracellular pH of cancer cells to be more acidic than that of normal cells. Growing literature suggests that alkaline therapy could reverse the pH gradient back to normal and treat the cancer; however, evidence remains inconclusive. In this study, we investigated how different exogenous pH levels affected the growth, survival, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and cell cycle of triple-negative breast cancer cells from MDA-MB-231 cancer cell lines. Our results demonstrated that extreme acidic conditions (pH 6.0) and moderate to extreme basic conditions (pH 8.4 and pH 9.2) retarded cellular growth, induced cell death via necrosis and apoptosis, increased ROS levels, and shifted the cell cycle away from the G0/G1 phase. However, slightly acidic conditions (pH 6.7) increased cellular growth, decreased ROS levels, did not cause significant cell death and shifted the cell cycle from the G0/G1 phase to the G2/M phase, thereby explaining why cancer cells favored acidic conditions over neutral ones. Interestingly, our results also showed that cellular pH history did not significantly affect the subsequent growth of cells when the pH of the medium was changed. Based on these results, we suggest that controlling or maintaining an unfavorable pH (such as a slightly alkaline pH) for cancer cells in vivo could retard the growth of cancer cells or potentially treat the cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungmun Lee
- Healthcare Engineering Innovation Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates;
- Khalifa University’s Center for Biotechnology, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +971-2-312-3945
| | - Aya Shanti
- Healthcare Engineering Innovation Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates;
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15
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Fischbeck AJ, Ruehland S, Ettinger A, Paetzold K, Masouris I, Noessner E, Mendler AN. Tumor Lactic Acidosis: Protecting Tumor by Inhibiting Cytotoxic Activity Through Motility Arrest and Bioenergetic Silencing. Front Oncol 2020; 10:589434. [PMID: 33364193 PMCID: PMC7753121 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.589434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Adoptive T cell therapy (ACT) is highly effective in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, but shows limited success in solid tumors. Inactivation of T cells in the tumor milieu is a major hurdle to a wider application of ACT. Cytotoxicity is the most relevant activity for tumor eradication. Here, we document that cytotoxic T cells (CTL) in lactic acidosis exhibited strongly reduced tumor cell killing, which could be compensated partly by increasing the CTL to tumor cell ratio. Lactic acid intervened at multiple steps of the killing process. Lactic acid repressed the number of CTL that performed lytic granule exocytosis (degranulation) in tumor cell co-culture, and, additionally impaired the quality of the response, as judged by the reduced intensity of degranulation and lower secretion of cytotoxins (perforin, granzyme B, granzyme A). CTL in lactic acid switched to a low bioenergetic profile with an inability to metabolize glucose efficiently. They responded to anti-CD3 stimulation poorly with less extracellular acidification rate (ECAR). This might explain their repressed granule exocytosis activity. Using live cell imaging, we show that CTL in lactic acid have reduced motility, resulting in lower field coverage. Many CTL in lactic acidosis did not make contact with tumor cells; however, those which made contact, adhered to the tumor cell much longer than a CTL in normal medium. Reduced motility together with prolonged contact duration hinders serial killing, a defining feature of killing potency, but also locally confines cytotoxic activity, which helps to reduce the risk of collateral organ damage. These activities define lactic acid as a major signaling molecule able to orchestrate the spatial distribution of CTL inside inflamed tissue, such as cancer, as well as moderating their functional response. Lactic acid intervention and strategies to improve T cell metabolic fitness hold promise to improve the clinical efficacy of T cell–based cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Svenja Ruehland
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.,Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Andreas Ettinger
- Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells, Helmholtz Center Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Ilias Masouris
- Immunoanalytics, Helmholtz Center Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Anna N Mendler
- Immunoanalytics, Helmholtz Center Munich, Munich, Germany
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