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Yin Y, Feng W, Chen J, Chen X, Wang G, Wang S, Xu X, Nie Y, Fan D, Wu K, Xia L. Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in the progression, metastasis, and therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma: from bench to bedside. Exp Hematol Oncol 2024; 13:72. [PMID: 39085965 PMCID: PMC11292955 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-024-00539-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly heterogeneous malignancy with high incidence, recurrence, and metastasis rates. The emergence of immunotherapy has improved the treatment of advanced HCC, but problems such as drug resistance and immune-related adverse events still exist in clinical practice. The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) of HCC restricts the efficacy of immunotherapy and is essential for HCC progression and metastasis. Therefore, it is necessary to elucidate the mechanisms behind immunosuppressive TME to develop and apply immunotherapy. This review systematically summarizes the pathogenesis of HCC, the formation of the highly heterogeneous TME, and the mechanisms by which the immunosuppressive TME accelerates HCC progression and metastasis. We also review the status of HCC immunotherapy and further discuss the existing challenges and potential therapeutic strategies targeting immunosuppressive TME. We hope to inspire optimizing and innovating immunotherapeutic strategies by comprehensively understanding the structure and function of immunosuppressive TME in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Weibo Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Jie Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Xilang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Guodong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Shuai Wang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Oncology and Intelligent Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Xiao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Oncology and Intelligent Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Yongzhan Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, China.
| | - Daiming Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, China.
| | - Kaichun Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, China.
| | - Limin Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Holistic Integrative Management of Gastrointestinal Cancers and National Clinical Research Center for Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, China.
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei Province, China.
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2
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Zhou Z, Jiang X, Yi L, Li C, Wang H, Xiong W, Li Z, Shen J. Mitochondria Energy Metabolism Depression as Novel Adjuvant to Sensitize Radiotherapy and Inhibit Radiation Induced-Pulmonary Fibrosis. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2401394. [PMID: 38715382 PMCID: PMC11234447 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202401394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Currently, the typical combination therapy of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) antibodies with radiotherapy (RT) still exhibits impaired immunogenic antitumor response in clinical due to lessened DNA damage and acquired immune tolerance via the upregulation of some other immune checkpoint inhibitors. Apart from this, such combination therapy may raise the occurrence rate of radiation-induced lung fibrosis (RIPF) due to enhanced systemic inflammation, leading to the ultimate death of cancer patients (average survival time of about 3 years). Therefore, it is newly revealed that mitochondria energy metabolism regulation can be used as a novel effective PD-L1 and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) dual-downregulation method. Following this, IR-TAM is prepared by conjugating mitochondria-targeted heptamethine cyanine dye IR-68 with oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) inhibitor Tamoxifen (TAM), which then self-assembled with albumin (Alb) to form IR-TAM@Alb nanoparticles. By doing this, tumor-targeting IR-TAM@Alb nanoparticle effectively reversed tumor hypoxia and depressed PD-L1 and TGF-β expression to sensitize RT. Meanwhile, due to the capacity of heptamethine cyanine dye in targeting RIPF and the function of TAM in depressing TGF-β, IR-TAM@Alb also ameliorated fibrosis development induced by RT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaigang Zhou
- National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Xin Jiang
- Department of Urology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Lei Yi
- Department of Urology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Cheng Li
- Department of Urology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Haoxiang Wang
- National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Department of Urology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Zhipeng Li
- National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Jianliang Shen
- National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
- Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Tissue Repair Materials, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325001, China
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Wu Y, Yi M, Niu M, Zhou B, Mei Q, Wu K. Beyond success: unveiling the hidden potential of radiotherapy and immunotherapy in solid tumors. Cancer Commun (Lond) 2024; 44:739-760. [PMID: 38837878 PMCID: PMC11260771 DOI: 10.1002/cac2.12576] [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: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy, particularly with immune checkpoint inhibitors, has significantly transformed cancer treatment. Despite its success, many patients struggle to respond adequately or sustain long-lasting clinical improvement. A growing consensus has emerged that radiotherapy (RT) enhances the response rate and overall efficacy of immunotherapy. Although combining RT and immunotherapy has been extensively investigated in preclinical models and has shown promising results, establishing itself as a dynamic and thriving area of research, clinical evidence for this combination strategy over the past five years has shown both positive and disappointing results, suggesting the need for a more nuanced understanding. This review provides a balanced and updated analysis of the combination of immunotherapy and RT. We summarized the preclinical mechanisms through which RT boosts antitumor immune responses and mainly focused on the outcomes of recently updated clinical trials, including those that may not have met expectations. We investigated the optimization of the therapeutic potential of this combined strategy, including key challenges, such as fractionation and scheduling, lymph node irradiation, and toxicity. Finally, we offered insights into the prospects and challenges associated with the clinical translation of this combination therapy, providing a realistic perspective on the current state of research and potential future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuze Wu
- Department of OncologyTongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanHubeiP. R. China
| | - Ming Yi
- Department of Breast SurgeryZhejiang University School of Medicine First Affiliated HospitalHangzhouZhejiangP. R. China
| | - Mengke Niu
- Department of OncologyTongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanHubeiP. R. China
| | - Binghan Zhou
- Department of OncologyTongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanHubeiP. R. China
| | - Qi Mei
- Department of OncologyTongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanHubeiP. R. China
| | - Kongming Wu
- Cancer CenterShanxi Bethune HospitalShanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical UniversityTaiyuanShanxiP. R. China
- Cancer CenterTongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanHubeiP. R. China
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4
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Kim DH, Kwon EJ, Park KG, Jin J, Byun JK. Acesulfame potassium upregulates PD-L1 in HCC cells by attenuating autophagic degradation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 711:149921. [PMID: 38603831 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149921] [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: 03/23/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Artificial sweeteners, which contain no or few calories, have been widely used in various foods and beverages, and are regarded as safe alternatives to sugar by the Food and Drug Administration. While several studies suggest that artificial sweeteners are not related to cancer development, some research has reported their potential association with the risk of cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we investigated whether acesulfame potassium (Ace K), a commonly used artificial sweetener, induces immune evasion of HCC cells by upregulating programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1). Ace K elevated the protein levels of PD-L1 in HCC cells without increasing its mRNA levels. The upregulation of PD-L1 protein levels in HCC cells by Ace K was induced by attenuated autophagic degradation of PD-L1, which was mediated by the Ace K-stimulated ERK1/2-mTORC1 signaling pathway. Ace K-induced upregulation of PD-L1 attenuated T cell-mediated death of HCC cells, thereby promoting immune evasion of HCC cells. In summary, the present study suggests that Ace K promotes HCC progression by upregulating the PD-L1 protein level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Ho Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, South Korea
| | - Eun-Jun Kwon
- Department of Biomedical Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, South Korea
| | - Keun-Gyu Park
- Department of Biomedical Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, South Korea; Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, 41944, South Korea; Research Institute of Aging and Metabolism, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, South Korea
| | - Jonghwa Jin
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, 41944, South Korea.
| | - Jun-Kyu Byun
- BK21 FOUR Community-Based Intelligent Novel Drug Discovery Education Unit, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, South Korea.
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5
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Salminen A. The role of the immunosuppressive PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint pathway in the aging process and age-related diseases. J Mol Med (Berl) 2024; 102:733-750. [PMID: 38600305 PMCID: PMC11106179 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-024-02444-6] [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: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
The accumulation of senescent cells within tissues is a hallmark of the aging process. Senescent cells are also commonly present in many age-related diseases and in the cancer microenvironment. The escape of abnormal cells from immune surveillance indicates that there is some defect in the function of cytotoxic immune cells, e.g., CD8+ T cells and natural killer (NK) cells. Recent studies have revealed that the expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) protein is abundantly increased in senescent cells. An increase in the amount of PD-L1 protein protects senescent cells from clearance by the PD-1 checkpoint receptor in cytotoxic immune cells. In fact, the activation of the PD-1 receptor suppresses the cytotoxic properties of CD8+ T and NK cells, promoting a state of immunosenescence. The inhibitory PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint pathway acts in cooperation with immunosuppressive cells; for example, activation of PD-1 receptor can enhance the differentiation of regulatory T cells (Treg), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), and M2 macrophages, whereas the cytokines secreted by immunosuppressive cells stimulate the expression of the immunosuppressive PD-L1 protein. Interestingly, many signaling pathways known to promote cellular senescence and the aging process are crucial stimulators of the expression of PD-L1 protein, e.g., epigenetic regulation, inflammatory mediators, mTOR-related signaling, cGAS-STING pathway, and AhR signaling. It seems that the inhibitory PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint axis has a crucial role in the accumulation of senescent cells and thus it promotes the aging process in tissues. Thus, the blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint signaling might be a potential anti-aging senolytic therapy. KEY MESSAGES: Senescent cells accumulate within tissues during aging and age-related diseases. Senescent cells are able to escape immune surveillance by cytotoxic immune cells. Expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) markedly increases in senescent cells. Age-related signaling stimulates the expression of PD-L1 protein in senescent cells. Inhibitory PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint pathway suppresses clearance of senescent cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antero Salminen
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland.
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6
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Zhang L, Ren H, Wu Y, Xue L, Bai Y, Wei D, Wu Q. PRG4 represses the genesis and metastasis of osteosarcoma by inhibiting PDL1 expression. Tissue Cell 2024; 88:102409. [PMID: 38781792 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2024.102409] [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: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Osteosarcoma is originated from skeletal system. Recombinant human proteoglycan 4 (rhPRG4) can inhibit cell proliferation and migration in multiple cancers. This research is designed to dig out the role and mechanism of PRG4 in osteosarcoma. METHODS Human osteosarcoma cell lines, MG63 and 143B, were transfected with programmed death 1 (PD-L1) overexpression vectors and/or treated with 20, 50, and 100 μg/mL rhPRG4, followed by the determination of cell viability, colony formation, sphere formation, invasion, migration, apoptosis, and the expressions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), PD-L1 and apoptosis-related proteins. Tumor-bearing mouse models were constructed by injection of 143B cells and treatment of anti-PD-L1 antibody and/or adenovirus PRG4 (AdPRG4). Tumor volume was monitored, and immunohistochemical location of Ki67 was performed. Expressions of MMPs, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), PD-L1, and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins were measured in tumors. RESULTS RhPRG4 (20, 50, and 100 μg/mL) inhibited the viability, colony formation, sphere formation, invasion, migration, and the expressions of MMP2, MMP9 and Bcl2 in osteosarcoma cells, while promoting cell apoptosis as well as Bax and c-caspase3 expressions, at a dose-dependent manner; by contrast, PD-L1 overexpression reversed the above effects of 100 μg/mL rhPRG4. AdPRG4 or anti-PD-L1 antibody decreased tumor volume, number of pulmonary metastasis nodule, Ki67 location, and expressions of TGF-β, PD-L1, MMP2, MMP9, Vimentin, and Snail, but increased E-cadherin expression in tumor cells. Moreover, anti-PD-L1 antibody and AdPRG4 together functioned more effectively than them alone in reducing tumor burden. CONCLUSION PRG4 represses the genesis and metastasis of osteosarcoma via inhibiting PD-L1 expression, and AdPRG4 enhances the effectiveness of anti-PD-L1 therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China
| | - Hongwei Ren
- Department of Oncology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China
| | - Yanjuan Wu
- Department of Cardiothoracic surgery, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China
| | - Lili Xue
- Department of Oncology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China
| | - Yang Bai
- Department of Oncology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China
| | - Dong Wei
- Department of Oncology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China
| | - Qilong Wu
- Department of Oncology, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China.
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7
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Paderno A, Petrelli F, Lorini L, Capriotti V, Gurizzan C, Bossi P. The predictive role of PD-L1 in head and neck cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Oral Oncol 2024; 153:106799. [PMID: 38729036 DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2024.106799] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
This systematic review and meta-analysis investigates the predictive and prognostic role of PD-L1 expression in treating head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Recognizing the importance of PD-L1 in patient response to treatment, the main objective was to assess its impact on overall survival and progression-free survival in HNSCC patients. A thorough search of databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from 2010 to 2022, along with relevant articles and references, yielded 120 studies. Of these, 7 met the criteria focusing on HNSCC patients, PD-L1 expression evaluation, and treatment with PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors. Data extraction followed PRISMA guidelines and involved independent review and consensus for discrepancies. The primary outcomes analyzed were overall survival and progression-free survival in relation to PD-L1 expression levels in patients undergoing immunotherapy.Theseven randomized controlled trials selected had a total of 4,477 participants. Results showed that patients with positive PD-L1 expression experienced improved overall survival when treated with PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors, particularly those with high PD-L1 expression. However, PD-L1 expression did not significantly affect progression-free survival. These findings suggest that PD-L1 expression can be a predictive marker for better overall survival in HNSCC patients treated with immunotherapy. However, its influence on progression-free survival remains unclear, indicating the need for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Paderno
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, Milan 20089, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, Pieve Emanuele, Milan 20072, Italy.
| | | | - Luigi Lorini
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, Milan 20089, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Capriotti
- Otorhinolaryngology Unit, Surgery Department, Portogruaro Hospital, ULSS4 Veneto Orientale, Portugruaro, Italy
| | - Cristina Gurizzan
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, Milan 20089, Italy
| | - Paolo Bossi
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, Milan 20089, Italy; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, Pieve Emanuele, Milan 20072, Italy
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Torres-Sanchez A, Torres G, Estrada S, Perez D, Garcia C, Milian M, Velazquez E, Molina V, Delgado Y. Unraveling the Impact of Six Pentacyclic Triterpenes Regulating Metabolic Pathways on Lung Carcinoma Cells. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:694. [PMID: 38931361 PMCID: PMC11206507 DOI: 10.3390/ph17060694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Recently, there has been great interest in plant-derived compounds known as phytochemicals. The pentacyclic oleanane-, ursane-, and lupane-type triterpenes are phytochemicals that exert significant activity against diseases like cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Although chemotherapy is the treatment of choice for lung cancer, its effectiveness is hampered by the dose-limiting toxic effects and chemoresistance. Herein, we investigated six pentacyclic triterpenes, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, asiatic acid, betulinic acid, betulin, and lupeol, on NSCLC A549 cells. These triterpenes have several structural variations that can influence the activation/inactivation of key cellular pathways. From our results, we determined that most of these triterpenes induced apoptosis, S-phase and G2/M-phase cycle arrest, the downregulation of ribonucleotide reductase (RR), reactive oxygen species, and caspase 3 activation. For chemoresistance markers, we found that most triterpenes downregulated the expression of MAPK/PI3K, STAT3, and PDL1. In contrast, UrA and AsA also induced DNA damage and autophagy. Then, we theoretically determined other possible molecular targets of these triterpenes using the online database ChEMBL. The results showed that even slight structural changes in these triterpenes can influence the cellular response. This study opens up promising perspectives for further research on the pharmaceutical role of phytochemical triterpenoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anamaris Torres-Sanchez
- Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, San Juan, PR 00931, USA;
- Biochemistry Department, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, PR 00936, USA
| | - Grace Torres
- Biochemistry & Pharmacology Department, San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, PR 00726, USA (D.P.); (E.V.); (V.M.)
| | - Sthephanie Estrada
- Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico-Cayey, Cayey, PR 00736, USA;
| | - Daraishka Perez
- Biochemistry & Pharmacology Department, San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, PR 00726, USA (D.P.); (E.V.); (V.M.)
| | - Carlos Garcia
- Medical Program, Ponce Health Science University, Ponce, PR 00716, USA
| | - Melissa Milian
- Biochemistry & Pharmacology Department, San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, PR 00726, USA (D.P.); (E.V.); (V.M.)
| | - Eddian Velazquez
- Biochemistry & Pharmacology Department, San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, PR 00726, USA (D.P.); (E.V.); (V.M.)
| | - Valerie Molina
- Biochemistry & Pharmacology Department, San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, PR 00726, USA (D.P.); (E.V.); (V.M.)
| | - Yamixa Delgado
- Biochemistry & Pharmacology Department, San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, PR 00726, USA (D.P.); (E.V.); (V.M.)
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9
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Wang Z, Yuan L, Liao X, Guo X, Chen J. Reducing PD-L1 Expression by Degraders and Downregulators as a Novel Strategy to Target the PD-1/PD-L1 Pathway. J Med Chem 2024; 67:6027-6043. [PMID: 38598179 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Targeting the programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway has evolved into one of the most promising strategies for tumor immunotherapy. Thus far, multiple monoclonal antibody drugs have been approved for treating a variety of tumors, while the development of small-molecule PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors has lagged far behind, with only a few small-molecule inhibitors entering clinical trials. In addition to antibody drugs and small-molecule inhibitors, reducing the expression levels of PD-L1 has attracted extensive research interest as another promising strategy to target the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. Herein, we analyze the structures and mechanisms of molecules that reduce PD-L1 expression and classify them as degraders and downregulators according to whether they directly bind to PD-L1. Moreover, we discuss the potential prospects for developing PD-L1-targeting drugs based on these molecules. It is hoped that this perspective will provide profound insights into the discovery of potent antitumor immunity drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijie Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Viral Oncology, Ministry of Science and Innovation, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen 518100, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Lin Yuan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xiaotong Liao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xia Guo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Viral Oncology, Ministry of Science and Innovation, Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen 518100, China
| | - Jianjun Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
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10
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Scuderi SA, Ardizzone A, Salako AE, Pantò G, De Luca F, Esposito E, Capra AP. Pentraxin 3: A Main Driver of Inflammation and Immune System Dysfunction in the Tumor Microenvironment of Glioblastoma. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1637. [PMID: 38730589 PMCID: PMC11083335 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16091637] [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: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain tumors are a heterogeneous group of brain neoplasms that are highly prevalent in individuals of all ages worldwide. Within this pathological framework, the most prevalent and aggressive type of primary brain tumor is glioblastoma (GB), a subtype of glioma that falls within the IV-grade astrocytoma group. The death rate for patients with GB remains high, occurring within a few months after diagnosis, even with the gold-standard therapies now available, such as surgery, radiation, or a pharmaceutical approach with Temozolomide. For this reason, it is crucial to continue looking for cutting-edge therapeutic options to raise patients' survival chances. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a multifunctional protein that has a variety of regulatory roles in inflammatory processes related to extracellular matrix (ECM). An increase in PTX3 blood levels is considered a trustworthy factor associated with the beginning of inflammation. Moreover, scientific evidence suggested that PTX3 is a sensitive and earlier inflammation-related marker compared to the short pentraxin C-reactive protein (CRP). In several tumoral subtypes, via regulating complement-dependent and macrophage-associated tumor-promoting inflammation, it has been demonstrated that PTX3 may function as a promoter of cancer metastasis, invasion, and stemness. Our review aims to deeply evaluate the function of PTX3 in the pathological context of GB, considering its pivotal biological activities and its possible role as a molecular target for future therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Adriana Scuderi
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D’Alcontres, 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (S.A.S.); (A.A.); (A.E.S.); (F.D.L.); (A.P.C.)
| | - Alessio Ardizzone
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D’Alcontres, 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (S.A.S.); (A.A.); (A.E.S.); (F.D.L.); (A.P.C.)
| | - Ayomide Eniola Salako
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D’Alcontres, 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (S.A.S.); (A.A.); (A.E.S.); (F.D.L.); (A.P.C.)
- University of Florence, 50121 Florence, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Pantò
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy;
| | - Fabiola De Luca
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D’Alcontres, 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (S.A.S.); (A.A.); (A.E.S.); (F.D.L.); (A.P.C.)
| | - Emanuela Esposito
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D’Alcontres, 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (S.A.S.); (A.A.); (A.E.S.); (F.D.L.); (A.P.C.)
| | - Anna Paola Capra
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno D’Alcontres, 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (S.A.S.); (A.A.); (A.E.S.); (F.D.L.); (A.P.C.)
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Lu J, Luo Y, Rao D, Wang T, Lei Z, Chen X, Zhang B, Li Y, Liu B, Xia L, Huang W. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells in cancer: therapeutic targets to overcome tumor immune evasion. Exp Hematol Oncol 2024; 13:39. [PMID: 38609997 PMCID: PMC11010322 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-024-00505-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Paradoxically, tumor development and progression can be inhibited and promoted by the immune system. After three stages of immune editing, namely, elimination, homeostasis and escape, tumor cells are no longer restricted by immune surveillance and thus develop into clinical tumors. The mechanisms of immune escape include abnormalities in antitumor-associated immune cells, selection for immune resistance to tumor cells, impaired transport of T cells, and the formation of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. A population of distinct immature myeloid cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), mediate immune escape primarily by exerting immunosuppressive effects and participating in the constitution of an immunosuppressive microtumor environment. Clinical trials have found that the levels of MDSCs in the peripheral blood of cancer patients are strongly correlated with tumor stage, metastasis and prognosis. Moreover, animal experiments have confirmed that elimination of MDSCs inhibits tumor growth and metastasis to some extent. Therefore, MDSCs may become the target of immunotherapy for many cancers, and eliminating MDSCs can help improve the response rate to cancer treatment and patient survival. However, a clear definition of MDSCs and the specific mechanism involved in immune escape are lacking. In this paper, we review the role of the MDSCs population in tumor development and the mechanisms involved in immune escape in different tumor contexts. In addition, we discuss the use of these cells as targets for tumor immunotherapy. This review not only contributes to a systematic and comprehensive understanding of the essential role of MDSCs in immune system reactions against tumors but also provides information to guide the development of cancer therapies targeting MDSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junli Lu
- Hepatic Surgery Centre, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Yiming Luo
- Hepatic Surgery Centre, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Dean Rao
- Hepatic Surgery Centre, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Tiantian Wang
- Hepatic Surgery Centre, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Zhen Lei
- Hepatic Surgery Centre, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaoping Chen
- Hepatic Surgery Centre, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
- Clinical Medicine Research Center for Hepatic Surgery of Hubei Province, Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Bixiang Zhang
- Hepatic Surgery Centre, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
- Clinical Medicine Research Center for Hepatic Surgery of Hubei Province, Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Yiwei Li
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Bifeng Liu
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Systems Biology Theme, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Limin Xia
- Department of Gastroenterology, Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
| | - Wenjie Huang
- Hepatic Surgery Centre, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
- Clinical Medicine Research Center for Hepatic Surgery of Hubei Province, Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
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12
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Sun H, Shang J, Liu X, Ren S, Hu S, Wang X. Eukaryotic initiation factor 3a promotes the development of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma through regulating cell proliferation. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:432. [PMID: 38589831 PMCID: PMC11003032 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-024-12166-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One-third of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients suffer relapse after standard treatment. Eukaryotic initiation factor 3a (eIF3a) is a key player in the initial stage of translation, which has been widely reported to be correlated with tumorigenesis and therapeutic response. This study aimed to explore the biological role of eIF3a, evaluate its prognostic and therapeutic potential in DLBCL. METHODS RNA-seq datasets from GEO database were utilized to detect the expression and prognostic role of eIF3a in DLBCL patients. Protein level of eIF3a was estimated by western blot and immunohistochemical. Next, DLBCL cells were transfected with lentiviral vector either eIF3a-knockdown or empty to assess the biological role of eIF3a. Then, samples were divided into 2 clusters based on eIF3a expression and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Function enrichment and mutation analysis of DEGs were employed to detect potential biological roles. Moreover, we also applied pan-cancer and chemosensitivity analysis for deep exploration. RESULTS eIF3a expression was found to be higher in DLBCL than healthy controls, which was associated with worse prognosis. The expression of eIF3a protein was significantly increased in DLBCL cell lines compared with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy donors. eIF3a knockdown inhibited the proliferation of DLBCL cells and the expression of proliferation-related proteins and increase cell apoptosis rate. Besides, 114 DEGs were identified which had a close linkage to cell cycle and tumor immune. eIF3a and DEGs mutations were found to be correlated to chemosensitivity and vital signal pathways. Pan-cancer analysis demonstrated that high eIF3a expression was associated with worse prognosis in several tumors. Moreover, eIF3a expression was found to be related to chemosensitivity of several anti-tumor drugs in DLBCL, including Vincristine and Wee1 inhibitor. CONCLUSIONS We firstly revealed the high expression and prognostic role of eIF3a in DLBCL, and eIF3a might promote the development of DLBCL through regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis. eIF3a expression was related to immune profile and chemosensitivity in DLBCL. These results suggest that eIF3a could serve as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in DLBCL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongkun Sun
- Department of Hematology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, 250021, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Department of Hematology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, 256603, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Juanjuan Shang
- Department of Hematology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, 250021, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xiao Liu
- Department of Hematology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, 256603, Binzhou, Shandong, China
| | - Shuai Ren
- Department of Oncology, Zibo Central Hospital, 255016, Zibo, Shandong, China
| | - Shunfeng Hu
- Department of Hematology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No. 324, Jingwu Road, 250021, Jinan, Shandong, China.
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Hematology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, 250021, Jinan, Shandong, China.
- Department of Hematology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No. 324, Jingwu Road, 250021, Jinan, Shandong, China.
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Li X, Liu G, Wu W. Progress in Biological Research and Treatment of Pseudomyxoma Peritonei. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1406. [PMID: 38611084 PMCID: PMC11010892 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16071406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare disease characterized by extensive peritoneal implantation and mass secretion of mucus after primary mucinous tumors of the appendix or other organ ruptures. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is currently the preferred treatment, with excellent efficacy and safety, and is associated with breakthrough progress in long-term disease control and prolonged survival. However, the high recurrence rate of PMP is the key challenge in its treatment, which limits the clinical application of multiple rounds of CRS-HIPEC and does not benefit from conventional systemic chemotherapy. Therefore, the development of alternative therapies for patients with refractory or relapsing PMP is critical. The literature related to PMP research progress and treatment was searched in the Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases, and a literature review was conducted. The overview of the biological research, treatment status, potential therapeutic strategies, current research limitations, and future directions associated with PMP are presented, focuses on CRS-HIPEC therapy and alternative or combination therapy strategies, and emphasizes the clinical transformation prospects of potential therapeutic strategies such as mucolytic agents and targeted therapy. It provides a theoretical reference for the treatment of PMP and the main directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Li
- Department of Geriatric Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China;
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Guodong Liu
- Department of Geriatric Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China;
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Wei Wu
- Department of Geriatric Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China;
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
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Chen Z, Huang H, Hong H, Huang H, Weng H, Yu L, Xiao J, Wang Z, Fang X, Yao Y, Yue JX, Lin T. Full-spectral genome analysis of natural killer/T cell lymphoma highlights impacts of genome instability in driving its progression. Genome Med 2024; 16:48. [PMID: 38566223 PMCID: PMC10986005 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-024-01324-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Natural killer/T cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disease with poor prognosis. Genome sequencing and mutation characterization provides a powerful approach for patient stratification, treatment target discovery, and etiology identification. However, previous studies mostly concentrated on base-level mutations in primary NKTCL, whereas the large-scale genomic alterations in NKTCL and the mutational landscapes in relapsed/refractory NKTCL remain largely unexplored. METHODS Here, we assembled whole-genome sequencing and whole-exome sequencing data from 163 patients with primary or relapsed/refractory NKTCL and compared their somatic mutational landscapes at both nucleotide and structure levels. RESULTS Our study not only confirmed previously reported common NKTCL mutational targets like STAT3, TP53, and DDX3X but also unveiled several novel high-frequency mutational targets such as PRDM9, DST, and RBMX. In terms of the overall mutational landscape, we observed striking differences between primary and relapsed/refractory NKTCL patient groups, with the latter exhibits higher levels of tumor mutation burden, copy number variants (CNVs), and structural variants (SVs), indicating a strong signal of genomic instability. Complex structural rearrangements such as chromothripsis and focal amplification are also significantly enriched in relapsed/refractory NKTCL patients, exerting a substantial impact on prognosis. Accordingly, we devised a novel molecular subtyping system (i.e., C0-C4) with distinct prognosis by integrating potential driver mutations at both nucleotide and structural levels, which further provides an informative guidance for novel treatments that target these specific driver mutations and genome instability as a whole. CONCLUSIONS The striking differences underlying the mutational landscapes between the primary and relapsed/refractory NKTCL patients highlight the importance of genomic instability in driving the progression of NKTCL. Our newly proposed molecular subtyping system is valuable in assisting patient stratification and novel treatment design towards a better prognosis in the age of precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zegeng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - He Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Huangming Hong
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Huageng Huang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Huawei Weng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Le Yu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Jian Xiao
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510655, China
| | - Zhao Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Xiaojie Fang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Yuyi Yao
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Jia-Xing Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
| | - Tongyu Lin
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sichuan Cancer Hospital and Institute, Sichuan Cancer Center, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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Sun J, Zhong H, Kang B, Lum T, Liu D, Liang S, Hao J, Guo R. Roles of PD-L1 in human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells under inflammatory microenvironment. J Cell Biochem 2024; 125:e30544. [PMID: 38450777 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.30544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) display unique homing and immunosuppression features which make them promising candidates for cell therapy in inflammatory disorders. It is known that C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4, also known as CD184) is a critical receptor implicated in MSCs migration, and the protein programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is involved in MSC's immunosuppression. However, it remains unclear how the molecular mechanisms regulate PD-L1 expression for migration and immunosuppression of MSCs under the inflammatory microenvironment. In this article, we used the human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADMSCs) treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as an in vitro inflammatory model to explore the roles of PD-L1 on the migration and immunosuppression of MSC. Our results demonstrate that in hADMSCs, LPS significantly increased PD-L1 expression, which mediated the migration of the LPS-treated hADMSCs via CXCR4. In addition, we found that the increased PD-L1 expression in the LPS-treated hADMSCs inhibited B cell proliferation and immunoglobulin G secretion through nuclear factor-κB. Our study suggests that the PD-L1 plays critical roles in the homing and immunosuppression of MSCs which are a promising cell therapy to treat inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinqiu Sun
- Institute of Life Science and Green Development, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Hannah Zhong
- College of Letters and Science, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Bo Kang
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Trenton Lum
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA
| | - Dongxue Liu
- Institute of Life Science and Green Development, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Shengxian Liang
- Institute of Life Science and Green Development, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Jijun Hao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA
| | - Rui Guo
- Institute of Life Science and Green Development, College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China
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Zhang P, Yang J, Zhong X, Selistre-de-Araujo HS, Boussios S, Ma Y, Fang H. A novel PD-1/PD-L1 pathway-related seven-gene signature for the development and validation of the prognosis prediction model for breast cancer. Transl Cancer Res 2024; 13:1554-1566. [PMID: 38617520 PMCID: PMC11009795 DOI: 10.21037/tcr-23-2270] [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: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Background Breast cancer (BC/BRCA) is the most common carcinoma in women. The average 5-year survival rate of BC patients with stage IV disease is 26%. A considerable proportion of patients still do not receive effective therapy. It is an unmet need to identify novel biomarkers for BC patients. Herein, we evaluated whether the programmed cell death protein 1/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) status is associated with the clinical outcomes of BC, based on data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Methods Clinical and transcriptome data of BC patients were obtained from TCGA dataset, and prognostic genes in BC patients were identified, as well as the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway mainly associating with the BC patients. Following the execution of the consensus clustering algorithm, BC patients were segregated into two clusters, and subsequent investigation of the potential mechanisms between them was carried out. A comparison of ferroptosis and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) was conducted between the two groups with the greatest difference in prognosis. Based on least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis, a signature associated with the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway was developed, and the prognosis outcome and the predictive accuracy of the signature model were further assessed. Results Prognostic genes in BC patients were studied using TCGA data and it was found that the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway was most associated with the BC patients. Then, a low-risk (C1) group and a high-risk (C2) group of BC patients were constructed based on a PD-1/PD-L1 pathway-related signature. The functional analyses suggested that the underlying mechanisms between these groups were mainly associated with immune-related pathways. We found that ferroptosis and m6A were significantly different between the two groups. A PD-1/PD-L1 pathway-related gene signature was further developed to predict survival of BC patients, including 7 genes [mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 6 (MAP2K6), NF-kappa-B inhibitor alpha (NFKBIA), NFKB Inhibitor Epsilon (NFKBIE), Interferon gamma (IFNG), Toll/interleukin-1 receptor domain-containing adapter protein (TIRAP), IkappaB kinase (CHUK), and Casein kinase 2 alpha 3 gene (CSNK2A3)]. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were analyzed to further assess the prognostic values of these 7 genes. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year values of the areas under the curve (AUCs) for overall survival were 0.651, 0.658, and 0.653 in this seven gene signature model, respectively. Conclusions PD-1/PD-L1 pathway-related subtypes of BC were identified, which were closely associated with the immune microenvironment, the ferroptosis status, and m6A in BC patients. The gene signature involved in the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway might help to make a distinction and predict prognosis in BC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhang
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The Third Hospital of Mianyang, Sichuan Mental Health Center/The Third Hospital of Mianyang (Sichuan Mental Health Center), Mianyang, China
| | - Jingjing Yang
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The Third Hospital of Mianyang, Sichuan Mental Health Center/The Third Hospital of Mianyang (Sichuan Mental Health Center), Mianyang, China
| | - Xiaolong Zhong
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The Third Hospital of Mianyang, Sichuan Mental Health Center/The Third Hospital of Mianyang (Sichuan Mental Health Center), Mianyang, China
| | - Heloisa Sobreiro Selistre-de-Araujo
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Physiological Sciences, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Stergios Boussios
- Department of Medical Oncology, Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Kent, UK
- Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK
- Kent Medway Medical School, University of Kent, Kent, UK
- AELIA Organization, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Yongneng Ma
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The Third Hospital of Mianyang, Sichuan Mental Health Center/The Third Hospital of Mianyang (Sichuan Mental Health Center), Mianyang, China
| | - Hua Fang
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The Third Hospital of Mianyang, Sichuan Mental Health Center/The Third Hospital of Mianyang (Sichuan Mental Health Center), Mianyang, China
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Stergiou IE, Palamaris K, Levidou G, Tzimou M, Papadakos SP, Mandrakis G, Masaoutis C, Rontogianni D, Theocharis S. PD-L1 Expression in Neoplastic and Immune Cells of Thymic Epithelial Tumors: Correlations with Disease Characteristics and HDAC Expression. Biomedicines 2024; 12:772. [PMID: 38672128 PMCID: PMC11048374 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12040772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in neoplastic and immune cells of the tumor microenvironment determines the efficacy of antitumor immunity, while it can be regulated at the epigenetic level by various factors, including HDACs. In this study, we aim to evaluate the expression patterns of PD-L1 in thymic epithelial tumors (TETs), while we attempt the first correlation analysis between PD-L1 and histone deacetylases (HDACs) expression. METHODS Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the expression of PD-L1 in tumor and immune cells of 91 TETs with SP263 and SP142 antibody clones, as well as the expressions of HDCA1, -2, -3, -4, -5, and -6. RESULTS The PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) was higher, while the immune cell score (IC-score) was lower in the more aggressive TET subtypes and in more advanced Masaoka-Koga stages. A positive correlation between PD-L1 and HDAC-3, -4, and -5 cytoplasmic expression was identified. CONCLUSIONS Higher PD-L1 expression in neoplastic cells and lower PD-L1 expression in immune cells of TETs characterizes more aggressive and advanced neoplasms. Correlations between PD-L1 and HDAC expression unravel the impact of epigenetic regulation on the expression of immune checkpoint molecules in TETs, with possible future applications in combined therapeutic targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna E. Stergiou
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece;
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece; (K.P.); (M.T.); (S.P.P.); (G.M.); (C.M.)
| | - Kostas Palamaris
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece; (K.P.); (M.T.); (S.P.P.); (G.M.); (C.M.)
| | - Georgia Levidou
- Second Department of Pathology, Paracelsus Medical University, 90419 Nurenberg, Germany
| | - Maria Tzimou
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece; (K.P.); (M.T.); (S.P.P.); (G.M.); (C.M.)
| | - Stavros P. Papadakos
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece; (K.P.); (M.T.); (S.P.P.); (G.M.); (C.M.)
| | - Georgios Mandrakis
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece; (K.P.); (M.T.); (S.P.P.); (G.M.); (C.M.)
| | - Christos Masaoutis
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece; (K.P.); (M.T.); (S.P.P.); (G.M.); (C.M.)
| | - Dimitra Rontogianni
- Department of Pathology, Evangelismos General Hospital of Athens, 10676 Athens, Greece;
| | - Stamatios Theocharis
- First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece; (K.P.); (M.T.); (S.P.P.); (G.M.); (C.M.)
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Shang J, Hu S, Wang X. Targeting natural killer cells: from basic biology to clinical application in hematologic malignancies. Exp Hematol Oncol 2024; 13:21. [PMID: 38396050 PMCID: PMC10885621 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-024-00481-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cell belongs to innate lymphoid cell family that contributes to host immunosurveillance and defense without pre-immunization. Emerging studies have sought to understand the underlying mechanism behind NK cell dysfunction in tumor environments, and provide numerous novel therapeutic targets for tumor treatment. Strategies to enhance functional activities of NK cell have exhibited promising efficacy and favorable tolerance in clinical treatment of tumor patients, such as immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), chimeric antigen receptor NK (CAR-NK) cell, and bi/trispecific killer cell engager (BiKE/TriKE). Immunotherapy targeting NK cell provides remarkable advantages compared to T cell therapy, including a decreased rate of graft versus-host disease (GvHD) and neurotoxicity. Nevertheless, advanced details on how to support the maintenance and function of NK cell to obtain better response rate and longer duration still remain to be elucidated. This review systematically summarizes the profound role of NK cells in tumor development, highlights up-to-date advances and current challenges of therapy targeting NK cell in the clinical treatment of hematologic malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juanjuan Shang
- Department of Hematology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, No.324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Shunfeng Hu
- Department of Hematology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China.
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Hematology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, No.324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China.
- Department of Hematology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China.
- Taishan Scholars Program of Shandong Province, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China.
- Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 251006, China.
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Rastin F, Oryani MA, Iranpour S, Javid H, Hashemzadeh A, Karimi-Shahri M. A new era in cancer treatment: harnessing ZIF-8 nanoparticles for PD-1 inhibitor delivery. J Mater Chem B 2024; 12:872-894. [PMID: 38193564 DOI: 10.1039/d3tb02471g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
This review delves into the potential of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanoparticles in augmenting the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy, with a special focus on the delivery of programmed cell death receptor 1 (PD-1) inhibitors. The multifunctional nature of ZIF-8 nanoparticles as drug carriers is emphasized, with their ability to encapsulate a range of therapeutic agents, including PD-1 inhibitors, and facilitate their targeted delivery to tumor locations. By manipulating the pore size and surface characteristics of ZIF-8 nanoparticles, controlled drug release can be realized. The strategic use of ZIF-8 nanoparticles to deliver PD-1 inhibitors presents a precise and targeted modality for cancer treatment, reducing off-target impacts and enhancing therapeutic effectiveness. This combined strategy addresses the existing challenges and constraints of current immunotherapy techniques, with the ultimate goal of enhancing patient outcomes in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farangis Rastin
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Mahsa Akbari Oryani
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Sonia Iranpour
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Hossein Javid
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Varastegan Institute for Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Surgical Oncology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Alireza Hashemzadeh
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Mehdi Karimi-Shahri
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran
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20
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Zhao Q, Zong H, Zhu P, Su C, Tang W, Chen Z, Jin S. Crosstalk between colorectal CSCs and immune cells in tumorigenesis, and strategies for targeting colorectal CSCs. Exp Hematol Oncol 2024; 13:6. [PMID: 38254219 PMCID: PMC10802076 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-024-00474-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy in the treatment of colorectal cancer, and relapse after tumor immunotherapy has attracted increasing attention. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a small subset of tumor cells with self-renewal and differentiation capacities, are resistant to traditional therapies such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Recently, CSCs have been proven to be the cells driving tumor relapse after immunotherapy. However, the mutual interactions between CSCs and cancer niche immune cells are largely uncharacterized. In this review, we focus on colorectal CSCs, CSC-immune cell interactions and CSC-based immunotherapy. Colorectal CSCs are characterized by robust expression of surface markers such as CD44, CD133 and Lgr5; hyperactivation of stemness-related signaling pathways, such as the Wnt/β-catenin, Hippo/Yap1, Jak/Stat and Notch pathways; and disordered epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling, and noncoding RNA action. Moreover, colorectal CSCs express abnormal levels of immune-related genes such as MHC and immune checkpoint molecules and mutually interact with cancer niche cells in multiple tumorigenesis-related processes, including tumor initiation, maintenance, metastasis and drug resistance. To date, many therapies targeting CSCs have been evaluated, including monoclonal antibodies, antibody‒drug conjugates, bispecific antibodies, tumor vaccines adoptive cell therapy, and small molecule inhibitors. With the development of CSC-/niche-targeting technology, as well as the integration of multidisciplinary studies, novel therapies that eliminate CSCs and reverse their immunosuppressive microenvironment are expected to be developed for the treatment of solid tumors, including colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zhao
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Hong Zong
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Pingping Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Chang Su
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Wenxue Tang
- The Research and Application Center of Precision Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 2 Jing‑ba Road, Zhengzhou, 450014, China.
| | - Zhenzhen Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
| | - Shuiling Jin
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
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21
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Zhang P, Liu X, Gu Z, Jiang Z, Zhao S, Song Y, Yu J. Targeting TIGIT for cancer immunotherapy: recent advances and future directions. Biomark Res 2024; 12:7. [PMID: 38229100 PMCID: PMC10790541 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-023-00543-z] [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: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
As a newly identified checkpoint, T cell immunoreceptor with immunoglobulin and tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM) domain (TIGIT) is highly expressed on CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs), and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). TIGIT has been associated with NK cell exhaustion in vivo and in individuals with various cancers. It not only modulates NK cell survival but also mediates T cell exhaustion. As the primary ligand of TIGIT in humans, CD155 may be the main target for immunotherapy due to its interaction with TIGIT. It has been found that the anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) treatment response in cancer immunotherapy is correlated with CD155 but not TIGIT. Anti-TIGIT alone and in combination with anti-PD-1 agents have been tested for cancer immunotherapy. Although two clinical studies on advanced lung cancer had positive results, the TIGIT-targeted antibody, tiragolumab, recently failed in two new trials. In this review, we highlight the current developments on TIGIT for cancer immunotherapy and discuss the characteristics and functions of TIGIT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
- Henan Medical Key Laboratory of Thoracic Oncology, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Xinyuan Liu
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Bioinformatics Center, Henan Provincial Engineering Center for Tumor Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004, Henan, China
| | - Zhuoyu Gu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
- Henan Medical Key Laboratory of Thoracic Oncology, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Zhongxing Jiang
- Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Song Zhao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China.
| | - Yongping Song
- Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China.
| | - Jifeng Yu
- Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China.
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Nuclear Protein Gene Regulation, Henan University College of Medicine, Kaifeng, 475004, Henan, China.
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22
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Zhou Z, Wang H, Li J, Jiang X, Li Z, Shen J. Recent progress, perspectives, and issues of engineered PD-L1 regulation nano-system to better cure tumor: A review. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 254:127911. [PMID: 37939766 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Currently, immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies that target the programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) have been used as revolutionary cancer treatments in the clinic. Apart from restoring the antitumor response of cytotoxic T cells by blocking the interaction between PD-L1 on tumor cells and programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) on T cells, PD-L1 proteins were also newly revealed to possess the capacity to accelerate DNA damage repair (DDR) and enhance tumor growth through multiple mechanisms, leading to the impaired efficacy of tumor therapies. Nevertheless, current free anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy still suffered from poor therapeutic outcomes in most solid tumors due to the non-selective tumor accumulation, ineludible severe cytotoxic effects, as well as the common occurrence of immune resistance. Recently, nanoparticles with efficient tumor-targeting capacity, tumor-responsive prosperity, and versatility for combination therapy were identified as new avenues for PD-L1 targeting cancer immunotherapies. In this review, we first summarized the multiple functions of PD-L1 protein in promoting tumor growth, accelerating DDR, as well as depressing immunotherapy efficacy. Following this, the effects and mechanisms of current clinically widespread tumor therapies on tumor PD-L1 expression were discussed. Then, we reviewed the recent advances in nanoparticles for anti-PD-L1 therapy via using PD-L1 antibodies, small interfering RNA (siRNA), microRNA (miRNA), clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), peptide, and small molecular drugs. At last, we discussed the challenges and perspectives to promote the clinical application of nanoparticles-based PD-L1-targeting therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaigang Zhou
- National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Haoxiang Wang
- National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China
| | - Jie Li
- College of Pharmacy, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China
| | - Xin Jiang
- Department of Urology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Zhangping Li
- The Quzhou Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Quzhou People's Hospital, Quzhou, Zhejiang 324000, China.
| | - Jianliang Shen
- National Engineering Research Center of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, China; Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou 325000, China.
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23
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Hasan A, Khan NA, Uddin S, Khan AQ, Steinhoff M. Deregulated transcription factors in the emerging cancer hallmarks. Semin Cancer Biol 2024; 98:31-50. [PMID: 38123029 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2023.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Cancer progression is a multifaceted process that entails several stages and demands the persistent expression or activation of transcription factors (TFs) to facilitate growth and survival. TFs are a cluster of proteins with DNA-binding domains that attach to promoter or enhancer DNA strands to start the transcription of genes by collaborating with RNA polymerase and other supporting proteins. They are generally acknowledged as the major regulatory molecules that coordinate biological homeostasis and the appropriate functioning of cellular components, subsequently contributing to human physiology. TFs proteins are crucial for controlling transcription during the embryonic stage and development, and the stability of different cell types depends on how they function in different cell types. The development and progression of cancer cells and tumors might be triggered by any anomaly in transcription factor function. It has long been acknowledged that cancer development is accompanied by the dysregulated activity of TF alterations which might result in faulty gene expression. Recent studies have suggested that dysregulated transcription factors play a major role in developing various human malignancies by altering and rewiring metabolic processes, modifying the immune response, and triggering oncogenic signaling cascades. This review emphasizes the interplay between TFs involved in metabolic and epigenetic reprogramming, evading immune attacks, cellular senescence, and the maintenance of cancer stemness in cancerous cells. The insights presented herein will facilitate the development of innovative therapeutic modalities to tackle the dysregulated transcription factors underlying cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adria Hasan
- Molecular Cell Biology Laboratory, Integral Information and Research Centre-4 (IIRC-4), Integral University, Lucknow 226026, India; Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering, Integral University, Lucknow 226026, India
| | - Naushad Ahmad Khan
- Department of Surgery, Trauma and Vascular Surgery Clinical Research, Hamad General Hospital, Doha 3050, Qatar
| | - Shahab Uddin
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar; Department of Biosciences, Integral University, Lucknow 226026, India; Animal Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; Dermatology Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar
| | - Abdul Q Khan
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar.
| | - Martin Steinhoff
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar; Animal Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Rumailah Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar, Qatar Foundation-Education City, Doha 24144, Qatar; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA; College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
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24
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Quan Q, Guo L, Huang L, Liu Z, Guo T, Shen Y, Ding S, Liu C, Cao L. Expression and clinical significance of PD-L1 and infiltrated immune cells in the gastric adenocarcinoma microenvironment. Medicine (Baltimore) 2023; 102:e36323. [PMID: 38050283 PMCID: PMC10695517 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000036323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is a crucial negative costimulatory molecule expressed on both tumor and immune cells. It binds to programmed death-1, facilitating tumor escape. Tumor-infiltrating immune cells play a vital role in this process. However, the clinical relationship between PD-L1 expression and tumor-infiltrating immune cells remains uncertain. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was utilized to assess PD-L1 expression and TIIC markers (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD31, CD68, CD11c, CD56, and α-smooth muscle actin) in gastric adenocarcinoma tissues from 268 patients. The aim was to explore the prognostic significance of PD-L1 and the infiltration of different immune cell types. The study analyzed overall survival and the correlations between PD-L1 expression, immune cell infiltration, and clinicopathological characteristics. Among the 268 patients, 52 (19.40%) exhibited high PD-L1 expression on tumor cells (TPD-L1), while 167 (62.31%) displayed high PD-L1 expression on immune cells (IPD-L1). Patients with high IPD-L1 expression showed improved survival compared to those with low IPD-L1 expression (P = .028). High TPD-L1 expression associated with various clinicopathological features, such as larger tumor size, poorer differentiation, deeper invasion depth, and higher tumor stage. Conversely, patients with high IPD-L1 expression exhibited shallower tumor invasion and lower mortality rates. Univariate analysis indicated that superficial tumor infiltration, absence of lymph node and distant metastasis, low tumor stage, high IPD-L1 expression, and elevated CD8 and CD19 expression were associated with a reduced risk of tumor progression. Multivariate analysis revealed that patients with high IPD-L1 and CD8 expression or high TPD-L1 and low CD31 expression experienced significantly better overall survival than patients with other combinations. The findings indicate that patients with high PD-L1 expression in immune cells have a substantially improved prognosis. Additionally, the combination of PD-L1 with CD8 or CD31 expression status can serve as an indicator of prognosis in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuying Quan
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lingchuan Guo
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lili Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Children’s Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhiju Liu
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tianwei Guo
- Department of Pathology, Changshu Hospital of Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Changshu, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yu Shen
- Jiangsu Institute of Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Sisi Ding
- Jiangsu Institute of Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Cuiping Liu
- Jiangsu Institute of Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lei Cao
- Jiangsu Institute of Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Tumor Immunology, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
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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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Tan J, Wang C, Jin Y, Xia Y, Gong B, Zhao Q. Optimal combination of MYCN differential gene and cellular senescence gene predicts adverse outcomes in patients with neuroblastoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1309138. [PMID: 38035110 PMCID: PMC10687280 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1309138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Neuroblastoma (NB) is a common extracranial tumor in children and is highly heterogeneous. The factors influencing the prognosis of NB are not simple. Methods To investigate the effect of cell senescence on the prognosis of NB and tumor immune microenvironment, 498 samples of NB patients and 307 cellular senescence-related genes were used to construct a prediction signature. Results A signature based on six optimal candidate genes (TP53, IL-7, PDGFRA, S100B, DLL3, and TP63) was successfully constructed and proved to have good prognostic ability. Through verification, the signature had more advantages than the gene expression level alone in evaluating prognosis was found. Further T cell phenotype analysis displayed that exhausted phenotype PD-1 and senescence-related phenotype CD244 were highly expressed in CD8+ T cell in MYCN-amplified group with higher risk-score. Conclusion A signature constructed the six MYCN-amplified differential genes and aging-related genes can be used to predict the prognosis of NB better than using each high-risk gene individually and to evaluate immunosuppressed and aging tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxiong Tan
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China
| | - Chaoyu Wang
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China
| | - Yan Jin
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuren Xia
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China
| | - Baocheng Gong
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China
| | - Qiang Zhao
- Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, China
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
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27
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Zhang A, Wang S, Sun Y, Zhang Y, Zhao L, Yang Y, Zhang Y, Xu L, Lei Y, Du J, Chen H, Duan L, He M, Shi L, Liu L, Wang Q, Hu L, Zhang B. Targeting and cytotoxicity of chimeric antigen receptor T cells grafted with PD1 extramembrane domain. Exp Hematol Oncol 2023; 12:85. [PMID: 37777797 PMCID: PMC10543853 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-023-00438-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunosuppression induced by programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) presents a significant constraint on the effectiveness of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T therapy. The potential of combining PD1/PDL1 (Programmed cell death 1 ligand 1) axis blockade with CAR-T cell therapy is promising. However, developing a highly efficient and minimally toxic approach requires further exploration. Our attempt to devise a novel CAR structure capable of recognizing both tumor antigens and PDL1 encountered challenges since direct targeting of PDL1 resulted in systemic adverse effects. METHODS In this research, we innovatively engineered novel CARs by grafting the PD1 domain into a conventional second-generation (2G) CAR specifically targeting CD19. These CARs exist in two distinct forms: one with PD1 extramembrane domain (EMD) directly linked to a transmembrane domain (TMD), referred to as PE CAR, and the other with PD1 EMD connected to a TMD via a CD8 hinge domain (HD), known as PE8HT CAR. To evaluate their efficacy, we conducted comprehensive assessments of their cytotoxicity, cytokine release, and potential off-target effects both in vitro and in vivo using tumor models that overexpress CD19/PDL1. RESULTS The findings of our study indicate that PE CAR demonstrates enhanced cytotoxicity and reduced cytokine release specifically towards CD19 + PDL1 + tumor cells, without off-target effects to CD19-PDL1 + tumor cells, in contrast to 2G CAR-T cells. Additionally, PE CAR showed ameliorative differentiation, exhaustion, and apoptosis phenotypes as assessed by flow cytometry, RNA-sequencing, and metabolic parameter analysis, after encountering CD19 + PDL1 + tumor cells. CONCLUSION Our results revealed that CAR grafted with PD1 exhibits enhanced antitumor activity with lower cytokine release and no PD1-related off-target toxicity in tumor models that overexpress CD19 and PDL1. These findings suggest that our CAR design holds the potential for effectively addressing the PD1 signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ang Zhang
- Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, 100850, PR China
- Department of Hematology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Shenyu Wang
- Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, 100850, PR China
- Senior Department of Hematology, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, PR China
| | - Yao Sun
- Senior Department of Hematology, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, PR China
| | - Yikun Zhang
- Department of Hematology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Long Zhao
- Senior Department of Hematology, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, PR China
| | - Yang Yang
- Senior Department of Hematology, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, PR China
| | - Yijian Zhang
- Senior Department of Hematology, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, PR China
| | - Lei Xu
- Senior Department of Hematology, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, PR China
| | - Yangyang Lei
- Senior Department of Hematology, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, PR China
| | - Jie Du
- SAFE Pharmaceutical Research Institute Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Hu Chen
- Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, 100850, PR China
| | - Lian Duan
- Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Academy of Military Sciences, Beijing, 100850, PR China
| | - Mingyi He
- Department of Hematology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Lintao Shi
- Department of Hematology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Department of Hematology, Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Quanjun Wang
- SAFE Pharmaceutical Research Institute Co., Ltd, Beijing, China.
| | - Liangding Hu
- Senior Department of Hematology, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, PR China.
| | - Bin Zhang
- Senior Department of Hematology, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, PR China.
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Heffernan DS, Chung CS, Ayala A. SPLENIC INVARIANT NATURAL KILLER T CELLS PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE RESPONSE TO POLYMICROBIAL SEPSIS. Shock 2023; 60:443-449. [PMID: 37493576 PMCID: PMC10529630 DOI: 10.1097/shk.0000000000002185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Background: Sepsis is marked by a dysregulated immune response to an infection. Invariant natural killer T cells ( i NKT cells) are a pluripotent lymphocyte subpopulation capable of affecting and coordinating the immune response to sepsis. The spleen is an important site of immune interactions in response to an infection. Splenic i NKT cells have emerged as important potential frontline mediators of chronic immune response. There are few data addressing the role splenic of i NKT cells in response to intra-abdominal polymicrobial sepsis. Methods: The cecal ligation and puncture model was used to create intra-abdominal sepsis in 8- to 12-week-old wild-type, i NKT -/- , or programmed cell death receptor-1 (PD-1) -/- mice. Twenty-four hours later, spleens were harvested. Flow cytometry was used for phenotyping using monoclonal antibodies. Cell sort was used to isolate i NKT cells. A macrophage cell line was used to assess i NKT cell-phagocyte interactions. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for cytokine analysis. Results: Splenic i NKT-cell populations rapidly declined following induction of sepsis. Within i NKT-cell -/- mice, a distinct baseline hyperinflammatory environment was noted. Within wild type, sepsis induced an increase in splenic IL-6 and IL-10, whereas in i NKT -/- mice, there was no change in elevated IL-6 levels and a noted decrease in IL-10 expression. Further, following sepsis, PD-1 expression was increased upon spleen i NKT cells. With respect to PD-1 ligands upon phagocytes, PD-1 ligand expression was unaffected, whereas PD-L2 expression was significantly affected by the presence of PD-1. Conclusions: Invariant natural killer T cells play a distinct role in the spleen response to sepsis, an effect mediated by the checkpoint protein PD-1. Given that modulators are available in clinical trials, this offers a potential therapeutic target in the setting of sepsis-induced immune dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daithi S Heffernan
- Division of Surgical Research, Department of Surgery, Lifespan-Rhode Island Hospital/The Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
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Zhu S, Wu Y, Song B, Yi M, Yan Y, Mei Q, Wu K. Recent advances in targeted strategies for triple-negative breast cancer. J Hematol Oncol 2023; 16:100. [PMID: 37641116 PMCID: PMC10464091 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-023-01497-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a highly aggressive subtype of breast cancer, negatively expresses estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Although chemotherapy is the main form of treatment for patients with TNBC, the effectiveness of chemotherapy for TNBC is still limited. The search for more effective therapies is urgent. Multiple targeted therapeutic strategies have emerged according to the specific molecules and signaling pathways expressed in TNBC. These include PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors, epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors, Notch inhibitors, poly ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors, and antibody-drug conjugates. Moreover, immune checkpoint inhibitors, for example, pembrolizumab, atezolizumab, and durvalumab, are widely explored in the clinic. We summarize recent advances in targeted therapy and immunotherapy in TNBC, with the aim of serving as a reference for the development of individualized treatment of patients with TNBC in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuangli Zhu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yuze Wu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Bin Song
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, China
| | - Ming Yi
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, China
| | - Yuheng Yan
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Qi Mei
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, China.
- Cancer Center, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| | - Kongming Wu
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, China.
- Cancer Center, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
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Niu M, Yi M, Wu Y, Lyu L, He Q, Yang R, Zeng L, Shi J, Zhang J, Zhou P, Zhang T, Mei Q, Chu Q, Wu K. Synergistic efficacy of simultaneous anti-TGF-β/VEGF bispecific antibody and PD-1 blockade in cancer therapy. J Hematol Oncol 2023; 16:94. [PMID: 37573354 PMCID: PMC10423429 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-023-01487-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recently, therapeutic antibodies against programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) have exerted potent anticancer effect in a variety of tumors. However, blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 axis alone is not sufficient to restore normal immune response. Other negative regulators of antitumor immunity, like TGF-β and VEGFA, are also involved in immune escape of tumor cells and induce immunotherapy resistance. METHODS We developed a novel anti-TGF-β/VEGF bispecific antibody Y332D based on the Nano-YBODY™ technology platform. The CCK-8, flow cytometry, SBE4 luciferase reporter assay, western blotting and transwell assays were used to measure the biological activities of the anti-TGF-β moiety. The NFAT luciferase reporter assay, luminescent cell viability assay and tube formation assay were used to measure the biological activities of the anti-VEGF moiety. The in vivo anticancer efficacy of Y332D alone or in combination with PD-1 blockade was evaluated in H22, EMT-6, 4T1, and AKT/Ras-driven murine hepatocellular carcinoma tumor models. Immunofluorescent staining, flow cytometry, RNA-seq and quantitative RT-PCR were adopted to analyze the alterations in the tumor microenvironment. RESULTS Y332D could maintain specific binding affinities for TGF-β and VEGFA. Y332D almost entirely counteracted the in vitro biological functions of TGF-β and VEGFA, including immunosuppression, activated TGF-β signaling, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), activated VEGF/VEGFR signaling, HUVEC proliferation and tube formation. The in vivo experiment data demonstrated that Y332D was more effective in inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis than anti-TGF-β and anti-VEGF monotherapies. In combination therapies, Y332D plus PD-1 blockade exhibited the most potent and durable anticancer effect. Mechanistically, Y332D plus PD-1 blockade upregulated the density and function of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and exerted reinvigorated antitumor immunity. CONCLUSION Y332D could simultaneously block TGF-β and VEGF signalings. In comparison with the monotherapies, Y332D combined with PD-1 blockade exerts superior antitumor effect through improving immune microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengke Niu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Ming Yi
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000 China
| | - Yuze Wu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Lijuan Lyu
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710000 China
| | - Qing He
- Wuhan YZY Biopharma Co., Ltd, Biolake, C2-1, No.666 Gaoxin Road, Wuhan, 430075 People’s Republic of China
| | - Rui Yang
- Wuhan YZY Biopharma Co., Ltd, Biolake, C2-1, No.666 Gaoxin Road, Wuhan, 430075 People’s Republic of China
| | - Liang Zeng
- Wuhan YZY Biopharma Co., Ltd, Biolake, C2-1, No.666 Gaoxin Road, Wuhan, 430075 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jian Shi
- Wuhan YZY Biopharma Co., Ltd, Biolake, C2-1, No.666 Gaoxin Road, Wuhan, 430075 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Wuhan YZY Biopharma Co., Ltd, Biolake, C2-1, No.666 Gaoxin Road, Wuhan, 430075 People’s Republic of China
| | - Pengfei Zhou
- Wuhan YZY Biopharma Co., Ltd, Biolake, C2-1, No.666 Gaoxin Road, Wuhan, 430075 People’s Republic of China
| | - Tingting Zhang
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032 China
| | - Qi Mei
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032 China
| | - Qian Chu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Kongming Wu
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032 China
- Cancer Center, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China
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Tarone L, Giacobino D, Camerino M, Maniscalco L, Iussich S, Parisi L, Giovannini G, Dentini A, Bolli E, Quaglino E, Merighi IF, Morello E, Buracco P, Riccardo F, Cavallo F. A chimeric human/dog-DNA vaccine against CSPG4 induces immunity with therapeutic potential in comparative preclinical models of osteosarcoma. Mol Ther 2023; 31:2342-2359. [PMID: 37312451 PMCID: PMC10421998 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The high mortality rate of osteosarcoma (OSA) patients highlights the requirement of alternative strategies. The young age of patients, as well as the rarity and aggressiveness of the disease, limits opportunities for the robust testing of novel therapies, suggesting the need for valuable preclinical systems. Having previously shown the overexpression of the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG)4 in OSA, herein the functional consequences of its downmodulation in human OSA cells were evaluated in vitro, with a significant impairment of cell proliferation, migration, and osteosphere generation. The potential of a chimeric human/dog (HuDo)-CSPG4 DNA vaccine was explored in translational comparative OSA models, including human xenograft mouse models and canine patients affected by spontaneous OSA. The adoptive transfer of HuDo-CSPG4 vaccine-induced CD8+ T cells and sera in immunodeficient human OSA-bearing mice delayed tumor growth and metastasis development. HuDo-CSPG4 vaccination resulted safe and effective in inducing anti-CSPG4 immunity in OSA-affected dogs, which displayed prolonged survival as compared to controls. Finally, HuDo-CSPG4 was also able to induce a cytotoxic response in a human surrogate setting in vitro. On the basis of these results and the high predictive value of spontaneous OSA in dogs, this study paves the way for a possible translation of this approach to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Tarone
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Davide Giacobino
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Mariateresa Camerino
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Lorella Maniscalco
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Selina Iussich
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Lorenza Parisi
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | | | | | - Elisabetta Bolli
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Elena Quaglino
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Irene Fiore Merighi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Emanuela Morello
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Paolo Buracco
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy
| | - Federica Riccardo
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy.
| | - Federica Cavallo
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy.
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Stella GM, Lettieri S, Piloni D, Ferrarotti I, Perrotta F, Corsico AG, Bortolotto C. Smart Sensors and Microtechnologies in the Precision Medicine Approach against Lung Cancer. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1042. [PMID: 37513953 PMCID: PMC10385174 DOI: 10.3390/ph16071042] [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: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE The therapeutic interventions against lung cancer are currently based on a fully personalized approach to the disease with considerable improvement of patients' outcome. Alongside continuous scientific progresses and research investments, massive technologic efforts, innovative challenges, and consolidated achievements together with research investments are at the bases of the engineering and manufacturing revolution that allows a significant gain in clinical setting. AIM AND METHODS The scope of this review is thus to focus, rather than on the biologic traits, on the analysis of the precision sensors and novel generation materials, as semiconductors, which are below the clinical development of personalized diagnosis and treatment. In this perspective, a careful revision and analysis of the state of the art of the literature and experimental knowledge is presented. RESULTS Novel materials are being used in the development of personalized diagnosis and treatment for lung cancer. Among them, semiconductors are used to analyze volatile cancer compounds and allow early disease diagnosis. Moreover, they can be used to generate MEMS which have found an application in advanced imaging techniques as well as in drug delivery devices. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these issues represent critical issues only partially known and generally underestimated by the clinical community. These novel micro-technology-based biosensing devices, based on the use of molecules at atomic concentrations, are crucial for clinical innovation since they have allowed the recent significant advances in cancer biology deciphering as well as in disease detection and therapy. There is an urgent need to create a stronger dialogue between technologists, basic researchers, and clinicians to address all scientific and manufacturing efforts towards a real improvement in patients' outcome. Here, great attention is focused on their application against lung cancer, from their exploitations in translational research to their application in diagnosis and treatment development, to ensure early diagnosis and better clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Maria Stella
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Therapeutics, University of Pavia Medical School, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Cardiothoracic and Vascular Department, Unit of Respiratory Diseases, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Sara Lettieri
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Therapeutics, University of Pavia Medical School, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Cardiothoracic and Vascular Department, Unit of Respiratory Diseases, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Davide Piloni
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Therapeutics, University of Pavia Medical School, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Cardiothoracic and Vascular Department, Unit of Respiratory Diseases, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Ilaria Ferrarotti
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Therapeutics, University of Pavia Medical School, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Cardiothoracic and Vascular Department, Unit of Respiratory Diseases, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Fabio Perrotta
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", 80131 Napoli, Italy
- U.O.C. Clinica Pneumologica "L. Vanvitelli", A.O. dei Colli, Ospedale Monaldi, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Angelo Guido Corsico
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Therapeutics, University of Pavia Medical School, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Cardiothoracic and Vascular Department, Unit of Respiratory Diseases, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Chandra Bortolotto
- Department of Clinical-Surgical, Diagnostic and Paediatric Sciences, University of Pavia Medical School, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Department of Diagnostic Services and Imaging, Unit of Radiology, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
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Ke G, Cheng N, Sun H, Meng X, Xu L. Explore the impact of hypoxia-related genes (HRGs) in Cutaneous melanoma. BMC Med Genomics 2023; 16:160. [PMID: 37422626 PMCID: PMC10329328 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-023-01587-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cutaneous melanoma (CM) has an overall poor prognosis due to a high rate of metastasis. This study aimed to explore the role of hypoxia-related genes (HRGs) in CM. METHODS We first used on-negative matrix factorization consensus clustering (NMF) to cluster CM samples and preliminarily analyzed the relationship of HRGs to CM prognosis and immune cell infiltration. Subsequently, we identified prognostic-related hub genes by univariate COX regression analysis and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and constructed a prognostic model. Finally, we calculated a risk score for patients with CM and investigated the relationship between the risk score and potential surrogate markers of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as TMB, IPS values, and TIDE scores. RESULTS Through NMF clustering, we identified high expression of HRGs as a risk factor for the prognosis of CM patients, and at the same time, increased expression of HRGs also indicated a poorer immune microenvironment. Subsequently, we identified eight gene signatures (FBP1, NDRG1, GPI, IER3, B4GALNT2, BGN, PKP1, and EDN2) by LASSO regression analysis and constructed a prognostic model. CONCLUSION Our study identifies the prognostic significance of hypoxia-related genes in melanoma and shows a novel eight-gene signature to predict the potential efficacy of ICIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guolin Ke
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Yijishan Hospital, Wannan Medical College, No. 2 Zheshan West Road, Wuhu City, Anhui Province, China
| | - Nan Cheng
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Yijishan Hospital, Wannan Medical College, No. 2 Zheshan West Road, Wuhu City, Anhui Province, China
| | - Huiya Sun
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Yijishan Hospital, Wannan Medical College, No. 2 Zheshan West Road, Wuhu City, Anhui Province, China
| | - Xiumei Meng
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Yijishan Hospital, Wannan Medical College, No. 2 Zheshan West Road, Wuhu City, Anhui Province, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Department of Hand, Foot, and Ankle Surgery, Yijishan Hospital, Wannan Medical College, No. 2 Zheshan West Road, Wuhu City, Anhui Province, China.
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Battaglia AM, Sacco A, Aversa I, Santamaria G, Palmieri C, Botta C, De Stefano R, Bitetto M, Petriaggi L, Giorgio E, Faniello CM, Costanzo F, Biamonte F. Iron-mediated oxidative stress induces PD-L1 expression via activation of c-Myc in lung adenocarcinoma. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1208485. [PMID: 37377735 PMCID: PMC10291098 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1208485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The PD-1/PD-L1 axis is hijacked by lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cells to escape immune surveillance. PD-L1 expression in LUAD is affected, among others, by the metabolic trafficking between tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME). Methods: Correlation between PD-L1 expression and iron content within the TME was established on FFPE LUAD tissue samples. The effects of an iron rich microenvironment on PD-L1 mRNA and protein levels were assessed in vitro in H460 and A549 LUAD by using qPCR, western blot and flow citometry. c-Myc knockdown was performed to validate the role of this transcription factor on PD-L1 expression. The effects of iron-induced PD-L1 on T cell immune function was assessed by quantifying IFN-γ release in a co-colture system. TCGA dataset was used to analyse the correlation between PD-L1 and CD71 mRNA expression in LUAD patients. Results: In this study, we highlight a significant correlation between iron density within the TME and PD-L1 expression in 16 LUAD tissue specimens. In agreement, we show that a more pronounced innate iron-addicted phenotype, indicated by a higher transferrin receptor CD71 levels, significantly correlates with higher PD-L1 mRNA expression levels in LUAD dataset obtained from TCGA database. In vitro, we demonstrate that the addition of Fe3+ within the culture media promotes the significant overexpression of PD-L1 in A549 and H460 LUAD cells, through the modulation of its gene transcription mediated by c-Myc. The effects of iron lean on its redox activity since PD-L1 up-regulation is counteracted by treatment with the antioxidant compound trolox. When LUAD cells are co-cultured with CD3/CD28-stimulated T cells in an iron-rich culture condition, PD-L1 up-regulation causes the inhibition of T-lymphocytes activity, as demonstrated by the significant reduction of IFN-γ release. Discussion: Overall, in this study we demonstrate that iron abundance within the TME may enhance PD-L1 expression in LUAD and, thus, open the way for the identification of possible combinatorial strategies that take into account the iron levels within the TME to improve the outcomes of LUAD patients treated with anti-PD-1/PD-L1-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Martina Battaglia
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Alessandro Sacco
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Ilenia Aversa
- Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Gianluca Santamaria
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Camillo Palmieri
- Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Cirino Botta
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother, and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Roberto De Stefano
- Operational Unit of Anatomic Pathology, Annunziata Hospital, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Maurizio Bitetto
- Operational Unit of Thoracic Surgery, Annunziata Hospital, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Lavinia Petriaggi
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Emanuele Giorgio
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Concetta Maria Faniello
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Francesco Costanzo
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Center of Interdepartmental Services (CIS), Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Flavia Biamonte
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Center of Interdepartmental Services (CIS), Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
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Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) as an undetermined tool in tumor cells. Hum Cell 2023:10.1007/s13577-023-00893-8. [PMID: 36907978 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-023-00893-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
In the tumor microenvironment, the function of T cells is a fate-changer for tumor progression. In the meantime, CD28 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) are vital role players in the controlling activity of T cells as an activator and deactivator, respectively. In T cells in comparison to CD28, the molecular mechanism of CTLA-4 is unclear. In addition, despite the fact that most tumor cell types express CTLA-4, its role in tumor cells is not well understood and only few studies focused on the role of CTLA-4 signaling in tumor cells. It is illustrated that CTLA-4 signaling causes PD-L1 expression in tumor cells. However, numerous characteristics of CTLA-4 signaling in tumor cells are ambiguous and require to be described. In this article, we proposed that the CTLA-4 signaling during immunotherapy with anti-CTLA-4 antibodies may cause poor responses by patients. In addition, we attract attention to several fundamental questions regarding CTLA-4 signaling in tumor cells. Overall, the CTLA-4 signaling function and the related gaps about its role in tumor cells in the present review are challenged.
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Papavassiliou KA, Marinos G, Papavassiliou AG. Combining STAT3-Targeting Agents with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in NSCLC. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15020386. [PMID: 36672335 PMCID: PMC9857288 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15020386] [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: 11/26/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite recent therapeutic advances, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains the leading cause of cancer-related death. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a transcription factor (TF) with multiple tumor-promoting effects in NSCLC, including proliferation, anti-apoptosis, angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis, immunosuppression, and drug resistance. Recent studies suggest that STAT3 activation contributes to resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Thus, STAT3 represents an attractive target whose pharmacological modulation in NSCLC may assist in enhancing the efficacy of or overcoming resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors. In this review, we discuss the biological mechanisms through which STAT3 inhibition synergizes with or overcomes resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors and highlight the therapeutic strategy of using drugs that target STAT3 as potential combination partners for immune checkpoint inhibitors in the management of NSCLC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kostas A. Papavassiliou
- First University Department of Respiratory Medicine, Medical School, “Sotiria” Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Georgios Marinos
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Athanasios G. Papavassiliou
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +30-210-746-2508
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