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Abal-Sanisidro M, De Luca M, Roma S, Ceraolo MG, de la Fuente M, De Monte L, Protti MP. Anakinra-Loaded Sphingomyelin Nanosystems Modulate In Vitro IL-1-Dependent Pro-Tumor Inflammation in Pancreatic Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8085. [PMID: 39125655 PMCID: PMC11312284 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25158085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a very aggressive disease with a dismal prognosis. The tumor microenvironment exerts immunosuppressive activities through the secretion of several cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1. The IL-1/IL-1 receptor (IL-1R) axis is a key regulator in tumor-promoting T helper (Th)2- and Th17-type inflammation. Th2 cells are differentiated by dendritic cells endowed with Th2-polarizing capability by the thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) that is secreted by IL-1-activated cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Th17 cells are differentiated in the presence of IL-1 and other IL-1-regulated cytokines. In pancreatic cancer, the use of a recombinant IL-1R antagonist (IL1RA, anakinra, ANK) in in vitro and in vivo models has shown efficacy in targeting the IL-1/IL-1R pathway. In this study, we have developed sphingomyelin nanosystems (SNs) loaded with ANK (ANK-SNs) to compare their ability to inhibit Th2- and Th17-type inflammation with that of the free drug in vitro. We found that ANK-SNs inhibited TSLP and other pro-tumor cytokines released by CAFs at levels similar to ANK. Importantly, inhibition of IL-17 secretion by Th17 cells, but not of interferon-γ, was significantly higher, and at lower concentrations, with ANK-SNs compared to ANK. Collectively, the use of ANK-SNs might be beneficial in reducing the effective dose of the drug and its toxic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelina Abal-Sanisidro
- Nano-Oncology and Translational Therapeutics Group, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
- University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center on Oncology (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Michele De Luca
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; (M.D.L.); (S.R.); (M.G.C.); (L.D.M.)
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Stefania Roma
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; (M.D.L.); (S.R.); (M.G.C.); (L.D.M.)
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Ceraolo
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; (M.D.L.); (S.R.); (M.G.C.); (L.D.M.)
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Maria de la Fuente
- Nano-Oncology and Translational Therapeutics Group, Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), SERGAS, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
- University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center on Oncology (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- DIVERSA Technologies S.L., Edificio Emprendia, Campus Sur, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Lucia De Monte
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; (M.D.L.); (S.R.); (M.G.C.); (L.D.M.)
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Pia Protti
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy; (M.D.L.); (S.R.); (M.G.C.); (L.D.M.)
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
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Xie D, Huang L, Li C, Wu R, Zheng Z, Liu F, Cheng H. Identification of PANoptosis-related genes as prognostic indicators of thyroid cancer. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31707. [PMID: 38845990 PMCID: PMC11153176 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31707] [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: 04/08/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Thyroid cancer (THCA) has become a common malignancy in recent years, with the mortality rate steadily increasing. PANoptosis is a unique kind of programmed cell death (PCD), including pyroptosis, necroptosis, and apoptosis, and is involved in the proliferation and prognosis of numerous cancers. This paper demonstrated the connection between PANoptosis-related genes and THCA based on the analyses of Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases, which have not been evaluated yet. Methods We identified PANoptosis-related differentially expressed genes (PRDEGs) by multi-analyzing the TCGA-THCA and GEO datasets. To identify the significant PRDEGs, a prognostic model was constructed using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression (LASSO). The predictive values of the significant PRDEGs for THCA outcomes were determined using Cox regression analysis and nomograms. Gene enrichment analyses were performed. Finally, immunohistochemistry was carried out using the human protein atlas. Results A LASSO regression model based on nine PRDEGs was constructed, and the prognostic value of key PRDEGs was explored via risk score. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression were implemented to identify further three significant PRDEGs closely related to distant metastasis, lymph node metastasis, and tumor stage. Then, a nomogram was constructed, which presented high predictive accuracy for 5 years survival of THCA patients. Gene enrichment analyses in THCA were strongly associated with PCD pathways. CASP6 presented significantly differential expression during clinical T stage, N stage, and PFI events (P < 0.05 for all) and demonstrated the highest degree of diagnostic efficacy in PRDEGs (HR: 2.060, 95 % CI: 1.170-3.628, P < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry showed CASP6 was more abundant in THCA tumor tissue. Conclusion A potential prognostic role for PRDEGs in THCA was identified, providing a new direction for treatment. CASP6 may be a potential therapeutic target and a novel prognostic biomarker for THCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diya Xie
- Department of General Surgery, First General Hospital of Fuzhou Affiliated of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Liyong Huang
- Department of General Surgery, First General Hospital of Fuzhou Affiliated of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Cheng Li
- Department of General Surgery, First General Hospital of Fuzhou Affiliated of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Ruozhen Wu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Zhigang Zheng
- Department of General Surgery, First General Hospital of Fuzhou Affiliated of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Fengmin Liu
- Department of Endocrinology, First General Hospital of Fuzhou Affiliated of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
| | - Huayong Cheng
- Department of General Surgery, First General Hospital of Fuzhou Affiliated of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
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Wang M, Xue W, Yuan H, Wang Z, Yu L. Nano-Drug Delivery Systems Targeting CAFs: A Promising Treatment for Pancreatic Cancer. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:2823-2849. [PMID: 38525013 PMCID: PMC10959015 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s451151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Currently, pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most lethal malignant tumors. PC is typically diagnosed at a late stage, exhibits a poor response to conventional treatment, and has a bleak prognosis. Unfortunately, PC's survival rate has not significantly improved since the 1960s. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a key component of the pancreatic tumor microenvironment (TME). They play a vital role in maintaining the extracellular matrix and facilitating the intricate communication between cancer cells and infiltrated immune cells. Exploring therapeutic approaches targeting CAFs may reverse the current landscape of PC therapy. In recent years, nano-drug delivery systems have evolved rapidly and have been able to accurately target and precisely release drugs with little or no toxicity to the whole body. In this review, we will comprehensively discuss the origin, heterogeneity, potential targets, and recent advances in the nano-drug delivery system of CAFs in PC. We will also propose a novel integrated treatment regimen that utilizes a nano-drug delivery system to target CAFs in PC, combined with radiotherapy and immunotherapy. Additionally, we will address the challenges that this regimen currently faces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingjie Wang
- Department of Radiotherapy, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenxiang Xue
- NHC Key Laboratory of Radiobiology, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hanghang Yuan
- NHC Key Laboratory of Radiobiology, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhicheng Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Radiobiology, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lei Yu
- Department of Radiotherapy, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, People’s Republic of China
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Peng C, Xu Y, Wu J, Wu D, Zhou L, Xia X. TME-Related Biomimetic Strategies Against Cancer. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:109-135. [PMID: 38192633 PMCID: PMC10773252 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s441135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an important role in various stages of tumor generation, metastasis, and evasion of immune monitoring and treatment. TME targeted therapy is based on TME components, related pathways or active molecules as therapeutic targets. Therefore, TME targeted therapy based on environmental differences between TME and normal cells has been widely studied. Biomimetic nanocarriers with low clearance, low immunogenicity, and high targeting have enormous potential in tumor treatment. This review introduces the composition and characteristics of TME, including cancer‑associated fibroblasts (CAFs), extracellular matrix (ECM), tumor blood vessels, non-tumor cells, and the latest research progress of biomimetic nanoparticles (NPs) based on TME. It also discusses the opportunities and challenges of clinical transformation of biomimetic nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Peng
- School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yilin Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, People’s Republic of China
| | - Donghai Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lili Zhou
- School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xinhua Xia
- School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, People’s Republic of China
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Fang Z, Jiang J, Zheng X. Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist: An alternative therapy for cancer treatment. Life Sci 2023; 335:122276. [PMID: 37977354 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.122276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) is an anti-inflammatory cytokine and a naturally occurring antagonist of the IL-1 receptor. It effectively counteracts the IL-1 signaling pathway mediated by IL-1α/β. Over the past few decades, accumulating evidence has suggested that IL-1 signaling plays an essential role in tumor formation, growth, and metastasis. Significantly, anakinra, the first United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved IL-1Ra drug, has demonstrated promising antitumor effects in animal studies. Numerous clinical trials have subsequently incorporated anakinra into their cancer treatment protocols. In this review, we comprehensively discuss the research progress on the role of IL-1 in tumors and summarize the significant contribution of IL-1Ra (anakinra) to tumor immunity. Additionally, we analyze the potential value of IL-1Ra as a biomarker from a clinical perspective. This review is aimed to highlight the important link between inflammation and cancer and provide potential drug targets for future cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhang Fang
- Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Tumor Immunotherapy, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China; Institute for Cell Therapy of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jingting Jiang
- Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Tumor Immunotherapy, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China; Institute for Cell Therapy of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Xiao Zheng
- Department of Tumor Biological Treatment, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for Tumor Immunotherapy, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China; Institute for Cell Therapy of Soochow University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China.
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De Monte L, Clemente F, Ruggiero E, Pini R, Ceraolo MG, Schiavo Lena M, Balestrieri C, Lazarevic D, Belfiori G, Crippa S, Balzano G, Falconi M, Doglioni C, Bonini C, Reni M, Protti MP. Pro-tumor Tfh2 cells induce detrimental IgG4 production and PGE 2-dependent IgE inhibition in pancreatic cancer. EBioMedicine 2023; 97:104819. [PMID: 37776595 PMCID: PMC10542011 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104819] [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: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a dismal prognosis and it is characterized by predominant pro-tumor Th2-type inflammation. T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are relevant immunoregulators in cancer, and often correlate with better survival. How the Th2-skewed microenvironment in PDAC modulates the differentiation of Tfh cells and their immunoregulatory function is unknown. METHODS We carried out high-dimensional flow cytometry and T-cell receptor- and RNA-sequencing, as well as bioinformatics, immunohistochemistry and in vitro mechanistic studies. FINDINGS We identified Tfh1-, Tfh2-, and Tfh17-like cell clusters in the blood, tumors and tumor-draining lymph-nodes (TDLNs) of chemo-naïve PDAC patients and showed that high percentages of Tfh2 cells within the tumor tissue and TDLNs correlated with reduced patient survival. Moreover, only Tfh2 cells were highly activated and were reduced in frequency in patients who responded to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. RNA-sequencing analysis of immunoglobulin expression showed that tumor and TDLN samples expressed all immunoglobulin (IGH) isotypes apart from IGHE. Consistent with these findings, Tfh2 cells differentiated in vitro by tumor microenvironment-conditioned dendritic cells promoted the production of anti-inflammatory IgG4 antibodies by co-cultured B cells, dependent on IL-13. Moreover, unexpectedly, Tfh2 cells inhibited the secretion of pro-inflammatory IgE, dependent on prostaglandin E2. INTERPRETATION Our results indicate that in PDAC, highly activated pro-tumor Tfh2 favor anti-inflammatory IgG4 production, while inhibit pro-inflammatory IgE. Thus, targeting the circuits that drive Tfh2 cells, in combination with chemotherapy, may re-establish beneficial anti-tumor Tfh-B cell interactions and facilitate more effective treatment. FUNDING Research grants from the Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC) IG-19119 to MPP and the AIRC Special Program in Metastatic disease: the key unmet need in oncology, 5 per Mille no. 22737 to CB, MF, CD, MR and MPP; the ERA-NET EuroNanoMed III (a collaborative european grant financed by the Italian Ministry of Health, Italy) project PANIPAC (JTC2018/041) to MPP; the Fondazione Valsecchi to SC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia De Monte
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Clemente
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Eliana Ruggiero
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Experimental Hematology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Raffaella Pini
- Center for Omics Sciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Ceraolo
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Chiara Balestrieri
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Experimental Hematology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Center for Omics Sciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Dejan Lazarevic
- Center for Omics Sciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulio Belfiori
- Pancreatic Surgery Unit and Pancreas Translational & Clinical Research Center, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Crippa
- Pancreatic Surgery Unit and Pancreas Translational & Clinical Research Center, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianpaolo Balzano
- Pancreatic Surgery Unit and Pancreas Translational & Clinical Research Center, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Falconi
- Pancreatic Surgery Unit and Pancreas Translational & Clinical Research Center, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudio Doglioni
- Pathology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Bonini
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Experimental Hematology Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Reni
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Pia Protti
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
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Khilwani R, Singh S. Systems Biology and Cytokines Potential Role in Lung Cancer Immunotherapy Targeting Autophagic Axis. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2706. [PMID: 37893079 PMCID: PMC10604646 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11102706] [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: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer accounts for the highest number of deaths among men and women worldwide. Although extensive therapies, either alone or in conjunction with some specific drugs, continue to be the principal regimen for evolving lung cancer, significant improvements are still needed to understand the inherent biology behind progressive inflammation and its detection. Unfortunately, despite every advancement in its treatment, lung cancer patients display different growth mechanisms and continue to die at significant rates. Autophagy, which is a physiological defense mechanism, serves to meet the energy demands of nutrient-deprived cancer cells and sustain the tumor cells under stressed conditions. In contrast, autophagy is believed to play a dual role during different stages of tumorigenesis. During early stages, it acts as a tumor suppressor, degrading oncogenic proteins; however, during later stages, autophagy supports tumor cell survival by minimizing stress in the tumor microenvironment. The pivotal role of the IL6-IL17-IL23 signaling axis has been observed to trigger autophagic events in lung cancer patients. Since the obvious roles of autophagy are a result of different immune signaling cascades, systems biology can be an effective tool to understand these interconnections and enhance cancer treatment and immunotherapy. In this review, we focus on how systems biology can be exploited to target autophagic processes that resolve inflammatory responses and contribute to better treatment in carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shailza Singh
- Systems Medicine Laboratory, National Centre for Cell Science, SPPU Campus, Ganeshkhind Road, Pune 411007, India;
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Hao M, Huang B, Wu R, Peng Z, Luo KQ. The Interaction between Macrophages and Triple-negative Breast Cancer Cells Induces ROS-Mediated Interleukin 1α Expression to Enhance Tumorigenesis and Metastasis. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2302857. [PMID: 37551997 PMCID: PMC10582438 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202302857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has higher mortality than non-TNBC because of its stronger metastatic capacity. Increasing studies reported that TNBC tumors had more macrophage infiltration than non-TNBC tumors, which promoted the metastasis of TNBC cells. However, how TNBC cells become more malignant after interacting with macrophages is less reported. In this study, it is observed that when TNBC cells are co-cultured with macrophages, they display higher viability and stronger metastatic ability than non-TNBC cells. Mechanistic studies reveal that TNBC cells acquired these abilities via interactions with macrophages in three phases. First, within 12 h of co-culture with macrophages, some TNBC cells have significantly elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which upregulate interleukin 1α (IL1α) expression in ERK1/2-c-Jun- and NF-κB-dependent manners at 24-48 h. Second, the secreted IL1α bound to IL1R1 activates the ERK1/2-ZEB1-VIM pathway which increases metastasis. Third, IL1α/IL1R1 facilitates its own synthesis and induces the expression of IL1β and IL8 at 72-96 h through the MKK4-JNK-c-Jun and NF-κB signaling pathways. Moreover, a higher level of IL1α is positively correlated with more macrophage infiltration and shorter overall survival in breast cancer patients. Thus, reducing ROS elevation or downregulating IL1α expression can serve as new strategies to decrease metastasis of TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Hao
- Department of Biomedical SciencesFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of MacauTaipaMacao SAR99078China
| | - Bin Huang
- Department of Biomedical SciencesFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of MacauTaipaMacao SAR99078China
| | - Renfei Wu
- Department of Biomedical SciencesFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of MacauTaipaMacao SAR99078China
| | - Zheng Peng
- Department of Biomedical SciencesFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of MacauTaipaMacao SAR99078China
| | - Kathy Qian Luo
- Department of Biomedical SciencesFaculty of Health SciencesUniversity of MacauTaipaMacao SAR99078China
- Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision OncologyUniversity of MacauTaipaMacao SAR99078China
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Sun J, Chen F, Wu G. Potential effects of gut microbiota on host cancers: focus on immunity, DNA damage, cellular pathways, and anticancer therapy. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:1535-1551. [PMID: 37553473 PMCID: PMC10504269 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01483-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
The symbiotic bacteria that live in the human gut and the metabolites they produce have long influenced local and systemic physiological and pathological processes of the host. The gut microbiota are increasingly being recognized for its impact on a range of human diseases, including cancer, it may play a key role in the occurrence, progression, treatment, and prognosis of many types of cancer. Understanding the functional role of the gut microbiota in cancer is crucial for the development of the era of personalized medicine. Here, we review recent advances in research and summarize the important associations and clear experimental evidence for the role of the gut microbiota in a variety of human cancers, focus on the application and possible challenges associated with the gut microbiota in antitumor therapy. In conclusion, our research demonstrated the multifaceted mechanisms of gut microbiota affecting human cancer and provides directions and ideas for future clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaao Sun
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116011, China
| | - Feng Chen
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116011, China.
| | - Guangzhen Wu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116011, China.
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Zhao Z, Li T, Sun L, Yuan Y, Zhu Y. Potential mechanisms of cancer-associated fibroblasts in therapeutic resistance. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 166:115425. [PMID: 37660643 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite continuous improvements in research and new cancer therapeutics, the goal of eradicating cancer remains elusive because of drug resistance. For a long time, drug resistance research has been focused on tumor cells themselves; however, recent studies have found that the tumor microenvironment also plays an important role in inducing drug resistance. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a main component of the tumor microenvironment. They cross-talk with cancer cells to support their survival in the presence of anticancer drugs. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the role of CAFs in tumor drug resistance. An in-depth understanding of the mechanisms underlying the cross-talk between CAFs and cancer cells and insight into the importance of CAFs in drug resistance can guide the development of new anticancer strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zehua Zhao
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology (Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University), Shenyang, China
| | - Tianming Li
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology (Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University), Shenyang, China
| | - Liping Sun
- Tumor Etiology and Screening Department of Cancer Institute and General Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China; Key Laboratory of Cancer Etiology and Prevention in Liaoning Education Department, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China; Key Laboratory of GI Cancer Etiology and Prevention in Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
| | - Yuan Yuan
- Tumor Etiology and Screening Department of Cancer Institute and General Surgery, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China; Key Laboratory of Cancer Etiology and Prevention in Liaoning Education Department, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China; Key Laboratory of GI Cancer Etiology and Prevention in Liaoning Province, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
| | - Yanmei Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology (Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University), Shenyang, China.
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11
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Caxali GH, Brugnerotto L, Aal MCE, Castro CFB, Delella FK. Identification of Biomarkers Related to the Efficacy of Radiotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer. Cancer Genomics Proteomics 2023; 20:487-499. [PMID: 37643780 PMCID: PMC10464945 DOI: 10.21873/cgp.20400] [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: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Pancreatic cancer (PC) has one of the highest mortality rates, with an overall five-year survival rate of only 7%. When diagnosed, PC is limited to the pancreas in only 20% of patients, whereas in 50% it has already metastasized. This is due to its late diagnosis, which makes the treatments used, such as radiotherapy, difficult, and reduces survival rates. Therefore, the importance of this study in detecting genes that may become possible biomarkers for this type of tumor, especially regarding the human secretome, is highlighted. These genes participate in pathways that are responsible for tumor migration and resistance to therapies, along with other important factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS To achieve these goals, the following online tools and platforms have been expanded to discover and validate these biomarkers: The Human Protein Atlas database, the Xena Browser platform, Gene Expression Omnibus, the EnrichR platform and the Kaplan-Meier Plotter platform. RESULTS Our study adopted a methodology that allows the identification of potential biomarkers related to the effectiveness of radiotherapy in PC. Inflammatory pathways were predominantly enriched, related to the regulation of biological processes, primarily in cytokine-derived proteins, which are responsible for tumor progression and other processes that contribute to the development of the disease. CONCLUSION Radiotherapy treatment demonstrated greater efficacy when used in conjunction with other forms of therapy since it decreased the expression of essential genes involved in several inflammatory pathways linked to tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Henrique Caxali
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Laíza Brugnerotto
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Mirian Carolini Esgoti Aal
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Camila Ferreira Bannwart Castro
- Molecular Genetics and Bioinformatics Laboratory - Experimental Research Unit, School of Medicine, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Flávia Karina Delella
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil;
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12
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Raudenska M, Balvan J, Hanelova K, Bugajova M, Masarik M. Cancer-associated fibroblasts: Mediators of head and neck tumor microenvironment remodeling. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:188940. [PMID: 37331641 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.188940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are involved in critical aspects of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) pathogenesis, such as the formation of a tumor-permissive extracellular matrix structure, angiogenesis, or immune and metabolic reprogramming of the tumor microenvironment (TME), with implications for metastasis and resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The pleiotropic effect of CAFs in TME is likely to reflect the heterogeneity and plasticity of their population, with context-dependent effects on carcinogenesis. The specific properties of CAFs provide many targetable molecules that could play an important role in the future therapy of HNSCC. In this review article, we will focus on the role of CAFs in the TME of HNSCC tumors. We will also discuss clinically relevant agents targeting CAFs, their signals, and signaling pathways, which are activated by CAFs in cancer cells, with the potential for repurposing for HNSCC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Raudenska
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University / Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University / Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Balvan
- Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University / Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Klara Hanelova
- Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University / Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Maria Bugajova
- Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University / Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Masarik
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University / Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University / Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Institute of Pathophysiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, / U Nemocnice 5, CZ-128 53 Prague, Czech Republic.
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13
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Chang J, Lo ZHY, Alenizi S, Kovacevic Z. Re-Shaping the Pancreatic Cancer Tumor Microenvironment: A New Role for the Metastasis Suppressor NDRG1. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:2779. [PMID: 37345116 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15102779] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PaC) is a highly aggressive disease, with poor response to current treatments and 5-year survival rates of 10-15%. PaC progression is facilitated by its interaction with the complex and multifaceted tumor microenvironment (TME). In the TME, cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells constantly communicate with each other via the secretion and uptake of factors including cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, metabolites, and extracellular vesicles (EVs), reshaping the landscape of PaC. Recent studies demonstrated that the metastasis suppressor N-myc downstream regulated 1 (NDRG1) not only inhibits oncogenic signaling pathways in PaC cells but also alters the communication between PaC cells and the surrounding stroma. In fact, NDRG1 was found to influence the secretome of PaC cells, alter cancer cell metabolism, and interfere with intracellular trafficking and intercellular communication between PaC cells and surrounding fibroblasts. This review will present recent advancements in understanding the role of NDRG1 in PaC progression, with a focus on how this molecule influences PaC-stroma communication and its potential for re-shaping the PaC TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Chang
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
- Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of NSW, Sydney 2052, Australia
| | - Zoe H Y Lo
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
| | - Shafi Alenizi
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
| | - Zaklina Kovacevic
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
- Department of Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of NSW, Sydney 2052, Australia
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14
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Correa VSMC, Efstathiou NE, Ntentakis DP, Yu Z, Narimatsu T, Gragoudas E, Kim IK, Vavvas DG. The NLRP3 inflammasome - interleukin 1β axis in uveal melanoma. FEBS Open Bio 2023; 13:545-555. [PMID: 36707938 PMCID: PMC9989921 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular cancer in the adult population. Recent studies suggested that the NLRP3 inflammasome could be a therapeutic target for cutaneous melanoma (CM), but the role of NLRP3 in UM remains unknown. Here, we analyzed the NLRP3-IL-1β axis in 5 UM and 4 CM cell lines. Expression of NLRP3 mRNA in UM and CM was low, and expression in UM was lower than in CM (P < 0.001). NLRP3 protein levels were below detection limit for all cell lines. UM exhibited lower baseline IL-1β secretion than CM, especially when compared to the Hs294t cell line (P < 0.05). Bioinformatic analysis of human tumor samples showed that UM has significantly lower expression of NLRP3 and IL-1β compared with CM. In conclusion, our work shows evidence of extremely low NLRP3 expression and IL-1β secretion by melanoma cells and highlight differences between CM and UM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor S. M. C. Correa
- Retina Service, Ines and Fred Yeatts Retina Research Laboratory, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of OphthalmologyMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Nikolaos E. Efstathiou
- Retina Service, Ines and Fred Yeatts Retina Research Laboratory, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of OphthalmologyMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Dimitrios P. Ntentakis
- Retina Service, Ines and Fred Yeatts Retina Research Laboratory, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of OphthalmologyMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Zhen Yu
- Retina Service, Ines and Fred Yeatts Retina Research Laboratory, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of OphthalmologyMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Toshio Narimatsu
- Retina Service, Ines and Fred Yeatts Retina Research Laboratory, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of OphthalmologyMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Evangelos Gragoudas
- Retina Service, Ines and Fred Yeatts Retina Research Laboratory, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of OphthalmologyMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Ivana K. Kim
- Retina Service, Ines and Fred Yeatts Retina Research Laboratory, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of OphthalmologyMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Demetrios G. Vavvas
- Retina Service, Ines and Fred Yeatts Retina Research Laboratory, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of OphthalmologyMassachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
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15
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Dai X, Zhu K. Cold atmospheric plasma: Novel opportunities for tumor microenvironment targeting. Cancer Med 2023; 12:7189-7206. [PMID: 36762766 PMCID: PMC10067048 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.5491] [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: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
With mounting preclinical and clinical evidences on the prominent roles of the tumor microenvironment (TME) played during carcinogenesis, the TME has been recognized and used as an important onco-therapeutic target during the past decade. Delineating our current knowledge on TME components and their functionalities can help us recognize novel onco-therapeutic opportunities and establish treatment modalities towards desirable anti-cancer outcome. By identifying and focusing on primary cellular components in the TME, that is, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, tumor-associated macrophages, cancer-associated fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells, we decomposed their primary functionalities during carcinogenesis, categorized current therapeutic approaches utilizing traits of these components, and forecasted possible benefits that cold atmospheric plasma, a redox modulating tool with selectivity against cancer cells, may convey by targeting the TME. Our insights may open a novel therapeutic avenue for cancer control taking advantages of redox homeostasis and immunostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofeng Dai
- Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Kaiyuan Zhu
- Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
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16
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O'Byrne PM, Panettieri RA, Taube C, Brindicci C, Fleming M, Altman P. Development of an inhaled anti-TSLP therapy for asthma. Pulm Pharmacol Ther 2023; 78:102184. [PMID: 36535465 DOI: 10.1016/j.pupt.2022.102184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), an epithelial cell-derived cytokine, acts as a key mediator in airway inflammation and modulates the function of multiple cell types, including dendritic cells and group 2 innate lymphoid cells. TSLP plays a role in asthma pathogenesis as an upstream cytokine, and data suggest that TSLP blockade with the anti-TSLP monoclonal antibody, tezepelumab, could be efficacious in a broad asthma population. Currently approved asthma biologic therapies target allergic or eosinophilic disease and require phenotyping; therefore, an unmet need exists for a therapy that can address Type 2 (T2)-high and T2-low inflammation in asthma. All currently approved biologic treatments are delivered intravenously or subcutaneously; an inhaled therapy route that allows direct targeting of the lung with reduced systemic impact may offer advantages. Currently in development, ecleralimab (CSJ117) represents the first inhaled anti-TSLP antibody fragment that binds soluble TSLP and prevents TSLP receptor activation, thereby inhibiting further inflammatory signalling cascades. This anti-TSLP antibody fragment is being developed for patients with severe uncontrolled asthma despite standard of care inhaled therapy. A Phase IIa proof of concept study, using allergen bronchoprovocation as a model for asthma exacerbations, found that ecleralimab was well-tolerated and reduced allergen-induced bronchoconstriction in adult patients with mild asthma. These results suggest ecleralimab may be a promising, new therapeutic class for asthma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M O'Byrne
- Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, St. Joseph's Healthcare and McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
| | | | - Christian Taube
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, University Hospital Essen, Germany
| | | | | | - Pablo Altman
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, New Jersey, USA.
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17
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Abstract
Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a pleiotropic cytokine that acts on multiple cell lineages, including dendritic cells, T cells, B cells, neutrophils, mast cells, eosinophils and innate lymphoid cells, affecting their maturation, survival and recruitment. It is best known for its role in promoting type 2 immune responses such as in allergic diseases and, in 2021, a monoclonal antibody targeting TSLP was approved for the treatment of severe asthma. However, it is now clear that TSLP has many other important roles in a variety of settings. Indeed, several genetic variants for TSLP are linked to disease severity, and chromosomal alterations in TSLP are common in certain cancers, indicating important roles of TSLP in disease. In this Review, we discuss recent advances in TSLP biology, highlighting how it regulates the tissue environment not only in allergic disease but also in infectious diseases, inflammatory diseases and cancer. Encouragingly, therapies targeting the TSLP pathway are being actively pursued for several diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Risa Ebina-Shibuya
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Warren J Leonard
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Immunology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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18
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Li Y, Jiang Q. Uncoupled pyroptosis and IL-1β secretion downstream of inflammasome signaling. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1128358. [PMID: 37090724 PMCID: PMC10117957 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1128358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammasomes are supramolecular platforms that organize in response to various damage-associated molecular patterns and pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Upon activation, inflammasome sensors (with or without the help of ASC) activate caspase-1 and other inflammatory caspases that cleave gasdermin D and pro-IL-1β/pro-IL-18, leading to pyroptosis and mature cytokine secretion. Pyroptosis enables intracellular pathogen niche disruption and intracellular content release at the cost of cell death, inducing pro-inflammatory responses in the neighboring cells. IL-1β is a potent pro-inflammatory regulator for neutrophil recruitment, macrophage activation, and T-cell expansion. Thus, pyroptosis and cytokine secretion are the two main mechanisms that occur downstream of inflammasome signaling; they maintain homeostasis, drive the innate immune response, and shape adaptive immunity. This review aims to discuss the possible mechanisms, timing, consequences, and significance of the two uncoupling preferences downstream of inflammasome signaling. While pyroptosis and cytokine secretion may be usually coupled, pyroptosis-predominant and cytokine-predominant uncoupling are also observed in a stimulus-, cell type-, or context-dependent manner, contributing to the pathogenesis and development of numerous pathological conditions such as cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes, LPS-induced sepsis, and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium infection. Hyperactive cells consistently release IL-1β without LDH leakage and pyroptotic death, thereby leading to prolonged inflammation, expanding the lifespans of pyroptosis-resistant neutrophils, and hyperactivating stimuli-challenged macrophages, dendritic cells, monocytes, and specific nonimmune cells. Death inflammasome activation also induces GSDMD-mediated pyroptosis with no IL-1β secretion, which may increase lethality in vivo. The sublytic GSDMD pore formation associated with lower expressions of pyroptotic components, GSDMD-mediated extracellular vesicles, or other GSDMD-independent pathways that involve unconventional secretion could contribute to the cytokine-predominant uncoupling; the regulation of caspase-1 dynamics, which may generate various active species with different activities in terms of GSDMD or pro-IL-1β, could lead to pyroptosis-predominant uncoupling. These uncoupling preferences enable precise reactions to different stimuli of different intensities under specific conditions at the single-cell level, promoting cooperative cell and host fate decisions and participating in the pathogen "game". Appropriate decisions in terms of coupling and uncoupling are required to heal tissues and eliminate threats, and further studies exploring the inflammasome tilt toward pyroptosis or cytokine secretion may be helpful.
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19
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Varricchi G, Ferri S, Pepys J, Poto R, Spadaro G, Nappi E, Paoletti G, Virchow JC, Heffler E, Canonica WG. Biologics and airway remodeling in severe asthma. Allergy 2022; 77:3538-3552. [PMID: 35950646 PMCID: PMC10087445 DOI: 10.1111/all.15473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease resulting in airflow obstruction, which in part can become irreversible to conventional therapies, defining the concept of airway remodeling. The introduction of biologics in severe asthma has led in some patients to the complete normalization of previously considered irreversible airflow obstruction. This highlights the need to distinguish a "fixed" airflow obstruction due to structural changes unresponsive to current therapies, from a "reversible" one as demonstrated by lung function normalization during biological therapies not previously obtained even with high-dose systemic glucocorticoids. The mechanisms by which exposure to environmental factors initiates the inflammatory responses that trigger airway remodeling are still incompletely understood. Alarmins represent epithelial-derived cytokines that initiate immunologic events leading to inflammatory airway remodeling. Biological therapies can improve airflow obstruction by addressing these airway inflammatory changes. In addition, biologics might prevent and possibly even revert "fixed" remodeling due to structural changes. Hence, it appears clinically important to separate the therapeutic effects (early and late) of biologics as a new paradigm to evaluate the effects of these drugs and future treatments on airway remodeling in severe asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilda Varricchi
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Center for Basic and Clinical Immunology Research (CISI), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,World Allergy Organization (WAO) Center of Excellence, Naples, Italy.,Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Oncology (IEOS), National Research Council, Naples, Italy
| | - Sebastian Ferri
- Personalized Medicine Asthma and Allergy Unit - IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Jack Pepys
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - Remo Poto
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Center for Basic and Clinical Immunology Research (CISI), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,World Allergy Organization (WAO) Center of Excellence, Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Spadaro
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Center for Basic and Clinical Immunology Research (CISI), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,World Allergy Organization (WAO) Center of Excellence, Naples, Italy
| | - Emanuele Nappi
- Personalized Medicine Asthma and Allergy Unit - IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanni Paoletti
- Personalized Medicine Asthma and Allergy Unit - IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Enrico Heffler
- Personalized Medicine Asthma and Allergy Unit - IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - Walter G Canonica
- Personalized Medicine Asthma and Allergy Unit - IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
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20
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Stanbery AG, Shuchi Smita, Jakob von Moltke, Tait Wojno ED, Ziegler SF. TSLP, IL-33, and IL-25: Not just for allergy and helminth infection. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2022; 150:1302-1313. [PMID: 35863509 PMCID: PMC9742339 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2022.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The release of cytokines from epithelial and stromal cells is critical for the initiation and maintenance of tissue immunity. Three such cytokines, thymic stromal lymphopoietin, IL-33, and IL-25, are important regulators of type 2 immune responses triggered by parasitic worms and allergens. In particular, these cytokines activate group 2 innate lymphoid cells, TH2 cells, and myeloid cells, which drive hallmarks of type 2 immunity. However, emerging data indicate that these tissue-associated cytokines are not only involved in canonical type 2 responses but are also important in the context of viral infections, cancer, and even homeostasis. Here, we provide a brief review of the roles of thymic stromal lymphopoietin, IL-33, and IL-25 in diverse immune contexts, while highlighting their relative contributions in tissue-specific responses. We also emphasize a biologically motivated framework for thinking about the integration of multiple immune signals, including the 3 featured in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shuchi Smita
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash
| | - Jakob von Moltke
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash
| | | | - Steven F Ziegler
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash; Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, Wash.
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21
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Yao W, German B, Chraa D, Braud A, Hugel C, Meyer P, Davidson G, Laurette P, Mengus G, Flatter E, Marschall P, Segaud J, Guivarch M, Hener P, Birling MC, Lipsker D, Davidson I, Li M. Keratinocyte-derived cytokine TSLP promotes growth and metastasis of melanoma by regulating the tumor-associated immune microenvironment. JCI Insight 2022; 7:161438. [PMID: 36107619 PMCID: PMC9675576 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.161438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Malignant melanoma is a major public health issue displaying frequent resistance to targeted therapy and immunotherapy. A major challenge lies in better understanding how melanoma cells evade immune elimination and how tumor growth and metastasis is facilitated by the tumor microenvironment. Here, we show that expression of the cytokine thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) by epidermal keratinocytes is induced by cutaneous melanoma in both mice and humans. Using genetically engineered models of melanoma and tumor cell grafting combined with TSLP-KO or overexpression, we defined a crosstalk between melanoma cells, keratinocytes, and immune cells in establishing a tumor-promoting microenvironment. Keratinocyte-derived TSLP is induced by signals derived from melanoma cells and subsequently acts via immune cells to promote melanoma progression and metastasis. Furthermore, we show that TSLP signals through TSLP receptor-expressing (TSLPR-expressing) DCs to play an unrecognized role in promoting GATA3+ Tregs expressing a gene signature including ST2, CCR8, ICOS, PD-1, CTLA-4, and OX40 and exhibiting a potent suppressive activity on CD8+ T cell proliferation and IFN-γ production. An analogous population of GATA3-expressing Tregs was also identified in human melanoma tumors. Our study provides insights into the role of TSLP in programming a protumoral immune microenvironment in cutaneous melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjin Yao
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Beatriz German
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Dounia Chraa
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Antoine Braud
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Dermatology Clinic, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
| | - Cecile Hugel
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Pierre Meyer
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Guillaume Davidson
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Patrick Laurette
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Gabrielle Mengus
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Eric Flatter
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Pierre Marschall
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Justine Segaud
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Marine Guivarch
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Pierre Hener
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | | | - Dan Lipsker
- Dermatology Clinic, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
| | - Irwin Davidson
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Mei Li
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), CNRS UMR 7104, Inserm U 1258, University of Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
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22
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Su JQ, Tian X, Xu WH, Anwaier A, Ye SQ, Zhu SX, Wang Y, Gu J, Shi GH, Qu YY, Zhang HL, Ye DW. The Inflammasomes Adaptor Protein PYCARD Is a Potential Pyroptosis Biomarker Related to Immune Response and Prognosis in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14204992. [PMID: 36291776 PMCID: PMC9599636 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14204992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Inflammation has been recognized as one of the hallmarks of cancers. PYCARD, the adaptor protein of inflammasomes, plays an important role in pyroptosis and apoptosis. However, the function of PYCARD remains unclear in human cancers. Here, we systematically performed a comprehensive analysis of PYCARD expression and its relationship with immunotherapy response and prognosis. We found significant differences in PYCARD expression between tumor and normal tissue, particularly in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. We also found that PYCARD was an unfavorable prognostic factor and was confirmed by external validation cohorts. Exploration of the profound mechanisms of PYCARD might help to identify new therapeutic targets and improve the efficacy of immunotherapy. Abstract PYCARD is a protein engaged in inflammation, pyroptosis, and apoptosis. However, the function of PYCARD in human cancers remains unclear. The objective of our study was to explore PYCARD expression and prognostic value in human cancers. Public databases were used to assess PYCARD expression and prognostic value. The TISIDB database was used to explore the associations between PYCARD expression and different immune subtypes. The correlations between PYCARD expression and ICP genes, MMR genes, MSI, and TMB were also investigated. The immunotherapy response was assessed using the TIDE database. Single-cell RNA databases evaluated the PYCARD expression of immune cells. External datasets and immunohistochemical staining were conducted to validate PYCARD expression and prognostic value. The results showed that PYCARD expression varied in several cancers and was associated with prognosis, immune-related genes, published biomarkers, and immunotherapy response. Of note, PYCARD expression was upregulated in renal cancers with high diagnostic ability. Upregulation of PYCARD was correlated with worse prognosis in KIRC and external validation cohorts. In conclusion, PYCARD demonstrated strong correlations with prognosis, immune response, and disease progression in pan-cancer analysis. In ccRCC, PYCARD might serve as a biomarker for diagnosis and therapeutic target-boosting immunotherapy response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Qi Su
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xi Tian
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Wen-Hao Xu
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Aihetaimujiang Anwaier
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shi-Qi Ye
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Shu-Xuan Zhu
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jun Gu
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Urology, The Affiliated Jiangsu Shengze Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou 215228, China
| | - Guo-Hai Shi
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Qu
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Hai-Liang Zhang
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
- Correspondence: (H.-L.Z.); (D.-W.Y.)
| | - Ding-Wei Ye
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Shanghai Genitourinary Cancer Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
- Correspondence: (H.-L.Z.); (D.-W.Y.)
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Zhang Z, Zhang H, Shi L, Wang D, Tang D. Heterogeneous cancer-associated fibroblasts: A new perspective for understanding immunosuppression in pancreatic cancer. Immunology 2022; 167:1-14. [PMID: 35569095 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has shown promising efficacy in the treatment of a wide range of cancers; however, it has had little effect on pancreatic cancer. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the predominant mesenchymal cells present in the pancreatic cancer microenvironment, are powerful supporters of the malignant progression of pancreatic cancer. CAFs can modify the microenvironment, establish a refuge to aid cancer cells in immune escape by secreting large amounts of extracellular matrix, and produce soluble cytokines and exosomal vesicles. Hence, CAFs are important contributors to the failure of immunotherapy. Current in-depth studies of CAFs have shown that CAFs are a heterogeneous population of mesenchymal cells; therefore, the functional complexity of their populations needs in-depth explorations in future studies. This review summarizes how heterogeneous CAFs help cancer cells achieve immune escape and suggests potential directions for using CAFs as targets to address immune escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilin Zhang
- Clinical Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Huan Zhang
- Clinical Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Lin Shi
- Clinical Medical College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Daorong Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Institute of General Surgery, Clinical Medical College, Yangzhou University, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital, Yangzhou, China
| | - Dong Tang
- Department of General Surgery, Institute of General Surgery, Clinical Medical College, Yangzhou University, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital, Yangzhou, China
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Identification of MBOAT2 as an Unfavorable Biomarker Correlated with KRAS Activation and Reduced CD8+ T-Cell Infiltration in Pancreatic Cancer. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:4269733. [PMID: 35571489 PMCID: PMC9095372 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4269733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Objectives Limited research on the role of membrane-bound O-acyltransferase domain–containing 2 (MBOAT2) in cancer biology exists. In particular, the underlying role of MBOAT2 and its potential mechanisms in pancreatic cancer have not yet been explored. Further study of MBOAT2 could provide new ideas about the carcinogenesis and treatment of pancreatic cancer (PC). Methods In the current study, the potential biological and clinical significances of MBOAT2 were explored by bioinformatics analysis. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis were performed to determine the level of MBOAT2 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell lines. MTT, colony formation, and Transwell assays and flow cytometry of cell cycle were performed to analyze PDAC cell proliferation, migration, and cycle progression. The potential relationship between MBOAT2 level and tumor immunity was analyzed using the ESTIMATE algorithm, CIBERSORT algorithm, and single-sample gene set enrichment analysis. Results The level of MBOAT2 was remarkably upregulated in most tumors, especially pancreatic tumors, and was positively correlated with a greater rate of tumor recurrence, higher histologic grade, and worse overall survival. MBOAT2 overexpression was also closely correlated with the mutation status and expression level of driver genes, especially KRAS. Meanwhile, functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that MBOAT2 might be involved in cell–cell communication; cell cycling; the Ras signaling pathway; and immune-related biological functions such as the leukocyte activation involved in T-cell–receptor signaling pathway, the inflammatory response, and antigen processing and presentation. Furthermore, in vitro experiments demonstrated that MBOAT2 overexpression accelerated PC cell proliferation and migration. MBOAT2 overexpression also enhanced CDK2 and CCNA2 expression, leading to cell cycle progression from the G1 phase to the G2 phase. Lastly, MBOAT2 overexpression reduced the infiltration level of CD8+ T-cells, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and activated dendritic cells but triggered a high type-2 T helper/type-1 T helper cell ration (Th2/Th1 ration) in PC. Conclusion Our findings suggest that MBOAT2 is a potential protooncogene in PDAC that predicts a poor prognosis and is related to KRAS activation and inferior infiltration of CD8+ T-cells in PC.
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25
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Lillo S, Saleh M. Inflammasomes in Cancer Progression and Anti-Tumor Immunity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:839041. [PMID: 35517498 PMCID: PMC9065266 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.839041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The inflammasomes are critical regulators of innate immunity, inflammation and cell death and have emerged as important regulators of cancer development and control. Inflammasomes are assembled by pattern recognition receptors (PRR) following the sensing of microbial- or danger-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs/DAMPs) and elicit inflammation through the oligomerization and activation of inflammatory caspases. These cysteinyl-aspartate proteases cleave the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 into their biologically active mature form. The roles of the inflammasomes and associated pro-inflammatory cytokines vary greatly depending on the cancer type. Here we discuss recent studies highlighting contrasting roles of the inflammasome pathway in curbing versus promoting tumorigenesis. On one hand, the inflammasomes participate in stimulating anti-tumor immunity, but they have also been shown to contribute to immunosuppression or to directly promote tumor cell survival, proliferation, and metastasis. A better understanding of inflammasome functions in different cancers is thus critical for the design of novel cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Lillo
- CNRS, ImmunoConcEpT, UMR 5164, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Maya Saleh
- CNRS, ImmunoConcEpT, UMR 5164, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- >
Adjunct Professor, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Maya Saleh,
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26
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Feng C, Kou L, Yin P, Jing Y. Excessive activation of IL‑33/ST2 in cancer‑associated fibroblasts promotes invasion and metastasis in ovarian cancer. Oncol Lett 2022; 23:158. [PMID: 35399326 PMCID: PMC8987947 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2022.13278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is highly prevalent and has high mortality rates due to metastasis and relapse. The cross communication between cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and cancer-associated macrophages (CAMs) in the ovarian tumor microenvironment leads to cancer cell invasion and metastasis. However, the role of overproduction of IL-33/ST2 in the CAFs of ovarian cancer is still unclear. The expression of IL-33, ST2, apoptosis-related proteins and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers was measured by western blotting. Primary normal fibroblasts and CAFs from ovarian cancerous tissue were isolated and cultured in vitro, and the medium was used to stimulate blood-derived monocytes. Flow cytometry analysis was used to detect the frequency of M2-like macrophages in blood-derived monocytes from patients with ovarian cancer. Cell invasion were evaluated using Transwell assays. A xenograft model was used to study tumor growth in ST2-knockout and wild-type NOD-SCID mice. The results demonstrated higher expression of IL-33 and ST2 in carcinoma tissues compared with in para-carcinoma tissues, and there was a survival improvement associated with elevated IL-33. IL-33 and culture supernatants from CAFs, rather than normal ovarian fibroblasts, led to a higher expression of M2 macrophage marker genes in human blood-derived monocytes. Invasion and migration were aggravated in COC1 cells co-cultured with CAF-induced CAMs, and the EMT marker genes were upregulated. It was reported that EMT marker genes were downregulated and tumor volumes were significantly reduced in ST2-deficient mice. Overall, the IL-33/ST2 axis in ovarian cancer might integrate IL-33-expressing CAFs with M2 type-like CAMs, which aggravated invasion and metastasis by promoting EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caixia Feng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yulin First Hospital, Yulin, Shaanxi 719000, P.R. China
| | - Li Kou
- Department of Gynecology, Baoji People's Hospital, Baoji, Shaanxi 721000, P.R. China
| | - Panyue Yin
- Department of Gynecology, Baoji People's Hospital, Baoji, Shaanxi 721000, P.R. China
| | - Yuan Jing
- Department of Gynecology, Baoji People's Hospital, Baoji, Shaanxi 721000, P.R. China
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27
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Current Limitations and Novel Perspectives in Pancreatic Cancer Treatment. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14040985. [PMID: 35205732 PMCID: PMC8870068 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14040985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary This review article presents a synopsis of the key clinical developments, their limitations, and future perspectives in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. In the first part, we summarize the available treatments for pancreatic cancer patients according to tumor stage, as well as the most relevant clinical trials over the past two decades. Despite this progress, there is still much to be improved in terms of patient survival. Therefore, in the second part, we consider various components of the tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer, looking for the key drivers of therapy resistance and tumor progression, which may lead to the discovery of new potential targets. We also discuss the most prominent molecules targeting the stroma and immune compartment that are being investigated in either preclinical or clinical trials. Finally, we also outline interesting venues for further research, such as possible combinations of therapies that may have the potential for clinical application. Abstract Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide, largely due to its aggressive development. Consequently, treatment options are often palliative, as only one-fifth of patients present with potentially curable tumors. The only available treatment with curative intent is surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. However, even for patients that are eligible for surgery, the 5-year OS remains below 10%. Hence, there is an urgent need to find new therapeutic regimens. In the first part of this review, we discuss the tumor staging method and its impact on the corresponding current standard-of-care treatments for PDAC. We also consider the key clinical trials over the last 20 years that have improved patient survival. In the second part, we provide an overview of the major components and cell types involved in PDAC, as well as their respective roles and interactions with each other. A deeper knowledge of the interactions taking place in the TME may lead to the discovery of potential new therapeutic targets. Finally, we discuss promising treatment strategies targeting specific components of the TME and potential combinations thereof. Overall, this review provides an overview of the current challenges and future perspectives in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
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28
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Koizumi M, Watanabe T, Masumoto J, Sunago K, Imamura Y, Kanemitsu K, Kumagi T, Hiasa Y. Apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD regulates the growth of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22351. [PMID: 34785680 PMCID: PMC8595714 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01465-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC) is a key adaptor protein of inflammasomes and a proapoptotic molecule; however, its roles in signal transduction in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells remain unknown. Here, we clarified the role and mechanisms of action of ASC in PDAC using clinical evidence and in vitro data. ASC expression in PDAC tissues was analyzed using public tumor datasets and immunohistochemistry results of patients who underwent surgery, and PDAC prognosis was investigated using the Kaplan-Meier Plotter. ASC expression in PDAC cells was downregulated using small-interfering RNA, and gene expression was assessed by RNA sequencing. Review of the Oncomine database and immunostaining of surgically removed tissues revealed elevated ASC expression in PDAC tumors relative to non-tumor tissue, indicating poor prognosis. We observed high ASC expression in multiple PDAC cells, with ASC silencing subsequently inhibiting PDAC cell growth and altering the expression of cell cycle-related genes. Specifically, ASC silencing reduced cyclin D1 levels and stopped the cell cycle at the G1 phase but did not modulate the expression of any apoptosis-related molecules. These results show that ASC inhibited tumor progression via cell cycle modulation in PDAC cells and could be a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuhito Koizumi
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan
| | - Takao Watanabe
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan
| | - Junya Masumoto
- Department of Pathology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine and Proteo-Science Center, Ehime, Japan
| | - Kotaro Sunago
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Imamura
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan
| | - Kozue Kanemitsu
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan
| | - Teru Kumagi
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan
- Post Graduate Medical Education Center, Ehime University Hospital, Ehime, Japan
| | - Yoichi Hiasa
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime, Japan.
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Cancer bio-immunotherapy XVII annual NIBIT (Italian Network for Tumor Biotherapy) meeting, October 11-13 2019, Verona, Italy. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2021; 71:1777-1786. [PMID: 34755203 PMCID: PMC8577637 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-021-03104-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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30
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Mao L, Chen J, Lu X, Yang C, Ding Y, Wang M, Zhang Y, Tian Y, Li X, Fu Y, Yang Y, Gu Y, Gao F, Huang J, Liao L. Proteomic analysis of lung cancer cells reveals a critical role of BCAT1 in cancer cell metastasis. Theranostics 2021; 11:9705-9720. [PMID: 34646394 PMCID: PMC8490523 DOI: 10.7150/thno.61731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is the major cause of high mortality in lung cancer. Exploring the underlying mechanisms of metastasis thus holds promise for identifying new therapeutic strategies that may enhance survival. Methods: We applied quantitative mass spectrometry to compare protein expression profiles between primary and metastatic lung cancer cells whilst investigating metastasis-related molecular features. Results: We discovered that BCAT1, the key enzyme in branched-chain amino acid metabolism, is overexpressed at the protein level in metastatic lung cancer cells, as well as in metastatic tissues from lung cancer patients. Analysis of transcriptomic data available in the TCGA database revealed that increased BCAT1 transcription is associated with poor overall survival of lung cancer patients. In accord with a critical role in metastasis, shRNA-mediated knockdown of BCAT1 expression reduced migration of metastatic cells in vitro and the metastasis of these cells to distal organs in nude mice. Mechanistically, high levels of BCAT1 depleted α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) and promoted expression of SOX2, a transcription factor regulating cancer cell stemness and metastasis. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that BCAT1 plays an important role in promoting lung cancer cell metastasis, and may define a novel pathway to target as an anti-metastatic therapy.
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31
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Zhuang H, Chen X, Wang Y, Huang S, Chen B, Zhang C, Hou B. Identification of LIPH as an unfavorable biomarkers correlated with immune suppression or evasion in pancreatic cancer based on RNA-seq. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2021; 71:601-612. [PMID: 34279685 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-021-03019-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is widely considered that pancreatic cancer (PC) is an immunosuppressive cancer. Immune-based therapies remain promising therapeutic strategies for PC. Overexpression of lipase H (LIPH) was reported to be related to immunity in cattle and has also been demonstrated to promote tumor progression in several tumors, but its role in pancreatic carcinogenesis remains unclear. Study on LIPH in PC might provide a new insight into the immunosuppression in PC. METHODS The potential biological and clinical significance of LIPH was evaluated by bioinformatics analysis. We further investigated potential associations between the expression of LIPH and tumor immune infiltration using the CIBERSORT algorithm, the ESTIMAT algorithm, and single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). RESULTS LIPH was significantly overexpressed in tumor tissues compared with normal tissues. LIPH overexpression correlated with tumor recurrence, advanced histologic grade, and poorer overall survival (OS). Four of the most common somatic mutation, including KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A, and SMAD4, in PC were all correlated with high LIPH expression. And high LIPH expression was significantly correlated with KRAS activation and SMAD4 inactivation. Besides, LIPH expression was involved in various biological pathways such as negative regulation of cell-cell adhesion, actin cytoskeleton, EMT, angiogenesis, and signaling by MST1. And LIPH overexpression caused high infiltration of TAMs, Treg cells, and Th2/Th1, but reduced the infiltration of CD8+ T cells and Th1 cells. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrated that LIPH correlated with immune suppression or evasion and may function as a novel unfavorable prognostic biomarker in PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongkai Zhuang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.,Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 106 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Xinming Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shenshan Central Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shanwei, 516600, China
| | - Ying Wang
- The Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, School of Stomatology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Shanzhou Huang
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 106 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Bo Chen
- Department of Breast Cancer, Cancer Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 106 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Chuanzhao Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 106 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Baohua Hou
- Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 106 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
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Geng X, Chen H, Zhao L, Hu J, Yang W, Li G, Cheng C, Zhao Z, Zhang T, Li L, Sun B. Cancer-Associated Fibroblast (CAF) Heterogeneity and Targeting Therapy of CAFs in Pancreatic Cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:655152. [PMID: 34336821 PMCID: PMC8319605 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.655152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal disease that typically features a dramatic desmoplastic reaction, especially fibroblasts. The roles of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in PDAC have received more attention in recent years. As increasing evidence suggests the heterogeneity of CAFs in PDAC, different CAF subtypes have been shown to support tumor growth, while others suppress cancer proliferation. Myofibrotic CAFs (myCAFs) show alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)high interleukin-6 (IL-6)low myofibroblastic features, are activated by direct contact with tumor cells, and are located in the periglandular region. Inflammatory CAFs (iCAFs) show α-SMAlow IL-6high inflammatory features, are activated by paracrine factors secreted from tumor cells, and are located away from cancer cells. Antigen-presenting CAFs (apCAFs) show major histocompatibility complex II (MHC II) family genes that are highly expressed. CAFs have also been gradually explored as diagnostic and prognostic markers in pancreatic cancer. Targeted therapy of CAFs in PDAC has gradually attracted attention. With the deepening of related studies, some meaningful positive and negative results have surfaced, and CAFs may be the key to unlocking the door to pancreatic cancer treatment. Our review summarizes recent advances in the heterogeneity, function, and markers of CAFs in pancreatic cancer, as well as research and treatment targeting CAFs in pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinglong Geng
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Department of Abdominal Endoscopic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Hongze Chen
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Liang Zhao
- Department of Gynecology, Qinghai University Affiliated Hospital, Xining, China
| | - Jisheng Hu
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Wenbo Yang
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Guanqun Li
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Chundong Cheng
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Zhongjie Zhao
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Le Li
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Bei Sun
- Department of Pancreatic and Biliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
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de Souza JG, Starobinas N, Ibañez OCM. Unknown/enigmatic functions of extracellular ASC. Immunology 2021; 163:377-388. [PMID: 34042182 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruit domain (ASC), encoded by PYCARD gene, is a 22 kDa small molecule, which aggregates into ASC specks during inflammasome activation. ASC protein is an adaptor protein present in several inflammasome complexes that performs several intra- and extracellular functions, in monomeric form or as ASC specks, during physiological and pathological processes related to inflammation and adaptive immunity. Extracellular ASC specks (eASC specks) released during cell death by pyroptosis can contribute as a danger signal to the propagation of inflammation via phagocytosis and activation of surrounding cells. ASC specks are found in the circulation of patients with chronic inflammatory diseases and have been considered as relevant blood biomarkers of inflammation. eASC amplifies the inflammatory signal, may induce the production of autoantibodies, transports molecules that bind to this complex, contributing to the generation of antibodies, and can induce the maturation of cytokines promoting the modelling of the adaptive immunity. Although several advances have been registered in the last 21 years, there are numerous unknown or enigmatic gaps in the understanding of the role of eASC specks in the organism. Here, we provide an overview about the ASC protein focusing on the probable roles of eASC specks in several diseases, up to the most recent studies concerning COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Gabriel de Souza
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil.,CENTD, Centre of Excellence in New Target Discovery, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil.,Immunology Catalyst, GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenag, UK
| | - Nancy Starobinas
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil.,CENTD, Centre of Excellence in New Target Discovery, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Olga Celia Martinez Ibañez
- Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil.,CENTD, Centre of Excellence in New Target Discovery, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
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Matsunami A, Mizuno-Kamiya M, Kawaki H, Takayama E, Ueno K, Ando M, Morimoto-Ito H, Muramatsu Y, Sumitomo S, Kondoh N. Augmented secretion of IL-1α from mouse oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells caused by serum deprivation and hypoxia promotes immune suppressive activity of mesenchymal stromal cells. J Oral Biosci 2021; 63:284-291. [PMID: 34153475 DOI: 10.1016/j.job.2021.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We have previously reported that mouse oral squamous carcinoma (OSCC), Sq-1979-1, produces interleukin (IL)-1α, which specifically enhances the immunosuppressive activity of co-cultured mesenchymal stromal 10T1/2 cells. This study assessed the conditions promoting the production of IL-1α in Sq-1979-1 cells, which could further enhance the immunosuppressive function of 10T1/2 cells, and evaluated its expression in OSCC tissues. METHODS The expression of IL-1α was examined by RT-PCR, western blotting, and enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA). The interferon (IFN)- γ-producing capability of anti-CD3 antibody-stimulated mouse spleen cells co-cultured with 10T1/2 cells and conditioned medium (CM) from Sq-1979-1 cells was examined by ELISA. The function of IL-1α was examined using an anti-IL1α antibody. Immunohistochemical analysis of the OSCC tissues was performed. RESULTS The production of IL-1α from Sq-1979-1 cells was synergistically enhanced in lower serum (0.5% or 1.0% FBS) at the transcriptional level, and under hypoxia (1.0% oxygen) at the release level compared to that in the control medium supplemented with 10% FBS under normoxia. The IFN-γ-producing capability of stimulated spleen cells co-cultured with 10T1/2 cells was significantly reduced in the CMs prepared with the lower serum or under hypoxia. These functions of CMs were completely abolished by the anti-IL-1α antibody. The expression of IL-1α in OSCC tissues was prominent in the midst of a carcinomatous cellular lesion or a nearby necrotic lesion, where a supply deficiency could occur. CONCLUSIONS IL-1α production by Sq-1979-1 cells was synergistically augmented under low serum and hypoxic conditions, which could promote the immunosuppressive activity of mesenchymal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Matsunami
- Department of Oral Biochemistry, Division of Oral Structure, Function and Development, Asahi University School of Dentistry, 1851-1 Hozumi, Mizuho, Gifu, 501-0296, Japan; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Division of Oral Pathogenesis and Disease Control, Asahi University School of Dentistry, 1851-1 Hozumi, Mizuho, Gifu, 501-0296, Japan
| | - Masako Mizuno-Kamiya
- Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Business Administration, Asahi University School of Business Administration, 1851-1 Hozumi, Mizuho, Gifu 501-0296, Japan
| | - Harumi Kawaki
- Department of Oral Biochemistry, Division of Oral Structure, Function and Development, Asahi University School of Dentistry, 1851-1 Hozumi, Mizuho, Gifu, 501-0296, Japan
| | - Eiji Takayama
- Department of Oral Biochemistry, Division of Oral Structure, Function and Development, Asahi University School of Dentistry, 1851-1 Hozumi, Mizuho, Gifu, 501-0296, Japan
| | - Kyohei Ueno
- Department of Oral Biochemistry, Division of Oral Structure, Function and Development, Asahi University School of Dentistry, 1851-1 Hozumi, Mizuho, Gifu, 501-0296, Japan
| | - Megumi Ando
- Department of Oral Biochemistry, Division of Oral Structure, Function and Development, Asahi University School of Dentistry, 1851-1 Hozumi, Mizuho, Gifu, 501-0296, Japan
| | - Hiroe Morimoto-Ito
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Division of Oral Pathogenesis and Disease Control, Asahi University School of Dentistry, 1851-1 Hozumi, Mizuho, Gifu, 501-0296, Japan
| | - Yasunori Muramatsu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Division of Oral Pathogenesis and Disease Control, Asahi University School of Dentistry, 1851-1 Hozumi, Mizuho, Gifu, 501-0296, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Sumitomo
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Division of Oral Pathogenesis and Disease Control, Asahi University School of Dentistry, 1851-1 Hozumi, Mizuho, Gifu, 501-0296, Japan
| | - Nobuo Kondoh
- Department of Oral Biochemistry, Division of Oral Structure, Function and Development, Asahi University School of Dentistry, 1851-1 Hozumi, Mizuho, Gifu, 501-0296, Japan; Department of Oral Biochemistry, Asahi University School of Dentistry, 1851-1 Hozumi, Mizuho, Gifu, 501-0296, Japan.
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Chen JX, Cheng CS, Gao HF, Chen ZJ, Lv LL, Xu JY, Shen XH, Xie J, Zheng L. Overexpression of Interferon-Inducible Protein 16 Promotes Progression of Human Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Through Interleukin-1β-Induced Tumor-Associated Macrophage Infiltration in the Tumor Microenvironment. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:640786. [PMID: 34150748 PMCID: PMC8213213 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.640786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of inflammasomes has been reported in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD); however, the expression pattern and functional role of inflammasome-related proteins in PAAD have yet to be identified. In this study, we systemically examined the expression and role of different inflammasome proteins by retrieving human expression data. Several genes were found to be differentially expressed; however, only interferon-inducible protein 16 (IFI16) expression was found to be adversely correlated with the overall survival of PAAD patients. Overexpression of IFI16 significantly promoted tumor growth, increased tumor size and weight in the experimental PAAD model of mice, and specifically increased the population of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the tumor microenvironment. Depletion of TAMs by injection of liposome clodronate attenuated the IFI16 overexpression-induced tumor growth in PAAD. In vitro treatment of conditioned medium from IFI16-overexpressing PAAD cells induced maturation, proliferation, and migration of bone marrow-derived monocytes, suggesting that IFI16 overexpression resulted in cytokine secretion that favored the TAM population. Further analysis suggested that IFI16 overexpression activated inflammasomes, thereby increasing the release of IL-1β. Neutralization of IL-1β attenuated TAM maturation, proliferation, and migration induced by the conditioned medium from IFI16-overexpressing PAAD cells. Additionally, knockdown of IFI16 could significantly potentiate gemcitabine treatment in PAAD, which may be associated with the reduced infiltration of TAMs in the tumor microenvironment. The findings of our study shed light on the role of IFI16 as a potential therapeutic target for PAAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Xian Chen
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Chien-Shan Cheng
- Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong-Fang Gao
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Yangpu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zi-Jie Chen
- Department of Geriatrics, Shanghai Yangpu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling-Ling Lv
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Jia-Yue Xu
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao-Heng Shen
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Xie
- Department of Integrative Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lan Zheng
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Affiliated Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai, China
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Targeting the NLRP3 Inflammasome as a New Therapeutic Option for Overcoming Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13102297. [PMID: 34064909 PMCID: PMC8151587 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13102297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes that regulate the maturation and secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1beta (IL-1β and interleukin-18 (IL-18) in response to various intracellular stimuli. As a member of the inflammasomes family, NLRP3 is the most studied and best characterized inflammasome and has been shown to be involved in several pathologies. Recent findings have made it increasingly apparent that the NLRP3 inflammasome may also play a central role in tumorigenesis, and it has attracted attention as a potential anticancer therapy target. In this review, we discuss the role of NLRP3 in the development and progression of cancer, offering a detailed summary of NLRP3 inflammasome activation (and inhibition) in the pathogenesis of various forms of cancer. Moreover, we focus on the therapeutic potential of targeting NLRP3 for cancer therapy, emphasizing how understanding NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent cancer mechanisms might guide the development of new drugs that target the inflammatory response of tumor-associated cells.
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37
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Zhang C, Zou Y, Zhu Y, Liu Y, Feng H, Niu F, He P, Liu H. Three Immune-Related Prognostic mRNAs as Therapeutic Targets for Pancreatic Cancer. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:649326. [PMID: 33869254 PMCID: PMC8047149 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.649326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Pancreatic cancer is a highly lethal malignancy globally. This study aimed to probe and validate immune-related prognostic mRNAs as therapeutic targets for pancreatic cancer. Methods: Gene transcriptome data of pancreatic cancer and normal pancreas were retrieved from TCGA-GTEx projects. Two thousand four hundred and ninety-eight immune-related genes were obtained from the IMMUPORT database. Abnormally expressed immune-related genes were then identified. Under univariate and multivariate cox models, a gene signature was constructed. Its predictive efficacy was assessed via ROCs. The interactions between the 21 genes were analyzed by Spearson analysis and PPI network. Using the GEPIA and The Human Protein Atlas databases, their expression and prognostic value were evaluated. The TIMER database was utilized to determine the relationships between MET, OAS1, and OASL mRNAs and immune infiltrates. Finally, their mRNA expression was externally verified in the GSE15471 and GSE62452 datasets. Results: An immune-related 21-gene signature was developed for predicting patients' prognosis. Following verification, this signature exhibited the well predictive performance. There were physical and functional interactions between them. MET, OAS1, and OASL mRNAs were all up-regulated in pancreatic cancer and associated with unfavorable prognosis. They showed strong correlations with tumor progression. Furthermore, the three mRNAs were distinctly associated with immune infiltrates. Their up-regulation was confirmed in the two external datasets. Conclusion: These findings identified three immune-related prognostic mRNAs MET, OAS1, and OASL, which may assist clinicians to choose targets for immunotherapy and make personalized treatment strategy for pancreatic cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cangang Zhang
- Department of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yueji Zou
- Department of Imaging, Penglai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Penglai, China
| | - Yanan Zhu
- Jiangsu ALF Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Nanjing, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hui Feng
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fan Niu
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Pengcheng He
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Haibo Liu
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
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Chan LKY, Lau TS, Chung KY, Tam C, Cheung TH, Yim SF, Lee JHS, Leung RWT, Qin J, Or YYY, Lo KW, Kwong J. Short-Form Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (sfTSLP) Is the Predominant Isoform Expressed by Gynaecologic Cancers and Promotes Tumour Growth. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13050980. [PMID: 33652749 PMCID: PMC7956741 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13050980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cytokines are a group of small proteins in the body that play an important part in boosting the immune system. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a cytokine that plays an important role in the maturation of T cells. Two variants of TSLP, long-form (lfTSLP) and short-form (sfTSLP), have been found, however their roles in cancers are not known. In this study, we discovered that sfTSLP, but not lfTSLP, is predominantly expressed in ovarian and endometrial cancers. The switch that turns the sfTSLP gene on or off is controlled by external modifications of DNA. Our results also found that sfTSLP promotes tumour growth through activating several signal pathways in cancer cells. Abstract Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is an epithelial cell derived cytokine belonging to the IL-7 family and a key initiator of allergic inflammation. Two main isoforms of TSLP, classified as long- (lfTSLP) and short-form (sfTSLP), have been reported in human, but their expression patterns and role(s) in cancers are not yet clear. mRNA expression was examined by isoform-specific RT-PCR and RNA in situ hybridisation. Epigenetic regulation was investigated by chromatin immunoprecipitation-PCR and bisulfite sequencing. Tumour progression was investigated by gene overexpression, cell viability assay, cancer organoid culture and transwell invasion. Signals were investigated by proteome profiler protein array and RNA-sequencing. With the use of isoform-specific primers and probes, we uncovered that only sfTSLP was expressed in the cell lines and tumour tissues of human ovarian and endometrial cancers. We also showed the epigenetic regulation of sfTSLP: sfTSLP transcription was regulated by histone acetylation at promoters in ovarian cancer cells, whereas silencing of the sfTSLP transcripts was regulated by promoter DNA methylation in endometrial cancer cells. In vitro study showed that ectopically overexpressing sfTSLP promoted tumour growth but not invasion. Human phosphokinase array application demonstrated that the sfTSLP overexpression activated phosphorylation of multiple intracellular kinases (including GSK3α/β, AMPKα1, p53, AKT1/2, ERK1/2 and Src) in ovarian cancer cells in a context-dependent manner. We further investigated the impact of sfTSLP overexpression on transcriptome by RNA-sequencing and found that EFNB2 and PBX1 were downregulated in ovarian and endometrial cancer cells, suggesting their role in sfTSLP-mediated tumour growth. In conclusion, sfTSLP is predominantly expressed in ovarian and endometrial cancers and promotes tumour growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loucia Kit Ying Chan
- Department of Obstetrics of Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (L.K.Y.C.); (T.S.L.); (K.Y.C.); (C.T.); (T.H.C.); (S.F.Y.); (J.H.S.L.)
| | - Tat San Lau
- Department of Obstetrics of Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (L.K.Y.C.); (T.S.L.); (K.Y.C.); (C.T.); (T.H.C.); (S.F.Y.); (J.H.S.L.)
| | - Kit Ying Chung
- Department of Obstetrics of Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (L.K.Y.C.); (T.S.L.); (K.Y.C.); (C.T.); (T.H.C.); (S.F.Y.); (J.H.S.L.)
| | - Chit Tam
- Department of Obstetrics of Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (L.K.Y.C.); (T.S.L.); (K.Y.C.); (C.T.); (T.H.C.); (S.F.Y.); (J.H.S.L.)
| | - Tak Hong Cheung
- Department of Obstetrics of Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (L.K.Y.C.); (T.S.L.); (K.Y.C.); (C.T.); (T.H.C.); (S.F.Y.); (J.H.S.L.)
| | - So Fan Yim
- Department of Obstetrics of Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (L.K.Y.C.); (T.S.L.); (K.Y.C.); (C.T.); (T.H.C.); (S.F.Y.); (J.H.S.L.)
| | - Jacqueline Ho Sze Lee
- Department of Obstetrics of Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (L.K.Y.C.); (T.S.L.); (K.Y.C.); (C.T.); (T.H.C.); (S.F.Y.); (J.H.S.L.)
| | - Ricky Wai Tak Leung
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 510006, China; (R.W.T.L.); (J.Q.)
| | - Jing Qin
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 510006, China; (R.W.T.L.); (J.Q.)
| | - Yvonne Yan Yan Or
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (Y.Y.Y.O.); (K.W.L.)
| | - Kwok Wai Lo
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (Y.Y.Y.O.); (K.W.L.)
| | - Joseph Kwong
- Department of Obstetrics of Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (L.K.Y.C.); (T.S.L.); (K.Y.C.); (C.T.); (T.H.C.); (S.F.Y.); (J.H.S.L.)
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Keele University, Newcastle-under-Lyme ST5 5BG, UK
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +852-3505-2801
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Jain T, Sharma P, Are AC, Vickers SM, Dudeja V. New Insights Into the Cancer-Microbiome-Immune Axis: Decrypting a Decade of Discoveries. Front Immunol 2021; 12:622064. [PMID: 33708214 PMCID: PMC7940198 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.622064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The past decade has witnessed groundbreaking advances in the field of microbiome research. An area where immense implications of the microbiome have been demonstrated is tumor biology. The microbiome affects tumor initiation and progression through direct effects on the tumor cells and indirectly through manipulation of the immune system. It can also determine response to cancer therapies and predict disease progression and survival. Modulation of the microbiome can be harnessed to potentiate the efficacy of immunotherapies and decrease their toxicity. In this review, we comprehensively dissect recent evidence regarding the interaction of the microbiome and anti-tumor immune machinery and outline the critical questions which need to be addressed as we further explore this dynamic colloquy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Selwyn M. Vickers
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Vikas Dudeja
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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B3GNT3 overexpression promotes tumor progression and inhibits infiltration of CD8 + T cells in pancreatic cancer. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 13:2310-2329. [PMID: 33316775 PMCID: PMC7880340 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Beta-1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase 3 (B3GNT3) has been associated with tumor progression in several solid tumors, and inhibits CD8+ T cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity in breast cancer. However, little is known about the potential functions of B3GNT3 in immunosuppression in pancreatic cancer (PC). This study on B3GNT3 aims to provide novel insights into the mechanisms of immune suppression or evasion in PC. To this end, the clinical significance and oncologic roles of B3GNT3 were investigated through bioinformatic analysis and in vitro studies. Potential associations between the expression of B3GNT3 and tumor immunity were mainly analyzed by single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and immunofluorescence in tissue microarray (TMA). B3GNT3 overexpression was observed in PC tissue and was associated with larger tumor sizes, higher histologic grades, and poorer overall survival (OS). B3GNT3 overexpression was associated with the mutation status and expression of driver genes, especially for KRAS and SMAD4. B3GNT3 knockdown inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of PC cells. B3GNT3 overexpression significantly correlated with decreased infiltration of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), especially CD8+ T cells. Overall, our results indicate that B3GTN3 plays a novel role in tumor progression and immunosuppression, thus serving as a potential therapeutic target in PC.
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41
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Maggi E, Veneziani I, Moretta L, Cosmi L, Annunziato F. Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells: A Double-Edged Sword in Cancer? Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12113452. [PMID: 33233582 PMCID: PMC7699723 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12113452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILC2s) belong to the family of helper ILCs which provide host defense against infectious agents, participate in inflammatory responses and mediate lymphoid organogenesis and tissue repair, mainly at the skin and mucosal level. Based on their transcriptional, phenotypic and functional profile, ILC2s mirror the features of the adaptive CD4+ Th2 cell subset, both contributing to the so-called type 2 immune response. Similar to other ILCs, ILC2s are rapidly activated by signals deriving from tissue and/or other tissue-resident immune cells. The biologic activity of ILCs needs to be tightly regulated in order to prevent them from contributing to severe inflammation and damage in several organs. Indeed, ILC2s display both enhancing and regulatory roles in several pathophysiological conditions, including tumors. In this review, we summarize the actual knowledge about ILC2s ability to induce or impair a protective immune response, their pro- or antitumor activity in murine models, human (children and adults) pathologies and the potential strategies to improve cancer immunotherapy by exploiting the features of ILC2s.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Maggi
- Immunology Department, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, 00165 Rome, Italy; (I.V.); (L.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-06-6859-3617
| | - Irene Veneziani
- Immunology Department, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, 00165 Rome, Italy; (I.V.); (L.M.)
| | - Lorenzo Moretta
- Immunology Department, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, 00165 Rome, Italy; (I.V.); (L.M.)
| | - Lorenzo Cosmi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (L.C.); (F.A.)
| | - Francesco Annunziato
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy; (L.C.); (F.A.)
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Bu F, Nie H, Zhu X, Wu T, Lin K, Zhao J, Huang J. A signature of 18 immune-related gene pairs to predict the prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients. IMMUNITY INFLAMMATION AND DISEASE 2020; 8:713-726. [PMID: 33128857 PMCID: PMC7654420 DOI: 10.1002/iid3.363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies. With the promising prospects conveyed by immunotherapy in cancers, we aimed to construct an immune‐related gene pairs (IRGPs) signature to predict the prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients. We downloaded clinical and transcriptional data of pancreatic cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas data set as the training group and GSE57495 data set as the verification group. We filtered immune‐related transcriptional data by IMMPORT. With the assistance of lasso penalized Cox regression, we constructed our prognostic IRGPs signature and divided all samples into high‐/low‐risk groups by receiver operating characteristic curve for further comparisons. The comparisons between high‐ and low‐risk groups including survival rate, multivariate, and univariate Cox proportional‐hazards analysis, infiltration of immune cells, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) are facilitated to analyze the proceedings in which our IRGPs signature may involve in. The results revealed that 18 IRGPs were defined as our prognostic signature. The prognostic value of this IRGPs signature was verified from the GSE57495 data set. We further demonstrated the independent prognostic value of this IRGPs signature. The contents of six immune cells between high‐/low‐risk groups were different, which was associated with the progression of diverse cancers. Results from GO, KEGG, and GSEA revealed that this IRGPs signature was involved in extracellular space, immune response, cancer pathways, cation channel, and gated channel activities. Evidently, this IRGPs signature will provide remarkable value for the therapy of pancreatic cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanqin Bu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Han Nie
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Xiaojian Zhu
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Research Center of the Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ting Wu
- Infection Department of Guixi Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guixi, Jiangxi, China
| | - Kang Lin
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Jiefeng Zhao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Jun Huang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
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Huber M, Brehm CU, Gress TM, Buchholz M, Alashkar Alhamwe B, Pogge von Strandmann E, Slater EP, Bartsch JW, Bauer C, Lauth M. The Immune Microenvironment in Pancreatic Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E7307. [PMID: 33022971 PMCID: PMC7583843 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21197307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The biology of solid tumors is strongly determined by the interactions of cancer cells with their surrounding microenvironment. In this regard, pancreatic cancer (pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, PDAC) represents a paradigmatic example for the multitude of possible tumor-stroma interactions. PDAC has proven particularly refractory to novel immunotherapies, which is a fact that is mediated by a unique assemblage of various immune cells creating a strongly immunosuppressive environment in which this cancer type thrives. In this review, we outline currently available knowledge on the cross-talk between tumor cells and the cellular immune microenvironment, highlighting the physiological and pathological cellular interactions, as well as the resulting therapeutic approaches derived thereof. Hopefully a better understanding of the complex tumor-stroma interactions will one day lead to a significant advancement in patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Huber
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany;
| | - Corinna U. Brehm
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Giessen-Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany;
| | - Thomas M. Gress
- Department of Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Metabolism and Infectiology, Center for Tumor- and Immunology (ZTI), Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; (T.M.G.); (M.B.); (C.B.)
| | - Malte Buchholz
- Department of Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Metabolism and Infectiology, Center for Tumor- and Immunology (ZTI), Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; (T.M.G.); (M.B.); (C.B.)
| | - Bilal Alashkar Alhamwe
- Institute for Tumor Immunology, Clinic for Hematology, Oncology and Immunology, Center for Tumor Biology and Immunology (ZTI), Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; (E.P.v.S.); (B.A.A.)
| | - Elke Pogge von Strandmann
- Institute for Tumor Immunology, Clinic for Hematology, Oncology and Immunology, Center for Tumor Biology and Immunology (ZTI), Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; (E.P.v.S.); (B.A.A.)
| | - Emily P. Slater
- Department of Visceral-, Thoracic- and Vascular Surgery, Philipps University Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, 35043 Marburg, Germany;
| | - Jörg W. Bartsch
- Department of Neurosurgery, Philipps University Marburg, Baldingerstrasse, 35043 Marburg, Germany;
| | - Christian Bauer
- Department of Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Metabolism and Infectiology, Center for Tumor- and Immunology (ZTI), Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; (T.M.G.); (M.B.); (C.B.)
| | - Matthias Lauth
- Department of Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Metabolism and Infectiology, Center for Tumor- and Immunology (ZTI), Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany; (T.M.G.); (M.B.); (C.B.)
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Protti MP, De Monte L. Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin and Cancer: Th2-Dependent and -Independent Mechanisms. Front Immunol 2020; 11:2088. [PMID: 33042121 PMCID: PMC7524868 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.02088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is an IL-7-like cytokine originally cloned from a murine thymic stromal cell line, and subsequently a human homolog was identified using database search methods. Human TSLP is mostly expressed in epithelial cells, among which are keratinocytes as well as stromal cells such as fibroblasts and immune cells. Human TSLP was first described to activate myeloid dendritic cells, which prime naïve T helper cells to produce high concentrations of Th2 cytokines, thus representing a key cytokine in triggering dendritic cells-mediated allergic Th2 inflammation. TSLP and/or its receptor has been shown to be expressed in several tumor types, where TSLP expression is associated with functional activities that can be associated or not with the induction of a Th2-prone tumor microenvironment, i.e., Th2-dependent and Th2-independent mechanisms. These mechanisms involve tissue- and immune cell target-dependent tumor-promoting or tumor-suppressive functions in different or even the same tumor type. Here we report and discuss the Th2-dependent and Th2-independent roles of TSLP in cancer and possible therapeutic targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Pia Protti
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Istituto di Ricerca a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Lucia De Monte
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Istituto di Ricerca a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
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Rébé C, Ghiringhelli F. Interleukin-1β and Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E1791. [PMID: 32635472 PMCID: PMC7408158 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12071791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Within a tumor, IL-1β is produced and secreted by various cell types, such as immune cells, fibroblasts, or cancer cells. The IL1B gene is induced after "priming" of the cells and a second signal is required to allow IL-1β maturation by inflammasome-activated caspase-1. IL-1β is then released and leads to transcription of target genes through its ligation with IL-1R1 on target cells. IL-1β expression and maturation are guided by gene polymorphisms and by the cellular context. In cancer, IL-1β has pleiotropic effects on immune cells, angiogenesis, cancer cell proliferation, migration, and metastasis. Moreover, anti-cancer treatments are able to promote IL-1β production by cancer or immune cells, with opposite effects on cancer progression. This raises the question of whether or not to use IL-1β inhibitors in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Rébé
- Platform of Transfer in Cancer Biology, Centre Georges François Leclerc, INSERM LNC UMR1231, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000 Dijon, France
| | - François Ghiringhelli
- Platform of Transfer in Cancer Biology, Centre Georges François Leclerc, INSERM LNC UMR1231, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000 Dijon, France
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Pancreatic Cancer Associated Fibroblasts (CAF): Under-Explored Target for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12051347. [PMID: 32466266 PMCID: PMC7281461 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12051347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. The pancreatic cancer phenotype is primarily a consequence of oncogenes disturbing the resident pancreas parenchymal cell repair program. Many solid tumor types including pancreatic cancer have severe tumor fibrosis called desmoplasia. Desmoplastic stroma is coopted by the tumor as a support structure and CAFs aid in tumor growth, invasion, and metastases. This stroma is caused by cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which lay down extensive connective tissue in and around the tumor cells. CAFs represent a heterogeneous population of cells that produce various paracrine molecules such as transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and platelet derived growth factors (PDGFs) that aid tumor growth, local invasion, and development of metastases. The hard, fibrotic shell of desmoplasia serves as a barrier to the infiltration of both chemo- and immunotherapy drugs and host immune cells to the tumor. Although there have been recent improvements in chemotherapy and surgical techniques for management of pancreatic cancer, the majority of patients will die from this disease. Therefore, new treatment strategies are clearly needed. CAFs represent an under-explored potential therapeutic target. This paper discusses what we know about the role of CAFs in pancreatic cancer cell growth, invasion, and metastases. Additionally, we present different strategies that are being and could be explored as anti-CAF treatments for pancreatic cancer.
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Protti MP, De Monte L. Dual Role of Inflammasome Adaptor ASC in Cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:40. [PMID: 32117971 PMCID: PMC7010858 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis-associated Speck-like protein containing a CARD (caspase activation and recruitment domain) (ASC), also called PYCARD/Target of Methylation-induced Silencing-1 (TMS1), was originally discovered as a protein that forms aggregates (“specks”) in human leukemia cells treated with chemotherapeutic agents. Its expression was found to be silenced by methylation in many human tumors, preventing tumor cells from undergoing apoptosis and supporting its role as a tumor suppressor. Subsequently, ASC was also identified as a central adaptor molecule of the inflammasome complex, which mediates the secretion of inflammatory cytokines (i.e., IL-1β and IL-18). Inflammatory cytokines have been shown to mediate tumor-promoting functions. Thus, in the context of cancer development and progression, ASC may exert opposing functions, i.e., be either tumor-suppressing by inducing tumor cell apoptosis, or tumor-promoting by favoring secretion of inflammatory cytokines (by tumor cells and/or tumor infiltrating myeloid cells) within the tumor microenvironment. Here, we report and discuss this dual role of ASC by also considering the final contribution of each of its two main functions in several cancer types, taking into consideration the correlation between ASC expression, clinical correlates, and patients’ survival. ASC and inflammasome targeting strategies are being developed. However, before the use of such treatments in clinical practice, it is fundamental to better dissect the role of ASC in different tumors, in order to privilege or avoid their use in those tumors in which ASC exerts an anti-tumor or pro-tumor function, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Pia Protti
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Lucia De Monte
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
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48
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Corren J, Ziegler SF. TSLP: from allergy to cancer. Nat Immunol 2019; 20:1603-1609. [PMID: 31745338 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-019-0524-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The cytokine TSLP has been shown to be a key factor in maintaining immune homeostasis and regulating inflammatory responses at mucosal barriers. While the role of TSLP in type 2 immune responses has been investigated extensively, recent studies have found an expanding role for TSLP in inflammatory diseases and cancer. In this Review, we will highlight major recent advances in TSLP biology, along with results from emerging clinical trials of anti-TSLP agents used for the treatment of a variety of inflammatory conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Corren
- Department of Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steven F Ziegler
- Immunology Program, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.
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49
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Obesity-Induced Adipose Tissue Inflammation as a Strong Promotional Factor for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Cells 2019; 8:cells8070673. [PMID: 31277269 PMCID: PMC6678863 DOI: 10.3390/cells8070673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is expected to soon become the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States. This may be due to the rising obesity prevalence, which is a recognized risk factor for PDAC. There is great interest in deciphering the underlying driving mechanisms of the obesity–PDAC link. Visceral adiposity has a strong correlation to certain metabolic diseases and gastrointestinal cancers, including PDAC. In fact, our own data strongly suggest that visceral adipose tissue inflammation is a strong promoter for PDAC growth and progression in a genetically engineered mouse model of PDAC and diet-induced obesity. In this review, we will discuss the relationship between obesity-associated adipose tissue inflammation and PDAC development, with a focus on the key molecular and cellular components in the dysfunctional visceral adipose tissue, which provides a tumor permissive environment.
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