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Azhar NA, Paramanantham Y, B W M Nor WMFS, B M Said NA. MicroRNA-146b-5p/FDFT1 Mediates Cisplatin Sensitivity in Bladder Cancer by Redirecting Cholesterol Biosynthesis to the Non-Sterol Branch. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2024:106652. [PMID: 39270927 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2024.106652] [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: 07/22/2024] [Revised: 09/02/2024] [Accepted: 09/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024]
Abstract
Chemotherapy against muscle-invasive bladder cancer is increasingly challenged by the prevalence of chemoresistance. The cholesterol biosynthesis pathway has garnered attention in studies of chemoresistance, but conflicting clinical and molecular findings necessitate a clearer understanding of its underlying mechanisms. Recently, we identified farnesyl-diphosphate farnesyltransferase 1 (FDFT1)-the first specific gene in this pathway-as a tumor suppressor and chemoresistance modulator. Raman spectroscopy revealed higher levels of FDFT1-related metabolites in chemotherapy-sensitive bladder cancer tissue compared to resistant tissue; however, this observation lacks mechanistic insight. FDFT1 expression was reduced in our cisplatin-resistant bladder cancer cells (T24R) compared to parental cisplatin-sensitive cells (T24). Using functional knockdown and ectopic overexpression in T24/T24R cells, we mechanistically demonstrate the pathway through which FDFT1 mediates cisplatin sensitivity in bladder cancer cells. Bioinformatics analysis and rescue experiments showed that microRNA-146b-5p directly targets and downregulates FDFT1, reducing the cisplatin sensitivity of T24 cells, which can be restored by forced FDFT1 expression. Further investigation into the downstream cholesterol pathway revealed that FDFT1 suppression redirects its substrate toward the non-sterol branch of the pathway, as evidenced by the upregulation of non-sterol branch-associated genes and a reduced total cholesterol level in the sterol branch. Since the non-sterol pathway leads to the prenylation of isoprenoids and activation of Ras and Rho family proteins involved in cancer progression and chemoresistance, our findings suggest that redirection of the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway is a key mechanism underlying FDFT1-mediated cisplatin resistance in bladder cancer. The miR-146b-5p/FDFT1 axis represents a promising target for overcoming chemoresistance in bladder cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nurul Amniyyah Azhar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Life Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Yogaambikai Paramanantham
- Department of Pharmaceutical Life Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; School of Pharmacy, Monash University, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | - Nur Akmarina B M Said
- Department of Pharmaceutical Life Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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2
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Li J, Kong Z, Qi Y, Wang W, Su Q, Huang W, Zhang Z, Li S, Du E. Single-cell and bulk RNA-sequence identified fibroblasts signature and CD8 + T-cell - fibroblast subtype predicting prognosis and immune therapeutic response of bladder cancer, based on machine learning: bioinformatics multi-omics study. Int J Surg 2024; 110:4911-4931. [PMID: 38759695 PMCID: PMC11325897 DOI: 10.1097/js9.0000000000001516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are found in primary and advanced tumours. They are primarily involved in tumour progression through complex mechanisms with other types of cells in the tumour microenvironment. However, essential fibroblasts-related genes (FRG) in bladder cancer still need to be explored, and there is a shortage of an ideal predictive model or molecular subtype for the progression and immune therapeutic assessment for bladder cancer, especially muscular-invasive bladder cancer based on the FRG. MATERIALS AND METHODS CAF-related genes of bladder cancer were identified by analysing single-cell RNA sequence datasets, and bulk transcriptome datasets and gene signatures were used to characterize them. Then, 10 types of machine learning algorithms were utilised to determine the hallmark FRG and construct the FRG index (FRGI) and subtypes. Further molecular subtypes combined with CD8+ T-cells were established to predict the prognosis and immune therapy response. RESULTS Fifty-four BLCA-related FRG were screened by large-scale scRNA-sequence datasets. The machine learning algorithm established a 3-genes FRGI. High FRGI represented a worse outcome. Then, FRGI combined clinical variables to construct a nomogram, which shows high predictive performance for the prognosis of bladder cancer. Furthermore, the BLCA datasets were separated into two subtypes - fibroblast hot and cold types. In five independent BLCA cohorts, the fibroblast hot type showed worse outcomes than the cold type. Multiple cancer-related hallmark pathways are distinctively enriched in these two types. In addition, high FRGI or fibroblast hot type shows a worse immune therapeutic response. Then, four subtypes called CD8-FRG subtypes were established under the combination of FRG signature and activity of CD8+ T-cells, which turned out to be effective in predicting the prognosis and immune therapeutic response of bladder cancer in multiple independent datasets. Pathway enrichment analysis, multiple gene signatures, and epigenetic alteration characterize the CD8-FRG subtypes and provide a potential combination strategy method against bladder cancer. CONCLUSIONS In summary, the authors established a novel FRGI and CD8-FRG subtype by large-scale datasets and organised analyses, which could accurately predict clinical outcomes and immune therapeutic response of BLCA after surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxian Li
- Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University
| | - Zheng Kong
- Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University
| | - Yuanjiong Qi
- Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University
| | - Wei Wang
- Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University
| | - Qiang Su
- Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University
| | - Wei Huang
- Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University
| | - Zhihong Zhang
- Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University
| | - Shuai Li
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - E Du
- Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University
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3
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Ippolito A, Wang H, Zhang Y, Vakil V, Popel AS. Virtual clinical trials via a QSP immuno-oncology model to simulate the response to a conditionally activated PD-L1 targeting antibody in NSCLC. J Pharmacokinet Pharmacodyn 2024:10.1007/s10928-024-09928-5. [PMID: 38858306 DOI: 10.1007/s10928-024-09928-5] [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: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Recently, immunotherapies for antitumoral response have adopted conditionally activated molecules with the objective of reducing systemic toxicity. Amongst these are conditionally activated antibodies, such as PROBODY® activatable therapeutics (Pb-Tx), engineered to be proteolytically activated by proteases found locally in the tumor microenvironment (TME). These PROBODY® therapeutics molecules have shown potential as PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors in several cancer types, including both effectiveness and locality of action of the molecule as shown by several clinical trials and imaging studies. Here, we perform an exploratory study using our recently published quantitative systems pharmacology model, previously validated for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), to computationally predict the effectiveness and targeting specificity of a PROBODY® therapeutics drug compared to the non-modified antibody. We begin with the analysis of anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). As a first contribution, we have improved previous virtual patient selection methods using the omics data provided by the iAtlas database portal compared to methods previously published in literature. Furthermore, our results suggest that masking an antibody maintains its efficacy while improving the localization of active therapeutic in the TME. Additionally, we generalize the model by evaluating the dependence of the response to the tumor mutational burden, independently of cancer type, as well as to other key biomarkers, such as CD8/Treg Tcell and M1/M2 macrophage ratio. While our results are obtained from simulations on NSCLC, our findings are generalizable to other cancer types and suggest that an effective and highly selective conditionally activated PROBODY® therapeutics molecule is a feasible option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Ippolito
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
| | - Hanwen Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Vahideh Vakil
- Clinical and Quantitative Pharmacology, CytomX Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Aleksander S Popel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Oncology, and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
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4
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Dhungel N, Dragoi AM. Exploring the multifaceted role of direct interaction between cancer cells and fibroblasts in cancer progression. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1379971. [PMID: 38863965 PMCID: PMC11165130 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1379971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The interaction between the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the cancer cells is a complex and mutually beneficial system that leads to rapid cancer cells proliferation, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. It is now recognized that cancer cells are not isolated, and tumor progression is governed among others, by many components of the TME. The reciprocal cross-talk between cancer cells and their microenvironment can be indirect through the secretion of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and paracrine signaling through exosomes, cytokines, and growth factors, or direct by cell-to-cell contact mediated by cell surface receptors and adhesion molecules. Among TME components, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are of unique interest. As one of the most abundant components of the TME, CAFs play key roles in the reorganization of the extracellular matrix, facilitating metastasis and chemotherapy evasion. Both direct and indirect roles have been described for CAFs in modulating tumor progression. In this review, we focus on recent advances in understanding the role of direct contact between cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in driving tumor development and metastasis. We also summarize recent findings on the role of direct contact between cancer cells and CAFs in chemotherapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilu Dhungel
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, LSUHSC, Shreveport, LA, United States
| | - Ana-Maria Dragoi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, LSUHSC, Shreveport, LA, United States
- Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, INLET Core, LSUHSC, Shreveport, LA, United States
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5
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Mun S, Lee HJ, Kim P. Rebuilding the microenvironment of primary tumors in humans: a focus on stroma. Exp Mol Med 2024; 56:527-548. [PMID: 38443595 PMCID: PMC10984944 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-024-01191-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Conventional tumor models have critical shortcomings in that they lack the complexity of the human stroma. The heterogeneous stroma is a central compartment of the tumor microenvironment (TME) that must be addressed in cancer research and precision medicine. To fully model the human tumor stroma, the deconstruction and reconstruction of tumor tissues have been suggested as new approaches for in vitro tumor modeling. In this review, we summarize the heterogeneity of tumor-associated stromal cells and general deconstruction approaches used to isolate patient-specific stromal cells from tumor tissue; we also address the effect of the deconstruction procedure on the characteristics of primary cells. Finally, perspectives on the future of reconstructed tumor models are discussed, with an emphasis on the essential prerequisites for developing authentic humanized tumor models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siwon Mun
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, South Korea
| | - Hyun Jin Lee
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, South Korea
| | - Pilnam Kim
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, South Korea.
- Institute for Health Science and Technology, KAIST, Daejeon, 34141, South Korea.
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6
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Sulaiman R, Koirala N, Aske JC, Lin X, Rojas-Espaillat L, Starks D, Dale A, Gaster K, De P, Dey N. A landscape of patient-derived cancer-associated fibroblast signals in endometrial cancers. Am J Cancer Res 2024; 14:467-489. [PMID: 38455423 PMCID: PMC10915338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
In conversation with endometrial tumor cells, the endometrial cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the "partners in crime" of uterine neoplasm's highly heterogeneous tumor microenvironment (TME). We designed a laboratory-friendly method to culture endometrial CAFs on a patient-to-patient basis for studying the CAF-TME and CAF-tumor cell interaction(s). Here, we present a comprehensive characterization of endometrial CAFs derived from patients' tumor tissues (T) and tumor-adjacent normal tissues (N). We used more than 80 T and N from 53 consecutive consented patients with endometrial cancers at the Avera Cancer Institute. We derived TCAF and NCAF in a non-enzymatic feeder-layer culture and characterized their expression of markers by qRT-PCR, flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry, immunofluorescence, and Western blot. Although similar in the expression pattern of EpCAM-/CK18-/vimentin+ as in ovarian CAFs, endometrial NCAFs, and TCAFs characteristically presented dual morphology in culture. Endometrial CAFs were EpCAM-/CK18-/CD45-/CD31-/SMA+/TE-7+/PDGFRA+/CXCL12+/Meflin+/CD155+/CD90+ with patient-specific positivity for S100A4/FAP/PD-L1/CD44. Endometrial CAFs expressed mRNAs for signaling proteins of several pathways and receptor-ligands, including (1) cell cycle pathway, (2) TGF pathway, (3) FGF pathway, (4) Wnt-beta-catenin pathway, (5) HER pathway, (6) tyrosine kinase receptor ligands, and (7) steroid receptors. We tested the hypoxic response of CAFs to show that endometrial CAFs upregulate MMP1 in a HIF-1a-independent manner. In trying to delineate the relationship between expressions of CAF markers and T-cells in the tumor tissue, we observed that FAP-positive CAFs that are derived from CD4/CD8 positive tumor tissue expressed CXCL12 mRNA. The data indicate the role of the CXCL12-CXCR4 pathway of the CAF-rich stroma in the lymphocytic infiltration of the tumor. We demonstrate that endometrial CAFs can be cultured in an enzymatic-digestion-independent manner, and their signaling landscape can be mapped toward understanding CAF-TME dialogue. Our data will help unearth the functional relevance of endometrial CAFs in the context of clinical outcomes and designing CAF-inclusive therapy in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raed Sulaiman
- Department of Pathology, Avera Cancer InstituteSioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Nischal Koirala
- Translational Oncology Laboratory, Avera Cancer InstituteSioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical CenterColumbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Jennifer C Aske
- Translational Oncology Laboratory, Avera Cancer InstituteSioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Xiaoqian Lin
- Translational Oncology Laboratory, Avera Cancer InstituteSioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Luis Rojas-Espaillat
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Avera Cancer InstituteSioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - David Starks
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Avera Cancer InstituteSioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Adam Dale
- Translational Oncology Laboratory, Avera Cancer InstituteSioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Kris Gaster
- Assistant VP Outpatient Cancer Clinics, Avera Cancer InstituteSioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Pradip De
- Translational Oncology Laboratory, Avera Cancer InstituteSioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Dakota SSOMSioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
- VieCureGreenwood Village, CO 80111, USA
| | - Nandini Dey
- Translational Oncology Laboratory, Avera Cancer InstituteSioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
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7
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Ippolito A, Wang H, Zhang Y, Vakil V, Bazzazi H, Popel AS. Eliciting the antitumor immune response with a conditionally activated PD-L1 targeting antibody analyzed with a quantitative systems pharmacology model. CPT Pharmacometrics Syst Pharmacol 2024; 13:93-105. [PMID: 38058278 PMCID: PMC10787208 DOI: 10.1002/psp4.13060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Conditionally activated molecules, such as Probody therapeutics (PbTx), have recently been investigated to improve antitumoral response while reducing systemic toxicity. PbTx are engineered to be proteolytically activated by proteases that are preferentially active locally in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we perform an exploratory study using our recently published quantitative systems pharmacology model, previously validated for other drugs, to evaluate the effectiveness and targeting specificity of an anti-PD-L1 PbTx compared to the non-modified antibody. We have informed the model using the PbTx dynamics and pharmacokinetics published in the literature for anti-PD-L1 in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Our results suggest masking of the antibody slightly decreases its efficacy, while increasing the localization of active therapeutic component in the TME. We also perform a parameter optimization for the PbTx design and drug dosing regimens to maximize the response rate. Although our results are specific to the case of TNBC, our findings are generalizable to any conditionally activated PbTx molecule in solid tumors and suggest that design of a highly effective and selective PbTx is feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Ippolito
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Hanwen Wang
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Vahideh Vakil
- Clinical and Quantitative PharmacologyCytomX Therapeutics, Inc.South San FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Hojjat Bazzazi
- Clinical and Quantitative PharmacologyCytomX Therapeutics, Inc.South San FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Present address:
Moderna TherapeuticsCambridgeMAUSA
| | - Aleksander S. Popel
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Department of Oncology, and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer CenterJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
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8
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Wujcicka WI, Zając A, Szyłło K, Romanowicz H, Smolarz B, Stachowiak G. Associations between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms from the Genes of Chemokines and the CXCR2 Chemokine Receptor and an Increased Risk of Endometrial Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5416. [PMID: 38001676 PMCID: PMC10670474 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15225416] [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: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Significant relationships with endometrial cancer were demonstrated, both for CCL2, CCL5, and CXCL8 chemokines and for the chemokine receptor CXCR2. The reported case-control study of genetic associations was designed to establish the role of selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the CCL2, CCL5, CXCL8, and CXCR2 genes in the onset and progression of endometrial cancer. This study was conducted on 282 women, including 132 (46.8%) patients with endometrial cancer and 150 (53.2%) non-cancerous controls. The genotypes for CCL2 rs4586, CCL5 rs2107538 and rs2280789, CXCL8 rs2227532 and -738 T>A, and CXCR2 rs1126580 were determined, using PCR-RFLP assays. The AA homozygotes in CCL5 rs2107538 were associated with more than a quadruple risk of endometrial cancer (p ≤ 0.050). The GA heterozygotes in the CXCR2 SNP were associated with approximately threefold higher cancer risk (p ≤ 0.001). That association also remained significant after certain adjustments, carried out for age, diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, or endometrial thickness above 5 mm (p ≤ 0.050). The A-A haplotypes for the CCL5 polymorphisms and T-A-A haplotypes for the CCL2 and CCL5 SNPs were associated with about a twofold risk of endometrial cancer (p ≤ 0.050). In conclusion, CCL2 rs4586, CCL5 rs2107538 and rs2280789, and CXCR2 rs1126580 demonstrated significant associations with an increased risk of endometrial cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wioletta Izabela Wujcicka
- Scientific Laboratory of the Center of Medical Laboratory Diagnostics and Screening, Polish Mother’s Memorial Hospital—Research Institute, 93-338 Lodz, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Zając
- Department of Operative Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology, Polish Mother’s Memorial Hospital—Research Institute, 93-338 Lodz, Poland; (A.Z.); (K.S.); (G.S.)
| | - Krzysztof Szyłło
- Department of Operative Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology, Polish Mother’s Memorial Hospital—Research Institute, 93-338 Lodz, Poland; (A.Z.); (K.S.); (G.S.)
- Department of Operative and Endoscopic Gynecology, Medical University of Lodz, 93-338 Lodz, Poland
| | - Hanna Romanowicz
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Polish Mother’s Memorial Hospital—Research Institute, 93-338 Lodz, Poland;
| | - Beata Smolarz
- Laboratory of Cancer Genetics of the Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Polish Mother’s Memorial Hospital—Research Institute, 93-338 Lodz, Poland;
| | - Grzegorz Stachowiak
- Department of Operative Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology, Polish Mother’s Memorial Hospital—Research Institute, 93-338 Lodz, Poland; (A.Z.); (K.S.); (G.S.)
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9
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Sulaiman R, De P, Aske JC, Lin X, Dale A, Koirala N, Gaster K, Espaillat LR, Starks D, Dey N. Tumor-TME Bipartite Landscape of PD-1/PD-L1 in Endometrial Cancers. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11079. [PMID: 37446260 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311079] [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: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The bipartite landscape of tumor cells and stromal cells determines a tumor's response to treatment during disease management. In endometrial cancers (ECs), the mechanistic contribution of PD-L1/L2 and PD-1 signaling of the host's tumor microenvironment (TME) (CAF and immune cells) in the context of the tumor cells is elusive. To understand the tumor-stroma-immune crosstalk, we studied the compartmental pattern of PD-L1/L2 and PD-1 expression in EC tissues and their matched CAFs. Over 116 surgically resected tumors (T) and the tumor-adjacent normal tissues (N) were obtained from consented unselected consecutive patients. IHC was performed in T, N-epi-thelium, and the stromal mesenchymal environment (SME; mesenchyme) in the T and N tissues. The staining intensity and distribution patterns of PD-L1/L2 and PD-1 in the FFPE sections of T and N were evaluated by a pathologist using a standard scoring system of TPS and CPS. We tested the PD-L1/L2 and PD-1 immune landscape of tumor-TME pair and normal epithelial-stromal mesenchyme pairs from patients with different grades of disease vis-à-vis their CAF PD-L1 levels. We used qRT-PCR to determine the expressions of mRNAs, while the flow cytometry and ICC determined the level of expression of proteins. We observed higher levels of PD-L1 mRNA and protein expression in primary CAFs from the resected tumor tissue compared to the tumor-adjacent normal tissues. We also determined the expression of patients' soluble PD-L1/L2 as peripheral readouts of PD-L1/L2 and PD-1. As we evaluated the results in the context of their pathological parameters, such as grades, stages, lymphovascular invasion, percentage of myometrial invasion, and dMMR in patients, the dominance of PD-L1 expression in TME was positively correlated to the higher pathological grades of tumors, and its relationship with the dMMR. Since the neutralization of CD8-positive cytotoxic T-cells is PD-L1-dependent, our data indicate that irrespective of the PD-L1 positivity of tumor cells, the PD-L1-positive CAFs can play a critical role in bringing out an additional load of PD-L1 for an effective engagement of PD-1 within a tumor mass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raed Sulaiman
- Department of Pathology, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Pradip De
- Translational Oncology Laboratory, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Dakota SSOM, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
- Viecure, Greenwood Village, CO 80111, USA
| | - Jennifer C Aske
- Translational Oncology Laboratory, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Xiaoqian Lin
- Translational Oncology Laboratory, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Adam Dale
- Translational Oncology Laboratory, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Nischal Koirala
- Translational Oncology Laboratory, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Kris Gaster
- Assistant VP Outpatient Cancer Clinics, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Luis Rojas Espaillat
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - David Starks
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Nandini Dey
- Translational Oncology Laboratory, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Dakota SSOM, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
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10
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Landais Y, Vallot C. Multi-modal quantification of pathway activity with MAYA. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1668. [PMID: 36966153 PMCID: PMC10039856 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37410-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Signaling pathways can be activated through various cascades of genes depending on cell identity and biological context. Single-cell atlases now provide the opportunity to inspect such complexity in health and disease. Yet, existing reference tools for pathway scoring resume activity of each pathway to one unique common metric across cell types. Here, we present MAYA, a computational method that enables the automatic detection and scoring of the diverse modes of activation of biological pathways across cell populations. MAYA improves the granularity of pathway analysis by detecting subgroups of genes within reference pathways, each characteristic of a cell population and how it activates a pathway. Using multiple single-cell datasets, we demonstrate the biological relevance of identified modes of activation, the robustness of MAYA to noisy pathway lists and batch effect. MAYA can also predict cell types starting from lists of reference markers in a cluster-free manner. Finally, we show that MAYA reveals common modes of pathway activation in tumor cells across patients, opening the perspective to discover shared therapeutic vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Céline Vallot
- CNRS UMR3244, Institut Curie, PSL University, Paris, France.
- Translational Research Department, Institut Curie, PSL University, Paris, France.
- Single Cell Initiative, Institut Curie, PSL University, Paris, France.
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11
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Villegas-Pineda JC, Ramírez-de-Arellano A, Bueno-Urquiza LJ, Lizarazo-Taborda MDR, Pereira-Suárez AL. Cancer-associated fibroblasts in gynecological malignancies: are they really allies of the enemy? Front Oncol 2023; 13:1106757. [PMID: 37168385 PMCID: PMC10164963 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1106757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular and cellular components of the tumor microenvironment are essential for cancer progression. The cellular element comprises cancer cells and heterogeneous populations of non-cancer cells that satisfy tumor needs. Immune, vascular, and mesenchymal cells provide the necessary factors to feed the tumor mass, promote its development, and favor the spread of cancer cells from the primary site to adjacent and distant anatomical sites. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are mesenchymal cells that promote carcinogenesis and progression of various malignant neoplasms. CAFs act through the secretion of metalloproteinases, growth factors, cytokines, mitochondrial DNA, and non-coding RNAs, among other molecules. Over the last few years, the evidence on the leading role of CAFs in gynecological cancers has notably increased, placing them as the cornerstone of neoplastic processes. In this review, the recently reported findings regarding the promoting role that CAFs play in gynecological cancers, their potential use as therapeutic targets, and the new evidence suggesting that they could act as tumor suppressors are analyzed and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio César Villegas-Pineda
- Departamento de Microbiología y Patología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Adrián Ramírez-de-Arellano
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Lesly Jazmín Bueno-Urquiza
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
- Departamento de Fisiología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | | | - Ana Laura Pereira-Suárez
- Departamento de Microbiología y Patología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
- *Correspondence: Ana Laura Pereira-Suárez,
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12
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Mekhileri NV, Major G, Lim K, Mutreja I, Chitcholtan K, Phillips E, Hooper G, Woodfield T. Biofabrication of Modular Spheroids as Tumor-Scale Microenvironments for Drug Screening. Adv Healthc Mater 2022:e2201581. [PMID: 36495232 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202201581] [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: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
To streamline the drug discovery pipeline, there is a pressing need for preclinical models which replicate the complexity and scale of native tumors. While there have been advancements in the formation of microscale tumor units, these models are cell-line dependent, time-consuming and have not improved clinical trial success rates. In this study, two methods for generating 3D tumor microenvironments are compared, rapidly fabricated hydrogel microspheres and traditional cell-dense spheroids. These modules are then bioassembled into 3D printed thermoplastic scaffolds, using an automated biofabrication process, to form tumor-scale models. Modules are formed with SKOV3 and HFF cells as monocultures and cocultures, and the fabrication efficiency, cell architecture, and drug response profiles are characterized, both as single modules and as multimodular constructs. Cell-encapsulated Gel-MA microspheres are fabricated with high-reproducibility and dimensions necessary for automated tumor-scale bioassembly regardless of cell type, however, only cocultured spheroids form compact modules suitable for bioassembly. Chemosensitivity assays demonstrate the reduced potency of doxorubicin in coculture bioassembled constructs and a ≈five-fold increase in drug resistance of cocultured cells in 3D modules compared with 2D monolayers. This bioassembly system is efficient and tailorable so that a variety of relevant-sized tumor constructs could be developed to study tumorigenesis and modernize drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveen Vijayan Mekhileri
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine, Centre for Bioengineering & Nanomedicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, Canterbury, 8011, New Zealand
| | - Gretel Major
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine, Centre for Bioengineering & Nanomedicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, Canterbury, 8011, New Zealand
| | - Khoon Lim
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine, Centre for Bioengineering & Nanomedicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, Canterbury, 8011, New Zealand
| | - Isha Mutreja
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine, Centre for Bioengineering & Nanomedicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, Canterbury, 8011, New Zealand
| | - Kenny Chitcholtan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Gynaecological Cancer Research Group, University of Otago, Christchurch, Canterbury, 8011, New Zealand
| | - Elisabeth Phillips
- Mackenzie Cancer Research Group, Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science, University of Otago, Christchurch, Canterbury, 8011, New Zealand
| | - Gary Hooper
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine, Centre for Bioengineering & Nanomedicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, Canterbury, 8011, New Zealand
| | - Tim Woodfield
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine, Centre for Bioengineering & Nanomedicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, Canterbury, 8011, New Zealand
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13
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Zang Y, Li H, Liu S, Zhao R, Zhang K, Zang Y, Wang Y, Xue F. The roles and clinical applications of interleukins in endometrial carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1001693. [PMID: 36531027 PMCID: PMC9748080 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1001693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
As a common malignant tumor of the female reproductive system, endometrial carcinoma (EC) seriously endangers women's health with an increasing incidence. The oncogenesis and progression of cancer are closely linked with immune microenvironment, of which interleukins are the important components. In order to illustrate the roles and clinical applications of interleukins in EC, literature of interleukins and EC were reviewed. Based on the present studies, interleukins play crucial roles in the oncogenesis and development of EC via regulating the proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, apoptosis, pyroptosis and autophagy of EC as well as the immune function against EC. And some of the interleukins seems to have prospective clinical applications in EC, such as evaluating the risk of tumorigenesis, discriminating the malignancy from benign disorders or normal condition, indicating cancer aggressiveness, predicting the prognosis of patients and serving as the novel therapy. However, there is still a long way to go before the clinical applications of interleukins in EC come into reality. Nevertheless, it is certain that the exploration of interleukins will definitely be of great benefit to the screening, diagnosis and treatment of EC in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqin Zang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Health and Eugenics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Huanrong Li
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Health and Eugenics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Shiqi Liu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Health and Eugenics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Ruqian Zhao
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Health and Eugenics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Kaiwen Zhang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Health and Eugenics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuqi Zang
- Hangzhou College of Preschool Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yingmei Wang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Health and Eugenics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Fengxia Xue
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Health and Eugenics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
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14
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Carvalho RF, do Canto LM, Abildgaard C, Aagaard MM, Tronhjem MS, Waldstrøm M, Jensen LH, Steffensen KD, Rogatto SR. Single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing reveal ligands and receptors associated with worse overall survival in serous ovarian cancer. Cell Commun Signal 2022; 20:176. [DOI: 10.1186/s12964-022-00991-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Serous ovarian carcinoma is the most frequent histological subgroup of ovarian cancer and the leading cause of death among gynecologic tumors. The tumor microenvironment and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have a critical role in the origin and progression of cancer. We comprehensively characterized the crosstalk between CAFs and ovarian cancer cells from malignant fluids to identify specific ligands and receptors mediating intercellular communications and disrupted pathways related to prognosis and therapy response.
Methods
Malignant fluids of serous ovarian cancer, including tumor-derived organoids, CAFs-enriched (eCAFs), and malignant effusion cells (no cultured) paired with normal ovarian tissues, were explored by RNA-sequencing. These data were integrated with single-cell RNA-sequencing data of ascites from ovarian cancer patients. The most relevant ligand and receptor interactions were used to identify differentially expressed genes with prognostic values in ovarian cancer.
Results
CAF ligands and epithelial cancer cell receptors were enriched for PI3K-AKT, focal adhesion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition signaling pathways. Collagens, MIF, MDK, APP, and laminin were detected as the most significant signaling, and the top ligand-receptor interactions THBS2/THBS3 (CAFs)—CD47 (cancer cells), MDK (CAFs)—NCL/SDC2/SDC4 (cancer cells) as potential therapeutic targets. Interestingly, 34 genes encoding receptors and ligands of the PI3K pathway were associated with the outcome, response to treatment, and overall survival in ovarian cancer. Up-regulated genes from this list consistently predicted a worse overall survival (hazard ratio > 1.0 and log-rank P < 0.05) in two independent validation cohorts.
Conclusions
This study describes critical signaling pathways, ligands, and receptors involved in the communication between CAFs and cancer cells that have prognostic and therapeutic significance in ovarian cancer.
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15
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Omar IS, Mat Adenan NA, Godoy A, Teo IH, Gunasagran Y, Chung I. Aberrant upregulation of CDK1 contributes to medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) resistance in cancer-associated fibroblasts of the endometrium. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 628:133-140. [PMID: 36084551 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.08.088] [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: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The response to medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) decreases as endometrial disease progresses from the benign to malignancy. In a mouse model, progesterone receptor (PR) expression in normal fibroblasts is accountable for the MPA's inhibitory effects in cancer cells. However, it is still unclear, if and how, fibroblasts from human tumors respond to MPA. In this study, three benign-associated fibroblasts (BAFs) and four cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) were isolated from human benign and cancerous endometrial tissues, respectively, to examine MPA activation on PR signaling. PR-B protein expression were heterogeneously expressed in both CAFs and BAFs, despite a lower mRNA expression in the former. In a luciferase reporter assay, MPA treatment stimulated some PR DNA-binding activity in BAFs but not in CAFs. Yet, activation of PR target gene was generally more pronounced in MPA-treated CAFs compared to BAFs. Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) was exclusively upregulated by 10 nM MPA in CAFs (5.1-fold vs. 1.1-fold in BAFs, P < 0.05), leading to a higher CDK1 protein expression. Subsequently in a dose-response study, CAFs showed an average of ∼20% higher cell viability when compared to BAFs, indicative of drug resistance to MPA. MPA resistance was also observed in EC-CAFs co-culture, when MPA-treated cells showed greater tumor spheroid formation than in EC-BAFs co-culture (2-fold, P < 0.01). The increased cell viability observed in CAFs was reversed with mifepristone (RU486), a PR antagonist which suppressed MPA-induced CDK1 expression. This indicates that MPA-induced abnormal upregulation of CDK1 may contribute to the enhanced CAFs cell proliferation, suggesting a new mechanism of MPA resistance within endometrial cancer microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Intan Sofia Omar
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Universiti Malaya Cancer Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Noor Azmi Mat Adenan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ara Damansara and Subang Jaya Medical Center, Ramsay Sime Darby Health Care, 47500, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Alejandro Godoy
- Centro de Biología Celular y Biomedicina, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencia, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile; Department of Urology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, United States
| | - Ik Hui Teo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Yogeeta Gunasagran
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Ivy Chung
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Universiti Malaya Cancer Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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16
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Ren X, Liang J, Zhang Y, Jiang N, Xu Y, Qiu M, Wang Y, Zhao B, Chen X. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis highlights origin and pathological process of human endometrioid endometrial carcinoma. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6300. [PMID: 36273006 PMCID: PMC9588071 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33982-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Endometrial cancers are complex ecosystems composed of cells with distinct phenotypes, genotypes, and epigenetic states. Current models do not adequately reflect oncogenic origin and pathological progression in patients. Here we use single-cell RNA sequencing to profile cells from normal endometrium, atypical endometrial hyperplasia, and endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC), which altogether represent the step-by-step development of endometrial cancer. We find that EEC originates from endometrial epithelial cells but not stromal cells, and unciliated glandular epithelium is the source of EEC. We also identify LCN2 + /SAA1/2 + cells as a featured subpopulation of endometrial tumorigenesis. Finally, the stromal niche and immune environment changes during EEC progression are described. This study elucidates the evolution of cell populations in EEC development at single-cell resolution, which would provide a direction to facilitate EEC research and diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojun Ren
- grid.412312.70000 0004 1755 1415Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China ,grid.412312.70000 0004 1755 1415Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianqing Liang
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiming Zhang
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ning Jiang
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuhui Xu
- grid.412312.70000 0004 1755 1415Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China ,grid.412312.70000 0004 1755 1415Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengdi Qiu
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiqin Wang
- grid.412312.70000 0004 1755 1415Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China ,grid.412312.70000 0004 1755 1415Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Bing Zhao
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China ,grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaojun Chen
- grid.412312.70000 0004 1755 1415Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China ,grid.412312.70000 0004 1755 1415Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai, China
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17
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Flores AR, Rêma A, Mesquita JR, Taulescu M, Seixas F, Gärtner F, Amorim I. Vimentin and Ki-67 immunolabeling in canine gastric carcinomas and their prognostic value. Vet Pathol 2022; 59:903-914. [PMID: 35972070 DOI: 10.1177/03009858221117858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study evaluated the expression of vimentin and Ki-67 proliferative index (PI) by immunohistochemistry in 30 canine gastric carcinomas (GCs) and a possible association with clinical and pathological features and patient's survival time. Vimentin immunoreactivity was assessed in neoplastic cells (in primary lesions, emboli, and metastases) and tumor-associated stroma (TAS) of canine GCs. Ki-67 PI was quantified in the neoplastic epithelial component. Vimentin immunolabeling in neoplastic cells was found in 30% of the primary lesions, in 82% of the neoplastic emboli, and in 50% of the metastases; in TAS, it was observed in all cases. A mean of 16% of the TAS was immunolabeled for vimentin. High vimentin immunolabeling in the TAS (>16%) was detected in 40% of cases. The average value of Ki-67 PI was 50%, and 80% of the lesions had Ki-67 PI above 20%. Vimentin immunolabeling in neoplastic cells was more frequent in less-differentiated carcinomas (diffuse [29%] and indeterminate types [75%]) than well-differentiated carcinomas (intestinal type [0%], P = .049). No significant differences were observed in vimentin immunolabeling in the TAS or Ki-67 PI according to histological diagnosis, depth of invasion, presence of neoplastic emboli or metastases. However, vimentin immunolabeling in the TAS was positively correlated with Ki-67 PI (r = .394, P = .031). Furthermore, a moderate negative correlation was observed between Ki-67 PI and survival time (r = -0.540). Our results suggest that vimentin and Ki-67 PI have potential for providing prognostic information in cases of canine GCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana R Flores
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal.,Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Alexandra Rêma
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - João R Mesquita
- Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Marian Taulescu
- University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Synevovet Laboratory, Chiajna, Romania
| | - Fernanda Seixas
- University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal.,Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Fátima Gärtner
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Irina Amorim
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.,i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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18
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Adamczyk-Gruszka O, Horecka-Lewitowicz A, Strzelecka A, Wawszczak-Kasza M, Gruszka J, Lewitowicz P. The Roles of TP53 and FGFR2 in Progress Made Treating Endometrial Cancer. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12071737. [PMID: 35885641 PMCID: PMC9316851 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12071737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The morbidity and mortality caused by endometrial cancer (EC) is still rising worldwide. In recent years, a new system of tumor stratification has been proposed based on POLE-mutational status, TP53, and microsatellite stability status. The aim of the study was to analyze a vast panel on the genes potentially involved in the genesis of endometrial cancer in the Polish population. One hundred and three white female patients with confirmed endometrial cancer were enrolled on the study. We performed sequencing using the Hot Spot Illumina panel and microsatellite stability with immunohistochemistry. We confirmed a key role of the TP53 mutation in progress to high-grade EC and parallelly some role of FGFR2 mutation. Moreover, our data present a vast landscape of mutations in EC and their polymorphism. We reported the meaning of FGFR2 mutation and TP53 (high copy number) in high-grade ECs. Our observation in MSI contribution is comparable with other studies. Finally, we see a strong need for the implementation of the TCGA classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Adamczyk-Gruszka
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, 25-369 Kielce, Poland
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Province Hospital, 25-369 Kielce, Poland
- Correspondence:
| | - Agata Horecka-Lewitowicz
- Institute of Health Sciences, Jan Kochanowski University, 25-369 Kielce, Poland; (A.H.-L.); (A.S.)
| | - Agnieszka Strzelecka
- Institute of Health Sciences, Jan Kochanowski University, 25-369 Kielce, Poland; (A.H.-L.); (A.S.)
| | - Monika Wawszczak-Kasza
- Department of Surgical Medicine with the Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Institute of Medical Sciences, Jan Kochanowski University, 25-369 Kielce, Poland;
| | - Jakub Gruszka
- 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warszawa, Poland;
| | - Piotr Lewitowicz
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Jan Kochanowski University, 25-369 Kielce, Poland;
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19
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Omar IS, Abd Jamil AH, Mat Adenan NA, Chung I. MPA alters metabolic phenotype of endometrial cancer-associated fibroblasts from obese women via IRS2 signaling. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0270830. [PMID: 35816477 PMCID: PMC9273069 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Obese women have a higher risk of developing endometrial cancer (EC) than lean women. Besides affecting EC progression, obesity also affects sensitivity of patients to treatment including medroxprogesterone acetate (MPA). Obese women have a lower response to MPA with an increased risk for tumor recurrence. While MPA inhibits the growth of normal fibroblasts, human endometrial cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) were reported to be less responsive to MPA. However, it is still unknown how CAFs from obese women respond to progesterone. CAFs from the EC tissues of obese (CO) and non-obese (CN) women were established as primary cell models. MPA increased cell proliferation and downregulated stromal differentiation genes, including BMP2 in CO than in CN. Induction of IRS2 (a BMP2 regulator) mRNA expression by MPA led to activation of glucose metabolism in CO, with evidence of greater mRNA levels of GLUT6, GAPDH, PKM2, LDHA, and increased in GAPDH enzymatic activity. Concomitantly, MPA increased the mRNA expression of a fatty acid transporter, CD36 and lipid droplet formation in CO. MPA-mediated increase in glucose metabolism genes in CO was reversed with a progesterone receptor inhibitor, mifepristone (RU486), leading to a decreased proliferation. Our data suggests that PR signaling is aberrantly activated by MPA in CAFs isolated from endometrial tissues of obese women, leading to activation of IRS2 and glucose metabolism, which may lead to lower response and sensitivity to progesterone in obese women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Intan Sofia Omar
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Universiti Malaya Cancer Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Amira Hajirah Abd Jamil
- Department of Pharmaceutical Life Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Noor Azmi Mat Adenan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ara Damansara and Subang Jaya Medical Center, Ramsay Sime Darby Health Care, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ivy Chung
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Life Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- * E-mail:
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20
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Hazelwood E, Sanderson E, Tan VY, Ruth KS, Frayling TM, Dimou N, Gunter MJ, Dossus L, Newton C, Ryan N, Pournaras DJ, O'Mara TA, Davey Smith G, Martin RM, Yarmolinsky J. Identifying molecular mediators of the relationship between body mass index and endometrial cancer risk: a Mendelian randomization analysis. BMC Med 2022; 20:125. [PMID: 35436960 PMCID: PMC9017004 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-022-02322-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endometrial cancer is the most common gynaecological cancer in high-income countries. Elevated body mass index (BMI) is an established modifiable risk factor for this condition and is estimated to confer a larger effect on endometrial cancer risk than any other cancer site. However, the molecular mechanisms underpinning this association remain unclear. We used Mendelian randomization (MR) to evaluate the causal role of 14 molecular risk factors (hormonal, metabolic and inflammatory markers) in endometrial cancer risk. We then evaluated and quantified the potential mediating role of these molecular traits in the relationship between BMI and endometrial cancer using multivariable MR. METHODS Genetic instruments to proxy 14 molecular risk factors and BMI were constructed by identifying single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) reliably associated (P < 5.0 × 10-8) with each respective risk factor in previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Summary statistics for the association of these SNPs with overall and subtype-specific endometrial cancer risk (12,906 cases and 108,979 controls) were obtained from a GWAS meta-analysis of the Endometrial Cancer Association Consortium (ECAC), Epidemiology of Endometrial Cancer Consortium (E2C2) and UK Biobank. SNPs were combined into multi-allelic models and odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were generated using inverse-variance weighted random-effects models. The mediating roles of the molecular risk factors in the relationship between BMI and endometrial cancer were then estimated using multivariable MR. RESULTS In MR analyses, there was strong evidence that BMI (OR per standard deviation (SD) increase 1.88, 95% CI 1.69 to 2.09, P = 3.87 × 10-31), total testosterone (OR per inverse-normal transformed nmol/L increase 1.64, 95% CI 1.43 to 1.88, P = 1.71 × 10-12), bioavailable testosterone (OR per natural log transformed nmol/L increase: 1.46, 95% CI 1.29 to 1.65, P = 3.48 × 10-9), fasting insulin (OR per natural log transformed pmol/L increase: 3.93, 95% CI 2.29 to 6.74, P = 7.18 × 10-7) and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG, OR per inverse-normal transformed nmol/L increase 0.71, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.85, P = 2.07 × 10-4) had a causal effect on endometrial cancer risk. Additionally, there was suggestive evidence that total serum cholesterol (OR per mg/dL increase 0.90, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.00, P = 4.01 × 10-2) had an effect on endometrial cancer risk. In mediation analysis, we found evidence for a mediating role of fasting insulin (19% total effect mediated, 95% CI 5 to 34%, P = 9.17 × 10-3), bioavailable testosterone (15% mediated, 95% CI 10 to 20%, P = 1.43 × 10-8) and SHBG (7% mediated, 95% CI 1 to 12%, P = 1.81 × 10-2) in the relationship between BMI and endometrial cancer risk. CONCLUSIONS Our comprehensive MR analysis provides insight into potential causal mechanisms linking BMI with endometrial cancer risk and suggests targeting of insulinemic and hormonal traits as a potential strategy for the prevention of endometrial cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Hazelwood
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Eleanor Sanderson
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Vanessa Y Tan
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Katherine S Ruth
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Timothy M Frayling
- Genetics of Complex Traits, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Niki Dimou
- Nutrition and Metabolism Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
| | - Marc J Gunter
- Nutrition and Metabolism Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
| | - Laure Dossus
- Nutrition and Metabolism Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
| | - Claire Newton
- Department of Gynecology, St Michaels Hospital University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK
| | - Neil Ryan
- Department of Gynecology, St Michaels Hospital University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK
- The Academic Women's Health Unit, Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Dimitri J Pournaras
- Department of Upper GI and Bariatric/Metabolic Surgery, North Bristol NHS Trust, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK
| | - Tracy A O'Mara
- Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - George Davey Smith
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Richard M Martin
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University of Bristol, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK
| | - James Yarmolinsky
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
- Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
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Wang L, Jiang J, Chen Y, Jia Q, Chu Q. The roles of CC chemokines in response to radiation. Radiat Oncol 2022; 17:63. [PMID: 35365161 PMCID: PMC8974090 DOI: 10.1186/s13014-022-02038-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Radiotherapy is an effective regimen for cancer treatment alone or combined with chemotherapy or immunotherapy. The direct effect of radiotherapy involves radiation-induced DNA damage, and most studies have focused on this area to improve the efficacy of radiotherapy. Recently, the immunomodulatory effect of radiation on the tumour microenvironment has attracted much interest. Dying tumour cells can release multiple immune-related molecules, including tumour-associated antigens, chemokines, and inflammatory mediators. Then, immune cells are attracted to the irradiated site, exerting immunostimulatory or immunosuppressive effects. CC chemokines play pivotal roles in the trafficking process. The CC chemokine family includes 28 members that attract different immune subsets. Upon irradiation, tumour cells or immune cells can release different CC chemokines. Here, we mainly discuss the importance of CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, CCL8, CCL11, CCL20 and CCL22 in radiotherapy. In irradiated normal tissues, released chemokines induce epithelial to mesenchymal transition, thus promoting tissue injury. In the tumour microenvironment, released chemokines recruit cancer-associated cells, such as tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes, myeloid-derived suppressor cells and tumour-associated macrophages, to the tumour niche. Thus, CC chemokines have protumour and antitumour properties. Based on the complex roles of CC chemokines in the response to radiation, it would be promising to target specific chemokines to alleviate radiation-induced injury or promote tumour control.
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22
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Ray I, Meira LB, Michael A, Ellis PE. Adipocytokines and disease progression in endometrial cancer: a systematic review. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2022; 41:211-242. [PMID: 34951691 PMCID: PMC8924097 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-021-10002-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The objective of the study was to document the effect of adipocytokines on endometrial cancer progression. A search of the databases CINAHL, Medline, PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, Embase and Google Scholar was performed for English language articles from January 2000 to December 2020 using the keywords: (Endometrial cancer) AND (progression OR metastasis) AND (adipocytokine OR adiponectin OR leptin OR visfatin OR IL-6 OR TNF-α OR adipokine OR cytokine). Forty-nine studies on adipocytokines have been included in this review. Adiponectin has been linked with anti-proliferative and anti-metastatic effects on endometrial cancer cells and is associated with a better prognosis. Leptin, visfatin and resistin are linked to the stimulation of endometrial cancer growth, proliferation, invasion and metastasis and are associated with worse prognosis or with a higher grade/stage of endometrial cancer. IL-6, Il-11, IL-31, IL-33, TNF-α, TGF-β1, SDF-1 and CXCR are involved in endometrial cancer cell growth and metastasis or involved in epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT) or associated with advanced disease. Adipocytokines have been found to directly impact endometrial cancer cell proliferation, invasion and migration. These molecules and their signalling pathways may be used to determine prognosis and course of the disease and may also be exploited as potential targets for cancer treatment and prevention of progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Ray
- University of Surrey, Daphne Jackson Road, Guildford, GU2 7WG, UK.
- Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Egerton Road, Guildford, GU2 7XX, UK.
| | - Lisiane B Meira
- University of Surrey, Daphne Jackson Road, Guildford, GU2 7WG, UK
| | - Agnieszka Michael
- University of Surrey, Daphne Jackson Road, Guildford, GU2 7WG, UK
- Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Egerton Road, Guildford, GU2 7XX, UK
| | - Patricia E Ellis
- University of Surrey, Daphne Jackson Road, Guildford, GU2 7WG, UK
- Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Egerton Road, Guildford, GU2 7XX, UK
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23
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Ferrer AI, Einstein E, Morelli SS. Bone Marrow-Derived Cells in Endometrial Cancer Pathogenesis: Insights from Breast Cancer. Cells 2022; 11:cells11040714. [PMID: 35203363 PMCID: PMC8869947 DOI: 10.3390/cells11040714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological cancer, representing 3.5% of all new cancer cases in the United States. Abnormal stem cell-like cells, referred to as cancer stem cells (CSCs), reside in the endometrium and possess the capacity to self-renew and differentiate into cancer progenitors, leading to tumor progression. Herein we review the role of the endometrial microenvironment and sex hormone signaling in sustaining EC progenitors and potentially promoting dormancy, a cellular state characterized by cell cycle quiescence and resistance to conventional treatments. We offer perspective on mechanisms by which bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) within the endometrial microenvironment could promote endometrial CSC (eCSC) survival and/or dormancy. Our perspective relies on the well-established example of another sex hormone-driven cancer, breast cancer, in which the BM microenvironment plays a crucial role in acquisition of CSC phenotype and dormancy. Our previous studies demonstrate that BMDCs migrate to the endometrium and express sex hormone (estrogen and progesterone) receptors. Whether the BM is a source of eCSCs is unknown; alternatively, crosstalk between BMDCs and CSCs within the endometrial microenvironment could be an additional mechanism supporting eCSCs and tumorigenesis. Elucidating these mechanisms will provide avenues to develop novel therapeutic interventions for EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra I. Ferrer
- Department of Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA; (A.I.F.); (E.E.)
- School of Graduate Studies Newark, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Ella Einstein
- Department of Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA; (A.I.F.); (E.E.)
| | - Sara S. Morelli
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Health, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
- Correspondence:
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Cancer-associated fibroblasts as cellular vehicles in endometrial cancer cell migration. Oncol Lett 2021; 23:3. [PMID: 34820002 PMCID: PMC8607233 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2021.13121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell motility is a critical step in the metastasis cascade. However, the role of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in facilitating endometrial cancer (EC) cell motility remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the role of CAFs in EC motility in a 3D environment. A co-culture model was established using an EC cell line (ECC-1) and CAFs on a Matrigel® matrix and compared to the respective individual monocultures. It was demonstrated that endometrial CAFs increased the motility of the EC cell line, compared with the monoculture. Using live cell imaging, CAFs were observed to form cell projections that served as contact guidance for ECC-1 cell locomotion in the spheroid formation process. These effects were specific to CAFs, as fibroblasts isolated from benign endometrial tissue samples did not form cell projections. Molecular analysis revealed that RhoA/Rho-associated, coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) signaling activation partly contributed to CAF-mediated ECC-1 cell migration. The presence of Matrigel® increased the mRNA expression of RhoA, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of its downstream effectors, ROCK1 and p-MLC, respectively, in the ECC-1 and CAF co-culture, as well as the ECC-1 and CAF monocultures. Interestingly, high phosphorylation levels of myosin light chain mediated the activation of RhoA/ROCK1 signaling in the ECC-1 and CAF co-culture. The ROCK1 inhibitor Y-27632 attenuated the motility of tumor cells in ECC-1 and CAF co-cultures. However, similar treatment led to a significant inhibition in the motility of the CAF monoculture, but not the ECC-1 monoculture. Moreover, tumor spheroid formation was inhibited due to a reduction in stress fiber formation in ECC-1 and CAF co-cultures. Altogether, these findings suggest that the regulation of the RhoA/ROCK1 signaling pathway is required for CAFs to serve as cellular vehicles in order for EC cells to migrate and form spheroids in a 3D environment.
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25
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Zakrzewski PK. Canonical TGFβ Signaling and Its Contribution to Endometrial Cancer Development and Progression-Underestimated Target of Anticancer Strategies. J Clin Med 2021; 10:3900. [PMID: 34501347 PMCID: PMC8432036 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10173900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Endometrial cancer is one of the leading gynecological cancers diagnosed among women in their menopausal and postmenopausal age. Despite the progress in molecular biology and medicine, no efficient and powerful diagnostic and prognostic marker is dedicated to endometrial carcinogenesis. The canonical TGFβ pathway is a pleiotropic signaling cascade orchestrating a variety of cellular and molecular processes, whose alterations are responsible for carcinogenesis that originates from different tissue types. This review covers the current knowledge concerning the canonical TGFβ pathway (Smad-dependent) induced by prototypical TGFβ isoforms and the involvement of pathway alterations in the development and progression of endometrial neoplastic lesions. Since Smad-dependent signalization governs opposed cellular processes, such as growth arrest, apoptosis, tumor cells growth and differentiation, as well as angiogenesis and metastasis, TGFβ cascade may act both as a tumor suppressor or tumor promoter. However, the final effect of TGFβ signaling on endometrial cancer cells depends on the cancer disease stage. The multifunctional role of the TGFβ pathway indicates the possible utilization of alterations in the TGFβ cascade as a potential target of novel anticancer strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr K Zakrzewski
- Department of Cytobiochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 141/143, 90-236 Lodz, Poland
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26
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Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Conversation with Tumor Cells in Endometrial Cancers: A Partner in Crime. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22179121. [PMID: 34502029 PMCID: PMC8430936 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
A tumor cell carrying characteristic genomic alteration(s) exists within its host’s microenvironment. The tumor microenvironment (TME) renders holistic support to the tumor via cross-talk between tumor cells and three components of TME, immune components, vascular components, and fibroblast components. The tempero-spatial interaction of tumor cells with its microenvironment is the deterministic factor for tumor growth, progression, resistance to therapy, and its outcome in clinics. TME (1) facilitates proliferation, and the ensuing metastasis-associated phenotypes, (2) perturbs immune surveillance and supports tumor cells in their effort to evade immune recognition, and (3) actively participates in developing drug-induced resistance in cancer cells. Cancer-Associated Fibroblast (CAF) is a unique component of TME. CAF is the host mesenchyme immediately surrounding the tumor cells in solid tumors. It facilitates tumor growth and progression and participates in developing drug resistance in tumor cells by playing a critical role in all the ways mentioned above. The clinical outcome of a disease is thus critically contributed to by the CAF component of TME. Although CAFs have been identified historically, the functional relevance of CAF-tumor cell cross-talk and their influence on angiogenic and immune-components of TME are yet to be characterized in solid tumors, especially in endometrial cancers. Currently, the standard of care for the treatment of endometrial cancers is primarily guided by therapies directed towards the disease’s tumor compartment and immune compartments. Unfortunately, in the current state of therapies, a complete response (CR) to the therapy is still limited despite a more commonly achieved partial response (PR) and stable disease (SD) in patients. Acknowledging the limitations of the current sets of therapies based on only the tumor and immune compartments of the disease, we sought to put forward this review based on the importance of the cross-talk between CAF of the tumor microenvironment and tumor cells. The premise of the review is to recognize the critical role of CAF in disease progression. This manuscript presents a systemic review of the role of CAF in endometrial cancers. We critically interrogated the active involvement of CAF in the tumor compartment of endometrial cancers. Here we present the functional characteristics of CAF in the context of endometrial cancers. We review (1) the characteristics of CAF, (2) their evolution from being anti-tumor to pro-tumor, (3) their involvement in regulating growth and several metastasis-associated phenotypes of tumor cells, (4) their participation in perturbing immune defense and evading immune surveillance, and (5) their role in mediating drug resistance via tumor-CAF cross-talk with particular reference to endometrial cancers. We interrogate the functional characteristics of CAF in the light of its dialogue with tumor cells and other components of TME towards developing a CAF-based strategy for precision therapy to supplement tumor-based therapy. The purpose of the review is to present a new vision and initiate a thought process which recognizes the importance of CAF in a tumor, thereby resulting in a novel approach to the design and management of the disease in endometrial cancers.
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27
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Guadagnin AR, Velasco-Acosta DA, Stella SL, Luchini D, Cardoso FC. Methionine supply during the peripartum period and early lactation alter immunometabolic gene expression in cytological smear and endometrial tissue of holstein cows. Theriogenology 2021; 173:102-111. [PMID: 34365138 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2021.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of feeding rumen-protected methionine (RPM) during the peripartal period and early lactation on mRNA gene expression profiles of uterine cytological smear and endometrial samples of Holstein cows (n = 20). Treatments consisted of a supplementation with RPM [MET; n = 11; RPM at a rate of 0.08 % of DM: Lys:Met = 2.8:1, (Smartamine® M Adisseo, Alpharetta, GA, USA)] and no supplementation (CON; n = 9; Lys:Met = 3.5:1). Uterine cytology smears and endometrial samples were collected at 15, 30, and 73 days in milk (DIM) and analyzed for expression of genes related with metabolism, inflammation, and methionine metabolism. Regarding the cytological smear samples, RPM supplementation tended to increase mRNA expression of methionine adenosyltransferase 1 alpha (MAT1A) and increased the mRNA expression of fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7), with an effect of time for the latter. On the other hand, RPM decreased mRNA expression for glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8), prostaglandin E synthase 3 (PTGES3), translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO), mucin 1 (MUC1) and superoxide dismutase (SOD1) in cytological smear samples. There was an effect of time for all variables except MAT1A, with decreasing expression over time. There was a TRT × TIME interaction for GLUT4 mRNA expression, with higher GLUT4 mRNA expression for cows fed CON than for cows fed RPM at time 15 and a tendency to higher expression for cows fed CON on time 30 when compared with cows fed RPM. For uterine tissue samples, feeding RPM increased the mRNA expression of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine hydrolase (SAAH), FGF7, GLUT4, and apolipoproteins 3 (APOL3), with an effect of time for APOL3 where its expression increased over time. There was a tendency for cows fed RPM to have decreased IL1β mRNA expression. In conclusion, feeding RPM during transition period and early lactation is beneficial for uterine immune response and metabolism in early lactation as indicated by the favorable expressions of genes affecting the uterine immunometabolism during such a challenging period.
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Affiliation(s)
- A R Guadagnin
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - D A Velasco-Acosta
- The Colombian Corporation for Agricultural Research (AGROSAVIA), Mosquera, Colombia
| | - S L Stella
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | | | - F C Cardoso
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA.
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Wu F, Yang J, Liu J, Wang Y, Mu J, Zeng Q, Deng S, Zhou H. Signaling pathways in cancer-associated fibroblasts and targeted therapy for cancer. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:218. [PMID: 34108441 PMCID: PMC8190181 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00641-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 251] [Impact Index Per Article: 83.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
To flourish, cancers greatly depend on their surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME), and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in TME are critical for cancer occurrence and progression because of their versatile roles in extracellular matrix remodeling, maintenance of stemness, blood vessel formation, modulation of tumor metabolism, immune response, and promotion of cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and therapeutic resistance. CAFs are highly heterogeneous stromal cells and their crosstalk with cancer cells is mediated by a complex and intricate signaling network consisting of transforming growth factor-beta, phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin, mitogen-activated protein kinase, Wnt, Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription, epidermal growth factor receptor, Hippo, and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells, etc., signaling pathways. These signals in CAFs exhibit their own special characteristics during the cancer progression and have the potential to be targeted for anticancer therapy. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of these signaling cascades in interactions between cancer cells and CAFs is necessary to fully realize the pivotal roles of CAFs in cancers. Herein, in this review, we will summarize the enormous amounts of findings on the signals mediating crosstalk of CAFs with cancer cells and its related targets or trials. Further, we hypothesize three potential targeting strategies, including, namely, epithelial-mesenchymal common targets, sequential target perturbation, and crosstalk-directed signaling targets, paving the way for CAF-directed or host cell-directed antitumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanglong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center of Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center of Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Junjiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center of Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Ye Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center of Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingtian Mu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center of Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingxiang Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center of Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuzhi Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center of Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongmei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Center of Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
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Lv Q, Wang L, Luo X, Chen X. Adult stem cells in endometrial regeneration: Molecular insights and clinical applications. Mol Reprod Dev 2021; 88:379-394. [PMID: 34014590 PMCID: PMC8362170 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Endometrial damage is an important cause of female reproductive problems, manifested as menstrual abnormalities, infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and other complications. These conditions are collectively termed "Asherman syndrome" (AS) and are typically associated with recurrent induced pregnancy terminations, repeated diagnostic curettage and intrauterine infections. Cancer treatment also has unexpected detrimental side effects on endometrial function in survivors independently of ovarian effects. Endometrial stem cells act in the regeneration of the endometrium and in repair through direct differentiation or paracrine effects. Nonendometrial adult stem cells, such as bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells, with autologous and allogenic applications, can also repair injured endometrial tissue in animal models of AS and in human studies. However, there remains a lack of research on the repair of the damaged endometrium after the reversal of tumors, especially endometrial cancers. Here, we review the biological mechanisms of endometrial regeneration, and research progress and challenges for adult stem cell therapy for damaged endometrium, and discuss the potential applications of their use for endometrial repair after cancer remission, especially in endometrial cancers. Successful application of such cells will improve reproductive parameters in patients with AS or cancer. Significance: The endometrium is the fertile ground for embryos, but damage to the endometrium will greatly impair female fertility. Adult stem cells combined with tissue engineering scaffold materials or not have made great progress in repairing the injured endometrium due to benign lesions. However, due to the lack of research on the repair of the damaged endometrium caused by malignant tumors or tumor therapies, the safety and effectiveness of such stem cell-based therapies need to be further explored. This review focuses on the molecular insights and clinical application potential of adult stem cells in endometrial regeneration and discusses the possible challenges or difficulties that need to be overcome in stem cell-based therapies for tumor survivors. The development of adult stem cell-related new programs will help repair damaged endometrium safely and effectively and meet fertility needs in tumor survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoying Lv
- Department of GynecologyObstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Lulu Wang
- Department of GynecologyObstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Xuezhen Luo
- Department of GynecologyObstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Xiaojun Chen
- Department of GynecologyObstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
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Characterization of the Endometrial MSC Marker Ectonucleoside Triphosphate Diphosphohydrolase-2 (NTPDase2/CD39L1) in Low- and High-Grade Endometrial Carcinomas: Loss of Stromal Expression in the Invasive Phenotypes. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11050331. [PMID: 33922226 PMCID: PMC8146812 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11050331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-2 (NTPDase2/CD39L1) has been described in human non-pathological endometrium in both epithelial and stromal components without changes along the cycle. It was identified as a stromal marker of basalis. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate NTPDase2 distribution, using immunolabeling and in situ enzyme activity approaches, in endometrial carcinoma (EC) at different tumor grades. NTPDase2 was present in tumor epithelial EC cells, as in the non-pathological endometria, but the expression underwent changes in subcellular distribution and also tended to decrease with the tumor grade. In stroma, NTPDase2 was identified exclusively at the tumor-myometrial junction but this expression was lost in tumors of invasive phenotype. We have also identified in EC samples the presence of the perivascular population of endometrial mesenchymal stem cells (eMSCs) positive for sushi domain containing 2 (SUSD2) and for NTPDase2, already described in non-tumoral endometrium. Our results point to NTPDase2 as a histopathological marker of tumor invasion in EC, with diagnostic relevance especially in cases of EC coexisting with other endometrial disorders, such as adenomyosis, which occasionally hampers the assessment of tumor invasion parameters.
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Yoshida S, Asanoma K, Yagi H, Onoyama I, Hori E, Matsumura Y, Okugawa K, Yahata H, Kato K. Fibronectin mediates activation of stromal fibroblasts by SPARC in endometrial cancer cells. BMC Cancer 2021; 21:156. [PMID: 33579227 PMCID: PMC7881467 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-07875-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Matricellular glycoprotein, SPARC is a secreted molecule, that mediates the interaction between cells and extracellular matrix. SPARC functions as a regulator of matrix organization and modulates cell behavior. In various kinds of cancer, strong SPARC expression was observed in stromal tissues as well as in cancer epithelial cells. The function of SPARC in cancer cells is somewhat controversial and its impact on peritumoral stromal cells remains to be resolved. Methods We investigated the effects of SPARC expression in endometrial cancer cells on the surrounding stromal fibroblasts using in vitro co-culture system. Changes in characteristics of fibroblasts were examined by analysis of fibroblast-specific markers and in vitro contraction assay. Results SPARC induced AKT phosphorylation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, consistent with previous reports. Cancer-associated fibroblasts of endometrial cancer expressed higher levels of mesenchymal- and fibroblast-associated factors and had a stronger contraction ability. Unexpectedly, cancer-associated fibroblasts expressed comparable levels of SPARC compared with fibroblasts from normal endometrium. However, co-culture of normal fibroblasts with SPARC-expressing Ishikawa cells resulted in activation of the fibroblasts. Immunodepletion of SPARC did not affect the activation of fibroblasts. Conclusions Our data indicated that SPARC activated fibroblasts only in the presence of fibronectin, which was abundantly secreted from SPARC-expressing endometrial cancer cells. These results suggested that a SPARC-fibronectin-mediated activation of fibroblasts might be involved in enhanced mobility and invasion of cancer cells. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-07875-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachiko Yoshida
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Kazuo Asanoma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan.
| | - Hiroshi Yagi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Ichiro Onoyama
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Emiko Hori
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Yumiko Matsumura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Kaoru Okugawa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Hideaki Yahata
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Kiyoko Kato
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
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CC Chemokines in a Tumor: A Review of Pro-Cancer and Anti-Cancer Properties of the Ligands of Receptors CCR1, CCR2, CCR3, and CCR4. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21218412. [PMID: 33182504 PMCID: PMC7665155 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21218412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
CC chemokines, a subfamily of 27 chemotactic cytokines, are a component of intercellular communication, which is crucial for the functioning of the tumor microenvironment. Although many individual chemokines have been well researched, there has been no comprehensive review presenting the role of all known human CC chemokines in the hallmarks of cancer, and this paper aims at filling this gap. The first part of this review discusses the importance of CCL1, CCL3, CCL4, CCL5, CCL18, CCL19, CCL20, CCL21, CCL25, CCL27, and CCL28 in cancer. Here, we discuss the significance of CCL2 (MCP-1), CCL7, CCL8, CCL11, CCL13, CCL14, CCL15, CCL16, CCL17, CCL22, CCL23, CCL24, and CCL26. The presentation of each chemokine includes its physiological function and then the role in tumor, including proliferation, drug resistance, migration, invasion, and organ-specific metastasis of tumor cells, as well as the effects on angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. We also discuss the effects of each CC chemokine on the recruitment of cancer-associated cells to the tumor niche (eosinophils, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), tumor-associated macrophages (TAM), tumor-associated neutrophils (TAN), regulatory T cells (Treg)). On the other hand, we also present the anti-cancer properties of CC chemokines, consisting in the recruitment of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL).
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Cavallari C, Camussi G, Brizzi MF. Extracellular Vesicles in the Tumour Microenvironment: Eclectic Supervisors. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E6768. [PMID: 32942702 PMCID: PMC7555174 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21186768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumour microenvironment (TME) plays a crucial role in the regulation of cell survival and growth by providing inhibitory or stimulatory signals. Extracellular vesicles (EV) represent one of the most relevant cell-to-cell communication mechanism among cells within the TME. Moreover, EV contribute to the crosstalk among cancerous, immune, endothelial, and stromal cells to establish TME diversity. EV contain proteins, mRNAs and miRNAs, which can be locally delivered in the TME and/or transferred to remote sites to dictate tumour behaviour. EV in the TME impact on cancer cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, immune-escape, pre-metastatic niche formation and the stimulation of angiogenesis. Moreover, EV can boost or inhibit tumours depending on the TME conditions and their cell of origin. Therefore, to move towards the identification of new targets and the development of a novel generation of EV-based targeting approaches to gain insight into EV mechanism of action in the TME would be of particular relevance. The aim here is to provide an overview of the current knowledge of EV released from different TME cellular components and their role in driving TME diversity. Moreover, recent proposed engineering approaches to targeting cells in the TME via EV are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Giovanni Camussi
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy;
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Kim K, Jung JH, Yoo HJ, Hyun JK, Park JH, Na D, Yeon JH. Anti-Metastatic Effects of Plant Sap-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in a 3D Microfluidic Cancer Metastasis Model. J Funct Biomater 2020; 11:jfb11030049. [PMID: 32650517 PMCID: PMC7563847 DOI: 10.3390/jfb11030049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural medicinal plants have attracted considerable research attention for their potential as effective drugs. The roots, leaves and stems of the plant, Dendropanax morbifera, which is endemic to southern regions of Asia, have long been used as a folk medicine to treat variety of diseases. However, the sap of this plant has not been widely studied and its bioactive properties have yet to be clearly elucidated. Here, we isolated extracellular vesicles from D. morbifera sap with the goal of improving the intracellular delivery efficiency and clinical effectiveness of bioactive compounds in D. morbifera sap. We further investigated the anti-metastatic effects of D. morbifera sap-derived extracellular vesicles (DMS-EVs) using a cancer metastasis model based on 3D microfluidic system that closely mimics the in vivo tumor environment. We found that DMS-EVs exerted a concentration-dependent suppressive effect on cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which are important mediators of cancer metastasis. DMS-EVs also altered expression level of genes, especially growth factor and extracellular matrix (ECM)-related genes, including integrin and collagen. Our findings suggest that DMS-EVs can act as anti-CAF agents to reduce CAFs in the tumor microenvironment. They further indicate the utility of our 3D microfluidic model for various drug-screening assays as a potential alternative to animal testing for use in validating therapeutic effects on cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimin Kim
- Department of Integrative Biosciences, University of Brain Education, Cheonan 31228, Korea; (K.K.); (H.J.Y.)
| | - Jik-Han Jung
- Department of Bio and Brain engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea; (J.-H.J.); (J.-H.P.)
| | - Hye Ju Yoo
- Department of Integrative Biosciences, University of Brain Education, Cheonan 31228, Korea; (K.K.); (H.J.Y.)
| | - Jae-Kyung Hyun
- Electron Microscopy Research Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Cheongju 28119, Korea;
| | - Ji-Ho Park
- Department of Bio and Brain engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea; (J.-H.J.); (J.-H.P.)
| | - Dokyun Na
- School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06911, Korea;
| | - Ju Hun Yeon
- Department of Integrative Biosciences, University of Brain Education, Cheonan 31228, Korea; (K.K.); (H.J.Y.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-41-529-2621; Fax: +82-41-529-2674
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Huang H, Brekken RA. Recent advances in understanding cancer-associated fibroblasts in pancreatic cancer. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2020; 319:C233-C243. [PMID: 32432930 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00079.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a devastating disease with a poor survival rate. It is resistant to therapy in part due to its unique tumor microenvironment, characterized by a desmoplastic reaction resulting in a dense stroma that constitutes a large fraction of the tumor volume. A major contributor to the desmoplastic reaction are cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). CAFs actively interact with cancer cells and promote tumor progression by different mechanisms, including extracellular matrix deposition, remodeling, and secretion of tumor promoting factors, making CAFs an attractive target for PDA. However, emerging evidences indicate significant tumor-suppressive functions of CAFs, highlighting the complexity of CAF biology. CAFs were once considered as a uniform cell type within the cancer stroma. Recently, the existence of CAF heterogeneity in PDA has become appreciated. Due to advances in single cell technology, distinct subtypes of CAFs have been identified in PDA. Here we review recent updates in CAF biology in PDA, which may help develop effective CAF-targeted therapies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huocong Huang
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas
| | - Rolf A Brekken
- Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas
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Dean T, Li NT, Cadavid JL, Ailles L, McGuigan AP. A TRACER culture invasion assay to probe the impact of cancer associated fibroblasts on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell invasiveness. Biomater Sci 2020; 8:3078-3094. [PMID: 32347842 DOI: 10.1039/c9bm02017a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major cellular component of the tumour stroma and have been shown to promote tumour cell invasion and disease progression. CAF-cancer cell interactions are bi-directional and occur via both soluble factor dependent and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling mechanisms, which are incompletely understood. Previously we developed the Tissue Roll for Analysis of Cellular Environment and Response (TRACER), a novel stacked paper tumour model in which cells embedded in a hydrogel are infiltrated into a porous cellulose scaffold that is then rolled around an aluminum core to generate a multi-layered 3D tissue. Here, we use the TRACER platform to explore the impact of CAFs derived from three different patients on the invasion of two head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines (CAL33 and FaDu). We find that co-culture with CAFs enhances HNSCC tumour cell invasion into an acellular collagen layer in TRACER and this enhanced migration occurs independently of proliferation. We show that CAF-enhanced invasion of CAL33 cells is driven by a soluble factor independent mechanism, likely involving CAF mediated ECM remodelling via matrix metalloprotenases (MMPs). Furthermore, we find that CAF-enhanced tumour cell invasion is dependent on the spatial pattern of collagen density within the culture. Our results highlight the utility of the co-culture TRACER platform to explore soluble factor independent interactions between CAFs and tumour cells that drive increased tumour cell invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Dean
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada.
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Smida T, Bruno TC, Stabile LP. Influence of Estrogen on the NSCLC Microenvironment: A Comprehensive Picture and Clinical Implications. Front Oncol 2020; 10:137. [PMID: 32133288 PMCID: PMC7039860 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer mortality represents the leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States and worldwide. Almost half of these deaths occur in female patients, making lung cancer the most common cause of cancer mortality in women with a higher annual mortality rate than breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers combined. The distinct epidemiological, histological and biological presentation of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in women combined with extensive preclinical data have demonstrated that the female sex hormone β-estradiol (E2) plays an important role in NSCLC tumorigenesis, prognosis, and treatment response. Estrogen receptors are widely expressed on stromal and immune cells, and estrogen-linked signaling pathways are known to be involved in regulating the response of both the innate and adaptive immune system. Immune evasion has been recognized as a “hallmark” of cancer and immunotherapy has re-defined standard of care treatment for NSCLC. Despite these advancements, the low response rates observed in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors has led to a search for mediators of immunosuppression and ways to augment the action of these agents. We focus on emerging data describing sex differences that modulate immunotherapy efficacy in NSCLC, immunosuppressive properties of E2 that lead to a pro-tumor microenvironment (TME), and the translational potential of altering the immune microenvironment by targeting the estrogen signaling pathway. E2-induced modulation affects multiple cell types within the TME, including cancer-associated fibroblasts, tumor infiltrating myeloid cells, and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, all of which interplay with lung tumor cells via E2 and estrogen receptor engagement, ultimately shaping the TME that may, in part, be responsible for the sex-based disparities observed in NSCLC. An improved understanding of the role of the estrogen pathway in NSCLC anti-cancer immunity may lead to novel therapeutic approaches for altering the TME to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanner Smida
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Tullia C Bruno
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Laura P Stabile
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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The Communication Between the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway and Y-box Binding Protein-1 in Gynecological Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12010205. [PMID: 31947591 PMCID: PMC7017275 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12010205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Revised: 01/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of the mechanistic (mammalian) target of rapamycin inhibitors (mTOR) represent a step towards the targeted treatment of gynecological cancers. It has been shown that women with increased levels of mTOR signaling pathway targets have worse prognosis compared to women with normal mTOR levels. Yet, targeting mTOR alone has led to unsatisfactory outcomes in gynecological cancer. The aim of our review was therefore to provide an overview of the most recent clinical results and basic findings on the interplay of mTOR signaling and cold shock proteins in gynecological malignancies. Due to their oncogenic activity, there are promising data showing that mTOR and Y-box-protein 1 (YB-1) dual targeting improves the inhibition of carcinogenic activity. Although several components differentially expressed in patients with ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancer of the mTOR were identified, there are only a few investigated downstream actors in gynecological cancer connecting them with YB-1. Our analysis shows that YB-1 is an important player impacting AKT as well as the downstream actors interacting with mTOR such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Snail or E-cadherin.
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Somasundaram A, Rothenberger NJ, Stabile LP. The Impact of Estrogen in the Tumor Microenvironment. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1277:33-52. [PMID: 33119863 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-50224-9_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Tumor immune escape is now a hallmark of cancer development, and therapies targeting these pathways have emerged as standard of care. Specifically, immune checkpoint signal blockade offers durable responses and increased overall survival. However, the majority of cancer patients still do not respond to checkpoint blockade immune therapy leading to an unmet need in tumor immunology research. Sex-based differences have been noted in the use of cancer immunotherapy suggesting that sex hormones such as estrogen may play an important role in tumor immune regulation. Estrogen signaling already has a known role in autoimmunity, and the estrogen receptor can be expressed across multiple immune cell populations and effect their regulation. While it has been well established that tumor cells such as ovarian carcinoma, breast carcinoma, and even lung carcinoma can be regulated by estrogen, research into the role of estrogen in the regulation of tumor-associated immune cells is still emerging. In this chapter, we discuss the role of estrogen in the tumor immune microenvironment and the possible immunotherapeutic implications of targeting estrogen in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashwin Somasundaram
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Natalie J Rothenberger
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Scranton, PA, USA
| | - Laura P Stabile
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. .,Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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Dominiak A, Nowicki T, Łacheta D, Nowicka G. Cancer-associated fibroblasts as a potential target in oncology therapy. POSTEP HIG MED DOSW 2019. [DOI: 10.5604/01.3001.0013.5379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumors make up a complex environment that consists of intensive proliferating cancer cells surrounded by normal cells. Fibroblasts recruited by cancer termed CAFs, are one of the major cell groups within the reactive stroma of the most common tumors. Because of the crosstalk between quiescent fibroblasts and cancer cells, fibroblasts undergo phenotypic transition and acquire new functions that have been “forced by a tumor”. CAFs affect the development of the drug resistance and cancer progression as they are involved in the growth of cancers, neoangiogenesis, immune evasion and metastatic colonisation in distant organs. Fibroblast-directed therapy offers the opportunity to prevent initiation, progression and metastasis of many invasive tumors. The current studies on CAF-based therapy focus on two strategies. The first strategy leads to the elimination of CAFs and the neutralization of their released factors and the second aims at reverting the CAF-phenotype to a “normal” fibroblast-phenotype. Although the results of preclinical studies conducted on cell cultures and animal models indicate that therapy aimed at reversion or inhibition CAFs function seem to be a promising therapeutic target, available clinical studies have not yet confirmed this. Nevertheless, it is necessary to underline that until now CAF-based therapy has been used in patients with advanced cancer and there is no clinical study using such therapy in the early stage of cancer. The available data also indicates that CAF-based therapy could be used in combination with common anticancer drugs to increase their effectiveness. Therefore, further studies on the usefulness of the proposed CAF-based therapy are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Dominiak
- Zakład Biochemii i Farmakogenomiki, Wydział Farmaceutyczny z Oddziałem Medycyny Laboratoryjnej oraz Laboratorium Biochemii i Chemii Klinicznej Centrum Badań Przedklinicznych, Warszawski Uniwersytet Medyczny, Warszawa, Polska
| | - Tomasz Nowicki
- Student II Wydziału Lekarskiego oraz członek SKN FARMAKON, Warszawski Uniwersytet Medyczny, Warszawa, Polska
| | - Dominika Łacheta
- Zakład Biochemii i Farmakogenomiki, Wydział Farmaceutyczny z Oddziałem Medycyny Laboratoryjnej oraz Laboratorium Biochemii i Chemii Klinicznej Centrum Badań Przedklinicznych, Warszawski Uniwersytet Medyczny, Warszawa, Polska
| | - Grażyna Nowicka
- Zakład Biochemii i Farmakogenomiki, Wydział Farmaceutyczny z Oddziałem Medycyny Laboratoryjnej oraz Laboratorium Biochemii i Chemii Klinicznej Centrum Badań Przedklinicznych, Warszawski Uniwersytet Medyczny, Warszawa, Polska
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Yap NY, Ong TA, Morais C, Pailoor J, Gobe GC, Rajandram R. Establishment of epithelial and fibroblast cell cultures and cell lines from primary renal cancer nephrectomies. Cell Biol Int 2019; 43:715-725. [DOI: 10.1002/cbin.11150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2018] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ning Yi Yap
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of Malaya50603 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
| | - Teng Aik Ong
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of Malaya50603 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
| | - Christudas Morais
- Kidney Disease Research Collaborative, School of Biomedical Sciences, Translational Research InstituteThe University of QueenslandBrisbane 4102 QLD Australia
| | - Jayalakshmi Pailoor
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of Malaya50603 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
| | - Glenda C. Gobe
- Kidney Disease Research Collaborative, School of Biomedical Sciences, Translational Research InstituteThe University of QueenslandBrisbane 4102 QLD Australia
- Princess Alexandra HospitalBrisbane 4102 QLD Australia
| | - Retnagowri Rajandram
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of Malaya50603 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
- Kidney Disease Research Collaborative, School of Biomedical Sciences, Translational Research InstituteThe University of QueenslandBrisbane 4102 QLD Australia
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Chiu HC, Li CJ, Yiang GT, Tsai APY, Wu MY. Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition and Cell Biology of Molecular Regulation in Endometrial Carcinogenesis. J Clin Med 2019; 8:E439. [PMID: 30935077 PMCID: PMC6518354 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8040439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Endometrial carcinogenesis is involved in several signaling pathways and it comprises multiple steps. The four major signaling pathways-PI3K/AKT, Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK, WNT/β-catenin, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-are involved in tumor cell metabolism, growth, proliferation, survival, and angiogenesis. The genetic mutation and germline mitochondrial DNA mutations also impair cell proliferation, anti-apoptosis signaling, and epithelial⁻mesenchymal transition by several transcription factors, leading to endometrial carcinogenesis and distant metastasis. The PI3K/AKT pathway activates the ransforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)-mediated endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and it interacts with downstream signals to upregulate EMT-associated factors. Estrogen and progesterone signaling in EMT also play key roles in the prognosis of endometrial carcinogenesis. In this review article, we summarize the current clinical and basic research efforts regarding the detailed molecular regulation in endometrial carcinogenesis, especially in EMT, to provide novel targets for further anti-carcinogenesis treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiao-Chen Chiu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Taipei 231, Taiwan.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 970, Taiwan.
| | - Chia-Jung Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung 813, Taiwan.
| | - Giou-Teng Yiang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei 231, Taiwan.
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 970, Taiwan.
| | - Andy Po-Yi Tsai
- Department of Medical Research, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien 970, Taiwan.
| | - Meng-Yu Wu
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei 231, Taiwan.
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien 970, Taiwan.
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Cheng HS, Lee JXT, Wahli W, Tan NS. Exploiting vulnerabilities of cancer by targeting nuclear receptors of stromal cells in tumor microenvironment. Mol Cancer 2019; 18:51. [PMID: 30925918 PMCID: PMC6441226 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-019-0971-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment is a complex and dynamic cellular community comprising the tumor epithelium and various tumor-supporting cells such as immune cells, fibroblasts, immunosuppressive cells, adipose cells, endothelial cells, and pericytes. The interplay between the tumor microenvironment and tumor cells represents a key contributor to immune evasiveness, physiological hardiness and the local and systemic invasiveness of malignant cells. Nuclear receptors are master regulators of physiological processes and are known to play pro-/anti-oncogenic activities in tumor cells. However, the actions of nuclear receptors in tumor-supporting cells have not been widely studied. Given the excellent druggability and extensive regulatory effects of nuclear receptors, understanding their biological functionality in the tumor microenvironment is of utmost importance. Therefore, the present review aims to summarize recent evidence about the roles of nuclear receptors in tumor-supporting cells and their implications for malignant processes such as tumor proliferation, evasion of immune surveillance, angiogenesis, chemotherapeutic resistance, and metastasis. Based on findings derived mostly from cell culture studies and a few in vivo animal cancer models, the functions of VDR, PPARs, AR, ER and GR in tumor-supporting cells are relatively well-characterized. Evidence for other receptors, such as RARβ, RORγ, and FXR, is limited yet promising. Hence, the nuclear receptor signature in the tumor microenvironment may harbor prognostic value. The clinical prospects of a tumor microenvironment-oriented cancer therapy exploiting the nuclear receptors in different tumor-supporting cells are also encouraging. The major challenge, however, lies in the ability to develop a highly specific drug delivery system to facilitate precision medicine in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Sheng Cheng
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore.
| | - Jeannie Xue Ting Lee
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, 11 Mandalay Road, Singapore, 308232, Singapore
| | - Walter Wahli
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, 11 Mandalay Road, Singapore, 308232, Singapore.,INRA ToxAlim, UMR1331, Chemin de Tournefeuille, Toulouse Cedex 3, France.,Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Le Génopode, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nguan Soon Tan
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551, Singapore. .,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, 11 Mandalay Road, Singapore, 308232, Singapore.
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44
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Cancer-associated fibroblasts: how do they contribute to metastasis? Clin Exp Metastasis 2019; 36:71-86. [PMID: 30847799 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-019-09959-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are activated fibroblasts in the tumor microenvironment. They are one of the most prominent cell types in the stroma and produce large amounts of extracellular matrix molecules, chemokines, cytokines and growth factors. Importantly, CAFs promote cancer progression and metastasis by multiple pathways. This, together with their genetic stability, makes them an interesting target for cancer therapy. However, CAF heterogeneity and limited knowledge about the function of the different CAF subpopulations in vivo, are currently major obstacles for identifying specific molecular targets that are of value for cancer treatment. In this review, we discuss recent major findings on CAF development and their metastasis-promoting functions, as well as open questions to be addressed in order to establish successful cancer therapies targeting CAFs.
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Yoshida J, Abe H, Watanabe T, Kawada M. Intervenolin suppresses gastric cancer cell growth through the induction of TSP-1 secretion from fibroblast-like stromal cells. Oncol Lett 2018; 16:6777-6785. [PMID: 30405822 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.9485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibroblast-like stromal cells modulate the growth of cancer cells, both positively and negatively. Growth modulation is achieved through the secretion of regulatory factors as well as by proteins within the extracellular matrix. Those cellular interactions present attractive targets for cancer chemotherapy. It was demonsrated a novel natural compound, intervenolin (ITV), inhibited the in vitro growth of human gastric cancer cells when co-cultured with stromal cells. Importantly, the inhibition was enhanced by the presence of stromal cells. The present study reported a mechanism of ITV action. Human gastric fibroblast-like stromal cells (Hs738) were treated with ITV. The resultant conditioned medium (ITV CM) inhibited the growth of human gastric cancer cells and suppressed the level of c-Myc protein. This result suggested that ITV negatively modulated cancer cell growth by upregulating the secretion of factors originating from stromal cells in the co-culture system. To better understand the mechanism, ITV CM was subjected to proteomic analysis. The data revealed that one of the candidate regulators was thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1). Recombinant human TSP-1 protein inhibited the growth of gastric cancer cells. Moreover, the growth-inhibitory activities of ITV CM as well as that of recombinant TSP-1 were blocked by neutralizing antibody targeting TSP-1. These results suggested that ITV inhibited the growth of gastric cancer cells through its modulation of stromal cell function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjiro Yoshida
- Institute of Microbial Chemistry (BIKAKEN), Microbial Chemistry Research Foundation, Tokyo 141-0021, Japan
| | - Hikaru Abe
- Institute of Microbial Chemistry (BIKAKEN), Microbial Chemistry Research Foundation, Tokyo 141-0021, Japan
| | - Takumi Watanabe
- Institute of Microbial Chemistry (BIKAKEN), Microbial Chemistry Research Foundation, Tokyo 141-0021, Japan
| | - Manabu Kawada
- Institute of Microbial Chemistry (BIKAKEN), Microbial Chemistry Research Foundation, Tokyo 141-0021, Japan
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The Emerging Role of the Microenvironment in Endometrial Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2018; 10:cancers10110408. [PMID: 30380719 PMCID: PMC6266917 DOI: 10.3390/cancers10110408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in women, and despite recent therapeutic advances, in many cases, treatment failure results in cancer recurrence, metastasis, and death. Current research demonstrates that the interactive crosstalk between two discrete cell types (tumor and stroma) promotes tumor growth and investigations have uncovered the dual role of the stromal cells in the normal and cancerous state. In contrast to tumor cells, stromal cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME) are genetically stable. However, tumor cells modify adjacent stromal cells in the TME. The alteration in signaling cascades of TME from anti-tumorigenic to pro-tumorigenic enhances metastatic potential and/or confers therapeutic resistance. Therefore, the TME is a fertile ground for the development of novel therapies. Furthermore, disrupting cancer-promoting signals from the TME or re-educating stromal cells may be an effective strategy to impair metastatic progression. Here, we review the paradoxical role of different non-neoplastic stromal cells during specific stages of EC progression. We also suggest that the inhibition of microenvironment-derived signals may suppress metastatic EC progression and offer novel potential therapeutic interventions.
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47
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Alkasalias T, Moyano-Galceran L, Arsenian-Henriksson M, Lehti K. Fibroblasts in the Tumor Microenvironment: Shield or Spear? Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19051532. [PMID: 29883428 PMCID: PMC5983719 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19051532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumorigenesis is a complex process involving dynamic interactions between malignant cells and their surrounding stroma, including both the cellular and acellular components. Within the stroma, fibroblasts represent not only a predominant cell type, but also a major source of the acellular tissue microenvironment comprising the extracellular matrix (ECM) and soluble factors. Normal fibroblasts can exert diverse suppressive functions against cancer initiating and metastatic cells via direct cell-cell contact, paracrine signaling by soluble factors, and ECM integrity. The loss of such suppressive functions is an inherent step in tumor progression. A tumor cell-induced switch of normal fibroblasts into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), in turn, triggers a range of pro-tumorigenic signals accompanied by distraction of the normal tissue architecture, thus creating an optimal niche for cancer cells to grow extensively. To further support tumor progression and metastasis, CAFs secrete factors such as ECM remodeling enzymes that further modify the tumor microenvironment in combination with the altered adhesive forces and cell-cell interactions. These paradoxical tumor suppressive and promoting actions of fibroblasts are the focus of this review, highlighting the heterogenic molecular properties of both normal and cancer-associated fibroblasts, as well as their main mechanisms of action, including the emerging impact on immunomodulation and different therapy responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Twana Alkasalias
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, Solnavägen 9, SE-17177 Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Salahaddin University, Irbil 44002, Kurdistan-Iraq.
| | - Lidia Moyano-Galceran
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, Solnavägen 9, SE-17177 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Marie Arsenian-Henriksson
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, Solnavägen 9, SE-17177 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Kaisa Lehti
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, Solnavägen 9, SE-17177 Stockholm, Sweden.
- Research Programs Unit, Genome-Scale Biology and Medicum, University of Helsinki, and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 63, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.
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Giusti I, Di Francesco M, D'Ascenzo S, Palmerini MG, Macchiarelli G, Carta G, Dolo V. Ovarian cancer-derived extracellular vesicles affect normal human fibroblast behavior. Cancer Biol Ther 2018; 19:722-734. [PMID: 29580188 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2018.1451286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
It has become clear that non-tumor cells in the microenvironment, especially fibroblasts, actively participate in tumor progression. Fibroblasts conditioned by tumor cells become "activated" and, as such, are identified as CAFs (cancer-associated fibroblasts). These CAFs remodel the tumor stroma to make it more favourable for cancer progression. The aim of this work was to verify whether EVs (extracellular vesicles - whose role as mediators of information between tumor and stromal cells is well known) released from human ovarian cancer cells were able to activate fibroblasts. EVs isolated from SKOV3 (more aggressive) and CABA I (less aggressive) cells were administered to fibroblasts. The consequent activation was supported by morphological and molecular changes in treated fibroblasts; XTT assays, zymographies, wound healing tests and invasion assays also highlighted higher proliferation, motility, invasiveness and enzyme expression. The secretome of these "activated" fibroblasts was, in turn, able to modulate the responses (proliferation, motility and invasion) of fibroblasts, and of tumor and endothelial cells. These findings support the idea that ovarian cancer cells can modulate fibroblast behaviour through the release of EVs, activating them to a CAFs-like state; the latter are able, in turn, to stimulate the surrounding cells. EVs from SKOV3 rather than from CABA I seem to be more efficient in some processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Giusti
- a Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences , University of L'Aquila , Via Vetoio, Coppito 2, L'Aquila , Italy
| | - Marianna Di Francesco
- a Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences , University of L'Aquila , Via Vetoio, Coppito 2, L'Aquila , Italy
| | - Sandra D'Ascenzo
- a Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences , University of L'Aquila , Via Vetoio, Coppito 2, L'Aquila , Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Palmerini
- a Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences , University of L'Aquila , Via Vetoio, Coppito 2, L'Aquila , Italy
| | - Guido Macchiarelli
- a Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences , University of L'Aquila , Via Vetoio, Coppito 2, L'Aquila , Italy
| | - Gaspare Carta
- a Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences , University of L'Aquila , Via Vetoio, Coppito 2, L'Aquila , Italy
| | - Vincenza Dolo
- a Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences , University of L'Aquila , Via Vetoio, Coppito 2, L'Aquila , Italy
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Visweswaran M, Keane KN, Arfuso F, Dilley RJ, Newsholme P, Dharmarajan A. The Influence of Breast Tumour-Derived Factors and Wnt Antagonism on the Transformation of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Tumour-Associated Fibroblasts. CANCER MICROENVIRONMENT 2018; 11:71-84. [PMID: 29637435 DOI: 10.1007/s12307-018-0210-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Within the tumour stroma, a heterogeneous population of cell types reciprocally regulates cell proliferation, which considerably affects the progression of the disease. In this study, using tumour conditioned medium (TCM) derived from breast tumour cell lines - MCF7 and MDA MB 231, we have demonstrated the differentiation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) into tumour-associated fibroblasts (TAFs). Since the Wnt signalling pathway is a key signalling pathway driving breast tumour growth, the effect of the Wnt antagonist secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (sFRP4) was also examined. The response of ADSCs to TCM and sFRP4 treatments was determined by using cell viability assay to determine the changes in ADSC viability, immunofluorescence for mesenchymal markers, glucose uptake assay, and glycolysis stress test using the Seahorse Extracellular Flux analyser to determine the glycolytic activity of ADSCs. ADSCs have been shown to acquire a hyper-proliferative state, significantly increasing their number upon short-term and long-term exposure to TCM. Changes have also been observed in the expression of key mesenchymal markers as well as in the metabolic state of ADSCs. SFRP4 significantly inhibited the differentiation of ADSCs into TAFs by reducing cell growth as well as mesenchymal marker expression (cell line-dependent). However, sFRP4 did not induce further significant changes to the altered metabolic phenotype of ADSCs following TCM exposure. Altogether, this study suggests that the breast tumour milieu may transform ADSCs into a tumour-supportive phenotype, which can be altered by Wnt antagonism, but is independent of metabolic changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malini Visweswaran
- Stem Cell and Cancer Biology Laboratory, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Kevin N Keane
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Frank Arfuso
- Stem Cell and Cancer Biology Laboratory, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Rodney J Dilley
- Ear Sciences Centre, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Philip Newsholme
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
| | - Arun Dharmarajan
- Stem Cell and Cancer Biology Laboratory, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA, 6102, Australia.
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50
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The Role of the Estrogen Pathway in the Tumor Microenvironment. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19020611. [PMID: 29463044 PMCID: PMC5855833 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19020611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Estrogen receptors are broadly expressed in many cell types involved in the innate and adaptive immune responses, and differentially regulate the production of cytokines. While both genomic and non-genomic tumor cell promoting mechanisms of estrogen signaling are well characterized in multiple carcinomas including breast, ovarian, and lung, recent investigations have identified a potential immune regulatory role of estrogens in the tumor microenvironment. Tumor immune tolerance is a well-established mediator of oncogenesis, with increasing evidence indicating the importance of the immune response in tumor progression. Immune-based therapies such as antibodies that block checkpoint signals have emerged as exciting therapeutic approaches for cancer treatment, offering durable remissions and prolonged survival. However, only a subset of patients demonstrate clinical response to these agents, prompting efforts to elucidate additional immunosuppressive mechanisms within the tumor microenvironment. Evidence drawn from multiple cancer types, including carcinomas traditionally classified as non-immunogenic, implicate estrogen as a potential mediator of immunosuppression through modulation of protumor responses independent of direct activity on tumor cells. Herein, we review the interplay between estrogen and the tumor microenvironment and the clinical implications of endocrine therapy as a novel treatment strategy within immuno-oncology.
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