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Charles J, Vrionis A, Mansur A, Mathias T, Shaikh J, Ciner A, Jiang Y, Nezami N. Potential Immunotherapy Targets for Liver-Directed Therapies, and the Current Scope of Immunotherapeutics for Liver-Related Malignancies. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15092624. [PMID: 37174089 PMCID: PMC10177356 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15092624] [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: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, is increasing in incidence and mortality across the globe. An improved understanding of the complex tumor microenvironment has opened many therapeutic doors and led to the development of novel pharmaceuticals targeting cellular signaling pathways or immune checkpoints. These interventions have significantly improved tumor control rates and patient outcomes, both in clinical trials and in real-world practice. Interventional radiologists play an important role in the multidisciplinary team given their expertise in minimally invasive locoregional therapy, as the bulk of these tumors are usually in the liver. The aim of this review is to highlight the immunological therapeutic targets for primary liver cancers, the available immune-based approaches, and the contributions that interventional radiology can provide in the care of these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Charles
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 560 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL 33602, USA
| | - Andrea Vrionis
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 560 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL 33602, USA
| | - Arian Mansur
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Trevor Mathias
- School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Jamil Shaikh
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 560 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL 33602, USA
- Department of Radiology, Tampa General Hospital, University of South Florida Health, Tampa General Cir, Tampa, FL 33606, USA
| | - Aaron Ciner
- Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Yixing Jiang
- Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Nariman Nezami
- Division of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
- Experimental Therapeutics Program, University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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Li X, Sun X, Wang B, Li Y, Tong J. Oncolytic virus-based hepatocellular carcinoma treatment: Current status, intravenous delivery strategies, and emerging combination therapeutic solutions. Asian J Pharm Sci 2023; 18:100771. [PMID: 36896445 PMCID: PMC9989663 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajps.2022.100771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Current treatments for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have limited success in improving patients' quality of life and prolonging life expectancy. The clinical need for more efficient and safe therapies has contributed to the exploration of emerging strategies. Recently, there has been increased interest in oncolytic viruses (OVs) as a therapeutic modality for HCC. OVs undergo selective replication in cancerous tissues and kill tumor cells. Strikingly, pexastimogene devacirepvec (Pexa-Vec) was granted an orphan drug status in HCC by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2013. Meanwhile, dozens of OVs are being tested in HCC-directed clinical and preclinical trials. In this review, the pathogenesis and current therapies of HCC are outlined. Next, we summarize multiple OVs as single therapeutic agents for the treatment of HCC, which have demonstrated certain efficacy and low toxicity. Emerging carrier cell-, bioengineered cell mimetic- or nonbiological vehicle-mediated OV intravenous delivery systems in HCC therapy are described. In addition, we highlight the combination treatments between oncolytic virotherapy and other modalities. Finally, the clinical challenges and prospects of OV-based biotherapy are discussed, with the aim of continuing to develop a fascinating approach in HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinguo Li
- The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Xiaonan Sun
- The 4th People's Hospital of Shenyang, Shenyang 110031, China
| | - Bingyuan Wang
- The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Yiling Li
- The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Jing Tong
- The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
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Wang J, Wu R, Sun JY, Lei F, Tan H, Lu X. An overview: Management of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Biosci Trends 2022; 16:405-425. [PMID: 36476621 DOI: 10.5582/bst.2022.01109] [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: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has constituted a significant health burden worldwide, and patients with advanced HCC, which is stage C as defined by the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system, have a poor overall survival of 6-8 months. Studies have indicated the significant survival benefit of treatment based on sorafenib, lenvatinib, or atezolizumab-bevacizumab with reliable safety. In addition, the combination of two or more molecularly targeted therapies (first- plus second-line) has become a hot topic recently and is now being extensively investigated in patients with advanced HCC. In addition, a few biomarkers have been investigated and found to predict drug susceptibility and prognosis, which provides an opportunity to evaluate the clinical benefits of current therapies. In addition, many therapies other than tyrosine kinase inhibitors that might have additional survival benefits when combined with other therapeutic modalities, including immunotherapy, transarterial chemoembolization, radiofrequency ablation, hepatectomy, and chemotherapy, have also been examined. This review provides an overview on the current understanding of disease management and summarizes current challenges with and future perspectives on advanced HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jincheng Wang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.,Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Rui Wu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jin-Yu Sun
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Feifei Lei
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Liver Disease Laboratory, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, China
| | - Huabing Tan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Liver Disease Laboratory, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaojie Lu
- Department of General Surgery, Liver Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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Immunotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: New Prospects for the Cancer Therapy. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11121355. [PMID: 34947886 PMCID: PMC8704694 DOI: 10.3390/life11121355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. HCC patients may benefit from liver transplantation, hepatic resection, radiofrequency ablation, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, and targeted therapies. The increased infiltration of immunosuppressive immune cells and the elevated expression of immunosuppressive factors in the HCC microenvironment are the main culprits of the immunosuppressive nature of the HCC milieu. The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment can substantially attenuate antitumoral immune responses and facilitate the immune evasion of tumoral cells. Immunotherapy is an innovative treatment method that has been promising in treating HCC. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), adoptive cell transfer (ACT), and cell-based (primarily dendritic cells) and non-cell-based vaccines are the most common immunotherapeutic approaches for HCC treatment. However, these therapeutic approaches have not generally induced robust antitumoral responses in clinical settings. To answer to this, growing evidence has characterized immune cell populations and delineated intercellular cross-talk using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technologies. This review aims to discuss the various types of tumor-infiltrating immune cells and highlight their roles in HCC development. Besides, we discuss the recent advances in immunotherapeutic approaches for treating HCC, e.g., ICIs, dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccines, non-cell-based vaccines, oncolytic viruses (OVs), and ACT. Finally, we discuss the potentiality of scRNA-seq to improve the response rate of HCC patients to immunotherapeutic approaches.
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Zhou L, Dong C, Xu Z, Wang X, Zhang L, Chen S, Chen J, Zhu Y. NEDD8-conjugating enzyme E2 UBE2F confers radiation resistance by protecting lung cancer cells from apoptosis. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2021; 22:959-965. [PMID: 34783226 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.b2100170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Lung cancer, which is exacerbated by environmental pollution and tobacco use, has become the most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with a five-year overall survival rate of only 19% (Siegel et al., 2020; Yang et al., 2020; Yu and Li, 2020). Nearly 85% of lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancers, of which lung adenocarcinoma is the most common subtype accounting for 50% of non-small cell lung cancer cases. At present, radiotherapy is the primary therapeutic modality for lung cancer at different stages, with significant prolongation of survival time (Hirsch et al., 2017; Bai et al., 2019; Shi et al., 2020). Irradiation can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) through the radiolysis reaction of water and oxygen, cause DNA damage and oxidative stress, and subsequently result in cancer cell death (Kim et al., 2019). Nevertheless, radioresistance seriously hinders the success of treatment for lung cancer, owing to local recurrence and distant metastasis (Huang et al., 2021). Compared with small cell lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer shows more tolerance to radiotherapy. Therefore, it is of great importance to decipher key mechanisms of radioresistance and identify effective molecular radiosensitizers to improve patient survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisha Zhou
- Department of Basic Medicine, Medical College, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China.
| | - Changsheng Dong
- Cancer Institute, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zhuoming Xu
- Department of Basic Medicine, Medical College, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China
| | - Xinran Wang
- Department of Basic Medicine, Medical College, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China
| | - Luyi Zhang
- Department of Basic Medicine, Medical College, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China
| | - Siyuan Chen
- Department of Basic Medicine, Medical College, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China
| | - Jiahao Chen
- Department of Basic Medicine, Medical College, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China
| | - Yingying Zhu
- Department of Basic Medicine, Medical College, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China.
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Santos Apolonio J, Lima de Souza Gonçalves V, Cordeiro Santos ML, Silva Luz M, Silva Souza JV, Rocha Pinheiro SL, de Souza WR, Sande Loureiro M, de Melo FF. Oncolytic virus therapy in cancer: A current review. World J Virol 2021; 10:229-255. [PMID: 34631474 PMCID: PMC8474975 DOI: 10.5501/wjv.v10.i5.229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In view of the advancement in the understanding about the most diverse types of cancer and consequently a relentless search for a cure and increased survival rates of cancer patients, finding a therapy that is able to combat the mechanism of aggression of this disease is extremely important. Thus, oncolytic viruses (OVs) have demonstrated great benefits in the treatment of cancer because it mediates antitumor effects in several ways. Viruses can be used to infect cancer cells, especially over normal cells, to present tumor-associated antigens, to activate "danger signals" that generate a less immune-tolerant tumor microenvironment, and to serve transduction vehicles for expression of inflammatory and immunomodulatory cytokines. The success of therapies using OVs was initially demonstrated by the use of the genetically modified herpes virus, talimogene laherparepvec, for the treatment of melanoma. At this time, several OVs are being studied as a potential treatment for cancer in clinical trials. However, it is necessary to be aware of the safety and possible adverse effects of this therapy; after all, an effective treatment for cancer should promote regression, attack the tumor, and in the meantime induce minimal systemic repercussions. In this manuscript, we will present a current review of the mechanism of action of OVs, main clinical uses, updates, and future perspectives on this treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Santos Apolonio
- Universidade Federal da Bahia, Instituto Multidisciplinar em Saúde, Vitória da Conquista 45029-094, Bahia, Brazil
| | | | - Maria Luísa Cordeiro Santos
- Universidade Federal da Bahia, Instituto Multidisciplinar em Saúde, Vitória da Conquista 45029-094, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Marcel Silva Luz
- Universidade Federal da Bahia, Instituto Multidisciplinar em Saúde, Vitória da Conquista 45029-094, Bahia, Brazil
| | - João Victor Silva Souza
- Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Campus Vitória da Conquista, Vitória da Conquista 45083-900, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Samuel Luca Rocha Pinheiro
- Universidade Federal da Bahia, Instituto Multidisciplinar em Saúde, Vitória da Conquista 45029-094, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Wedja Rafaela de Souza
- Universidade Federal da Bahia, Instituto Multidisciplinar em Saúde, Vitória da Conquista 45029-094, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Matheus Sande Loureiro
- Universidade Federal da Bahia, Instituto Multidisciplinar em Saúde, Vitória da Conquista 45029-094, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Fabrício Freire de Melo
- Universidade Federal da Bahia, Instituto Multidisciplinar em Saúde, Vitória da Conquista 45029-094, Bahia, Brazil
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Chen Z, Xie H, Hu M, Huang T, Hu Y, Sang N, Zhao Y. Recent progress in treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:2993-3036. [PMID: 33042631 PMCID: PMC7539784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In the past decade, there have been improvements in non-drug therapies and drug therapies for HCC treatment. Non-drug therapies include hepatic resection, liver transplantation, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and ablation. The former two surgical treatments are beneficial for patients with early and mid-stage HCC. As the first choice for non-surgical treatment, different TACE methods has been developed and widely used in combination therapy. Ablation has become an important alternative therapy for the treatment of small HCC or cases of unresectable surgery. Meanwhile, the drugs including small molecule targeted drugs like sorafenib and lenvatinib, monoclonal antibodies such as nivolumab are mainly used for the systematic treatment of advanced HCC. Besides strategies described above are recommended as first-line therapies due to their significant increase in mean overall survival, there are also potential drugs in clinical trials or under preclinical development. In addition, a number of potential preclinical surgical or adjuvant therapies are being studied, such as oncolytic virus, mesenchymal stem cells, biological clock, gut microbiome composition and peptide vaccine, all of which have shown different degrees of inhibition on HCC. With some potential anti-HCC drugs being reported, many promising therapeutic targets in related taxonomic signaling pathways including cell cycle, epigenetics, tyrosine kinase and so on that affect the progression of HCC have also been found. Together, the rational application of existing therapies and drugs as well as the new strategies will bring a bright future for the global cure of HCC in the coming decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqian Chen
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, China
| | - Hao Xie
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, China
| | - Mingming Hu
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, China
| | - Tianyi Huang
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, China
| | - Yanan Hu
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, China
| | - Na Sang
- Cancer Center, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, China
| | - Yinglan Zhao
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, China
- Cancer Center, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, China
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