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Chen JQ, Salas LA, Wiencke JK, Koestler DC, Molinaro AM, Andrew AS, Seigne JD, Karagas MR, Kelsey KT, Christensen BC. Matched analysis of detailed peripheral blood and tumor immune microenvironment profiles in bladder cancer. Epigenomics 2024; 16:41-56. [PMID: 38221889 PMCID: PMC10804212 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2023-0358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Bladder cancer and therapy responses hinge on immune profiles in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and blood, yet studies linking tumor-infiltrating immune cells to peripheral immune profiles are limited. Methods: DNA methylation cytometry quantified TME and matched peripheral blood immune cell proportions. With tumor immune profile data as the input, subjects were grouped by immune infiltration status and consensus clustering. Results: Immune hot and cold groups had different immune compositions in the TME but not in circulating blood. Two clusters of patients identified with consensus clustering had different immune compositions not only in the TME but also in blood. Conclusion: Detailed immune profiling via methylation cytometry reveals the significance of understanding tumor and systemic immune relationships in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Qing Chen
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH 03766, USA
| | - Lucas A Salas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH 03766, USA
| | - John K Wiencke
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Devin C Koestler
- Department of Biostatistics & Data Science, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Annette M Molinaro
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Angeline S Andrew
- Department of Neurology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH 03766, USA
| | - John D Seigne
- Department of Surgery, Section of Urology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH 03766, USA
| | - Margaret R Karagas
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH 03766, USA
| | - Karl T Kelsey
- Departments of Epidemiology & Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Brock C Christensen
- Department of Epidemiology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH 03766, USA
- Departments of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH 03766, USA
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2
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Yi M, Li T, Niu M, Mei Q, Zhao B, Chu Q, Dai Z, Wu K. Exploiting innate immunity for cancer immunotherapy. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:187. [PMID: 38008741 PMCID: PMC10680233 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01885-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapies have revolutionized the treatment paradigms of various types of cancers. However, most of these immunomodulatory strategies focus on harnessing adaptive immunity, mainly by inhibiting immunosuppressive signaling with immune checkpoint blockade, or enhancing immunostimulatory signaling with bispecific T cell engager and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell. Although these agents have already achieved great success, only a tiny percentage of patients could benefit from immunotherapies. Actually, immunotherapy efficacy is determined by multiple components in the tumor microenvironment beyond adaptive immunity. Cells from the innate arm of the immune system, such as macrophages, dendritic cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, neutrophils, natural killer cells, and unconventional T cells, also participate in cancer immune evasion and surveillance. Considering that the innate arm is the cornerstone of the antitumor immune response, utilizing innate immunity provides potential therapeutic options for cancer control. Up to now, strategies exploiting innate immunity, such as agonists of stimulator of interferon genes, CAR-macrophage or -natural killer cell therapies, metabolic regulators, and novel immune checkpoint blockade, have exhibited potent antitumor activities in preclinical and clinical studies. Here, we summarize the latest insights into the potential roles of innate cells in antitumor immunity and discuss the advances in innate arm-targeted therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Yi
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, People's Republic of China
- Department of Breast Surgery, College of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianye Li
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310000, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengke Niu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Mei
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Zhao
- Department of Breast Surgery, College of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Chu
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhijun Dai
- Department of Breast Surgery, College of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, People's Republic of China.
| | - Kongming Wu
- Cancer Center, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, People's Republic of China.
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3
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Zhang H, Yue X, Chen Z, Liu C, Wu W, Zhang N, Liu Z, Yang L, Jiang Q, Cheng Q, Luo P, Liu G. Define cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment: new opportunities in cancer immunotherapy and advances in clinical trials. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:159. [PMID: 37784082 PMCID: PMC10544417 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01860-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite centuries since the discovery and study of cancer, cancer is still a lethal and intractable health issue worldwide. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have gained much attention as a pivotal component of the tumor microenvironment. The versatility and sophisticated mechanisms of CAFs in facilitating cancer progression have been elucidated extensively, including promoting cancer angiogenesis and metastasis, inducing drug resistance, reshaping the extracellular matrix, and developing an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Owing to their robust tumor-promoting function, CAFs are considered a promising target for oncotherapy. However, CAFs are a highly heterogeneous group of cells. Some subpopulations exert an inhibitory role in tumor growth, which implies that CAF-targeting approaches must be more precise and individualized. This review comprehensively summarize the origin, phenotypical, and functional heterogeneity of CAFs. More importantly, we underscore advances in strategies and clinical trials to target CAF in various cancers, and we also summarize progressions of CAF in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xinghai Yue
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhe Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chao Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Central Hospital of Zhuzhou, Zhuzhou, China
| | - Wantao Wu
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zaoqu Liu
- Department of Interventional Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Liping Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qing Jiang
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Quan Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
| | - Peng Luo
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
- Department of Oncology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Guodong Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
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Magalhães-Gama F, Alves-Hanna FS, Araújo ND, Barros MS, Silva FS, Catão CLS, Moraes JS, Freitas IC, Tarragô AM, Malheiro A, Teixeira-Carvalho A, Costa AG. The Yin-Yang of myeloid cells in the leukemic microenvironment: Immunological role and clinical implications. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1071188. [PMID: 36532078 PMCID: PMC9751477 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1071188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The leukemic microenvironment has a high diversity of immune cells that are phenotypically and functionally distinct. However, our understanding of the biology, immunology, and clinical implications underlying these cells remains poorly investigated. Among the resident immune cells that can infiltrate the leukemic microenvironment are myeloid cells, which correspond to a heterogeneous cell group of the innate immune system. They encompass populations of neutrophils, macrophages, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). These cells can be abundant in different tissues and, in the leukemic microenvironment, are associated with the clinical outcome of the patient, acting dichotomously to contribute to leukemic progression or stimulate antitumor immune responses. In this review, we detail the current evidence and the many mechanisms that indicate that the activation of different myeloid cell populations may contribute to immunosuppression, survival, or metastatic dissemination, as well as in immunosurveillance and stimulation of specific cytotoxic responses. Furthermore, we broadly discuss the interactions of tumor-associated neutrophils and macrophages (TANs and TAMs, respectively) and MDSCs in the leukemic microenvironment. Finally, we provide new perspectives on the potential of myeloid cell subpopulations as predictive biomarkers of therapeutical response, as well as potential targets in the chemoimmunotherapy of leukemias due to their dual Yin-Yang roles in leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fábio Magalhães-Gama
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação Hospitalar de Hematologia e Hemoterapia do Amazonas (HEMOAM), Manaus, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Instituto René Rachou - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ) Minas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Grupo Integrado de Pesquisas em Biomarcadores de Diagnóstico e Monitoração, Instituto René Rachou – FIOCRUZ Minas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Fabíola Silva Alves-Hanna
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação Hospitalar de Hematologia e Hemoterapia do Amazonas (HEMOAM), Manaus, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia Básica e Aplicada, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Manaus, Brazil
| | - Nilberto Dias Araújo
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação Hospitalar de Hematologia e Hemoterapia do Amazonas (HEMOAM), Manaus, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia Básica e Aplicada, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Manaus, Brazil
| | - Mateus Souza Barros
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação Hospitalar de Hematologia e Hemoterapia do Amazonas (HEMOAM), Manaus, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia Básica e Aplicada, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Manaus, Brazil
| | - Flavio Souza Silva
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação Hospitalar de Hematologia e Hemoterapia do Amazonas (HEMOAM), Manaus, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia Básica e Aplicada, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Manaus, Brazil
| | - Claudio Lucas Santos Catão
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação Hospitalar de Hematologia e Hemoterapia do Amazonas (HEMOAM), Manaus, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Aplicadas à Hematologia, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas (UEA), Manaus, Brazil
| | - Júlia Santos Moraes
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação Hospitalar de Hematologia e Hemoterapia do Amazonas (HEMOAM), Manaus, Brazil
| | - Izabela Cabral Freitas
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação Hospitalar de Hematologia e Hemoterapia do Amazonas (HEMOAM), Manaus, Brazil
| | - Andréa Monteiro Tarragô
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação Hospitalar de Hematologia e Hemoterapia do Amazonas (HEMOAM), Manaus, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia Básica e Aplicada, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Manaus, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Aplicadas à Hematologia, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas (UEA), Manaus, Brazil
| | - Adriana Malheiro
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação Hospitalar de Hematologia e Hemoterapia do Amazonas (HEMOAM), Manaus, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia Básica e Aplicada, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Manaus, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Aplicadas à Hematologia, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas (UEA), Manaus, Brazil
| | - Andréa Teixeira-Carvalho
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação Hospitalar de Hematologia e Hemoterapia do Amazonas (HEMOAM), Manaus, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Instituto René Rachou - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ) Minas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Grupo Integrado de Pesquisas em Biomarcadores de Diagnóstico e Monitoração, Instituto René Rachou – FIOCRUZ Minas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Allyson Guimarães Costa
- Diretoria de Ensino e Pesquisa, Fundação Hospitalar de Hematologia e Hemoterapia do Amazonas (HEMOAM), Manaus, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Instituto René Rachou - Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ) Minas, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia Básica e Aplicada, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Manaus, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Aplicadas à Hematologia, Universidade do Estado do Amazonas (UEA), Manaus, Brazil
- Escola de Enfermagem de Manaus, UFAM, Manaus, Brazil
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5
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Kudo-Saito C, Boku N, Hirano H, Shoji H. Targeting myeloid villains in the treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors in gastrointestinal cancer. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1009701. [PMID: 36211375 PMCID: PMC9539086 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1009701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the clinical outcomes being extremely limited, blocking immune inhibitory checkpoint pathways has been in the spotlight as a promising strategy for treating gastrointestinal cancer. However, a distinct strategy for the successful treatment is obviously needed in the clinical settings. Myeloid cells, such as neutrophils, macrophages, dendritic cells, and mast cells, are the majority of cellular components in the human immune system, but have received relatively less attention for the practical implementation than T cells and NK cells in cancer therapy because of concentration of the interest in development of the immune checkpoint blocking antibody inhibitors (ICIs). Abnormality of myeloid cells must impact on the entire host, including immune responses, stromagenesis, and cancer cells, leading to refractory cancer. This implies that elimination and reprogramming of the tumor-supportive myeloid villains may be a breakthrough to efficiently induce potent anti-tumor immunity in cancer patients. In this review, we provide an overview of current situation of the IC-blocking therapy of gastrointestinal cancer, including gastric, colorectal, and esophageal cancers. Also, we highlight the possible oncoimmunological components involved in the mechanisms underlying the resistance to the ICI therapy, particularly focusing on myeloid cells, including unique subsets expressing IC molecules. A deeper understanding of the molecular and cellular determinants may facilitate its practical implementation of targeting myeloid villains, and improve the clinical outcomes in the ICI therapy of gastrointestinal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chie Kudo-Saito
- Department of Immune Medicine, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
- *Correspondence: Chie Kudo-Saito,
| | - Narikazu Boku
- Department of Oncology and General Medicine, Institute of Medical Science Hospital, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hidekazu Hirano
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Shoji
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
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Wang K, Zhao Q, Yan T, Guo D, Liu J, Wang G, Du J. The Prognostic Value of Multiple Systemic Inflammatory Biomarkers in Preoperative Patients With Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. Front Surg 2022; 9:830642. [PMID: 35445073 PMCID: PMC9013845 DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2022.830642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The preoperative inflammatory and nutrient status of the patient are closely correlated to the outcome of surgery-based treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of inflammation and nutrient biomarkers in preoperative patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by constructing a prognostic predictive model. Methods We retrospectively studied 995 patients with NSCLC who underwent surgery in the Shandong Provincial Hospital and randomly allocated them into the training and validation group with a ratio of 7:3. We then compared their prognostic performance and conducted univariate Cox analyses with several clinicopathological variables. Based on the performance of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and decision curves analysis (DCA), the prognostic model was optimized and validated. Result The median overall overall survival (OS) of patients was 74 months. Univariate Cox analysis indicated that fifteen inflammatory biomarkers were significantly correlated with OS (p < 0.100). Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that the model incorporating grade, age, stage, basophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (BLR, ≥0.00675 vs. < 0.00675) and albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR, ≥1.40 vs. <1.40) showed the maximum area under the curve (AUC, 0.744). The C-index in the training and validation group was 0.690 and 0.683, respectively. The 3-year integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) compared to TNM (Tumor Node Metastasis) stage was 0.035 vs. 0.011 in the training and validation group, respectively. Conclusions Lower AGR, ANRI, and higher BLR were associated with a worse outcome for patients with NSCLC. We constructed a prognostic nomogram with risk stratification based on inflammatory and nutrient biomarkers. The discrimination and calibration abilities of the model were evaluated to confirm its validity, indicating the potential utility of this prognostic model for clinical guidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Wang
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Department of Healthcare Respiratory Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Qidi Zhao
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Tao Yan
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Deyu Guo
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jichang Liu
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Guanghui Wang
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jiajun Du
- Institute of Oncology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- *Correspondence: Jiajun Du
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Bai Z, Peng Y, Ye X, Liu Z, Li Y, Ma L. Autophagy and cancer treatment: four functional forms of autophagy and their therapeutic applications. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2022; 23:89-101. [PMID: 35187884 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.b2100804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. Drugs play a pivotal role in cancer treatment, but the complex biological processes of cancer cells seriously limit the efficacy of various anticancer drugs. Autophagy, a self-degradative system that maintains cellular homeostasis, universally operates under normal and stress conditions in cancer cells. The roles of autophagy in cancer treatment are still controversial because both stimulation and inhibition of autophagy have been reported to enhance the effects of anticancer drugs. Thus, the important question arises as to whether we should try to strengthen or suppress autophagy during cancer therapy. Currently, autophagy can be divided into four main forms according to its different functions during cancer treatment: cytoprotective (cell survival), cytotoxic (cell death), cytostatic (growth arrest), and nonprotective (no contribution to cell death or survival). In addition, various cell death modes, such as apoptosis, necrosis, ferroptosis, senescence, and mitotic catastrophe, all contribute to the anticancer effects of drugs. The interaction between autophagy and these cell death modes is complex and can lead to anticancer drugs having different or even completely opposite effects on treatment. Therefore, it is important to understand the underlying contexts in which autophagy inhibition or activation will be beneficial or detrimental. That is, appropriate therapeutic strategies should be adopted in light of the different functions of autophagy. This review provides an overview of recent insights into the evolving relationship between autophagy and cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoshi Bai
- Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research & the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Yaling Peng
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Xinyue Ye
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Zhixian Liu
- Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research & the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yupeng Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Lingman Ma
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China.
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