Inhibiting tryptophan metabolism enhances interferon therapy in kidney cancer

Integrated machine learning reveals the role of tryptophan metabolism in clear cell renal cell carcinoma and its association with patient prognosis

BACKGROUND

Precision oncology's implementation in clinical practice faces significant constraints due to the inadequacies in tools for detailed patient stratification and personalized treatment methodologies. Dysregulated tryptophan metabolism has emerged as a crucial factor in tumor progression, encompassing immune suppression, proliferation, metastasis, and metabolic reprogramming. However, its precise role in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains unclear, and predictive models or signatures based on tryptophan metabolism are conspicuously lacking.

METHODS

The influence of tryptophan metabolism on tumor cells was explored using single-cell RNA sequencing data. Genes involved in tryptophan metabolism were identified across both single-cell and bulk-cell dimensions through weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and its single-cell data variant (hdWGCNA). Subsequently, a tryptophan metabolism-related signature was developed using an integrated machine-learning approach. This signature was then examined in multi-omics data to assess its associations with patient clinical features, prognosis, cancer malignancy-related pathways, immune microenvironment, genomic characteristics, and responses to immunotherapy and targeted therapy. Finally, the genes within the signature were validated through experiments including qRT-PCR, Western blot, CCK8 assay, and transwell assay.

RESULTS

Dysregulated tryptophan metabolism was identified as a potential driver of the malignant transformation of normal epithelial cells. The tryptophan metabolism-related signature (TMRS) demonstrated robust predictive capability for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) across multiple datasets. Moreover, a high TMRS risk score correlated with increased tumor malignancy, significant metabolic reprogramming, an inflamed yet dysfunctional immune microenvironment, heightened genomic instability, resistance to immunotherapy, and increased sensitivity to certain targeted therapeutics. Experimental validation revealed differential expression of genes within the signature between RCC and adjacent normal tissues, with reduced expression of DDAH1 linked to enhanced proliferation and metastasis of tumor cells.

CONCLUSION

This study investigated the potential impact of dysregulated tryptophan metabolism on clear cell renal cell carcinoma, leading to the development of a tryptophan metabolism-related signature that may provide insights into patient prognosis, tumor biological status, and personalized treatment strategies. This signature serves as a valuable reference for further exploring the role of tryptophan metabolism in renal cell carcinoma and for the development of clinical applications based on this metabolic pathway.

Flavonoids as modulators of metabolic reprogramming in renal cell carcinoma (Review)

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is distinguished by its varied metabolic reprogramming driven by tumor suppressor gene dysregulation and oncogene activation. Tumors can adapt nutrient uptake and metabolism pathways to meet the altered biosynthetic, bioenergetic and redox demands of cancer cells, whereas conventional chemotherapeutics and molecular inhibitors predominantly target individual metabolic pathways without addressing this adaptability. Flavonoids, which are well‑known for their antioxidant and anti‑inflammatory properties, offer a unique approach by influencing multiple metabolic targets. The present comprehensive review reveals the intricate processes of RCC metabolic reprogramming, encompassing glycolysis, mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid biosynthesis. The insights derived from the present review may contribute to the understanding of the specific anticancer mechanisms of flavonoids, potentially paving the way for the development of natural antitumor drugs focused on the metabolic reprogramming of RCC.

An exploratory study on the effect of kynurenine metabolites on sEnd-2 endothelioma cells

Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality worldwide. The development of anticancer therapy plays a crucial role in mitigating tumour progression and metastasis. Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a very rare cancer, however, with a high systemic involvement. Kynurenine metabolites which include l-kynurenine, 3-hydroxykynurenine, 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid and quinolinic acid have been shown to inhibit T-cell proliferation resulting in a decrease in cell growth of natural killer cells and T cells. Furthermore, metabolites such as  l-kynurenine have been shown to inhibit proliferation of melanoma cells in vitro. Considering these metabolite properties, the present study aimed to explore the in vitro effects of  l-kynurenine, quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid on endothelioma sEnd-2 cells and on endothelial (EA. hy926 cells) (control cell line). The in vitro effect at 24, 48, and 72 h exposure to a range of 1-4 mM of the respective kynurenine metabolites on the two cell lines in terms of cell morphology, cell cycle progression and induction of apoptosis was assessed. The half inhibitory concentration (IC50), as determined using nonlinear regression, for  l-kynurenine, quinolinic acid and kynurenic acid was 9.17, 15.56, and 535.40 mM, respectively. Optical transmitted light differential interference contrast and hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed cells blocked in metaphase, formation of apoptotic bodies and compromised cell density in  l-kynurenine-treated cells. A statistically significant increase in the number of cells present in the sub-G1 phase was observed in  l-kynurenine-treated sample. To our knowledge, this was the first in vitro study conducted to investigate the mechanism of action of kynurenine metabolites on endothelioma sEnd-2 cells. It can be concluded that  l-kynurenine exerts an antiproliferative effect on the endothelioma sEnd-2 cell line by decreasing cell growth and proliferation as well as a metaphase block. These hallmarks suggest cell death via apoptosis. Further research will be conducted on  l-kynurenine to assess the effect on cell adhesion in vitro and in vivo as cell-cell adhesion has been shown to increase metastasis to distant organs therefore, the inhibition of adhesion may lead to a decrease in metastasis.

A Review of the Evidence for Tryptophan and the Kynurenine Pathway as a Regulator of Stem Cell Niches in Health and Disease

Stem cells are ubiquitously found in various tissues and organs in the body, and underpin the body's ability to repair itself following injury or disease initiation, though repair can sometimes be compromised. Understanding how stem cells are produced, and functional signaling systems between different niches is critical to understanding the potential use of stem cells in regenerative medicine. In this context, this review considers kynurenine pathway (KP) metabolism in multipotent adult progenitor cells, embryonic, haematopoietic, neural, cancer, cardiac and induced pluripotent stem cells, endothelial progenitor cells, and mesenchymal stromal cells. The KP is the major enzymatic pathway for sequentially catabolising the essential amino acid tryptophan (TRP), resulting in key metabolites including kynurenine, kynurenic acid, and quinolinic acid (QUIN). QUIN metabolism transitions into the adjoining de novo pathway for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) production, a critical cofactor in many fundamental cellular biochemical pathways. How stem cells uptake and utilise TRP varies between different species and stem cell types, because of their expression of transporters and responses to inflammatory cytokines. Several KP metabolites are physiologically active, with either beneficial or detrimental outcomes, and evidence of this is presented relating to several stem cell types, which is important as they may exert a significant impact on surrounding differentiated cells, particularly if they metabolise or secrete metabolites differently. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in mesenchymal stromal cells, for instance, highly upregulates rate-limiting enzyme indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO-1), initiating TRP depletion and production of metabolites including kynurenine/kynurenic acid, known agonists of the Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) transcription factor. AhR transcriptionally regulates an immunosuppressive phenotype, making them attractive for regenerative therapy. We also draw attention to important gaps in knowledge for future studies, which will underpin future application for stem cell-based cellular therapies or optimising drugs which can modulate the KP in innate stem cell populations, for disease treatment.

Metabolic alterations in hereditary and sporadic renal cell carcinoma

Kidney cancer is the seventh leading cause of cancer in the world, and its incidence is on the rise. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common form and is a heterogeneous disease comprising three major subtypes that vary in their histology, clinical course and driver mutations. These subtypes include clear cell RCC, papillary RCC and chromophobe RCC. Molecular analyses of hereditary and sporadic forms of RCC have revealed that this complex and deadly disease is characterized by metabolic pathway alterations in cancer cells that lead to deregulated oxygen and nutrient sensing, as well as impaired tricarboxylic acid cycle activity. These metabolic changes facilitate tumour growth and survival. Specifically, studies of the metabolic features of RCC have led to the discovery of oncometabolites - fumarate and succinate - that can promote tumorigenesis, moonlighting functions of enzymes, and substrate auxotrophy owing to the disruption of pathways that enable the production of arginine and cholesterol. These metabolic alterations within RCC can be exploited to identify new therapeutic targets and interventions, in combination with novel approaches that minimize the systemic toxicity of metabolic inhibitors and reduce the risk of drug resistance owing to metabolic plasticity.

Biological Biomarkers of Response and Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Renal Cell Carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) represents around 2% of cancer-related deaths worldwide per year. RCC is an immunogenic malignancy, and treatment of metastatic RCC (mRCC) has greatly improved since the advent of the new immunotherapy agents, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, it should be stressed that a large proportion of patients does not respond to these therapies. There is thus an urgent need to identify predictive biomarkers of efficacy or resistance associated with ICIs or ICI/Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) combinations; this is a major challenge to achieve precision medicine for mRCC in routine practice. To identify potential biomarkers, it is necessary to improve our knowledge on the biology of immune checkpoints. A lot of efforts have been made over the last decade in the field of immuno-oncology. We summarize here the main data obtained in this field when considering mRCC. As for clinical biomarkers, clinician and scientific experts of the domain are facing difficulties in identifying such molecular entities, probably due to the complexity of immuno-oncology and the constant adaptation of tumor cells to their changing environment.

Metabolic reprogramming of clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a malignancy that exhibits metabolic reprogramming as a result of genetic mutations. This reprogramming accommodates the energy and anabolic needs of the cancer cells, leading to changes in glucose, lipid, and bio-oxidative metabolism, and in some cases, the amino acid metabolism. Recent evidence suggests that ccRCC may be classified as a metabolic disease. The metabolic alterations provide potential targets for novel therapeutic interventions or biomarkers for monitoring tumor growth and prognosis. This literature review summarized recent discoveries of metabolic alterations in ccRCC, including changes in glucose, lipid, and amino acid metabolism. The development of metabolic drugs targeting these metabolic pathways was also discussed, such as HIF-2α inhibitors, fatty acid synthase (FAS) inhibitors, glutaminase (GLS) inhibitors, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) inhibitors, and arginine depletion. Future trends in drug development are proposed, including the use of combination therapies and personalized medicine approaches. In conclusion, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the metabolic alterations in ccRCC and highlights the potential for developing new treatments for this disease.

Inflammatory Networks in Renal Cell Carcinoma

Cancer-associated inflammation has been established as a hallmark feature of almost all solid cancers. Tumor-extrinsic and intrinsic signaling pathways regulate the process of cancer-associated inflammation. Tumor-extrinsic inflammation is triggered by many factors, including infection, obesity, autoimmune disorders, and exposure to toxic and radioactive substances. Intrinsic inflammation can be induced by genomic mutation, genome instability and epigenetic remodeling in cancer cells that promote immunosuppressive traits, inducing the recruitment and activation of inflammatory immune cells. In RCC, many cancer cell-intrinsic alterations are assembled, upregulating inflammatory pathways, which enhance chemokine release and neoantigen expression. Furthermore, immune cells activate the endothelium and induce metabolic shifts, thereby amplifying both the paracrine and autocrine inflammatory loops to promote RCC tumor growth and progression. Together with tumor-extrinsic inflammatory factors, tumor-intrinsic signaling pathways trigger a Janus-faced tumor microenvironment, thereby simultaneously promoting or inhibiting tumor growth. For therapeutic success, it is important to understand the pathomechanisms of cancer-associated inflammation, which promote cancer progression. In this review, we describe the molecular mechanisms of cancer-associated inflammation that influence cancer and immune cell functions, thereby increasing tumor malignancy and anti-cancer resistance. We also discuss the potential of anti-inflammatory treatments, which may provide clinical benefits in RCCs and possible avenues for therapy and future research.

Comprehensive analyses of A 12-metabolism-associated gene signature and its connection with tumor metastases in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The outcomes of patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) were dreadful due to lethal local recurrence and distant metastases. Accumulating evidence suggested that ccRCC was considered a metabolic disease and metabolism-associated genes (MAGs) exerted essential functions in tumor metastases. Thus, this study intends to seek whether the dysregulated metabolism promotes ccRCC metastases and explores underlying mechanisms.

METHOD

Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was employed based on 2131 MAGs to select genes mostly associated with ccRCC metastases for subsequent univariate Cox regression. On this basis, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and multivariate Cox regression were employed to create a prognostic signature based on the cancer genome atlas kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (TCGA-KIRC) cohort. The prognostic signature was confirmed using E-MTAB-1980 and GSE22541 cohorts. Kaplan-Meier, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and univariate and multivariate Cox regression were applied to detect the predictability and independence of the signature in ccRCC patients. Functional enrichment analyses, immune cell infiltration examinations, and somatic variant investigations were employed to detect the biological roles of the signature.

RESULT

A 12-gene-metabolism-associated prognostic signature, termed the MAPS by our team, was constructed. According to the MAPS, patients were divided into low- and high-risk subgroups and high-risk patients displayed inferior outcomes. The MAPS was validated as an independent and reliable biomarker in ccRCC patients for forecasting the prognosis and progression of ccRCC patients. Functionally, the MAPS was closely associated with metabolism dysregulation, tumor metastases, and immune responses in which the high-risk tumors were in an immunosuppressive status. Besides, high-risk patients benefited more from immunotherapy and held a higher tumor mutation burden (TMB) than low-risk patients.

CONCLUSION

The 12-gene MAPS with prominent biological roles could independently and reliably forecast the outcomes of ccRCC patients, and provide clues to uncover the latent mechanism in which dysregulated metabolism controlled ccRCC metastases.

Molecular characterization of renal cell carcinoma tumors from a phase III anti-angiogenic adjuvant therapy trial

Multigene assays can provide insight into key biological processes and prognostic information to guide development and selection of adjuvant cancer therapy. We report a comprehensive genomic and transcriptomic analysis of tumor samples from 171 patients at high risk for recurrent renal cell carcinoma post nephrectomy from the S-TRAC trial (NCT00375674). We identify gene expression signatures, including STRAC11 (derived from the sunitinib-treated population). The overlap in key elements captured in these gene expression signatures, which include genes representative of the tumor stroma microenvironment, regulatory T cell, and myeloid cells, suggests they are likely to be both prognostic and predictive of the anti-angiogenic effect in the adjuvant setting. These signatures also point to the identification of potential therapeutic targets for development in adjuvant renal cell carcinoma, such as MERTK and TDO2. Finally, our findings suggest that while anti-angiogenic adjuvant therapy might be important, it may not be sufficient to prevent recurrence and that other factors such as immune response and tumor environment may be of greater importance.

Kynurenine pathway in kidney diseases

Kidney diseases have become one of the most common health care problems. Due to a growing number of advanced aged patients with concomitant disorders the prevalence of these diseases will increase over the coming decades. Despite available laboratory tests, accurate and rapid diagnosis of renal dysfunction has yet to be realized, and prognosis is uncertain. Moreover, data on diagnostic and prognostic markers in kidney diseases are lacking. The kynurenine (KYN) pathway is one of the routes of tryptophan (Trp) degradation, with biologically active substances presenting ambiguous properties. The KYN pathway is known to be highly dependent on immunological system activity. As the kidneys are one of the main organs involved in the formation, degradation and excretion of Trp end products, pathologies involving the kidneys result in KYN pathway activity disturbances. This review aims to summarize changes in the KYN pathway observed in the most common kidney disease, chronic kidney disease (CKD), with a special focus on diabetic kidney disease, acute kidney injury (AKI), glomerulonephritis and kidney graft function monitoring. Additionally, the importance of KYN pathway activity in kidney cancer pathogenesis is discussed, as are available pharmacological agents affecting KYN pathway activity in the kidney. Despite limited clinical data, the KYN pathway appears to be a promising target in the diagnosis and prognosis of kidney diseases. Modulation of KYN pathway activity by pharmacological agents should be considered in the treatment of kidney diseases.

The Gut Microbiota Activates AhR Through the Tryptophan Metabolite Kyn to Mediate Renal Cell Carcinoma Metastasis

Background: The incidence of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is increasing year by year. It is difficult to have complete treatment so far. Studies have shown that tryptophan metabolite Kynurenine (Kyn) affects cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, adhesion, and differentiation. Our aim is to explore whether Kyn activates aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) to mediate RCC metastasis.

Methods: We collected RCC tissues and feces from RCC patients. 16S rRNA technology was performed to analyze the gut microbial composition of RCC patients. LC-MS/MS was used to analyze the gut microbial metabolites. The AhR was inhibited and treated with Kyn. Immunofluorescence was used to measure the degree of AhR activation. The migration and invasion ability of 786-O cells was tested by Transwell assay. Flow cytometry and cell cycle assay were utilized to observe the apoptosis and cycle of 786-O cells. CCK-8 assay was used to detect 786-O cells proliferation. qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect AhR and EMT-related genes expression level.

Results: AhR expression was up-regulated in RCC tissues. RCC gut microbiota was disordered. The proportion of Kyn was increased in RCC. After being treated with Kyn, the migration, invasion, and proliferation ability of 786-O cells were decreased. Furthermore, the expression of EMT-related protein E-cadherin decreased, and the expression of N-cadherin and Vimentin increased. The proportion of 786-O cells in the S phase increased. The apoptosis rate of 786-O cells was inhibited.

Conclusion: The tryptophan metabolite Kyn could activate AhR. Kyn could promote 786-O cells migration and invasion. Gut microbiota could activate AhR through its tryptophan metabolite Kyn to mediate RCC metastasis.

Metabolic reprogramming in renal cancer: Events of a metabolic disease

Recent studies have established that tumors can reprogram the pathways involved in nutrient uptake and metabolism to withstand the altered biosynthetic, bioenergetics and redox requirements of cancer cells. This phenomenon is called metabolic reprogramming, which is promoted by the loss of tumor suppressor genes and activation of oncogenes. Because of alterations and perturbations in multiple metabolic pathways, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is sometimes termed as a "metabolic disease". The majority of metabolic reprogramming in renal cancer is caused by the inactivation of von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene and activation of the Ras-PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) and Myc are other important players in the metabolic reprogramming of RCC. All types of RCCs are associated with reprogramming of glucose and fatty acid metabolism and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Metabolism of glutamine, tryptophan and arginine is also reprogrammed in renal cancer to favor tumor growth and oncogenesis. Together, understanding these modifications or reprogramming of the metabolic pathways in detail offer ample opportunities for the development of new therapeutic targets and strategies, discovery of biomarkers and identification of effective tumor detection methods.

Clinicopathologic features of TDO2 overexpression in renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2) is the primary enzyme catabolizing tryptophan. Several lines of evidence revealed that overexpression of TDO2 is involved in anoikis resistance, spheroid formation, proliferation, and invasion and correlates with poor prognosis in some cancers. The aim of this research was to uncover the expression and biofunction of TDO2 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

METHODS

To show the expression of TDO2 in RCC, we performed qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry in integration with TCGA data analysis. The interaction of TDO2 with PD-L1, CD44, PTEN, and TDO2 expression was evaluated. We explored proliferation, colony formation, and invasion in RCC cells line affected by knockdown of TDO2.

RESULTS

RNA-Seq and immunohistochemical analysis showed that TDO2 expression was upregulated in RCC tissues and was associated with advanced disease and poor survival of RCC patients. Furthermore, TDO2 was co-expressed with PD-L1 and CD44. In silico analysis and in vitro knockout of PTEN in RCC cell lines revealed the ability of PTEN to regulate the expression of TDO2. Knockdown of TDO2 suppressed the proliferation and invasion of RCC cells.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that TDO2 might have an important role in disease progression and could be a promising marker for targeted therapy in RCC. (199 words).

Kynurenines as a Novel Target for the Treatment of Malignancies

Malignancies are unquestionably a significant public health problem. Their effective treatment is still a big challenge for modern medicine. Tumors have developed a wide range of mechanisms to evade an immune and therapeutic response. As a result, there is an unmet clinical need for research on solutions aimed at overcoming this problem. An accumulation of tryptophan metabolites belonging to the kynurenine pathway can enhance neoplastic progression because it causes the suppression of immune system response against cancer cells. They are also involved in the development of the mechanisms responsible for the resistance to antitumor therapy. Kynurenine belongs to the most potent immunosuppressive metabolites of this pathway and has a significant impact on the development of malignancies. This fact prompted researchers to assess whether targeting the enzymes responsible for its synthesis could be an effective therapeutic strategy for various cancers. To date, numerous studies, both preclinical and clinical, have been conducted on this topic, especially regarding the inhibition of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity and their results can be considered noteworthy. This review gathers and systematizes the knowledge about the role of the kynurenine pathway in neoplastic progression and the findings regarding the usefulness of modulating its activity in anticancer therapy.

Potential New Therapeutic Approaches for Renal Cell Carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is increasing in incidence and one third of newly diagnosed cases already are metastatic. The metastatic spread of solid tumors renders RCC incurable by surgical resection and consequently more difficult to treat. New molecular-targeted therapies have played a pivotal role in RCC treatment. Unfortunately, tumors frequently develop resistance to these targeted therapies by activating bypass pathways in which alternative signaling or biochemical pathways are activated in response to targeted inhibition of a signaling pathway, allowing cancer cells to continue to survive. Although the advent of immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors has led to significant changes in the treatment landscape for advanced RCC, many issues remain to be resolved. For these reasons, there is an urgent need to develop novel therapies and new treatment paradigms for patients with RCC. Much research has been performed thus far in identifying novel targets and treatment strategies in RCC and many of these currently are under investigation and/or in clinical trials. In this article, we discuss therapeutic options in the management of RCC with a focus on the new therapeutic approaches currently investigated in research and for use in the clinic. We divide these potential novel therapies into five groups: nonbiologics, small-molecule drugs, biologics, immunomodulatory therapies, and peptide drugs. We also present some therapeutics and treatment paradigms.

Reprogramming of Metabolism in Kidney Cancer

Metabolic reprogramming is one of the major steps that tumor cells take during cancer progression. This process allows the cells to survive in a nutrient- and oxygen-deprived environment, to become stress tolerant, and to metastasize to different sites. Recent studies have shown that reprogramming happens in stromal cells and involves the cross-talk of the cancer cell/tumor microenvironment. There are similarities between the metabolic reprogramming that occurs in both noncancerous kidney diseases and renal cell carcinoma (RCC), suggesting that such reprogramming is a means by which renal epithelial cells survive injury and repair the tissue, and that RCC cells hijack this system. This article reviews reprogramming of major metabolism pathways in RCC, highlighting similarities and differences from kidney diseases and potential therapeutic strategies against it.

Targeting Dietary and Microbial Tryptophan-Indole Metabolism as Therapeutic Approaches to Colon Cancer

Tryptophan metabolism, via the kynurenine (Kyn) pathway, and microbial transformation of tryptophan to indolic compounds are fundamental for host health; both of which are altered in colon carcinogenesis. Alterations in tryptophan metabolism begin early in colon carcinogenesis as an adaptive mechanism for the tumor to escape immune surveillance and metastasize. The microbial community is a key part of the tumor microenvironment and influences cancer initiation, promotion and treatment response. A growing awareness of the impact of the microbiome on tryptophan (Trp) metabolism in the context of carcinogenesis has prompted this review. We first compare the different metabolic pathways of Trp under normal cellular physiology to colon carcinogenesis, in both the host cells and the microbiome. Second, we review how the microbiome, specifically indoles, influence host tryptophan pathways under normal and oncogenic metabolism. We conclude by proposing several dietary, microbial and drug therapeutic modalities that can be utilized in combination to abrogate tumorigenesis.

Metabolomic and elemental profiling of human tissue in kidney cancer

INTRODUCTION

Kidney cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed and the most lethal urinary cancer. Despite advances in treatment, no specific biomarker is currently in use to guide therapeutic interventions.

OBJECTIVES

Major aim of this work was to perform metabolomic and elemental profiling of human kidney cancer and normal tissue and to evaluate cancer biomarkers.

METHODS

Metabolic and elemental profiling of tumor and adjacent normal human kidney tissue from 50 patients with kidney cancer was undertaken using three different analytical methods.

RESULTS

Five potential tissue biomarkers of kidney cancer were identified and quantified using with high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The contents of selected chemical elements in tissues was analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Eleven mass spectral features differentiating between kidney cancer and normal tissues were detected using silver-109 nanoparticle enhanced steel target laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results, derived from the combination of ICP-OES, LDI MS and 1H NMR methods, suggest that tissue biomarkers identified herein appeared to have great potential for use in clinical prognosis and/or diagnosis of kidney cancer.

An eleven metabolic gene signature-based prognostic model for clear cell renal cell carcinoma

In this study, we performed bioinformatics and statistical analyses to investigate the prognostic significance of metabolic genes in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) using the transcriptome data of 539 ccRCC and 72 normal renal tissues from TCGA database. We identified 79 upregulated and 45 downregulated (n=124) metabolic genes in ccRCC tissues. Eleven prognostic metabolic genes (NOS1, ALAD, ALDH3B2, ACADM, ITPKA, IMPDH1, SCD5, FADS2, ACHE, CA4, and HK3) were identified by further analysis. We then constructed an 11-metabolic gene signature-based prognostic risk score model and classified ccRCC patients into high- and low-risk groups. Overall survival (OS) among the high-risk ccRCC patients was significantly shorter than among the low-risk ccRCC patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of the prognostic risk score model showed that the areas under the ROC curve for the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS were 0.810, 0.738, and 0.771, respectively. Thus, our prognostic model showed favorable predictive power in the TCGA and E-MTAB-1980 ccRCC patient cohorts. We also established a nomogram based on these eleven metabolic genes and validated internally in the TCGA cohort, showing an accurate prediction for prognosis in ccRCC.

Targeting Metabolic Pathways in Kidney Cancer: Rationale and Therapeutic Opportunities

Alterations in cellular sugar, amino acid and nucleic acid, and lipid metabolism, as well as in mitochondrial function, are a hallmark of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The activation of oncogenes such as hypoxia-inducible factor and loss of the von Hippel-Lindau function and other tumor suppressors frequently occur early on during tumorigenesis and are the drivers for these changes, collectively known as "metabolic reprogramming," which promotes cellular growth, proliferation, and stress resilience. However, tumor cells can become addicted to reprogrammed metabolism. Here, we review the current knowledge of metabolic addictions in clear cell RCC, the most common form of RCC, and to what extent this has created therapeutic opportunities to interfere with such altered metabolic pathways to selectively target tumor cells. We highlight preclinical and emerging clinical data on novel therapeutics targeting metabolic traits in clear cell RCC to provide a comprehensive overview on current strategies to exploit metabolic reprogramming clinically.

Dysregulation at multiple points of the kynurenine pathway is a ubiquitous feature of renal cancer: implications for tumour immune evasion

BACKGROUND

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), the first step in the kynurenine pathway (KP), is upregulated in some cancers and represents an attractive therapeutic target given its role in tumour immune evasion. However, the recent failure of an IDO inhibitor in a late phase trial raises questions about this strategy.

METHODS

Matched renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and normal kidney tissues were subject to proteomic profiling. Tissue immunohistochemistry and gene expression data were used to validate findings. Phenotypic effects of loss/gain of expression were examined in vitro.

RESULTS

Quinolate phosphoribosyltransferase (QPRT), the final and rate-limiting enzyme in the KP, was identified as being downregulated in RCC. Loss of QPRT expression led to increased potential for anchorage-independent growth. Gene expression, mass spectrometry (clear cell and chromophobe RCC) and tissue immunohistochemistry (clear cell, papillary and chromophobe), confirmed loss or decreased expression of QPRT and showed downregulation of other KP enzymes, including kynurenine 3-monoxygenase (KMO) and 3-hydroxyanthranilate-3,4-dioxygenase (HAAO), with a concomitant maintenance or upregulation of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), the key enzyme in the NAD+ salvage pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

Widespread dysregulation of the KP is common in RCC and is likely to contribute to tumour immune evasion, carrying implications for effective therapeutic targeting of this critical pathway.

Anti-Cancer Activity of PAK4/NAMPT Inhibitor and Programmed Cell Death Protein-1 Antibody in Kidney Cancer

BACKGROUND

Kidney cancer (or renal cell carcinoma, RCC) is the sixth most common malignancy in the United States and is increasing in incidence. Despite new therapies, including targeted therapies and immunotherapies, most RCCs are resistant to treatment. Thus, several laboratories have been evaluating new approaches to therapy, both with single agents as well as combinations. Although we have previously shown efficacy of the dual PAK4/nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) inhibitor KPT-9274, and the immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPI) have shown utility in the clinic, there has been no evaluation of this combination either clinically or in an immunocompetent animal model of kidney cancer.

METHODS

In this study, we use the renal cell adenocarcinoma (RENCA) model of spontaneous murine kidney cancer. Male BALB/cJ mice were injected subcutaneously with RENCA cells and, after tumors were palpable, they were treated with KPT-9274 and/or anti-programmed cell death 1 (PDCD1; PD1) antibody for 21 days. Tumors were measured and then removed at animal euthanasia for subsequent studies.

RESULTS

We demonstrate a significant decrease in allograft growth with the combination treatment of KPT-9274 and anti-PD1 antibody without significant weight loss by the animals. This is associated with decreased (MOUSE) Naprt expression, indicating dependence of these tumors on NAMPT in parallel to what we have observed in human RCC. Histology of the tumors showed substantial necrosis regardless of treatment condition, and flow cytometry of antibody-stained tumor cells revealed that the enhanced therapeutic effect of KPT-9274 and anti-PD1 antibody was not driven by infiltration of T cells into tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the potential of the RENCA model for evaluating immunologic responses to KPT-9274 and checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) and suggests that therapy with this combination could improve efficacy in RCC beyond what is achievable with CPI alone.

Programmed death ligand 1/indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 expression and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte status in renal cell carcinoma with sarcomatoid changes and rhabdoid features

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with sarcomatoid changes and rhabdoid features has shown poor outcomes. Several immune checkpoint inhibitors including programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitors have been approved for the treatment of RCC. Combination therapy using PD-1/PD-L1 and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) inhibitors has also been used to treat various malignancies. However, little is known about IDO1 expression and therapeutic effects of the IDO1 inhibitor in RCC. Herein, we retrospectively analyzed the expression of PD-L1/IDO1 and examined its relationship with tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) status and prognostic effect. We investigated the PD-L1, IDO1, CD3⁺, CD4⁺, and CD8⁺ immunoexpression status in 60 cases of sarcomatoid/rhabdoid RCC. The PD-L1 and IDO1 results were defined by the tumor proportion score. For the evaluation of TIL status, we counted the number of lymphocytes located in the tumor and averaged the numbers over five high-power fields for each case. The results revealed PD-L1 and IDO1 expression was observed more frequently in the sarcomatoid/rhabdoid component than in the nonsarcomatoid/nonrhabdoid component. The correlation between PD-L1 and IDO1 expression was significant (P = 0.0076). PD-L1 expression and coexpression of PD-L1 and IDO1 were correlated with a high density of CD3⁺, CD4⁺, and CD8⁺ T cells. There was no significant difference in overall survival among the patients with PD-L1 and/or IDO1 expression, but PD-L1 expression and coexpression were related to poor progression-free survival. Our results suggest that combination therapy using the PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor and IDO1 inhibitor may be effective for treating sarcomatoid/rhabdoid RCC.

The Role of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) in Brain Tumors

Primary brain tumors, both malignant and benign, are diagnosed in adults at an incidence rate of approximately 23 people per 100 thousand. The role of AhR in carcinogenesis has been a subject of debate, given that this protein may act as either an oncogenic protein or a tumor suppressor in different cell types and contexts. Lately, there is growing evidence that aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) plays an important part in the development of brain tumors. The role of AhR in brain tumors is complicated, depending on the type of tumor, on ligands that activate AhR, and other features of the pathological process. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about AhR in relation to brain tumors and provide an overview of AhR’s potential as a therapeutic target.

Inflammation-Induced Tryptophan Breakdown is Related With Anemia, Fatigue, and Depression in Cancer

Many patients with cancer suffer from anemia, depression, and an impaired quality of life (QoL). These patients often also show decreased plasma tryptophan levels and increased kynurenine concentrations in parallel with elevated concentrations of Th1 type immune activation marker neopterin. In the course of anti-tumor immune response, the pro-inflammatory cytokine interferon gamma (IFN-γ) induces both, the enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) to degrade tryptophan and the enzyme GTP-cyclohydrolase I to form neopterin. High neopterin concentrations as well as an increased kynurenine to tryptophan ratio (Kyn/Trp) in the blood of cancer patients are predictive for a worse outcome. Inflammation-mediated tryptophan catabolism along the kynurenine pathway is related to fatigue and anemia as well as to depression and a decreased QoL in patients with solid tumors. In fact, enhanced tryptophan breakdown might greatly contribute to the development of anemia, fatigue, and depression in cancer patients. IDO activation and stimulation of the kynurenine pathway exert immune regulatory mechanisms, which may impair anti-tumor immune responses. In addition, tumor cells can degrade tryptophan to weaken immune responses directed against them. High IDO expression in the tumor tissue is associated with a poor prognosis of patients. The efficiency of IDO-inhibitors to inhibit cancer progression is currently tested in combination with established chemotherapies and with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Inflammation-mediated tryptophan catabolism and its possible influence on the development and persistence of anemia, fatigue, and depression in cancer patients are discussed.

A cluster of long non-coding RNAs exhibit diagnostic and prognostic values in renal cell carcinoma

Kidney cancer ranked in the top 10 for both men and women in the estimated numbers of new cancer cases in the United States in 2018. Targeted therapies have recently been administered to patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), but the overall survival of patients at the terminal stage of the disease has not been as good as expected. It is therefore necessary to uncover efficient biomarkers for early diagnosis, and to clarify the molecular mechanisms underlying ccRCC progression and metastasis. Increased evidence has shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles during tumor progression. In this study, 10 candidate lncRNAs with diagnostic and prognostic values in ccRCC were identified: IGFL2-AS1, AC023043.1, AP000439.2, AC124854.1, AL355102.4, TMEM246-AS1, AL133467.3, ZNF582-AS1, LINC01510 and PSMG3-AS1. Enrichment analysis revealed metabolic and functional pathways, which may be closely associated with kidney cancer tumorigenesis. Six representative processes were summarized, namely glycolysis, amino acid metabolism, lipid synthesis, reductive carboxylation, nucleotide metabolism, transmembrane transport and signal transduction. In combination, the present results provided prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers for ccRCC and might pave the way for targeted intervention and molecular therapies in the future.

Inflammation in cancer and depression: a starring role for the kynurenine pathway

Depression is a common comorbidity in cancer cases, but this is not only due to the emotional distress of having a life-threatening disease. A common biological mechanism, involving a dysregulated immune system, seems to underpin this comorbidity. In particular, the activation of the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan degradation due to inflammation may play a key role in the development and persistence of both diseases. As a consequence, targeting enzymes involved in this pathway offers a unique opportunity to develop new strategies to treat cancer and depression at once. In this work, we provide a systematic review of the evidence up to date on the kynurenine pathway role in linking depression and cancer and on clinical implications of this evidence. In particular, complications due to chemotherapy are discussed, as well as the potential antidepressant efficacy of novel immunotherapies for cancer.

Metabolomic insights into pathophysiological mechanisms and biomarker discovery in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

INTRODUCTION

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a metabolic disease, of which the incidence rate is increasing worldwide. Renal carcinoma is characterized by mutations in target genes involved in metabolic pathways. Metabolic reprogramming covers different processes such as aerobic glycolysis, fatty acid metabolism, and the utilization of tryptophan, glutamine, and arginine. In the era of the multi-omics approach (with integrated transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics), discovering biomarkers for early diagnosis is gaining renewed importance. Areas covered: In this review, we discuss the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying ccRCC metabolic reprogramming. In addition, we describe the emerging metabolomics-based biomarkers differentially expressed in ccRCC and the rationale for the recently developed drugs specifically targeting the ccRCC metabolome. Expert opinion: A number of metabolic pathways will be explored in future years, and many of these pathways are potential therapeutic targets and may serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of ccRCC.

Metabolomics and Metabolic Reprogramming in Kidney Cancer

Kidney cancer, or renal cell carcinoma (RCC), is a disease of increasing incidence that commonly is seen in the general practice of nephrology. Despite this state of affairs, this fascinating and highly morbid disease frequently is under-represented, or even absent, from the curriculum of nephrologists in training and generally is underemphasized in national nephrology meetings, both scientific as well as clinical. Although classic concepts in cancer research in general had led to the concept that cancer is a disease resulting from mutations in the control of growth-regulating pathways, reinforced by the discovery of oncogenes, more contemporary research, particularly in kidney cancer, has uncovered changes in metabolic pathways mediated by those same genes that control tumor energetics and biosynthesis. This adaptation of classic biochemical pathways to the tumor's advantage has been labeled metabolic reprogramming. For example, in the case of kidney cancer there exists a near-universal presence of von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor (pVHL) inactivation in the most common form, clear cell RCC (ccRCC), leading to activation of hypoxia-relevant and other metabolic pathways. Studies of this and other pathways in clear cell RCC (ccRCC) have been particularly revealing, leading to the concept that ccRCC can itself be considered a metabolic disease. For this reason, the relatively new method of metabolomics has become a useful technique in the study of ccRCC to tease out those pathways that have been reprogrammed by the tumor to its maximum survival advantage. Furthermore, identification of the nodes of such pathways can lead to novel areas for drug intervention in a disease for which such targets are seriously lacking. Further research and dissemination of these concepts, likely using omics techniques, will lead to clinical trials of therapeutics specifically targeted to tumor metabolism, rather than those generally toxic to all proliferating cells. Such novel agents are highly likely to be more effective than existing drugs and to have far fewer adverse effects. This review provides a general overview of the technique of metabolomics and then discusses how it and other omics techniques have been used to further our understanding of the basic biology of kidney cancer as well as to identify new therapeutic approaches.

Hyperpolarized 13C magnetic resonance imaging, using metabolic imaging to improve the detection and management of prostate, bladder, and kidney urologic malignancies

Approximately 25% of the 2 million new cancer diagnoses in the United States in 2018 were comprised of malignancies of the urogenital system. Of these cancers, 75% occurred in the kidney/renal pelvis, prostate, and urinary bladder. Early diagnosis is beneficial to long-term survival. Currently, urologists rely heavily on computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound (US), and positron emission tomography (PET) to both diagnose and offer prognoses, but these techniques are limited in their resolution and are more effective when cancers have reached macroscopic size in later stages. Recent developments in cancer metabolomics have revealed that cancerous cells preferentially upregulate specific metabolic pathways as a means of conserving their resources and maximizing their growth potential. This has opened a new avenue for early diagnosis with much higher resolution, reliability, and accuracy through ¹³C hyperpolarized MRI. Preferential cancer pathways can be elucidated through this technique using ¹³C-labeled molecules utilized for energy generation and tumor growth. As these pathways are identified, targeted therapies are being designed to inhibit these pathways to allow for treatment that is cytotoxic to malignant cells but preserves native cells. In this paper, we review the current understanding of urologic cancer metabolomics, specifically in the kidney, prostate, and bladder. We will review the basic physics of MRI and demonstrate how hyperpolarized ¹³C MRI offers an innovative solution to early diagnosis as well as creates novel avenues for more targeted therapy.

Arginine reprogramming in ADPKD results in arginine-dependent cystogenesis

Research into metabolic reprogramming in cancer has become commonplace, yet this area of research has only recently come of age in nephrology. In light of the parallels between cancer and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), the latter is currently being studied as a metabolic disease. In clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which is now considered a metabolic disease, we and others have shown derangements in the enzyme arginosuccinate synthase 1 (ASS1), resulting in RCC cells becoming auxotrophic for arginine and leading to a new therapeutic paradigm involving reducing extracellular arginine. Based on our earlier finding that glutamine pathways are reprogrammed in ARPKD, and given the connection between arginine and glutamine synthetic pathways via citrulline, we investigated the possibility of arginine reprogramming in ADPKD. We now show that, in a remarkable parallel to RCC, ASS1 expression is reduced in murine and human ADPKD, and arginine depletion results in a dose-dependent compensatory increase in ASS1 levels as well as decreased cystogenesis in vitro and ex vivo with minimal toxicity to normal cells. Nontargeted metabolomics analysis of mouse kidney cell lines grown in arginine-deficient versus arginine-replete media suggests arginine-dependent alterations in the glutamine and proline pathways. Thus, depletion of this conditionally essential amino acid by dietary or pharmacological means, such as with arginine-degrading enzymes, may be a novel treatment for this disease.

Expression of the IDO1/TDO2-AhR pathway in tumor cells or the tumor microenvironment is associated with Merkel cell polyomavirus status and prognosis in Merkel cell carcinoma

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive neuroendocrine skin cancer, with approximately 80% of cases related to Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV). Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase 2 (TDO2) are the key rate-limiting enzymes of the tryptophan-to-kynurenine metabolic pathway. With aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), an intracellular transcription factor, they play a role in escaping the immunosurveillance process in several cancers. IDO1/TDO2/AhR expression associated with the MCPyV status and prognosis in MCC was investigated. Samples included 24 MCPyV-positive MCCs, 12 MCPyV-negative MCCs with squamous cell carcinoma, and 7 MCPyV-negative pure MCCs. They were stained immunohistochemically with IDO1, TDO2, and AhR antibodies and analyzed. Higher IDO1 expression in MCC tumor cells was found in MCPyV-negative than in MCPyV-positive MCC (P < .001). The tumor microenvironment (TME) in MCPyV-negative MCC expressed higher TDO2 than in MCPyV-positive MCC (P < .001). Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests showed that MCC with lower IDO1 expression in tumor cells and with lower TDO2 and AhR expressions in TME had better overall survival than otherwise (P = .043, .008, and .035, respectively); lower TDO2 expression in TME was also associated with longer disease-specific survival (P = .016). This suggests that IDO1, TDO2, and AhR express differentially in tumor cells or TME and play different roles in tumorigenesis between MCPyV-positive and MCPyV-negative MCC that may affect the MCC biology. Evaluating IDO1/TDO2/AhR expression is important for selecting the most likely patients with MCC for immunotherapies targeting the IDO1/TDO2-AhR pathway.

Interferon gamma in cancer immunotherapy

Immune system can recognize self vs transformed self. That is why cancer immunotherapy achieves notable benefits in a wide variety of cancers. Recently, several papers reported that immune checkpoint blockade therapy led to upregulation of IFNγ and in turn clearance of tumor cells. In this review, we conducted an extensive literature search of recent 5‐year studies about the roles of IFNγ signaling in both tumor immune surveillance and immune evasion. In addition to well‐known functions, IFNγ signaling also induces tumor ischemia and homeostasis program, resulting in tumor clearance and tumor escape, respectively. The yin and the yang of IFNγ signaling are summarized. Thus, this review helps us to comprehensively understand the roles of IFNγ in tumor immunity, which contributes to better design and management of clinical immunotherapy approaches.

Targeted metabolomic analysis of 33 amino acids and biogenic amines in human urine by ion-pairing HPLC-MS/MS: Biomarkers for tacrolimus nephrotoxicity after renal transplantation

Calcineurin inhibitor nephrotoxicity, especially for the widely used tacrolimus, has become a major concern in post-transplant immunosuppression. Multiparametric amino acid metabolomics is useful for biomarker identification of tacrolimus nephrotoxicity, for which specific quantitative methods are highlighted as a premise. This article presents a targeted metabolomic assay to quantify 33 amino acids and biogenic amines in human urine by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Chromatographic separation was carried out on an Agilent Zorbax SB-C₁₈ column (3.0 × 150 mm, 5 μm) with addition of an ion-pairing agent in the mobile phase, and MS/MS detection was achieved in both the positive and negative multiple reaction monitoring modes. Good correlation coefficients (r² > 0.98) were obtained for most analytes. Intra- and inter-day precision, stability, carryover and incurred sample reanalysis met with the acceptance criteria of the guidance of the US Food and Drug Administration. Analysis on urine from healthy volunteers and renal transplantation patients with tacrolimus nephrotoxicity confirmed symmetric dimethylarginine and serine as biomarkers for kidney injury, with AUC values of 0.95 and 0.81 in receiver operating characteristic analysis, respectively. Additionally, symmetric dimethylarginine exhibited a tight correlation with serum creatinine, and was therefore indicative of renal function. The targeted metabolomic assay was time and cost prohibitive for amino acid analysis in human urine, facilitating the biomarker identification of tacrolimus nephrotoxicity.

Investigation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and the intrinsic tumoral component of the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism in primary brain tumors

INTRODUCTION

There is mounting evidence supporting the role of tryptophan metabolism via the kynurenine pathway (KP) in the pathogenesis of primary brain tumors. Under normal physiological conditions, the KP is the major catabolic pathway for the essential amino acid tryptophan. However, in cancer cells, the KP becomes dysregulated, depletes local tryptophan, and contributes to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.

METHODS

We examined the protein expression levels (in 73 gliomas and 48 meningiomas) of the KP rate-limiting enzymes indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) 1, IDO2, and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2), as well as, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a carcinogenic transcription factor activated by KP metabolites. In addition, we utilized commercially available small-molecules to pharmacologically modulate IDO1, IDO2, TDO2, and AhR in patient-derived glioma and meningioma cell lines (n = 9 each).

RESULTS

We observed a positive trend between the grade of the tumor and the average immunohistochemical staining score for IDO1, IDO2, and TDO2, with TDO2 displaying the strongest immunostaining. AhR immunostaining was present in all grades of gliomas and meningiomas, with the greatest staining intensity noted in glioblastomas. Immunocytochemical staining showed a positive trend between nuclear localization of AhR and histologic grade in both gliomas and meningiomas, suggesting increased AhR activation with higher tumor grade. Unlike enzyme inhibition, AhR antagonism markedly diminished patient-derived tumor cell viability, regardless of tumor type or grade, following in vitro drug treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, these results suggest that AhR may offer a novel and robust therapeutic target for a patient population with highly limited treatment options.

High IDO-1 expression in tumor endothelial cells is associated with response to immunotherapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma

Nivolumab belongs to the standard therapy in the second‐line setting of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Although deep and long‐lasting responses are seen in some patients, the majority of patients will further progress. PD‐L1 is still under critical evaluation as a predictive biomarker. Thus, more accurate biomarkers are clearly warranted. Here, we investigated for the first time the predictive role of IDO‐1, a negative immune‐regulatory molecule, on clear cell RCC tissues of 15 patients undergoing nivolumab therapy. IDO‐1 and other immune inhibitory molecules (PD‐L1, PD‐L2, FOXP3) as well as immune cell subsets (CD3, CD4 and CD8) were measured on formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded sections of RCC specimens by immunohistochemistry. IDO‐1 was predominantly expressed in tumor endothelial cells, and was totally absent from tumor cells itself. IDO‐1 overexpression (>10%) could be detected more frequently in responders (100%, n = 6/6) compared to non‐responders (33.3%, n = 3/9; P = .028), resulting in a better progression‐free survival during immunotherapy (IDO‐1 ≤ 10% vs >10%, median: 3.5 vs not estimated (NE) months, P = .01 by log‐rank test). In addition, IDO‐1 was positively correlated with CD8⁺ T cell expression (r_s = .691, P = .006). PD‐L1 expression on tumor cells was negative in 13 (86.7%) of 15 patients, irrespective of therapeutic response (responders vs non‐responders: 83.3% vs 88.9%). No differences were noticed in the PD‐L1 expression on tumor‐infiltrating immune cells (PD‐L1 < 1% in 66.7% of both responders and non‐responders). In contrast to PD‐L1, these results suggest that IDO‐1 may be a more promising predictive biomarker for response to immune‐based cancer therapy in mRCC.

PD-L1 and IDO1 Are Expressed in Poorly Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma

Poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma (PDTC) is an aggressive form of thyroid cancer that currently has limited effective treatment options. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown to be an effective treatment for a variety of carcinomas. In this study, we explore whether immune checkpoint pathways, such as programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), are activated in a cohort of patients with PDTC to determine whether ICIs may be an effective therapy for these patients. PDTC from 28 patients were stained for IDO1, PD-L1, and CD8 using immunohistochemistry. Staining was scored using an H-score, and PD-L1 and IDO1 expression was correlated with clinicopathologic characteristics. Positivity for PD-L1 and IDO1 was set at an H-score cutoff of five. Twenty-five percent (n = 7/28) of the PDTC were positive for PD-L1 expression. Twenty-nine percent (n = 2/7) of the PD-L1 positive PDTCs also co-expressed IDO1. The expression of PD-L1 in PDTC was significantly associated with tumor size and multifocality, with a non-significant trend towards associations with older age, extrathyroidal extension, presence of metastasis, higher stage, increased number of CD8+ T cells, and decreased disease-free and overall survival. PD-L1 expression occurs in a subset of PDTC, and is associated with a subset of clinical features of aggressive thyroid disease. Given the limited effective treatments for this patient population, consideration for ICIs as monotherapy or in combination with an IDO1 inhibitor should be explored as a novel treatment modality for patients with PDTC.

Metabolic and Lipidomic Reprogramming in Renal Cell Carcinoma Subtypes Reflects Regions of Tumor Origin

BACKGROUND

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) consists of prognostic distinct subtypes derived from different cells of origin (eg, clear cell RCC [ccRCC], papillary RCC [papRCC], and chromophobe RCC [chRCC]). ccRCC is characterized by lipid accumulation and metabolic alterations, whereas data on metabolic alterations in non-ccRCC are limited.

OBJECTIVE

We assessed metabolic alterations and the lipid composition of RCC subtypes and ccRCC-derived metastases. Moreover, we elucidated the potential of metabolites/lipids for subtype classification and identification of therapeutic targets.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Metabolomic/lipidomic profiles were quantified in ccRCC (n=58), chRCC (n=19), papRCC (n=14), corresponding nontumor tissues, and metastases (n=9) through a targeted metabolomic approach. Transcriptome profiling was performed in corresponding samples and compared with expression data of The Cancer Genome Atlas cohorts (patients with ccRCC, n=452; patients with papRCC, n=260; and patients with chRCC, n=59).

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

In addition to cluster analyses, metabolomic/transcriptomic data were analyzed to evaluate metabolic differences of ccRCC and chRCC using Welch's t test or paired t test as appropriate. Where indicated, p values were adjusted for multiple testing using Bonferroni or Benjamini-Hochberg correction.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

Based on their metabolic profiles, RCC subtypes clustered into two groups separating ccRCC and papRCC from chRCC, which mainly reflected the different cells of origin. ccRCC-derived metastases clustered with primary ccRCCs. In addition to differences in certain lipids (lysophosphatidylcholines and sphingomyelins), the coregulation network of lipids differed between ccRCC and chRCC. Consideration of metabolic gene expression indicated, for example, alterations of the polyamine pathway at metabolite and transcript levels. In vitro treatment of RCC cells with the ornithine-decarboxylase inhibitor difluoromethylornithine resulted in reduced cell viability and mitochondrial activity. Further evaluation of clinical utility was limited by the retrospective study design and cohort size.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, we provide novel insight into the metabolic profiles of ccRCC and non-ccRCC, thereby confirming the different ontogeny of RCC subtypes. Quantification of differentially regulated metabolites/lipids improves classification of RCC with an impact on the identification of novel therapeutic targets.

PATIENT SUMMARY

Several subtypes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with different metastatic potentials and prognoses exist. In the present study, we provide novel insight into the metabolism of these different subtypes, which improves classification of subtypes and helps identify novel targets for RCC therapy.

Translating Metabolic Reprogramming into New Targets for Kidney Cancer

In the age of bioinformatics and with the advent of high-powered computation over the past decade or so the landscape of biomedical research has become radically altered. Whereas a generation ago, investigators would study their "favorite" protein or gene and exhaustively catalog the role of this compound in their disease of interest, the appearance of omics has changed the face of medicine such that much of the cutting edge (and fundable!) medical research now evaluates the biology of the disease nearly in its entirety. Couple this with the realization that kidney cancer is a "metabolic disease" due to its multiple derangements in biochemical pathways [1, 2], and clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) becomes ripe for data mining using multiple omics approaches.

Metabolic reprogramming in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Research in many cancers has uncovered changes in metabolic pathways that control tumour energetics and biosynthesis, so-called metabolic reprogramming. Studies in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) have been particularly revealing, leading to the concept that ccRCC is a metabolic disease. ccRCC is generally accompanied by reprogramming of glucose and fatty acid metabolism and of the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Metabolism of tryptophan, arginine and glutamine is also reprogrammed in many ccRCCs, and these changes provide opportunities for new therapeutic strategies, biomarkers and imaging modalities. In particular, metabolic reprogramming facilitates the identification of novel and repurposed drugs that could potentially be used to treat ccRCC, which when metastatic has currently limited long-term treatment options. Further research and dissemination of these concepts to nephrologists and oncologists will lead to clinical trials of therapeutics specifically targeted to tumour metabolism, rather than generally toxic to all proliferating cells. Such novel agents are highly likely to be more effective and to have far fewer adverse effects than existing drugs.