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Trivic A, Milovanovic J, Kablar D, Tomic A, Folic M, Jotic A, Tomanovic N, Tomic AM, Djoric I, Jankovic M. Friend or Foe? Exploring the Role of Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) Infection in Head and Neck Tumors. Biomedicines 2024; 12:872. [PMID: 38672226 PMCID: PMC11048144 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12040872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Although not regarded as an oncogenic pathogen, the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has been associated with a wide array of malignancies. Conversely, a number of studies report on possible anti-tumor properties of the virus, apparently mediated via HCMV-galvanized T-cell tumor killing; these were recently being investigated in clinical trials for the purposes of anti-cancer treatment by means of dendritic cell vaccines and HCMV-specific cytotoxic T cells. In the present study, we have analyzed the relation between a complement of head-and-neck tumors and HCMV infection across 73 countries worldwide using Spearman correlation, univariate and multivariate regression analysis. Intriguingly, HCMV was found to be pro-oncogenic in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma; contrarywise, the virus manifested an inverse (i.e., anti-tumor) association with the tumors of the lip/oral region and the salivary glands. Although this putative protective effect was noted initially for thyroid neoplasia and hypopharyngeal tumors as well, after multivariate regression analysis the connection did not hold. There was no association between laryngeal cancer and HCMV infection. It would appear that, depending on the tissue, HCMV may exert both protective and oncogenic effects. The globally observed protective feature of the virus could potentially be utilized in future therapeutic approaches for salivary tumors and neoplasia in the lip/oral region. As correlation does not necessarily imply causation, more in-depth molecular analyses from comprehensive clinical studies are warranted to substantiate our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandar Trivic
- Clinic for Otorhinolaryngology and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia, 2 Pasterova Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (A.T.); (J.M.); (M.F.); (A.J.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (N.T.); (A.M.T.); (I.D.)
| | - Jovica Milovanovic
- Clinic for Otorhinolaryngology and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia, 2 Pasterova Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (A.T.); (J.M.); (M.F.); (A.J.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (N.T.); (A.M.T.); (I.D.)
| | - Djurdjina Kablar
- Department for Pathology, Pathohistology and Medical Cytology, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia;
| | - Ana Tomic
- Center for Radiology Imaging, University Clinical Center of Serbia, 2 Pasterova Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia;
| | - Miljan Folic
- Clinic for Otorhinolaryngology and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia, 2 Pasterova Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (A.T.); (J.M.); (M.F.); (A.J.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (N.T.); (A.M.T.); (I.D.)
| | - Ana Jotic
- Clinic for Otorhinolaryngology and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia, 2 Pasterova Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (A.T.); (J.M.); (M.F.); (A.J.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (N.T.); (A.M.T.); (I.D.)
| | - Nada Tomanovic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (N.T.); (A.M.T.); (I.D.)
- Institute of Pathology, 1 Dr. Subotica Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ana Marija Tomic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (N.T.); (A.M.T.); (I.D.)
- Institute of Pathology, 1 Dr. Subotica Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Igor Djoric
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (N.T.); (A.M.T.); (I.D.)
- Clinic of Neurosurgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Institute of Radiology, 4 Dr. Koste Todorovića Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marko Jankovic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (N.T.); (A.M.T.); (I.D.)
- Department of Virology, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, 1 Dr. Subotica Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
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Jankovic M, Knezevic T, Tomic A, Milicevic O, Jovanovic T, Djunic I, Mihaljevic B, Knezevic A, Todorovic-Balint M. Human Cytomegalovirus Oncoprotection across Diverse Populations, Tumor Histologies, and Age Groups: The Relevance for Prospective Vaccinal Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3741. [PMID: 38612552 PMCID: PMC11012084 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073741] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The oncogenicity of the human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is currently being widely debated. Most recently, mounting clinical evidence suggests an anti-cancer effect via CMV-induced T cell-mediated tumor destruction. However, the data were mostly obtained from single-center studies and in vitro experiments. Broad geographic coverage is required to offer a global perspective. Our study examined the correlation between country-specific CMV seroprevalence (across 73 countries) and the age-standardized incidence rate (of 34 invasive tumors). The populations studied were stratified according to decadal age periods as the immunologic effects of CMV seropositivity may depend upon age at initial infection. The International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization (IARC WHO) database was used. The multivariate linear regression analysis revealed a worldwide inverse correlation between CMV seroprevalence and the incidences of 62.8% tumors. Notably, this inverse link persists for all cancers combined (Spearman's ρ = -0.732, p < 0.001; β = -0.482, p < 0.001, adjusted R2 = 0.737). An antithetical and significant correlation was also observed in particular age groups for the vast majority of tumors. Our results corroborate the conclusions of previous studies and indicate that this oncopreventive phenomenon holds true on a global scale. It applies to a wide spectrum of cancer histologies, additionally supporting the idea of a common underlying mechanism-CMV-stimulated T cell tumor targeting. Although these results further advance the notion of CMV-based therapies, in-depth investigation of host-virus interactions is still warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marko Jankovic
- Department of Virology, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, 1 Dr Subotica Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia;
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 8 Dr Subotica Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (T.K.); (A.T.); (O.M.); (I.D.); (B.M.); (M.T.-B.)
| | - Tara Knezevic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 8 Dr Subotica Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (T.K.); (A.T.); (O.M.); (I.D.); (B.M.); (M.T.-B.)
| | - Ana Tomic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 8 Dr Subotica Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (T.K.); (A.T.); (O.M.); (I.D.); (B.M.); (M.T.-B.)
| | - Ognjen Milicevic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 8 Dr Subotica Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (T.K.); (A.T.); (O.M.); (I.D.); (B.M.); (M.T.-B.)
- Institute of Medical Statistics and Informatics, 15 Dr Subotica Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Institute for Biocides and Medical Ecology, 16 Trebevicka Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia;
| | - Irena Djunic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 8 Dr Subotica Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (T.K.); (A.T.); (O.M.); (I.D.); (B.M.); (M.T.-B.)
- Clinic of Hematology, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, 2 Dr Koste Todorovica Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Biljana Mihaljevic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 8 Dr Subotica Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (T.K.); (A.T.); (O.M.); (I.D.); (B.M.); (M.T.-B.)
- Clinic of Hematology, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, 2 Dr Koste Todorovica Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Aleksandra Knezevic
- Department of Virology, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, 1 Dr Subotica Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia;
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 8 Dr Subotica Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (T.K.); (A.T.); (O.M.); (I.D.); (B.M.); (M.T.-B.)
| | - Milena Todorovic-Balint
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 8 Dr Subotica Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (T.K.); (A.T.); (O.M.); (I.D.); (B.M.); (M.T.-B.)
- Clinic of Hematology, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, 2 Dr Koste Todorovica Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
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Zhu Y, Chen J, Li J, Zhou C, Huang X, Chen B. Ginsenoside Rg1 as a promising adjuvant agent for enhancing the anti-cancer functions of granulocytes inhibited by noradrenaline. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1070679. [PMID: 36817446 PMCID: PMC9929943 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1070679] [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: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction In recent years, numerous studies have confirmed that chronic stress is closely related to the development of cancer. Our previous research showed that high levels of stress hormones secreted in the body during chronic stress could inhibit the cancer-killing activity of granulocytes, which could further promote the development of cancer. Therefore, reversing the immunosuppressive effect of stress hormones on granulocytes is an urgent problem in clinical cancer treatment. Here, we selected noradrenaline (NA) as a representative stress hormone. Methods and results After screening many traditional Chinese herbal medicine active ingredients, a promising compound, ginsenoside Rg1, attracted our attention. We verified the immunoprotective effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on granulocytes in vitro and ex vivo, and attempted to understand its potential immunoprotective mechanism. We confirmed the immunoprotective effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on granulocytes using cell and animal experiments. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and ex vivo experiments were performed to investigate the immunoprotective effects of ginsenoside Rg1 on the anti-cancer function of granulocytes inhibited by NA. Transcriptome sequencing analysis and qRT-PCR showed that NA elevated the mRNA expression of ARG2, MMP1, S100A4, and RAPSN in granulocytes, thereby reducing the anti-cancer function of granulocytes. In contrast, ginsenoside Rg1 downregulated the mRNA expression of ARG2, MMP1, S100A4, and RAPSN, and upregulated the mRNA expression of LAMC2, DSC2, KRT6A, and FOSB, thereby enhancing the anti-cancer function of granulocytes inhibited by NA. Transwell cell migration experiments were performed to verify that ginsenoside Rg1 significantly enhanced the migration capability of granulocytes inhibited by NA. Tumor-bearing model mice were used to verify the significant immunoprotective effects in vivo. Finally, CCK-8 and hematoxylin and eosin staining experiments indicated that ginsenoside Rg1 exhibited high biosafety in vitro and in vivo. Discussion In future clinical treatments, ginsenoside Rg1 may be used as an adjuvant agent for cancer treatment to alleviate chronic stress-induced adverse events in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Xin Huang
- Shanghai East Hospital, The Institute for Biomedical Engineering & Nano Science, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bingdi Chen
- Shanghai East Hospital, The Institute for Biomedical Engineering & Nano Science, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Giannoudis A, Varešlija D, Sharma V, Zakaria R, Platt-Higgins A, Rudland P, Jenkinson M, Young L, Palmieri C. Characterisation of the immune microenvironment of primary breast cancer and brain metastasis reveals depleted T-cell response associated to ARG2 expression. ESMO Open 2022; 7:100636. [PMID: 36423363 PMCID: PMC9808462 DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2022.100636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune checkpoint inhibition is an established treatment in programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive metastatic triple-negative (TN) breast cancer (BC). However, the immune landscape of breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) remains poorly defined. MATERIALS AND METHODS The tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and the messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of 770 immune-related genes (NanoString™, nCounter™ Immuno-oncology IO360) were assessed in primary BCs and BCBMs. The prognostic role of ARG2 transcripts and protein expression in primary BCs and its association with outcome was determined. RESULTS There was a significant reduction of TILs in the BCBMs in comparison to primary BCs. 11.5% of BCs presented a high immune infiltrate (hot), 46.2% were altered (immunosuppressed/excluded) and 34.6% were cold (no/low immune infiltrate). 3.8% of BCBMs were hot, 23.1% altered and 73.1% cold. One hundred and twelve immune-related genes including PD-L1 and CTLA4 were decreased in BCBM compared to the primary BCs (false discovery rate <0.01, log2 fold-change >1.5). These genes are involved in matrix remodelling and metastasis, cytokine-chemokine signalling, lymphoid compartment, antigen presentation and immune cell adhesion and migration. Immuno-modulators such as PD-L1 (CD274), CTLA4, TIGIT and CD276 (B7H3) were decreased in BCBMs. However, PD-L1 and CTLA4 expression was significantly higher in TN BCBMs (P = 0.01), with CTLA4 expression also high in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (P < 0.01) compared to estrogen receptor-positive BCBMs. ARG2 was one of four genes up-regulated in BCBMs. High ARG2 mRNA expression in primary BCs was associated with worse distant metastasis-free survival (P = 0.038), while ARG2 protein expression was associated with worse breast-brain metastasis-free (P = 0.027) and overall survival (P = 0.019). High transcript levels of ARG2 correlated to low levels of cytotoxic and T cells in both BC and BCBM (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION This study highlights the immunological differences between primary BCs and BCBMs and the potential importance of ARG2 expression in T-cell depletion and clinical outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Giannoudis
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - D. Varešlija
- The School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - V. Sharma
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK,Department of Pathology, Royal Liverpool University Hospital NHS Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - R. Zakaria
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK,Department of Neurosurgery, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - A. Platt-Higgins
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - P.S. Rudland
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - M.D. Jenkinson
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK,Department of Neurosurgery, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - L.S. Young
- Endocrine Oncology Research Group, Department of Surgery, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - C. Palmieri
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK,The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK,Correspondence to: Prof. Carlo Palmieri, University of Liverpool, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, Sherrington Building, Ashton Street, Liverpool, L69 3GE, UK. Tel: +44 151 7949813 @cancermedic
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Niu F, Yu Y, Li Z, Ren Y, Li Z, Ye Q, Liu P, Ji C, Qian L, Xiong Y. Arginase: An emerging and promising therapeutic target for cancer treatment. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 149:112840. [PMID: 35316752 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.112840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Arginase is a key hydrolase in the urea cycle that hydrolyses L-arginine to urea and L-ornithine. Increasing number of studies in recent years demonstrate that two mammalian arginase isoforms, arginase 1 (ARG1) and arginase 2 (ARG2), were aberrantly upregulated in various types of cancers, and played crucial roles in the regulation of tumor growth and metastasis through various mechanisms such as regulating L-arginine metabolism, influencing tumor immune microenvironment, etc. Thus, arginase receives increasing focus as an attractive target for cancer therapy. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the physiological and biological roles of arginase in a variety of cancers, and shed light on the underlying mechanisms of arginase mediating cancer cells growth and development, as well as summarize the recent clinical research advances of targeting arginase for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanglin Niu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yi Yu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhuozhuo Li
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yuanyuan Ren
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zi Li
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, Shaanxi, China
| | - Qiang Ye
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ping Liu
- Xi'an Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Xi'an No.3 Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China; Department of Endocrinology, Xi'an No.3 Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Northwest University, Xi'an 710018, Shaanxi, China
| | - Chenshuang Ji
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, Shaanxi, China
| | - Lu Qian
- Xi'an Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Xi'an No.3 Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China; Department of Endocrinology, Xi'an No.3 Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Northwest University, Xi'an 710018, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Yuyan Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, Shaanxi, China; Xi'an Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, Xi'an No.3 Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
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Fractalkine/CX3CL1 in Neoplastic Processes. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21103723. [PMID: 32466280 PMCID: PMC7279446 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Fractalkine/CX3C chemokine ligand 1 (CX3CL1) is a chemokine involved in the anticancer function of lymphocytes-mainly NK cells, T cells and dendritic cells. Its increased levels in tumors improve the prognosis for cancer patients, although it is also associated with a poorer prognosis in some types of cancers, such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. This work focuses on the 'hallmarks of cancer' involving CX3CL1 and its receptor CX3CR1. First, we describe signal transduction from CX3CR1 and the role of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in this process. Next, we present the role of CX3CL1 in the context of cancer, with the focus on angiogenesis, apoptosis resistance and migration and invasion of cancer cells. In particular, we discuss perineural invasion, spinal metastasis and bone metastasis of cancers such as breast cancer, pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer. We extensively discuss the importance of CX3CL1 in the interaction with different cells in the tumor niche: tumor-associated macrophages (TAM), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) and microglia. We present the role of CX3CL1 in the development of active human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) brain tumors. Finally, we discuss the possible use of CX3CL1 in immunotherapy.
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Érsek B, Silló P, Cakir U, Molnár V, Bencsik A, Mayer B, Mezey E, Kárpáti S, Pós Z, Németh K. Melanoma-associated fibroblasts impair CD8+ T cell function and modify expression of immune checkpoint regulators via increased arginase activity. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 78:661-673. [PMID: 32328671 PMCID: PMC7581550 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03517-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Abstract This study shows that melanoma-associated fibroblasts (MAFs) suppress cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity and reveals a pivotal role played by arginase in this phenomenon. MAFs and normal dermal fibroblasts (DFs) were isolated from surgically resected melanomas and identified as Melan-A-/gp100-/FAP+ cells. CTLs of healthy blood donors were activated in the presence of MAF- and DF-conditioned media (CM). Markers of successful CTL activation, cytotoxic degranulation, killing activity and immune checkpoint regulation were evaluated by flow cytometry, ELISPOT, and redirected killing assays. Soluble mediators responsible for MAF-mediated effects were identified by ELISA, flow cytometry, inhibitor assays, and knock-in experiments. In the presence of MAF-CM, activated/non-naïve CTLs displayed dysregulated ERK1/2 and NF-κB signaling, impeded CD69 and granzyme B production, impaired killing activity, and upregulated expression of the negative immune checkpoint receptors TIGIT and BTLA. Compared to DFs, MAFs displayed increased amounts of VISTA and HVEM, a known ligand of BTLA on T cells, increased l-arginase activity and CXCL12 release. Transgenic arginase over-expression further increased, while selective arginase inhibition neutralized MAF-induced TIGIT and BTLA expression on CTLs. Our data indicate that MAF interfere with intracellular CTL signaling via soluble mediators leading to CTL anergy and modify immune checkpoint receptor availability via l-arginine depletion. Graphic abstract ![]()
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00018-020-03517-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Érsek
- Department of Genetics, Cell and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, 4 Nagyvarad ter, VII/709, Budapest, 1089, Hungary.,Office for Research Groups Attached to Universities and Other Institutions of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, 1051, Hungary
| | - Pálma Silló
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Dermatooncology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, 1085, Hungary
| | - Ugur Cakir
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Dermatooncology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, 1085, Hungary
| | - Viktor Molnár
- Institute of Genomic Medicine and Rare Disorders, Semmelweis University, Budapest, 1083, Hungary
| | - András Bencsik
- Department of Genetics, Cell and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, 4 Nagyvarad ter, VII/709, Budapest, 1089, Hungary
| | - Balázs Mayer
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Dermatooncology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, 1085, Hungary
| | - Eva Mezey
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20815, USA
| | - Sarolta Kárpáti
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Dermatooncology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, 1085, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Pós
- Department of Genetics, Cell and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, 4 Nagyvarad ter, VII/709, Budapest, 1089, Hungary.
| | - Krisztián Németh
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Dermatooncology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, 1085, Hungary
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Efremov YR, Proskurina AS, Potter EA, Dolgova EV, Efremova OV, Taranov OS, Ostanin AA, Chernykh ER, Kolchanov NA, Bogachev SS. Cancer Stem Cells: Emergent Nature of Tumor Emergency. Front Genet 2018; 9:544. [PMID: 30505319 PMCID: PMC6250818 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A functional analysis of 167 genes overexpressed in Krebs-2 tumor initiating cells was performed. In the first part of the study, the genes were analyzed for their belonging to one or more of the three groups, which represent the three major phenotypic manifestation of malignancy of cancer cells, namely (1) proliferative self-sufficiency, (2) invasive growth and metastasis, and (3) multiple drug resistance. 96 genes out of 167 were identified as possible contributors to at least one of these fundamental properties. It was also found that substantial part of these genes are also known as genes responsible for formation and/or maintenance of the stemness of normal pluri-/multipotent stem cells. These results suggest that the malignancy is simply the ability to maintain the stem cell specific genes expression profile, and, as a consequence, the stemness itself regardless of the controlling effect of stem niches. In the second part of the study, three stress factors combined into the single concept of "generalized cellular stress," which are assumed to activate the expression of these genes, were defined. In addition, possible mechanisms for such activation were identified. The data obtained suggest the existence of a mechanism for the de novo formation of a pluripotent/stem phenotype in the subpopulation of "committed" tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaroslav R Efremov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia.,Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Anastasia S Proskurina
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Ekaterina A Potter
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Evgenia V Dolgova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Oksana V Efremova
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Oleg S Taranov
- The State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Vector, Koltsovo, Russia
| | - Aleksandr A Ostanin
- Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Elena R Chernykh
- Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Nikolay A Kolchanov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Sergey S Bogachev
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
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Rahman M, Dastmalchi F, Karachi A, Mitchell D. The role of CMV in glioblastoma and implications for immunotherapeutic strategies. Oncoimmunology 2018; 8:e1514921. [PMID: 30546954 PMCID: PMC6287786 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2018.1514921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Revised: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Controversy surrounds the role of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in glioblastoma (GBM). However, several studies have shown that CMV nucleic acids and proteins are present within GBM tumor tissue. CMV has been implicated in GBM pathogenesis by affecting tumor stem cell factors, angiogenesis and immune pathways. Anti-viral therapy has not been found to definitively improve outcomes for patients with GBM. Several studies have leveraged CMV by targeting CMV antigens using ex-vivo expanded T cells or dendritic cell vaccines. The initial results from these studies are promising and larger studies are underway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Rahman
- Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery, UF Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Preston A. Wells, Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Farhad Dastmalchi
- Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery, UF Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Preston A. Wells, Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Aida Karachi
- Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery, UF Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Preston A. Wells, Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Duane Mitchell
- Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery, UF Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program, Preston A. Wells, Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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10
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Ng KP, Manjeri A, Lee LM, Chan ZE, Tan CY, Tan QD, Majeed A, Lee KL, Chuah C, Suda T, Ong ST. The arginase inhibitor Nω-hydroxy-nor-arginine (nor-NOHA) induces apoptosis in leukemic cells specifically under hypoxic conditions but CRISPR/Cas9 excludes arginase 2 (ARG2) as the functional target. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205254. [PMID: 30307989 PMCID: PMC6181325 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells, including in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), depend on the hypoxic response to persist in hosts and evade therapy. Accordingly, there is significant interest in drugging cancer-specific hypoxic responses. However, a major challenge in leukemia is identifying differential and druggable hypoxic responses between leukemic and normal cells. Previously, we found that arginase 2 (ARG2), an enzyme of the urea cycle, is overexpressed in CML but not normal progenitors. ARG2 is a target of the hypoxia inducible factors (HIF1−α and HIF2−α), and is required for the generation of polyamines which are required for cell growth. We therefore explored if the clinically-tested arginase inhibitor Nω−hydroxy−nor−arginine (nor−NOHA) would be effective against leukemic cells under hypoxic conditions. Remarkably, nor−NOHA effectively induced apoptosis in ARG2-expressing cells under hypoxia but not normoxia. Co-treatment with nor−NOHA overcame hypoxia-mediated resistance towards BCR−ABL1 kinase inhibitors. While nor−NOHA itself is promising in targeting the leukemia hypoxic response, we unexpectedly found that its anti-leukemic activity was independent of ARG2 inhibition. Genetic ablation of ARG2 using CRISPR/Cas9 had no effect on the viability of leukemic cells and their sensitivity towards nor−NOHA. This discrepancy was further evidenced by the distinct effects of ARG2 knockouts and nor−NOHA on cellular respiration. In conclusion, we show that nor−NOHA has significant but off-target anti-leukemic activity among ARG2-expressing hypoxic cells. Since nor−NOHA has been employed in clinical trials, and is widely used in studies on endothelial dysfunction, immunosuppression and metabolism, the diverse biological effects of nor−NOHA must be cautiously evaluated before attributing its activity to ARG inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- King Pan Ng
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Signature Research Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Aditi Manjeri
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Signature Research Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lin Ming Lee
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Signature Research Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zhu En Chan
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Signature Research Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chin Yee Tan
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Signature Research Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Qiancheng Darren Tan
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - A'Qilah Majeed
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kian Leong Lee
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Signature Research Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.,Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Charles Chuah
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Signature Research Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Haematology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Toshio Suda
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,International Research Center for Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Japan
| | - S Tiong Ong
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Signature Research Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Haematology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
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11
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The Oncogenic Role of ARG1 in Progression and Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 2018:2109865. [PMID: 30320132 PMCID: PMC6167590 DOI: 10.1155/2018/2109865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Revised: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
ARG1, which encodes Arginase1, is expressed in the liver cytoplasm and plays a major role in the hepatic urea cycle. The past research works shed light on the fact that ARG1 participates in anti-inflammation, tumor immunity, and immunosuppression-related diseases. Nevertheless, the concrete role and clinical significance of ARG1 in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. Herein, we aimed at examining the expression and clinicopathological significance of ARG1 in HCC, together with determining the effect of ARG1 on the progression and metastasis of HCC. In the current study, evaluation of the expression of ARG1 and clinicopathological significance of ARG1 was carried out in the human HCC tissues microarray, and the ARG1 overexpression vector and shRNA-ARG1 plasmids were constructed for the assessment of the concrete effect of ARG1 on cellular behaviors of Huh7 cells. As our data revealed, ARG1 was significantly downregulated in HCC, and the higher expression of ARG1 was positively correlated with more aggressive tumor growth, size, ALT, and GGT level. Significantly, we found that the high expression of ARG1 was correlated with poor DFS of HCC patients. Besides, in vitro study revealed that overexpression of ARG1 could enhance arginase activity, cell viability, migration, and invasion of Huh7 cells, and loss-of-function of ARG1 by shRNA interference could inhibit these cellular behaviors. Additionally, overexpression of ARG1 led to a significant increase in the expression of Vimentin, N-cadherin, and β-catenin both at protein and mRNA levels, which promotes the EMT process. On the other hand, these proteins' expression was significantly downregulated in ARG1 silenced Huh7 cells. Besides, the level of E-cadherin protein was upregulated in ARG1 knocked down cells. In conclusion, ARG1 might play a pivotal role as an oncogene in the progression of HCC through promoting the EMT process.
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12
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Korbecki J, Gutowska I, Kojder I, Jeżewski D, Goschorska M, Łukomska A, Lubkowska A, Chlubek D, Baranowska-Bosiacka I. New extracellular factors in glioblastoma multiforme development: neurotensin, growth differentiation factor-15, sphingosine-1-phosphate and cytomegalovirus infection. Oncotarget 2018; 9:7219-7270. [PMID: 29467963 PMCID: PMC5805549 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.24102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent years have seen considerable progress in understanding the biochemistry of cancer. For example, more significance is now assigned to the tumor microenvironment, especially with regard to intercellular signaling in the tumor niche which depends on many factors secreted by tumor cells. In addition, great progress has been made in understanding the influence of factors such as neurotensin, growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), and infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) on the 'hallmarks of cancer' in glioblastoma multiforme. Therefore, in the present work we describe the influence of these factors on the proliferation and apoptosis of neoplastic cells, cancer stem cells, angiogenesis, migration and invasion, and cancer immune evasion in a glioblastoma multiforme tumor. In particular, we discuss the effect of neurotensin, GDF-15, S1P (including the drug FTY720), and infection with CMV on tumor-associated macrophages (TAM), microglial cells, neutrophil and regulatory T cells (Treg), on the tumor microenvironment. In order to better understand the role of the aforementioned factors in tumoral processes, we outline the latest models of intratumoral heterogeneity in glioblastoma multiforme. Based on the most recent reports, we discuss the problems of multi-drug therapy in treating glioblastoma multiforme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Korbecki
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bielsko-Biała, 43-309 Bielsko-Biała, Poland
| | - Izabela Gutowska
- Department of Biochemistry and Human Nutrition, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Ireneusz Kojder
- Department of Applied Neurocognitivistics, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland.,Department of Neurosurgery, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Dariusz Jeżewski
- Department of Applied Neurocognitivistics, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland.,Department of Neurosurgery, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Marta Goschorska
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Łukomska
- Department of Biochemistry and Human Nutrition, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Anna Lubkowska
- Department of Functional Diagnostics and Physical Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 71-210 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Dariusz Chlubek
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Irena Baranowska-Bosiacka
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
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13
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Essential role of HCMV deubiquitinase in promoting oncogenesis by targeting anti-viral innate immune signaling pathways. Cell Death Dis 2017; 8:e3078. [PMID: 28981114 PMCID: PMC5680583 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2017.461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is a multifactorial disease and virus-mediated carcinogenesis is one of the crucial factors, which is poorly understood. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a herpesvirus and its components have been evidenced to be associated with cancer of different tissue origin. However, its role in cancer remains unknown. Here, we identified a conserved herpesviral tegument protein known as pUL48 of HCMV, encoding deubiquitinase enzyme, as having a key role in carcinogenesis. We show using deubiquitinase sufficient- and deficient-HCMV that HCMV deubiquitinase is a key in inducing enhanced cellular metabolic activity through upregulation of several anti-apoptotic genes and downregulation of several pro-apoptotic genes expression. Furthermore, HCMV deubiquitinase acquires pro-tumor functions by inhibiting PRR-mediated type I interferon via deubiquitination of TRAF6, TRAF3, IRAK1, IRF7 and STING. Taken together, our results suggest that HCMV infection may promote oncogenesis by inhibiting innate immunity of the host.
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14
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Voigt A, Nowick K, Almaas E. A composite network of conserved and tissue specific gene interactions reveals possible genetic interactions in glioma. PLoS Comput Biol 2017; 13:e1005739. [PMID: 28957313 PMCID: PMC5634634 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Differential co-expression network analyses have recently become an important step in the investigation of cellular differentiation and dysfunctional gene-regulation in cell and tissue disease-states. The resulting networks have been analyzed to identify and understand pathways associated with disorders, or to infer molecular interactions. However, existing methods for differential co-expression network analysis are unable to distinguish between various forms of differential co-expression. To close this gap, here we define the three different kinds (conserved, specific, and differentiated) of differential co-expression and present a systematic framework, CSD, for differential co-expression network analysis that incorporates these interactions on an equal footing. In addition, our method includes a subsampling strategy to estimate the variance of co-expressions. Our framework is applicable to a wide variety of cases, such as the study of differential co-expression networks between healthy and disease states, before and after treatments, or between species. Applying the CSD approach to a published gene-expression data set of cerebral cortex and basal ganglia samples from healthy individuals, we find that the resulting CSD network is enriched in genes associated with cognitive function, signaling pathways involving compounds with well-known roles in the central nervous system, as well as certain neurological diseases. From the CSD analysis, we identify a set of prominent hubs of differential co-expression, whose neighborhood contains a substantial number of genes associated with glioblastoma. The resulting gene-sets identified by our CSD analysis also contain many genes that so far have not been recognized as having a role in glioblastoma, but are good candidates for further studies. CSD may thus aid in hypothesis-generation for functional disease-associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Voigt
- Network Systems Biology Group, Department of Biotechnology, NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Katja Nowick
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Bioinformatics, Institute of Animal Science, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
- Human Biology, Institute for Biology, Free University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Eivind Almaas
- Network Systems Biology Group, Department of Biotechnology, NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- K.G. Jebsen Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and General Practice, NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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15
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Wang Y, Zhao P, Qian D, Hu M, Zhang L, Shi H, Wang B. MicroRNA-613 is downregulated in HCMV-positive glioblastoma and inhibits tumour progression by targeting arginase-2. Tumour Biol 2017; 39:1010428317712512. [PMID: 28718378 DOI: 10.1177/1010428317712512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma is the most common and malignant tumour that occurs primarily in nervous system and has a high morbidity. Research on glioblastoma has recently focused on human cytomegalovirus, belonging to the beta subfamily of Herpesviridae that plays crucial roles in cancer development and progression. This study aimed to investigate the role of human cytomegalovirus–associated microRNA-613 in glioblastoma. In this study, we demonstrate that microRNA-613 expression was frequently reduced in human cytomegalovirus–positive glioblastoma specimens/cells compared with human cytomegalovirus–negative glioblastoma tissue/cells, and a significant correlation was observed between the reduction in microRNA-613 expression and the presence of unfavourable variables, including tumour size (p = 0.0118), World Health Organization stage (p = 0.0169), the overall survival (p = 0.0107) and disease-free (p = 0.0159) survival of patients. Overexpression of microRNA-613 in the glioblastoma cell lines U87 and U251 retarded cell growth and induced cell apoptosis. Upregulation of microRNA-613 inhibited glioblastoma cell clone formation, invasion and migration. Furthermore, we demonstrated that arginase-2 was directly regulated by microRNA-613 and played an essential role in mediating the biological effects of microRNA-613 in glioblastoma. Re-expression of arginase-2 markedly reversed the inhibitory properties of microRNA-613 in glioblastoma cells. Taken together, our data provide compelling evidence that human cytomegalovirus reduced the level of microRNA-613 which functions as an anti-onco-miRNA in glioblastoma, primarily by downregulating the expression of arginase-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medicine and Biotechnology of Qingdao, Department of Microbiology, Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Peng Zhao
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Dongmeng Qian
- Key Laboratory of Medicine and Biotechnology of Qingdao, Department of Microbiology, Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Ming Hu
- Key Laboratory of Medicine and Biotechnology of Qingdao, Department of Microbiology, Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Medicine and Biotechnology of Qingdao, Department of Microbiology, Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Hailei Shi
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medicine and Biotechnology of Qingdao, Department of Microbiology, Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
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16
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Abstract
Prior to infecting erythrocytes and causing malaria symptoms, Plasmodium parasites undergo an obligatory phase of invasion and extensive replication inside their mammalian host's liver cells that depends on the parasite's ability to obtain the nutrients it requires for its intra-hepatic growth and multiplication. Here, we show that L-arginine (Arg) uptake through the host cell's SLC7A2-encoded transporters is essential for the parasite's development and maturation in the liver. Our data suggest that the Arg that is taken up is primarily metabolized by the arginase pathway to produce the polyamines required for Plasmodium growth. Although the parasite may hijack the host's biosynthesis pathway, it relies mainly upon its own arginase-AdoMetDC/ODC pathway to acquire the polyamines it needs to develop. These results identify for the first time a pivotal role for Arg-dependent polyamine production during Plasmodium's hepatic development and pave the way to the exploitation of strategies to impact liver infection by the malaria parasite through the modulation of Arg uptake and polyamine synthesis.
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