Correlation between cancer stem cells (CSCs) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs): do TILs interact with CSCs in non-small cell lung cancer?

Cell Therapy with Human Reprogrammed CD8+ T-Cells Has Antimetastatic Effects on Lewis Lung Carcinoma in C57BL/6 Mice

Using a model of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) in vitro and in vivo, we previously demonstrated increased antitumor activity in CD8⁺ T-cells reprogrammed with an MEK inhibitor and PD-1 blocker. In this follow-up study, we carried out the reprogramming of human CD8⁺ T-cells (hrT-cell) using the MEK inhibitor and PD-1 blocker and targeted LLC cells. The effects of hrT-cell therapy were studied in a mouse model of spontaneous metastasis of a solid LLC tumor. We found antimetastatic activity of hrT-cells, a decrease in the number of cancer cells and cancer stem cells in the lungs, and an increase in the number of T-cells in the blood (including effector T-cells). Thus, reprogramming of human CD8⁺ T-cells with an MEK inhibitor and PD-1 blocker with targeted training by tumor target cells is a potential platform for developing a new approach to targeted lung cancer therapy.

Analysis of Circulating Tumor and Cancer Stem Cells Provides New Opportunities in Diagnosis and Treatment of Small Cell Lung Cancer

Current methods for diagnosis and treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) have only a modest efficacy. In this pilot study, we analyzed circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and cancer stem cells (CSCs) in patients with SCLC to search for new diagnostic and prognostic markers and novel approaches to improve the treatment of the disease. In other forms of lung cancer, we showed a heterogeneity of blood CTCs and CSCs populations, as well as changes in other cell populations (ALDH⁺, CD87⁺CD276⁺, and EGF⁺Axl⁺) in smokers. A number of CTCs and CSCs in patients with SCLC have been shown to be resistant to chemotherapy (CT). High cytotoxic activity and resistance to apoptosis of reprogrammed CD3⁺CD8⁺ T-lymphocytes (rTcells) in relation to naive CD3⁺CD8⁺ T-lymphocytes was demonstrated in a smoking patient with SCLC (Patient G) in vitro. The target for rTcells was patient G’s blood CSCs. Reprogramming of CD3⁺CD8⁺ T-lymphocytes was carried out with the MEK1/2 inhibitor and PD-1/PD-L1 pathway blocker nivolumab. The training procedure was performed with a suspension of dead CTCs and CSCs obtained from patient’s G blood. The presented data show a new avenue for personalized SCLC diagnosis and targeted improvement of chemotherapy based on the use of both CTCs and CSCs.

UBE2C is a Potential Biomarker for Tumorigenesis and Prognosis in Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 2C (UBE2C) involves in numerous cellular processes and the tumor progression in many cancers. However, its role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is unclear. We aimed to investigate the role and clinical significance of UBE2C in OSCC. The expression levels of UBE2C were examined by immunohistochemistry in 185 buccal mucosa squamous cell carcinomas, 247 tongue squamous cell carcinomas (TSCCs) and 75 lip squamous cell carcinomas. The roles of UBE2C in cell growth, invasion/migration and cancer stemness were also examined in OSCC cells. The expression levels of UBE2C protein were higher in tumor tissues than they were in the corresponding tumor adjacent normal tissues from OSCC patients. Higher UBE2C expression was associated with poor cell differentiation and lymph node invasion in OSCC patients. High UBE2C expression was also correlated with shorter disease-specific survival in TSCC patients having poor cell differentiation, advanced pathological stages, lymph node metastasis as well as receiving radiation therapy. Compared to control cells, OSCC cells in which UBE2C was silenced showed decreased cell proliferation, migration/invasion and colony formation and they exhibited lower expression levels of the following cancer stemness markers—ALDH1/A2, CD44, CD166 and EpCAM. High co-expression levels of UBE2C/CD44, UBE2C/CD166 and UBE2C/EpCAM were associated with poor prognosis in oral cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Our findings indicated that UBE2C might be a potential biomarker for tumorigenesis and prognosis in TSCC.