High Expression of Nuclear Transcription Factor-κB is Associated with Cisplatin Resistance and Prognosis for Ovarian Cancer

Inflammation and Immune Escape in Ovarian Cancer: Pathways and Therapeutic Opportunities

Ovarian cancer (OC) remains one of the most lethal gynecological malignancies, largely due to its late-stage diagnosis and high recurrence rates. Chronic inflammation is a critical driver of OC progression, contributing to immune evasion, tumor growth, and metastasis. Inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-8, as well as key signaling pathways such as nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), are upregulated in OC, promoting a tumor-promoting environment. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is characterized by immune cells like tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs), which suppress anti-tumor immune responses, facilitating immune evasion. Furthermore, OC cells utilize immune checkpoint pathways, including PD-1/PD-L1, to inhibit cytotoxic T cell activity. Targeting these inflammatory and immune evasion mechanisms offers promising therapeutic strategies. COX-2 inhibitors, Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway blockers, and NF-kB inhibitors have shown potential in preclinical studies, while immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 have been explored with mixed results in OC. Additionally, emerging research on the microbiome and inflammation-related biomarkers, such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and exosomes, points to new opportunities for early detection and precision medicine. Future approaches to OC treatment must focus on personalized strategies that target the inflammatory TME, integrating anti-inflammatory therapies with immunotherapy to enhance patient outcomes. Continued research into the interplay between inflammation and immune evasion in OC is essential for developing effective, long-lasting treatments.

Chemo-small extracellular vesicles released in cisplatin-resistance ovarian cancer cells are regulated by the lysosomal function

Chemoresistance is a common problem in ovarian cancer (OvCa) treatment, where resistant cells, in response to chemotherapy, secrete small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), known as chemo-sEVs, that transfer resistance to recipient cells. sEVs are formed as intraluminal vesicles (ILVs) within multivesicular endosomes (MVEs), whose trafficking is regulated by Ras-associated binding (RAB) GTPases that mediate sEVs secretion or lysosomal degradation. A decrease in lysosomal function can promote sEVs secretion, but the relationship between MVEs trafficking pathways and sEVs secretion in OvCa chemoresistance is unclear. Here, we show that A2780cis cisplatin (CCDP) resistant OvCa cells had an increased number of MVEs and ILVs structures, higher levels of Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRTs) machinery components, and RAB27A compared to A2780 CDDP-sensitive OvCa cells. CDDP promoted the secretion of chemo-sEVs in A2780cis cells, enriched in DNA damage response proteins. A2780cis cells exhibited poor lysosomal function with reduced levels of RAB7, essential in MVEs-Lysosomal trafficking. The silencing of RAB27A in A2780cis cells prevents the Chemo-EVs secretion, reduces its chemoresistance and restores lysosomal function and levels of RAB7, switching them into an A2780-like cellular phenotype. Enhancing lysosomal function with rapamycin reduced chemo-sEVs secretion. Our results suggest that adjusting the balance between secretory MVEs and lysosomal MVEs trafficking could be a promising strategy for overcoming CDDP chemoresistance in OvCa.

Cisplatin and oleanolic acid Co-loaded pH-sensitive CaCO3 nanoparticles for synergistic chemotherapy

Despite being one of the most potent anticancer agents, cisplatin (CDDP) clinical usage is limited owing to the acquired resistance and severe adverse effects including nephrotoxicity. The current work has offered a unique approach by designing a pH-sensitive calcium carbonate drug delivery system for CDDP and oleanolic acid (OA) co-delivery, with an enhanced tumor efficacy and reduced unwanted effects. Micro emulsion method was employed to generate calcium carbonate cores (CDDP encapsulated) followed by lipid coating along with the OA loading resulting in the generation of lipid-coated cisplatin/oleanolic acid calcium carbonate nanoparticles (CDDP/OA-LCC NPs). In vitro biological assays confirmed the synergistic apoptotic effect of CDDP and OA against HepG2 cells. It was further verified in vivo through the tumor-bearing nude mice model where NPs exhibited enhanced satisfactory antitumor efficacy in contrast to free drug solutions. In vivo pharmacokinetic study demonstrated that a remarkable long circulation time with a constant therapeutic concentration for both drugs could be achieved via this drug delivery system. In addition, the in vivo imaging study revealed that DiR-loaded NPs were concentrated more in tumors for a longer period of time as compared to other peritoneal tissues in tumor bearing mice, demonstrating the site specificity of the delivery system. On the other hand, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining of Kunming mice kidney tissue sections revealed that OA greatly reduced CDDP induced nephrotoxicity in the formulation. Overall, these results confirmed that our pH-sensitive dual loaded drug delivery system offers a handy direction for effective and safer combination chemotherapy.

Clinicopathological analysis and prognostic significance of NF-κB p65 and IKKβ protein and mRNA expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Objective

To investigate the clinicopathological significance of NF-κB p65 and IKKβ protein and mRNA expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients from Guangdong Province, China.

Methods

Data and tissues from patients with NPC were retrospectively studied. Immunohistochemical staining and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were used to evaluate and compare NF-κB p65 and IKKβ protein and mRNA levels, respectively, in 60 NPC and 30 nasopharyngitis tissue samples. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine correlations between NF-κB p65 and IKKβ protein and mRNA levels with clinicopathological characteristics and prognoses of NPC patients.

Results

NF-κB p65 and IKKβ protein and mRNA expression in NPC were significantly correlated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage. NF-κB p65 and IKKβ protein and mRNA levels were significantly increased in NPC patients with deep tumor invasion (T3–4), lymph node metastasis, and stage III/IV disease; high NF-κB p65 and IKKβ mRNA expression were associated with significantly shorter disease-free survival rates compared with cases showing low NF-κB p65 and IKKβ mRNA expression.

Conclusions

NF-κB p65 and IKKβ may affect the prognosis of NPC patients and could be potential therapeutic targets for this disease.

LPA3 is a precise therapeutic target and potential biomarker for ovarian cancer

Current studies have demonstrated that significant increased LPA levels to be observed in ascites in patients with ovarian cancer. Although several studies have shown that Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) related to the progression of ovarian cancer, which LPA receptors (LPARs) and G-coupled protein subtypes mediated in LPA actions have not been clearly elucidated. This study aimed to clarify the roles of LPA and it is subtype-specific LPARs mediating mechanisms in ovarian cancer integrated using bioinformatic analysis and biological experimental approaches. The big data analysis shown that LPA3 was the only differentially expressed LPA receptor among the six LPARs in ovarian cancer and further verified in immunohistochemistry of tissue microarrays. Also found that LPA3 was also highly expressed in ovarian cancer tissue and ovarian cancer cells. Importantly, LPA significantly promoted the proliferation and migration of LPA3-overexpressing ovarian cancer cells, while the LPA-induced actions blocked by Ki16425, a LPAR1/3 antagonist treated, and LPA3-shRNA transfected. In vivo study indicated that the LPA3-overexpressing cell-derived tumors metastasis, tumors volume, and tumors mass were apparently increased in xenografted nude mice. In addition, we also observed that LPA3 was differential high expression in ovarian cancer tissue of the patients. Our studies further confirmed the LPA3/Gi/MAPKs/NF-κB signals were involved in LPA-induced oncogenic actions in ovarian cancer cells. Our findings indicated that the LPA3 might be a novel precise therapeutic target and potential biomarker for ovarian cancer.

Utilizing Patient-Derived Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Tumor Organoids to Predict Carboplatin Resistance

The development of patient-derived tumor organoids (TOs) from an epithelial ovarian cancer tumor obtained at the time of primary or interval debulking surgery has the potential to play an important role in precision medicine. Here, we utilized TOs to test front-line chemotherapy sensitivity and to investigate genomic drivers of carboplatin resistance. We developed six high-grade, serous epithelial ovarian cancer tumor organoid lines from tissue obtained during debulking surgery (two neoadjuvant-carboplatin-exposed and four chemo-naïve). Each organoid line was screened for sensitivity to carboplatin at four different doses (100, 10, 1, and 0.1 µM). Cell viability curves and resultant EC₅₀ values were determined. One organoid line, UK1254, was predicted to be resistant to carboplatin based on its EC₅₀ value (50.2 µM) being above clinically achievable Cmax. UK1254 had a significantly shorter PFS than the rest of the subjects (p = 0.0253) and was treated as a platinum-resistant recurrence. Subsequent gene expression analysis revealed extensively interconnected, differentially expressed pathways related to NF-kB, cellular differentiation (PRDM6 activation), and the linkage of B-cell receptor signaling to the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway (PI3KAP1 activation). This study demonstrates that patient-derived tumor organoids can be developed from patients at the time of primary or interval debulking surgery and may be used to predict clinical platinum sensitivity status or to investigate drivers of carboplatin resistance.