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Ye QW, Liu YJ, Li JQ, Han M, Bian ZR, Chen TY, Li JP, Liu SL, Zou X. GJA4 expressed on cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs)-A 'promoter' of the mesenchymal phenotype. Transl Oncol 2024; 46:102009. [PMID: 38833783 PMCID: PMC11190749 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2024.102009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. Connexin is a transmembrane protein involved in gap junctions (GJs) formation. Our previous study found that connexin 37 (Cx37), encoded by gap junction protein alpha 4 (GJA4), expressed on fibroblasts acts as a promoter of CRC and is closely related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and tumor immune microenvironment. However, to date, the mechanism concerning the malignancy of GJA4 in tumor stroma has not been studied. METHODS Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining were used to validate the expression and localization of GJA4. Using single-cell analysis, enrichment analysis, spatial transcriptomics, immunofluorescence staining (IF), Sirius red staining, wound healing and transwell assays, western blotting (WB), Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) assay and in vivo experiments, we investigated the possible mechanisms of GJA4 in promoting CRC. RESULTS We discovered that in CRC, GJA4 on fibroblasts is involved in promoting fibroblast activation and promoting EMT through a fibroblast-dependent pathway. Furthermore, GJA4 may act synergistically with M2 macrophages to limit T cell infiltration by stimulating the formation of an immune-excluded desmoplasic barrier. Finally, we found a significantly correlation between GJA4 and pathological staging (P < 0.0001) or D2 dimer (R = 0.03, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION We have identified GJA4 expressed on fibroblasts is actually a promoter of the tumor mesenchymal phenotype. Our findings suggest that the interaction between GJA4+ fibroblasts and M2 macrophages may be an effective target for enhancing tumor immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian-Wen Ye
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China; No.1 Clinical Medicial College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Yuan-Jie Liu
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China; No.1 Clinical Medicial College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Jia-Qi Li
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China; No.1 Clinical Medicial College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Mei Han
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Ze-Ren Bian
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China; No.1 Clinical Medicial College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Tian-Yuan Chen
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China; No.1 Clinical Medicial College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Jie-Pin Li
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Systems Biology and Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Shen-Lin Liu
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China.
| | - Xi Zou
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Systems Biology and Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China.
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Ibi H, Takahashi K, Harada H, Watabe T, Podyma-Inoue KA. Transforming growth factor-β signals promote progression of squamous cell carcinoma by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition and angiogenesis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 714:149965. [PMID: 38657447 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
At present, the molecular mechanisms driving the progression and metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain largely uncharacterized. The activation of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling in the tumor microenvironment has been observed in various types of cancer and has been implicated their progression by enhancing the migration and invasion of epithelial cancer cells. However, its specific roles in the oral cancer progression remain unexplored. In this study, we examined the effects of TGF-β signaling on the murine squamous cell carcinoma, SCCVII cells in vitro and in vivo. The incubation of SCCVII cells with TGF-β induced the activation of TGF-β signals and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Notably, the motility of SCCVII cells was increased upon the activation of the TGF-β signaling. RNA sequencing revealed upregulation of genes related to EMT and angiogenesis. Consistent with these in vitro results, the inhibition of TGF-β signals in SCCVII cell-derived primary tumors resulted in suppressed angiogenesis. Furthermore, we identified six candidate factors (ANKRD1, CCBE1, FSTL3, uPA, TSP-1 and integrin β3), whose expression was induced by TGF-β in SCCVII cells, and associated with poor prognosis for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. These results highlight the role of TGF-β signals in the progression of OSCC via multiple mechanisms, including EMT and angiogenesis, and suggest novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of OSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruka Ibi
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Oncology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8549, Japan; Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8549, Japan
| | - Kazuki Takahashi
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8549, Japan; Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Fw704, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Harada
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Oncology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8549, Japan
| | - Tetsuro Watabe
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8549, Japan
| | - Katarzyna A Podyma-Inoue
- Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8549, Japan.
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Liu YJ, Li JP, Han M, Li JX, Ye QW, Lin ST, Zhou JY, Liu SL, Zou X. IFIT1 + neutrophil is a causative factor of immunosuppressive features of poorly cohesive carcinoma (PCC). J Transl Med 2024; 22:580. [PMID: 38898490 PMCID: PMC11188200 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05389-z] [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: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The importance of the immune microenvironment in poorly cohesive carcinoma (PCC) has been highlighted due to its limited response rate to conventional therapy and emerging treatment resistance. A combination of clinical cohorts, bioinformatics analyses, and functional/molecular experiments revealed that high infiltration of Interferon Induced Protein with Tetratricopeptide Repeats 1 (IFIT1) + tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) is a distinguishing feature of PCC patients. Upregulation of IFIT1 + TANs promote migration and invasion of gastric cancer (GC) cell lines (MKN45 and MKN74) and stimulates the growth of cell-derived xenograft models. Besides, by promoting macrophage secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) expression and facilitating cancer-associated fibroblast and endothelial cell recruitment and activation through TANs, IFIT1 promotes a mesenchymal phenotype, which is associated with a poor prognosis. Importantly, compared to non-PCC (NPCC), PCC tumors is more immunosuppressive. Mechanistically, IFIT1 can be stimulated by IFN-γ and contributes to the expression of Programmed Cell Death 1 Ligand (PDL1) in TANs. We demonstrated in mouse models that IFIT1 + PDL1 + TANs can induce acquired resistance to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy, which may be responsible for the difficulty of PCC patients to benefit from immunotherapy. This work highlights the role of IFIT1 + TANs in mediating the remodeling of the tumor immune microenvironment and immunotherapeutic resistance and introduces IFIT1 + TANs as a promising target for precision therapy of PCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Jie Liu
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
- No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor System Biology of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jie-Pin Li
- Key Laboratory of Tumor System Biology of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Mei Han
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jing-Xiao Li
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
- No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qian-Wen Ye
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
- No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Si-Tian Lin
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
- No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jin-Yong Zhou
- Central Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shen-Lin Liu
- No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Xi Zou
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
- No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China.
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
- Key Laboratory of Tumor System Biology of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
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Li JP, Liu YJ, Li Y, Yin Y, Ye QW, Lu ZH, Dong YW, Zhou JY, Zou X, Chen YG. Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of LMOD1 expression summarizes two modes of cell communication in colorectal cancer. J Transl Med 2024; 22:549. [PMID: 38849852 PMCID: PMC11161970 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05369-3] [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: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Cellular communication (CC) influences tumor development by mediating intercellular junctions between cells. However, the role and underlying mechanisms of CC in malignant transformation remain unknown. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of CC molecular expression during malignant transformation. It was found that although both tight junctions (TJs) and gap junctions (GJs) were involved in maintaining the tumor microenvironment (TME), they exhibited opposite characteristics. Mechanistically, for epithelial cells (parenchymal component), the expression of TJ molecules consistently decreased during normal-cancer transformation and is a potential oncogenic factor. For fibroblasts (mesenchymal component), the expression of GJs consistently increased during normal-cancer transformation and is a potential oncogenic factor. In addition, the molecular profiles of TJs and GJs were used to stratify colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, where subtypes characterized by high GJ levels and low TJ levels exhibited enhanced mesenchymal signals. Importantly, we propose that leiomodin 1 (LMOD1) is biphasic, with features of both TJs and GJs. LMOD1 not only promotes the activation of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) but also inhibits the Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program in cancer cells. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate the molecular heterogeneity of CC and provide new insights into further understanding of TME heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie-Pin Li
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Hanzhong Road No.155, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Systems Biology and Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
- Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuan-Jie Liu
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Hanzhong Road No.155, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
- Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yang Li
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Hanzhong Road No.155, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
- Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yi Yin
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Hanzhong Road No.155, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
- Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qian-Wen Ye
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Hanzhong Road No.155, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
- Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhi-Hua Lu
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Hanzhong Road No.155, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
- Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yu-Wei Dong
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Hanzhong Road No.155, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
- Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jin-Yong Zhou
- Central Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xi Zou
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Hanzhong Road No.155, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Systems Biology and Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
- Institute of Chinese & Western Medicine and Oncology Clinical Research, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Yu-Gen Chen
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Hanzhong Road No.155, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Systems Biology and Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
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Zhang Y, Liu YJ, Mei J, Yang ZX, Qian XP, Huang W. An Analysis Regarding the Association Between DAZ Interacting Zinc Finger Protein 1 (DZIP1) and Colorectal Cancer (CRC). Mol Biotechnol 2024:10.1007/s12033-024-01065-1. [PMID: 38334905 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-024-01065-1] [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: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignant disease worldwide, and its incidence is increasing, but the molecular mechanisms of this disease are highly heterogeneous and still far from being fully understood. Increasing evidence suggests that fibrosis mediated by abnormal activation of fibroblasts based in the microenvironment is associated with a poor prognosis. However, the function and pathogenic mechanisms of fibroblasts in CRC remain unclear. Here, combining scrna-seq and clinical specimen data, DAZ Interacting Protein 1 (DZIP1) was found to be expressed on fibroblasts and cancer cells and positively correlated with stromal deposition. Importantly, pseudotime-series analysis showed that DZIP1 levels were up-regulated in malignant transformation of fibroblasts and experimentally confirmed that DZIP1 modulates activation of fibroblasts and promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in tumor cells. Further studies showed that DZIP1 expressed by tumor cells also has a driving effect on EMT and contributes to the recruitment of more fibroblasts. A similar phenomenon was observed in xenografted nude mice. And it was confirmed in xenograft mice that downregulation of DZIP1 expression significantly delayed tumor formation and reduced tumor size in CRC cells. Taken together, our findings suggested that DZIP1 was a regulator of the CRC mesenchymal phenotype. The revelation of targeting DZIP1 provides a new avenue for CRC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Oncology, Nanjing Tianyinshan Hospital, Nanjing, 211199, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuan-Jie Liu
- Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jia Mei
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhao-Xu Yang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Jinling Hospital, Medical School Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiao-Ping Qian
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China.
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Oncology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Hanzhong Road No.155, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
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Li H, Zheng N, Guo A, Tang W, Li M, Cao Y, Ma X, Cao H, Ma Y, Wang H, Zhao S. FSTL3 promotes tumor immune evasion and attenuates response to anti-PD1 therapy by stabilizing c-Myc in colorectal cancer. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:107. [PMID: 38302412 PMCID: PMC10834545 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06469-0] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PDL1)/programmed cell death 1 (PD1) blockade immunotherapy provides a prospective strategy for the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC), but various constraints on the effectiveness of the treatment are still remaining. As reported in previous studies, follistatin-like 3 (FSTL3) could mediate inflammatory response in macrophages by induction lipid accumulation. Herein, we revealed that FSTL3 were overexpressed in malignant cells in the CRC microenvironment, notably, the expression level of FSTL3 was related to tumor immune evasion and the clinical efficacy of anti-PD1 therapy. Further studies determined that hypoxic tumor microenvironment induced the FSTL3 expression via HIF1α in CRC cells, FSTL3 could bind to the transcription factor c-Myc (354-406 amino acids) to suppress the latter's ubiquitination and increase its stability, thereby to up-regulated the expression of PDL1 and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1). The results in the immunocompetent tumor models verified that FSLT3 knockout in tumor cells increased the proportion of CD8+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment, reduced the proportion of regulatory T cells (CD25+ Foxp3+) and exhausted T cells (PD1+ CD8+), and synergistically improved the anti-PD1 therapy efficacy. To sum up, FSTL3 enhanced c-Myc-mediated transcriptional regulation to promote immune evasion and attenuates response to anti-PD1 therapy in CRC, suggesting the potential of FSTL3 as a biomarker of immunotherapeutic efficacy as well as a novel immunotherapeutic target in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyang Li
- Department of general surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Na Zheng
- General Clinical Research Center, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- General Clinical Research Center, Nanjing First Hospital, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Anning Guo
- General Clinical Research Center, Nanjing First Hospital, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Weiwei Tang
- Hepatobiliary/Liver Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Living Donor Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Muxin Li
- General Clinical Research Center, Nanjing First Hospital, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuanyuan Cao
- General Clinical Research Center, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xinhua Ma
- General Clinical Research Center, Nanjing First Hospital, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongyong Cao
- Department of general surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Yong Ma
- Department of general surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Hanjin Wang
- Department of general surgery, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Shuli Zhao
- General Clinical Research Center, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
- General Clinical Research Center, Nanjing First Hospital, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
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Liao X, Yang Y, Wang L, Kong Z, Li W. CC chemokine receptors are prognostic indicators of gastric cancer and are associated with immune infiltration. BMC Med Genomics 2024; 17:1. [PMID: 38169378 PMCID: PMC10763316 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-023-01690-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND CC chemokine receptors are responsible for regulating the tumor microenvironment (TME) and participating in carcinogenesis and tumor advancement. However, no functional study has investigated CC chemokine receptors in gastric cancer (GC) prognosis, risk, immunotherapy, or other treatments. METHODS We conducted a bioinformatics analysis on GC data using online databases, including the Human Protein Atlas (HPA), Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter, GeneMANIA, MethSurv, the University of ALabama at Birmingham CANcer (UALCAN) Data Analysis Portal, Gene Set Cancer Analysis (GSCA), cBioportal, and Tumor IMmune Estimation Resource (TIMER). RESULTS We noted that CC chemokine receptor expression correlated with survival in GC. CC chemokine receptor expression was also strongly linked to different tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Additionally, CC chemokine receptors were found to be broadly drug-resistant in GC. CONCLUSION Our study identifed CC chemokine receptor expression helped in predicting the prognosis of patients diagnosed with GC. The expression level of the CC chemokine receptors was also positively related to multiple tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). These findings provide evidence to monitor patients with GC using CC chemokine receptors, which can be used as an effective biomarker for predicting the disease prognosis and be regarded as a therapeutic target for modulating the tumor immune microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinghe Liao
- Department of Integrated Therapy, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yong Yang
- Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Lihuan Wang
- Department of Radiology, the First people's Hospital of Taicang City, Taicang Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Taicang City, 215400, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhiyuan Kong
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, the First people's Hospital of Taicang City, Taicang Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Taicang City, 215400, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Weiping Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, the First people's Hospital of Taicang City, Taicang Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Taicang City, 215400, Jiangsu Province, China.
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Ibrahim HM, Abdelrahman AE, Elwan A, Bakry A, Fahmy MM, Abdelhamid MI, Abdelwanis AH, Fouad EM. Prognostic Impact of FSTL3, ADAM12, and FAT4 in Patients of Colon Cancer: Clinicopathologic Study. Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol 2023; 31:673-681. [PMID: 37751246 DOI: 10.1097/pai.0000000000001157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
There is a cellular crosstalk between Wnt/β-catenin and Hippo/Yes-related protein 1 signaling paths in colon cancer (CC) which promotes EMT processes that mediate the metastatic progression of CC. We aimed to evaluate follistatin-like 3 (FSTL3), ADAM12, and FAT4 expressions in CC. A statistical analysis was done to establish how disease-free survival, overall survival (OS), and relapse all performed a prognostic role. High FSTL3 was detected in 68% of CC and significantly related to left-sided tumors ( P = 0.002) and the advanced tumor features, such as metastasis ( P = 0.010), pT ( P = 0.006), high grade ( P = 0.005), lymph node contribution ( P = 0.013), and advanced stage ( P = 0.003). Positive ADAM12 expression was observed in 60% and significantly related to left-sided tumors ( P = 0.001) and significantly common in high grade ( P = 0.028), lymph node involvement ( P < 0.001), and advanced stage ( P = 0.004). Low FAT4 expression was recognized in 76% and linked with the right-sided tumors ( P = 0.036). FAT4 expression was contrariwise linked with CC grade ( P < 0.001). Furthermore, FAT4 expression was inversely correlated with lymph node involvement ( P = 0.002), metastasis ( P = 0.046), and advanced stage ( P = 0.002). During the follow-up, 14 cases were relapsed and positively associated with high FSTL3 expression ( P = 0.001) and ADAM12 expression ( P < 0.001), but negatively linked with FAT4 expression ( P = 0.003). Shorter disease-free survival was substantially correlated with positive ADAM12, extreme FSTL3, and low FAT4 expression ( P < 0.001, P = 0.002, P = 0.003, consecutively). Moreover, Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated a significant correlation between shorter OS with extreme FSTL3, positive ADAM12, and low FAT4 ( P = 0.004, <0.001, 0.019, consecutively). High FSTL3, positive ADAM12, and low FAT4 expression are unfavorable prognostic influences in CC that may be accountable for relapse and therapeutic resistance in CC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Amira Elwan
- Department of Clinical Oncology and Nuclear Medicine
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Zhang Q, Liu J, Yao D, Shi JX, Liu YJ, Wei YG, Guo S. Comprehensive Analysis to Identify Rh Family C Glycoprotein ( RHCG) as the Causative Gene for Psoriasis and Search for Alternative Treatment Modalities. Drug Des Devel Ther 2023; 17:2593-2611. [PMID: 37664450 PMCID: PMC10473404 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s421300] [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: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Psoriasis is a complex autoimmune disease. Frequent interactions between epidermal and immune cells are likely to be responsible for the strong heterogeneity of psoriasis. Therefore, our work aims to build on current knowledge and further search for new molecular mechanisms related to psoriasis pathogenesis in order to develop new targeted drugs. Methods Data from psoriasis samples were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and batch effects were corrected using the "Combat" algorithm in the "SVA" package. Functional annotation of differential genes in psoriasis was performed by Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Core functional modules were identified using the Multiscale Embedded Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (MEGENA) algorithm for selection from the differential gene interaction network. The expression and potential function of Rh Family C Glycoprotein (RHCG) was predicted in single cell data by the "Seurat" package and validated in psoriasis samples by multiplex immunofluorescence. In addition, the regulatory function of HOP Homeobox (HOPX) on RHCG in keratinocytes was confirmed using RNA interference. Using immune infiltration analysis, RHCG and DC cells were analyzed for their association. Finally, the molecular mechanisms of treatment of psoriasis using Tripterygii Radix (TR) and Cinnamomi Ramulus (CR) were explored through network pharmacology and experimental validation. Results Immune response (represented by C1_2) and collagen matrix formation (represented by C1_3) were identified as two important pathogenic factors in psoriasis and helped to define new biological subtypes of psoriasis. One important psoriasis hub gene, RHCG, was obtained and found to be closely associated with keratinocyte differentiation as well as DC cell maturation. And RHCG was regulated by HOPX in keratinocytes. In addition, the mechanism of action of CR and TR in the treatment of psoriasis was tentatively confirmed to be related to TRPV3, NFKB2, and YAP1. Conclusions Our study identifies a new causal disease gene (RHCG) and offers potential alternatives for the treatment of psoriasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, People’s Republic of China
- No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jia Liu
- Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dan Yao
- Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, People’s Republic of China
- No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jian-Xin Shi
- Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuan-Jie Liu
- No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Tumor System Biology of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yue-Gang Wei
- Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shun Guo
- Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, People’s Republic of China
- No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, People’s Republic of China
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10
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Lai J, Lin X, Zheng H, Xie B, Fu D. Characterization of stemness features and construction of a stemness subtype classifier to predict survival and treatment responses in lung squamous cell carcinoma. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:525. [PMID: 37291533 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-10918-y] [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: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer stemness has been proven to affect tumorigenesis, metastasis, and drug resistance in various cancers, including lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). We intended to develop a clinically applicable stemness subtype classifier that could assist physicians in predicting patient prognosis and treatment response. METHODS This study collected RNA-seq data from TCGA and GEO databases to calculate transcriptional stemness indices (mRNAsi) using the one-class logistic regression machine learning algorithm. Unsupervised consensus clustering was conducted to identify a stemness-based classification. Immune infiltration analysis (ESTIMATE and ssGSEA algorithms) methods were used to investigate the immune infiltration status of different subtypes. Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) and Immunophenotype Score (IPS) were used to evaluate the immunotherapy response. The pRRophetic algorithm was used to estimate the efficiency of chemotherapeutic and targeted agents. Two machine learning algorithms (LASSO and RF) and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to construct a novel stemness-related classifier. RESULTS We observed that patients in the high-mRNAsi group had a better prognosis than those in the low-mRNAsi group. Next, we identified 190 stemness-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that could categorize LUSC patients into two stemness subtypes. Patients in the stemness subtype B group with higher mRNAsi scores exhibited better overall survival (OS) than those in the stemness subtype A group. Immunotherapy prediction demonstrated that stemness subtype A has a better response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Furthermore, the drug response prediction indicated that stemness subtype A had a better response to chemotherapy but was more resistant to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). Finally, we constructed a nine-gene-based classifier to predict patients' stemness subtype and validated it in independent GEO validation sets. The expression levels of these genes were also validated in clinical tumor specimens. CONCLUSION The stemness-related classifier could serve as a potential prognostic and treatment predictor and assist physicians in selecting effective treatment strategies for patients with LUSC in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinzhi Lai
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, 362000, Fujian, China
| | - Xinyi Lin
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, 362000, Fujian, China
| | - Huangna Zheng
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, 362000, Fujian, China
| | - Bilan Xie
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, 362000, Fujian, China.
| | - Deqiang Fu
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, 362000, Fujian, China.
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11
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Abe C, Bhaswant M, Miyazawa T, Miyazawa T. The Potential Use of Exosomes in Anti-Cancer Effect Induced by Polarized Macrophages. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15031024. [PMID: 36986884 PMCID: PMC10054161 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15031024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid development of aberrant cells outgrowing their normal bounds, which can subsequently infect other body parts and spread to other organs-a process known as metastasis-is one of the significant characteristics of cancer. The main reason why cancer patients die is because of widespread metastases. This abnormal cell proliferation varies in cancers of over a hundred types, and their response to treatment can vary substantially. Several anti-cancer drugs have been discovered to treat various tumors, yet they still have harmful side-effects. Finding novel, highly efficient targeted therapies based on modifications in the molecular biology of tumor cells is essential to reduce the indiscriminate destruction of healthy cells. Exosomes, an extracellular vesicle, are promising as a drug carrier for cancer therapy due to their good tolerance in the body. In addition, the tumor microenvironment is a potential target to regulate in cancer treatment. Therefore, macrophages are polarized toward M1 and M2 phenotypes, which are involved in cancer proliferation and are malignant. It is evident from recent studies that controlled macrophage polarization might contribute to cancer treatment, by the direct way of using miRNA. This review provides an insight into the potential use of exosomes to develop an 'indirect', more natural, and harmless cancer treatment through regulating macrophage polarization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chizumi Abe
- New Industry Creation Hatchery Center (NICHe), Tohoku University, 6-6-10 Aramaki-aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
| | - Maharshi Bhaswant
- New Industry Creation Hatchery Center (NICHe), Tohoku University, 6-6-10 Aramaki-aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
| | - Teruo Miyazawa
- New Industry Creation Hatchery Center (NICHe), Tohoku University, 6-6-10 Aramaki-aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
| | - Taiki Miyazawa
- New Industry Creation Hatchery Center (NICHe), Tohoku University, 6-6-10 Aramaki-aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
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12
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Tian S, Xu X, Yang X, Fan L, Jiao Y, Zheng M, Zhang S. Roles of follistatin-like protein 3 in human non-tumor pathophysiologies and cancers. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:953551. [PMID: 36325361 PMCID: PMC9619213 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.953551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Follistatin-like protein 3 (FSTL3) is a type of FSTLs. By interacting with a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 12 (ADAM12), transforming growth factor-β ligands (activin, myostatin and growth differentiation factor (GDF) 11), FSTL3 can either activate or inhibit these molecules in human non-tumor pathophysiologies and cancers. The FSTL3 gene was initially discovered in patients with in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and subsequent studies have shown that the FSTL3 protein is associated with reproductive development, insulin resistance, and hematopoiesis. FSTL3 reportedly contributes to the development and progression of many cancers by promoting tumor metastasis, facilitating angiogenesis, and inducing stem cell differentiation. This review summarizes the current pathophysiological roles of FSTL3, which may be a putative prognostic biomarker for various diseases and serve as a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shifeng Tian
- Graduate School, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoyi Xu
- Department of Stomatology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaohui Yang
- Nankai University School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Linlin Fan
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuqi Jiao
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Minying Zheng
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China
| | - Shiwu Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Shiwu Zhang,
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13
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Dong S, Zhang S, Zhao P, Lin G, Ma X, Xu J, Zhang H, Hu J, Zou C. A combined analysis of bulk and single-cell sequencing data reveals that depleted extracellular matrix and enhanced immune processes co-contribute to fluorouracil beneficial responses in gastric cancer. Front Immunol 2022; 13:999551. [PMID: 36189263 PMCID: PMC9520597 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.999551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluorouracil, also known as 5-FU, is one of the most commonly used chemotherapy drugs in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer (GC). Whereas, the presence of innate or acquired resistance largely limits its survival benefit in GC patients. Although accumulated studies have demonstrated the involvement of tumor microenvironments (TMEs) in chemo-resistance induction, so far little is known about the relevance of GC TMEs in 5-FU resistance. To this end, in this study, we investigated the relationship between TME features and 5-FU responses in GC patients using a combined analysis involving both bulk sequencing data from the TCGA database and single-cell RNA sequencing data from the GEO database. We found that depleted extracellular matrix (ECM) components such as capillary/stroma cells and enhanced immune processes such as increased number of M1 polarized macrophages/Memory T cells/Natural Killer T cells/B cells and decreased number of regulatory T cells are two important features relating to 5-FU beneficial responses in GC patients, especially in diffuse-type patients. We further validated these two features in the tumor tissues of 5-FU-benefit GC patients using immunofluorescence staining experiments. Based on this finding, we also established a Pro (63 genes) and Con (199 genes) gene cohort that could predict 5-FU responses in GC with an AUC (area under curve) score of 0.90 in diffuse-type GC patients, and further proved the partial applicability of this gene panel pan-cancer-wide. Moreover, we identified possible communications mediated by heparanase and galectin-1 which could regulate ECM remodeling and tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) reshaping. Altogether, these findings deciphered the relationship between GC TMEs and 5-FU resistance for the first time, as well as provided potential therapeutic targets and predicting rationale to overcome this chemo-resistance, which could shed some light on developing novel precision treatment strategies in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaowei Dong
- The Second Clinical Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Jinan University (Shenzhen People’s Hospital), Shenzhen, China
- Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Postdoctoral Research Station, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Medicine, Life and Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, China
| | - Siyu Zhang
- School of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pan Zhao
- School of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guanchuan Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Single Cell Technology and Application, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoshi Ma
- The Second Clinical Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Jinan University (Shenzhen People’s Hospital), Shenzhen, China
| | - Jing Xu
- The Second Clinical Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Jinan University (Shenzhen People’s Hospital), Shenzhen, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Institute of Precision Cancer Medicine and Pathology, Jinan University Medical College, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiliang Hu
- The Second Clinical Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Jinan University (Shenzhen People’s Hospital), Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Engineering Technological Research Center for Nervous Anatomy and Related Clinical Applications, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chang Zou
- The Second Clinical Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology, Jinan University (Shenzhen People’s Hospital), Shenzhen, China
- School of Medicine, Life and Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, China
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14
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Chan MKK, Chung JYF, Tang PCT, Chan ASW, Ho JYY, Lin TPT, Chen J, Leung KT, To KF, Lan HY, Tang PMK. TGF-β signaling networks in the tumor microenvironment. Cancer Lett 2022; 550:215925. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.215925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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15
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Identification of Immune-Related Markers in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on Gene Co-expression Network. Biochem Genet 2022; 60:2552-2569. [PMID: 35633444 DOI: 10.1007/s10528-022-10235-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer-related death throughout the world, with constant increasing morbidity and mortality. Existing studies suggest that immunotherapy is beneficial to the treatment of advanced HCC. At present, it is imperative to identify biomarkers suitable for HCC immunotherapy. In this paper, the mRNA expression data of HCC were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas, and Stromal Score, Immune Score and ESTIMATE Score of each sample were calculated. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis clustered the pretreated genes into eight modules. The brown module that was remarkably associated with Immune Score was identified by module eigengene-immune trait analysis, in which genes were mainly enriched in immune-related pathways. Four hub genes (CCR5, CD53, ITGB2, and TYROBP) related to tumor immunity, were screened out by intramodular gene connectivity combined with protein-protein interaction network topology analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis presented a correlation between high expression of CCR5 and CD53, and better prognoses of HCC patients. TIMER analysis revealed a positive correlation between expression of each hub gene and immune cell infiltration level, and a positive correlation between the expression of each hub gene and the expression of immunosuppressive factors CTLA4 and PDCD1. Gene set enrichment analysis displayed that there was an evident difference in the activation of cytokines and the activation of immune signal transduction-related pathways between high- and low-expression groups of each hub gene. In conclusion, this study identified four potential genetic markers associated with HCC immunity and assessed their association with HCC patient's prognosis and immune microenvironment. The study results are expected to provide theoretical guidance for immunotherapy of HCC patients.
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16
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Gu X, Chu L, Kang Y. Angiogenic Factor-Based Signature Predicts Prognosis and Immunotherapy Response in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. Front Genet 2022; 13:894024. [PMID: 35664334 PMCID: PMC9158321 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.894024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common malignancies, and specific molecular targets are still lacking. Angiogenesis plays a central regulatory role in the growth and metastasis of malignant tumors and angiogenic factors (AFs) are involved. Although there are many studies comparing AFs and cancer, a prognostic risk model for AFs and cancer in humans has not been reported in the literature. This study aimed to identify the key AFs closely related to the process of NSCLC development, and four genes have been found, C1QTNF6, SLC2A1, PTX3, and FSTL3. Then, we constructed a novel prognostic risk model based on these four genes in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and fully analyzed the relationship with clinical features, immune infiltration, genomes, and predictors. This model had good discrimination and calibration and will perform well in predicting the prognosis of treatment in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinpei Gu
- Department of Human Anatomy, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Taian, China
| | - Liuxi Chu
- School of Biological Sciences and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yanlan Kang
- Institute of AI and Robotics, Academy for Engineering and Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Yanlan Kang,
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17
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Liu Y, Li J, Zeng S, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Jin Z, Liu S, Zou X. Bioinformatic Analyses and Experimental Verification Reveal that High FSTL3 Expression Promotes EMT via Fibronectin-1/α5β1 Interaction in Colorectal Cancer. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:762924. [PMID: 34901156 PMCID: PMC8652210 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.762924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a typical cancer prevalent worldwide. Despite the conventional treatments, CRC has a poor prognosis due to relapse and metastasis. Moreover, there is a dearth of sensitive biomarkers for predicting prognosis in CRC. Methods: This study used a bioinformatics approach combining validation experiments to examine the value of follistatin-like 3 (FSTL3) as a prognostic predictor and therapeutic target in CRC. Results:FSTL3 was remarkably upregulated in the CRC samples. FSTL3 overexpression was significantly associated with a poor prognosis. FSTL3 was found to activate the epithelial-mesenchymal transition by promoting the binding of FN1 to α5β1. FSTL3 expression was also positively correlated with the abundance of the potent immunosuppressors, M2 macrophages. Conclusion:FSTL3 overexpression affects CRC prognosis and thus, FSTL3 can be a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target with potential applications in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanjie Liu
- Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.,No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiepin Li
- Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.,No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.,Department of Oncology, Zhangjiagang TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Zhangjiagang, China
| | - Shuhong Zeng
- Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.,No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.,No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yonghua Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Zhangjiagang TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Zhangjiagang, China
| | - Zhichao Jin
- Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Shenlin Liu
- Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.,No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xi Zou
- Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
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18
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Liu YJ, Yin SY, Zeng SH, Hu YD, Wang MQ, Huang P, Li JP. Prognostic Value of LHFPL Tetraspan Subfamily Member 6 (LHFPL6) in Gastric Cancer: A Study Based on Bioinformatics Analysis and Experimental Validation. Pharmgenomics Pers Med 2021; 14:1483-1504. [PMID: 34848995 PMCID: PMC8612673 DOI: 10.2147/pgpm.s332345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The identification of biomarkers and effective therapeutic targets for gastric cancer (GC), the most common cause of cancer-related deaths around the world, is currently a major focus in research. Here, we examined the utility of LHFPL6 as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for GC. Methods We explored the clinical relevance, function, and molecular role of LHFPL6 in GC using the MethSurv, cBioPortal, TIMER, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis, ONCOMINE, MEXPRESS, and EWAS Atlas databases. The GSE118919, GSE29272, and GSE13861 datasets were used for differential expression analysis. Using The Cancer Genome Atlas, we developed a Cox regression model and assessed the clinical significance of LHFPLs. In addition, we used the “CIBERSORT” algorithm to make reliable immune infiltration estimations. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to examine protein expression. Cell migration and invasion were assessed using transwell experiments. THP-1-derived macrophages and GC cells were co-cultured in order to model tumor–macrophage interactions in vitro. The levels of CD206 and CD163 were measured using immunofluorescence assays. The results were visualized with the “ggplot2” and “circlize” packages. Results Our results showed that in GC, LHFPL6 overexpression was significantly associated with a poor prognosis. Our findings also suggested that LHFPL6 may be involved in the activation of the epithelial–mesenchymal transition. Furthermore, LHFPL6 expression showed a positive correlation with the abundance of M2 macrophages, which are potent immunosuppressors. Conclusion LHFPL6 could be a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Jie Liu
- Department of Oncology, Zhangjiagang TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu, 215600, People's Republic of China.,Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, People's Republic of China.,No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Sheng-Yan Yin
- Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, People's Republic of China.,No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Shu-Hong Zeng
- Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, People's Republic of China.,No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Dou Hu
- Department of Oncology, Zhangjiagang TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu, 215600, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng-Qi Wang
- Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, People's Republic of China.,No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Pan Huang
- Department of Oncology, Zhangjiagang TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu, 215600, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie-Pin Li
- Department of Oncology, Zhangjiagang TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu, 215600, People's Republic of China.,Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210029, People's Republic of China.,No. 1 Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, People's Republic of China
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19
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Inhibition of FSTL3 abates the proliferation and metastasis of renal cell carcinoma via the GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:22528-22543. [PMID: 34555811 PMCID: PMC8507290 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a lethal malignancy of the genitourinary system. Follistatin-like 3 (FSTL3), which mediates cell differentiation and growth, acts as a biomarker of tumors and participates in cancer development and progression. Presently, the FSTL3’s functions in RCC were investigated. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), Western Blot, and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were conducted to verify FSTL3 expression in RCC tissues and cell lines. BrdU assay and CCK8 experiment were made to monitor cell proliferation. Transwell was implemented to examine the invasion of the cells. Flow cytometry analyzed cell apoptosis, and Western Blot evaluated the protein levels of E-cadherin, Twist, and Slug. In the meantime, the protein profiles of the GSK-3β, β-catenin, and TGF-β signaling pathways were ascertained. Moreover, the Xenograft tumor model was constructed in nude mice for measuring tumor growth in vivo. The statistics showed that FSTL3 presented an overexpression in RCC, and patients with a lower expression of FSTL3 manifested a better prognosis. Down-regulated FSTL3 hampered the proliferation, invasion, EMT, and tumor growth of RCC cells and caused cell apoptosis. On the contrary, FSTL3 overexpression enhanced the malignant behaviors of RCC cells. Furthermore, FSTL3 knockdown bolstered GSK-3β, suppressed β-catenin, and reduced BMP1-SMAD pathway activation. Inhibited β-catenin substantially mitigated FSTL3-mediated promoting functions in RCC. In short, FSTL3 functions as an oncogene in RCC by modulating the GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway.
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