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Qiu Y, Ye W, Wang C, Zang J. Prognostic significance and immunoinfiltration analysis of genes associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition and energy metabolism in bladder urothelial carcinoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:13312-13328. [PMID: 38015710 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205242] [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: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and aberrant energy metabolism are pivotal biological processes in tumor progression, significantly impacting tumor prognosis. However, the relationship between EMT, energy metabolism, and the immune microenvironment in bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA) remains inadequately understood. METHODS Bladder cancer samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas were categorized into two groups via clustering analysis to elucidate disparities in expression, prognostic significance, and immune infiltration of genes associated with EMT and energy metabolism between these groups. Key genes associated with EMT and energy metabolism in BLCA were identified through Cox multifactorial regression analysis, immune infiltration analysis, etc. Subsequently, their prognostic significance in BLCA was validated. RESULTS Cluster analysis revealed significant differences in the expression of genes associated with EMT and energy metabolism between the two groups. Group 2 exhibited significantly improved overall survival and progression-free survival compared to Group 1. Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4) emerged as the most critical gene associated with EMT, energy metabolism, prognosis, and immune infiltration in BLCA. Immunohistochemical assays demonstrated differential expression of CSPG4 in bladder tumors and normal bladder tissues, with high CSPG4 expression correlating with a poorer BLCA prognosis. Furthermore, CSPG4 exhibited an association with the immune checkpoint molecule programmed death-1 (PD1) in BLCA. CONCLUSIONS EMT and energy metabolism exert pivotal influences on the immune microenvironment in BLCA. CSPG4 holds promise as a prognostic biomarker for patients with BLCA, offering valuable insights into potential immunotherapeutic strategies for this patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Qiu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wei Ye
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chao Wang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jin Zang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, Jiangsu, China
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Tan L, Cheng D, Wen J, Huang K, Zhang Q. Identification of prognostic hypoxia-related genes signature on the tumor microenvironment in esophageal cancer. MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES AND ENGINEERING : MBE 2021; 18:7743-7758. [PMID: 34814273 DOI: 10.3934/mbe.2021384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hypoxia is a crucial factor in the development of esophageal cancer. The relationship between hypoxia and immune status in the esophageal cancer microenvironment is becoming increasingly important in clinical practice. This study aims to clarify and investigate the possible connection between immunotherapy and hypoxia in esophageal cancer. METHODS The Cancer Genome Atlas databases are used to find two types of esophageal cancer cases. Cox regressions analyses are used to screen genes for hypoxia-related traits. After that, the genetic signature is validated by survival analysis and the construction of ROC curves. GSEA is used to compare differences in enrichment in the two groups and is followed by the CIBERSORT tool to investigate a potentially relevant correlation between immune cells and gene signatures. RESULTS We found that the esophageal adenocarcinoma hypoxia model contains 3 genes (PGK1, PGM1, SLC2A3), and the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma hypoxia model contains 2 genes (EGFR, ATF3). The findings demonstrated that the survival rate of patients in the high-risk group is lower than in the lower-risk group. Furthermore, we find that three kinds of immune cells (memory activated CD4+ T cells, activated mast cells, and M2 macrophages) have a marked infiltration in the tissues of patients in the high-risk group. Moreover, we find that PD-L1 and CD244 are highly expressed in high-risk groups. CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate that oxygen deprivation is correlated with prognosis and the incidence of immune cell infiltration in patients with both types of esophageal cancer, which provides an immunological perspective for the development of personalized therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Tan
- The Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Dingzhuo Cheng
- Ningbo NO6. Hospital, Neurosurgery Department, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jianbo Wen
- The Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Kefeng Huang
- The Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qin Zhang
- The Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University, Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
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Antognelli C, Mandarano M, Prosperi E, Sidoni A, Talesa VN. Glyoxalase-1-Dependent Methylglyoxal Depletion Sustains PD-L1 Expression in Metastatic Prostate Cancer Cells: A Novel Mechanism in Cancer Immunosurveillance Escape and a Potential Novel Target to Overcome PD-L1 Blockade Resistance. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13122965. [PMID: 34199263 PMCID: PMC8232032 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13122965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa) is a well-known lethal condition. One of the mechanisms through which PCa cells become so aggressive is the avoidance of immune surveillance that further fosters cell growth, invasion, and migration. PD-L1/PD-1 axis plays a crucial role in inhibiting cytotoxic T cells and maintaining an immunosuppressive cancer microenvironment. Hence, targeting PD-L1/PD-1 axis represents a potential way to control mPCa. Unfortunately, mPCa patients do not respond to PD-L1/PD-1 axis blockade, focusing the research to understand the possible underpinning mechanisms. Our results provide a novel pathway taking part in cancer immunosurveillance escape and in the above-mentioned immunotherapy resistance, which provides the basis for additional studies aimed at developing novel therapeutic opportunities, possibly also in combination with antibodies blocking PD-L1/PD-1 axis. Abstract Metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa) is a disease for which to date there is not curative therapy. Even the recent and attractive immunotherapeutic approaches targeting PD-L1, an immune checkpoint protein which helps cancer cells to escape from immunosurveillance, have proved ineffective. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms contributing to keep an immunosuppressive microenvironment associated with tumor progression and refractoriness to PD-L1 inhibitors is urgently needed. In the present study, by using gene silencing and specific activators or scavengers, we demonstrated, in mPCa cell models, that methylglyoxal (MG), a potent precursor of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), especially 5-hydro-5-methylimidazolone (MG-H1), and its metabolizing enzyme, glyoxalase 1 (Glo1), contribute to maintain an immunosuppressive microenvironment through MG-H1-mediated PD-L1 up-regulation and to promote cancer progression. Moreover, our findings suggest that this novel mechanism might be responsible, at least in part, of mPCa resistance to PD-L1 inhibitors, such as atezolizumab, and that targeting it may sensitize cells to this PD-L1 inhibitor. These findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms of mPCa immunosurveillance escape and help in providing the basis to foster in vivo research toward novel therapeutic strategies for immunotherapy of mPCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Antognelli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Bioscience and Medical Embryology Division, University of Perugia, L. Severi Square, 06129 Perugia, Italy;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-075-585-8354
| | - Martina Mandarano
- Section of Anatomic Pathology and Histology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, L. Severi Square, 06129 Perugia, Italy; (M.M.); (E.P.); (A.S.)
| | - Enrico Prosperi
- Section of Anatomic Pathology and Histology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, L. Severi Square, 06129 Perugia, Italy; (M.M.); (E.P.); (A.S.)
| | - Angelo Sidoni
- Section of Anatomic Pathology and Histology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, L. Severi Square, 06129 Perugia, Italy; (M.M.); (E.P.); (A.S.)
| | - Vincenzo Nicola Talesa
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Bioscience and Medical Embryology Division, University of Perugia, L. Severi Square, 06129 Perugia, Italy;
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Cimadamore A, Rizzo A, Mollica V, Massari F, Lopez-Beltran A, Scarpelli M, Cheng L, Santoni M, Montironi R. An update on immunotherapy in uro-oncology. EXPERT REVIEW OF PRECISION MEDICINE AND DRUG DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/23808993.2021.1911638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Cimadamore
- Section of Pathological Anatomy, Polytechnic University of the Marche Region, School of Medicine, United Hospitals, Ancona, Italy
| | - Alessandro Rizzo
- Division of Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Veronica Mollica
- Division of Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesco Massari
- Division of Oncology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Marina Scarpelli
- Section of Pathological Anatomy, Polytechnic University of the Marche Region, School of Medicine, United Hospitals, Ancona, Italy
| | - Liang Cheng
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
| | | | - Rodolfo Montironi
- Section of Pathological Anatomy, Polytechnic University of the Marche Region, School of Medicine, United Hospitals, Ancona, Italy
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Rutz J, Janicova A, Woidacki K, Chun FKH, Blaheta RA, Relja B. Curcumin-A Viable Agent for Better Bladder Cancer Treatment. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21113761. [PMID: 32466578 PMCID: PMC7312715 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21113761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the therapeutic armamentarium for bladder cancer has considerably widened in the last few years, severe side effects and the development of resistance hamper long-term treatment success. Thus, patients turn to natural plant products as alternative or complementary therapeutic options. One of these is curcumin, the principal component of Curcuma longa that has shown chemopreventive effects in experimental cancer models. Clinical and preclinical studies point to its role as a chemosensitizer, and it has been shown to protect organs from toxicity induced by chemotherapy. These properties indicate that curcumin could hold promise as a candidate for additive cancer treatment. This review evaluates the relevance of curcumin as an integral part of therapy for bladder cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochen Rutz
- Department of Urology, Goethe-University, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (J.R.); (F.K.-H.C.)
| | - Andrea Janicova
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Experimental Radiology, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (A.J.); (K.W.); (B.R.)
| | - Katja Woidacki
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Experimental Radiology, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (A.J.); (K.W.); (B.R.)
| | - Felix K.-H. Chun
- Department of Urology, Goethe-University, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (J.R.); (F.K.-H.C.)
| | - Roman A. Blaheta
- Department of Urology, Goethe-University, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (J.R.); (F.K.-H.C.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Borna Relja
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Experimental Radiology, Otto-von-Guericke University, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; (A.J.); (K.W.); (B.R.)
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