Relationship between microvessel density and cancer stem cells in tumor angiogenesis: a meta-analysis

Targeting Strategies for Renal Cancer Stem Cell Therapy

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is an intractable genitourinary malignancy that accounts for approximately 4% of adult malignancies. Currently, there is no approved targeted therapy for RCC that has yielded durable remissions, and they remain palliative in intent. Emerging evidence has indicated that renal tumorigenesis and RCC treatment-resistance may originate from renal cancer stem cells (CSCs) with tumor-initiating capacity (CSC hypothesis). A better understanding of the mechanism underlying renal CSCs will help to dissect RCC heterogeneity and drug treatment efficiency, to promote more personalized and targeted therapies. In this review, we summarized the stem cell characteristics of renal CSCs. We outlined the targeting strategies and challenges associated with developing therapies that target renal CSCs angiogenesis, immunosuppression, signaling pathways, surface biomarkers, microRNAs and nanomedicine. In conclusion, CSCs are an important role in renal carcinogenesis and represent a valid target for treatment of RCC patients.

Relationship between HER2 expression and tumor interstitial angiogenesis in primary gastric cancer and its effect on prognosis

INTRODUCTION

Her2-positive gastric cancer is a unique subtype of disease, requiring different diagnosis and treatment strategies and methods. Neoplasms are significantly correlated with the occurrence, invasion and metastasis of tumors. The purpose of this study was to explore the correlation between HER2 amplification and tumor interstitial angiogenesis in patients with gastric cancer.

METHODS

The data of 1121 patients with gastric cancer were retrospectively analyzed, and the amplification of HER2 was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and FISH. CD34 IHC was used to label MVD. We analyzed the factors affecting HER2 amplification, the difference in MVD under different HER2 states, the factors related to 5-year survival rate of patients, and predicted the independent factors affecting 5-year survival rate of gastric cancer patients.

RESULTS

We found 115 cases with HER2 positive rate of 10.26 %. HER2 amplification was more likely in gastric cancer patients with more than 5.2 cm tumor diameter, Lauren intestinal type, tubular adenocarcinoma, and the depth of infiltration at stage T2, (P < 0.05). Gender, age, tumor location, number of lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, clinical stage, nerve invasion and vascular tumor thrombi were not the factors affecting HER2 amplification of gastric cancer (P > 0.05). MVD count of HER2-positive gastric cancer was significantly higher than that of HER2-negative gastric cancer, (P < 0.05). The 5-year overall survival rate of 1121 patients with gastric cancer was 51.92 %. HER2 amplification, high MVD count, large tumor size, tubular adenocarcinoma, Lauren intestinal type, deep tumor infiltration, numerous lymph node metastases and late clinical stage are all associated with low 5-year survival rate, indicating poor prognosis in gastric cancer patients, (P < 0.05). The 5-year survival rate of gastric cancer patients was not correlated with gender, age, tumor location, distant metastasis, nerve invasion and vascular cancer plug, (P > 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that Lauren classification, Infiltrating depth, Nodal status, Clinical stage, HER2 expression, MVD count were independent factors affecting the prognosis of gastric cancer patients, (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

HER2 overexpression was not only closely related to gastric cancer neovascularization, but also an independent predictor of prognosis of gastric cancer. In clinical treatment, anti-HER2 targeted therapy and anti-angiogenesis drugs can be adopted to achieve effective treatment.

Exosome-Encapsulated MicroRNA-21 from Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells Enhances Angiogenesis of Human Umbilical Venous Endothelial Cells by Targeting SPRY1

Objective

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) persists among the most prevalent cancers worldwide. Angiogenesis represents a crucial element necessitated for tumor growth and metastasis in ESCC. In this study, we aimed to study the effect of microRNA (miR)-21 on angiogenesis in ESCC and its underlying mechanism.

Materials and Methods

Initially, the expression patterns of miR-21, SPRY1, and VEGF were determined in ESCC tissues and cells. The relationship between miR-21 and SPRY1 was identified using dual-luciferase reporter assay. Exosomes were subsequently isolated from the ESCC cells, followed by co-culture with the human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVECs). HUVEC proliferation and angiogenesis were determined by means of CCK-8, colony formation, and microtubule formation in vitro. Chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model and mouse xenograft model of ESCC cells were established to substantiate the function of miR-21 corresponding to the angiogenesis and tumor growth of ESCC, followed by microvascular density (MVD) evaluation.

Results

Expression patterns of miR-21 and VEGF were elevated, while the SPRY1 expression pattern was repressed in ESCC tissues and cells. The downregulation of miR-21 and exosome-derived miR-21 impeded the proliferation and angiogenesis in HUVECs. Our data revealed that miR-21 could negatively target SPRY1, and positively target VEGF. The downregulation of miR-21 could evidently encumber the angiogenesis and tumor growth of ESCC in vivo, as evidenced by the decrease in number of branches of the microvessels and MVD.

Conclusion

Collectively, ESCC cell-derived exosome containing miR-21 promotes the proliferation and angiogenesis of HUVECs via SPRY1 downregulation and VEGF upregulation.

A Feasible Method of Angiogenesis Assessment in Gastric Cancer Using 3D Microvessel Density

Background

Cancer stem cell (CSC) promotes angiogenesis which plays an important role in tumor occurrence, growth, and metastasis. Accurately, quantifying the tumor vasculature can help understanding CSC characteristics and improve cancer diagnosis, therapy planning, and evaluation. The objective of this study is to present a method for improved angiogenesis assessment.

Methods

We proposed a three-dimensional microvessel density (3D MVD) to evaluate tumor angiogenesis and tested it in animal models. Six male Balb/c nude mice were divided into normal group and tumor group. The mice in tumor group were orthotopically implanted human gastric cancer, cell line BGC-823. The phase-contrast images were collected at Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility BL13W beamline, which has much higher soft-tissue contrast and spatial resolution than conventional X-ray. After volume reconstruction and vessel extraction, the 3D models of the angiogenesis were established for MVD calculation.

Results

The results showed that the proposed 3D MVD is positively correlated with the pathological changes of the microvessels. It took the advantage of high resolution of the phase-contrast imaging and added three-dimensional information to the existing MVD measure.

Conclusions

Our study presents a feasible approach for better understanding of tumor angiogenesis. It may provide doctors and scientists a better tool for cancer investigation and improving medical outcomes.

Cancer stem cell and its niche in malignant progression of oral potentially malignant disorders

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine association between cancer stem cells (CSCs) and their niche with progression of oral potentially malignant disorders.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with histologically confirmed oral potentially malignant disorders, stratified into high/low risk lesions based on the degree of dysplasia and oral cancer were included in this study. Immunohistochemical profiling of markers of CSCs (CD44), endothelial cells (CD31) and CSC-vascular niche cross-talk (CXCR4 and SDF1) were carried out. Statistical analysis was performed to correlate the relationship of markers with histopathology grade (ANOVA, and χ² test, unpaired t test) using GraphPad InStat v3.06.

RESULTS

The study included 550 samples (349 patients) and analysis showed progressive increase in expression levels of CSC and its niche markers with increase in grade of dysplasia as compared to the normal cohort (p < 0.05). Co-expression analysis revealed that, in comparison to the normal cohort, a larger percentage of patients showed increased expression of CD31 and CD44 (CD31^high/CD44^high; p < 0.05) and of CXCR4 and SDF1 (CXCR4^high/SDF1^high; p = 0.04), suggesting an association of the CSCs and the vascular niche. Further, distribution of patients with CD44^high/CXCR4^high (p < 0.05) and CD31^high/SDF1^high (p = 0.01) was significantly increased in the high-risk group (18%), suggesting a correlation between CD44⁺/CXCR4⁺ cells, the vascular niche and progression of oral dysplastic lesions.

CONCLUSION

The increased expression of CSCs, the vascular niche and their cross talk markers are associated with increase in severity of dysplasia suggesting their role in the progression of oral potentially malignant disorders and may hence be used in identifying high-risk OPMD.

The mechanism and potential targets of class II HDACs in angiogenesis

Angiogenesis refers to the new blood vessels deriving from the existing blood vessels, and it is a complex regulatory process. Angiogenesis is associated with the normal development of the body and tumor growth and migration. The imbalance of histone deacetylase, as an epigenetic modification, could induce the production of diseases, such as cancer, metabolic diseases, etc., and it also plays an important role in angiogenesis. Many researches indicate that class II HDACs nuclear shuttle and its phosphorylation are necessary for the diseases and the protection of the collective itself. This paper will make a review for the relationship between II HDACs and angiogenesis under physiological and pathologic categories, looking forward to the disease treatment in the future.