Putting Proteomics Into Immunotherapy for Glioblastoma

Oncogenic Proteomics Approaches for Translational Research and HIV-Associated Malignancy Mechanisms

Recent advances in the field of proteomics have allowed extensive insights into the molecular regulations of the cell proteome. Specifically, this allows researchers to dissect a multitude of signaling arrays while targeting for the discovery of novel protein signatures. These approaches based on data mining are becoming increasingly powerful for identifying both potential disease mechanisms as well as indicators for disease progression and overall survival predictive and prognostic molecular markers for cancer. Furthermore, mass spectrometry (MS) integrations satisfy the ongoing demand for in-depth biomarker validation. For the purpose of this review, we will highlight the current developments based on MS sensitivity, to place quantitative proteomics into clinical settings and provide a perspective to integrate proteomics data for future applications in cancer precision medicine. We will also discuss malignancies associated with oncogenic viruses such as Acquire Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and suggest novel mechanisms behind this phenomenon. Human Immunodeficiency Virus type-1 (HIV-1) proteins are known to be oncogenic per se, to induce oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stresses, and to be released from the infected or expressing cells. HIV-1 proteins can act alone or in collaboration with other known oncoproteins, which cause the bulk of malignancies in people living with HIV-1 on ART.

Immune Resistance Mechanisms and the Road to Personalized Immunotherapy

What does the future of cancer immunotherapy look like and how do we get there? Find out where we've been and where we're headed in A Report on Resistance: The Road to personalized immunotherapy.

Recent advances in the detection of glioblastoma, from imaging-based methods to proteomics and biosensors: A narrative review

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive type of cancer that originates in the cells called astrocytes, which support the functioning of nerve cells. It can develop in either the brain or the spinal cord and is also known as glioblastoma multiform. GBM is a highly aggressive cancer that can occur in either the brain or spinal cord. The detection of GBM in biofluids offers potential advantages over current methods for diagnosing and treatment monitoring of glial tumors. Biofluid-based detection of GBM focuses on identifying tumor-specific biomarkers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. To date, different methods have been used to detect biomarkers of GBM, ranging from various imaging techniques to molecular approaches. Each method has its own strengths and weaknesses. The present review aims to scrutinize multiple diagnostic methods for GBM, with a focus on proteomics methods and biosensors. In other words, this study aims to provide an overview of the most significant research findings based on proteomics and biosensors for the diagnosis of GBM.

Quantitative proteomics identified circulating biomarkers in lung adenocarcinoma diagnosis

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer (LC) is a common malignant tumor with a high incidence and poor prognosis. Early LC could be cured, but the 5-year-survival rate for patients advanced is extremely low. Early screening of tumor biomarkers through plasma could allow more LC to be detected at an early stage, leading to a earlier treatment and a better prognosis.

METHODS

This study was based on total proteomic analysis and parallel reaction monitoring validation of peripheral blood from 20 lung adenocarcinoma patients and 20 healthy individuals. Furthermore, differentially expressed proteins closely related to prognosis were analysed using Kaplan-Meier Plotter and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) curve analysis.

RESULTS

The candidate proteins GAPDH and RAC1 showed the highest connectivity with other differentially expressed proteins between the lung adenocarcinoma group and the healthy group using STRING. Kaplan-Meier Plotter analysis showed that lung adenocarcinoma patients with positive ATCR2, FHL1, RAB27B, and RAP1B expression had observably longer overall survival than patients with negative expression (P < 0.05). The high expression of ARPC2, PFKP, PNP, RAC1 was observably negatively correlated with prognosis (P < 0.05). 17 out of 27 proteins showed a high area under the curve (> 0.80) between the lung adenocarcinoma and healthy plasma groups. Among those proteins, UQCRC1 had an area under the curve of 0.960, and 5 proteins had an area under the curve from 0.90 to 0.95, suggesting that these hub proteins might have discriminatory potential in lung adenocarcinoma, P < 0.05.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide UQCRC1, GAPDH, RAC1, PFKP have potential as novel biomarkers for the early screening of lung adenocarcinoma.

T lymphocytes as dynamic regulators of glioma pathobiology

The brain tumor microenvironment contains numerous distinct types of nonneoplastic cells, which each serve a diverse set of roles relevant to the formation, maintenance, and progression of these central nervous system cancers. While varying in frequencies, monocytes (macrophages, microglia, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells), dendritic cells, natural killer cells, and T lymphocytes represent the most common nonneoplastic cellular constituents in low- and high-grade gliomas (astrocytomas). Although T cells are conventionally thought to target and eliminate neoplastic cells, T cells also exist in other states, characterized by tolerance, ignorance, anergy, and exhaustion. In addition, T cells can function as drivers of brain cancer growth, especially in low-grade gliomas. Since T cells originate in the blood and bone marrow sinuses, their capacity to function as both positive and negative regulators of glioma growth has ignited renewed interest in their deployment as immunotherapeutic agents. In this review, we discuss the roles of T cells in low- and high-grade glioma formation and progression, as well as the potential uses of modified T lymphocytes for brain cancer therapeutics.

Glioblastoma microenvironment and its reprogramming by oncolytic virotherapy

Glioblastoma (GBM), a highly aggressive form of brain tumor, responds poorly to current conventional therapies, including surgery, radiation therapy, and systemic chemotherapy. The reason is that the delicate location of the primary tumor and the existence of the blood-brain barrier limit the effectiveness of traditional local and systemic therapies. The immunosuppressive status and multiple carcinogenic pathways in the complex GBM microenvironment also pose challenges for immunotherapy and single-targeted therapy. With an improving understanding of the GBM microenvironment, it has become possible to consider the immunosuppressive and highly angiogenic GBM microenvironment as an excellent opportunity to improve the existing therapeutic efficacy. Oncolytic virus therapy can exert antitumor effects on various components of the GBM microenvironment. In this review, we have focused on the current status of oncolytic virus therapy for GBM and the related literature on antitumor mechanisms. Moreover, the limitations of oncolytic virus therapy as a monotherapy and future directions that may enhance the field have also been discussed.

Recurrent Glioblastoma Treatment: State of the Art and Future Perspectives in the Precision Medicine Era

Current treatment guidelines for the management of recurrent glioblastoma (rGBM) are far from definitive, and the prognosis remains dismal. Despite recent advancements in the pharmacological and surgical fields, numerous doubts persist concerning the optimal strategy that clinicians should adopt for patients who fail the first lines of treatment and present signs of progressive disease. With most recurrences being located within the margins of the previously resected lesion, a comprehensive molecular and genetic profiling of rGBM revealed substantial differences compared with newly diagnosed disease. In the present comprehensive review, we sought to examine the current treatment guidelines and the new perspectives that polarize the field of neuro-oncology, strictly focusing on progressive disease. For this purpose, updated PRISMA guidelines were followed to search for pivotal studies and clinical trials published in the last five years. A total of 125 articles discussing locoregional management, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy strategies were included in our analysis, and salient findings were critically summarized. In addition, an in-depth description of the molecular profile of rGBM and its distinctive characteristics is provided. Finally, we integrate the above-mentioned evidence with the current guidelines published by international societies, including AANS/CNS, EANO, AIOM, and NCCN.

The Big Picture of Glioblastoma Malignancy: A Meta-Analysis of Glioblastoma Proteomics to Identify Altered Biological Pathways

Glioblastoma is a highly malignant cancer with no effective treatment. It is vital to elucidate the mechanisms which drive glioblastoma in order to identify therapeutic targets. The differences in protein expression between glioblastoma, grade I-III glioma, and normal brain tissue reflect the functional alterations driving malignancy. However, proteomic analysis of glioblastoma has been hampered by the heterogeneity of glioblastoma and the variety of methodology used in its study. To reduce these inconsistencies, we performed a meta-analysis of the literature published since 2015, including 14 datasets from eight papers comparing the whole proteome of glioblastoma to normal brain or grade I-III glioma. We found that 154 proteins were commonly upregulated and 116 proteins were commonly downregulated in glioblastoma compared to normal brain. Meanwhile, 240 proteins were commonly upregulated and 125 proteins were commonly downregulated in glioblastoma compared to grade I-III glioma. Functional enrichment analysis revealed upregulation of proteins involved in mRNA splicing and the immune system and downregulation of proteins involved in synaptic signaling and glucose and glutamine metabolism. The identification of these altered biological pathways provides a basis for deeper investigation in the pursuit of an effective treatment for glioblastoma.