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Ma W, Yue Y, Dong B, Wei L, Tian L. Blood MALT1 serves as a potential biomarker reflecting the response and survival of immune‑checkpoint‑inhibitor therapy in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncol Lett 2024; 28:476. [PMID: 39161329 PMCID: PMC11332575 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2024.14609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Treatment modalities involving an immune-checkpoint-inhibitor (ICI) have emerged as therapeutic options in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nonetheless, auxiliary biomarkers are required to evaluate their efficacy. The present study aimed to assess the potential of blood mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue 1 (MALT1) in reflecting clinical response and prognosis in patients with advanced HCC who received ICI therapy. Peripheral blood was collected from 51 patients with advanced HCC who were about to receive ICI or ICI-based treatment. Blood MALT1 levels were determined using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, and the blood MALT1 levels in 50 healthy controls (HCs) were also assessed. Besides, the treatment response and survival data were collected. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for comparison analysis and the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient test was used for correlation analysis. The prognostic value of MALT1 was determined by Kaplan-Meier curve analysis with the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were used to identify factors associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The results demonstrated that blood MALT1 levels were significantly increased in patients with advanced HCC compared with that in HCs (P<0.001). Blood MALT1 levels were increased in patients with portal vein invasion (vs. without portal vein invasion; P=0.010), extrahepatic disease (vs. without extrahepatic disease; P=0.026) and α-fetoprotein (AFP) ≥200 ng/ml (vs. AFP <200 ng/ml; P=0.040). After 4 cycles of ICI therapy, the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) was 29.4 and 68.6%, respectively. Blood MALT1 levels were also significantly and negatively associated with the ORR (P=0.043) and DCR (P=0.004). Furthermore, PFS and OS were shortened in patients with high blood MALT1 levels (cut-off by the median) compared to those with low blood MALT1 levels. After adjusting using multivariate Cox regression models, high blood MALT1 levels were demonstrated to be a significant independent risk factor for shortened PFS [hazard ratio (HR)=2.419; P=0.009] and OS (HR=2.706, P=0.018) in patients with advanced HCC who received ICI therapy. In summary, blood MALT1 levels serve as a potential biomarker to reflect treatment response and survival in patients with advanced HCC who receive ICI therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiping Ma
- Department of Gastroenterology, Handan Central Hospital, Handan, Hebei 056000, P.R. China
| | - Yachao Yue
- Department of Gastroenterology, Handan Central Hospital, Handan, Hebei 056000, P.R. China
| | - Bing Dong
- Department of Gastroenterology, Handan Central Hospital, Handan, Hebei 056000, P.R. China
| | - Lei Wei
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Taiyuan, Shangxi 030032, P.R. China
| | - Liying Tian
- Department of Gastroenterology, Handan Central Hospital, Handan, Hebei 056000, P.R. China
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Taherifard E, Tran K, Saeed A, Yasin JA, Saeed A. Biomarkers for Immunotherapy Efficacy in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Review. Diagnostics (Basel) 2024; 14:2054. [PMID: 39335733 PMCID: PMC11431712 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14182054] [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: 07/26/2024] [Revised: 09/11/2024] [Accepted: 09/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common primary liver malignancy and the sixth most common cancer globally, remains fatal for many patients with inappropriate responses to treatment. Recent advancements in immunotherapy have transformed the treatment landscape for advanced HCC. However, variability in patient responses to immunotherapy highlights the need for biomarkers that can predict treatment outcomes. This manuscript comprehensively reviews the evolving role of biomarkers in immunotherapy efficacy, spanning from blood-derived indicators-alpha-fetoprotein, inflammatory markers, cytokines, circulating tumor cells, and their DNA-to tissue-derived indicators-programmed cell death ligand 1 expression, tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. The current body of evidence suggests that these biomarkers hold promise for improving patient selection and predicting immunotherapy outcomes. Each biomarker offers unique insights into disease biology and the immune landscape of HCC, potentially enhancing the precision of treatment strategies. However, challenges such as methodological variability, high costs, inconsistent findings, and the need for large-scale validation in well-powered two-arm trial studies persist, making them currently unsuitable for integration into standard care. Addressing these challenges through standardized techniques and implementation of further studies will be critical for the future incorporation of these biomarkers into clinical practice for advanced HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erfan Taherifard
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology & Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | - Krystal Tran
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology & Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | - Ali Saeed
- Department of Medicine, Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center, Lafayette, LA 70503, USA
| | - Jehad Amer Yasin
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology & Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
| | - Anwaar Saeed
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology & Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
- UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA
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Stulpinas R, Jakiunaite I, Sidabraite A, Rasmusson A, Zilenaite-Petrulaitiene D, Strupas K, Laurinavicius A, Gulla A. Low CD8+ Density Variation and R1 Surgical Margin as Independent Predictors of Early Post-Resection Recurrence in HCC Patients Meeting Milan Criteria. Curr Oncol 2024; 31:5344-5353. [PMID: 39330022 PMCID: PMC11431076 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol31090394] [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: 07/19/2024] [Revised: 09/04/2024] [Accepted: 09/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Our study included 41 patients fulfilling the Milan criteria preoperatively and aimed to identify individuals at high risk of post-resection HCC relapse, which occurred in 18 out of 41 patients (43.9%), retrospectively. We analyzed whole slide images of CD8 immunohistochemistry with automated segmentation of tissue classes and detection of CD8+ lymphocytes. The image analysis outputs were subsampled using a hexagonal grid-based method to assess spatial distribution of CD8+ lymphocytes with regards to the epithelial edges. The CD8+ lymphocyte density indicators, along with clinical, radiological, post-surgical and pathological variables, were tested to predict HCC relapse. Low standard deviation of CD8+ density along the tumor edge and R1 resection emerged as independent predictors of shorter recurrence-free survival (RFS). In particular, patients presenting with both adverse predictors exhibited 100% risk of relapse within 200 days. Our results highlight the potential utility of integrating CD8+ density variability and surgical margin to identify a high relapse-risk group among Milan criteria-fulfilling HCC patients. Validation in cohorts with core biopsy could provide CD8+ distribution data preoperatively and guide preoperative decisions, potentially prioritizing liver transplantation for patients at risk of incomplete resection (R1) and thereby improving overall treatment outcomes significantly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rokas Stulpinas
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania
- National Center of Pathology, Affiliate of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics, 08406 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Ieva Jakiunaite
- Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Agne Sidabraite
- Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Allan Rasmusson
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania
- National Center of Pathology, Affiliate of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics, 08406 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Dovile Zilenaite-Petrulaitiene
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania
- National Center of Pathology, Affiliate of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics, 08406 Vilnius, Lithuania
- Institute of Informatics, Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, Vilnius University, 03225 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Kestutis Strupas
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Centre for Visceral Medicine and Translational Research, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Arvydas Laurinavicius
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania
- National Center of Pathology, Affiliate of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics, 08406 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Aiste Gulla
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Centre for Visceral Medicine and Translational Research, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 01513 Vilnius, Lithuania
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
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Cai S, Gou Y, Chen Y, Hou X, Zhang J, Bi C, Gu P, Yang M, Zhang H, Zhong W, Yuan H. Luteolin exerts anti-tumour immunity in hepatocellular carcinoma by accelerating CD8 + T lymphocyte infiltration. J Cell Mol Med 2024; 28:e18535. [PMID: 39267250 PMCID: PMC11392827 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.18535] [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: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Luteolin, a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine, has been utilized for several decades in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Previous research has demonstrated its anti-tumour efficacy, but its underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the therapeutic effects of luteolin in H22 tumour-bearing mice. luteolin effectively inhibited the growth of solid tumours in a well-established mouse model of HCC. High-throughput sequencing revealed that luteolin treatment could enhance T-cell activation, cell chemotaxis and cytokine production. In addition, luteolin helped sustain a high ratio of CD8+ T lymphocytes in the spleen, peripheral blood and tumour tissues. The effects of luteolin on the phenotypic and functional changes in tumour-infiltrating CD8+ T lymphocytes were also investigated. Luteolin restored the cytotoxicity of tumour-infiltrating CD8+ T lymphocytes in H22 tumour-bearing mice. The CD8+ T lymphocytes exhibited intensified phenotype activation and increased production of granzyme B, IFN-γ and TNF-α in serum. The combined administration of luteolin and the PD-1 inhibitor enhanced the anti-tumour effects in H22 tumour-bearing mice. Luteolin could exert an anti-tumour immune response by inducing CD8+ T lymphocyte infiltration and enhance the anti-tumour effects of the PD-1 inhibitor on H22 tumour-bearing mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijiao Cai
- Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yidan Gou
- Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yanyan Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoran Hou
- Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Chongwen Bi
- Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Peng Gu
- Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Miao Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Hanxu Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Weilong Zhong
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tianjin Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Hengjie Yuan
- Department of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
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Takahashi K, Yan L, An N, Chida K, Tian W, Oshi M, Takabe K. RAD51 High-Expressed Hepatocellular Carcinomas are Associated With High Cell Proliferation. J Surg Res 2024; 302:250-258. [PMID: 39111128 DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2024.07.046] [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: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION RAD51 is a pivotal DNA repair gene managing double-stranded DNA break recognition and repair. RAD51 high expression was associated with adverse outcomes in other cancer types. This study aims to investigate the tumor microenvironment and immune landscape in the RAD51 high-expressed Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCCs). METHODS A total of 467 patients from two large independent cohorts with clinical and transcriptomic data were obtained. The cohort was dichotomized based on the median RAD51 gene expression. xCell and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were used. RESULTS RAD51 high-expressed HCCs were associated with worse recurrence-free, progression-free, disease-specific, and overall survival (all P < 0.05). While RAD51 high-expressed HCCs were associated with intratumoral heterogeneity, homologous recombination deficiency, and fraction altered scores, mutation or neoantigens were not increased in this group. xCell analysis demonstrated inconsistent immune cell infiltration between two cohorts. Cytolytic activity as well as GSEA with immune-related gene sets also demonstrated inconsistent results between two cohorts as well. On the other hand, RAD51 expression was significantly increased in higher-grade tumors, larger tumors, and higher clinical stages. RAD51 high-expressed HCCs were found to have elevated proliferation score. Furthermore, GSEA exhibited significant enrichment of all the cell proliferation-related gene sets in the Hallmark collection, including E2F targets, G2M checkpoint, Mitotic spindle, MYC targets, and MTORC1 signaling consistently in both cohorts (all false discovery rate < 0.25). CONCLUSIONS RAD51 high-expressed HCCs were associated with worse survival and with increased cell proliferation and were not necessarily associated with immune infiltration or inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keita Takahashi
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York
| | - Li Yan
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York
| | - Nan An
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York
| | - Kohei Chida
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York
| | - Wanqing Tian
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York
| | - Masanori Oshi
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Takabe
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan; Department of Gastrointestinal Tract Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan; Department of Surgery, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York; Department of Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan; Department of Breast Surgery and Oncology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
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6
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Tao X, Mao S, Wang J, Li G, Sun B. Causal Effects and Immune Cell Mediators of Prescription Analgesic Use and Risk of Liver Cancer and Precancerosis in European Population: A Mendelian Randomization Study. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1537. [PMID: 39062110 PMCID: PMC11274554 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12071537] [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: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Diverse clinical observations and basic studies have been conducted to explore the implications of analgesic medications in liver diseases. However, the direct causal relationship between prescription analgesic use (PAU) and the risk of liver cancer and precancerosis remains unclear. Thus, we aimed to reveal the conceivable causal effect of PAU on liver cancer and precancerosis, with immune cells as mediating factors. Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were performed to ascertain the causality of PAU on liver cancer and precancerosis. Sensitivity analysis approaches were employed to assess the heterogeneity and pleiotropy of results. Our findings revealed a causal correlation between different PAUs and the risk of liver cancer and alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Specifically, salicylic acid derivatives (SADs) and anilide medications were found to have a protective effect on liver cancer. And non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and anilide medications showed a causal impact on ALD. Finally, mediation analyses found that anilide medications influence liver cancer through different immune cell phenotypes. Our research provides new genetic evidence for the causal impact of PAU on liver cancer and precancerosis, with the mediating role of immune cells demonstrated, offering a valuable foundation for researching analgesic medications in liver cancer and precancerosis treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuewen Tao
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China;
- Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; (S.M.); (J.W.)
| | - Shuai Mao
- Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; (S.M.); (J.W.)
| | - Jincheng Wang
- Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; (S.M.); (J.W.)
| | - Guoqiang Li
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China;
- Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; (S.M.); (J.W.)
| | - Beicheng Sun
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China;
- Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; (S.M.); (J.W.)
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7
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Webb MJ, Sangsuwannukul T, van Vloten J, Evgin L, Kendall B, Tonne J, Thompson J, Metko M, Moore M, Chiriboga Yerovi MP, Olin M, Borgatti A, McNiven M, Monga SPS, Borad MJ, Melcher A, Roberts LR, Vile R. Expression of tumor antigens within an oncolytic virus enhances the anti-tumor T cell response. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5442. [PMID: 38937436 PMCID: PMC11211353 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49286-x] [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: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Although patients benefit from immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) therapy in a broad variety of tumors, resistance may arise from immune suppressive tumor microenvironments (TME), which is particularly true of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Since oncolytic viruses (OV) can generate a highly immune-infiltrated, inflammatory TME, OVs could potentially restore ICI responsiveness via recruitment, priming, and activation of anti-tumor T cells. Here we find that on the contrary, an oncolytic vesicular stomatitis virus, expressing interferon-ß (VSV-IFNß), antagonizes the effect of anti-PD-L1 therapy in a partially anti-PD-L1-responsive model of HCC. Cytometry by Time of Flight shows that VSV-IFNß expands dominant anti-viral effector CD8 T cells with concomitant relative disappearance of anti-tumor T cell populations, which are the target of anti-PD-L1. However, by expressing a range of HCC tumor antigens within VSV, combination OV and anti-PD-L1 therapeutic benefit could be restored. Our data provide a cautionary message for the use of highly immunogenic viruses as tumor-specific immune-therapeutics by showing that dominant anti-viral T cell responses can inhibit sub-dominant anti-tumor T cell responses. However, through encoding tumor antigens within the virus, oncolytic virotherapy can generate anti-tumor T cell populations upon which immune checkpoint blockade can effectively work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason J Webb
- Department of Hematology/Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | | | - Jacob van Vloten
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Laura Evgin
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1L3, Canada
- Michael Smith Genome Sciences Department, BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, V5Z1L3, Canada
| | - Benjamin Kendall
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Jason Tonne
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Jill Thompson
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Muriel Metko
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Madelyn Moore
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | | | - Michael Olin
- Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Antonella Borgatti
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- Clinical Investigation Center, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Mark McNiven
- Mayo Center for Biomedical Discovery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Satdarshan P S Monga
- Pittsburgh Liver Institute, University of Pittsburgh and UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Mitesh J Borad
- Department of Hematology/Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, 85054, USA
| | - Alan Melcher
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, Institute of Cancer Research, Chester Beatty Laboratories, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Lewis R Roberts
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Richard Vile
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
- Joan Reece Department of Immuno-oncology, King's College London, London, UK.
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8
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Wang H, Qian YW, Dong H, Cong WM. Pathologic assessment of hepatocellular carcinoma in the era of immunotherapy: a narrative review. Hepatobiliary Surg Nutr 2024; 13:472-493. [PMID: 38911201 PMCID: PMC11190517 DOI: 10.21037/hbsn-22-527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Background and Objective Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based therapy has achieved impressive success in various cancer types. Several ICIs have been unprecedentedly approved as the treatment regimens for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in recent decade. Meanwhile, numerous clinical trials are being performed to exploit more ICIs into initially unresectable HCC and postoperative HCC to expectantly induce adequate tumor downstaging for further resection or implement adjuvant treatment for relapse-free survival, respectively. In this review, we aim to summarize some pragmatic histomorphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular pathologic parameters which promisingly indicate the response of neoadjuvant/conversion ICI-related therapy and predict the efficacy of adjuvant/therapeutic ICI-related therapy for HCC. Methods We searched PubMed using the terms hepatocellular carcinoma, immunotherapy, immune checkpoint inhibitor, immune checkpoint blockade, conversion therapy, neoadjuvant therapy, adjuvant therapy, biomarker, pathologic evaluation, pathologic assessment till February 2023. Key Content and Findings Although there is no consensus regarding the pathologic evaluation of relevant HCC specimens, it is encouraging that a few of studies have concentrated on this field, and moreover, the methods and parameters noted on other cancer types are also worthy of reference. For the pathologic assessment of HCC specimens underwent immunotherapy, a suitable sampling scheme, identifying immunotherapy-related pathologic response, and quantification of pathologic response rate should be emphasized. For the patients of HCC who are scheduled to receive immunotherapy, tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte, intratumoral tertiary lymphoid structure, programmed cell death ligand 1, Wnt/β-catenin, microsatellite instability and mismatch repair, tumor mutational burden and tumor neoantigen, as well as some other signaling pathways are the potential predictive biomarkers of treatment response of ICI. Conclusions The management of HCC in the era of immunotherapy arises a brand-new pathological challenge that is to provide an immunotherapy-related diagnostic report. Albeit many related researches are preclinical or insufficient, they may tremendously alter the immunotherapy strategy of HCC in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Wang
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - You-Wen Qian
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Dong
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen-Ming Cong
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
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Papadopoulos G, Giannousi E, Avdi AP, Velliou RI, Nikolakopoulou P, Chatzigeorgiou A. Τ cell-mediated adaptive immunity in the transition from metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis to hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1343806. [PMID: 38774646 PMCID: PMC11106433 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1343806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is the progressed version of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) characterized by inflammation and fibrosis, but also a pathophysiological "hub" that favors the emergence of liver malignancies. Current research efforts aim to identify risk factors, discover disease biomarkers, and aid patient stratification in the context of MASH-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most prevalent cancer among MASLD patients. To investigate the tumorigenic transition in MASH-induced HCC, researchers predominantly exploit preclinical animal-based MASH models and studies based on archived human biopsies and clinical trials. Recapitulating the immune response during tumor development and progression is vital to obtain mechanistic insights into MASH-induced HCC. Notably, the advanced complexity behind MASLD and MASH pathogenesis shifted the research focus towards innate immunity, a fundamental element of the hepatic immune niche that is usually altered robustly in the course of liver disease. During the last few years, however, there has been an increasing interest for deciphering the role of adaptive immunity in MASH-induced HCC, particularly regarding the functions of the various T cell populations. To effectively understand the specific role of T cells in MASH-induced HCC development, scientists should urgently fill the current knowledge gaps in this field. Pinpointing the metabolic signature, sketching the immune landscape, and characterizing the cellular interactions and dynamics of the specific T cells within the MASH-HCC liver are essential to unravel the mechanisms that adaptive immunity exploits to enable the emergence and progression of this cancer. To this end, our review aims to summarize the current state of research regarding the T cell functions linked to MASH-induced HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grigorios Papadopoulos
- Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Eirini Giannousi
- Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Aikaterini P. Avdi
- Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Rallia-Iliana Velliou
- Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Polyxeni Nikolakopoulou
- Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences (AIMES), Karolinska Institute and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Antonios Chatzigeorgiou
- Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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10
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Pu Q, Yu L, Liu X, Yan H, Xie Y, Cai X, Wu Y, Du J, Yang Z. Prognostic value of CD8 +T cells related genes and exhaustion regulation of Notch signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1375864. [PMID: 38650927 PMCID: PMC11033358 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1375864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has emerged as the primary treatment modality for patients with advanced Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its clinical efficacy remains limited, benefiting only a subset of patients, while most exhibit immune tolerance and face a grim prognosis. The infiltration of immune cells plays a pivotal role in tumor initiation and progression. In this study, we conducted an analysis of immune cell infiltration patterns in HCC patients and observed a substantial proportion of CD8+T cells. Leveraging the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we identified 235 genes associated with CD8+T cell and constructed a risk prediction model. In this model, HCC patients were stratified into a high-risk and low-risk group. Patients in the high-risk group exhibited a lower survival rate, predominantly presented with intermediate to advanced stages of cancer, displayed compromised immune function, showed limited responsiveness to immunotherapy, and demonstrated elevated expression levels of the Notch signaling pathway. Further examination of clinical samples demonstrated an upregulation of the Notch1+CD8+T cell exhaustion phenotype accompanied by impaired cytotoxicity and cytokine secretion functions that worsened with increasing Notch activation levels. Our study not only presents a prognostic model but also highlights the crucial involvement of the Notch pathway in CD8+T cell exhaustion-a potential target for future immunotherapeutic interventions.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- Liver Neoplasms/immunology
- Liver Neoplasms/genetics
- Liver Neoplasms/mortality
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/immunology
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/mortality
- Signal Transduction
- Prognosis
- Receptors, Notch/genetics
- Receptors, Notch/metabolism
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/immunology
- Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating/metabolism
- Male
- Female
- Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics
- Receptor, Notch1/genetics
- Middle Aged
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Pu
- Center of Integrative Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Lihua Yu
- Center of Integrative Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoli Liu
- Center of Integrative Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Huiwen Yan
- Center of Integrative Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuqing Xie
- Center of Integrative Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xue Cai
- Center of Integrative Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- The First Clinical Medical College of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Wu
- Center of Integrative Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Du
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing, China
- National Center for Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiyun Yang
- Center of Integrative Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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11
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Kawada T, Yanagisawa T, Rajwa P, Motlagh RS, Mostafaei H, Quhal F, Laukhtina E, Pallauf M, König F, Pradere B, Araki M, Nasu Y, Shariat SF. The Prognostic Value of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes After Radical Cystectomy for Bladder Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Clin Genitourin Cancer 2024; 22:535-543.e4. [PMID: 38336572 DOI: 10.1016/j.clgc.2024.01.008] [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: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We aimed to assess the prognostic value of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in patients with bladder cancer (BC) after radical cystectomy (RC). MATERIALS AND METHODS We searched Pubmed, Web of Science and Scopus in April 2022 to identify studies assessing the prognostic value of TILs, including a subset of lymphocytes (eg, CD3, CD8, FOXP3), after RC. The endpoints were overall survival and recurrent free survival. Subgroup analyses were performed based on the evaluation method for TILs (ie, CD3, CD8, FOXP3, HE staining). RESULTS Overall, 9 studies comprising 1413 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that elevated expressions of TILs were significantly associated with favorable OS (pooled hazard ratio [HR]: 0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.51-0.83) and RFS (pooled HR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.35-0.64). In subgroup analyses, high CD8+ TILs were also associated with favorable OS (HR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.33-0.80) and RFS (pooled HR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.36-0.76). Among 3 studies comprising 146 patients, high intratumoral TILs were significantly associated with favorable OS (pooled HR: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.19-0.60). CONCLUSION TILs are useful prognostic markers in patients treated with RC for BC. Although the prognostic value of TILs is varied, depending on the subset and infiltration site, CD8+ TILs and intratumoral TILs are associated with oncologic outcomes. Further studies are warranted to explicate the predictive value of TILs on the response to perioperative systemic therapy to help clinical decision-making in patients with BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsushi Kawada
- Department of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kita-ku, Okayama, Japan
| | - Takafumi Yanagisawa
- Department of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Urology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Pawel Rajwa
- Department of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Urology, Medical University of Silesia, Zabrze, Poland
| | - Reza Sari Motlagh
- Department of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Men's Health and Reproductive Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Daneshjoo Blvd, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hadi Mostafaei
- Department of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Research Center for Evidence Based Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Fahad Quhal
- Department of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Urology, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ekaterina Laukhtina
- Department of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Maximilian Pallauf
- Department of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Urology, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, University Hospital Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Frederik König
- Department of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Urology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Benjamin Pradere
- Department of Urology, La Croix Du Sud Hospital, Quint-Fonsegrives, France
| | - Motoo Araki
- Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kita-ku, Okayama, Japan
| | - Yasutomo Nasu
- Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kita-ku, Okayama, Japan
| | - Shahrokh F Shariat
- Department of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Hourani Center for Applied Scientific Research, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman, Jordan; Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas, USA; Department of Urology, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prag, Czech Republic; Karl Landsteiner Institute of Urology and Andrology, Vienna, Austria; Research Center for Evidence Medicine, Urology Department Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
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12
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Hosoda K, Umemura K, Shimizu A, Kubota K, Notake T, Kitagawa N, Sakai H, Hayashi H, Yasukawa K, Soejima Y. The platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio is a complementary prognostic factor to tumor markers in predicting early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy. J Surg Oncol 2024; 129:765-774. [PMID: 38105473 DOI: 10.1002/jso.27564] [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: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The usefulness of inflammation-based prognostic scores for early recurrence (ER) after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma has rarely been reported. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of inflammation-based prognostic scores as predictors of ER and their relationship with tumor markers. METHODS We enrolled 338 patients who underwent hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma between January 2007 and December 2021. Clinicopathological factors were compared between patients who developed ER (ER group) and those who did not develop ER (non-ER group). The association between inflammation-based prognostic scores and ER status was evaluated. These scores were compared with those of well-established tumor markers. RESULTS The platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) correlated with ER of hepatocellular carcinoma, with an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.70, sensitivity of 68.1%, and specificity of 67.7%. In patients with low tumor marker levels, the PLR showed a strong correlation with ER of hepatocellular carcinoma, with an AUC value of 0.851, sensitivity of 100%, and specificity of 76.2%. Multivariate analysis revealed that the PLR was an independent prognostic factor for ER. CONCLUSIONS The PLR is useful and complementary to tumor markers for predicting ER after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiyotaka Hosoda
- Department of Surgery, Division of Gastroenterological, Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic, Transplantation and Pediatric Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Kentaro Umemura
- Department of Surgery, Division of Gastroenterological, Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic, Transplantation and Pediatric Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Akira Shimizu
- Department of Surgery, Division of Gastroenterological, Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic, Transplantation and Pediatric Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Koji Kubota
- Department of Surgery, Division of Gastroenterological, Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic, Transplantation and Pediatric Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Notake
- Department of Surgery, Division of Gastroenterological, Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic, Transplantation and Pediatric Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Kitagawa
- Department of Surgery, Division of Gastroenterological, Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic, Transplantation and Pediatric Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Hiroki Sakai
- Department of Surgery, Division of Gastroenterological, Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic, Transplantation and Pediatric Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Hikaru Hayashi
- Department of Surgery, Division of Gastroenterological, Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic, Transplantation and Pediatric Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Koya Yasukawa
- Department of Surgery, Division of Gastroenterological, Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic, Transplantation and Pediatric Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
| | - Yuji Soejima
- Department of Surgery, Division of Gastroenterological, Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic, Transplantation and Pediatric Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan
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13
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Pu L, Sun Y, Pu C, Zhang X, Wang D, Liu X, Guo P, Wang B, Xue L, Sun P. Machine learning-based disulfidptosis-related lncRNA signature predicts prognosis, immune infiltration and drug sensitivity in hepatocellular carcinoma. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4354. [PMID: 38388539 PMCID: PMC10883983 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54115-8] [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: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Disulfidptosis a new cell death mode, which can cause the death of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) cells. However, the significance of disulfidptosis-related Long non-coding RNAs (DRLs) in the prognosis and immunotherapy of HCC remains unclear. Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we used Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and Cox regression model to construct DRL Prognostic Signature (DRLPS)-based risk scores and performed Gene Expression Omnibus outside validation. Survival analysis was performed and a nomogram was constructed. Moreover, we performed functional enrichment annotation, immune infiltration and drug sensitivity analyses. Five DRLs (AL590705.3, AC072054.1, AC069307.1, AC107959.3 and ZNF232-AS1) were identified to construct prognostic signature. DRLPS-based risk scores exhibited better predictive efficacy of survival than conventional clinical features. The nomogram showed high congruence between the predicted survival and observed survival. Gene set were mainly enriched in cell proliferation, differentiation and growth function related pathways. Immune cell infiltration in the low-risk group was significantly higher than that in the high-risk group. Additionally, the high-risk group exhibited higher sensitivity to Afatinib, Fulvestrant, Gefitinib, Osimertinib, Sapitinib, and Taselisib. In conclusion, our study highlighted the potential utility of the constructed DRLPS in the prognosis prediction of HCC patients, which demonstrated promising clinical application value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Pu
- The Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of the Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Sun
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Vocational Animal Science and Veterinary College, Weifang, 261071, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng Pu
- School of Martial Arts, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of the Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong Wang
- Jiangsu Vocational Institute of Architectural Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingning Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of the Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Pin Guo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Vocational Animal Science and Veterinary College, Weifang, 261071, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Bing Wang
- Department of Oncological Surgery, Minhang Branch of Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240, People's Republic of China.
| | - Liang Xue
- Zhejiang Institute of Sports Science, Hangzhou, 310004, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
| | - Peng Sun
- The Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of the Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200241, People's Republic of China.
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14
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Zhang M, Zhang S, Guo W, He Y. Novel molecular hepatocellular carcinoma subtypes and RiskScore utilizing apoptosis-related genes. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3913. [PMID: 38365931 PMCID: PMC10873508 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54673-x] [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: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of global cancer-related deaths. Despite immunotherapy offering hope for patients with HCC, only some respond to it. However, it remains unclear how to pre-screen eligible patients. Our study aimed to address this issue. In this study, we identified 13 prognostic genes through univariate Cox regression analysis of 87 apoptosis-related genes. Subsequently, these 13 genes were analyzed using ConsensusClusterPlus, and patients were categorized into three molecular types: C1, C2, and C3. A prognostic model and RiskScore were constructed using Lasso regression analysis of 132 significant genes identified between C1 and C3. We utilized quantitative polymerase chain reaction to confirm the model's transcript level in Huh7 and THLE2 cell lines. Both molecular subtypes and RiskScores effectively predicted patients benefiting from immunotherapy. Cox regression analysis revealed RiskScore as the most significant prognosis factor, suggesting its clinical application potential and providing a foundation for future experimental research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menggang Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
- Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
- Open and Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation at Henan Universities, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shuijun Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
- Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
- Open and Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation at Henan Universities, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Wenzhi Guo
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
- Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
- Open and Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation at Henan Universities, Zhengzhou, China.
- Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou, China.
| | - Yuting He
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
- Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
- Open and Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation at Henan Universities, Zhengzhou, China.
- Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou, China.
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15
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Kim HR, Seo CW, Kim J. The value of CDC42 effector protein 2 as a novel prognostic biomarker in liver hepatocellular carcinoma: a comprehensive data analysis. Osong Public Health Res Perspect 2023; 14:451-467. [PMID: 38204425 PMCID: PMC10788419 DOI: 10.24171/j.phrp.2023.0229] [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: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prognostic significance of CDC42 effector protein 2 (CDC42EP2) and its association with tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) have not been explored in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC). This study aims to assess the potential prognostic value of CDC42EP2 by conducting a comprehensive analysis of online databases pertaining to LIHC. METHODS We evaluated the potential of CDC42EP2 as a prognostic biomarker by utilizing online databases such as TIMER, GEPIA2, KM, OSlihc, HPA, and LinkedOmics. RESULTS In LIHC, we observed that the mRNA and protein expression of CDC42EP2 were upregulated compared to normal tissues. Upregulated CDC42EP2 expression was associated with a worse prognosis based on the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with LIHC. Furthermore, CDC42EP2 was positively associated with TIICs. In the co-expression and functional enrichment analyses of CDC42EP2, 11,416 genes showed positive associations with CDC42EP2 while 8,008 genes showed negative associations. CDC42EP2-related co-expression genes were involved in protein localization to the endoplasmic reticulum, translational initiation, and RNA catabolic processes in gene set enrichment analysis-Gene Ontology (GSEAGO), and regulated the ribosome, spliceosome, and primary immune deficiency in the GSEAKyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway. In a survival map, 23 and 17 genes that exhibited positive associations with CDC42EP2 showed a significant hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival and disease-free survival, respectively. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrated that CDC42EP2 is a novel prognostic biomarker and a potential tumor immune therapeutic target in patients with LIHC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye-Ran Kim
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Dong-Eui Institute of Technology, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Choong Won Seo
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Dong-Eui Institute of Technology, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongwan Kim
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, Dong-Eui Institute of Technology, Busan, Republic of Korea
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16
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Cheng M, Zheng X, Wei J, Liu M. Current state and challenges of emerging biomarkers for immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (Review). Exp Ther Med 2023; 26:586. [PMID: 38023367 PMCID: PMC10665984 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2023.12285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent form of primary liver cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, among patients diagnosed with advanced liver cancer, HCC has the sixth-highest incident rate, resulting in a poor prognosis. Surgery, radiofrequency ablation, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy are the current treatment options available. Immunotherapy, which has emerged as an innovative treatment strategy over the past decade, is serving a vital role in the treatment of advanced liver cancer. Since only a small number of individuals can benefit from immunotherapy, biomarkers are required to help clinicians identify the target populations for this precision medicine. These biomarkers, such as PD-1/PD-L1, tumor mutational burden and circulating tumor DNA, can be used to investigate interactions between immune checkpoint inhibitors and tumors. The present review summarizes information on the currently available biomarkers used for immunotherapy and the challenges that are present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mo Cheng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Gastric Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Xiufeng Zheng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Gastric Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Jing Wei
- Department of Medical Oncology, Gastric Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Ming Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Gastric Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
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17
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Piroozkhah M, Gholinezhad Y, Piroozkhah M, Shams E, Nazemalhosseini-Mojarad E. The molecular mechanism of actions and clinical utilities of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in gastrointestinal cancers: a comprehensive review and future prospects toward personalized medicine. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1298891. [PMID: 38077386 PMCID: PMC10704251 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1298891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers remain a significant global health burden, accounting for a substantial number of cases and deaths. Regrettably, the inadequacy of dependable biomarkers hinders the precise forecasting of patient prognosis and the selection of appropriate therapeutic sequencing for individuals with GI cancers, leading to suboptimal outcomes for numerous patients. The intricate interplay between tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) has been shown to be a pivotal determinant of response to anti-cancer therapy and consequential clinical outcomes across a multitude of cancer types. Therefore, the assessment of TILs has garnered global interest as a promising prognostic biomarker in oncology, with the potential to improve clinical decision-making substantially. Moreover, recent discoveries in immunotherapy have progressively changed the landscape of cancer treatment and significantly prolonged the survival of patients with advanced cancers. Nonetheless, the response rate remains constrained within solid tumor sufferers, even when TIL landscapes appear comparable, which calls for the development of our understanding of cellular and molecular cross-talk between TIME and tumor. Hence, this comprehensive review encapsulates the extant literature elucidating the TILs' underlying molecular pathogenesis, prognostic significance, and their relevance in the realm of immunotherapy for patients afflicted by GI tract cancers. Within this review, we demonstrate that the type, density, and spatial distribution of distinct TIL subpopulations carries pivotal implications for the prediction of anti-cancer treatment responses and patient survival. Furthermore, this review underscores the indispensable role of TILs in modulating therapeutic responses within distinct molecular subtypes, such as those characterized by microsatellite stability or programmed cell death ligand-1 expression in GI tract cancers. The review concludes by outlining future directions in TIL-based personalized medicine, including integrating TIL-based approaches into existing treatment regimens and developing novel therapeutic strategies that exploit the unique properties of TILs and their potential as a promising avenue for personalized cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moein Piroozkhah
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yasaman Gholinezhad
- School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mobin Piroozkhah
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elahe Shams
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ehsan Nazemalhosseini-Mojarad
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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18
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Vile R, Webb M, van Vloten J, Evgin L, Sangsuwannukul T, Kendall B, Tonne J, Thompson J, Metko M, Moore M, Yerovi MC, McNiven M, Monga S, Borad M, Roberts L. Chimerization of the Anti-Viral CD8 + T Cell Response with A Broad Anti-Tumor T Cell Response Reverses Inhibition of Checkpoint Blockade Therapy by Oncolytic Virotherapy. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3576281. [PMID: 38045348 PMCID: PMC10690324 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3576281/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Although immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) has produced profound survival benefits in a broad variety of tumors, a proportion of patients do not respond. Treatment failure is in part due to immune suppressive tumor microenvironments (TME), which is particularly true of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Since oncolytic viruses (OV) can generate a highly immune-infiltrated, inflammatory TME, we developed a vesicular stomatitis virus expressing interferon-ß (VSV-IFNß) as a viro-immunotherapy against HCC. Since HCC standard of care atezolizumab/bevacizumab incorporates ICI, we tested the hypothesis that pro-inflammatory VSV-IFNß would recruit, prime, and activate anti-tumor T cells, whose activity anti-PD-L1 ICI would potentiate. However, in a partially anti-PD-L1-responsive model of HCC, addition of VSV-IFNß abolished anti-PD-L1 therapy. Cytometry by Time of Flight showed that VSV-IFNß expanded dominant anti-viral effector CD8 T cells with concomitant, relative disappearance of anti-tumor T cell populations which are the target of anti-PD-L1. However, by expressing a range of HCC tumor antigens within VSV, the potent anti-viral response became amalgamated with an anti-tumor T cell response generating highly significant cures compared to anti-PD-L1 ICI alone. Our data provide a cautionary message for the use of highly immunogenic viruses as tumor-specific immune-therapeutics by showing that dominant anti-viral T cell responses can inhibit sub-dominant anti-tumor T cell responses. However, by chimerizing anti-viral and anti-tumor T cell responses through encoding tumor antigens within the virus, oncolytic virotherapy can be purposed for very effective immune driven tumor clearance and can generate anti-tumor T cell populations upon which immune checkpoint blockade can effectively work.
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Doi S, Yasuda S, Matsuo Y, Sakata T, Nishiwada S, Nagai M, Nakamura K, Terai T, Kohara Y, Sho M. Clinical impact of sarcopenia in early-stage intrahepatic recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma: an association with impaired host immunity. Langenbecks Arch Surg 2023; 408:433. [PMID: 37950033 DOI: 10.1007/s00423-023-03170-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study investigated the role of sarcopenia in the long-term outcomes of patients with early-stage intrahepatic recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS The study included 136 patients with intrahepatic recurrent Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage 0/A HCC following liver resection diagnosed between 2006 and 2020 and underwent surgery, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), or transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Sarcopenia was defined based on the skeletal muscle index using computed tomography at the time of recurrence, and its association with long-term outcomes was evaluated. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (CD4 + , CD8 + , and CD45RO + T cells) were assayed using immunohistochemistry on specimens obtained from repeat hepatectomies, and their association with sarcopenia was evaluated. RESULTS The overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates after initial recurrence of patients with sarcopenia were significantly lower than those without sarcopenia (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis identified sarcopenia as an independent prognostic factor for RFS (p < 0.001). In patients without sarcopenia, surgery resulted in better RFS than RFA or TACE. Contrastingly, in patients with sarcopenia, the RFS was extremely poor regardless of the treatment type: surgery, RFA, or TACE (median RFS, 11.7, 12.7, and 10.1 months). Significantly low levels of tumor-infiltrating CD4 + , CD8 + , and CD45RO + lymphocytes were observed in patients with sarcopenia (p = 0.001, p = 0.001, and p = 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that patients with sarcopenia have poor RFS regardless of the treatment type for early-stage intrahepatic recurrent HCC. Impaired host immunity might be one of the underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Doi
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Satoshi Yasuda
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan.
| | - Yasuko Matsuo
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Takeshi Sakata
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Satoshi Nishiwada
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Minako Nagai
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Kota Nakamura
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Taichi Terai
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Kohara
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Masayuki Sho
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
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Chen X, Liu X, Du S. Unveiling the Role of Tumor-Infiltrating T Cells and Immunotherapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Review. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5046. [PMID: 37894413 PMCID: PMC10605632 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15205046] [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: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rapidly rising global health concern, ranking as the third-leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Despite medical advancements, the five-year survival rate remains a dismal 18%, with a daunting 70% recurrence rate within a five-year period. Current systematic treatments, including first-line sorafenib, yield an overall response rate (ORR) below 10%. In contrast, immunotherapies have shown promise by improving ORR to approximately 30%. The IMbravel150 clinical trial demonstrates that combining atezolizumab and bevacizumab surpasses sorafenib in terms of median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). However, the therapeutic efficacy for HCC patients remains unsatisfactory, highlighting the urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of antitumor responses and immune evasion mechanisms in HCC. In this context, understanding the immune landscape of HCC is of paramount importance. Tumor-infiltrating T cells, including cytotoxic T cells, regulatory T cells, and natural killer T cells, are key components in the antitumor immune response. This review aims to shed light on their intricate interactions within the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and explores potential strategies for revitalizing dysfunctional T cells. Additionally, current immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based trials, ICI-based combination therapies, and CAR-T- or TCR-T-cell therapies for HCC are summarized, which might further improve OS and transform the management of HCC in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaokun Chen
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China; (X.C.); (X.L.)
- Graduate School, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Xiao Liu
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China; (X.C.); (X.L.)
| | - Shunda Du
- Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China; (X.C.); (X.L.)
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21
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Liu J, Liu B, Li Y, Mi Z, Tan H, Rong P. PCMT1 is a potential target related to tumor progression and immune infiltration in liver cancer. Eur J Med Res 2023; 28:289. [PMID: 37596654 PMCID: PMC10436427 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-023-01216-1] [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: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liver cancer is a prevalent and deadly form of cancer with high incidence and mortality rates. The PCMT1 protein has been linked to cell anti-apoptosis and tumor metastasis, but its significance in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) remains largely unexplored. METHODS We conducted a pan-cancer analysis to examine the expression differences of PCMT1. Kaplan-Meier curves were employed to assess the prognostic impact of PCMT1 on LIHC patients, and we investigated the association between PCMT1 and clinical features, which we validated using a GEO therapeutic dataset. Gene enrichment analysis helped identify signaling pathways associated with PCMT1 expression. Moreover, we evaluated the relationship between PCMT1 and immune cell infiltration, as well as the differences in gene mutations between high-expression and low-expression groups. In vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to assess the effect of PCMT1 on tumor cell lines and mouse tumor models, and potential pathways were explored through gene sequencing. RESULT PCMT1 is highly expressed in most tumors and exhibits a significant association with prognosis in LIHC patients. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that PCMT1 is involved in cell cycle regulation, immunity, and other processes. Further immune analysis demonstrated that high expression of PCMT1 could reduce tumor-killing immune cell infiltration. In vitro experiments indicated that PCMT1 knockdown could inhibit cancer cell proliferation and migration while promoting apoptosis. In vivo experiments showed that PCMT1 knockdown significantly reduced tumor growth rate, enhanced CD8+T cell infiltration, and increased caspase-3 expression in the tumor area. Gene sequencing suggested that PCMT1 may function through the PI3K-AKT pathway. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that PCMT1 acts as a promoter of liver cancer progression and may serve as a novel prognostic indicator and therapeutic target for patients with LIHC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahao Liu
- Department of Radiology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410000 China
| | - Baiying Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yanan Li
- Department of Radiology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410000 China
| | - Ze Mi
- Department of Radiology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410000 China
| | - Hongpei Tan
- Department of Radiology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410000 China
| | - Pengfei Rong
- Department of Radiology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410000 China
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22
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Li H, Guo L, Su K, Li C, Jiang Y, Wang P, Chen J, Wu Z, Xu K, Gu T, Zeng H, He K, Chi H, Zhao W, Han L, Han Y. Construction and Validation of TACE Therapeutic Efficacy by ALR Score and Nomogram: A Large, Multicenter Study. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2023; 10:1009-1017. [PMID: 37405321 PMCID: PMC10317537 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s414926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background TACE and TACE with or without targeted immunotherapy are crucial comprehensive therapies for middle and advanced HCC. However, a reasonable and concise score is needed to evaluate TACE and TACE combined with systemic therapy in HCC treatment. Methods The HCC patients were grouped into two groups: training group (n = 778) (treated with TACE) and verification group (n = 333). The predictive value of baseline variables on overall survival was analyzed using COX model, and easy-to-use ALR (AST and Lym-R) scores. The best cut-off value of AST and Lym-R were determined using X-Tile software based on total survival time (OS) and further verified via a restricted three-spline method. Meanwhile, the score was further verified using two independent valid sets: TACE combined with targeted therapy and TACE with targeted combined immunotherapy. Results In multivariate analysis, baseline serum AST>57.1 (p < 0.001) and Lym-R≤21.7 (p < 0.001) were identified as independent prognostic factors. The OS of patients in the TACE pooled cohort with 0, 1, and 2 scores were 28.1 (95% CI 24-33.8) months, 15 (95% CI 12.4-18.6) months, and 7.4 (95% CI 5.7-9.1) months, respectively. The time-varying ROC curve based on ALR showed that the AUC values for predicting 1, -2-and 3-year OS were 0.698, 0.718, and 0.636, respectively. These results are confirmed in two independent valid sets of TACE combined with targeted therapy and TACE with targeted combined immunotherapy. And we established a nomogram after COX regression to predict the 1 -, 2- and 3-year survival time. Conclusion Our study confirmed that ALR score can predict the prognosis of HCC treated with TACE or TACE combined with systemic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Li
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lu Guo
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ke Su
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Changlun Li
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, 272000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yi Jiang
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Pan Wang
- Clinical Skills Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiali Chen
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhenying Wu
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ke Xu
- Department of Oncology, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, 401147, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tao Gu
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hao Zeng
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Kun He
- Clinical Research Institute, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hao Chi
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenxi Zhao
- Clinical Medical College, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lei Han
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, 272000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yunwei Han
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People’s Republic of China
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23
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Huang LH, Rau CS, Liu YW, Wu CJ, Chien PC, Lin HP, Wu YC, Huang CY, Hsieh TM, Hsieh CH. Exploring the Regulatory Role of XIST-microRNAs/mRNA Network in Circulating CD4 + T Cells of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1848. [PMID: 37509488 PMCID: PMC10376435 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11071848] [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: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers and the main cause of cancer-related death globally. Immune dysregulation of CD4+ T cells has been identified to play a role in the development of HCC. Nevertheless, the underlying molecular pathways of CD4+ T cells in HCC are not completely known. Thus, a better understanding of the dysregulation of the lncRNA-miRNA/mRNA network may yield novel insights into the etiology or progression of HCC. In this study, circulating CD4+ T cells were isolated from the whole blood of 10 healthy controls and 10 HCC patients for the next-generation sequencing of the expression of lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs. Our data showed that there were different expressions of 34 transcripts (2 lncRNAs, XISTs, and MIR222HGs; 29 mRNAs; and 3 other types of RNA) and 13 miRNAs in the circulating CD4+ T cells of HCC patients. The expression of lncRNA-XIST-related miRNAs and their target mRNAs was confirmed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) on samples from 100 healthy controls and 60 HCC patients. The lncRNA-miRNA/mRNA regulation network was created using interaction data generated from ENCORI and revealed there are positive correlations in the infiltration of total CD4+ T cells, particularly resting memory CD4+ T cells, and negative correlations in the infiltration of Th1 CD4+ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lien-Hung Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Shyuan Rau
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Yueh-Wei Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Jung Wu
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Peng-Chen Chien
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Ping Lin
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chan Wu
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Ying Huang
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Min Hsieh
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Hua Hsieh
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
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Sankar K, Pearson AN, Worlikar T, Perricone MD, Holcomb EA, Mendiratta-Lala M, Xu Z, Bhowmick N, Green MD. Impact of immune tolerance mechanisms on the efficacy of immunotherapy in primary and secondary liver cancers. Transl Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 8:29. [PMID: 37601739 PMCID: PMC10432235 DOI: 10.21037/tgh-23-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The liver is a functionally unique organ with an immunosuppressive microenvironment. The liver is the sixth most common site of primary cancer in humans and is a frequent site of metastasis from other solid tumors. The development of effective therapies for primary and metastatic liver cancer has been challenging due to the complex metabolic and immune microenvironment of the liver. The liver tumor microenvironment (TME) in primary and secondary (metastatic) liver cancers is heterogenous and consists of unique immune and stromal cell populations. Crosstalk between these cell populations and tumor cells creates an immunosuppressive microenvironment within the liver which potentiates cancer progression. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are now clinically approved for the management of primary and secondary liver cancer and can partially overcome liver immune tolerance, but their efficacy is limited. In this review, we describe the liver microenvironment and the use of immunotherapy in primary and secondary liver cancer. We discuss emerging combination strategies utilizing locoregional and systemic therapy approaches which may enhance efficacy of immunotherapy in primary and secondary liver cancer. A deeper understanding of the immunosuppressive microenvironment of the liver will inform novel therapies and therapeutic combinations in order to improve outcomes of patients with primary and secondary liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamya Sankar
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ashley N. Pearson
- Graduate Program in Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Tejaswi Worlikar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Matthew D. Perricone
- Program in Biomedical Sciences, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Erin A. Holcomb
- Graduate Program in Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Zhen Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Neil Bhowmick
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael D. Green
- Graduate Program in Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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25
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Luo H, Chen J, Jiang Q, Yu Y, Yang M, Luo Y, Wang X. Comprehensive DNA methylation profiling of COVID-19 and hepatocellular carcinoma to identify common pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:100. [PMID: 37309005 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01515-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection can be more complex and severe in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as compared to other cancers. This is due to several factors, including pre-existing conditions such as viral hepatitis and cirrhosis, which are commonly associated with HCC. METHODS We conducted an analysis of epigenomics in SARS-CoV-2 infection and HCC patients, and identified common pathogenic mechanisms using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and other analyses. Hub genes were identified and analyzed using LASSO regression. Additionally, drug candidates and their binding modes to key macromolecular targets of COVID-19 were identified using molecular docking. RESULTS The epigenomic analysis of the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 infection and HCC patients revealed that the co-pathogenesis was closely linked to immune response, particularly T cell differentiation, regulation of T cell activation and monocyte differentiation. Further analysis indicated that CD4+ T cells and monocytes play essential roles in the immunoreaction triggered by both conditions. The expression levels of hub genes MYLK2, FAM83D, STC2, CCDC112, EPHX4 and MMP1 were strongly correlated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and the prognosis of HCC patients. In our study, mefloquine and thioridazine were identified as potential therapeutic agents for COVID-19 in combined with HCC. CONCLUSIONS In this research, we conducted an epigenomics analysis to identify common pathogenetic processes between SARS-CoV-2 infection and HCC patients, providing new insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of HCC patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiyan Luo
- The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Lingnan Medical Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jixin Chen
- The Second Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiyin Jiang
- The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yifan Yu
- The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Miaolun Yang
- The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuehua Luo
- The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiongwen Wang
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
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Karimi K, Mojtabavi S, Tehrany PM, Nejad MM, Rezaee A, Mohtashamian S, Hamedi E, Yousefi F, Salmani F, Zandieh MA, Nabavi N, Rabiee N, Ertas YN, Salimimoghadam S, Rashidi M, Rahmanian P, Hushmandi K, Yu W. Chitosan-based nanoscale delivery systems in hepatocellular carcinoma: Versatile bio-platform with theranostic application. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 242:124935. [PMID: 37230442 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The field of nanomedicine has provided a fresh approach to cancer treatment by addressing the limitations of current therapies and offering new perspectives on enhancing patients' prognoses and chances of survival. Chitosan (CS) is isolated from chitin that has been extensively utilized for surface modification and coating of nanocarriers to improve their biocompatibility, cytotoxicity against tumor cells, and stability. HCC is a prevalent kind of liver tumor that cannot be adequately treated with surgical resection in its advanced stages. Furthermore, the development of resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy has caused treatment failure. The targeted delivery of drugs and genes can be mediated by nanostructures in treatment of HCC. The current review focuses on the function of CS-based nanostructures in HCC therapy and discusses the newest advances of nanoparticle-mediated treatment of HCC. Nanostructures based on CS have the capacity to escalate the pharmacokinetic profile of both natural and synthetic drugs, thus improving the effectiveness of HCC therapy. Some experiments have displayed that CS nanoparticles can be deployed to co-deliver drugs to disrupt tumorigenesis in a synergistic way. Moreover, the cationic nature of CS makes it a favorable nanocarrier for delivery of genes and plasmids. The use of CS-based nanostructures can be harnessed for phototherapy. Additionally, the incur poration of ligands including arginylglycylaspartic acid (RGD) into CS can elevate the targeted delivery of drugs to HCC cells. Interestingly, smart CS-based nanostructures, including ROS- and pH-sensitive nanoparticles, have been designed to provide cargo release at the tumor site and enhance the potential for HCC suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimia Karimi
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sarah Mojtabavi
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Melina Maghsodlou Nejad
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Aryan Rezaee
- Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahab Mohtashamian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Erfan Hamedi
- Department of Aquatic Animal Health & Diseases, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Farnaz Yousefi
- Department of Clinical Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farshid Salmani
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Arad Zandieh
- Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Division of Epidemiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Noushin Nabavi
- Department of Urological Sciences and Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6H3Z6, Canada
| | - Navid Rabiee
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia; School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Yavuz Nuri Ertas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey; ERNAM-Nanotechnology Research and Application Center, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Türkiye
| | - Shokooh Salimimoghadam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Mohsen Rashidi
- Department Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; The Health of Plant and Livestock Products Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
| | - Parham Rahmanian
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Kiavash Hushmandi
- Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Division of Epidemiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Wei Yu
- School of Pharmacy, Xianning Medical College, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, 437100, China.
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Gao YX, Ning QQ, Yang PX, Guan YY, Liu PX, Liu ML, Qiao LX, Guo XH, Yang TW, Chen DX. Recent advances in recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma therapy. World J Hepatol 2023; 15:460-476. [PMID: 37206651 PMCID: PMC10190692 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v15.i4.460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent form of primary liver cancer, accounting for 75%-85% of cases. Although treatments are given to cure early-stage HCC, up to 50%-70% of individuals may experience a relapse of the illness in the liver after 5 years. Research on the fundamental treatment modalities for recurrent HCC is moving significantly further. The precise selection of individuals for therapy strategies with established survival advantages is crucial to ensuring better outcomes. These strategies aim to minimize substantial morbidity, support good life quality, and enhance survival for patients with recurrent HCC. For individuals with recurring HCC after curative treatment, no approved therapeutic regimen is currently available. A recent study presented novel approaches, like immunotherapy and antiviral medication, to improve the prognosis of patients with recurring HCC with the apparent lack of data to guide the clinical treatment. The data supporting several neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies for patients with recurring HCC are outlined in this review. We also discuss the potential for future clinical and translational investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Xue Gao
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
- Beijing Precision Medicine and Transformation Engineering Technology Research Center of Hepatitis and Liver Cancer, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Qi-Qi Ning
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
- Beijing Precision Medicine and Transformation Engineering Technology Research Center of Hepatitis and Liver Cancer, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Peng-Xiang Yang
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
- Beijing Precision Medicine and Transformation Engineering Technology Research Center of Hepatitis and Liver Cancer, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Yuan-Yue Guan
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
- Beijing Precision Medicine and Transformation Engineering Technology Research Center of Hepatitis and Liver Cancer, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Peng-Xiang Liu
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
- Beijing Precision Medicine and Transformation Engineering Technology Research Center of Hepatitis and Liver Cancer, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Meng-Lu Liu
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
- Beijing Precision Medicine and Transformation Engineering Technology Research Center of Hepatitis and Liver Cancer, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Lu-Xin Qiao
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
- Beijing Precision Medicine and Transformation Engineering Technology Research Center of Hepatitis and Liver Cancer, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Xiang-Hua Guo
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
- Beijing Precision Medicine and Transformation Engineering Technology Research Center of Hepatitis and Liver Cancer, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Tong-Wang Yang
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
- Academician Workstation, Changsha Medical University, Changsha 410219, Hunan Province, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of the Research and Development of Novel Pharmaceutical Preparations, Changsha Medical University, Changsha 410219, Hunan Province, China
| | - De-Xi Chen
- Beijing Institute of Hepatology, Beijing You An Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
- Beijing Precision Medicine and Transformation Engineering Technology Research Center of Hepatitis and Liver Cancer, Beijing 100069, China
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Fu B, Zhou M, Song G, Zeng H, Gong Y, Jiang Y, Ke Y, Huang D, Peng H, Li Q. Comprehensive analysis reveals TSEN54 as a robust prognosis biomarker and promising immune-related therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2023; 15:2734-2771. [PMID: 37059591 PMCID: PMC10120902 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204645] [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: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma represents the most common primary malignancy of all liver cancer types and its prognosis is usually unsatisfactory. TSEN54 encodes a protein constituting a subunit of the tRNA splicing endonuclease heterotetramer. Previous researches concentrated on the contribution of TSEN54 in pontocerebellar hypoplasia, but no studies have yet reported its role in HCC. METHODS TIMER, HCCDB, GEPIA, HPA, UALCAN, MEXPRESS, SMART, TargetScan, RNAinter, miRNet, starBase, Kaplan-Meier Plotter, cBioPortal, LinkedOmics, GSEA, TISCH, TISIDB, GeneMANIA, PDB, GSCALite were applied in this research. RESULTS We identified the upregulation of TSEN54 expression in HCC and related it to multiple clinicopathological features. Hypomethylation of TSEN54 was closely associated with its high expression. HCC sufferers who held high TSEN54 expression typically had shorter survival expectations. Enrichment analysis showed the involvement of TSEN54 in the cell cycle and metabolic processes. Afterward, we observed that TSEN54 expression level had a positive relationship to the infiltration level of multiple immune cells and the expression of several chemokines. We additionally identified that TSEN54 was related to the expression level of several immune checkpoints and TSEN54 was linked to several m6A-related regulators. CONCLUSIONS TSEN54 is a prognostic marker of HCC. TSEN54 could become a prospective candidate for HCC diagnosis and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bidong Fu
- Department of Pathology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, People’s Republic of China
- Second College of Clinical Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Minqin Zhou
- Second College of Clinical Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Gelin Song
- Second College of Clinical Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hong Zeng
- Second College of Clinical Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yiyang Gong
- Second College of Clinical Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yike Jiang
- Second College of Clinical Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yun Ke
- Second College of Clinical Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Da Huang
- Department of Thyroid Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hong Peng
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, 908th Hospital of Chinese People’s Liberation Army Joint, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Pathology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, People’s Republic of China
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Singh P, Gurung R, Sultan A, Dohare R. Understanding the role of adipokines and adipogenesis family in hepatocellular carcinoma. EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL HUMAN GENETICS 2023. [DOI: 10.1186/s43042-023-00401-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer. It has the sixth most incident cases with poor prognosis. Adipokines are known to have been linked with oncogenesis and progression of HCC.
Methods
We extracted TCGA-HCC data and identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using R. Genes of adipokines and adipogenesis family were scrutinized from DEGs and expression of genes in normal versus tumor patients was studied. Prognostic and stage plot analyses were performed, and key genes were selected. Pathway and gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis was conducted. Expression analysis based on nodal metastasis, tumor protein p53 (TP53) mutation and tumor grade, and mutation analysis was performed using UALCAN and cBioPortal. Tumor infiltration analysis was performed to study the correlation of gene expression with tumor-infiltrating immune cells.
Results
We found four genes apelin (APLN), aldehyde dehydrogenase, mitochondrial (ALDH2), E2F transcription factor 1 (E2F1) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, cytosolic (PCK1) highly associated with HCC. APLN and E2F1 were upregulated and ALDH2 and PCK1 were downregulated in HCC patients. High expression of APLN and E2F1 and low expression of ALDH2 and PCK1 resulted in poor prognosis of HCC patients. In expression analysis, ALDH2 showed significant change in all three categories. PCK1 showed highest mutation of out all $$4$$
4
genes in HCC patients. T cell CD8+ is found to be positively correlated with APLN, ALDH2 and E2F1 and macrophages showed a positive correlation with APLN and E2F1.
Conclusions
ALDH2 and PCK1 are great prognostic biomarkers and play a vital role in the development of HCC. Overexpression of ALDH2 and PCK1 can be a potential treatment strategy for HCC.
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Sun P, Zhang H, Shi J, Xu M, Cheng T, Lu B, Yang L, Zhang X, Huang J. KRTCAP2 as an immunological and prognostic biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2023; 222:113124. [PMID: 36634487 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2023.113124] [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: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Alterations in protein glycosylation affect tumor progression and immune responses in the tumor microenvironment. Keratinocyte-associated protein 2 (KRTCAP2) encodes the corresponding proteins involved in N-glycosylation. The clinical predictive significance and immune role of KRTCAP2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) largely remain elusive. Combining bioinformatics tools and multiplex immunohistochemistry analysis, we evaluated the KRTCAP2 expression in the HCC tumor microenvironment. The results showed that KRTCAP2 mRNA and protein expression were markedly increased in HCC tissues. Furthermore, high KRTCAP2 expression was an independent predictive factor of unfavorable prognosis in HCC. Moreover, high KRTCAP2 protein expression was associated with a lower proportion of CD8+ T cells and CD68+ macrophages in the stroma region. There was also a lower proportion of CD8+ T cells in the tumor region with high KRTCAP2 protein expression. Specifically, KRTCAP2 expression showed an inverse relationship with programmed cell death ligand-1 in HCC. Analysis of immunophenoscore showed that the low KRTCAP2 expression group had a stronger ability to predict response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. In conclusion, KRTCAP2 had a significant prognostic value for HCC and was correlated with the immune microenvironment. Our findings suggest that KRTCAP2 is a prognostic marker for HCC patients with potential clinical implications for predicting immunotherapeutic responsiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pingping Sun
- Department of Clinical Biobank, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University & Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Clinical Biobank, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University & Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Jiawen Shi
- Department of Clinical Biobank, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University & Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Manyu Xu
- Department of Clinical Biobank, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University & Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Tong Cheng
- Department of Clinical Biobank, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University & Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Bing Lu
- Department of Clinical Biobank, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University & Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Lei Yang
- Department of Clinical Biobank, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University & Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Xiaojing Zhang
- Department of Clinical Biobank, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University & Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Jianfei Huang
- Department of Clinical Biobank, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University & Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China.
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Liang J, Bai Y, Ha FS, Luo Y, Deng HT, Gao YT. Combining local regional therapy and systemic therapy: Expected changes in the treatment landscape of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2023; 15:1-18. [PMID: 36684055 PMCID: PMC9850755 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v15.i1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Improvements in early screening, new diagnostic techniques, and surgical treatment have led to continuous downward trends in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) morbidity and mortality rates. However, high recurrence and refractory cancer after hepatectomy remain important factors affecting the long-term prognosis of HCC. The clinical characteristics and prognosis of recurrent HCC are heterogeneous, and guidelines on treatment strategies for recurrent HCC are lacking. Therapies such as surgical resection, radiofrequency ablation, and transhepatic arterial chemoembolization are effective for tumors confined to the liver, and targeted therapy is a very important treatment for unresectable recurrent HCC with systemic metastasis. With the deepening of the understanding of the immune microenvironment of HCC, blocking immune checkpoints to enhance the antitumor immune response has become a new direction for the treatment of HCC. In addition, improvements in the tumor immune microenvironment caused by local treatment may provide an opportunity to improve the therapeutic effect of HCC treatment. Ongoing and future clinical trial data of combined therapy may develop the new treatment scheme for recurrent HCC. This paper reviews the pattern of recurrent HCC and the characteristics of the immune microenvironment, demonstrates the basis for combining local treatment and systemic treatment, and reports current evidence to better understand current progress and future approaches in the treatment of recurrent HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liang
- Department of Hepatology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Nankai University Affiliated Third Center Hospital, Tianjin 300170, China
| | - Yi Bai
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Fu-Shuang Ha
- Department of Hepatology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Nankai University Affiliated Third Center Hospital, Tianjin 300170, China
| | - Ying Luo
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Nankai University Affiliated Third Center Hospital, Tianjin 300170, China
| | - Hui-Ting Deng
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Nankai University Affiliated Third Center Hospital, Tianjin 300170, China
| | - Ying-Tang Gao
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Nankai University Affiliated Third Center Hospital, Tianjin 300170, China
- Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, The Third Central Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300170, China
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Stulpinas R, Zilenaite-Petrulaitiene D, Rasmusson A, Gulla A, Grigonyte A, Strupas K, Laurinavicius A. Prognostic Value of CD8+ Lymphocytes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Perineoplastic Parenchyma Assessed by Interface Density Profiles in Liver Resection Samples. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15020366. [PMID: 36672317 PMCID: PMC9857181 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15020366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) often emerges in the setting of long-standing inflammatory liver disease. CD8 lymphocytes are involved in both the antitumoral response and hepatocyte damage in the remaining parenchyma. We investigated the dual role of CD8 lymphocytes by assessing density profiles at the interfaces of both HCC and perineoplastic liver parenchyma with surrounding stroma in whole-slide immunohistochemistry images of surgical resection samples. We applied a hexagonal grid-based digital image analysis method to sample the interface zones and compute the CD8 density profiles within them. The prognostic value of the indicators was explored in the context of clinicopathological, peripheral blood testing, and surgery data. Independent predictors of worse OS were a low standard deviation of CD8+ density along the tumor edge, high mean CD8+ density within the epithelial aspect of the perineoplastic liver-stroma interface, longer duration of surgery, a higher level of aspartate transaminase (AST), and a higher basophil count in the peripheral blood. A combined score, derived from these five independent predictors, enabled risk stratification of the patients into three prognostic categories with a 5-year OS probability of 76%, 40%, and 8%. Independent predictors of longer RFS were stage pT1, shorter duration of surgery, larger tumor size, wider tumor-free margin, and higher mean CD8+ density in the epithelial aspect of the tumor-stroma interface. We conclude that (1) our computational models reveal independent and opposite prognostic impacts of CD8+ cell densities at the interfaces of the malignant and non-malignant epithelium interfaces with the surrounding stroma; and (2) together with pathology, surgery, and laboratory data, comprehensive prognostic models can be constructed to predict patient outcomes after liver resection due to HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rokas Stulpinas
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Pharmacology, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania
- National Center of Pathology, Affiliate of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics, 08406 Vilnius, Lithuania
- Correspondence:
| | - Dovile Zilenaite-Petrulaitiene
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Pharmacology, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania
- National Center of Pathology, Affiliate of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics, 08406 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Allan Rasmusson
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Pharmacology, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania
- National Center of Pathology, Affiliate of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics, 08406 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Aiste Gulla
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Agne Grigonyte
- Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Kestutis Strupas
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Arvydas Laurinavicius
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Pharmacology, Vilnius University, 03101 Vilnius, Lithuania
- National Center of Pathology, Affiliate of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics, 08406 Vilnius, Lithuania
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Liu Z, Chen S, Jia W, Qian Y, Yang X, Zhang M, Fang T, Liu H. Comprehensive analysis reveals CCDC60 as a potential biomarker correlated with prognosis and immune infiltration of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1113781. [PMID: 37064086 PMCID: PMC10098326 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1113781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Coiled-coil domain containing 60 (CCDC60) is a member of the CCDC family, which participates in the progression of many types of cancer. However, the prognostic value of CCDC60 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) and its function in tumor immunity remain unclear. Methods CCDC60 expression and its prognostic potential in HNSC were evaluated by bioinformatics approaches, which was validated in human HNSC samples. Genetic alteration analysis of CCDC60 and the underlying biological function of CCDC60 related co-expressed genes in HNSC were analyzed. The impact of CCDC60 on the regulation of immune infiltration in HNSC was comprehensively investigated. In vitro, a series of functional assays on CCDC60 were performed in HNSC cells. Results Our study has indicated that compared with the adjacent normal tissues, CCDC60 expression was considerably downregulated in HNSC tissues. High CCDC60 expression was connected with favorable outcome of HNSC patients, and its prognostic significance was examined by distinct clinical characteristics. We identified the CCDC60-related co-expression genes, which were mainly enriched in the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway associated with the inhibition of tumor growth, leading to a better prognosis of HNSC patients. In vitro, CCDC60 overexpression significantly inhibited the growth, migration and invasiveness but regulated cell cycle progression, and promoted cell adhesion of Fadu and Cal27 cells. Additionally, high CCDC60 expression had strong connections with the infiltrating levels of immune cells, immune marker sets, immunomodulators and chemokines in HNSC, suggesting that targeting CCDC60 could be a promising strategy to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy for HNSC patients. Conclusion Tumor suppressor CCDC60 may be identified as a prognostic and immune-related indicator in HNSC, which had the potential functions in regulating the immune infiltration of HNSC and improving the response to immunotherapy for HNSC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixin Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Shuai Chen
- NHC Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Wenming Jia
- NHC Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Ye Qian
- NHC Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaoqi Yang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Minfa Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Tianhe Fang
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Heng Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- *Correspondence: Heng Liu,
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Cheng Q, Wang W, Liu J, Lv Z, Ji W, Yu J, Zhang W, Yang Y. Elevated MPP6 expression correlates with an unfavorable prognosis, angiogenesis and immune evasion in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1173848. [PMID: 37207207 PMCID: PMC10189050 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1173848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Membrane palmitoylated proteins (MPPs) are engaged in various biological processes, such as cell adhesion and cell polarity. Dysregulated MPP members have different effects on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. However, the role of MPP6 in HCC has been unknown. Method HCC transcriptome and clinical data from different public databases were downloaded and analyzed, and the results were further validated by qRT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC) using HCC cell lines and tissues. The association between MPP6 and prognosis, potential pathogenic mechanisms, angiogenesis, immune evasion, tumor mutation burden (TMB) and treatment response in HCC patients was analyzed by bioinformatics and IHC staining. Results MPP6 was significantly overexpressed in HCC, and its expression was related to T stage, pathologic stage, histologic grade and adverse prognosis in HCC patients. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in the synthesis of genetic materials and the WNT signaling pathway. GEPIA database analysis and IHC staining suggested that MPP6 expression had a positive correlation with angiogenesis. Single-cell dataset analysis indicated that MPP6 was associated with features of the tumor microenvironment. Additional analyses discovered that MPP6 expression was inversely related to immune cell infiltration and was involved in tumor immune evasion. MPP6 expression was positively associated with TMB, and patients with high TMB had an adverse prognosis. Immunotherapy was more effective in HCC patients with low MPP6 expression, whereas those with high MPP6 expression responded better to sorafenib, gemcitabine, 5-FU, and doxorubicin. Conclusions Elevated MPP6 expression is associated with an unfavorable prognosis, angiogenesis and immune evasion in HCC. Moreover, MPP6 has the potential to be used to assess TMB and treatment response. Therefore, MPP6 might serve as a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC.
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Khanam A, Kottilil S. New Therapeutics for HCC: Does Tumor Immune Microenvironment Matter? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010437. [PMID: 36613878 PMCID: PMC9820509 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of liver cancer is continuously rising where hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains the most common form of liver cancer accounting for approximately 80-90% of the cases. HCC is strongly prejudiced by the tumor microenvironment and being an inflammation-associated condition, the contribution of various immune mechanisms is critical in its development, progression, and metastasis. The tumor immune microenvironment is initially inflammatory which is subsequently replenished by the immunosuppressive cells contributing to tumor immune escape. Regardless of substantial advancement in systemic therapy, HCC has poor prognosis and outcomes attributed to the drug resistance, recurrence, and its metastatic behavior. Therefore, currently, new immunotherapeutic strategies are extensively targeted in preclinical and clinical settings in order to elicit robust HCC-specific immune responses and appear to be quite effective, extending current treatment alternatives. Understanding the complex interplay between the tumor and the immune cells and its microenvironment will provide new insights into designing novel immunotherapeutics to overcome existing treatment hurdles. In this review, we have provided a recent update on immunological mechanisms associated with HCC and discussed potential advancement in immunotherapies for HCC treatment.
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Ali E, Trailin A, Ambrozkiewicz F, Liška V, Hemminki K. Activated Hepatic Stellate Cells in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Their Role as a Potential Target for Future Therapies. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315292. [PMID: 36499616 PMCID: PMC9741299 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a global healthcare challenge, which affects more than 815,000 new cases every year. Activated hepatic stellate cells (aHSCs) remain the principal cells that drive HCC onset and growth. aHSCs suppress the anti-tumor immune response through interaction with different immune cells. They also increase the deposition of the extracellular matrix proteins, challenging the reversion of fibrosis and increasing HCC growth and metastasis. Therapy for HCC was reported to activate HSCs, which could explain the low efficacy of current treatments. Conversely, recent studies aimed at the deactivation of HSCs show that they have been able to inhibit HCC growth. In this review article, we discuss the role of aHSCs in HCC pathophysiology and therapy. Finally, we provide suggestions for the experimental implementation of HSCs in HCC therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esraa Ali
- Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1665/76, 32300 Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Andriy Trailin
- Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1665/76, 32300 Pilsen, Czech Republic
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +420-377-593-862
| | - Filip Ambrozkiewicz
- Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1665/76, 32300 Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Liška
- Laboratory of Cancer Treatment and Tissue Regeneration, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1665/76, 32300 Pilsen, Czech Republic
- Department of Surgery University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 80, 32300 Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Kari Hemminki
- Laboratory of Translational Cancer Genomics, Biomedical Center, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Alej Svobody 1665/76, 32300 Pilsen, Czech Republic
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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Han HT, Jin WL, Li X. Mesenchymal stem cells-based therapy in liver diseases. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2022; 3:23. [PMID: 35895169 PMCID: PMC9326420 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-022-00088-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple immune cells and their products in the liver together form a complex and unique immune microenvironment, and preclinical models have demonstrated the importance of imbalances in the hepatic immune microenvironment in liver inflammatory diseases and immunocompromised liver diseases. Various immunotherapies have been attempted to modulate the hepatic immune microenvironment for the purpose of treating liver diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have a comprehensive and plastic immunomodulatory capacity. On the one hand, they have been tried for the treatment of inflammatory liver diseases because of their excellent immunosuppressive capacity; On the other hand, MSCs have immune-enhancing properties in immunocompromised settings and can be modified into cellular carriers for targeted transport of immune enhancers by genetic modification, physical and chemical loading, and thus they are also used in the treatment of immunocompromised liver diseases such as chronic viral infections and hepatocellular carcinoma. In this review, we discuss the immunological basis and recent strategies of MSCs for the treatment of the aforementioned liver diseases. Specifically, we update the immune microenvironment of the liver and summarize the distinct mechanisms of immune microenvironment imbalance in inflammatory diseases and immunocompromised liver diseases, and how MSCs can fully exploit their immunotherapeutic role in liver diseases with both immune imbalance patterns.
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Cao J, Tu DY, Zhou J, Jiang GQ, Jin SJ, Su BB, Tang H, Tang YH, Wang AQ, Wang Q, Liu RJ, Zhang C, Bai DS. Comprehensive analysis of the clinical significance, immune infiltration, and biological role of MARCH ligases in HCC. Front Immunol 2022; 13:997265. [PMID: 36263042 PMCID: PMC9573977 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.997265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The membrane‐associated RING‐CH (MARCH) family, a member of the E3 ubiquitin ligases, has been confirmed by a growing number of studies to be associated with immune function and has been highlighted as a potential immunotherapy target. In our research, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients were divided into C1 and C2 MARCH ligase-related patterns by the non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) algorithm. Multiple analyses revealed that the MARCH ligase-related cluster was related to prognosis, clinicopathological characteristics, and the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Next, the signature (risk score) of the MARCH prognosis was constructed, including eight genes associated with the MARCH ligase (CYP2C9, G6PD, SLC1A5, SPP1, ANXA10, CDC20, PON1, and FTCD). The risk score showed accuracy and stability. We found that the correlations between risk score and TIME, tumor mutation burden (TMB), prognosis, and clinicopathological characteristics were significant. Additionally, the risk score also had important guiding significance for HCC treatment, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Chi Zhang
- *Correspondence: Dou-sheng Bai, ; Chi Zhang,
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Che Y, Wang G, Xia Q. CDK2AP1 influences immune infiltrates and serves as a prognostic indicator for hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Genet 2022; 13:937310. [PMID: 36105112 PMCID: PMC9465009 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.937310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a tumor with high malignancy and poor 5-years survival rate. Excellent tumor markers are very important for early clinical diagnosis and prognosis evaluation. Previous studies have shown that CDK2AP1 (Cyclin-dependent kinase 2-associated protein 1) is involved in cell-cycle and epigenetic regulation. In the present study, we assess CDK2AP1 expression, prognostic value, immunomodulatory and possible influencing pathways in HCC.Method: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to analyse gene expression, clinicopathology and prognosis. The protein level of CDK2AP1 in HCC tissues was detected in the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. The immune score in HCC to CDKAP1 expression were analyzed using ESTIMATE. Furthermore, we use Tumor IMmune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database to study CDK2AP1 expression and Immune Infiltration Levels in HCC. Co-expressed genes of CDK2AP1 were predicted and elaborated by LinkedOmics.Results: In normal liver tissues, the expression of CDK2AP1 was significantly lower than tumor tissues, and was correlated with the level of clinical stage and histologic grade in HCC patients. Patients with high expression of CDK2AP1 have a poor prognosis than patients with low CDK2AP1 expression. CDK2AP1 expression level exhibits significantly positive correlations with the number of infiltrating B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, Macrophages, Neutrophils, and DCs in HCC tissues. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the related pathways affected by CDK2AP1 mainly include: Fc gamma R-mediated phagocytosis, Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation, Cell cycle, etc. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that CDK2AP1 promotes the proliferation and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Our results highlight the role of CDK2AP1 as an important prognostic indicator and immunotherapy target for HCC patients.Conclusion: We found CDK2AP1 as a new prognostic biomarker for HCC, which could help explain changes in the biological processes and immune environment lead to liver cancer development. Therefore, CDK2AP1 is a potential new target for HCC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibin Che
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ge Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Xia
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Transplantation and Immunology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Transplantation, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Qiang Xia,
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Qiu J, Xu L, Zeng X, Wu H, Liang F, Lv Q, Du Z. CCL5 mediates breast cancer metastasis and prognosis through CCR5/Treg cells. Front Oncol 2022; 12:972383. [PMID: 36033472 PMCID: PMC9399502 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.972383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and aims CCL5 is considered to contribute to the biological function of a variety of cancer types, but its specific mechanism is still unclear. This study aimed to reveal the mechanism of CCL5 in the invasion, metastasis, and prognosis of breast cancer. Methods The expression of CCL5 in tumor tissue and serum was measured with a Luminex protein detection kit, and the correlation between CCL5 and clinical parameters was evaluated. Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to analyze the effect of CCL5 on the prognosis of breast cancer patients. Protein interaction network analysis and gene coexpression were used to determine the receptor that has the strongest interaction with CCL5. Enrichment analysis was used to study the possible pathway by which CCL5 affects breast cancer progression. We used immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry to estimate the fraction of immunity-related components in the tumor microenvironment. Results The expression level of CCL5 in breast cancer patients was positively correlated with the degree of axillary lymph node metastasis; CCL5 in tumor tissue was correlated with estrogen receptor status (P = 0.034), progesterone receptor (P = 0.009), nuclear grade (P = 0.013), clinical stage (P < 0.001) and molecular subtype (P = 0.024) in breast cancer patients. Breast cancer patients with high CCL5 expression had worse disease-free survival (P = 0.031) and breast cancer-specific survival (P = 0.043); however, CCL5 had no effect on overall survival (P = 0.077). CCL5 affected tumor progression through CCR5, and the T-cell-related immune pathway may be the main pathway; the CD4+/CD8+, CCR5+/CD4+ and Treg/CCR5+ cell ratios were significantly increased in the lymph node metastasis group. Conclusion CCL5 affects the Treg/CD4+CCR5+ cell ratio in breast cancer patients through CCR5, thus affecting breast cancer metastasis and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juanjuan Qiu
- Department of Breast Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Transplant Engineering and Immunology NHC, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Li Xu
- Department of Breast Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaohong Zeng
- Department of Breast Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Breast Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Transplant Engineering and Immunology NHC, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Faqing Liang
- Department of Breast Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qing Lv
- Department of Breast Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Zhenggui Du, ; Qing Lv,
| | - Zhenggui Du
- Department of Breast Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Zhenggui Du, ; Qing Lv,
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Kanno H, Hisaka T, Akiba J, Hashimoto K, Fujita F, Akagi Y. C-reactive protein/albumin ratio and Glasgow prognostic score are associated with prognosis and infiltration of Foxp3+ or CD3+ lymphocytes in colorectal liver metastasis. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:839. [PMID: 35915403 PMCID: PMC9344720 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09842-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inflammatory indices and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have prognostic value in many cancer types. This study aimed to assess the prognostic value of inflammatory indices and evaluate their correlation with survival and presence of TILs in patients with colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM). METHODS Medical records of 117 patients who underwent hepatectomy for CRLM were retrospectively reviewed. We calculated inflammatory indices comprising the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, platelet/lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR), and Glasgow prognostic score (GPS). Furthermore, we evaluated the relationship between these ratios and the GPS and survival rates and immunohistochemical results of tumor-infiltrating CD3+, CD8+, and Foxp3+ lymphocytes. RESULTS The patients with low CAR values and low GPS had significantly better overall survival as per the log-rank test (p = 0.025 and p = 0.012, respectively). According to the multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazard model, the CAR (hazard ratio [HR], 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.33-0.99; p = 0.048) and GPS (HR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.19-0.83; p = 0.013) were independent prognostic factors. Additionally, Foxp3+ lymphocytes were more common in samples from the patients with a low CAR (p = 0.041). Moreover, the number of CD3+ TILs was significantly higher in the patients with a low GPS (p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS The CAR and GPS are simple, inexpensive, and objective markers associated with predicting survival in patients with CRLM. Moreover, they can predict the presence of Foxp3+ and CD3+ lymphocytes in the invasive margin of a tumor. TRIAL REGISTRATION Retrospectively registered. https://www.kurume-u.ac.jp/uploaded/attachment/14282.pdf .
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Kanno
- Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Japan.
| | - Toru Hisaka
- Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Japan
| | - Jun Akiba
- Department of Pathology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Hashimoto
- Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Japan
| | - Fumihiko Fujita
- Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Japan
| | - Yoshito Akagi
- Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Japan
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Pu Q, Yu L, Wang X, Yan H, Xie Y, Du J, Yang Z. Establishment of Nomogram Model for Minimally Invasive Treatment of Small Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on CD8+T Cell Counts. Onco Targets Ther 2022; 15:925-940. [PMID: 36068914 PMCID: PMC9441171 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s373631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Minimally invasive treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the main way of treatment, which can cause the change of HCC immune microenvironment. T lymphocytes are an important part of the immune microenvironment and may be powerful predictors of prognosis. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of T lymphocytes on the prognosis of HCC and establish a prognostic model. Patients and Methods We conducted a retrospective study of 300 patients with small HCC and developed a clinical prediction model. The selection of modeling variables was performed by combining backward stepwise Cox regression using Akaike’s Information Criteria (AIC) and the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression. Establish a dynamic nomogram model to predict 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival (OS). Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) was used to verify the model discriminative ability, calibration curve was used to examine the model calibration ability, and decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to evaluate the clinical value. Results The nomogram to predict the OS of small HCC includes the following four variables: aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alpha fetoprotein (AFP), C-reactive protein (CRP) and CD8+T cell counts, represented liver function index, tumor-related index, Inflammatory index and immune-related index, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) of predicting 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival were 0.846, 0.824 and 0.812, and the model was excellent in discrimination, calibration and clinical applicability. Conclusion Our study provides a nomogram based on CD8+T cell counts that can help predict the prognosis of small HCC after minimally invasive treatment, which suggests that T lymphocytes can be used as a prognostic factor for HCC. Larger trials are needed to verify our results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Pu
- Center of Integrative Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100015, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lihua Yu
- Center of Integrative Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100015, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xinhui Wang
- Center of Integrative Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100015, People’s Republic of China
| | - Huiwen Yan
- Center of Integrative Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100015, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuqing Xie
- Center of Integrative Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100015, People’s Republic of China
| | - Juan Du
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100015, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Juan Du, Beijing Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100015, People’s Republic of China, Email
| | - Zhiyun Yang
- Center of Integrative Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100015, People’s Republic of China
- Zhiyun Yang, Center of Integrative Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100015, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax +86-10-84322148, Email
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The role of peritumoral CD8 + /TIA1 + lymphocytes in hepatocellular carcinoma aggressiveness and recurrence after surgical resection. Pathol Res Pract 2022; 237:154016. [PMID: 35872367 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2022.154016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by a low mutation burden and a relatively low number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), making still difficult to identify targets for specific therapies. The aim of this study was the identification of the prognostic role of TILs in HCC, focusing on their distribution and status of activation. We retrospectively enrolled 41 patients, undergone to liver resection for HCC. A significant increase of CD8 + intratumoral lymphocytes was observed in HCCs with prevalent solid architecture, but with a higher PD-1/TIA1 ratio, suggesting that HCCs with solid architecture have more peri-tumoral lymphocytes, but with minor functionality. At multivariate and univariate analyses, TIA1/CD8 ratio correlated with tumor recurrence, meaning that HCC with more activated TILs are characterized by a higher tumor aggressiveness. The use of a feasible and cheap immunohistochemical panel can help in post-surgical prognostic stratification, focusing not only in the raw number and density of TILs, but more on their state of activation and morphology.
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Cai M, Xiao Y, Lin Z, Lu J, Wang X, Rahman SU, Zhu S, Chen X, Gu J, Ma Y, Chen Z, Huo J. Disordered Gut Microbiota in Colorectal Tumor-Bearing Mice Altered Serum Metabolome Related to Fufangchangtai. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:889181. [PMID: 35694271 PMCID: PMC9178095 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.889181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between gut microbiota (GM) and serum metabolism using antineoplastic Fufangchangtai (FFCT) as the model prescription in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC).Methods: Tumor-bearing mice and normal mice were administered different doses of FFCT. The tumor volume of tumor-bearing mice was observed. The levels of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the blood, spleen, and tumor of mice were determined using a flow cytometer. The bacterial microbiota in stool samples from mice and the serum metabolomics of FFCT-treated mice and fecal microbiota transplantation mice were detected using 16s RNA sequencing and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC/MS), respectively.Results: The tumor volume of mice showed no significant decrease after FFCT intervention. The levels of CD4+ and CD8+T lymphocytes showed a significant increase under the intervention of FFCT. GM of colorectal tumor-bearing mice and healthy mice were determined, and the diversity and abundance of Firmicutes, Deferribacteres, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria were significantly different between the two groups. Furthermore, we found that the levels of matrine, isogingerenone B, and armillaripin were significantly decreased in tumor-bearing mice after FFCT intervention, indicating that the tumor-induced dysbiosis of gut bacteria may affect the absorption and metabolism of FFCT. Under the intervention of FFCT, serum metabolism of mice transplanted with feces from CRC patients showed less metabolites related to FFCT than that from healthy people, indicating that GM could be a single factor affecting the metabolism of FFCT. Furthermore, we found that different doses of FFCT-treated mice had higher abundance of Roseburia, Turicibacter, and Flexispira than that in the non-intervention control group. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes in FFCT-treated groups showed a similar trend compared to the healthy group, indicating that FFCT might correct the intestinal microenvironment by modulating gut microbiota in colorectal tumor-bearing mice.Conclusion: The dysbiosis of GM in tumor-bearing mice reduced the serum metabolites related to FFCT, and FFCT could correct the disordered GM of colorectal tumor-bearing mice to exert efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengmeng Cai
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Animal Products on Biohazards (Shanghai) of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Ya Xiao
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhibing Lin
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Jiege Huo, ; Zhaoguo Chen, ; Zhibing Lin,
| | - Jinmiao Lu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Animal Products on Biohazards (Shanghai) of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
- South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyu Wang
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sajid Ur Rahman
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Animal Products on Biohazards (Shanghai) of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Shilan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Animal Products on Biohazards (Shanghai) of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
- South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Animal Products on Biohazards (Shanghai) of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
- South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jialin Gu
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuzhu Ma
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhaoguo Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Animal Products on Biohazards (Shanghai) of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Jiege Huo, ; Zhaoguo Chen, ; Zhibing Lin,
| | - Jiege Huo
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Jiege Huo, ; Zhaoguo Chen, ; Zhibing Lin,
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Ren F, Zhang Y, Qin Y, Shang J, Wang Y, Wei P, Guo J, Jia H, Zhao T. Taraxasterol prompted the anti-tumor effect in mice burden hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating T lymphocytes. Cell Death Dis 2022; 8:264. [PMID: 35577774 PMCID: PMC9110731 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-022-01059-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common digestive malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality worldwide, however, the treatment of HCC and prognosis of patients are not optimistic, finding more effective treatments are imperative. Taraxacum officinale (L.) Weber ex F.H.Wigg is a perennial herb of compositae, and our study has demonstrated that Taraxacum officinale polysaccharide has certain anti-tumor effect on HCC cells. Taraxasterol (TS) is a natural product extracted from Taraxacum officinale with strong physiological, pharmacological and biological activities, but the effect of TS on HCC is yet to be determined. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the effect of dandelion sterol on HCC in vivo and in vitro. The results showed that TS significantly inhibited the proliferation, induced apoptosis and blocked cell cycle in HCC cell lines HepG2 and Huh7 cells in vitro. TS inhibited the tumor growth of H22 bearing mice and the expression of Ki67 in vivo. More importantly, TS regulated the immunity of H22 bearing mice by elevating the ratio of CD4+ T cells in spleen, and increasing the number of T cell infiltration in tumor tissue. Except immunomodulation, the mechanism of tumor growth inhibition may be related to the regulation of apoptosis related proteins and IL-6/STAT3 pathway. TS significantly inhibited the growth of HCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. The study would provide a theoretical basis for the new application of TS and the adjuvant treatment of malignant tumor with traditional Chinese medicine. ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Ren
- Basic Medical College, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453000, Henan, PR China.,Henan International Joint Laboratory of Immunity and Targeted Therapy for Liver-Intestinal Tumors, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453000, Henan, PR China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Basic Medical College, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453000, Henan, PR China.,Henan International Joint Laboratory of Immunity and Targeted Therapy for Liver-Intestinal Tumors, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453000, Henan, PR China
| | - Yuanhua Qin
- Basic Medical College, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453000, Henan, PR China.,Henan International Joint Laboratory of Immunity and Targeted Therapy for Liver-Intestinal Tumors, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453000, Henan, PR China
| | - Jingli Shang
- Basic Medical College, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453000, Henan, PR China.,Henan International Joint Laboratory of Immunity and Targeted Therapy for Liver-Intestinal Tumors, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453000, Henan, PR China
| | - Yanling Wang
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Tumor Vaccine and Immunotherapy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453000, Henan, PR China.,Department of Pathology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453000, Henan, PR China
| | - Pengkun Wei
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Tumor Vaccine and Immunotherapy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453000, Henan, PR China.,Department of Immunology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453000, Henan, PR China
| | - Jiaming Guo
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Tumor Vaccine and Immunotherapy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453000, Henan, PR China
| | - Huijie Jia
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Tumor Vaccine and Immunotherapy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453000, Henan, PR China. .,Department of Pathology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453000, Henan, PR China.
| | - Tiesuo Zhao
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Tumor Vaccine and Immunotherapy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453000, Henan, PR China. .,Department of Immunology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453000, Henan, PR China.
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Tumor Microenvironment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Challenges and Opportunities for New Treatment Options. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073778. [PMID: 35409139 PMCID: PMC8998420 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of liver cancer is constantly rising, with increasing incidence and mortality in Europe and the USA in recent decades. Among the different subtypes of liver cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most commonly diagnosed liver cancer. Besides advances in diagnosis and promising results of pre-clinical studies, HCC remains a highly lethal disease. In many cases, HCC is an effect of chronic liver inflammation, which leads to the formation of a complex tumor microenvironment (TME) composed of immune and stromal cells. The TME of HCC patients is a challenge for therapies, as it is involved in metastasis and the development of resistance. However, given that the TME is an intricate system of immune and stromal cells interacting with cancer cells, new immune-based therapies are being developed to target the TME of HCC. Therefore, understanding the complexity of the TME in HCC will provide new possibilities to design novel and more effective immunotherapeutics and combinatorial therapies to overcome resistance to treatment. In this review, we describe the role of inflammation during the development and progression of HCC by focusing on TME. We also describe the most recent therapeutic advances for HCC and possible combinatorial treatment options.
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Chen S, Chen H, Zhang Y, Li W. Efficacy and Safety of Cellular Immunotherapy by Local Infusion for Liver Tumor: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Oncol 2022; 12:772509. [PMID: 35296019 PMCID: PMC8918675 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.772509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cellular immunotherapy has become a new and promising treatment for patients with liver tumor. However, as most immune cells are delivered by intravenous injection, the effect is limited and is likely to produce systemic toxicity. Here, the objective was to investigate the efficacy and safety of cellular immunotherapy by local infusion, which seems to be a promising approach and has not been well-studied. Methods The PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched to obtain literature. The overall response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS) rates, and adverse events were investigated to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of locoregional therapy. The methodological quality of the articles was assessed using the methodological index for non-randomized studies (MINORS) score. The meta-analysis was performed using Stata 15.0. Results The eligible 17 studies involved a total of 318 patients. The random-effects model demonstrated that the ORR of local cell infusion therapy was 48% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 26%–70%). The pooled OS rate was 94% (95% CI: 83%–100%) at 6 months, 87% (95% CI: 74%–96%) at 12 months, and 42% (95% CI: 16%–70%) at 24 months. Subgroup analyses suggested that minimally invasive treatment and absence of metastasis were significantly associated with better ORR. Fourteen studies reported a variety of adverse events related to cell therapy by local perfusion. The most common complications after regional infusion of immune cells were myelosuppression (66%), fever (50%), gastrointestinal toxicity (22%), hepatic dysfunction (15%), and pleural effusion and/or ascites (14%). Conclusions Immune cell therapy through local perfusion is effective for patients with liver cancer, with manageable toxicity. It demonstrates better prognosis when combined with minimally invasive therapy. Considering the potential limitations, more randomized controlled trials are needed to provide solid evidence for our findings.
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Therapeutic Potential of Thymoquinone in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Prevention and Progression through the Modulation of the Tumor Microenvironment. Nutrients 2021; 14:nu14010079. [PMID: 35010954 PMCID: PMC8746460 DOI: 10.3390/nu14010079] [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: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
To date, the tumor microenvironment (TME) has gained considerable attention in various areas of cancer research due to its role in driving a loss of immune surveillance and enabling rapid advanced tumor development and progression. The TME plays an integral role in driving advanced aggressive breast cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a pivotal mediator for tumor cells to communicate with the surrounding cells via lymphatic and circulatory systems. Furthermore, the TME plays a significant role in all steps and stages of carcinogenesis by promoting and stimulating uncontrolled cell proliferation and protecting tumor cells from the immune system. Various cellular components of the TME work together to drive cancer processes, some of which include tumor-associated adipocytes, fibroblasts, macrophages, and neutrophils which sustain perpetual amplification and release of pro-inflammatory molecules such as cytokines. Thymoquinone (TQ), a natural chemical component from black cumin seed, is widely used traditionally and now in clinical trials for the treatment/prevention of multiple types of cancer, showing a potential to mitigate components of TME at various stages by various pathways. In this review, we focus on the role of TME in TNBC cancer progression and the effect of TQ on the TME, emphasizing their anticipated role in the prevention and treatment of TNBC. It was concluded from this review that the multiple components of the TME serve as a critical part of TNBC tumor promotion and stimulation of uncontrolled cell proliferation. Meanwhile, TQ could be a crucial compound in the prevention and progression of TNBC therapy through the modulation of the TME.
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Fu S, Gong B, Wang S, Chen Q, Liu Y, Zhuang C, Li Z, Zhang Z, Ma M, Sun T. Prognostic Value of Long Noncoding RNA DLEU2 and Its Relationship with Immune Infiltration in Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma and Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Gen Med 2021; 14:8047-8064. [PMID: 34795513 PMCID: PMC8593347 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s336428] [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: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background DLEU2 is a long noncoding RNA considered important in the progression of many cancers. However, correlations between DLEU2 and kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) and liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) have rarely been reported. Methods We first analysed the expression of DLEU2 across cancers and the correlation between DLEU2 and the clinical features of KIRC and LIHC by using the “ggplot2” package in R and searched the Oncomine database and Timer website platform. We verified the expression of DLEU2 in the GEO dataset (GSE105261 and GSE45267). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn using the “pROC” and “ggplot2” packages in R, and we constructed a DLEU2-based prognostic nomogram for KIRC and LIHC by using the “survival” and “rms” packages in R. Then, we analysed the correlation between DLEU2 expression and prognosis in R as well as the correlation between DLEU2 and immune cell infiltration in the TIMER database. Finally, we explored the causes of DLEU2 upregulation in the UCSC Xena and UALCAN databases. Results We found that DLEU2 was upregulated in many cancers, including KIRC and LIHC. Expression of DLEU2 is associated with tumour stage, grade, lymphatic metastasis, and distant metastasis in KIRC as well as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), tumour stage, grade, lymphatic metastasis, and distant metastasis in LIHC. DLEU2 is an adverse factor for the prognosis of KIRC and LIHC. In addition, DLEU2 has moderate accuracy in diagnosing KIRC and LIHC and predicting their prognosis. Moreover, we found that expression of DLEU2 correlated positively with immune cell infiltration in KIRC and LIHC, and upregulation of DLEU2 in KIRC and LIHC suggests a poor prognosis based on immune cells analysis. Genetic and epigenetic analyses of DLEU2 indicate that copy number variations (CNVs) and methylation contribute to the upregulation of DLEU2. Conclusion The long noncoding RNA DLEU2 has the potential to predict the prognosis and immune infiltration of KIRC and LIHC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengqiang Fu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Binbin Gong
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Siyuan Wang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Chen
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yifu Liu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Changshui Zhuang
- Department of Urology, Union Shenzhen Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhilong Li
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhicheng Zhang
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Ma
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting Sun
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
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